Hikaru stared blankly at the young, bewildered little fox inside his body. His head was filled with question marks.
A basic Nine-Tails chakra seed—wasn't it supposed to be pure chakra?
So why did it directly condense into a Nine-Tails… and then get dumped inside his body?
Hikaru wasn't naïve. He had thought about sealing a tailed beast inside himself before—because he desperately needed chakra to cultivate those seeds.
But at this stage, there simply wasn't a tailed beast he could realistically get his hands on.
The most "possible" one wouldn't even be an option until fifteen or sixteen years later—the Three-Tails, after it revived.
As for the others?
Each of them already had a jinchūriki, and every village guarded theirs like a national treasure. There was no opening.
Besides, it was only a thought. He hadn't actually intended to shove a tailed beast into himself.
Because once a tailed beast lived inside you, you had to seal it.
And you also had to guard against temptation and rampage.
Tailed beasts fought their hosts for control—just look at Gaara. Hikaru remembered that poor kid practically never slept properly.
And there was another issue: tailed beasts were intelligent. They had will and awareness. Once inside you, they could perceive far too much—meaning your secrets weren't really yours anymore.
In other words, whatever you did, it could see clearly.
Even private things.
Hikaru despised that kind of "living surveillance" more than anything.
Add in how strict the village was about jinchūriki—and he had basically given up on the idea.
But in his wildest dreams, he never expected that after he'd already shelved the tailed beast plan…
his system would just hand him one anyway.
To be honest, if it weren't for his trust in the system—and the fact that his sealing skills were only basic level and might not be able to suppress a tailed beast properly—
he would've immediately taken action and sealed this dazed, juvenile Nine-Tails the moment it appeared.
The risk of a tailed beast was not something he wanted to gamble with.
It was the worst kind of risk.
"What nonsense are you thinking about?"
A voice suddenly rang out in Hikaru's mind.
It sounded young—so young he couldn't even tell if it was male or female.
And it sounded pure, without any malice, which made Hikaru instinctively comfortable.
But then his scalp tingled—
Because the voice wasn't from anyone else.
It was from the Nine-Tails inside his belly.
"Nine-Tails?" Hikaru blurted out instinctively—then immediately realized he didn't actually need to speak aloud.
"You're quick. At least you understand we can communicate mentally."
The voice sounded lazily amused.
"This is unbelievable. I didn't think a single portion of chakra could condense me again—carrying memories, but also forming an independent will."
Memories… but independent will?
Hikaru's expression turned strange.
He understood exactly what that meant.
In the novels he'd read, there was a classic tragedy:
A transmigrator lands, gets erased on arrival, and becomes a "memory gift pack" for the original owner—who then uses those memories to become the true chosen protagonist.
If this little Nine-Tails was describing it correctly, then it was essentially a newborn.
A newborn created by the system.
But it didn't know that.
It thought it had naturally re-formed—or that Hikaru had somehow done it.
It had a separate personality and consciousness, but carried the original Nine-Tails' memories within its chakra.
"In another story, this thing would practically be the protagonist," Hikaru thought grimly.
The little fox seemed interesting, at least.
The question was: what attitude did it have?
"My attitude is obviously to follow you. What else?"
The little Nine-Tails spoke again.
"You condensed me. I can feel I'm naturally close to you. I don't care how you did it.
Also—whatever you're worrying about, I can't read your thoughts exactly, but our chakra is linked. I can guess plenty."
It sounded almost smug.
"And stop acting like I'm some disgusting peeping tom. I'm the one who hates humans.
You think I care to watch humans mate? In my memory, it looks no different from monkeys."
"Watch your mouth."
Hikaru's face darkened.
"Say another word and I'll throw you out."
"Don't need you to."
Before Hikaru could even finish threatening it, he felt his chakra surge—red chakra pushing outward.
A moment later, a two-meter-tall little Nine-Tails appeared right in front of him.
"I'll leave by myself."
"..."
Hikaru stared, dumbfounded.
He couldn't even remember the last time he'd looked this genuinely stunned.
This little fox was… not at all the same "style" as the Nine-Tails he remembered.
The temper had echoes of the original, sure—
but the overall vibe was completely different.
Still, where exactly did it think it could go?
If it walked outside like this, Konoha would surround it in seconds.
Normally, Hikaru would've smiled and let it do whatever it wanted.
But now their connection was too deep.
Even if he wasn't afraid of others noticing the link—
this fox was something he had forcibly catalyzed using his quest progress.
If it just left, the one who'd suffer the loss would be Hikaru.
So even if he was annoyed, he had to keep it.
"…Forget it. I take it back."
Hikaru sighed and stopped it.
"Just stay."
"Hmph."
The little Nine-Tails sat down with an exaggerated plop.
"With people like you, actions work better than words."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Hikaru waved it off, then thought for a second.
"Then go back inside me. There are other people in the house. If we talk like this, it might get noticed."
"Hmph. You made me. You're the one scared of trouble."
The fox's eyes were full of disdain.
"How human."
Then it dissolved into chakra and flowed back into Hikaru's body.
Instantly, Hikaru felt it.
His chakra pool had swollen—by a lot.
And the quality was high.
It wasn't quite at the level of Sage Mode chakra…
but it was far, far better than his normal chakra.
And the quantity?
It didn't just match his reserves.
It exceeded them.
By a noticeable margin.
So this was the Nine-Tails.
Even in a juvenile, "basic" form…
its chakra was already suffocatingly vast.
Hikaru placed a hand over his abdomen and sighed.
"Should I say, 'I'm sorry for being human'?"
He mocked himself lightly, then shook his head.
"Enough nonsense."
"You're sure you don't need me to seal you? That your chakra won't leak out?"
"A seal? Not necessary."
The little Nine-Tails sounded indifferent.
Then it lowered its voice slightly, like it was humoring him.
"But if you're worried, you can do it anyway.
You beat that big one—so you definitely can handle a pitiful little one like me."
"I don't have a sealing technique good enough to seal you."
Hikaru shook his head and lay back on the floor, thinking seriously about how to handle this thing.
If he wasn't going to seal it, then he needed to trust it—at least a little.
And since this was a system product…
it was worth trying to trust.
Now he had three questions:
First: Could this little fox actually provide combat power?
Second: Could its chakra be used to cultivate seeds?
Third: How did it level up?
If it were just chakra, Hikaru wouldn't care—he'd use it however he wanted.
But this wasn't just chakra.
It had will.
And their link was unusually deep.
Its personality was also… weird.
And with no strong seal, Hikaru couldn't afford to be careless.
So in the end, he decided the best option was to ask the fox directly.
His system had no "intelligence." It never answered questions.
It only displayed what it wanted him to see.
But this fox could talk.
So asking it might actually get him real answers.
"I'll call you… Little Nine?"
Hikaru hesitated before speaking.
"That name is awful."
The fox sounded offended.
"I don't care about 'Kurama' either, but it's still better than a name that sounds like you're calling a puppy."
Then it lowered its head and spoke more calmly.
"I can guess what you want to ask.
I don't know how I grow.
But I think I need more of my chakra—so I can devour it."
"Your chakra?"
Hikaru blinked.
"You mean… the big one's chakra?"
"Yes."
The little Nine-Tails confirmed.
"I feel like my growth requires more chakra to nourish me.
Your chakra could work too—but you're pathetic. If I swallowed yours, you'd be done.
And if you're done, I'm done.
So I won't touch yours."
Hikaru's expression turned even stranger.
He wasn't sealing a tailed beast—so why did this sound like he was a jinchūriki?
The fox couldn't leave his body at will?
And if it left, Hikaru didn't feel the kind of collapse Kushina would.
Was this a one-way binding?
Hikaru thought it through and concluded it was likely the system's doing.
Maybe he could dismiss the fox without harm to himself—
but if he died, then the creature born from his chakra would die too.
If that was the rule, then he didn't need to worry about being "extracted" like a normal jinchūriki.
Jinchūriki was a high-risk profession, especially in the future.
By that time, only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails were left.
Even though Hikaru didn't believe he would remain stagnant…
and didn't believe the Akatsuki could easily touch him later…
it was still worth having insurance.
After all, future Madara would reach the Ōtsutsuki tier entirely.
"I understand. So I'll have to find a way to get you more Nine-Tails chakra later."
Hikaru nodded slowly.
In his mind, he already had a candidate—like the monk Kazuma, who privately collected Nine-Tails chakra.
But that was for later.
He still had more urgent questions.
"Can you help me fight?"
Hikaru asked directly.
"Like… Nine-Tails Chakra Mode?"
"Yes."
The little fox sounded matter-of-fact.
"According to the big one's memories, I can do it with you.
It requires the two sides to be synchronized and chakra to resonate.
That's easy for us."
Then it paused.
"But there's a problem."
"What problem?"
Hikaru's eyes lit up.
Nine-Tails Chakra Mode was one of Naruto's strongest states before his final-tier power-ups.
Even by itself, it pushed Naruto's speed close to Flying Thunder God-level.
If paired with Sage Mode…
the result was terrifying.
But Hikaru forced himself to stay calm.
The fox had warned of an issue, and that mattered.
"I'm still weak."
The fox answered bluntly.
"Synchronizing now, I don't know how much you'll gain—but the duration will be short.
So don't rely on it yet.
But I can lend you chakra whenever you need it—as long as you don't drain me dry."
Hikaru's eyes sharpened.
"Really? I can use your chakra anytime, as long as I don't empty you?"
"Yes—"
The fox instantly sounded alarmed, as if it realized it had said something dangerous.
But Hikaru didn't give it space to retract.
"Good. That's enough."
He immediately pulled out a seed.
A basic Fire Release seed.
He wasn't going to test with an intermediate seed.
Fire Release might have the reputation of "high damage, low kill count" in canon—
but Hikaru liked its raw destructive potential.
If one fire technique couldn't kill…
then he'd use a larger one.
He already had Flying Thunder God for single-target combat.
Expanding his elemental arsenal beyond Water, Earth, and Wood would be valuable.
When the Fire Release seed entered his body, Hikaru felt his chakra being pulled toward it.
Then, under his deliberate control—
the little Nine-Tails' chakra surged in and fed the seed instead.
Hikaru immediately felt the seed begin to grow.
The fox sounded baffled.
"What are you doing?"
It paused, sensing carefully.
"…You're refining Fire Release chakra? Using my chakra to cultivate your training?
What kind of training method is that?
In the big one's memories, humans don't train like this."
"This is a Senju specialty."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow smoothly.
"Or rather… my specialty."
He'd already realized something:
The system clearly prevented the fox from perceiving anything about "seeds" or "system" concepts.
The fox could guess some of his intentions through chakra linkage—
but it never reacted to system-related thoughts.
Meaning: the system was likely shielding itself completely.
So Hikaru didn't bother explaining.
He just lied cleanly.
And more importantly…
he was delighted.
Because this meant he could use Nine-Tails chakra to cultivate seeds without draining his own.
The fox's combat value right now might not be that high anyway.
Hikaru's true strength came from matured seeds and the abilities they unlocked.
He knew what mattered most.
So he decisively pulled out an intermediate Sealing-type seed.
The Fire seed barely consumed anything.
He could afford more.
He absorbed the pale yellow seed into his body, then once again used the fox's chakra to nourish it.
This time, the little Nine-Tails reacted sharply.
Its voice grew tense.
"What are you doing?
This power makes me uneasy."
"That's sealing chakra."
Hikaru answered honestly.
"I'm using your chakra to cultivate and strengthen my sealing techniques."
"…You can do that?"
The fox sounded genuinely stunned.
It hesitated, then spoke carefully.
"You're full of secrets.
I don't care about your methods, but you're improving sealing because—"
"Flying Thunder God."
Hikaru smiled faintly.
"I said I won't seal you, so I won't.
Even if I'm not a good person, I keep my word."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"You said you can sense what I'm thinking.
So pay attention. Observe.
Maybe you'll learn something."
The fox fell silent for a moment, then actually began to observe.
Soon, it seemed to grasp the general idea, and relaxed again.
It lay down, resigned.
Sealing was one of the three things the original Nine-Tails hated most:
Sharingan.
Wood Release.
Uzumaki sealing.
And this human who had "created" it?
He was a Senju with Wood Release…
and now also cultivating sealing.
To the fox, it felt like being born into a nightmare.
Worst of all, it felt a strange closeness to Hikaru—like a parent.
No matter how much the original Nine-Tails' memories hated this kind of person…
the little one couldn't truly hate Hikaru.
Which meant…
Hikaru had, without realizing it, become something like a "father" figure in the fox's instincts.
Hikaru didn't know any of that.
He only found the fox's resignation amusing.
"And the best part…"
Hikaru thought, lying back on the bed.
"With this tool fox around, I can cultivate seeds without wasting my own chakra."
Having a fox-shaped tool really was convenient.
...
What Hikaru didn't know was that he treated the little fox like a tool—
while the little fox, quietly and grudgingly, had started treating him like a dad.
If Hikaru knew, his expression would have been priceless.
But he didn't have time to worry about that.
He had too much work.
ANBU had only just fallen into his hands, and he'd chopped off an entire division in one swing.
The follow-up would be anything but easy.
For now, things were stable.
Perhaps because the Third Hokage was temporarily resuming control, he had too much to take over and couldn't spare attention yet.
Minato needed recovery.
And Minato's recovery plan had already been arranged.
Hikaru sat in the ANBU office, reading documents, but his mind drifted.
"I didn't expect Minato to refuse having Tsunade return… and choose Mount Myōboku for recovery."
Less than a week after the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha had begun planning reconstruction, redrawing districts, and reorganizing clan allocations.
Hikaru attended that meeting—not as a division captain, but as ANBU Minister.
He still remembered the looks people gave him when he entered.
Complicated didn't even begin to cover it.
Admiration.
Awe.
Disbelief.
And of course—
hatred.
Contempt.
But no matter what eyes landed on him, Hikaru maintained a gentle, calm demeanor.
Like Minato.
Or like Hashirama.
Warm as spring wind.
Hiruzen chaired the meeting.
And in the new district planning, one "old" clan name officially returned to the table:
The Senju.
But Hikaru, representing the Senju, refused Hiruzen's arrangement—using a reason no one could argue with:
"Konoha needs manpower, materials, and focus for reconstruction.
My clan's residential area wasn't affected by the Nine-Tails.
So I believe we don't need to relocate.
Even the Hokage-sama hasn't changed his residence.
As subordinates, we shouldn't be an exception."
The subtext was clear:
The Senju stand firmly behind the Fourth Hokage.
Minato's charisma was undeniable.
Even though much of the real power during his year as Hokage had been swallowed by the Third Hokage and the elders…
many shinobi still wanted to follow him—especially civilian shinobi, who treated Minato as an idol.
Hikaru's stance gave those people a "lighthouse."
Someone to rally around while Minato was absent.
Hiruzen was unhappy, but had no spare energy to fight Hikaru over this.
And relocation was indeed a logistical issue.
So he accepted it.
Other clans affected by the disaster—or seeking better districts—naturally took the relocation.
Even the Uchiha received a measure of "care," being allowed to relocate into a more favorable area.
Ironically, the Uchiha had contributed significantly in fighting the Nine-Tails—
yet Danzō, who had blocked them from mobilizing and then sat idle during the crisis, suffered no punishment.
It was… interesting.
Perhaps it was compromise.
Or perhaps it was because the village had no energy to start another civil fire.
Hikaru didn't dwell on it.
The only thing that truly stood out was Minato refusing Tsunade and choosing Mount Myōboku.
And Hikaru suspected Hiruzen supported that decision the most.
Konoha already had one Senju rising.
If Tsunade returned, Senju influence would surge again.
But whether she returned or not—
Hikaru didn't want her back right now either.
She would upset a fragile balance.
"Knock, knock, knock."
His office door was tapped.
Hikaru snapped back to focus.
"Come in."
"Yes, Minister."
The door opened.
His former superior—First Division Commander, Antelope—walked in.
His gaze toward Hikaru was still complicated.
But he quickly suppressed it, lowered his head, and adopted a respectful posture.
Hikaru didn't speak.
He simply looked at him.
Silence thickened the room.
Then Hikaru finally spoke, softly:
"Do you think I forgot you?"
Antelope's body trembled.
Hikaru rose and walked toward him, unhurried, then stopped in front of him and spoke down at him with gentle calm.
"Maybe you want me to forget."
"I wouldn't dare, Minister."
Hikaru's smile deepened, almost warm.
After a long moment, he spoke again—like a friend confiding, like someone telling a story.
"Enough."
"I know what you're thinking."
"But don't waste time mourning Commander Zhu Wu."
"And don't waste time pitying yourself either."
"Every kitten grows up."
"At first they look harmless—small, quiet, lapping milk from a shallow dish."
"But once their claws grow, they scratch people."
"Sometimes they scratch the hand that fed them."
"And for people like us—climbing to the top of the food chain—there's one rule."
"If you're not the hunter, you become the prey."
"I won't be prey."
"And I don't want you to become prey either, Commander Antelope."
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