Chapter 4 Kurama.

The Next Day:

Yesterday, Naruto and Hiashi had a very important conversation that would greatly benefit Naruto in his future endeavors. In exchange for the help that the Hyuga clan would provide, Hiashi asked Naruto to take care of Hinata from now on. Naruto gladly accepted this responsibility.

As Naruto was contemplating his plan, lost in a simple monologue inside his head, Hinata called out to him.

"Naruto-kun, I finally finished the exercise you just showed me. But why was this exercise not that hard?" Hinata asked, reporting her progress to Naruto and seemingly expecting more of a challenge.

"It's good that you can already gauge the level of training I'm offering you," Naruto responded, glancing at her with a serious yet emotionless expression. "As for that, I want you to spar with me."

....

Seeing that Hinata wasn't responding immediately, he continued, "Do you remember your father's words, Hinata? That even if you have the power to defeat your enemy, it's useless without the will and confidence to do so."

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I will do my utmost to spar with you," Hinata said in a determined tone, though she was a bit flustered at the thought of directly facing Naruto. But she knew she had to do it to become stronger.

"Alright," Naruto said, picking up a pebble. "When I throw this pebble up and it lands, we start. And don't hold back. Even if you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't succeed, no matter what." He spoke harshly, understanding that she needed to get used to the harsh realities of the world, although this was nothing in comparison.

Hinata nodded, steeling herself for the challenge ahead.

"Okay, good," said Naruto as he threw the pebble into the air. The moment it landed on the ground, both of them became extremely alert. Deciding to initiate the opening move, Naruto made the first attack.

Naruto started with a light punch aimed at Hinata, which she deftly deflected using her Hyuga gentle fist style. She countered with a palm attack aimed at his side.

Naruto evaded swiftly, moving to the other side and rotating his body to backhand Hinata on the head. Hinata barely managed to block it and quickly stepped back to maintain distance.

She thought, 'I can't believe there's such a gap in our strength. If I'm at 900, he's definitely above 2000. And he's holding back a lot.'

Sensing her thoughts, Naruto smirked inwardly.

Without wasting any time, he closed the distance between them and threw an opening jab. Hinata tried to block it, but his fist went through her defense and stopped just short of hitting her, causing her hair to flutter from the shockwave.

"Next time you won't be so lucky," Naruto remarked as he backed away, adopting a simple boxing stance. Hinata, curious about his fighting style, shrugged it off and moved forward to attack. Closing the distance, she launched a palm strike, which Naruto easily evaded, then countered with a jab that she blocked.

Bam!

Suddenly, Naruto landed an uppercut from the other side, making Hinata grunt in pain as she stepped back. She swiftly recollected herself and launched a series of strikes. Naruto evaded all of them with his agile footwork and noticed an opening in Hinata's form.

'Not bad. An opening, but in reality, a trap,' he thought as he threw a jab at her. Sensing it immediately, Hinata prepared to counter his counterattack.

As she struck, Naruto countered with his own move, but Hinata quickly threw another punch with her other hand at his open side, forcing him to step back to evade it. She followed up with a palm strike and a kick, both of which Naruto managed to evade again.

Creating enough distance, Naruto commented, "That's impressive. You left that opening knowing I would take advantage of it, and then used your anticipation of my moves as a weapon. Good work, but it's useless if I know about it, right?"

"Yeah! Let's continue. Next time, you'll definitely see some progress," Hinata said in a very determined tone.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, then took a different stance and said, "I hope so."

With a nod, Hinata rushed forward, delivering multiple strikes followed by a back hook kick. Naruto blocked her attacks and countered with a strike that landed on her chin.

The sparring continued for the next hour.

"Haargh!" yelled Hinata as she launched an attack at Naruto. He blocked it and said, "Let's stop here for now. Good work, you're showing some progress." Internally, he added, 'You're not the only one who progressed. Sparring with Hinata helped me develop my new ability. If I recall correctly, it's known as the Mind's Eye of the Kagura.'

"Pant! Yeah... Pant! Let's stop for now," said Hinata, collapsing to the ground. As she sat there, she reflected on her experience, 'Naruto-kun knows so many fighting skills, all unique. He seems to be holding back a lot. I wonder if I'll reach his level soon.'

"Hinata, I think that's enough for today's training. So, farewell for now," said Naruto after a moment, glancing toward her.

"Yeah. Goodbye, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied.

Hinata headed home, and as Naruto watched her leave, he pondered, 'Hinata Hyuga. Although she doesn't have much natural talent, she's showing rapid progress. But it's still not enough. Now that I've learned something new, it's time to meet him.'

With that thought, Naruto sat in a meditative position on the ground and entered his Mindscape. From his perspective, it was a sewer-like place, filled with a yellowish glow. He muttered, "Let's change this scenery a bit."

Using his chakra, he transformed the appearance of his Mindscape. "Good," he muttered, moving deeper inside. He soon came upon a large gate. As he approached, two fierce, huge eyes glared at him from behind the gate.

"Ho!? So the jailor finally graces me with his presence. Come here, kid, and rip this seal apart," said the Nine-Tailed Fox, extending its claws and scratching at the gate, which remained undamaged.

"I have not come to free you, but it's related to that," Naruto said, meeting the Nine-Tails' gaze. Standing before the beast, Naruto couldn't help but think, 'This is indeed a little exciting, even for me. Before me stands a beast with enough power to destroy mountains.'

Sensing Naruto's excitement, the Nine-Tails said, "You don't seem to be lying. Are you a little excited?"

Naruto responded, "As expected, your ability to sense lies is indeed helpful for this negotiation."

"Negotiation? What are you talking about?" asked the Nine-Tails, unable to detect any deceit in Naruto's words. It seemed like Naruto genuinely needed something from him—something that could benefit both of them. This piqued the beast's interest.

"I want your help to defeat the masked man. I bet you'd want revenge for him manipulating you. Don't you, Kurama?" Naruto said, his tone more serious.

"You? How did you know about that? And my name?" Kurama was genuinely surprised. Naruto not only knew about his birth story but also his true name.

"How I got that information isn't important. What matters is that we cooperate to defeat the masked man. For that, I need to be a perfect Jinchuriki," Naruto said, determined to make Kurama his ally.

"Hahaha! You sure are something else, Naruto. Alright, I'll lend you my help from this moment on," Kurama said, not sensing any lies in Naruto's intentions. Kurama himself wanted to get back at the masked man for controlling him.

"You don't seem to be lying. By help, did you mean something from your connections?" Naruto asked, curious about Kurama's words.

Kurama answered, "From now on, I'll be gifting you something. Since you don't possess the key to the seal, you can only use a fraction of my power. But you can use theirs freely. Too bad your body is already trained enough to handle at least my six-tails power."

'Theirs? What is he talking about? No, wait,' Naruto pondered, realizing what Kurama meant. He then asked, "Are you talking about the fox summons? Do they have sage mode?"

"As expected. You are worthy of being my Jinchuriki. Very talented and sharp-witted. Yes, you're right. I'll bestow you the Fox's Summoning scroll. Until you need my help, goodbye, Naruto," Kurama said. He used his chakra to produce a scroll and threw it outside the gate before going back to sleep.

"Alright, thanks a lot, Kurama," Naruto said. He bit his finger and, using his blood as ink, wrote his name in the scroll. As he exited the mindscape, he muttered, "Looks like I'll get more help during 'that' moment than I ever expected. Today was definitely a fortunate day."

Soon, Naruto stood up and headed towards his home, thinking, 'I'll summon the fox during my academy days. But for now, let's go home.'

Days passed with Naruto and Hinata training diligently to become stronger. During this time, Naruto trained Hinata into a more capable shinobi, a significant improvement from her canon self. He also considerably increased his own strength, although he remained at the elite Jounin level, not yet breaking into the low Kage realm, primarily due to his young age.

Timeskip to three years later...

Currently, Naruto, alongside Hinata and other members such as Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Sakura, Sasuke, and a few other members of various clans and civilians, were gathered in a single spot—the academy. They were about to be enrolled there to prepare to become shinobi. The Third Hokage was giving a wonderful speech on the Will of Fire.

"Welcome, young students, to the Ninja Academy. I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, and it is my honor to speak to you today.

You are the future of Konohagakure, and within each of you burns the Will of Fire. This spirit means that we are a family, bound by loyalty, love, and the commitment to protect our village.

At the academy, you will learn many skills, but the most important lesson is the strength that comes from your bonds with each other. Support your classmates, grow together, and let the Will of Fire guide you through challenges and hardships.

Remember, you are part of a legacy built by those who came before you. Carry their spirit with pride, and let it inspire you to become great shinobi.

Welcome to the academy. May your journey be filled with growth, camaraderie, and the unbreakable Will of Fire. Thank you."

Hiruzen finished his famous speech and left the stage, leaving the fresh newcomers to prepare for their entrance exams.

Hearing the speech, Naruto thought, 'That speech. It's a very grand and effective manipulation tactic to ensure the loyalty of the village's shinobi. And to think he does such bold things openly. He really is something else.'

As he watched the kids entering the academy, he muttered, "Leaving that aside, let's take the entrance exams for now. I'll show average talent in everything except brute strength and durability. That way, I can maintain the facade I need."

"Hey! Naruto-kun, are you ready for the entrance exams? Though I don't think you need it. After all, you must have already finished reading the materials," said Hinata as she approached Naruto.

"Yes, you're completely correct. But I've decided to maintain an average image in some areas for now," Naruto replied hurriedly, concerned that word about his true capabilities might get out.

"I see. Anyways, good luck, Naruto-kun. I hope we end up in the same class," said Hinata.

Naruto nodded, and both of them entered the hall for the examinations. The first part of the exams was apparently the written exam.