Naruto froze.
The voice in his head sounded terrifyingly real. Low and deep, it vibrated with the force of shifting mountains. The boy vaguely remembered this rumble—it had surfaced in moments of wild, unbridled rage, when resentment clouded his eyes with a red veil.
But now, in the silence of the sanctuary, he heard it crystal clear.
Naruto sat on the cold stone floor. The sticky filth that had been expelled from his pores was drying, tightening his skin, but he didn't care. His mind, cleansed for the first time by Qi Concentration, operated like a well-oiled machine. Fear had vanished, replaced by cold curiosity and instinct.
"Are you inside me?" he whispered into the void.
"Well, look at that. It's not only reeking, but quick-witted too," the voice rumbled. It carried a tone of mockery, centuries of weariness, and a spark of surprise.
The boy closed his eyes again. Not for breathing this time. He used his newfound sensitivity to locate the source of that heaviness, and dived deep within himself.
The world shifted in an instant.
The dry air of the sanctuary was replaced by dampness. Naruto stood ankle-deep in water. Darkness reigned. The stale, hot air smelled of rust and decay. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped, the echo carrying through a gigantic, labyrinthine corridor.
Naruto walked forward. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he was expected.
The corridor opened into a colossal hall. In the center stood the Cage.
Massive bars stretched up into the gloom, held together by a single scrap of paper bearing a seal.
Behind the barrier, in the impenetrable darkness, two enormous vertical eyes flared. They were the size of the boy himself. Blood-red, filled with ancient malice and infinite disdain.
A snout emerged from the shadows. Orange fur, black markings around the eyes, fangs longer than swords.
The Nine-Tails. The Fox. A creature of legend. The nightmare used to frighten children.
"So, this is what you look like, my jailer." The Nine-Tails growled the words, and his breath sent ripples across the water, blowing back Naruto's hair. "For six years, I have been locked away with a screaming, snot-nosed, foolish human brat. And now, finally, you decided to visit."
Any other child would have fainted. Naruto should have too; his knees were trembling. But the Qi, slowly circulating in his meridians, acted as a sedative, keeping his mind in focus.
He raised his head and looked straight into the nightmare eyes.
"So, it's because of you?" he asked. His voice was quiet, but firm.
The Fox blinked. He had expected screaming, begging, terror. But not analysis.
"They hate me," the beast grinned a ghastly grin. "And since you are my cage, they hate you too. That is how your rotten world works, kit. The strong devour the weak."
Naruto remained silent, digesting what he had heard. Images of the past—the glares, the whispers, the flying stones, the drunken mob from earlier—clicked into a single puzzle.
"No." The boy shook his head. "You're wrong. They don't hate me. They don't even see me. They see you. I am just the wall behind which you are hidden."
The Fox snorted, releasing a jet of hot steam.
"You dare, you pathetic..."
Suddenly, he fell silent.
The giant beast leaned forward, pressing his nose against the bars. He inhaled loudly. His nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed, zeroing in on the small figure.
"What is this?" Anger gave way to confusion. "I don't sense your usual fear. Your chakra is still the same pathetic, dirty mess, but beneath it..."
The Fox squinted.
"Something pure. It doesn't burn. It flows."
Naruto instinctively raised his hand. In the mental space, which was a reflection of the soul, will shaped reality. A soft white glow gathered around his palm.
Qi.
The Fox recoiled. Not from pain—from surprise.
"This energy..." The demon's voice dropped to a low rumble.
Not Chakra, the thought flashed through the Bijuu's ancient mind. Human chakra is a weapon, a mixture of spiritual and physical energy flavored with emotions. But this... This is pure. It reminds me of the Old Man? No, different. But the taste is the same. The taste of the era before humans corrupted Ninshu. The taste of the primordial world.
"It does not fight me," the Kyubi said aloud, examining the glow with undisguised interest. "Chakra tries to suppress me or burn me. But this soothes. Like cool water on a burn."
Naruto lowered his hand. The light faded.
He understood the most important thing. This power, this "Qi," was his shield. Not just from the outside world, but from the darkness within.
"I don't know what it is. I think it's called 'Qi'," the jinchuriki admitted honestly. "I just found it in the wall. It cleanses me. But your power was getting in the way. It burned."
The Fox chuckled. The sound was like a landslide in the mountains.
"Getting in the way, you say? Ha!" A wave of heat washed over Naruto. "That 'hindering' power is the only reason you're still alive, you ungrateful brat. My chakra patched your body every time those two-legged insects threw stones at you. If not for me, you would have croaked in a ditch three years ago."
The demon lazily turned around and lay down on the floor, resting his massive head on his paws. His tails, lost in the darkness, moved slowly, creating waves in the stagnant water.
"But this Qi..." he muttered, not taking his eyes off the boy. "This is entertaining. For the first time in decades, I am not bored."
His eyes flashed.
"I will be watching, Naruto Uzumaki. Let's see how long you last before this 'purity' breaks you in a world of filth. Or..." he smiled predatorily, baring a row of razor-sharp teeth, "before I decide to break it myself."
Naruto nodded. This wasn't friendship. It was the truce of a predator who had found a new toy.
But it was better than war.
"I'll be back," he said, turning toward the exit.
"Oh, I have no doubt, jailer." Mocking laughter hit his back. "You cannot help but return. We are bound tighter now than you think."
Naruto snapped his eyes open.
The stone sanctuary again. Silence. Cold. The smell of his own dirty skin.
But inside, where fear and emptiness used to reign, there was now understanding. He had a Monster inside him. But he also had the Power to speak to it.
The boy stood up, feeling his joints crack. He needed to clean himself up.
And he needed to start training.