In the end, Naruto decided to let go of the mask shop owner, refraining from causing any further harm. Being in Konoha, he had neither the strength nor the status to cause too much trouble; if things escalated, it would be him who suffered the consequences.
However, after releasing the mask shop owner, Naruto swaggered away, unconcerned. An Anbu agent attempted to apprehend him, but the mask shop owner insisted that he was at fault and that Naruto had nothing to do with it. With a clenched jaw, the Anbu had no choice but to let Naruto leave.
Of course, he would report this incident in detail, hoping that the higher-ups would take action against the audacious Nine-Tails brat. He could only do so much. If he exaggerated the situation, Lord Hokage would surely find out. After all, the Third Hokage was the strongest Hokage of all time!
Naruto hurried back to his narrow, musty little room, ignoring everything else as he sat cross-legged on his bed. Earlier, during his fit of anger, he had sensed an unusual chakra fluctuation within him. Though he hadn't fully grasped it at the time, he remembered that feeling.
Now that he was home, he focused on that sensation, letting it guide him. Sure enough, his consciousness quickly arrived in the dark space sealing the Nine-Tails, reminiscent of a sewer.
"Yo, Nine-Tails!"
Before the Nine-Tails could unleash its fury, Naruto spoke up first, greeting it proactively. This caught the Nine-Tails off guard. It had intended to put on a show to frighten this malnourished little brat.
"What did you just say, brat?" The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Isn't 'Nine-Tails' your name?" Naruto replied, grinning as he sat before the sealing gate, facing the beast.
"You insolent little brat, you really don't regard me at all!" The Nine-Tails stood tall, its fur bristling with fury as it raised its long claws to strike at Naruto.
The overwhelming aura surged forward like a ferocious hurricane. Waves of energy churned behind Naruto, pushing him back. His clothes billowed, and his skin rippled like water.
Yet, despite this, Naruto's expression remained calm. He simply watched the Nine-Tails put on its display, his gaze as steady as a tranquil lake.
After a moment of theatrics, the Nine-Tails realized it couldn't intimidate Naruto and lost interest, slumping back down.
"No matter how you learned my name, you're still not worthy to speak it." The Nine-Tails adopted a dismissive posture, but with a hint of pride, it added, "However, since you managed to come here on your own, speak up! What do you want?"
Naruto smirked—did he really come here on his own merit? It was the Nine-Tails who had drawn him in.
But he didn't hold back and boldly declared, "I want you to collaborate with me, willingly providing me your chakra—not the tailed beast cloak, but your chakra mode."
Naruto knew that by exchanging chakra with the Nine-Tails, he could unlock its chakra mode. Since the Nine-Tails' chakra could seep through the seal's cracks, this transformation was attainable. As for the full transformation into the Nine-Tails mode, that required completely opening the sealing gate.
For now, the key to that seal still lay with Fukasaku in Myoboku Mountain, so it was not an option.
Of course, this all hinged on the Nine-Tails cooperating. Otherwise, if it mixed in its hate attributes with the chakra, Naruto would be in big trouble. At this point, he couldn't withstand that level of hatred.
The Nine-Tails was stunned by Naruto's proposal, falling into a long silence before bursting into laughter.
But Naruto continued to gaze at it, his face as unyielding as ever, making the Nine-Tails realize he was serious.
Not bothering to ponder how Naruto knew about the chakra mode, the Nine-Tails teased, "Fine, if you tear down the sealing symbol, I'll give you as much chakra as you want. With this seal in place, what I can give you is utterly trivial."
"Deal!" To the Nine-Tails' surprise, Naruto agreed without hesitation, standing up decisively.
He walked straight to the sealing gate, focused his mind, and floated into the air, rising in front of the sealing symbol. This was his mental space, allowing him to do many things with just his thoughts.
"Watch closely; this is my sincerity towards you!"
With a confident smirk, Naruto ripped down the sealing paper without hesitation, showing no signs of dragging things out.
The sight left the Nine-Tails dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what just happened.
Wait, does this little brat even realize what tearing down the sealing symbol means?
Whoosh! A golden figure appeared, equally stunned as the Nine-Tails. Even with the speed of the Yellow Flash, there was still time to react.
Naruto had made his move decisively, tearing through the seal completely.
The two—one boy, one fox—stared at each other through the gate, trapped in a tense moment.
But soon, the Nine-Tails regained its composure, glaring at the sudden golden figure with fury.
"Fourth Hokage, I'll tear you apart!" The Nine-Tails erupted with an overwhelming malice, akin to a volcano ready to erupt.
"Troublesome!" Minato rubbed his temples.
This precautionary measure had been wasted so recklessly.
But now was not the time for regret; he swiftly moved in front of Naruto, lifting his shirt and placing his palm against the sealing mark on Naruto's abdomen.
True to his title as the Yellow Flash, he managed to re-seal the chakra just before the Nine-Tails could fully unleash its power.
The Nine-Tails slammed its claws against the sealing gate, creating not even a ripple.
"Damn it, Fourth Hokage! You actually…" The Nine-Tails lamented, regretting its slow reaction.
While it didn't possess the sealing key, tearing the sealing symbol would allow its chakra to be fully released.
By harnessing its hate attributes, it could taint Naruto with its essence and use Naruto's body to break free from its confinement.
At that moment, Naruto's fate would only be death.
After finally gaining a chance to escape, it was thwarted by a moment of sluggishness, thanks to that damned golden flash.
In reality, the Nine-Tails wasn't truly slow; it was just that Naruto's act of tearing the sealing symbol had shocked it to the core.
The sincerity in Naruto's gesture stirred something within the Nine-Tails, causing it to hesitate before trying to seize Naruto's body.
One could argue that the Nine-Tails had a kind heart buried beneath layers of resentment, shaped by the suffering humanity had inflicted upon it for so long.
But regardless, after losing such a grand opportunity, regret was inevitable.