Outside the Land of Fire: A Public Restroom
To ordinary people, it was just a restroom, a place for daily relief.
To certain individuals, it was akin to a bank's ATM.
A man cloaked entirely in black stood there, his eerie green eyes gleaming in the dim light.
His name was Kakuzu, a man who had lived through countless years, finding solace only in the accumulation of wealth—a reminder that he was truly alive.
Entering the restroom, a cacophony of unpleasant odors assaulted his nostrils.
Kakuzu, however, remained unfazed. In fact, his mood seemed rather buoyant.
Dragging a corpse, he opened a hidden door within the restroom. With practiced ease, he exchanged it for a bounty.
After confirming the amount was accurate, Kakuzu approached a wall plastered with bounty posters, scanning for his next target.
His gaze swept over the posters until his pupils suddenly contracted.
"What? One hundred million ryo!"
Pulling out a notebook, he compared it to other black market bounty listings. The highest among them was merely 480,000 ryo. Disgusted, he tossed the notebook aside.
"Trash. Now this is a bounty."
"I'll take this one," he declared.
---
Spring has come
Outside the window, flocks of sparrows chirped incessantly, their calls vying for attention from potential mates.
The chaotic bird song made Naruto frown even in his sleep.
Reaching out instinctively, he sent a burst of chakra toward the window.
When he finally awoke, Naruto glanced at the clock—it was already past eight in the morning.
He rubbed his eyes, easing the soreness in them, and sat up from the couch. Stretching and yawning, he stared blankly out the broken window.
"Uh... when did my window shatter?"
"Kid, you've got some balls. Last night, you had a spark of my brilliance."
"Hmph, as expected of the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
Kurama lay sprawled on the ground, his eyes half-closed as he showered Naruto with rare praise.
"Huh? Kurama, you've already mastered transforming into a zanpakutō spirit on your own?"
Naruto's eyes filled with confusion as he shuffled toward the bathroom.
Splashing his face with cold water, he felt a hint of rejuvenation.
"Of course. Did you think I've spent the past three years just sleeping?"
Naruto froze, stunned. Wasn't that exactly the case?
This old fox had spent three years doing little besides eating and sleeping, showing no trace of diligence.
The idea of Kurama training to master zanpakutō transformation was almost laughable.
"Idiot Naruto, I can hear your thoughts loud and clear. Apologize to me immediately!"
"Besides, I am absolutely. Strong."
Being one with Naruto, Kurama also served as his zanpakutō spirit.
Whatever Naruto thought, Kurama knew instantly. There were no secrets between the two.
For once, Naruto's usually impassive face showed a flicker of emotion.
"Fine, fine, you're the strongest, Kurama-sama."
"Kurama-sama slashed down Hashirama Senju and stomped Madara Uchiha."
Naruto spat out toothpaste foam, wiped his face, and turned to make breakfast.
"How half-baked compliment. Whatever, I'm going back to sleep." Kurama muttered, emenating red glow as he reverted back to his zanpakutō form.
After the initial novelty of the outside world wore off, Kurama found staying in the spiritual realm far more comfortable.
Naruto couldn't help but feel awkward—his once-majestic and supreme Nine-Tails had turned into a lazy house pet.
He wondered what the Sage of Six Paths would think of this development.
At that moment, Naruto's sharp senses picked up hurried footsteps outside his door, along with the panicked voices of women.
"Yesterday, Naruto seemed to have a nightmare. When I went to check on him, he was already gone. I couldn't find him anywhere! What should we do, Mikoto? I'm so worried."
Kushina Uzumaki clutched Mikoto Uchiha's hands tightly, her expression frantic and her face weary.
"Kushina, don't panic. Naruto wouldn't disappear without reason."
"Maybe he had a bad dream and went for a walk at night. He's probably sleeping in his room now. Don't worry too much."
Mikoto Uchiha offered comforting words, though they felt hollow and inadequate.
Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed, and Naruto's door swung open.
The two women rushed inside and immediately spotted Naruto tinkering with breakfast in the kitchen.
Naruto's expression changed instantly.
Kushina and Mikoto's feet erupted with chakra, cracking the floor as they dashed toward him, toppling furniture in their wake.
"Seriously? Aunties, all this damage is coming out of my pocket!" Naruto muttered as his pupils narrowed slightly.
The next moment, the two women embraced him tightly, their heads buried in his chest, their tears soaking his shirt.
"Promise me, Naruto, never disappear like that again. At least tell me before you leave. Promise me!"
Kushina's voice was choked with sobs, her grip tightening around him. Naruto struggled to breathe.
"Naruto-kun..."
Mikoto remained silent, biting her lip. Though her heart was brimming with emotions, she preferred actions over words to express her feelings.
"I'm sorry, Kushina, Mikoto. I won't do that again."
Lowering his head, Naruto's ocean-blue eyes reflected a mix of love and guilt.
His gentle voice washed over them like a soothing breeze.
Naruto's lips twitched into a faint smile—bitter or helpless, even he wasn't sure.
He had worried them about...
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