Author's notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
After much contemplation, Naruto finally made his decision. He had long sensed that he would never find his place in Konohagakure. The villagers would never accept him for who he was—a demon concealed within a boy's body. For a long time, he had been formulating escape plans, waiting for the right opportunity and a mission that would take him beyond the walls of the Hidden Leaf Village. That opportunity came sooner than he expected, and he even gained the unexpected support of the demon.
With a tinge of sadness in his heart, Naruto realized it was time to say goodbye. Although he had long yearned for freedom—freedom without the shackles of Konohagakure—he was still filled with regret at having to leave behind so many memories and dreams. He could count on one hand the number of people in Konohagakure who truly mattered to him.
Among them were the Ichiraku family. The father and daughter had cared for and helped him ever since he was kicked out of the orphanage. These two had done more for him than anyone else, and he would always be grateful to them for that.
There was also Iruka. Initially skeptical of Naruto, he eventually became his close friend and mentor. Though he never said it aloud, he was like an older brother to the boy, one he never had.
The relationship with Sasuke was more complicated. It couldn't be called a true friendship, but rather a rivalry of blood and bone. Naruto deliberately did not use his full potential during their fights so as not to raise suspicions that the demon was growing stronger.
With Sakura, he was only connected by feigned love. From childhood, he realized that it was better to stay in the shadows to avoid trouble. And while he didn't hold it against her for beating him up, he still couldn't accept her behavior.
Kakashi, his teacher, remained an enigma to Naruto. The man showed no negative emotions, but he looked at him strangely, as if he reminded him of something or someone. Unfortunately, even he favored Sasuke, pushing Naruto aside during training. From the beginning of his training under Kakashi's tutelage, Naruto had learned nothing more from him than tree-walking without hands, and only then when the situation demanded it. If it weren't for that, he probably still wouldn't have received anything from Kakashi, while the Uchiha received special training.
The decision to leave Konohagakure was not an easy one, but Naruto knew it was the only path to true freedom and acceptance. Mixed emotions stirred within his heart. On the one hand, he was sad to leave the only place he had known since birth; on the other hand, he felt relief at the thought of freeing himself from the ostracism and contempt he faced from the villagers.
"The most important thing is to accept yourself, isn't it?" The boy asked himself in his thoughts, then chuckled softly, his laughter laced with a hint of bitterness and resignation. "Whoever I am, whatever I am, I don't care anymore... I'm tired of trying to get anyone else's acceptance, self-acceptance is enough for me."
In his eyes, though filled with tears, flickered a glimmer of hope for a better tomorrow. He knew that the world beyond Konohagakure was vast and full of possibilities, and he longed to finally find his place in it.
"What do you propose?" Naruto finally broke the contemplative silence, staring at the demon with sharp eyes, in which there was not a trace of fear. "I know you didn't tell me all this without some plan to free yourself from the shackles of Konohagakure."
Kyuubi, observing Naruto's determination, smiled wickedly. In his eyes, like a starry night sky, thousands of evil intentions gleamed. He knew it was time for him to use the boy's anger and frustration for his own purposes. But for now, he decided to keep part of the plan hidden.
"The demise of your comrade has granted you access to my power," Kyuubi said in a cracking voice, laced with quiet satisfaction. "Though in small quantities, it's enough to achieve our freedom."
"Sasuke," the boy thought, his heart clenching at the memory of his friend.
"Don't fret over a worthless runt like the Uchiha," Kyuubi snarled, reading the boy's thoughts and cutting him off. He roared with such force that Naruto fell to the ground. "I care not what you think of him; deep down, you know the truth of your bond. That trash never saw you as an equal, but as an inferior boy. That is the reality."
Naruto froze, struck as if by lightning. Kyuubi's words pierced his soul like sharp needles, tearing apart the remnants of his illusion of friendship with Sasuke. Pain and anger were reflected in his eyes, and a surge of fury and frustration was building within his heart.
"That's not true," Naruto said, but his voice sounded weak and unconvincing. He knew the demon was right. Sasuke had never treated him as an equal, always seeing him as nothing more than a lesser being.
"Now, back to the matter at hand..." Kyuubi drawled after a brief silence, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Where was I? Ah yes. With my assistance, we can jointly gain control over your intoxicated state caused by my power coursing through you. With that, we can unleash a massive chakra explosion that will obliterate everything in its path. Feign your death in the blast and buy us some time before the Konohagakure hounds catch our scent once they sniff out the truth."
Fire flickered in Naruto's eyes, his heart burning with the bitterness of a wounded child. Kyuubi's proposition, like a forbidden fruit, tempted him with the promise of escape from Konohagakure, the village that had become a prison of indifference and scorn.
Though he was aware of the immense risk and suffering involved in the demon's plan, the resentment and hurt towards the villagers were so strong that he could barely contain himself from agreeing.
"Is there no other way?" Naruto asked softly, gazing at Kyuubi with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. His voice pleaded for an alternative, a path that didn't involve the suffering of innocent people.
Kyuubi scoffed, his demonic laughter echoing like thunder against the dark surroundings. "Boy, are you naive enough to believe there's another way? In our world, there's no alternative but to kill or be killed. Besides, I assure you, no one will die in this explosion."
"Then let's do it," the boy replied with a hint of uncertainty in his voice, despite hearing the promise that no one would die. Though he realized it was foolish to trust a demon, an unusual gut feeling told him otherwise.
"First, you must tear away a fragment of the seal on the gate," the beast explained. "It will grant me easier access to your senses and to my chakra." Then, it cautioned the boy, "Be careful to only detach a small piece. If you tear off too much, you'll be overwhelmed by the amount of my chakra and could lose your life due to your own foolishness."
Without hesitation, the boy strode towards the gate. His steps were light but firm. As he stood before it, the water around him began to churn, lifting him up until he was directly in front of the seal that bound Kyuubi within his body.
The demon watched every move of the boy with bated breath, eagerly awaiting the moment when it would gain greater control over him. Greed glinted in its eyes.