"Why? Why now of all times?! Why did that brat have to show up today?!"
Kurama mentally screamed in despair.
He had imagined this moment countless times — the day Naruto would finally enter the sealed space.
And when that moment came, Kurama would be ready.
He would intimidate him, overwhelm him with the sheer majesty of a tailed beast… and make him fear him
while also bewitching him into using his power, which would result in weakening the seal.
That was the plan.
But now… things had taken a slightly different route.
(--_--) ┐(' ～;)┌`
There was total silence between them.
The two just stood there, staring at each other awkwardly.
Naruto had no idea why the Nine-Tails was in such a strange space, nor did he want to know.
He just wanted to leave.
The shallow water at his feet, the eerie atmosphere, the towering cage in the distance — it all felt bizarre.
To make things worse, he had just witnessed something that shattered his image of the mighty Nine-Tails.
Because inside that massive cage…
The Nine-Tails had been loudly bragging about conquering the world and claiming to be the "incarnation of benevolence."
Naruto's mouth twitched just thinking about a tailed beast calling itself that.
Kurama, seeing Naruto silently standing there, felt his soul leave his body.
That's it... I'm doomed.
He wasn't just losing his pride — he was facing social death.
His fearsome image had been destroyed in just one unfortunate encounter.
And Naruto claiming he didn't see anything?
Kiss my ass.
That brat definitely saw everything.
Kurama could already picture him running off to blab:
"You'll never believe what the Nine-Tails does in his free time…"
Kurama closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"It was a good life."
(ￗ﹏ￗ )
But then… salvation arrived.
"Umm… can you tell me what this place is? I don't know why I'm here."
It was like a life jacket had been thrown to a drowning fox. He grabbed it with all four paws.
Realizing that Naruto had no idea about Kurama being sealed inside him, he quickly devised the perfect plan.
Then Kurama quickly slipped back into his old monk mode and resumed his Talk-no-Jutsu on Naruto.
"What you saw… was merely a dream," he said smoothly.
"A dream created in your sleep, blending your deepest desires with your limited knowledge of the ninja world. Nothing more."
He nodded seriously, as if agreeing with himself.
"After all, how could the mighty Nine-Tailed Beast be caught doing something like that? It was all your imagination. Yeah… that's right."
Kurama even cleared his throat for dramatic effect, finishing his performance:
"If you want to wake up, just lie down over there and go to sleep again. You'll return to reality. It's just a dream. Nothing else."
Naruto was a bit skeptical, but honestly… he had no idea what to say.
He didn't even know who this giant fox was. And arguing with a tailed beast didn't seem like the smartest idea.
Who knows what kind of short circuits these beasts might have?
So, silently, he walked over to the spot Kurama had pointed at.
As Naruto laid down, Kurama smiled in relief.
Thank god… that brat's too naïve.
He shuddered at the thought of his "World Conquest Fanfic" being leaked to the other tailed beasts.
Just imagining the mocking looks was enough to give him nightmares.
The moment Naruto laid flat, Kurama waited a few seconds
then swiftly kicked him out of the seal.
Seeing him finally out Kurama breathed a sigh of relief.
Back on the training ground, Naruto jerked awake.
His eyes blinked open, confused.
He looked around. Everything seemed normal again.
"Was that… really a dream?"
Naruto honestly couldn't say.
He had no idea why he ended up in that strange space, or why the Nine-Tails had been there too.
The whole experience had been way too weird.
After thinking about it for a moment, he shook his head.
"Better not to dwell on it. Let's train more"
And just like that, Naruto threw himself back into practicing Great Breakthrough,
focusing on improving his chakra control
while doing his best to erase that bizarre dream from his mind.
In the evening
Naruto was happily gobbling up his favorite miso ramen at Ichiraku Ramen.
Ayame was quietly serving food behind the counter, but something about her expression seemed… off. Her usual warmth wasn't there. She looked tired — and dejected.
Noticing the change, Naruto paused mid-slurp and blinked.
"Sister Ayame, what's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" he asked with concern.
Ayame tried to brush it off with a helpless smile and a sigh.
"It's nothing, Naruto..."
But after a moment of hesitation, she decided to tell him.
Naruto wasn't just any customer — he was their No. 1 customer. He deserved to know.
"Naruto… we're going to close Ichiraku Ramen for a while," she said softly.
"Father's been sick and can't work, and I really can't manage the shop all by myself."
"WHAT?!" Naruto's chopsticks nearly flew out of his hand.
That was the last thing he ever wanted to hear in his life.
Ichiraku Ramen… closing?!
That's Unacceptable.
"You're joking, right? Sister Ayame, tell me you're joking!" he said in panic.
But Ayame's serious expression made it clear — this was no joke.
She gave a tired smile.
"I thought about hiring someone to help, but… we don't have enough money left. We used up our savings on the doctor visits.
Father's recovering now, thankfully — but it's going to take time.
So I've decided to close the shop until he's better."
She sighed again, her voice filled with reluctant acceptance.
Naruto, still in disbelief, sat frozen for a moment. Then he suddenly stood up, eyes blazing with determination.
"Sister Ayame, if it's just money, then you don't have to worry! I'll take care of it!"
"Naruto—"
"Wait right here! I'll be back in a second!"
Without waiting for a response, Naruto dashed out of the shop at full speed, leaving a trail of dust and a very confused Ayame behind.
---
[ A/N : Please do let me know if there's anything bothering you in the story or any suggestions for improvement. 😅
Even though I've read it many times before posting, there are always things I might overlook without realizing.
Also, feel free to share any feedback regarding interactions or pacing . ]