Chapter 1

When Kurama's consciousness awakened, a wave of dread washed over him as he found himself once again trapped in the familiar and dreaded golden void. For decades, he had endured the agonizing torment of being shackled here, his power rendered useless, his spirit humiliated. How could this nightmare become his reality once more? His rage surged within him, fueling his primal instincts, and he unleashed a guttural scream, his immense form thrashing violently against the unyielding chains that bound him.

From the depths of the golden void, a voice echoed, dripping with an unsettling calmness. "I had hoped that you would understand by now that struggling against the seal is futile, demon fox."

Kurama's eyes blazed with fury as he fixed his gaze upon his captor. "You? What manner of trickery is this?"

Uzumaki Mito, her gaze unyielding, narrowed her eyes, meeting Kurama's burning rage with unwavering determination. "I do not understand your accusations, but you would be wise to abandon this, for your own sake." She had been in the midst of a crucial meeting with the Uchiha matriarch when an unexpected surge of chakra whisked her away into the dimension of the seal. She had hoped that the demon had finally seen reason, but her hopes were shattered. As the malevolent chakra continued to surge, she sighed in resignation. "So be it."

The chains that bound Kurama to the floating mass shimmered with a golden glow, intricate runes flowing through them like a torrent. His fury intensified as the chakra fizzled out, reigniting his deep loathing for his captor. Baring his fangs, he continued to struggle against the chains, his determination unyielding.

Mito's gaze lingered upon the raging beast for a moment, her thoughts filled with a mixture of concern and regret. It had been a while since she had seen the beast this hostile, but she couldn't dwell on it now. She had a meeting to return to, and Uchiha Naori wouldn't take kindly to her absence. With one last glance at the raging demon, she vanished from the seal, leaving Kurama to wrestle with his own torment.

For what felt like an eternity, Kurama fought against his restraints, his mind clouded and memories fragmented. Where was Naruto? What was happening? The answers eluded him, obscured by a haze of confusion. Yet, he knew he had no choice but to endure, because unfortunately time was the one thing he had in abundance in this place.

When Mito's eyes fluttered open, she found herself greeted by the relieved face of her husband. "Mito!" Hashirama exclaimed, his voice laced with concern. "Are you alright?"

Blinking away the remnants of unconsciousness, Mito questioned, "What happened? Where's Naori?" As she sat up and surveyed her surroundings, she realized she was back within the comforting confines of the Senju compound, resting on a futon, while Hashirama hovered over her with worry etched across his features.

"You fainted at the Uchiha's. Naori personally escorted you to the tower. I was so worried!" Hashirama confessed, his relief palpable.

The occurrence was peculiar. The beast's restlessness had never caused her to lose consciousness before. Undoing her robe, Mito inspected the seal adorning her stomach. Placing a hand over it, she channeled her chakra, causing the seal to shimmer into existence. Thankfully, its appearance remained unchanged. "It must have been one of the nine-tails' tantrums," she concluded.

Hashirama leaned forward, his concern deepening. "But it has never rendered you unconscious like this before."

Mito acknowledged his observation with a furrowed brow. "I know. The seal seems intact. Perhaps there's another explanation."

"I've sent for Aunt Hama. She's on her way," Hashirama reassured her. Hama, his father's sister, had long served as the clan's esteemed head healer. She was one of the few trusted individuals who knew about Mito's Jinchuriki status.

A grateful smile graced Mito's lips as she thanked her husband. "Thank you, Hashirama."

Drawing her into a comforting embrace, Hashirama whispered, "Hopefully, it's nothing to worry about."

Feeling the reassurance in his touch, Mito's spirits lifted. "I feel fine. I must have given Naori quite a scare," she remarked, her fingers gently weaving through Hashirama's hair. "I hope Tobirama didn't assume the worst when he saw her at the tower."

Hashirama turned towards her with a grimace. Well, so much for bonding with the Uchiha.

Mito sighed, "I'll smooth things over later. We should thank her for helping me."

"Of course."

Tahei flicked the reins of his cart, steering the oxen towards the forest from the dirt road. He was scanning for the best trees to to fell when he came upon an unexpected sight. There was a man sprawled on the forest floor. He approached carefully, looking for any signs of danger. The man's clothing was in tatters, various cuts and injuries all over his body. He had to be shinobi which was prepostorous. A dead shinobi in this quaint little part of Earth Country? Even with all these new villages popping up, that was simply unheard of!

Tahei slowly inched toward the man when he noticed he was still breathing. That gave him pause. This could end up badly for him. Who knew how these shinobi would react? But the man seemed rather young and Tahei couldn't just walk away. It didn't help that a part of him was curious. "Oi," he called out. No response. "Oi!" he called out again. Just the rustling of the trees. Since that approach was not working, Tahei grabbed his flask of water from the cart and splashed his face with it.

Naruto woke up, startled. His mind was dizzy and every inch of his body hurt. Clutching his head, he agonizingly got himself into a sitting position. When the fog cleared, he noticed the old man in front of him.

"You have whiskers?"

"Who the fuck are you?"