Team 7's mission to the Land of Waves had ended in a blend of triumph and exhaustion. The bridge—now complete—proudly bore the name "Grand Bridge Naruto", an unexpected tribute that swelled the young ninja's chest with pride. The return to Konoha was a soothing relief.
The week that followed blurred into time for Naruto—a vortex of secret training and deep reflection. Team 7's assigned efforts on D-rank missions were trivial chores. With his enhanced senses and the Eye of the Multiverse, Naruto completed them instantly, allowing Sasuke and Sakura to shine under Kakashi's gaze. These moments became his opportunity to hone the art of concealment, mastering the ability to appear "normal," hiding his raw strength, heightened perceptions, and iridescent eyes behind a mask of clumsiness.
Each night, Naruto slipped into the surrounding forests—places dense with natural energy where he could train undiscovered. His abilities were vast, and he pursued them with insatiable curiosity. He could now sense the subtlest ground vibrations, moving with agility that even top ninjas would struggle to match, without using visible chakra—only manipulating the Extent of Space around him. He learned to fuse the energy of Chaos with his will, creating unpredictable flashes in his movements and making his dodges almost supernatural. The energy of Creation let him reshape small natural elements—crafting temporary, undetectable shelters, sprouting seeds in seconds. Above all, he sought to give his power a tangible form.
One night, meditating under moonlight with his golden iridescent eyes gazing at the starry sky, an idea sparked from the Extent of Space and the Thread of Time. Ancient tales spoke of summoning powerful entities. But as the Guardian of the Multiverse, Naruto needed more than frogs or snakes. He needed something resonant with his essence—a primordial being. He concentrated on the mythical essence of dragons: beings of power and antiquity. He reached through the realities he perceived, beyond known dimensions.
His invocation wasn't bound to scrolls or blood—it was a resonance. He projected his intention, his connection to the Multiverse, into the very fabric of existence. And it responded.
A roar echoed—not in the forest, but within Naruto's mind—shaking the nighttime sky from the inside out. The ground trembled as a tear in reality emerged. From this dimensional rift appeared a colossal head, then a massive neck, covered in dark, space-like scales dotted with sparkling gems like trapped galaxies. Its eyes, orbs of pure energy, glowed with ancient light—emerald green of Life, violet of Death, gold of Time, and kaleidoscopic shades of Space. He was Aethel, the Primordial Dragon King, the first and oldest dragon—an entity whose existence predated countless realities.
"Mortal... you have called me," Aethel's voice reverberated with a deep bass that shook Naruto's soul. "I sense the Multiverse in you. You are worthy."
Though awed by the creature's grandeur, Naruto felt no fear—only respectful reverence.
"I... I am Naruto Uzumaki. I seek an ally, a guide. I wish to forge a pact."
Aethel lowered his colossal head, his eyes studying Naruto's.
"A pact... not to bind me, but to ally with me. That is wise.
I am the echo of the energies you guard. I offer you my wisdom and strength in exchange for your connection to the Multiverse.
Thus, my lineage shall be revitalized. We shall be bound—not by bloodmarks, but by essence."
And so the pact was forged—not by blood seals or incantations, but by mutual understanding. Naruto felt a profound bond form, a new wellspring of power merging with the Multiversal energy within him. Aethel withdrew, the dimensional crack sealing, leaving behind only a sense of magnitude—and the certainty of an unparalleled alliance.
That night, Naruto's sleep was restless—but not from anxiety. He found himself in a place both familiar and transformed: the murky, underwater landscape of his subconscious, complete with the massive cage and seal. But this time, the fog pressed less heavily, the bars seemed less threatening. And behind them was a massive shadow whose red eyes cut through the darkness.
"So, brat... you've finally grown," a deep, guttural voice echoed, vibrating through the bars. It was Kurama, the Nine-Tails—finally free of his usual hatred, likely alerted by the cosmic tremors in Naruto's soul.
Naruto stepped closer to the cage—part curiosity, part strange familiarity.
"You're... the Nine-Tails fox, right?" he said calmly.
Through the Eye of the Multiverse, he perceived Kurama not as a pure being of hatred, but as a colossal force of Chaos and Destruction, restrained and tormented—but not inherently evil. He sensed sadness, solitude, and anger born of suffering.
"You fear the Great Kyūbi?" Kurama growled, his slit pupils studying Naruto with undisguised surprise.
"Why would I? You're trapped, and... I sense what you really are." Naruto pointed to Kurama's aura. "You're primal energy, like me now. But you're chained—and it drives you mad."
Kurama faltered at that. No one had ever seen him that way.
"Absurd! I am the most powerful demon!"
"Yes, powerful. But you're also a force of nature—like wind or flame. You're not evil; you were used.
And you're alone." Naruto replied with newfound wisdom and compassion. He extended a hand toward the bars—not to challenge, but to reach out.
"I don't know why I am the Guardian of the Multiverse, or why you are inside me. But if we are bound... then we are not alone."
Kurama remained silent, his chakra roiling with contradictory emotions—anger, surprise—but also a faint spark: curiosity.
"The Multiverse, you say... and you dare to speak of loneliness to a being who has lived millennia?" His tone was less aggressive, more inquisitive.
"I feel your story, Kurama. I sense the seals, the constraints. I sense the other tails, scattered. I won't free you now—that would be dangerous.
But I want you to know... I don't see you as the monster everyone fears. I see another soul—great and powerful—who needs to understand its role.
I need your power, but I won't use you. We shall be allies."
The Kyūbi sniffed.
"Allies, kid? You speak well for a mortal." His red eyes no longer burned with blind fury.
"You are different. Very different." The beast stretched, still staring at Naruto.
"Return when you truly have something to show me, Guardian of the Multiverse."
The subconscious world wavered, and Naruto awoke in his bed—morning sunlight barely filtering in. The conversation had been real. Kurama's voice still echoed within him—not so much a threat, more a silent presence. Naruto now not only had a pact with a Primordial Dragon King, but he had also taken the first step toward a bond with the demon within him. The Guardian's path was vast—and it had only just begun.