The air in the Hokage's office was heavy.
Tsunade stood behind her desk, arms crossed, eyes hard as she finished laying out the plan—perimeter squads, early detection, Naruto intercepting the enemy before they reached the village, and a secondary team hunting down the true caster.
Silence followed.
Then Homura Mitokado scoffed.
"This is reckless."
Koharu Utatane nodded sharply. "You're putting the village's greatest liability on the front line."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Liability?"
Danzo stepped forward, his cane tapping once against the floor.
"The Akatsuki wants Naruto Uzumaki," Danzo Shimura said coldly. "That is an undeniable fact. Sending him to fight them is exactly what they want."
"And let me guess," Tsunade snapped, "you want to lock him away and pray?"
Danzo's visible eye gleamed. "At least that would be logical."
Homura folded his arms. "He's too young. Too inexperienced. You're overestimating him."
Koharu added bluntly, "Power aside, he's still a boy."
Tsunade slammed her hands onto the desk.
"Enough."
The crack echoed through the room.
"You call him weak because you don't understand him," she said fiercely. "Naruto is the only person in this village right now who can stand against what's coming."
Danzo's eye narrowed. "You're staking the village on a child."
"Yes," Tsunade said without hesitation.
She straightened, her voice steady but absolute.
"And I'm staking my position as Hokage on it." The room went still. "I vouch for Naruto Uzumaki," she continued. "I've seen his growth. His resolve. His power. He will save this village."
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Danzo laughed quietly.
"So confident," he said. "We'll see about that."
Homura turned away first. "When this fails, the responsibility will be yours."
Koharu followed. "History won't be kind to reckless leaders."
Danzo lingered. He looked at Tsunade for a long moment, his stare sharp, unreadable—calculating. Then he turned and walked out without another word.
The door closed.
Tsunade exhaled heavily and sank back into her chair, rubbing her temples.
"…Another bet," she muttered. "I seriously have a problem."
The door opened again—this time gently. Shizune stepped in, holding Tonton in her arms.
"Lady Tsunade?" she asked softly.
Tsunade reached out, taking Tonton and pressing the little pig gently to her cheek. "Shizune… could you bring me some tea?"
Shizune smiled. "Of course."
As she turned to leave, Tsunade stared at the window, the village stretching beyond it.
"…Naruto really reminds me of Dan," she said quietly.
Shizune paused—but Tsunade didn't elaborate.
' That's interesting' she thought.
...
Naruto sat atop the massive walls surrounding the village, legs crossed, posture relaxed. The wind brushed past him, carrying the familiar scents of Konoha—wood, smoke, life. His eyes slowly closed as his breathing steadied.
And then—
His consciousness slipped inward. Darkness. Then water.
Naruto stood ankle-deep in the familiar flooded space of his mind. The air was heavy, thick with chakra. Ahead of him loomed the enormous iron cage, seals glowing faintly across its bars.
Behind it lay Kurama.
The massive fox stirred. Slowly, one enormous crimson eye opened… then the other. His slit pupils narrowed as they locked onto Naruto.
"…What do you want, kid?" Kurama growled, his voice echoing through the chamber.
Naruto smiled lightly. "Figured I should get to know this so-called demon fox before I make a decision."
Kurama's brows furrowed. "Decision?" he scoffed. "What decision? To get rid of me?" He let out a mocking laugh. "Hah! That's not possible, brat."
Naruto shook his head calmly. Instead of responding, he waved his hand.
A chair formed behind him.
Kurama's eyes widened just a fraction as Naruto sat down casually, crossing one leg over the other.
' I mean,' Naruto thought, ' this is my subconscious. I can do whatever I want.'
"No," Naruto said aloud. "The decision is whether or not you're my enemy. And honestly… I don't see why you should be."
Kurama froze.
"…What?" he said slowly.
Naruto met his gaze. "Am I wrong, Kurama?"
The fox's ears twitched.
"…How do you know that name?" Kurama asked sharply. "I don't remember telling you."
Naruto shrugged. "You're the Nine-Tails. I just figured your name would be Kurama."
Kurama stared at him in silence.
…He's not wrong, he admitted internally.
"…And what do you mean you don't see me as an enemy?" Kurama asked after a moment. "Haven't you heard the stories about me? The destruction? The hatred?"
"I have," Naruto replied. "And from what I understand… you weren't given much of a choice."
Kurama's eyes narrowed.
"Especially the last attack," Naruto continued. "You were being controlled, weren't you? By an Uchiha."
The moment the name left Naruto's mouth—The water surged. Memories slammed into Kurama's mind. Red eyes. Chains of chakra. A man standing above him with absolute dominance.
Madara Uchiha.
Kurama's chakra flared violently, crimson energy leaking through the bars of the cage as the water churned into raging waves. The very space trembled under the weight of his anger.
He had never been evil. He had been used.
A weapon forged by war. A tool shaped by mankind's obsession with power and control. Their hatred had been poured into him again and again—until hating humans back felt natural.
Naruto rose from his chair, steady despite the chaos.
' Yeah… that PTSD isn't going away anytime soon,' he thought.
"You're more than that, Kurama," Naruto said firmly, his voice cutting through the raging chakra. "And I won't let them treat you like that again."
Kurama stared at him.
Not with rage.
But confusion.
"…You really believe that?" Kurama asked quietly.
Naruto nodded. "I do."
He turned slightly, already beginning to fade. "I'll come back later. Think about what I said."
And just like that— Naruto disappeared.
---
His eyes opened. The real world returned. The sun was setting now, painting the sky in deep orange and crimson hues. Naruto was still seated on the wall, the village calm beneath him.
He exhaled slowly. ' Honestly… they might attack tomorrow, he thought. ' But I'll be ready. '
Naruto looked toward the horizon, his expression calm—but resolute. He was ready to face the Six Paths Of Pain.
TO BE CONTINUED