Chapter 1 The Ancient Seal

Jiu Lama lived for a long time and witnessed the rise and fall of countless villages and the cruelty of wars.

It witnessed the earth being torn apart by ancient and primordial chakra and then sewn together again in the same way.

For centuries, it was imprisoned in a seal, watching humans multiply and thrive while its own freedom was taken away bit by bit, and its heart was filled with hatred.

He especially hated those who had imprisoned him.

It still remembers the Sage of Six Paths and his tall and holy figure.

He is so powerful, so wise, yet so ruthless that he sees it as a tool to maintain world peace, sealing it in a human body, making it a weapon at the mercy of others.

It also remembered Mito, her beautiful and resolute face. She was gentle, kind, and full of love, but so powerless that she could only watch him being devoured by hatred and could not save him from the endless abyss.

It still remembered Kushina, the passionate red-haired woman. She was optimistic, cheerful, full of energy, but so fragile, and finally fell in front of him, pinning all her hopes on the child.

But this time, the situation is completely different.

Kurama has lived for so long, but no one has ever asked his name. Even the Six Paths Sage who created him only treated him as a tool, a chess piece to balance the power of the world.

And this child, this weak human cub, inadvertently showed him unprecedented respect and care.

Kurama has always believed that human beings are selfish, greedy, and lustful creatures, especially those Jinchūriki, who treat him as a monster and a weapon and are full of fear and vigilance towards him.

But this little devil shook its belief with a simple question.

This little ghost would enter the sealed space every night and chat with him, which made it very confused.

He could have stayed outside and enjoyed his freedom, but he chose to come to this dark and damp place and endure his bad temper and sarcasm.

What on earth was he trying to do? Jiu Lama was puzzled.

Gradually, the cold anger in its heart began to melt, replaced by a warmth and comfort it had never felt before. This feeling was strange and wonderful, making it feel at a loss, but it couldn't help wanting to get closer.

Whenever he saw the blond kid sitting in front of him, enthusiastically telling about his day's experiences, he would feel an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.

It knew that the child was so close to him because he was the only person in the village who was kind to him, although he never said it explicitly.

He was shocked by the genuine worry and concern on the imp's face as it deliberately uttered those words about loneliness and despair.

It couldn't help but pour out the pain and anger in its heart, telling him how it was sealed by humans and how it killed his parents with its own hands.

It expected to see fear and hatred, but instead saw only sadness and compassion.

At that moment, it suddenly felt a little regretful that it had told the child those cruel truths.

It tells the kid that his parents sealed him inside of him out of love and in the hope that he would become a hero for the village.

Naruto told it that he had no memory of the attack on Konoha, only the blood all over his body and the scarlet Sharingan.

Forgiveness is so easy, so pure, so automatic.

Was it stupidity or wisdom beyond age? Jiu Lama couldn't tell.

Just as he was struggling internally, a strong sense of pain and sadness suddenly surged into the sealed space, instantly attracting his attention.

impossible!

Unless he actively tries to sense it, he won't be able to feel the Jinchūriki's emotions.

But this time, the emotion was so strong, so clear, so uncontrollable that it undoubtedly belonged to the little devil.

Even in her most painful moments, Kushina's emotions had never hit him like this, so hard, so unreserved.

In addition to the pain and sorrow, he also felt a hint of fear, a sickening, suffocating fear.

Jiu Lama immediately extended his perception beyond the seal and synchronized his vision with the imp.

Three huge tigers appeared in his sight. They paced back and forth, staring at the blond boy in front of them with murderous eyes.

It could feel the pain in the kid's body. There was a deep scratch on his arm and blood was oozing out of the wound.

Kurama's chakra was working hard to repair the wound, but the kid didn't fight back. He just kept backing away, with fear lingering around him like a maggot on his tarsal bones.

What are you doing, brat? They are just a few big cats, fight back! He roared in his heart, but Naruto still retreated, fear had completely consumed him.

Then, it suddenly realized the crux of the problem.

He doesn't know how to refine chakra, and even if he could borrow my power, he wouldn't know how to use it.

What on earth had those fools taught him? Flower arranging?

One of the tigers attacked again, its sharp claws tearing through Naruto's clothes and leaving a bloody wound on his chest.

Kurama could certainly help heal his wounds, but now, its Jinchūriki had been forced into a desperate situation with nowhere to escape, like a mouse caught in a trap.

The faint flame in Jiu Lama's heart, the flame that he had been trying to extinguish, suddenly burned fiercely.

It was a powerful and warm force, full of the desire to protect, making it irresistible.

It extended its hand, the first time it had taken the initiative to lend a helping hand to this human.

It poured its own chakra into the seal, controlling the output of power as much as possible.

This is not out of instinct, not for control, and certainly not for killing.

It just wants to protect.

Because there was a voice in its heart telling it that no matter who this kid was, whether he was a human or a monster, a descendant of the Uzumaki clan or the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, he was unique, and he would never let him get hurt before figuring out everything.

The Nine-Tails' chakra transformed into a black shadow, surrounding the little ghost and forming an indestructible barrier.

The powerful shock wave forced the three tigers back, and they fled in panic.

Naruto collapsed to the ground helplessly, tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes flashing a weird blood-red light, confirming what Kurama had suspected all along.