That hard candy from young Iruka was like a tiny, faintly warm spark, briefly illuminating the dark corners of the infant's life. I clumsily hid it in the deepest crevice of the bassinet mattress, occasionally touching it with my chubby little hand to confirm its presence. It wasn't just a candy; it was an anchor, a tiny piece of evidence that "I might be treated with kindness in the future," supporting me in the gap between diapers and surveillance, as I continued my clumsy yet persistent Chakra perception.
Progress was painstakingly slow. Keeping that faint warm current at my fingertips for more than a moment felt like pushing a giant boulder through a swamp. Most of the time, as soon as I concentrated my Mental Energy, I was either interrupted by a sudden urge to urinate, startled by the deliberately heavy footsteps of "Hawk" outside the door, or simply dragged into darkness by the infant body's natural drowsiness. Failure became the norm; the occasional, almost negligible warmth that flickered was the only reward.
Until that muggy afternoon.
The air felt as if it was filled with damp, hot cotton, and even breathing felt sticky. "Hawk" probably couldn't stand the stuffiness of the small space and, unusually, left the room briefly (presumably to get some fresh air, though the Anbu's presence outside the door remained). A rare chance to be alone! I immediately seized this fleeting window, trying to enter that weary, empty state, my consciousness carefully sinking into my body, attempting once again to capture and tame that faint warm current that belonged to me.
Chaos. Still Chaos. The roar of blood rushing, the dull throb of the heart, the meaningless creeping of the intestines… and that ever-present, lurking deeper, scalding Nine-Tails Chakra torrent, reeking of sulfur and hatred. It seemed especially… agitated today? Was it because of the muggy weather? Or because my continuous attempts to mobilize my own Chakra unconsciously stimulated it?
*No matter, first find mine…* My intention, like the finest probe, searched laboriously in the chaotic energy field. Sweat (or drool?) ran down my forehead, an itchy sensation I forced myself to ignore. *There!* That faint warmth was captured again! It seemed… a little clearer than last time?
Ecstasy surged again, and I immediately concentrated all my Mental Energy, clumsily using my intention to "guide" it, trying to make it gather towards my fingertips as it did last time. The process was still incredibly difficult; the neural pathways were like a long-neglected, thorny goat path, and the commands of my intention were constantly weakened and distorted. Once, twice… Just as I felt I was about to succeed, and that warmth seemed to be genuinely "moving" very slowly towards my fingertips—
A sudden change!
Deep within my body, that scalding Nine-Tails Chakra that had been dormant was completely enraged by my weak "diversion" attempt! It was like a tyrant awakened by an ant disturbing its sleep, suddenly erupting! A scorching torrent, ten, a hundred times stronger than usual, carrying pure destructive will, surged upwards without warning, violently reversing along the "path" where my intention had tried to guide my own Chakra!
"Boom—!"
A burning bomb seemed to explode in the depths of my consciousness! Intense burning pain instantly swept through my entire body! It wasn't the pain of flesh, but the excruciating pain of a Soul being torn apart! What flowed in my veins no longer felt like blood, but scalding magma! That wild power was completely out of control, violently crashing and tearing through my tiny Meridians! My small body was gripped by an invisible giant hand, arching sharply, then violently convulsing and twitching!
"Woooo—!!!"
A shriek, sharp and unlike an infant's, filled with pain and wildness, uncontrollably burst from my throat! It wasn't a cry, but more like the death wail of some beast!
At the same time, centered on my tiny body, an invisible, scorching wave of Qi, smelling of burnt sulfur, suddenly spread out! The bassinet shook violently, groaning under the strain! A crude ceramic cup on the table shattered with a "crack!" A faint but heart-stopping aura, full of tyranny and hatred, permeated the air! It was a leakage of Nine-Tails Chakra!
*This is bad! It's out of control!*
*Stop! Stop it now!*
*My body is going to explode!*
My consciousness swayed under the impact of the intense pain and wild energy, leaving only instinctive fear and survival instinct screaming madly. I desperately tried to cut off that damned mental connection, to withdraw my Mental Energy, but the Nine-Tails Chakra's backlash was like a bursting flood, something I couldn't stop! It was trying to vent wildly through the fragile path I had forcibly opened!
"Bang!" The door was violently slammed open by a huge force!
"Hawk's" figure appeared at the doorway like a ghost. Her face was more solemn than ever, even with a hint of alarm! Her cold eyes were now filled with unbelievable vigilance and… killing intent? Her hand was already on the hilt of the short sword at her back! And almost at the same time she burst in, at least three chilling Anbu Chakra perceptions, like searchlights, instantly locked onto this small room, focusing tightly on my small body, violently twitching in pain! The air solidified like lead, the heavy pressure almost crushing the bassinet!
It's over! I'm exposed! I'll be dealt with!
Immense fear instantly overshadowed the physical pain. The shadow of death had never been so clear! Just at this critical moment, a more steady, profound voice, carrying an invisible majesty, sounded like a stabilizing Divine Power, instantly dispelling some of the suffocating killing intent:
"Stop!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure had appeared at the doorway at some point, blocking "Hawk's" action of drawing her sword. He came too fast! Too fast for an old man! His aged face showed none of his usual benevolence, only a solemnity as solid as iron, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, staring intently at me, struggling in pain in the bassinet. His wide sleeves moved without wind, and a vast, condensed Chakra, like a volcano about to erupt, lay dormant around him, firmly suppressing the violent aura in the room and the Anbu's killing intent.
He didn't approach immediately, but quickly formed hand Seals! His movements were dazzlingly fast, with a precision and power honed by countless trials!
"Sealing Jutsu: Four Symbols Sealing: Suppress!"
With his low, authoritative shout, he slammed his hands onto the floor at the edge of the bassinet! A circular magic array, shimmering with a ghostly blue light and composed of countless complex runes, instantly unfolded on the ground, enveloping the entire bassinet! The light of the array, like cold chains, with powerful suppressive force, instantly wrapped around my tiny body!
"Ugh ah—!" That torrent of Nine-Tails Chakra that had invaded my body and was wildly rampaging, seemed to be caught by an invisible giant net! It let out an unwilling roar, crashing even more wildly, but before that ancient and powerful Sealing Jutsu, it was like a raging wave hitting an iron wall! A fierce confrontation erupted within my fragile body, bringing deeper, tearing pain! But that wild momentum, wanting to burst out of my body, was forcibly suppressed!
Excruciating pain washed over me repeatedly. My small body trembled and convulsed violently in the blue light of the array, my throat emitting intermittent, painful whimpers like a broken bellows. Sweat (or tears?) soaked my swaddling clothes.
The Third Hokage maintained the Sealing Jutsu, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, his gaze incredibly solemn. He carefully sensed the intensity of the wild power struggling under the Seal and the limit of my body's endurance. Time seemed to freeze.
I don't know how long passed, maybe a few minutes, maybe a few seconds, but the Nine-Tails Chakra within me, under the powerful suppression of the Seal, finally exhausted the momentum of this surge, and like a receding tide, with an unwilling hiss, slowly retreated back into the depths of the Seal. That heart-stopping tyrannical aura quickly dissipated, and the scorching air in the room gradually cooled down.
The intense pain receded like a tide, leaving only endless exhaustion and a lingering, needle-like stinging sensation. I felt as if all my bones had been removed, collapsing in the bassinet, without the strength to even move a finger. Only faint, kitten-like sobs remained in my throat. The ghostly blue light of the Sealing array covering me also gradually dimmed and disappeared.
The room was deathly silent. Only my faint gasps remained.
"Hawk" still maintained her stance of drawing her sword, her whole body tense, her eyes moving between the Third Hokage and me with suspicion and alarm. Although the Anbu's Chakra perception outside the door had somewhat receded, it still lurked in the shadows like a cold, poisonous snake.
The Third Hokage slowly straightened up, letting out a long, heavy sigh, as if he too had expended a great deal of Mental Energy. More sweat appeared on his forehead. He didn't speak immediately, but fixed his deep, seemingly all-seeing old eyes on me, sharply, scrutinizingly, without blinking.
That gaze no longer held any pretense! Stripped of all benevolent appearances, only the most essential, cold assessment and inquiry of a Hokage remained! Like a surgical knife, it tried to dissect my skin and look directly into the depths of my Soul!
What did he see? Did he suspect? Did he know I wasn't a real infant? Extreme fear once again clutched my heart, worse than the physical pain just now! I desperately suppressed my pounding heart and disordered breathing, summoning the last shred of my strength, pouring all my attention into the disguise that was essential for my survival.
My azure eyes were clouded with a physiological mist from the intense pain and fear, looking blank, fragile, and with the helpless, startled vulnerability unique to an infant. My small mouth was slightly open, emitting faint, intermittent sobs. My body occasionally twitched slightly from the residual pain. I looked entirely like a pitiful infant, terrified, in pain, and utterly bewildered by the sudden rampage of the monster within me.
Play dumb! Play innocent! Act like I was scared out of my wits by the Nine-Tails Chakra's backlash!
Time passed minute by minute. The Third Hokage's scrutinizing gaze felt substantial, pressing heavily on me. I could clearly feel his powerful Mental Energy scanning my physical state, detecting my emotional fluctuations.
Finally, the sharp inquiry in his eyes slowly receded a bit, but the solemnity and deep worry remained undiminished. He turned to "Hawk," his voice low and weary, with an unquestionable command: "Strengthen surveillance. The Seal has minor fluctuations; report to the Sealing Jutsu squad and have them re-evaluate the reinforcement plan. Report any abnormalities immediately."
"Yes!" "Hawk" finally withdrew her hand from the sword hilt and bowed in response, her voice still cold, but with a hint of an almost imperceptible… lingering fear?
The Third Hokage's gaze fell back on me, his expression extremely complex. There was the heavy responsibility of a mountain, deep worry about the instability of the "vessel," lingering fear from the dangerous scene just now, and perhaps… a tiny hint of pity, so subtle that even he himself didn't notice it, for an infant enduring inhuman pain? But this hint of pity was instantly drowned out by deeper calculation and vigilance.
"Take care of yourself, Naruto." His final voice was hoarse and heavy, as if containing a thousand words, yet saying nothing at all. He didn't linger, turning and leaving, his steps heavier than when he arrived.
The door closed again.
Only I and "Hawk," still standing stiffly in the corner, remained in the room. The air still carried the smell of sulfur, the residual energy of the Sealing Jutsu, and a thick, suffocating sense of fear and cold surveillance.
I lay limp in the bassinet, my body extremely weak, each breath bringing a stinging pain in my chest. But my mind was abnormally agitated due to the extreme fear and the life-and-death struggle I had just experienced.
*Almost… just a little more…* Nine-Tailed… old fox… Seal… *Power! I must master power faster! Otherwise, next time…* In the depths of my consciousness, the seed named "indifference," planted next to Iruka's candy, absorbed the nourishment of this life-and-death crisis, quietly broke through the frozen earth, and sent out a cold, sharp sprout.
I closed my eyes, burying my face in the swaddling clothes, which still smelled of sweat and tears, letting out an inaudible sigh, trembling with the aftershocks of survival.
The first direct confrontation with the old fox ended in a narrow, brutal draw.
And this war called survival had just entered a more dangerous deep water.