Naruto trudged home to his rundown apartment, a modest place gifted to him by the Third Hokage. The creaking door groaned as he stepped inside, but his mind was elsewhere, consumed by a storm of conflicting thoughts.
Was it right to lie to the Third?
Did I really kill so many people?
Why was I made a container?
Did my parents not love me? Why did they leave me all alone?
"Snap out of it, kit," a deep voice growled in his mind. "I've already told you—you're not alone."
Naruto froze. "Kurama? Are you... speaking in my mind?"
The fox's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Well, at least my container isn't a complete idiot.
Naruto scowled. "Hey, I just wasn't sure if you could do this. It's not like you've been chatty all these years!"
Kurama chuckled darkly. "Fair. But considering you've been wallowing in self-pity for the last hour, I figured I'd step in. If you're going to spiral, at least do it with some clarity."
Naruto sat on the edge of his tattered bed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Clarity? You call this clear? Nothing about this makes sense, Kurama! Why me? Why was I chosen to carry you?" His voice cracked, frustration bubbling to the surface.
"Because you're strong, whether you believe it or not," Kurama said, his voice unusually calm. "And because your parents trusted you could handle it."
Naruto froze, his breath hitching. "My... parents?" His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of hope and dread flooding his system. "What do you know about them?"
Kurama hesitated for a moment. "More than you do. But now's not the time for that, kit. You've got bigger things to worry about than digging up the past."
"Bigger things?" Naruto stood abruptly, fists clenched. "What could be bigger than knowing why my life has been nothing but suffering?"
Kurama growled, his voice echoing like a thunderclap in Naruto's mind. "Survival, idiot! There are people out there who want to kill you—not because of who you are, but because of what you carry. If you keep dwelling on what's behind you, you'll never see the blade coming at your back."
The weight of Kurama's words silenced Naruto, his body trembling. "Then tell me, Kurama. If I'm so important, if my parents trusted me, what am I supposed to do?"
The fox's voice softened, a rare occurrence. "Stop running. And most importantly, stop doubting yourself. You're not just some kid who was dealt a bad hand—you're the son of heroes, and it's time you started acting like it."
Naruto's chest tightened, emotions swirling within him. He didn't know whether to feel anger, pride, or sadness. "Son of heroes?" he whispered, the words foreign yet strangely comforting.
For the first time in a long while, he felt a flicker of something he hadn't allowed himself to feel: hope.
[Elsewhere in the underground of Konoha]
The dimly lit room was silent, save for the soft rustling of papers as Danzo Shimura sat behind his desk, eyes narrowed in contemplation. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to draw closer, as if the very walls were listening to his thoughts. He had just returned from a tense meeting with Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.
The old fool had been too lenient with the boy, and Danzo knew it. Naruto Uzumaki, the child who had become the village's symbol of hate and fear, was far more than a mere inconvenience. He was a threat—whether Hiruzen saw it or not.
"Hiruzen still believes he can protect the boy, shield him from the truth. But no matter how much he coddles the child, the village will never accept him." Danzo thought bitterly, fingers tapping against the wooden surface of his desk.
The confrontation had been short, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Hiruzen had dismissed his concerns about Naruto's recent retaliation against the villagers—how the boy, in a rare moment of outburst, had lashed out after being tormented again. The villagers had been too harsh, of course, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Naruto had shown the faintest glimpse of power and control. A flash of the fox's chakra, enough to make even the most hardened shinobi wary.
Danzo knew all too well what the consequences could be if the boy was left unchecked. He had seen the potential for chaos, for the instability that Naruto's very existence could bring to the village. The Fourth Hokage's sacrifice had been noble, but it had created a ticking time bomb in the form of Naruto.
But now... there was an opportunity.
He picked up a small black folder from his desk, its contents hidden beneath layers of secrecy. Inside, there were reports on Naruto's behavior, his strength, and most importantly, his relationship with the villagers. Danzo knew that the Third Hokage's protection wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the villagers would turn on the boy again. And when they did, Danzo would be ready.
"The village needs to be unified, under strong leadership," he mused aloud. "A new era. A new path. And to do that, I need to eliminate threats before they grow too large."
Danzo stood up, moving to the window where the faint light of the moon cast long shadows over the village. He could almost hear the cries of the villagers, their hatred of the boy. The whispers behind closed doors. It was only a matter of time before it boiled over.
"The fox's container will be the perfect tool to further my goals," he whispered, his voice cold as ice. "With the right push, he'll either crumble under the weight of his own power... or he'll become a pawn for my greater plans."
His hand rested on the seal on his left arm, hidden beneath the fabric of his sleeve. There were many ways to control a weapon. Naruto was no different. Whether through fear, manipulation, or outright control, Danzo had countless methods at his disposal.
A slow smile tugged at his lips as he imagined it—Naruto, finally broken, or twisted into the perfect tool for his vision of the village's future. The power of the Nine-Tails at his disposal would be an asset beyond measure, and no one would be able to stop him.
"Soon, Hiruzen, the boy's fate will no longer be in your hands. I will guide Konoha into a new age," Danzo thought darkly.
He turned away from the window, his mind already moving toward the next phase of his plans. Naruto's retaliation had been a sign—a warning. But it was also an opportunity, one that Danzo would not let slip through his fingers.
As he turned to the shadows of the room, the flickering light seemed to deepen, swallowing him whole.