Chapter 2

Naruto sat in front of the Third Hokage's desk, his small legs dangling off the chair. His face was set in a determined frown, though his hands were balled into fists, clutching the hem of his jacket tightly. Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him with kind eyes, waiting for the boy to speak.

"They hate me," Naruto finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't even know why, but they hate me."

The Third Hokage's expression softened even more, though there was a trace of sadness in his gaze. "Not everyone in the village feels that way, Naruto," he said gently. "There are those who care about you, even if it doesn't always seem that way."

Naruto shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I... I want to be stronger. I'm tired of feeling weak and letting them get to me."

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, studying the boy for a moment. Naruto's bright blue eyes were filled with a mix of hurt and determination—so much like his father's. The Hokage sighed quietly, knowing that Naruto's journey would be a difficult one, but also recognizing the strength the boy already carried inside him.

"Strength doesn't come all at once, Naruto," the Hokage said, his voice firm but kind. "It comes from learning, from patience, and from understanding yourself."

Naruto shifted in his seat, still frowning. "But... what if I want to start now?"

A calm silence falls under them, a small smile tugged at the Hokage's lips. "Then perhaps it's time you learned the basics," he said, standing up from his chair and walking over to a nearby shelf. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a scroll and handed it to Naruto.

Naruto took it cautiously, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What's this?"

"A basic chakra control guide," Hiruzen explained, sitting back down. "Every shinobi begins with learning to control their chakra. It will help you in ways you don't even realize yet. And this," he continued, reaching into his drawer to produce another small scroll, "is a guide to basic taijutsu. Start practicing these, and you'll begin to grow stronger."

Naruto stared at the scrolls in his hands, feeling a spark of excitement flicker inside him. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like he could actually do something to change his situation.

"Thank you, old man," Naruto said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The Third Hokage chuckled. "Just remember—patience and practice. Don't rush the process."

Naruto nodded, his mind already racing with thoughts of training. He left the office with a newfound sense of purpose, clutching the scrolls tightly.

The next few days, Naruto dedicated himself to training. He spent hours alone in the forest just outside the village, trying to make sense of the chakra control techniques described in the scroll. Balancing a leaf on his forehead, as the scroll instructed, sounded easy enough—until he actually tried it.

Each time the leaf fell, Naruto scowled and put it back, determined not to give up. His chakra was unruly, wild, but there were moments where he could feel it—brief instances of calm where the energy inside him seemed to listen.

Those moments gave him hope, even when he struggled.

A week later, Naruto found himself back at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, despite his earlier embarrassment. He had thought about Ino's teasing every day since then, replaying the moment over and over in his head. But in the end, the peace of the shop outweighed his discomfort.

When he walked through the door, Ino was already there, helping her mother arrange a display.

"Oh, look who's back," Ino teased, a smirk on her face. "I thought you ran away for good."

Naruto glared at her, though there wasn't any real heat behind it. "I was busy," he muttered.

"Busy doing what?" Ino asked, her tone sceptical but curious.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, then puffed out his chest slightly. "Training."

Ino raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Training? You? I'll believe that when I see it."

"Yeah, well... you will!" Naruto shot back, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Ino's mother chuckled softly from behind the counter, shaking her head at the pair. "You two are quite the pair," she remarked, smiling at them. "Why don't you help Naruto with those plants, Ino? I'm sure he could use a refresher."

Ino rolled her eyes but didn't argue, walking over to where Naruto stood near a row of potted plants. "You're still overwatering these," she said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. "If you keep drowning them, they're gonna wilt."

Naruto scowled, clearly not pleased with the criticism. "I'm not overwatering them! I'm just... making sure they don't get thirsty!"

Ino sighed, clearly exasperated, but grabbed a watering can anyway. "Here, let me show you how it's done."

Despite their bickering, there was a light-heartedness to their interaction—a small but significant step toward friendship.

It was late afternoon when Naruto found himself practicing alone in the woods again. The training scroll lay open beside him, the words starting to blur together in his mind after hours of repetition.

"Come on!" he muttered to himself, his hands trembling as he placed the leaf back on his forehead for what felt like the hundredth time. "Why can't I get this right?"

He closed his eyes, trying to focus. He could feel his chakra surging through him, but it was like trying to hold water in his hands—slippery and impossible to control. Every time he thought he had it, it would slip away, and the leaf would tumble to the ground again.

Frustration bubbled inside him, his breath coming out in angry huffs. "I just want to be stronger!" he shouted to the empty forest. "Why is this so hard?!"

In that moment, something snapped. The air around him seemed to thicken, and he felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of energy deep inside his chest. It wasn't the same as before—this chakra was different. It was hot, wild, and terrifying.

Before Naruto could react, the world around him faded.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was no longer in the forest. He stood ankle-deep in water, the strange dark space around him stretching into shadows. He turned, confused and disoriented, his breath echoing in the eerie silence.

"Where... am I?"

His voice sounded small in the vastness, but the quiet didn't last. A low, rumbling growl filled the air, sending a chill down his spine. Naruto froze, his heart pounding, and slowly turned toward the sound.

Behind massive iron bars, a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at him.

Naruto took an instinctive step back, his breath catching in his throat as he looked up at the enormous creature looming behind the cage—an enormous fox with deep red fur, its nine tails twisting in the darkness like shadows.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The fox was the first to break the silence. "So, the boy comes at last," it growled, its voice dripping with malice. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Naruto's mouth went dry. "What... what are you?"

The Nine-Tails chuckled, a low, dangerous sound that echoed around the mindscape. "I'm what's inside you, brat. The power you don't even know how to use."

Naruto swallowed, taking another step back. "Inside me?" He stared at the fox, confusion and fear swirling in his mind. "Why... why are you in me?"

The fox's lips curled back into a twisted grin. "They put me here. Locked me away. But make no mistake—I'm still here, watching, waiting."

Naruto's heart raced, his mind reeling. The villagers... their glares, their hate—it all started to make sense. This creature, this power... was that why they treated him the way they did?

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, his voice quieter now, uncertain.

The Nine-Tails' red eyes gleamed in the darkness. "What do I want? You'll find out in time," it purred. "But for now, remember this, boy. You and I are connected. Whether you like it or not."

Before Naruto could respond, the world around him began to shift. The darkness blurred, the iron bars fading from view. The last thing Naruto saw before he was pulled back was the fox's red eyes gleaming with a knowing grin.

Naruto blinked, finding himself back in the forest. He was panting, drenched in sweat, his heart still racing from the encounter. His surroundings were the same as before, the scroll lying beside him, but something felt different.

He stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. The fox—the creature inside him—its power... it was real. It was inside him.

Naruto clenched his fists, unsure of what to feel. He wasn't terrified, but he wasn't at ease either. The fox's words echoed in his mind. Connected. Whatever that meant, Naruto knew one thing for certain: this wasn't something he could share with anyone.

Not the Hokage, not his friends. No one.

He glanced at the scroll on the ground, his chest tightening. Could he really train, really grow stronger, knowing that thing was inside him?

He didn't have time to answer the question. For now, he pushed it all to the back of his mind. The fox had said he'd find out more in time, but Naruto wasn't ready for that yet.

With a deep breath, he picked up the scroll and forced himself to focus. He'd deal with it later. Right now, he needed to get stronger.