Naruto: The dungeon I developed went viral throughout the entire ninja world.

Chapter 27 Consciousness Space: I'm Not Here to Be Your Friend

In the stillness of the night, Konoha Village fell into slumber.

Naruto sat cross-legged on the bed.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his black combat uniform.

He had his eyes closed.

Following the scroll Roy gave him, he adjusted the flow of chakra.

After the Uzumaki clan awakens their physical constitution, the amount of chakra in their bodies increases dramatically. If this is not controlled, it can easily overwhelm their meridians.

Consciousness gradually sank, passing through the barriers of darkness and the body.

Drip, drip, these are the sounds of water droplets falling.

Naruto opened his eyes and found that the ground was covered in water.

The surrounding area was a dimly lit sewer, with moss-covered walls and dark red pipes.

This is the first time he has come here on his own initiative to enter the sealed space.

Previously, he would only vaguely see this place when he was emotionally overwhelmed or on the verge of death.

He was terrified at that time and just wanted to escape.

Now it truly is a matter of timing and fate. He deliberately waded through the puddles, walking forward step by step.

Ahead was a huge iron gate.

A white paper strip with the word "sealed" written on it was pasted on the door.

The iron railings were thick and led straight to the dark dome.

In the darkness, two huge red lights came on.

No! It's not a lamp, it's an eye, and a vertical pupil at that.

This sealed creature is filled with savagery, hatred, and endless killing intent.

"roar……"

A roar came from behind the iron gate.

A huge, orange claw slammed onto the iron railing, sending sparks flying.

The nine-tailed fox pressed its face against the railing, its huge eyes staring at the little one standing in front of the door.

"Little brat."

The Nine-Tailed Fox's voice made the entire sewer system seem to vibrate.

"You finally dared to come in. I've been waiting for you here for so long."

"What? Have you been terrified of the outside world and come to this old man for comfort?"

Nine-Tailed Fox bared its sharp fangs and sneered.

Although it is imprisoned here, its senses are connected to Naruto.

Nine-Tails witnessed everything that happened yesterday and today, including the sky screen, the live broadcast, and the ugly faces of the villagers.

"Did you see that?"

Nine-Tails' words were full of schadenfreude.

"This is the village you're desperately trying to protect."

"This is the person your parents would sacrifice their lives to protect."

"They call you a fox spirit, feed you garbage, and treat you like a monster."

"Even after the truth about your parents was revealed, instead of atoning for their sins, they thought about how to bribe you with a few tattered red bean buns."

The nine-tailed fox's claws gripped the railing.

Are you angry? Are you filled with hatred?

"That human named Roy is right. Is this prosperous era what you desired?"

Red chakra seeped out from the gaps in the railing, spreading like poisonous mist, attempting to envelop Naruto.

"Come on, kid."

The nine-tailed fox seduced her.

"Tear this note down."

"Just tear it off, and I'll help you."

"Kill them all."

"Kill all those who bullied you, kill the hypocritical Third Hokage, and then raze this disgusting village to the ground."

"If we join forces, no one can stop us."

The red chakra touched Naruto's toes; it was pure malice.

Naruto stood still, not retreating an inch, unlike before when he would be so frightened that he would fall to the ground.

His eyes held neither the anger Nine-Tails expected nor the fanaticism born of being bewitched.

It was very calm, like a still well, as if it had seen through the illusions of the mortal world.

"Is this scientifically sound? This kid isn't very old, but is he still the same kid he used to be?"

Kurama was also feeling uneasy, realizing that it seemed to be less able to sway Naruto.

"Are you done talking?"

Naruto spoke, directly interrupting Kurama's roar.

Nine-Tailed Fox was stunned for a moment; it hadn't expected this brat to react this way.

"Shut up, fox."

Naruto stomped on the chakra bubbles on the ground.

"I'm not here to be swayed by your words, nor do I want to discuss any philosophy of revenge with you; I don't have the time for that."

He walked up to the iron railing, less than a meter away from the Nine-Tails' nose.

At this distance, a single breath from the Nine-Tailed Fox would be enough to blow him away.

But Naruto, with his hands in his pockets, looked straight at the strongest tailed beast in the ninja world.

"You know what? You're really noisy."

Naruto said coldly.

"Ever since I can remember, you've been making noise in my belly."

"You hate Konoha, you hate humanity, that's your business."

"Don't drag me into this."

Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, its killing intent surging.

"You brat, how dare you speak to an old man like that?"

"You think I can't kill you?"

"Of course you can't kill me."

Naruto interrupted it, his tone resolute.

"We are one. If I die, you will die too. Or rather, you will dissipate and be resurrected after a few decades."

"But are you willing to wait?"

"Wait decades longer in this dark, sunless sewer?"

Nine-Tails fell silent; it truly did not want to be sealed away, for the days it spent in this state were pure torture.

"and."

Naruto pointed to Kurama's eyes.

"I have seen the truth."

"Seven years ago, you killed my parents."

Nine-Tailed Fox let out a cold snort.

"They brought it on themselves. If they want to seal me away, they should be prepared to be killed."

"That's right."

Naruto nodded, not getting angry at those words.

This calmness surprised Nine-Tails greatly.

"I will never forget that you were one of the murderers."

Naruto was surprisingly rational for a seven-year-old.

"But I also saw that you were being controlled at the time."

"That masked man, he has Sharingan."

"You were used as a gun, as a tool for demolition."

"The real culprits are that masked man and the high-ranking officials who watched my parents die for the sake of power."

Naruto looked at Kurama, his eyes not filled with blind hatred, but with a calculated look after weighing the pros and cons.

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor."

"I will settle this score one by one."

"As for you..."

Naruto patted the iron railing.

"You now live inside my body."

"This body is mine, and the sealed space is mine too."

"I am the landlord, and you are the tenant."

Nine-Tails' eyes widened.

"Landlord? Tenant? Has this brat lost his mind? How dare he mistake the great Nine-Tailed Fox for a tenant?"

"Since you're a tenant, you have to pay rent."

Naruto reached out his hand.

"Give it to me."

The nine-tailed fox, enraged, laughed in response.

"Ha...hahahaha!"

"Interesting. Very interesting."

"Kid, you're the first human to dare charge me rent."

"Hashirama Senju wanted to keep me as a pet, Madara Uchiha wanted to ride me as a mount, and your parents wanted to lock me up and use me as a battery."

"And you, you're even worse than them, and you still want to collect rent?"

"What gives you the right?"

Nine-Tails angrily rammed into the railing.

The immense impact caused the sealing talisman to emit a golden light.

"With your weak frame? I could blow you to death with a single breath!"

Naruto did not retract his hand, maintaining his debt-collecting posture.

"Is it enough that I want to live, and that you want to get out?!"

Naruto's gaze was firm as he stared directly into Kurama's vertical pupils.

"As you can see, there are many people in Konoha who want to kill me right now."

"Danzo, Root, and that masked man."

"If I die, you'll be in trouble too."

"and……"

Naruto seemed to be deep in thought.

"I don't want to be Hokage anymore."

These words stopped Nine-Tails' laughter.

Over the past few years, the phrase it has heard most often is "I want to become Hokage." It's become so overused that it's practically callous.

Now, this kid says he doesn't want to be one anymore?

"Protect a garbage village? Don't be ridiculous."

Naruto displayed an expression similar to Roy's.

"This hypocritical place, it's fine if it's destroyed."

"But I don't want to be a destroyer, I want to be a ruler."

"I want to take back what is rightfully mine and make those who owe me spit out everything they've taken."

"I want to stand above them and watch them beg for my forgiveness like dogs."

The black aura emanating from Naruto grew stronger and stronger.

It is the realization of abandoning naive fantasies and embracing the darkness of reality.

"To do this, I need strength."

"I want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, I want to train the Uzumaki Body Technique. And I want your chakra."

"Even though I may seem like just a child to you, I want it all!"

Naruto took a step forward, his face almost pressed against the railing.

"Lend me your chakra."

"It's not for protecting Konoha, or for false love and peace. It's for myself, and for my ambition!"

"If you don't want to die, if you don't want to get an even worse landlord, then cooperate with me."

"This is an equal exchange."

After saying that, Naruto lowered his hand and waited quietly for Kurama's reply.

The sewers fell silent.

The Nine-Tails stared at Naruto, its enormous beastly eyes reflecting the tiny figure within him.

It has seen many pillars of strength.

Mito Uzumaki suppressed it with absolute power and guarded it as a dangerous item.

Kushina Uzumaki always tried to influence it with love and befriend it, although it didn't appreciate it.

Minato Namikaze also saw it as a disaster and was willing to sacrifice his life to seal it away.

These people either fear it, hate it, or want to reform it.

Only this little brat in front of me is truly different.

In this brat's eyes, Nine-Tailed Fox sees neither fear nor the pretense of wanting to be friends with you.

It clearly saw pure self-interest and naked ambition.

"Rent...?"

Nine-Tailed Fox muttered to itself.

It suddenly realized that this statement wasn't so bad after all.

It feels more comfortable being used as a tool than being imprisoned as a monster.

At least acknowledge its power.

And what this brat just said—that he doesn't want to be Hokage anymore, and he doesn't want to protect the village anymore.

We must take back what belongs to us.

This kind of argument is exactly what Kurama (the Nine-Tails) wants.

It had long disliked Konoha.

If this brat can really turn Konoha upside down... that would be really interesting.

It's much more fun than sleeping in this cage.

"snort."

Nine-Tails exhaled hot air from its nostrils and took a step back.

"interesting."

The Nine-Tailed Fox revealed a ferocious smile.

"Much more interesting than your two naive parents."

"Minato Namikaze wants you to be a hero."

"Kushina Uzumaki wants you to be a good girl."

"As a result, you've become an ambitious man who wants to collect rent from me."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Nine-Tailed Fox burst into laughter.

"it is good."

"I promise you."

"Since it's rent, here you go."

The Nine-Tails raised its claws, and red chakra floated out from the gaps in the railing.

It has been purified and carries the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox's will.

The chakra floated in front of Naruto and hovered in the air.

"Take it, kid."

The Nine-Tailed Fox's voice echoed in the darkness.

"Use this power."

"Go and destroy that hypocritical village..."

"It turned the world upside down!"

Naruto stared at the ball of red chakra.

He reached out and grasped it, the strength flowing through his arm into his body without losing control.

This is a transaction, a payment made willingly by both parties.

Naruto also revealed a ferocious smile, just like Kurama.

"make a deal."