The night pressed against Konoha like a heavy shroud, the moon's pale light filtering through Naruto's window to paint silver streaks across his childhood bedroom. Fresh from a bath, he sprawled across the creaky mattress, the familiar scent of worn wood and old dreams wrapping around him. This house—his sanctuary—had been reduced to rubble by Pain's Shinra Tensei in that other life. Now, restored and whole, it felt both comforting and fragile, a relic he'd fight to protect.
Naruto stretched, his damp hair sticking to his forehead, and cast a fleeting glance at the moon before yanking the curtains shut. The room plunged into shadow, save for the faint glow of his own resolve. He sank back onto the bed, tugging his pajama shirt up to expose the swirl of ink etched into his navel—the Eight Trigrams Seal, Minato's handiwork. His breath steadied as he gathered chakra into his fingertips, the energy humming like a live wire. With a deliberate press and a twist, the seal clicked open, a soft snap reverberating in the stillness. His chakra surged inward, pulling his consciousness along.
Inside the sealed space, a pair of scarlet eyes snapped open, glowing like twin embers in the dark. The Nine Tails—Kurama—stirred, its massive form looming behind the iron bars of the gate, claws flexing with barely contained malice. It fixed its gaze on the entrance, a low growl rumbling through the damp air.
Naruto's awareness settled into the familiar sewer, water sloshing around his ankles as he strode forward with purpose. The dank walls glistened, the air thick with the metallic tang of rust and chakra. He stopped before the towering gate, its bars etched with seals pulsing faintly red. "Hey, Kurama!" he called, voice echoing off the stone. "What's your deal? I've been yelling for you, and you just cut me off—blocked the chakra link so I couldn't even get in without the key!"
The beast lumbered closer, its nine tails swaying like a storm brewing in slow motion. Scarlet eyes bored into him, narrowing as its lips peeled back to reveal jagged fangs. Naruto tilted his head, undeterred. "What's with the death glare? You mad or something?"
Kurama lunged without warning, a massive claw slashing through the bars. Naruto twisted aside, the razor-sharp nails grazing the air where he'd stood, the wind of it ruffling his hair. "Whoa—Kurama, what the hell?!" he shouted, skidding back. "You trying to skewer me?!"
The fox bared its teeth, voice a guttural snarl. "Don't call me Kurama, you fraud!"
Naruto blinked, caught off guard. "Fraud? What're you talking about?"
Kurama paced behind the gate, its tails lashing the water into frothy waves. "You're not him—not that brat Naruto. He only ever called me Nine Tails. But you—you've got his body, sure, but your soul? It's different. Stronger. Too strong. You're an imposter—who are you, and how do you know my name? Get out of him!"
A roar erupted, shaking the sewer, the sound a tidal wave of fury that forced Naruto to clap his hands over his ears. The bars rattled, chakra crackling like lightning. When the echo faded, Naruto lowered his hands, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Oh. I get it now."
It clicked—why Kurama had shut him out since his return, why every attempt to connect had hit a wall. The fox had sensed it: a shift in his soul, the raw edge of experience from a life already lived. To Kurama, it looked like possession, like the Naruto it knew had been erased. "So that's why you've been ghosting me," he murmured, almost to himself.
Kurama's growl deepened, claws scraping the stone. "Where's the real Naruto, you bastard? What did you do to him?!"
Naruto's grin widened, a playful glint in his eyes. He couldn't resist. "What's it to you? Thought you hated that kid—always griping about being stuck with him. Why the sudden concern?"
The fox snorted, steam curling from its nostrils. "I don't owe you an explanation, fake!"
Naruto crossed his arms, leaning back with a smirk. "Well, too bad for you—I ate him. Soul's gone, chomped right up."
Kurama's reaction was instant. All nine tails flared, whipping the air into a frenzy, its eyes blazing crimson. "You miserable wretch!" it roared, lunging at the gate with enough force to dent the bars. "I'll rip you apart—swallow you whole!"
The ferocity was real, but Naruto saw through it—a flicker of something softer beneath the rage. Kurama's claws scrabbled at the iron, its snarls masking a worry it wouldn't admit. Warmth bloomed in Naruto's chest, and he couldn't hold back anymore. Laughter burst out, loud and unrestrained. "Hahaha—Kurama, you're hilarious! All puffed up like a big ol' cat—hahaha, you haven't changed a bit!"
"Shut it!" Kurama bellowed, slamming a paw against the gate. "Don't you dare call me that—you don't deserve it!"
Naruto's laughter faded, his expression softening as he met those furious eyes. Kurama wasn't just a tailed beast—he was family, the constant in his life from the moment he was born. They'd shared everything—pain, rage, secrets—until the Fourth War had torn down the walls between them, forging a bond of trust and mutual strength. He couldn't keep this from him. Not anymore.
"Alright, listen," Naruto said, voice steady. "I'm not the Naruto you knew—not exactly. But I'm still me. I'm Naruto from the future, sent back here."
Kurama's tails stilled, its glare sharpening with skepticism. "Time travel? That's your story? Absolute nonsense—no one can do that."
Naruto stepped closer, unflinching. "The Sage of Six Paths did it. He's the one who sent me back."
The name hit like a thunderclap. Kurama's eyes widened, a flicker of recognition breaking through its anger. "The old man? You're saying he—"
"Yeah," Naruto cut in, nodding. "And your name? I didn't dig it up from some scroll. In my last life, I trained with Killer Bee and Gyūki—Eight Tails. They called him Aba, and he told me about you, Kurama. That's how I know."
Kurama recoiled, its massive form tensing. "Eight Tails helped you? And you controlled my chakra? Ridiculous—I'd never let some snot-nosed kid—"
"You didn't wanna," Naruto admitted, grinning. "Took a lot of convincing. I bribed you with meatballs—tons of 'em. You caved eventually."
The fox's jaw dropped, then snapped shut, its glare intensifying. "Meatballs?! You think I'd sell out for—argh, you're insufferable! And Eight Tails' nickname too? What else do you know?"
Naruto shrugged, leaning against the gate with a casual air. "Everything. You spilled it all back then. Here's the rundown: One Tail's Shukaku. Two Tails is Matatabi—Nekomata too. Three Tails, Iso; Four Tails, Son Gokū; Five Tails, Kokuō; Six Tails, Saiken; Seven Tails, Chōmei; Eight Tails, Gyūki—Aba to Bee; and you, Nine Tails, Kurama. My big, grumpy cat."
Kurama stared, speechless, its tails drooping as the weight of Naruto's words sank in. This wasn't some trick—only someone who'd lived it could know those names, that history. The sewer fell silent, the tension shifting into something raw, uncertain. Naruto watched, waiting, his heart laid bare before the beast who'd been his shadow and his strength.
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