Naruto's expression froze for a moment. The words "your parents died in my hands" reverberated in his mind, the weight of the statement crashing into him like a wave.
The Nine-Tails watched him intently, its massive crimson eyes narrowing slightly, gauging his reaction. It wasn't trying to provoke him—it simply wanted to understand. After all, the boy before it wasn't the same naive Uzumaki Naruto it had known from years of passive observation. There was something darker, sharper about him now.
Naruto looked down, his reflection rippling in the shallow water beneath him. For a moment, he was silent, his blue eyes clouded with thoughts. Then, slowly, a smirk formed on his lips—a cold, almost unsettling smile.
"Yeah, I know," Naruto said, his voice calm yet carrying an edge that made the Nine-Tails' ears twitch.
The fox was caught off guard. "You don't hate me for it?"
Naruto tilted his head, his expression unyielding. "Hate you? For what? Being a tool of someone else's schemes? You were used, just like I was. The real culprits…" His eyes glinted with a cold fury. "…are the ones who orchestrated everything. The ones who condemned us both to this cursed existence."
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes but didn't interrupt.
"Don't misunderstand, Kurama. I don't forgive you either. You killed my parents, and that's a fact. But I won't waste my time hating you when there's a whole system—the entire world—that allowed it to happen."
Naruto's gaze met Kurama's, unwavering. "You were called a 'demon' and feared, just like me. But in the end, all of it—our pain, our suffering—was orchestrated by humans who thought they could control everything."
Kurama was silent, a flicker of something indescribable flashing across its eyes.
"You said Ashura was a kind person," Naruto continued, his tone laced with mockery. "But kindness alone doesn't fix a broken world. People don't change just because you ask nicely. They only understand strength."
Naruto stepped closer to the cage, the barrier between them shimmering faintly in the dim light. "So, Kurama, I'll ask you again: Do you want to destroy Konoha with me?"
The Nine-Tails stared at him, its massive form looming over the boy. For centuries, it had been trapped, used as a weapon, and vilified for merely existing. It had watched humans destroy themselves with their petty squabbles and unrelenting greed.
And now, in front of it, was a boy—a boy with the potential to turn the world upside down. A boy who carried both the weight of a cursed past and the resolve to carve a new path.
Kurama let out a low chuckle, its deep voice reverberating through the sealed space. "You're an interesting little brat, I'll give you that. But if you think I'll just hand over my power, you're sorely mistaken."
Naruto grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming. "Who said anything about asking nicely?"
The atmosphere in the sealed space shifted. The tension was palpable, like the calm before a storm. Kurama's massive form loomed closer to the cage's bars, its fiery eyes locked onto Naruto's.
"Then show me," Kurama growled. "Prove that you're not just another arrogant human pretending to understand."
Naruto clenched his fists, a spark of determination igniting in his gaze. "Oh, I'll prove it, Kurama. Not just to you, but to the entire world."
The Nine-Tails smirked, its sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Very well, little ghost. Let's see if you're as strong as that resolve of yours."
The water rippled violently beneath them, the tension growing as a silent agreement was forged. Two beings, bound by fate yet united by their hatred for the world, were about to embark on a path that would reshape everything.