"Delicious, so delicious... cough cough," Naruto Uzumaki muttered, stuffing his mouth with roasted fish as if he'd never tasted anything this good.
He was eating so quickly that he choked on a fishbone! Luckily, Genya carefully removed the bone for him.
"Take it slow. If it's not enough, there's more here," Genya reminded, watching Naruto wolf down the fish.
But at that moment, he felt a pang of sympathy for the little guy.
From a young age, Naruto's fate was already sealed: chosen as the Jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails, orphaned, and shunned by everyone around him. Though his parents were heroes of Konoha, and he himself was its Jinchuriki, he was ignored, isolated, and mocked.
"Thanks," Naruto said with a nod, then continued to eat hastily.
Just like that, after finishing two fish, he leaned back against a rock, letting out a satisfied burp. A few fish were enough to make him feel content.
"Thank you!" Naruto looked at Genya with eyes full of warmth. His nature was simple: if someone treated him kindly, he would genuinely repay them in kind.
"What's your name?" Genya asked, looking at Naruto. Though he already knew, he still asked, mostly because a few people nearby were watching. He needed to act naturally, asking questions any stranger would ask a child.
After all, when two kids just meet, it's only natural to exchange names.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto immediately straightened up when asked, looking at Genya carefully as he responded.
But as he said his name, he glanced at Genya, almost as if he feared that hearing it would make Genya distance himself, giving him that strange look others often did.
He didn't want to lose this new friend he had just made.
"Naruto Uzumaki?" Genya nodded, introducing himself in return. "I'm Uchiha Genya. What brings you to the river? Where are your parents?"
In truth, after arriving here, he hadn't really paid attention to Naruto's situation and wasn't very familiar with his current life. But watching him devour the fish just now, he could guess it must be tough for him.
"I... don't have parents." Naruto's eyes dimmed at the question, his voice dropping.
"Then you live in an orphanage?" Genya continued to ask.
"No, I moved out of the orphanage a long time ago!" Naruto shook his head again.
"You moved out? Why?" Genya was curious about Naruto's experiences when he was three or four years old.
"My friends at the orphanage didn't like me. They were scared of me and didn't want to talk to me, so I moved out!" Naruto lowered his head, his voice getting quieter. He was also carefully watching Genya as he spoke.
"Do you live alone now?" Genya looked at the poor child and asked.
"Yes," Naruto nodded.
"If you get hungry later, come to the Merchant Association and find me. I'll take care of the meals!" Genya said to Naruto with a cheerful smile.
He could just give Naruto money directly, but he was concerned about the Third Hokage. If the Third found out he gave Naruto money, it could cause problems, and he might even suspect that the Uchiha clan was trying to mess with the tailed beasts again.
However, his dark thoughts about the Third were based on his actions.
On one hand, he wanted to protect Naruto and keep others from knowing that the Fourth Hokage was his father. On the other hand, he spread rumors that Naruto was a demon fox to make others avoid him.
He took the opportunity to appear in Naruto's life and became Naruto's only light!
The key was that he didn't give enough money; he only allowed Naruto to survive in the gap between hunger and ridicule, making Naruto feel even more grateful to him.
Isn't it ridiculous how he brainwashed Naruto ?
He wanted Naruto, the jinchuriki, to completely obey him in the future. Later, Naruto respected the Third Hokage a lot, and this was part of the reason.
However, he knew that as the son of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto had enough money from missions and death benefits to live well.
Not to mention his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, a pure-blooded princess of the Uzumaki clan; there was no way she would let Naruto suffer by drinking expired milk or eating instant noodles!
It was simply laughable...
He felt that Naruto was quite oblivious, facing everyone's ridicule but still willing to give everything for Konoha.
"Really?" When Naruto heard Genya's words, his eyes finally lit up. He looked at Genya seriously and said, "You're not afraid of me?"
"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?" Genya laughed. It was ridiculous to be scared of Naruto just because he was a Jinchuriki.
He became the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki to protect Konoha. If he could choose again, he wouldn't want to be a Jinchuriki, but it was also an opportunity for him—a chance to become an absolute powerhouse, just like Naruto who had persisted until the end.
"They all say I'm a demon fox and fear me!" Naruto said, his voice lacking confidence.
"A demon fox? Ha ha!" Genya laughed heartily. He looked at Naruto and said, "Look into my eyes!"
Naruto was momentarily stunned but met Genya's gaze.
Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Two pupils? How amazing!"
As he spoke, little stars sparkled in Naruto's eyes; it seemed like it was his first time seeing eyes like Genya's.
"Are you afraid of me?" Genya asked with a smile.
"Why should I be afraid? Your eyes are so amazing!" Naruto replied, his tone clearly confused.
"Ha ha. I'll return that question to you—why should I be afraid of you?" Genya laughed again, but soon his expression turned serious. He stared deeply into Naruto's eyes and murmured, "As for the demon fox, I really want to meet it!"
After saying that, three tomoe appeared in Genya's pupils, and Naruto's expression became a bit dazed.
He found himself in a strange space, his mind wandering.
"Is this the space where Nine-Tails is sealed inside Naruto?" Genya whispered as he examined the surroundings.
If he hadn't activated the third tomoe, his ocular power wouldn't have been strong enough to enter this space.
The dim space had a water surface below him. Even without using chakra, he could still walk on it. The sound of dripping water echoed around him, creating a profound silence.
As he walked along the water's surface, he could clearly hear the splashing sounds he made.
Ahead was a straight corridor, and he moved forward step by step.
The deeper he went, the more he felt a terrifying chakra energy brewing within this space—an overwhelming chakra, far too immense for his current self.
Genya stopped. In front of him was a tall iron door, separating the two worlds!
On this grand door was a sealing mark, making it seem even more secure!
Inside, Genya saw the Nine-Tails, Kurama!
It was a massive, fiery red fox lying on the surface of the water with its eyes closed. However, it seemed to sense the presence of an uninvited guest and suddenly opened its eyes wide.
A surge of red, overwhelming chakra exploded in this mental world, seemingly ready to crush Genya to the ground.
At the same time, the voice of the Nine-Tails echoed: "Where did this little brat come from?"
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