As Naruto stepped fully through the iron gate, the Nine-Tails' eyes—previously half-lidded—snapped wide open. A sharp gleam flashed deep within their crimson depths.
SLAM!
The instant Naruto's body crossed the threshold and stood on the other side, the Nine-Tails rose to its full height. Its massive frame shifted, and behind it, all nine tails lifted high, bristling like crimson flames.
"ROAR!!!"
The thunderous howl shook the entire seal space, echoing like a mountain collapsing.
Naruto looked up calmly, eyes steady as he observed the Nine-Tails. He had already activated the Mirror World's defensive mechanism, but standing inside the seal now, he finally grasped the beast's true scale.
It was far larger than it had appeared from outside the gate.
And there was something strange about that roar.
It carried exhilaration.
Before Naruto could fully analyze it, the fox's enormous head lunged downward, stopping just short of his body.
"Brat… I can't sense any fear from you!"
The Nine-Tails' predatory red eyes gleamed dangerously. Its jaws parted, rows of razor-sharp fangs grinding together, as if deciding whether to devour him in a single bite.
Naruto remained unmoved.
Staring directly into those burning crimson pupils—where his own reflection shimmered—he replied calmly:
"I didn't even know you existed until today. Why would I fear you?"
"This place belongs to both of us. It's the seal that binds us. In a way, we're equals."
"So why should our relationship begin with fear or domination?"
"Heh… Equals?"
The fox sneered. The moment the word left Naruto's mouth, its expression twisted with fury. Chakra surged violently around its body, the red aura boiling like blood as its fur stood on end.
Outside the gate, Minato's eyes widened.
"Not good! The Nine-Tails—it's breaking its promise!"
Without hesitation, he began forming hand seals at blinding speed, preparing to suppress Naruto if control was lost.
Inside the seal, ominous crimson chakra surged forward and engulfed Naruto's small frame.
[WARNING: Mental World Under Invasion.You may forcibly eject or forcibly capture the intruding entity.]
The instant the chakra wrapped around him, Naruto's eyes turned blood-red.
Yet despite the Mirror World's urgent warning echoing in his mind, he did nothing.
Because strangely enough, the Nine-Tails' chakra wasn't trying to crush his will.
Instead, it dragged him into chaos.
The world around him dissolved into a distorted void—eerily similar to the surreal horror dramas he remembered from his previous life. Whispering voices slithered through the darkness, laced with temptation and madness.
Then came hatred.
A tidal wave of pure resentment surged toward him, black and suffocating.
Malice.Anger.Rage without end.
Yet beneath it all—
Naruto felt emotions.
Fragments of the Nine-Tails' own memories.
And somehow… it all felt familiar.
Because once, in his previous life, Naruto had been drowning in resentment too.
Trapped in a broken body. Confined to a wheelchair. Desperately yearning for a healthy life.
Especially during that final disaster—when death loomed, and the world offered no escape.
In that moment between life and death, he realized something terrifying:
No emotion—no hope, no anger, no sorrow—could save him.
He had survived more than twenty years in a dying world. In that time, he had seen the ugliest sides of humanity laid bare.
And in his final breath, he had hurled the most vicious curse he could muster—
At the world itself.
Since arriving in this new world, he had come to believe that emotions were powerless against reality.
The harsher reality became, the more people hid behind meaningless fantasies.
He had lived through them all:
Hatred.Numbness.Despair.Bitterness.Fear.
And now he understood—
Those negative emotions had been the very things that kept him alive.
"Big fox," Naruto said quietly, "I think you can sense my state of mind."
"These negative emotions? They mean nothing to me anymore."
"Stop trying to use such crude tricks. You're nearly immortal—you can't possibly understand what true human despair feels like."
"But you can sense this."
"I don't hate you."
"I came here sincerely… to work with you."
As his words settled, Naruto felt himself pulled free from the chaotic void.
The world snapped back into focus.
Once again, he stood before the Nine-Tails—who now regarded him in silence, its gaze sharp and measuring.
Outside the gate, Minato nearly stumbled when he heard his son's voice again.
Although the worst-case scenario hadn't occurred, he remained fully alert, ready to intervene at any moment.
"Brat… you're the strangest human I've ever met."
The Nine-Tails finally spoke—not with rage, but with contemplation.
"Your hatred runs deep… yet you use it as fuel for something else."
"And as that thing grows inside you, you're actually peeling your hatred away—watching it coldly, from a distance."
The malice in its expression faded.
Naruto had passed the test.
Naruto smiled faintly. "Curious what I'm growing inside?"
The fox bared its fangs in a grin. "Very. I've watched you since you were small. I never imagined your hatred could shape something that large."
"If I'm right… then what you've nurtured is a will."
"A will to survive. A will to grow stronger."
"Will?" The fox tilted its head.
Naruto paused, then explained:
"Will is the conscious pursuit of a goal. It's what lets us control our actions, overcome obstacles, and persist—no matter the pain."
"And that pain… all that suffering from negative emotions—it carved itself into my soul."
"I could even say…"
"I became drunk on it."
The fox blinked several times before scoffing.
"Tch. You've only been reading for a year—how the hell are you coming up with this nonsense?"
Outside the gate, Minato was stunned.
Looking back at Naruto's life—and their short reunion—it was obvious:
This wasn't the mind of a child.
His son spoke and acted like someone who had lived an entire lifetime.
And not just any lifetime—but one steeped in pain.
A chill crept into Minato's heart.
Inside the seal, Naruto locked eyes with the fox.
"Pain is what makes us grow," he said calmly. "So… shall we talk about cooperation now?"
The fox narrowed its eyes. "Cooperation? What kind?"
Outside the gate, Minato leaned forward, listening intently.
Naruto spoke with unwavering seriousness.
"I'll make you a promise."
The fox's ears twitched. "What promise?"
Naruto met its gaze without flinching.
"Within sixteen years—I will break this seal and grant you true freedom."
"As long as you trust me."
Silence fell over the entire seal space.
Even the Nine-Tails was momentarily stunned.
For once, Minato didn't immediately object.
Moments later, the fox roared:
"You realize that if I'm freed, I will destroy Konoha!"
"That has nothing to do with me," Naruto replied flatly—
—as if the Fourth Hokage wasn't even standing outside the gate.
"ROAR!"
The Nine-Tails bellowed again.
"Tell me, brat! Are you truly willing to grant freedom to a tailed beast?"
"Once I leave your body—you'll die!"
Naruto's expression didn't change.
"Die? Nothing is absolute."
"This is the Shinobi World. Chakra itself defies logic."
"I'll find a way to free you—and live."
"Besides, I'll say it again."
"You tailed beasts are no different from humans. You possess intelligence, will, and emotions."
"There's no reason we can't meet as equals."
The Nine-Tails stared at him, then burst into laughter.
"You're not bad, brat! I can feel it—you're not lying."
"And stepping in here proves you've got guts."
Something had been decided.
Naruto nodded. "I never had any ill intent."
And suddenly, it clicked.
He remembered—
In the later stages of the anime, the Nine-Tails could sense malice.
Given how close they were now, it had clearly been testing him from the start.
Even earlier, when its chakra had surrounded him, Naruto had sensed a strange pulse of intent.
"Brat. Fist out!"
Naruto snapped back to reality as the Nine-Tails' booming voice shook the air.
He looked up.
A massive clenched paw hovered above him, filling his entire field of view.
He knew this scene.
Without hesitation, Naruto raised his fist and struck it against the fox's.
BAM!
The moment their fists connected—one massive, one small—both of them felt each other's true intentions.
"Brat. My name is Kurama," the fox said. "Don't forget your promise."
"I won't," Naruto replied calmly. "I keep every promise I make."
"Nice to meet you, Kurama."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Don't forget mine either."
But just as their bond was sealed—
That cold mechanical voice echoed once more:
[WARNING: Mental World Under Invasion.You may forcibly eject or forcibly capture the intruding entity.]
(End of Chapter)
PS :
Mental World Invasion WarningA Mirror World system alert indicating active intrusion into Naruto's consciousness.
KuramaThe true name of the Nine-Tails, formally acknowledged for the first time through mutual trust.