128 The Budding of Friendship

Kurama remained calm and unflustered by this sudden "pull."

"'Nine-Tails'?"

He chuckled, looking directly into the pair of red, beastly eyes mere inches away without a hint of evasion, his tone relaxed and composed:

"I thought... that was a question I should have been the one to ask?"

Before the words had even faded, the demon fox had already retreated two steps with lightning speed, perfectly avoiding the scorching, foul breath of the beast that accompanied the Nine-Tails' suddenly intensified panting.

"Whoa there, little one. I don't mean to scare you."

Spreading his hands and donning a "harmless" smile that made the Nine-Tails’ teeth itch, Kurama gave a playful, intentional wink.

"It’s just that the way you 'invited' me here was truly quite rude."

"To 'help' you realize that, I’m afraid I must return the favor, don't you think?"

The smiling demon fox looked elegant and refined, yet to the Nine-Tails, who was on the receiving end of this "reciprocation," he appeared truly detestable. Never before had the Tailed Beast felt this particular kind of stifling frustration; his vertical pupils narrowed, and the entire fox grew menacing and savage.

"How dare you!" he snarled viciously. "This is the domain I control! Even if I am currently sealed within this brat’s body, that doesn't mean I lack the means to teach you a lesson! You wretched little brat!"

As he spoke, the Nine-Tails did not forget to bare his fangs at Kurama to emphasize his absolute "danger."

"..."

The demon fox fought to keep from laughing out loud. The Nine-Tails' final jab, "wretched little brat," revealed too much. Most notably, the great Tailed Beast was clearly deeply bothered by being called "little one" by Kurama—he, the Nine-Tails, had existed in the ninja world for who knew how many years since his birth!

Yet now, he was being addressed with such condescending, elder-like detachment by a youth who looked barely seventeen or eighteen? It was a total disregard for him, the strongest of all Tailed Beasts!

The Nine-Tails narrowed his slit pupils, staring gloomily at Kurama. "Kid, now... do you know who’s the boss?"

"..."

Kurama remained silent, watching him with an amused expression, as if this threat, so carefully prepared by the Nine-Tails, were nothing more than a funny joke.

The Nine-Tails completely lost his temper!

His massive beast claws slammed against the sturdy cell gate, triggering a thunderous boom. The Nine-Tails brought his enormous fox head close, glaring fiercely at Kurama. "You wretched little brat! Come a little closer and let me tear you to pieces!!!"

The cell gate rattled under his immense strength, but the power of the seal was something the Nine-Tails could not overcome. Thus, he could only stand behind the bars, using his words to provoke Kurama to the best of his ability, even though he could cause no real harm.

The demon fox watched the Nine-Tails' "performance" with great interest. Not until the ferocity and menace gradually faded from the massive fox face—replaced by a flicker of involuntary confusion due to Kurama's excessive composure—did the demon fox stroll forward two steps, tilt his head, and smile at the Nine-Tails.

"Done roaring?"

"..." The Nine-Tails fell silent.

Kurama didn't mind the silent resistance and continued the conversation on his own:

"It's fine if you're done. After all..."

"I complied with your 'tug' and let you bring my consciousness here, but that wasn't so I could watch your amateur acting."

Before he could finish, the Nine-Tails' vertical pupils constricted sharply!

"You..."

"Don't bother trying to make excuses!" Raising a finger, Kurama waved it back and forth in front of the Nine-Tails, smiling. "I know you were just posturing to test my attitude. In fact, you don't need to be so cautious."

"I am not from Konoha, nor am I from any other ninja village."

"In fact, I am not even a ninja at all, so I have no interest in you, nor the child you are 'inhabiting,' in the way you fear."

"Of course, you were right before. I am indeed... a nine-tailed demon fox."

"But, I am not any 'Nine-Tails' that you know of."

Curving his lips into a meaningful smile, Kurama looked directly into the Nine-Tails' vertical pupils again.

"How about it? Would you like to have a more in-depth conversation about this topic?"

"Even if we aren't of the same kin, we are... arguably quite similar, aren't we?"

The Nine-Tails stared back at him in silence for a long while.

"I have been stifled in this brat's body for too long," he finally said in a low voice, speaking of a seemingly unrelated topic.

Yet, Kurama showed no dissatisfaction or impatience, standing there quietly and choosing to listen with patience. This caused the Nine-Tails' expression to soften slightly.

"Having someone who can come here at any time to talk to me and keep me entertained... it’s not something I can't accept."

"So, kid! I... allow it."

Saying this with an air of superiority, the Nine-Tails narrowed his eyes, turned around, and presented his nine fluffy tails to Kurama. It was as if he were silently saying, "My speech is over, you may leave now!"

Kurama smiled silently.

"Then, I look forward to our next meeting, Nine-Tails."

He spoke with a smile, and in the next second, his figure vanished into thin air without warning.

At the same moment, in the outside world:

Although the exchange between Kurama and the Nine-Tails had lasted for quite some time, to Sasuke and Naruto, it had only been a momentary pause as he looked at Naruto.

"You're Sasuke's classmate, aren't you? May I ask your name?"

The demon fox's gentle smile remained unchanged after the brief pause, and his movement to lean down held no hesitation. The kindness and warmth in his tone left Naruto—who had never felt such an aura from anyone else—frozen on the spot. He stared blankly back into those gentle emerald eyes, forgetting to answer for a moment.

It wasn't until a low, cold snort reached his ears that Naruto snapped out of it. He saw Sasuke, standing beside the youth who had greeted him, wearing a sour, handsome little face. Sasuke was gripping the youth's hand tightly, his large, grape-like black eyes glaring fiercely and unhappily at Naruto.

"..."

Naruto seemed to understand something instantly.

He made a big, mocking face at Sasuke, then the little blonde boy turned his head, welcoming Kurama's gaze with a mixture of joy and apprehension:

"H-hello! I'm Sasuke's classmate. My name is... Naruto Uzumaki..."

The moment he spoke his name, the hesitation, anticipation, and hidden defensiveness on the boy's face were reflected clearly in Kurama's eyes, making the demon fox's heart soften abruptly.

"Naruto, is it?"

He smiled, trying to soften his tone as much as possible. Seeing the boy's blue eyes brighten instantly, the demon fox reached out and patted the top of his head without hesitation.

"Although it may be sudden, would you like to come over to our house as a guest?"

"We’ve prepared a delicious feast today to celebrate Sasuke’s recovery and his return to school!"

Feeling the little boy’s body stiffen for an instant after receiving the invitation, and seeing the look of utter disbelief in his eyes, Kurama sighed inwardly. Even for a demon fox whose compassion had long since waned, he felt that Konoha was being far too cruel to Naruto.

In any case, he was just an innocent child. How could they let an innocent child bear the blame for the Tailed Beast sealed within him?

Moreover, he was the son of the Fourth Hokage. If the Fourth Hokage hadn't lost his life sealing the Nine-Tails, Naruto should have been raised spoiled and pampered like Konohamaru. Even if not living in luxury, he should have at least been free from worry, and more importantly, surrounded by the care of parents and family, rather than suffering the insults and disgust of everyone as he was now...

Thinking of this, the demon fox's expression grew even gentler.

"We intended to hold a small celebration, but Sasuke is a bit thin-skinned and shy, so he hasn't been able to invite any of his classmates until now."

"So, if you don't mind, Naruto..."

"No! Of course not!"

Naruto interrupted him eagerly before Kurama could finish. The little boy’s face turned red, his expression showing a shyness and panic that Sasuke had never seen before.

"I... I am very happy to receive your invitation!" the blonde boy said, though his gaze drifted toward Sasuke from time to time. "B-but..."

But his relationship with Sasuke had always been poor, and the reason for this was mostly his own fault, as he would often seek out trouble and provoke Sasuke because he didn't like the way he acted...

The more he thought about it, the more dejected he felt. Naruto lowered his head, his murmurs trailing off into silence.

However, just then, a grumpy voice from across the way suddenly said, "If you want to come, then come!"

Naruto looked up abruptly, only to see the black-haired boy looking away, though his small ears, exposed by his hair, were tinged with a faint blush, quite unlike his expressionless face.

The blonde boy blinked blankly, and then, a brilliant, radiant smile bloomed on his face.

"Sasuke! I never expected you to be such a great guy! I misunderstood you before; I'm really sorry!"

After saying this, he ignored Sasuke's angry glare and bowed deeply to Kurama.

"Thank you for your invitation! I would love to attend the celebration!"

Kurama looked down at Sasuke, who was scowling but didn't object, then turned back to see the radiant smile on Naruto’s face. He couldn't help but let out a low, soft laugh.

"Well then, you're welcome."

He said, reaching out to take Naruto’s small hand while the boy looked on in surprise.

"Naruto."

For a split second, from an angle Kurama couldn't see, Sasuke glared fiercely at Naruto’s hand, which was being held by the demon fox, a trace of gloom flashing in his large black eyes.

At that exact moment, Naruto’s gaze swept past Sasuke. Seeing his expression, he paused for a second, then raised a wide, happy smile and gave Sasuke a secret wink.

At this moment, between the two little boys who would one day shake the foundations of Konoha, the seeds of friendship had finally... begun to sprout.