Chapter 6
The quiet streets of Konoha were illuminated by the soft glow of street lamps as Naruto made his way home, his thoughts still racing from the day's events. The challenge at the Academy had gone well—his team had won, and he had felt a small surge of the Nine-Tails' power for the first time in the heat of competition.
His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he walked, his head full of questions. He was getting stronger, that much was clear, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was still so much more to understand. The taste of the Nine-Tails' chakra had been intoxicating, and though it left him exhausted, it had also made him feel alive—powerful in a way he had never experienced before.
Naruto paused for a moment as he passed the Hokage Monument, the familiar faces of Konoha's leaders etched into the mountain. His gaze lingered on the Fourth Hokage's likeness, the stone figure standing tall and resolute. Naruto's fists clenched. I'm going to get there one day. I'll be Hokage... but I need to get stronger first.
With that thought in mind, Naruto quickened his pace, eager to return to his apartment and try something he had been thinking about ever since the challenge ended.
As soon as Naruto entered his apartment, he wasted no time. He dropped his jacket by the door and moved to the centre of the room, clearing a small space for himself. His heart raced with anticipation, but there was also a sense of nervous excitement bubbling inside him.
For months, he had been training to master chakra control, starting with the basics. He had struggled at first, but with enough effort, he had managed to get the hang of it. His ability to control his own chakra was much better now, especially after the rigorous training sessions he had been putting himself through both before and during the Academy.
But controlling the Nine-Tails' chakra... that was an entirely different challenge.
Naruto sat down on the floor, crossing his legs as he steadied his breathing. His mind flashed back to the brief moment during the challenge when he had felt the Nine-Tails' chakra coursing through him. It had been overwhelming, wild, and powerful—but it had worked. It had given him the strength he needed to push through the final moments of the challenge.
Now, he wanted to see if he could do it again—this time, with more control.
I can do this, Naruto thought as he placed a leaf on his forehead, the same way he had done countless times before when practicing chakra control. But this time, he wasn't going to use his own chakra. He was going to try and pull the Nine-Tails' chakra instead.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes and focused. He could feel the familiar flow of his own chakra moving through him, steady and controlled. But he pushed it aside, reaching deeper, searching for the wild, untamed energy of the Nine-Tails that lurked beneath the surface.
It didn't take long to find it. The fox's chakra felt like a storm—a raging, chaotic force that resisted his attempts to control it. Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to pull just a small amount of it, but it slipped through his grasp like water through his fingers.
Come on... he thought, his face scrunching in concentration. Just a little...
But the more he tried, the more the chakra resisted him. It felt like trying to hold onto lightning, his body trembling under the strain.
Minutes passed, and Naruto was already feeling the strain. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he kept trying to pull even a sliver of the Nine-Tails' chakra, but it was no use. Every time he thought he had a grip on it, it slipped away, leaving him feeling more exhausted than before.
"Damn it..." Naruto muttered under his breath, wiping his forehead. His body was already shaking, his arms trembling as he tried to steady himself.
He wasn't ready to give up yet. He couldn't. If I can control this, I'll get stronger. I have to do it.
"IF boy… IF" snarled the 9 tails. Staying quiet as he observes Naruto, annoyed by his naive thinking yet at the same time intrigued to see what the boy will conclude to.
Hours go by, Naruto took another deep breath and closed his eyes again. He focused harder this time, pushing himself to ignore the exhaustion that he felt. He could feel the Nine-Tails' chakra swirling beneath the surface, wild and volatile. He reached for it again, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to grasp even the tiniest fragment.
For a moment, nothing happened. The chakra resisted him, fighting against his attempts to control it.
But then, just as he was about to give up, something clicked.
Naruto felt a sudden surge of heat flood through him, his body trembling as a small amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra broke through. It wasn't much—just a flicker of the fox's power—but it was enough. The leaf on his forehead fluttered as the chakra coursed through him, wild and untamed.
Naruto gasped, his eyes snapping open as the chakra pulsed through him. It was intense, far more powerful than his own chakra, but also harder to control. His body shook under the strain, the raw energy almost too much to handle.
But he had done it. He had pulled a small amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
And that small amount was enough to leave him completely drained.
Naruto collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily as the chakra ebbed away. His body felt like it had been through a battle—his muscles ached, and every breath felt like it took twice as much effort as before. He had only used a tiny fraction of the fox's power, but it had left him utterly exhausted.
"Wha... what was that?" Naruto muttered to himself, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His body trembled from the effort, his vision blurry from the exhaustion.
He had done it—he had managed to pull the Nine-Tails' chakra. But the cost had been higher than he expected. If using just a small fragment of the fox's power had drained him this much, what would happen if he tried to pull more?
As Naruto lay on the floor, his body still shaking from the effort, he heard the deep, rumbling voice of the Nine-Tails echo in his mind.
"Well, well," the fox growled, its voice low and filled with reluctant respect. "You actually did it, brat."
Naruto's eyes widened; his breath still ragged. The Nine-Tails had been silent the entire time, watching him struggle without a word. Now, its voice carried an air of begrudging approval.
"I didn't think you'd manage it," the Nine-Tails continued, its tone still gruff. "But don't get cocky. That was barely a flicker of my power, and look at you—completely exhausted."
Naruto swallowed hard, still panting as he listened to the fox's voice.
"But let me give you a warning, brat," the Nine-Tails growled, its voice growing more serious. "If you try to draw too much of my chakra, it could fry your chakra pathways. Your body isn't ready to handle my power—not yet. If you keep pushing yourself like this, you'll burn out, and it'll take more than a few days to recover. You could be left without chakra for a while, or worse."
Naruto nodded weakly, his exhaustion making it hard to respond. He understood the warning, but he also knew he wasn't going to stop. He was going to keep pushing, keep trying, until he mastered the Nine-Tails' power. But now, he had a better understanding of the risks
As the exhaustion slowly faded, Naruto lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of his small apartment. His mind raced with thoughts of what had just happened—his success in pulling the Nine-Tails' chakra, and the fox's warning about the dangers of using too much.
He couldn't deny the thrill he had felt when the chakra surged through him. It had been powerful, more powerful than anything he had ever experienced. But it had also been overwhelming, and the cost of using it had left him drained in a way he hadn't expected.
He thought back to the Academy. He had made progress—he had won the challenge today, after all—but there was still so much more to learn. He wasn't just competing with Sasuke and the others. He was trying to master something far more dangerous—something that could destroy him if he wasn't careful.
The Nine-Tails' warning echoed in his mind. The risks were real, and Naruto knew that he couldn't afford to be reckless. But that didn't mean he was going to stop. He had tasted the power of the fox, and now that he knew it was possible to control it, even just a little, he was more determined than ever.
I'll get stronger, Naruto thought, his resolve hardening. But I'll do it my way.
