Konohagakure No Sato :
Uzumaki Residence :
Mental Space :
"That creepy-ass snake almost took you out , didn't it?"
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked, genuinely taken aback. He stared up at the colossal fox. This had to be the absolute first time Kurama had ever actively initiated a conversation without being provoked or reacting to something Naruto did first. But that wasn't even the craziest part. The real kicker was the underlying tone.
"...Are you actually worried about me?" Naruto asked, a slow, annoying grin spreading across his face.
Kurama's massive eyes widened for a split second as the sheer, horrifying reality of his own words registered.
(...Me? Worrying about this little shit?! ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE!)
Naturally, the prideful Incarnation of Malice was never going to admit something so thoroughly embarrassing. He immediately scrambled to cover his tracks, snapping back with aggressive haste.
" *Scoff*... Don't be delusional, kid!"
"Oh..!" Naruto looked at the fox with shifty eyes , the grin present all over his face
"At the end of the day, you are my Jinchuriki!" Kurama growled, leaning closer to the bars. "If you die, I die too!"
"Uh-huh," Naruto replied, his weird, knowing smile only growing wider. It was the kind of smile that made the fox feel both incredibly irritated and weirdly defensive.
"YOU INSOLENT BRAT.....!! I worry about myself, not you! Do you understand me?!"
"Uh-huh... So, what, should I have just turned around and ran away?"
"RIDICULOUS!"
Kurama roared, slamming a paw against the floor. "You are the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi! The strongest Tailed Beast In the world .!!! If you had just stopped being so damn stubborn and used my chakra, any snake or dragon would have run away with its tail tightly tucked between its legs!"
Hearing the lecture, Naruto's grin shifted into a confident smirk.
"No thanks. As you can see, I handled it. I'm doing quite well on my own."
" *Scoff*.... A crippled hand and almost a visit to the Pure Land... and you have the audacity to say you're doing 'well.'"
Naruto held the fox's gaze, his voice dropping into a slow, firm register.
"Regardless. I pulled through entirely without your chakra, didn't I?"
"Stupid brat, you don't play games with your lif—"
"No matter what you say, or what situation I'm in, I am not using your chakra "
"....."
".....Believe it."
"..."
The massive seal fell entirely silent. Warden and prisoner just stared into each other's eyes, the heavy tension radiating through the artificial air. Feeling the mood turning a bit too serious, Naruto decided to break the ice with a "nice" request.
"Look, if you genuinely want to help me out, then you can stop leaking your passive chakra through the seal. That would actually be incredibly helpful."
"...*Scoff*... Like I care about that."
"...Is this attitude really necessary? I thought we had established some basic trust between us by now."
"..."
"I asked you about this before, and I'm asking you again today!" Naruto pressed, crossing his arms.
"..."
"Can you, or can you not, stop your chakra from leaking out of this seal?"
"..."
"It seriously messes with my chakra control," Naruto complained, playing the victim card perfectly. "I still have difficulty executing basic B-rank jutsu precisely because your dense & invasive chakra is constantly causing interference in chakra control "
"*Scoff*... That is a personal skill issue you need to fix yourself. I don't care, brat."
Hearing the flat refusal, Naruto slowly shook his head, looking down at the grass in apparent disappointment. When he looked back up, his eyes were sharp.
"Fine. If you refuse to stop it, then I'm just going to place another seal on my own body to block the leakage myself."
Hearing those words, Kurama felt a sudden spike of anger—not necessarily at the kid, but at the absolute trigger word: sealing.
However, hearing the kid talk about it brought back memories from a few months ago, right after Naruto's graduation. The kid had placed a secondary seal on his own body that currently suppressed about 20% of the passive leakage, running 24/7.
Kurama grumbled internally. (...Is this idiot seriously going to seal away my chakra just to guarantee he can't accidentally use it?)
It was true. Months ago, Naruto had practically begged Kurama to stop the leakage so he could train his control peacefully. After weeks of the fox ignoring his pleas, Naruto had returned with a completely different energy. He spoke softly, but carried a heavy ultimatum:
If you don't do it, I'll handle it myself.
Kurama remembered that specific conversation perfectly. He had scoffed and refused in absolute disdain.
(Flashback: Months Ago)
"I found a new seal, you know," Naruto had said quietly.
"..."
"If you don't stop leaking your chakra, I'm going to seal it off myself."
"...*Scoff*... Do whatever you want, little brat."
"I'm dead serious..... I will really seal it."
Kurama had simply turned his massive back to the kid. Seeing the dismissal, Naruto had spoken up, his voice cracking slightly like a kid who had just been hit with a rock right in the chest.
"I thought we actually had something going here... Maybe not best friends, but... fellow pals or something."
"..."
"I'm just asking you for a simple favor. Just stop the leakage. I'm not asking for your power or anything."
"..."
"...I really thought we had built some trust."
"..."
"...I'm going to apply the seal." Naruto said with a finality but with a 'pleading' in his tone .
"...Hmph . Do whatever you want. I don't care, brat."
"...Just so you know, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, not 'some brat.'"
"..."
"And giving up is not my Ninja Way."
"..."
"One day, you are going to acknowledge me as your friend."
"..."
"Believe it."
After delivering that emotional gut-punch, Naruto had left. As the kid's presence faded from the seal, Kurama had internally sighed.
(...Sorry , kiddo. It's not that I'm refusing to do it. It's that I literally can't stop the flow from this damn cage. If you want to be mad at someone, blame your precious Fourth Hokage.)
What Kurama didn't know was that Naruto's internal monologue at that exact moment was entirely different.
(It's confirmed ...Just as I calculated. Kurama is completely helpless against the seal's baseline mechanics. He has zero control over the passive leakage.)
Naruto obviously knew the reality of his own body. He knew the Kyuubi couldn't just turn off the tap. The Fourth Hokage's seal was specifically engineered to constantly siphon a microscopic amount of the Kyuubi's chakra, perpetually flooding Naruto's coils with it.
The entire point was to force Naruto's physical body and spiritual energy to slowly adapt to the demonic chakra over time.
(...All of this was designed so that one day, the canon Uzumaki Naruto could become a Perfect Jinchuriki, or at least learn to control the tails without his mind completely snapping through adaptation since birth )
Having successfully confirmed the fox's lack of control over the leakage, Naruto had waited three days before officially applying the Eternal Forge Seal onto his own body without any worry . AS for Kurama
( well I just applied a seal that seals your chakra ....as for what that seal does with your chakra ...well you didn't ask )
(End Flashback)
Back in the present, Naruto sighed, looking up at the towering, silent fox. Seeing that Kurama wasn't going to respond to his threat of upgrading the seal, Naruto finally waved a hand.
"Alright, whatever. I'm heading out."
"..."
"Thanks for worrying about me, though."
"...GET LOST!"
" Heh , Tsundere Furrball "
*ROAR*
Naruto's consciousness snapped out of the seal leaving behind the Tsundere fox with it's roar , and he opened his eyes, leaning back against the smooth stones of his hot spring. The warm water lapped at his chest as he pulled up his system interface, his eyes locking onto the specific seal that was actively feeding on the Kyuubi's leakage.
The Fox's chakra leaks 24/7 , and now the seal is able to store 20% of this leaking chakra , in every second in the Eternal Forge Seal .
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Eternal Forge Seal: Level 1 (99/100)
----------------------------
Since the Kyuubi was largely unaware of the specific intricacies of the outside world, telling him that the Eternal Forge was just a standard suppression seal was a very convenient white lie.
It technically did seal the leaking chakra, but how it actually processed that chakra was something Naruto had zero intention of sharing until it was absolutely necessary.
The Eternal Forge Seal was basically a localized biological reactor. It broke down the Kyuubi's highly toxic, corrosive chakra, purifying it into raw, neutral nourishment that was then permanently absorbed by Naruto's own body. It was constantly working to permanently alter his biology and heal his micro-tears, slowly making his base physical stats stronger with every passing day .
He knew that eventually, he would have to come clean about it. But his timeline for that revelation was strictly tied to his relationship with the fox.
(...Once Kurama and I are actually friends, I'll 'invent' the Eternal Forge concept on the spot or slowly and then ask for his permission to use it. With our trust established, he'll agree.)
If the plan worked on time, great. If it didn't, and he was forced to reveal it early... ...well, by that point, they'd probably be dealing with apocalyptic threats like the Ten-Tails, so a little white lie about a seal would be the least of their worries.
( And I did indeed seal the chakra )
Ofcourse this lie will become true point of trust If in the following Years , Kurama never sees or feels Naruto actaully using his chakra . For the average Old canon Naruto , this would have been Impossible But Now
( Thank GOd I have my own Cheats )
But right now, there was a glaring issue. Naruto frowned deeply as he stared at the progress bar.
(....It is so painfully slow.)
While Level 1 (99/100) looked close to leveling up, Naruto's analytical observation told a different story. Usually, jutsus and techniques leveled up incredibly fast in the beginning stages. The only reason his heavy hitters—the Flying Thunder God and the Spirit Transformation Technique—had taken so long to start was because of their insane prerequisite requirements.
Once he actually met the requirements roughly months ago, the progress had been solid.
---------------------------
Flying Thunder God: Level 3 (2/100)
---------------------------
Thanks to Kamui, FTG was already sitting pretty at Level 3 after the active training from wave mission.
But then there was the anomaly. Even though he had dedicated the vast majority of his training schedule over the last year strictly to mastering the Flying Thunder God, his other S-rank technique had somehow completely outpaced it.
--------------------------------
Spirit Transformation Technique: Level 4 (11/100)
---------------------------------
Naruto was genuinely baffled by this. He had started training both techniques at the exact same time. The disparity in progress was absolutely ridiculous, especially considering that higher levels required exponentially more proficiency experience.
(...This is absurd.)
It was ridiculous because FTG could be aggressively spam-trained using dozens of Shadow Clones. The Spirit Transformation Technique, on the other hand, strictly dealt with the soul. Shadow Clones didn't have souls. It was a technique that could only be leveled up by the main body.
So how was it leveling up so damn fast? The further you train in a skill , the more time and proficiency is needed for level up and even a single point of Exp.
1 Exp of Level 4 skill is eqivelant to 5 exp of Level 3 skill , so when Naruto looked at Level 3 F.T.G. and compared it to level 4 Spirit Transformation tech. his mind couldn't help but drift .
(...Is it literally because of my transmigration? Does having a reincarnated soul give me some massive, inherent cheat multiplier for soul-based jutsu?)
Naruto stared at the blue screen, totally perplexed.
(....Wait. Was Kato Dan also a transmigrator who just happened to die a really stupid death while chasing after Tsunade?)
Shaking his head to clear the ridiculous intrusive thought, Naruto finally stood up, stepping out of the hot spring. He quickly dried off, draped a loose, comfortable yukata over his shoulders, and headed out .
Making his way toward the dining room, Naruto habitually flared his sensory net, sweeping the perimeter of his property. Almost immediately, he paused, genuinely surprised by the feedback.
(...Ehh? Only one?)
Normally, outside of his pets, Naruto kept tabs on the hidden ANBU guards stationed around his house. Usually, there were at least two full teams—two Jonin and 6 Chunin or Tokubetsu Jonin holding down the fort.
But right now? Just a single chakra signature was pinging his radar.
(....Hmm, it's Yugao-nee.)
Pivoting smoothly, Naruto changed his route and headed straight for the dining room's balcony. Stepping out onto the terrace, he looked directly at the tree where Yugao was perched and casually waved her over.
Seeing him pinpoint her exact location, Yugao hesitated for a second. But eventually, she dropped down from the branches, landed lightly on the boundary wall, and crossed the distance to the balcony in a few quick flickers.
"What happened, Naruto?" she asked softly.
"...I was just checking my perimeter, and I only picked up your chakra," Naruto replied, leaning against the railing. "Where is everyone else?"
(My ANBU Guards are always packed. Why is Yugao-nee flying solo right now?) naruto thought to himself while waiting for her answer.
Hearing the question, Yugao was a little taken aback. Not because he sensed her—she already knew he was a highly capable sensor—but because he was actively keeping tabs on the guards too , Regardless, she gave him the official rundown as this was indeed a unusual case that can gather anyone's attention .
"The village is completely packed with outsiders right now," she explained. "Everyone else has been reassigned to other security posts under the Hokage's direct orders."
".....So right now, it's just Yugao-nee looking after me?"
"Well, I'll be stationed with you during the day shift," she clarified, "and someone else will take over for the night."
"Hmm."
Hearing her answer, Naruto only had one immediate thought.
(..Bull*shit.)
There was absolutely no way the security detail for the village's Jinchuriki would get slashed just because of a tourist boom , Chunin EXams , Orochimaru or even WAR .
If anything, with all the foreign shinobi roaming around, a Jinchuriki's security should be tighter than ever, not downgraded from six elite guards to just one.
Naruto expanded his senses further, using Kagura's Mind Eye to read the subtle fluctuations in Yugao's chakra. It was perfectly calm. No spikes, no anxiety. She completely believed what she was saying.
(...It doesn't seem like she's lying....or this is what she was fed with ?? )
Frowning slightly, Naruto partitioned the puzzle off to a designated Mind partition via his MindHub, letting it crunch the tactical data while he focused back on the present. Noticing the sun beginning to set after his three-hour bath, Naruto looked back at the purple-haired kunoichi.
"Yugao-nee, have you eaten yet?"
"Huh?"
"Come on, let's go. Let's eat together."
".....Ok," she agreed after a brief pause as this was not the first time Invited for dinner .
ofcourse other times it was always all the Guards around with her , but since now it was just her ,a little different but regardless nothing unusual .
The two of them headed inside just as the Shadow Clones finished prepping the massive dinner spread. Naruto and Yugao sat opposite each other at the table and started digging in.
While Naruto kept the conversation casual, chatting with her about the second phase of Chunin Exams and other random village gossip, the MindHub finally pinged him with a solid conclusion after some time /
(...They trust me? )
Naruto paused mid-chew, his chopsticks hovering. But then, a more accurate thought quickly overwrote the first one.
(...NO!! They trust the Prowess , I just showed against that snake, and there is also my Flying Thunder God.)
Once that realization hit, Naruto felt a wave of relief. It seemed the village brass finally understood exactly what they were dealing with. If he could go toe-to-toe with Orochimaru of the Sannin and walk away breathing, he could handle almost any localized threat. Add the Flying Thunder God to the mix, and traditional bodyguards were basically obsolete.
( Or maybe I am a bait ???....and they also cut the guard force for the same reason ?? )
As for why Yugao was still here by herself? The conclusion was simple.
(...She is strictly here as a witness and an informer... nothing more, nothing less.)
In case something happens , so which they can get information as soon as possible .
It made perfect sense. Yugao wasn't even here to act as a meatshield. With FTG, having extra guards around would honestly just hold him back and if he needed to make a tactical retreat. Yugao's role was just to keep an eye on things and report back.
(Or maybe I'm just overthinking it since we're safely inside the village anyway?)
Eventually, the massive dinner was cleared out, and the two of them sat in comfortable silence, sipping hot tea. Yugao finally set her cup down.
"I should get going."
"Hmm? Has your replacement arrived?"
"No... my shift ends at 11 PM. I am to be replaced then."
"...So your shift is 11 AM to 11 PM?"
" No it's 7 am to 11 Pm "
"....you serious "
" We are ANBU , NAruto-kun "
( Damn , does she even have time to train ? )
"...Hm. But it's only 5:40 PM right now," Naruto pointed out. "What exactly are you going to do?"
"Keep an eye on the estate from the outside."
"...You mean you're just going to go hang out in a tree and stare at the house?"
"..."
"Look, I really don't mind if you just stay inside instead of camping out there," Naruto offered casually.
"That would be inappropriate," she replied automatically.
"...Is that so? Well, then you can just stay in the Dojo building. There are plenty of spare rooms."
"...Naruto-kun, I appreciat—"
"Yugao-nee, we are deep inside Konoha. I really think you can relax a little bit."
"...That's..."
"Besides, my estate is already rigged with a sensory barrier, plus Simba and the others have the perimeter covered," Naruto added, sealing the trap.
Right on cue, Simba trotted over, let out a soft "Woof," and happily snuggled right against Yugao's legs. Looking down at the little pup, Yugao's professional resolve instantly crumbled. She sighed, reaching down to pet him.
Seeing the undeniable power of the puppy-dog eyes, Naruto grinned. "Alright, then it's settled. Right, Yugao-nee?"
"Won't it be troublesome for you?" she asked, still hesitant.
"It's totally fine. I'm only offering because it's you, and honestly, it's way more efficient to keep an eye on the place from inside the dojo, right?"
"Well..."
"I've been ordered on strict bedrest for the next ten days anyway. I ain't going anywhere. You can even use the dojo to train in your free time."
Yugao finally gave a small nod. "Alright. But only for these few days."
"Yosh! Let's head over to the dojo and get you set up."
Naruto quickly walked Yugao over to the adjacent dojo building and helped her arrange one of the spare rooms. Once she was settled in, he waved goodnight and headed back toward his own bedroom for a desperately needed nap.
But behind his sleepy eyes, his tactical mind was spinning.
(Yugao-nee is currently the eyes of the village..... an eye that I absolutely must make my own.)
This wasn't about romance or making her his woman , it was pure, calculated Move . He needed to actively shift her core loyalty toward him. If he played his cards right, then in the future, if this skilled kunoichi saw him doing something highly questionable or secretive, she would keep her mouth shut because her loyalty lay with Uzumaki Naruto, not the Hokage's desk.
(....Well, I'm only pulling a move like this because it is Yugao-nee.)
It was true. Over the last few months, Naruto had managed to pry quite a bit of background info out of his ANBU guards after buttering them up during his housewarming party. That info had completely changed his perspective on the purple-haired swordswoman.
(Yugao-san has been my longest-serving guardian.... almost six whole years.)
He hadn't just taken the guards' word for it either; he had subtly confirmed it with the Hokage himself. Six years. She had been watching over him in the shadows ever since he was a hyperactive brat entering the Academy.
Combined with Kagura's Mind Eye—which constantly verified that her baseline intent and nature toward him were genuinely positive—Naruto had decided to start his shadow-play early. He was going to make Yugao his person. Just like Itachi & Shusui or Kakashi had been undeniable assets for their respective Hokage, Yugao would be his.
(...Of course, if it was literally anyone else left alone to guard me... I would be targeting them instead.)
Regardless of the target, getting Yugao to stay inside the compound was step one. Was it slightly dangerous to let an active ANBU agent live on his property and compromise his privacy?
No. Not at all.
With the Flying Thunder God and his Shadow Clones, keeping track of his main body's actual movements was already practically impossible. Letting her stay on the estate was a calculated risk with massive potential upside.
A Message to her , Something along the lines of , I TRUST YOU WITH MY LIFE
even If I don't
(Well, being a Jinchuriki... no matter how much trust or confidence you build... you're never really going to have true privacy anyway,) Naruto thought dryly, remembering all the years he had unknowingly spent surrounded by hidden watchers before and after his sensory skills awakened.
Finally reaching his bedroom, Naruto practically dive-bombed his mattress.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Five clones popped into existence, instantly scattering around the house and taking up defensive positions. Satisfied with the perimeter, Naruto used the MindHub to command the three clones who had cooked and cleaned dinner to disperse.
Lying in the dark, the sheer physical and mental exhaustion of the Chunin Exams, the Forest of Death, and the fight with Orochimaru all came crashing down on him at once. For the first time in three long, brutal days, Naruto finally closed his eyes and embraced a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
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Konohagakure no Sato:
Hot-Springs Inn :
Perched precariously on the sloped roof of the local hot-springs inn, a towering, wild-haired old man was leaning over the edge. He had a thoroughly shameless, lecherous grin plastered across his face, his eyes locked onto the steamy bathhouse below while his hand
*fap**fap**fap**fap**fap**fap**fap**fap*
furiously scribbled down highly inappropriate ideas into a small pocket notebook.
With his massive mane of spiky white hair, a tall, rugged physique that set him completely apart from standard-issue shinobi, and his trademark bright red haori, the man was impossible to miss.
Strapped tightly to his forehead was a unique iron protector engraved with the kanji for "Oil." He puffed a stream of smoke from his nose, taking a moment to breathe in the crisp, early October night air.
This was none other than Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sannin.
He was finally back in Konoha. But while it looked like he was having the absolute time of his life peeping on the locals for "inspiration," a closer look at his notebook revealed a frustrating truth: the pages were completely blank.
Despite the prime viewing location and endless material for his next Icha Icha novel, the Sannin couldn't bring himself to write a single damn line.
All his shots were blank in stress and Old age .
His mind was completely elsewhere, hijacked by the heavy political updates he'd picked up the moment he slipped past the village barrier.
(...To think Tsunade is actually going to become the Fifth Hokage.)
A genuine, fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was a surreal thought, but it brought him immense relief. He was incredibly proud of her, especially knowing she'd finally conquered the paralyzing hemophobia that had broken her spirit for decades—even if her method of celebrating her recovery was brutally beating him half to death the last time they spoke.
But right on the heels of that warm memory came a cold, sharp spike of anxiety. It was the real, ugly reason he had been forced to cut his travels short and return to the grid.
(...But why the hell are Orochimaru and the Hidden Sand sneaking around together right now? They're clearly plotting something massive... and they even dragged their own Jinchuriki straight into the middle of our village.)
Sighing heavily, Jiraiya closed his blank notebook and slipped it into his robes. Accepting the reality that with his current condition that He can't do it .
Jiraiya dropped down from the rooftop in total silence, landing lightly on the deserted pavement below. Standing by the side of the road, he quickly mapped out his next moves.
(.....Let's go track down Tsunade first and understand what's going On ..... I will deal with the Old Man later.)
Jiraiya turned on his heel and started walking toward the Senju Compound. Since it was already late into the evening, Tsunade would most likely be turning in for the night. And even if she wasn't there, he had no problem kicking back and waiting for her.
As his sandals clicked softly against the pavement, Jiraiya navigated the twisting labyrinth of streets—some completely unfamiliar due to recent construction, others deeply etched into his muscle memory. He looked around, completely overwhelmed by a sudden, powerful wave of nostalgia.
It had been ten long years since he last stood in the heart of the Leaf.
Despite a decade of wandering through war-torn borders, crumbling ruins, and foreign capitals, walking these streets instantly wrapped him in that cozy, unmistakable "homey" feeling that nowhere else on earth could replicate.
He truly, deeply loved this village. It was the place where he had bled, laughed, and grown from a clumsy, short-tempered genin into a weapon of mass destruction. Every corner held a ghost:
the training grounds where he, Orochimaru, and Tsunade used to scrap under Hiruzen's watchful eye; the standard rooftop paths he used to sprint across; the lingering scent of charcoal and roasted chestnuts in the air.
No matter how far his information network took him, Konoha was the sole anchor of his soul. It was the one place he was always willing to die for.
His rugged features visibly softened, the heavy tension draining from his shoulders as he strolled through the quiet streets. Overhead, a brilliant full moon hung in the midnight sky, casting a pale, silver glow over the architecture. The moonlight painted the village in a slightly spooky, ethereal light, making the familiar landscape feel entirely surreal.
The clock was ticking closer to 10:15 PM as Jiraiya effortlessly slipped through the shadows of the sleepy village, eventually turning down a residential street he could find with his eyes closed.
He stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes blinked, scanning the Occupied space in front of him as his stomach dropped.
(...Huh?)
He stared at the place where now stood a new Wall enclosed RIch State instead of the cozy little home of his disciple , & now seeing somthing else , his brain completely short-circuited
(...Where the hell did Minato's house go?!)
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Author's notes :
I was really confused about from where to write or what to write and how to fit it .
Do you guys understand this feeling ??
as in the canon , This 1 month was spend with jiraiya, learning summoning , which i don't plan to do the same .
aany advice will be helpful in writing next chapter.
Just like Eternal forge one , which I almost forgot about it in last chapter .
Do you guys have any suggestions for this 1 month vacation/preparation training ?? or maybe not training or something else ?
except for summoning , I already got plans for it , and yeah , No Toads .
Also do you want Mc to Fight Jiraiya next or just a misunderstanding ??
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