Author's notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
In the darkness of Naruto's mind, Kurama awoke long before dawn. Darkness still reigned in the outside world, but in the fox's mental cage, embers of anger and impatience already glowed. Cold sweat trickled down Naruto's forehead as nightmares clutched him.
"Another sleepless night," Kurama thought wryly. "This brat never sleeps peacefully, always nightmares and screams... Irritating." The nine-tailed fox stretched lazily, its massive, mottled body extending as its powerful claws scraped the stone floor of the cage, making a sound like gravel being crushed. He savored the moment of peace before the boy started making noise again, his thoughts already circling yesterday's events.
"Seeing the extent of the destruction in the shinobi world opened this fool's eyes," the beast thought, its voice deep and booming like thunder, echoing in the void. Kurama imagined the terror in Naruto's eyes as the boy realized the truth about his clan's history, a memory still burning brightly in the boy's mind, like a smoldering ember Kurama could easily fan into a flame.
"I wonder if he will finally understand the power he carries within him, the power I gave him." Kurama smiled maliciously. "The dogs of Konoha have surely discovered the truth by now," he continued, ruby eyes gleaming in the darkness, thoughts focused on the village elders, those old, decrepit fools who dared to consider themselves his masters.
"The old guard... They think they still rule this world, but their time is coming to an end." Kurama stretched lazily in the mental cage, powerful claws scraping the stone floor. "Especially that pervert Jiraiya. Always had a nose for secrets, that old ero-maniac." He grimaced in contempt, recalling the image of the Hokage's wrinkled brow and the clenched fists of Homura and Koharu. "Hypocrites, each of them has their own dirt they desperately try to hide."
"I wonder how long they'll manage to keep it all a secret," Kurama mused, his voice echoing like an ominous whisper in the void. "They've lost their trump card, their war deterrent. Fools… Each kept shifting responsibilities until finally, no one wanted to take responsibility for my cage." A sinister smile stretched across his muzzle, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs. He knew fear would soon consume Konoha from the inside. Hiruzen would eventually panic. Jiraiya would frenzy, searching for culprits, and Danzo... Danzo would use the situation to strengthen his power. Kurama rubbed his paws together in satisfaction, imagining the chaos that would soon engulf the village.
In the darkness of Naruto's mind, Kurama was not idle. Instead of succumbing to frustration over the noise, he decided to use the boy's restless sleep for his own purposes. He sensed Naruto's fear, his deeply hidden traumas and wounds; perfect amusement for the fox, a source of fun that Kurama relished. The boy writhed in nightmares, and Kurama relished his fear with satisfaction.
A malicious grin spread across the beast's muzzle. "If this brat won't let me sleep, I won't let him rest either," Kurama thought, his eyes flashing with a ruby gleam.
He began to play with Naruto's nightmare, fueling fears and amplifying painful memories. Sharpened images, deepened sounds, and enriched sensations made the nightmare even more realistic. Childhood memories, the most painful and humiliating ones, returned with a vengeance. He saw himself as a small, lonely boy, wandering the village streets, avoiding stares filled with fear and hatred. He heard whispers behind his back, felt fingers pointing at him as a monster, a demon. He relived moments of rejection—other children running away screaming, adults slamming doors in his face.
Every cry of "Monster!" every stone thrown at him, every humiliating word echoed in his mind, amplified by Kurama's malicious power. The boy choked in this wave of negative emotions, unable to wake up, and Kurama reveled in Naruto's suffering. He felt the darkness engulfing the boy and his heart filled with bitterness.
"The resentment towards Konoha grows in him with each passing day," Kurama muttered with satisfaction, watching as negative emotions burned away any positive feelings for that cursed village.
However, even for Kurama, toying with Naruto's nightmare eventually became tedious. The fox felt satiated. The boy's negative emotions were starting to bore him. Besides, Kurama needed Naruto to be rested and ready for action. It was time to change tactics.
"Enough of this," he roared in Naruto's mind, his voice cutting through the nightmarish visions. A wave of pure power swept through the sleeping nightmares, scattering them like morning mist. The feelings of fear and helplessness vanished in an instant, replaced by emptiness and deafening silence.
The boy's eyes flew open. His heart pounded like a hammer, and sweat drenched his entire body. His eyes frantically searched the darkness. Naruto blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness, but the remnants of the nightmare still danced at the edge of his consciousness. He sat up in bed, panting heavily, and instinctively clutched at his heart. Never before had the nightmares been so… realistic. Usually they were blurry, vague images, fleeting shadows of fear and loneliness. This time, however, he felt every stone thrown at him, heard every mocking laugh, relived every moment of rejection with terrifying accuracy.
"What was that?" he thought, trying to calm his breathing. He felt strangely weakened and exhausted, as if he had actually gone through all those humiliations again.
In the darkness of the mental cage, Kurama observed Naruto's reaction with a mixture of satisfaction and... unease. It was a simple idea. Use the boy's fears to deepen his hatred for Konoha and thus gain more control over him. However, the intensity of Naruto's reaction surprised even the fox. "Could I have overdone it?" Kurama wondered, watching the boy struggle to catch his breath.
"Ugh, this brat is more sensitive than I thought," Kurama thought, scratching his muzzle. "I have to be careful not to break him. I need him strong and angry, not broken." Kurama didn't want to destroy his toy before he could use it. Naruto was to serve him in carrying out his plans.
"Oh well, it can't be helped," Kurama sighed. "Time for a change of tactics. I've used the stick; now it's time for the carrot." The fox smiled slyly.
"Get up, brat!" the demon's razor-sharp voice rang out in his head, snapping Naruto out of his daze. "Time to train. You have a lot to do before the sun rises."
Naruto flinched at the sound of Kurama's voice, but this time there was no trace of fear in it, only cold anger. "You..." he began, clenching his fists, but stopped mid-sentence. Why waste energy arguing with the fox? It wouldn't do any good. Instead, he took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts.
"Fine, fine, I'm getting up," he muttered, slowly rising from the bed. "What's next in your brilliant plans, oh great Kurama?" he asked sarcastically, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice. Despite the nightmare and fatigue, deep down he felt a strange surge of energy, a readiness for action. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe... something else?
In the darkness of the mental cage, Kurama grinned broadly. "Oh, someone finally woke up," he thought with satisfaction. "Anger suits him. Much better than that pathetic fear."
The fox was silent for a moment, feigning contemplation. In reality, he had no idea what Naruto should do now. The plan was simple: fuel the boy's hatred for Konoha until he was ready to take revenge on it. But that was a long-term plan. For now, Kurama needed Naruto strong and obedient, and for that, the best thing was... training.
"For now?" Kurama drew out the word, savoring the confusion on Naruto's face. "Konoha won't be sitting idly by, and you need to be ready for anything, so it's time to start real training." The fox bared its fangs in a predatory grin, enjoying the growing tension.
"Actually, it's high time this brat mastered that technique," Kurama thought with satisfaction, recalling a certain technique of Minato's.
"We'll put your clan's techniques aside for a while," Kurama announced, observing the surprise on the boy's face. "Instead, we'll focus on one of your father's techniques," he added with a hint of mystery in his voice, doing his best to pique Naruto's curiosity.
"Alright, brat, now get out there!" Kurama roared, fixing his sharp gaze on Naruto. "Time for practice. You won't learn the Rasengan lying on your back."
Naruto, startled by the fox's sudden change in tone, jumped out of bed. He felt disoriented and somewhat dazed after the nightmare and the unexpected awakening. However, Kurama's voice left no doubt: it was time to train.
The night air was crisp and cool, and the moon cast a silvery light on the ruins of Uzushiogakure village.
"Now listen carefully, because I won't repeat myself," Kurama snarled. "The Rasengan is a technique of concentrated chakra that forms into a swirling sphere of destructive power. To master it, you must go through three stages." The fox paused dramatically to emphasize the importance of his words. "First, you must master the rotation of the chakra. Imagine creating a whirlpool of water in your hands. You must feel the chakra swirling at tremendous speed, creating a powerful force."
"Second," Kurama continued, "you must learn to condense the chakra. It's like squeezing that whirlpool into a single, hard sphere. The more condensed the chakra is, the greater the power of the Rasengan."
"And finally, the third stage," Kurama concluded, "combining rotation and condensation. This is the most difficult part, but if you master the previous two stages, you will succeed in this one as well. Remember, the Rasengan is a technique that requires not only strength, but also precision and control."