Naruto: Rebirth Of The Child Of Prophecy

That night, after washing up, Naruto lay on his childhood bed, stretching out as he sank into nostalgia. This was the same home he had lived in since he was a child, a place filled with memories both warm and painful. In his previous life, it had been destroyed during Pain's devastating Shinra Tensei attack on Konoha. Now restored, it felt strange yet familiar, as if tethering him to his past.

The moonlight outside was serene, painting the night in soft, silver hues. But Naruto had no time to admire it. He drew the curtains closed and lay back down, pulling up his pajama top. His hands moved slowly downward, finally resting at his navel, the site of the seal that bound the Nine-Tails within him.

Chakra flickered at his fingertips as the Eight Trigrams Seal came into view. Pressing his palm against it, Naruto carefully turned it, unlocking the first barrier. A faint click resonated as his chakra seeped into the seal.

Inside the darkness of the sealed realm, two fiery, scarlet eyes opened. Their gaze was seething with hatred, staring unblinking at the door.

Naruto smirked briefly before focusing his mind. With practiced ease, he submerged his consciousness and opened his eyes to find himself once more in that all-too-familiar place: the eerie, water-logged sewers where the Nine-Tails lay imprisoned.

The path was well-known to him by now. He moved forward, his steps echoing faintly, until he reached the massive, sealed gate.

"Hey, Kurama!" Naruto called out, his voice firm but tinged with curiosity. "What's going on with you? You've been ignoring me and even severed the chakra link. I couldn't even enter this place until I used the key. What's your deal?"

Behind the gate, the immense figure of the Nine-Tails emerged from the shadows, its crimson eyes burning with malice. Its lips curled back to reveal sharp fangs, and its low growl reverberated like distant thunder.

Naruto stepped closer, puzzled by the hostility. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Without a word, the Nine-Tails lunged. Its massive claw shot through the bars of the gate, aiming straight for Naruto. Reacting on instinct, Naruto leapt back, narrowly avoiding what could have been a fatal blow.

"What the hell, Kurama? Have you gone insane? You're attacking me now?" Naruto yelled, his voice echoing in disbelief.

The Nine-Tails snarled, its voice dripping with venom. "Don't call me Kurama, you imposter!"

Naruto froze, stunned. "What do you mean… imposter?"

Pacing behind the gate, the Nine-Tails bared its teeth, its rage barely contained. "You're not that brat Naruto! Naruto never called me 'Kurama.' Only he and I know our dynamic. But you… your spiritual energy is completely different—stronger, sharper. You've hijacked his body. Who are you, and how do you know my name?!"

Naruto's confusion gave way to realization. He had wondered why Kurama had ignored him since his return to the past. Now he understood—the Nine-Tails had sensed the change in his soul. It recognized that Naruto wasn't exactly the same as before. To Kurama, the boy it had grown used to had vanished, replaced by someone else.

The Nine-Tails' furious roar shook the chamber. "Tell me! What did you do to Naruto? Where is he?!"

Naruto sighed internally. A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes as he decided to tease the tailed beast. "What's the matter? Didn't you hate that brat? Why do you care about him so much now?"

Kurama growled lowly, its tails swishing angrily. "I don't need to explain myself to you, faker!"

Smirking, Naruto crossed his arms and leaned forward. "Alright then. If you must know, I devoured that brat's soul. He's gone for good."

Kurama's rage exploded. All nine of its tails shot upward, its crimson eyes blazing brighter than ever. It slammed its massive claws against the gate, the bars groaning under the strain.

"You lying bastard!" Kurama bellowed. "I'll tear you apart! You're worse than any human I've ever known!"

Despite the fury radiating from the beast, Naruto's heart warmed. For all its outward hostility, Kurama's emotions betrayed it. Beneath the anger was concern—genuine and fierce.

Watching the Nine-Tails claw at the bars in a futile attempt to break free, Naruto couldn't suppress his laughter. "Hahahaha! Oh, Kurama, you really haven't changed a bit! You're still the same tsundere furball you've always been!"

Kurama's roar was deafening. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME KURAMA! You don't deserve that name!"

Naruto's laughter faded into a soft smile. Looking at Kurama—his long-time companion and reluctant ally—he decided it was time to open up. Kurama, after all, had been with him through everything. More than anyone else, the Nine-Tails knew him inside and out.

"I'll stop teasing you," Naruto said. "You're right—I'm not the same Naruto you knew. But I am Naruto. I've just… come back from the future."

Kurama's tails froze mid-swing. Its scarlet eyes narrowed as it scrutinized him. "Don't insult my intelligence. Time travel? What kind of nonsense is that?"

Naruto chuckled softly. "It's true. The Sage of Six Paths sent me back. I know it's hard to believe, but you're not the only one who's stubborn, you know."

Hearing the name of the Sage, Kurama's ears twitched. "The old man? You expect me to believe that the Sage of Six Paths meddled in something like this?"

Naruto nodded solemnly. "It's not just a wild story. Everything I'm telling you is the truth. In my original timeline, I trained with Uncle Killer Bee and Hachibi to master your chakra. That's when I learned your real name—Kurama."

Kurama's eyes widened in shock, but it quickly masked its surprise with another snarl. "You're lying. There's no way Hachibi would help a runt like you, and I'd never let you use my chakra willingly!"

Naruto smirked knowingly. "You didn't make it easy, believe me. I had to bribe you with meatballs, remember?"

Kurama paused, its anger momentarily replaced by confusion. "Meatballs…?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep, tons of them. You couldn't resist."

Kurama grumbled, its pride clearly wounded. "Hmph! As if I'd ever fall for something so trivial."

Naruto grinned as he leaned against the sealed gate. "Kurama, you think I'm lying? I know all the tailed beasts' names because you told me in my past life."

Kurama's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Don't make me laugh. You, a runt, knowing the tailed beasts' true names? Go ahead, then. Prove it."

Naruto smirked and began listing them.

"One-Tail: Shukaku.

Two-Tails: Matatabi, also called Neko-yata.

Three-Tails: Isobu, though he's a bit of a scaredy-cat.

Four-Tails: Son Goku—yes, like the Monkey King from those old legends.

Five-Tails: Kokuo, the quiet one.

Six-Tails: Saiken, your slimy slug buddy.

Seven-Tails: Chomei, the cheerful beetle.

Eight-Tails: Gyuki, or as Killer Bee calls him, Hachi.

And, of course, Nine-Tails: Kurama—the one and only silly big fox!"

Kurama's tails lashed furiously, and it slammed its claws against the gate. "BAKA! Don't you dare call me silly! And don't call me Kurama either! That name is reserved for the Sage and my brethren. You are not worthy of it!"

Naruto crossed his arms, grinning cheekily. "Oh, come on, don't be so tsundere about it. I'll keep calling you Kurama anyway because that's your name. You'll get used to it again."

Kurama glared at him, its crimson eyes blazing. "The brat I knew could barely stand up to me in our early days. You speak too boldly for someone so weak!"

Naruto shrugged. "Well, I'm not exactly the same brat anymore. Time changes people, Kurama. Or, in my case, time travel changes people."

Naruto sighed, his smile softening. "Kurama, I know this is hard to process, but I came back because I want to change things—to save everyone. Including you."

For a long moment, the Nine-Tails stared at Naruto in silence. Then, with a scoff, it turned away. "You're still as annoying as ever, brat."

Naruto chuckled. "And you're still the grumpiest furball I know. It's good to see you again, Kurama."

For the first time since Naruto's return, the Nine-Tails didn't correct him.