Naruto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as moonlight filtered through the curtains. His mouth twitched in annoyance. Damn monkey… can't he let me sleep without being watched? he thought, sensing the faint chakra signatures outside his apartment.
It was always difficult to sleep when ANBU were stationed on rooftops and trees, their masked faces occasionally appearing in his peripheral vision. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel them. Monitoring. Observing. Reporting.
He sighed and rolled onto his side. "At least pretend you're subtle," he muttered under his breath before finally closing his eyes.
When he opened them again, he stood in a vast grassy field beneath a brilliant sky. Cherry blossom petals drifted lazily through the air, and a gentle breeze brushed against his face.
Naruto stretched, smiling. "Much better."
Red torii gates stretched across the horizon like a boundary between worlds. Behind them loomed a colossal fox, its nine tails swaying slowly, eyes sharp and ancient.
"Why are you here again, brat?" the deep voice rumbled.
Naruto waved casually. "Yo, Kurama. How's it going? Enjoying the view?"
Kurama huffed, tails flicking irritably. "Don't think you can make me your pet by decorating the cage."
Naruto grinned. "Wasn't planning on it. So, how's life here instead of inside some damp sewer ?"
"Don't sugarcoat it," Kurama growled. "I'm still trapped—"
"Hey, I should be the one complaining," Naruto interrupted, crossing his arms. "You've been living here since I was born. Do you know how awkward it is to go to the bathroom knowing a century-old fox can see you?"
Kurama's eye twitched.
"…We can adjust the perspective," the fox muttered stiffly.
Naruto burst out laughing. "Relax, relax. We're in this together."
Kurama cleared his throat. "Ahem… about that."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Kurama looked away. "How about giving me some of those… Pokémon episodes? And that pirate one. And the spiky-haired screaming one too."
Naruto blinked. Then he burst into loud laughter. "Bahahaha! Even a thousand-year-old fox can't resist manga and anime?"
"Are you giving them or not?" Kurama snapped.
"Fine, fine." Naruto waved his hand, and chakra swirled into shape. Manga volumes and glowing discs materialized in the field. "There. One Piece, Dragon Ball, Pokémon. Don't binge-watch too much."
"This is not 'watching,'" Kurama grumbled as one massive claw carefully picked up a volume. "This is research."
"Sure it is," Naruto teased.
This mental space was something difficult to describe. It wasn't quite a seal chamber, nor purely imagination. It was a constructed realm shaped by Naruto's mind and chakra—limitless, adaptable.
Here, he could create anything from memory. Manga, training dummies, scrolls. He had even designed a prototype seal that replicated this space in another's mind, allowing safe jutsu experimentation without real-world consequences.
Unfortunately, ANBU surveillance meant he couldn't purchase chakra ink or sealing materials without raising suspicion.
He sighed. "Man, I can't wait until I become a ninja. Once I graduate, those ANBU won't follow me around so closely."
Kurama glanced at him. "You created other ninjutsu and seals too?"
Naruto scratched his cheek. "A few."
Kurama's eyes narrowed. "And that teleportation technique… you learned it from the Scroll of Seals, didn't you?"
Naruto smirked. "Six Eyes saw through the outer seal. The contents weren't hidden from me."
"Hmph," Kurama muttered. "Even when I try to disrupt your chakra flow, I can't. Your control is absurd. Better than mine—and I am born from chakra."
"Of course it is," Naruto replied smugly. "They're the Six Eyes."
Kurama snorted. "I don't care what they are. Stop disturbing me and let me watch."
Naruto's mouth twitched. 'He's acting like Veldora. Though Veldora was stronger… and more dramatic.'
"Fine. Enjoy your anime, oh mighty research scholar."
Naruto faded from the mindscape, returning to his body. The ANBU were still present, their chakra faint but unmistakable.
He turned onto his side and pulled the blanket over himself. "Just ignore them," he whispered, eventually drifting into sleep.
---
The next morning, Naruto stretched after finishing his routine. He dressed simply and pulled a hood over his head before stepping into the streets.
He made his way toward the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"Yo, Ino," Naruto greeted as he entered.
Ino looked up from arranging flowers and smiled. "Yo, Naruto. How are you?"
"Fine as always," he replied cheerfully. "Can you give me some chrysanthemum?"
Ino's smile faltered slightly as she noticed his hood. Today was October 9th—the day before October 10th. The anniversary of the Nine-Tails attack.
"Stupid villagers…" she muttered quietly while gathering the flowers.
Naruto placed the money on the counter. "Thanks, Ino."
"You don't have to hide your face," she said suddenly.
Naruto chuckled lightly. "I know. But it saves me the headache."
He left after waving goodbye.
Ino watched his back as he walked away. He was always smiling, always joking—but she was a Yamanaka. She was trained to read subtle shifts in emotion.
His back looked lonely.
Inoichi stepped forward from the back room. "We can't do anything, Ino. His situation is complicated."
"I wasn't asking you," Ino shot back. "You always say the same thing."
She turned sharply. "Dad, take care of the shop. Tomorrow's Naruto's birthday. I'm meeting Shikamaru and the others."
Inoichi blinked. "Birthday?"
"We're not letting him spend it training alone," she declared. "He pretends he doesn't care, but he does."
Inoichi opened his mouth to object but hesitated. It wasn't Naruto's birthday that worried him.
It was the fact that Naruto looked exactly like Minato.
Handsome. Charismatic. Smiling like he owned the world.
"No… no way," Inoichi muttered. "They're still kids."
He suddenly remembered Minato and Kushina starting to date young.
His mouth twitched violently. "Damn it."
His wife leaned against the doorway, amused. "If you're worried he might snatch Ino, don't be."
Inoichi looked at her sharply. "You sound confident."
She shook her head with a teasing smile. "Oh, not that."
Inoichi froze.
"The girl is already his."
Inoichi's soul nearly left his body.
"When? How? Why don't I know anything?!" he demanded in panic.
His wife laughed softly. "Well… it happened like this…"