Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"You're so slow, Natsuro." Naruto stood on top of a power pole, looking around, but still couldn't spot him.

He had heard from Shizune that Natsuro would be back today, so he had been waiting here for a long time, yet he still hadn't shown up.

Not surprising, really, since Natsuro had been delayed quite a bit with Tsunade.

"Yo, Naruto."

Naruto jumped, startled by the sudden voice from behind him. He lost his footing and fell from the pole, landing on the ground.

Natsuro stepped forward, moving from the wires to the pole where Naruto had been standing, looking down at Naruto, who was sitting on the ground, rubbing his head.

"Natsuro, when did you get here? How did I not notice?" Naruto asked, looking up after he finished rubbing his head.

"Just got back," Natsuro replied as he jumped down from the pole and stood next to Naruto.

"Man, I wish I could use the Flying Thunder God too. Then I could…" Naruto trailed off as he thought of Sakura, a silly grin appearing on his face.

Natsuro immediately knew what Naruto was thinking and decided to give him a little nudge.

"Naruto, maybe you should pay attention to those around you. Just as you look at Sakura, there might be someone watching you."

"Huh? Really?" Naruto scratched his head.

"Yeah, keep an eye out."

Natsuro didn't want to be too direct. When it comes to feelings, it's better to let Naruto discover them himself.

Or maybe…Hinata might work up the courage someday…

But, thinking of Naruto's thick-headedness and Hinata's tendency to lose her composure around him, Natsuro had a feeling it might be difficult for them to get together without something special happening.

After a sigh over that pair, he asked, "So, tell me, what's the reason you came to see me this time?"

Naruto scratched his head with a grin. "Natsuro, I need your help with something."

"Alright, let's talk inside." Natsuro glanced around and then suggested.

"Oh, right. Sure."

Inside Natsuro's small living room, Naruto, full of energy, sat in his chair, looking around.

This was his first time visiting Natsuro's place, and it was simpler than he'd expected, even simpler than his own home—but far cleaner.

Natsuro handed Naruto a cup of tea and sat across from him.

"So, what do you need help with?"

"Thanks." Naruto held the teacup with both hands, though he wasn't a big fan of tea. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's about the Nine-Tails."

"Hm? The Nine-Tails?" Natsuro was a bit surprised. He'd expected Naruto to ask him to teach the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, and he'd been thinking of ways to decline. But if it was about the Nine-Tails, it seemed Natsuro might indeed be the only one who could help.

"Yeah, the Nine-Tails' power has helped me a lot. And recently, during the mission in the Land of Snow…you know about that, right?" Naruto said, looking to Natsuro, who nodded.

"In the Land of Snow, if it hadn't been for the Nine-Tails, I would've been drained of chakra by that machine. So, Natsuro, I want to release more of the Nine-Tails' seals."

Naruto shared his thoughts, but Natsuro frowned. The current seals he had unlocked for Naruto were already stretching what Naruto could handle, and now he wanted to unlock even more…

If he did, there'd be a risk of Naruto losing control. The Nine-Tails couldn't fully prevent that from happening, given the nature of its chakra. Unless the Nine-Tails fully reconciled with Naruto, that risk would remain.

Right now, that seemed almost impossible. Even in the original story, Naruto had to "subdue" the Nine-Tails before they made peace.

Naruto, sensing Natsuro's concerns, quickly added, "Don't worry; I won't lose control. And even if I do, you'll be here to help, right?"

Natsuro fell silent, then sighed. "You really know how to find more work for me."

"So you'll do it?" Naruto's eyes lit up.

"You came to me for help and had a reason, so of course, I'll help."

In the end, Natsuro agreed. With his current strength, even if Naruto suddenly unleashed four tails, he could get close enough to reseal him.

He hadn't tested it yet, but he was confident. After all, Naruto carried his Flying Thunder God mark and sealing technique.

"Great! Natsuro, there's one more thing." Naruto's excitement grew.

"Go on." Natsuro sensed something ominous. This "one more thing" trend was becoming a bit much. But wait—Naruto hadn't been there earlier. Was this some kind of long-distance "one more thing" effect?

"I wanted to ask…is there a way for the Nine-Tails to see what I see? I feel like it must be pretty boring for it to always be stuck in that sealed space. It seems kind of pitiful," Naruto said.

"It's possible, but…are you sure it's really pitiful?" Natsuro gave Naruto a side glance.

"I'm not sure what the Nine-Tails did in the past, but I feel pretty okay about it now. Every time I ask for rent, it always pays up on time." Naruto scratched his head.

"Have you ever thought that it might be pretending to gain your trust? After all, foxes are known to be sly," Natsuro remarked, noticing Naruto's momentary blank expression.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto squinted, as if listening to something. Then he responded to Natsuro's question, saying, "The Nine-Tails just said, 'You humans are the sly ones.'"

"Well, doesn't that mean it can already sense the outside world?"

"It can, but the view is pretty unclear, and it's only occasional," Naruto explained.

Natsuro looked thoughtfully at Naruto. "So you're serious about wanting to help the Nine-Tails?"

"Yeah. It pays its rent on time, and I might even raise the rent later, so I figured it's only fair to give it a better 'room' if that happens," Naruto replied with a simple analogy. From this, it was clear that Naruto wouldn't make a very good landlord; he actually wanted to improve things with a price increase?

"Alright, then go into the seal space, say what you want to do out loud, and then come back and tell me what you felt," Natsuro said after some thought.

.....

"Huh?" Naruto didn't quite understand why he had to do this, but he saw a glimmer of hope that Natsuro might agree.

Without asking further, Naruto nodded, closed his eyes, and entered the Nine-Tails' seal space right in front of Natsuro.

After all, with Natsuro watching, Naruto felt that there wasn't a safer place.

Natsuro sipped his tea, thinking. It seemed like Naruto was getting along well with the Nine-Tails, so the conversation portal he'd set up was apparently working well.

But looking at Naruto, he wondered if he might be rushing things a bit.

Naruto wasn't like Sasuke; his foundation wasn't as solid, and he could really benefit from training under Jiraiya.

After all, he remembered that Jiraiya had been somewhat of a "dead last" among the Sannin and likely understood best how to teach someone like Naruto. It was the bond of the "underdogs"!

In the original story, Naruto trained with Jiraiya for two and a half years, and while his potential ceiling didn't increase much, his foundation was greatly strengthened.

Before the journey, Naruto hadn't really seemed like a true ninja, but after, he became at least a competent one.

This change was significant.

Even now, Natsuro thought Naruto still needed Jiraiya's guidance. His foundation was better than in the original story, but not by much.

As Natsuro pondered, he suddenly noticed Naruto, with his eyes still closed, starting to shed tears. Natsuro smiled—Naruto must have encountered something.

...

Inside the Nine-Tails' Seal Space

"Hey, kid, don't act all sympathetic toward me! I don't need your pity!" the Nine-Tails roared as soon as Naruto entered.

"I just think that since you've helped me, I should help you in return." Naruto looked up at the giant fox before him, completely unafraid.

Their long association had gradually erased his initial fear; he knew now that the Nine-Tails just had a loud voice.

"Hmph, I only helped you because it was amusing. If you were too weak, it would tarnish my reputation as the strongest of the tailed beasts!" the Nine-Tails replied.

"Regardless of the reason, you helped me, so…if there's a chance, I'll definitely help you in return," Naruto said sincerely.

"Hmph, help me? Then why not just release the seal?" the Nine-Tails sneered.

"Natsuro told me that if a Jinchuriki loses their tailed beast, they die. And I haven't become Hokage yet, so I can't die!" Naruto replied seriously.

Then, scratching his head, he gave his trademark Naruto grin. "Plus, I don't want to die."

Naruto's words were straightforward but clear, leaving the Nine-Tails with nothing to say. After all, who wants to die?

As for Naruto's claim about dying if the tailed beast were extracted, the Nine-Tails figured it was probably true. With a snort, it lay down and said nothing more.

Seeing the Nine-Tails settle down, Naruto followed Natsuro's instructions and loudly stated his intentions.

What Naruto didn't notice was that as he shouted, the Nine-Tails' ears seemed to perk up.

After finishing, Naruto still felt puzzled. What was the point of all that?

Then, Naruto's eyes widened. Though he didn't see anything, he felt as if something was holding him—a warm embrace that brought a sense of nostalgia and joy from deep within his heart.

A gentle voice, soft yet clear, seemed to whisper in his ear, "It's okay~."

Unconsciously, Naruto felt tears slipping down his face. What…was happening?

The Nine-Tails, sensing a familiar presence, immediately bristled, its chakra flaring wildly. "Damn you, Fourth Hokage! So you had a contingency plan after all!"

Just as it was about to roar in fury, it, too, heard the faint voice and froze.

Then, seeing Naruto's tears, the Nine-Tails' raging chakra slowly calmed, and it turned away, showing its back to Naruto.

Out of sight, out of mind!

At that moment, the Nine-Tails couldn't help but recall that time—the Fourth Hokage had sealed it, but…

It had indeed killed both the Fourth and Kushina. Though it was under control at the time, did that mean it bore no responsibility?

The Nine-Tails was at a loss. Why would the two people it hated most, the ones it had killed, agree to such an absurd decision? Shouldn't they be seeking revenge?

Which was more important, freedom or life? The Nine-Tails didn't know, but it began to wonder if resenting those two was a bit petty.

Moreover, it was the first time it had seen the ever-optimistic Naruto shed tears. In that moment, it was slightly moved, and it almost seemed to see a young Naruto huddling in the corner, crying silently in the darkness, night after night…

The Nine-Tails then realized: Naruto wasn't without tears; he had just cried them all out as a child.

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Currently on Chapter 224 - Natsuro's Sage Mode