Naruto took a deep breath.
"So that's the situation," he said slowly. "Then… is there any way for me to leave this place?"
Inside the sealed space, Kurama let out a mocking laugh.
"Of course there's a way," the Nine-Tailed Fox said lazily. "But you're already a Jinchūriki. The moment I leave your body, there will be only one outcome waiting for you."
Naruto frowned.
"And that is?"
Kurama's grin widened.
"Death."
For a split second, Naruto was stunned. Then anger surged through him like wildfire.
"You despicable bastard!" he shouted. "You're completely useless! All you do is bring hatred and disaster to everyone around me! Even if there was a way to get rid of you, I'd still die in the end!"
"You're nothing but a curse!"
Kurama snorted.
"Hmph. And so what?"
Naruto clenched his fists, breathing heavily. After a brief silence, his voice steadied.
"Then stay right where you are."
Kurama's expression stiffened.
"I won't borrow your power," Naruto continued firmly. "I don't need it. I'm stronger than you, you stupid demon fox!"
For the first time in a long while, Kurama felt something close to disappointment.
His original plan had been simple: slowly erode Naruto's chakra and willpower, wait for the right moment, then completely take control of his body and regain his freedom.
But that damned system interfered.
Whenever Kurama tried to disrupt Naruto's chakra, both of them were punished by intense electric shocks. Forced into restraint, Kurama had no choice but to abandon his sabotage.
That left only one remaining path—allow Naruto to actively draw upon the Nine-Tails' power.
If Naruto reached for it willingly, Kurama could seize the opportunity.
But now?
This brat had clearly declared that he didn't want Kurama's power at all.
And that… infuriated him.
That's how people are.
And foxes too.
Even if you seal me, even if you crave my power—that's acceptable.
But to reject me outright?
To hate me?
That was unbearable.
"I can choose not to give," Kurama thought darkly, "but you don't get to choose not to want."
Naruto's willpower surged, shaking the mental realm.
Outside, in the real world, Naruto was still standing in front of Jiraiya.
Jiraiya let out a long sigh.
"This is going to be troublesome…" he muttered.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was Minato's greatest legacy to Naruto. Giving it up wasn't just Naruto's decision—it was something Minato himself would never have approved of.
And not just Minato.
The entire village of Konoha would oppose it.
But if Naruto truly didn't want it, who had the right to force him?
Jiraiya spoke patiently.
"Naruto," he said, "if you refuse the Nine-Tails' power… do you really think you can reach that level on your own?"
"Becoming Hokage is harder than climbing to the heavens."
Naruto grinned.
"I know!" he said cheerfully. "That's exactly why it's worth doing!"
"If it were easy, it wouldn't be a dream!"
Jiraiya froze.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
A dead end… had just turned into a crossroads.
He coughed lightly.
"Nice words alone won't get you anywhere," Jiraiya said. "Since you don't want to rely on external power, let's take a look at your current strength."
Naruto's eyes lit up.
He had been worried that no one would want to train with him.
"Alright, my love!" he laughed. "Let's do it!"
In an instant, Naruto activated his chakra.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a thunderous burst, hundreds of shadow clones appeared at once. They filled the open plains outside Konoha, blotting out the sun and stretching as far as the eye could see.
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"Without the Nine-Tails' chakra… he can still do this?"
"That's right," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "He's still a descendant of Kushina. The Uzumaki Clan naturally possesses vast chakra reserves, strong vitality, and terrifying recovery abilities."
"But even among Uzumaki… this level is abnormal."
Jiraiya laughed loudly.
"Naruto! No wonder you dare to speak so boldly. You're genuinely talented!"
"Good!" he shouted. "Then let me confirm it!"
"I'm coming!" Naruto replied instantly.
The next moment, countless shadow clones surged forward like a tidal wave.
They punched, kicked, threw shuriken, and attacked from all angles, forming an overwhelming storm of attacks that left no room for evasion.
For an ordinary ninja, escape would have been impossible.
But Jiraiya was not ordinary.
He relied solely on taijutsu, moving through the swarm like a phantom. One clone after another was shattered effortlessly.
He passed through the battlefield like a breeze through a garden—untouched, unharmed.
"Hahahaha!" Jiraiya laughed. "This alone isn't enough to become Hokage!"
Naruto stared in shock.
The Perverted Sage wasn't boasting.
His strength was likely even greater than Kakashi-sensei's!
"Damn it!" Naruto growled. "How dare you underestimate me?!"
"Try this!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
Naruto no longer held back.
His main body and shadow clones activated wind-style ninjutsu simultaneously.
A violent storm erupted, sweeping across the land. Countless razor-sharp wind blades filled the sky and ground, tearing everything apart and carving the plain into a maze of ravines.
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"He's mastered this many Wind Release techniques?"
"And he's using them all at once?!"
"No wonder even Orochimaru looks at this kid differently…"
Despite his shock, Jiraiya remained calm.
He slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A massive earthen wall erupted from the ground—thick, towering, and reinforced with immense chakra. It blocked the Great Breakthrough head-on.
The Wind Cutter Technique shattered parts of the wall, sending debris flying, but it failed to completely pierce the defense.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"He blocked my strongest attack!"
But Jiraiya was just as stunned internally.
"I poured maximum chakra into that wall," he thought. "And it was still damaged…"
Jiraiya laughed.
"Naruto, you weren't exaggerating at all."
"You really are a genius!"
"As expected of Minato's son!"
For a moment, Jiraiya's vision blurred.
In Naruto's figure, he saw another man—always calm, always smiling confidently.
"Like father, like son…"
"Minato… Naruto inherited both your talent and Kushina's…"
"And this strength… it's the result of unimaginable effort."
"Maybe… just maybe… he really can become Hokage without the Nine-Tails."
Emotion surged in Jiraiya's chest.
But his hands didn't stop.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
A massive torrent of blazing fire burst from his mouth, engulfing the battlefield.
Naruto's shadow clones were instantly consumed, exploding into clouds of white smoke one after another.
"So strong…!" Naruto muttered in awe.
Compared to this, Sasuke's Fire Release was like a spark next to a wildfire.
"Hahahaha!" Jiraiya laughed. "Your clones are gone, and you've used up a lot of chakra!"
"Now that only your main body remains… how much strength do you have left?"
Naruto's blood boiled.
"Don't underestimate me, Perverted Sage!"
He roared and charged forward.
"Wind Release: Hurricane Punch!"
His fist, wrapped in compressed wind chakra, shot toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's eyes flickered.
"He's skilled in this too?"
"Unbelievable…"
Drawing on decades of experience, Jiraiya pulled Naruto into close-quarters combat.
Punches and kicks collided.
Bang—bang—bang!
"Leaf Storm!"
Naruto launched a powerful kick, which Jiraiya blocked with his arm.
Pain shot through Jiraiya's limb.
"Have you learned Might Guy's taijutsu?" Jiraiya asked.
Naruto replied while attacking.
"Iruka-sensei! Bushy Brow-sensei! Asuma-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!"
"And… one more teacher I can't mention!"
Jiraiya froze.
"You're really a jack of all trades…"
"And they're all willing to teach you…"
"Leaf Powerful Hurricane!"
Naruto shouted confidently.
"That's charisma!"
Jiraiya frowned and kicked Naruto away.
As Naruto landed, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Storm Palm!"
The battle continued—fierce, relentless, and filled with promise.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)