Naruto stretched lazily against the Nine Tails' thick fur, looking far too comfortable for someone sharing space with a living natural disaster.
"Hey, brat. You're thinking something nasty, aren't you?"
The fox's rumbling voice echoed like thunder in a cavern, eyes gleaming red with suspicion.
Naruto froze, half caught. "What? No way. You're imagining things."
In truth, he had been imagining things—like how much he could sell Nine Tails' fur for if he ever shaved off a chunk. Enough to buy Ichiraku every day for life. Probably. But saying that out loud? Yeah, no.
The fox's growl faded into a sigh. "Better that way," it muttered, turning over and curling up. "I'm done talking to you."
Naruto blinked. "You're just… going to sleep?"
No answer. Only the deep, steady rhythm of a giant heartbeat.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly. Then, curiosity got the better of him. "Hey, Kurama."
One golden eye cracked open. "What?"
"How did I even get in here? I didn't do anything special."
Kurama's whiskers twitched. "How should I know? Maybe your emotions went wild—joy, sorrow, whatever. Strong feelings pull your mind inward."
"That so?" Naruto mumbled, thinking of Hinata. The warmth that rose in his chest was enough to make him blush. Maybe that was it. Maybe the happiness from her smile brought him here.
"I just… really want to protect Hinata," he said softly.
Kurama tilted his head, slightly baffled. Humans always said strange things. But this boy's conviction—it didn't sound fake.
Naruto clenched his fists. "To protect her, I need power. Kurama, lend me yours."
The silence that followed was heavy, almost reverent. Then—
"…What did you just say?" Kurama's voice was a growl again. "You want me to lend you my power? You think it's that simple?"
Naruto smiled, unbothered. "Yeah. We're friends, right?"
The fox's tail twitched, then froze. For a moment there was no sound at all. Then Kurama's booming laughter filled the sealed chamber.
"Friends? You're ridiculous, brat. Humans beg, threaten, or fight for my power—but friends?" The laughter shook the bars of the seal. "That's a new one."
Naruto grinned. "What's so weird about it? The Eight-Tails and his jinchūriki get along. They fight together, not against each other."
Kurama's laughter stopped cold. His eyes narrowed. "You mean that octopus fool and his host…"
"Yeah. They're strong because they trust each other."
The fox stared at him for a long time. Maybe it was the way the kid said it—so certain, so… stupidly honest. Finally, Kurama sighed.
"Fine. I'll lend you my power. But how much you can use depends on your will. And it's not free, brat."
Naruto's grin widened. "That's fine by me."
For the first time, the fox didn't growl. He just looked away.
Maybe this little human wasn't entirely hopeless.