Naruto's eyes opened as he felt the sensation of water flowing through his body. He immediately recognized his surroundings, standing in front of the large cage holding his captive.
"I never expected anything from you, and even if you disappoint me..."
Quite a blunt way to start a conversation.
"I love you too," Naruto muttered quietly, meeting the gaze of the great beast, which had lazily risen from the ground to sit.
"Your stupidity almost cost us our lives."
"I didn't know you were interested."
"No one cares about your miserable life."
"..." A vein popped on Naruto's forehead, and he resisted the urge to yell at the furball.
"My life matters to me."
"Weren't you the mighty nine-tailed fox that can't die?" He asked nonchalantly while cleaning his ear, ignoring the furious reaction from the fox.
"Bitch, you motherfucking brat!" The animal roared angrily, prompting Naruto to smile and shrug his shoulders.
"I've seen foxes before, and you look like a poor mix between a dog and a rabbit."
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Thud*
The entire mental space shook as the Kyubi repeatedly slammed its head against the bars in an attempt to escape or destroy the cage. Several minutes passed before it ceased its futile efforts.
"You will be the cause of our downfall!"
"What?"
"I see it all. You could have done more against those pathetic fire-breathing humans. You could have attacked and snapped their necks like branches, crushed their skulls with a single blow."
Those words had a noticeable effect on Naruto, leaving him uncertain about how to respond.
"Me..."
"Don't play dumb with me," the Kyubi warned, its voice deep and eyes glowing red, reminiscent of something straight out of hell.
"…"
"Even a trash like you is above everyone in this world. They are just civilians who use elements! You can break their bodies with your fists! And what do you do?! You just play the good guy..."
"…"
Naruto found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't deny the stark reality: the physiology and vitality of the people in this world and his own were vastly different. He was sure that if Kakashi-sensei or Jiraiya were here, they would march straight into the Fire Nation and defeat every soldier and machine in their path. They could eliminate the Fire Lord whenever they pleased and end this senseless war in a single day.
That was the harsh truth between the two worlds—the world of shinobi and elemental benders were worlds apart.
"Why do you care now that he lives?" Naruto questioned directly, locking eyes with the great beast.
"…"
"And good?" He growled, impatience edging his tone, but it seemed that he wouldn't receive a response, "If you won't say anything, I'm leaving."
"That we cannot die does not make us invulnerable."
Naruto came to a halt when he heard this, his confusion evident as he raised his gaze to meet the intensity and coldness in Zorro's eyes.
"We were created not to be able to die. No matter how they kill us, we will always reappear, regardless of the damage inflicted... we always come back." The Kyubi extended his humanoid hand and conjured a red bubble from one of his fingers.
Naruto regarded the red chakra sphere with curiosity. It seemed much purer and softer than the usual malevolent and corrosive chakra associated with the nine-tailed fox.
The sphere levitated a few inches above the ground and took the form of a one-tailed baby fox.
"When our physical body is destroyed, our essence goes to the spiritual world. It takes years of sleep and waiting for our spirit to grow until we have a body again and return to the physical world."
Before Naruto's eyes, the sphere with the small fox began to grow, transforming into the titanic nine-tailed fox, which gradually disintegrated into golden dust.
"Then what? You can die as much as you want, and you will come back no matter what we do. Why are you afraid of death now?" Naruto asked in frustration.
"Because they can end my existence." Those few words contorted the large animal's face with fury and frustration.
"Who is it?" Naruto found it hard to believe that there was something or someone capable of permanently killing the fox. He doubted that anyone could accomplish such a feat.
The Kyubi exhaled a powerful breath, creating a white mist before them. The smoke began to take the form of individuals that the teenager immediately recognized.
"Aang..."
Before Naruto were all the past lives of the monk, every Avatar throughout history, all of them wearing the same expressions of anger and disgust they had the first time he saw them.
"They are in the spiritual world. I can feel it, and I know that if they find me in a state of regenerative sleep, they are going to lock me up... to destroy me." For the first time since its creation, the Kyubi felt a mixture of fear and frustration. "I was able to swat them away like flies when they tried to attack us. They mean nothing to me, and yet the thought that they can harm me when I'm in that state... It's... it's..."
"..."
"I want to make a deal."
"...?" Naruto didn't expect this at all. The idea that the proud fox, the strongest Biju among the legendary tailed beasts, would offer a deal sounded like a terrible joke.
"I will give you enough power to go now, destroy this pathetic fleet, cross the sea in minutes, reach the fire nation, and wipe it off the map once and for all."
The Kyubi wasn't joking. All he had to do was provide the brat with enough chakra until he reached four tails, and the boy would be unstoppable. Even those fire-breathing, metal-spitting weapons would be no match for a second-grade mantle.
He allowed the boy to get closer, allowing the chakra to flow through him. The boy would handle everything, perhaps even indirectly eliminate the monk and test if he could sever that irritating spiritual connection.
Everything could be fixed.
"I cannot do it."
"You stupid brat!" The roar of the great beast could have shattered icebergs within a kilometer range. Fury surged through him. "I offer you the solution to all your problems, and you have the audacity to refuse it! Who do you think you are, you insignificant piece of nonsense?!"
"…"
"Without me, you are nothing!"
"You're wrong," raising his gaze, his blue eyes met the red ones of the great Biju. "I don't need to rely on your power. I can fight... I can win."
"You're wrong, and in the end, I'll be the one to save your pitiful life."
"Maybe..." he smiled awkwardly, diffusing the tension in the air. "I want to be able to manage without you... but I know it won't always be that way."
"…"
"The day will come when I won't be able to win a battle... and I hope that you'll be there to lend a hand. Not just because our lives are at risk, but because we'll be friends. And friends always have to help each other! So, I hope that you, furball, one day we won't fight as a Jinchuriki and a Biju but as comrades!"
"..." He wanted desperately to shatter that friendly smile, to grab the boy's head and tear it from his body. The Biju's hatred reached unimaginable limits in the face of such words from the mouthy brat, who gradually vanished.
When he found himself alone, the Biju's eyes played a cruel trick on him as he saw the blurry silhouette of an old man with a cane, wearing the same smile as the brat.
In the darkness.
The Biju closed his eyes, reopening them repeatedly until the ghostly silhouette disappeared. With a bitter taste in his mouth, he settled down in his prison to sleep.
[ If you want to read advance Chapters then go to Pat reon and support me there.
PAT REON I'D:- Alzero ]
