Ryo woke up to the sound of running water.
For a moment, he didn't know where he was. The ceiling above him was white, clean, and still. When he tried to move, a sharp pain spread through his chest. His body felt heavy, wrapped in layers of bandages.
He blinked slowly. The familiar scent of antiseptic hit his nose. He was in Konoha's hospital.
The door slid open quietly. A nurse peeked in, smiled, and said, "You're awake. I'll call the Hokage."
Before Ryo could respond, she was already gone. He tried sitting up, but his muscles refused to cooperate. His memories flickered, the last thing he remembered was the battlefield, the burst of uncontrolled energy, and Naruto's hand reaching toward him before everything went dark.
Moments later, Naruto entered the room.
He looked tired but relieved. His Hokage cloak swayed lightly as he approached the bed.
"Good to see you awake, Ryo," he said with a grin. "You gave everyone quite a scare."
Ryo tried to smile back, but his throat was dry. "How long... have I been out?"
"Three days," Naruto replied, pulling up a chair. "You pushed yourself too far. That last surge nearly tore your chakra system apart."
Ryo looked down at his hands. He could still feel faint traces of warmth flowing through his veins, that strange, unstable energy. "So I almost died again, huh?"
Naruto's expression softened. "You're alive. That's what matters."
The silence that followed was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Naruto leaned back slightly, studying Ryo with a thoughtful look.
"You've got potential," he said quietly. "But potential means nothing if you don't learn to control it. Whatever that power inside you is, it's reacting to your emotions. You lose focus, it takes over."
Ryo sighed. "I know. But it's not like I'm doing it on purpose. It just... happens."
Naruto nodded slowly. "That's how it starts for everyone. Power never comes easy. The difference is how far you're willing to go to master it."
Before Ryo could reply, the door opened again. Sarada stepped in, holding a small basket of fruit. Her usual confident look softened when she saw him awake.
"Finally," she said. "You really had us worried."
Ryo looked a bit embarrassed. "Guess I'm not used to people worrying about me."
Sarada smirked. "Then get used to it. You're part of the team now."
Naruto stood, smiling at the exchange. "Good timing, Sarada. I was about to leave him to rest, but maybe some company will help."
As Naruto reached the door, he paused and glanced back. "When you're strong enough to walk, come find me. There's something I want to show you."
Then he left, leaving only Sarada and Ryo in the quiet room.
Sarada placed the fruit basket beside the bed. "So, what were you thinking, taking that hit head-on? You're lucky Boruto didn't break all your ribs."
Ryo chuckled weakly. "It wasn't luck. I just reacted."
"Next time, react smarter." She crossed her arms, but her tone softened. "Still... you did well out there."
Ryo tilted his head. "Coming from you, that sounds like a compliment."
"Don't get used to it," Sarada said, hiding a small smile. "You're still reckless."
The two of them sat quietly for a moment. Outside the window, the afternoon light spilled over the village rooftops. Ryo looked out, the sight strangely peaceful.
"Hey," Sarada said, breaking the silence. "Do you really think that power inside you can be controlled?"
Ryo turned to her. "I don't know. But if Naruto believes it's possible... maybe it is."
Sarada nodded slightly. "Then you better prove him right. I don't want a teammate who keeps passing out after every fight."
Ryo laughed softly. "I'll do my best."
For the first time in days, he felt something steady in his chest, a quiet sense of purpose. Whatever this strange energy was, he would learn to control it. Not just for himself, but for the people who had started to believe in him.
Outside, the wind moved through the trees, carrying the faint echo of distant training grounds.
And deep inside Ryo's body, something stirred again, a faint pulse, slow but alive, waiting for its next awakening.
---
Two days later, Ryo was already standing in the training field behind the Hokage's office.
His body still ached in certain spots, but the pain was bearable. He could finally breathe without feeling like his ribs might crack.
The sky above was clear, the late afternoon sun spreading a warm light over Konoha. Naruto stood in front of him, arms crossed, with his usual calm but sharp gaze.
"Looks like you're ready," Naruto said.
Ryo nodded. "More or less. You said there's something you wanted to show me."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Yeah. Follow me."
They walked a few minutes through the quiet woods until they reached a wide clearing surrounded by broken stone pillars. It looked like an old training site. Ryo could sense traces of chakra in the air, faint but heavy, as if the place itself had witnessed countless battles.
Naruto turned toward him. "This is where I learned to control the Nine-Tails' chakra... back then."
Ryo looked around. "You mean... Kurama?"
Naruto's expression softened. "Yeah. It wasn't easy. I had to face a lot of things inside myself before I could even begin to use his power properly. That's why we're here."
Ryo frowned slightly. "So, you want me to do the same thing?"
Naruto nodded. "In a way. But I'll be with you. Don't worry."
Before Ryo could ask what he meant, Naruto formed a quick sequence of hand signs. A small wave of chakra pulsed outward, and suddenly the world around them shifted.
The trees and stones faded, replaced by a dark, endless space.
Ryo's feet touched something solid, but there was no ground, just a mirror-like surface reflecting faint orange light.
His heartbeat quickened. "Where are we?"
Naruto's voice echoed softly beside him. "Inside the mental link. My subconscious. I pulled you in through my chakra connection. This is where I used to meet Kurama."
Ryo turned his head, and froze.
A massive gate stood before them, bound with glowing seals. Behind it, a pair of bright, piercing eyes opened slowly. The deep, rumbling voice that followed shook the air.
"So... this is the kid you've been talking about."
Ryo took an instinctive step back. The voice wasn't human, it was primal, powerful, and somehow familiar. Naruto smiled slightly, his tone calm.
"Yeah. Kurama, meet Ryo."
The great fox's eyes narrowed. "He's smaller than I expected. But... his energy. It's strange. Wild. I can feel something similar to yours, Naruto."
Ryo swallowed hard. "You can... sense it?"
Kurama snorted. "Sense it? It's practically leaking out of you. Whatever's inside that body of yours, it's not normal. It feels... ancient."
Ryo clenched his fists, unsure how to respond. Naruto glanced at him reassuringly.
"Don't worry. Kurama's just blunt. But he's not wrong. Your chakra feels different from anyone I've ever met. That's why I brought you here, so we can understand it together."
Ryo took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "So... what am I supposed to do?"
"Nothing yet," Naruto said. "For now, listen."
Kurama's gaze seemed to pierce straight through him. "You carry a piece of something that doesn't belong in this world. Not from any bloodline, not from any beast I know. It's something else... something that's been asleep for a long time."
Ryo frowned. "Something inside me?"
"Call it a presence," Kurama said. "Or a memory that refuses to fade."
Naruto looked thoughtful. "We'll take this step by step. Whatever it is, you'll need to learn how to live with it, not fight against it."
The space around them started to ripple. The dark floor cracked slightly, as if reacting to Ryo's heartbeat. His vision blurred for a second, and then...
Another voice.
Soft, distant, but clear.
"So... you finally came, Ryo."
Ryo's eyes widened. The voice wasn't Kurama's. It came from behind the gate, from somewhere deeper inside the darkness. For a moment, he saw a faint silhouette, a human shape, barely visible.
"Who are you?" Ryo asked, but his voice trembled.
The silhouette didn't move, only smiled faintly. "We'll meet soon enough. Just keep walking forward."
Then, the figure vanished, and everything turned white.
Ryo gasped and fell to his knees, they were back in the real world. Naruto caught him before he hit the ground.
"You alright?"
"Yeah... I think so." Ryo looked at his hands, still shaking. "That voice... I heard someone else in there."
Naruto frowned slightly but didn't press him. "Good. That means we're getting closer to understanding it."
As the sun began to set, they walked back toward the village in silence.
The wind was calm, and for the first time, Ryo felt something change inside him, not fear, not confusion, but awareness. Whatever that presence was, it had finally noticed him too.
And that meant the real training was just beginning.
---