Chapter 67 The inner demon
The note read:
"Meet at the mission registration office at 9:30. This is a cross-border escort mission, expected to take a week. Please pack as needed.
Naruto: Don't bring instant noodles for lunch. There should be breaks during the trip, so bring study materials or the techniques you want to practice.
Sasuke: Bring the equipment for sword practice and check if Naruto has secretly brought any instant noodles.
Sakura: Here are your changes of clothes, make sure the two boys don't forget anything important, and everyone should prepare emergency supplies. "
Naruto rolled his eyes in frustration.
He glanced into the bag and noticed dark clothes inside, so he immediately gave up the idea of looking further - those were probably Sakura's things, and he didn't want to rummage through them.
He took a quick shower and started preparing breakfast, hoping the smell of rice and grilled salmon would wake his teammates.
As he worked on this, he mentally went over what to take with him, wondering if the scroll on bone repair that Sakura had been studying was still with him, or if she had taken it home.
Sasuke was the first to wake up and walked into the kitchen, rubbing his butt as he went.
"She kicks in her sleep," he complained.
"I noticed that," Naruto replied with a sympathetic smile.
He turned back to frying the fish, and Sasuke knew to check on the rice and miso soup without having to be asked.
They worked in harmonious silence for a while, until breakfast was ready and the aroma filled the entire apartment, but Sakura still didn't show up. It seemed that last night's battle was more difficult than expected.
"What's the deal with ninjas attacking civilians?" he asked casually.
Sasuke snorted, and only replied once they sat down and started eating breakfast.
"The specific legal provisions are long and complicated, but in general it means 'not allowed'." He said in a flat tone, but Naruto could not hide the frustration revealed in his eyes.
This was Sasuke, his eyes were always honest, even if he tried to hide it with a blank expression.
"Kid." Kurama's voice suddenly sounded in Naruto's mind. "After dinner, we need to talk."
Naruto suddenly stopped using his chopsticks. Although Kurama's tone was calm, it was a little serious, which made his heart skip a beat. He had a bad feeling and knew what Kurama wanted to talk about.
He looked up at Sasuke and saw doubt and worry in his eyes. It was a dangerous look, and the last time Sasuke looked at him like that, Naruto almost told him everything about the Uzumaki.
He suddenly felt a panic and just wanted to escape from here, escape from Sasuke's probing eyes, otherwise he was afraid that he would reveal more dangerous secrets.
He cleared his throat, avoided Sasuke's gaze, pretended to rub his eyes, and put down his chopsticks.
He suddenly didn't feel hungry at all. "Sorry, I have a headache." He made up an excuse and stood up from the table. "I want to meditate for a while before leaving to see if it can relieve it. You guys come to me before nine o'clock."
Sasuke blinked in confusion. "Okay," he answered automatically, but Naruto left the apartment before he could finish.
---
As Sakura rubbed her slightly swollen eyes and walked into the kitchen, she noticed Sasuke staring at the door, missing her dumb blond teammate.
"Where's Naruto?" she asked, walking into the kitchen and standing next to Sasuke.
Sasuke didn't take his eyes off the door.
"He went to meditate," he said in an odd tone.
This is not surprising - Naruto meditates frequently, a habit he developed a long time ago, and it is very helpful whether it is for sorting out chakra or analyzing problems.
"So what?" Sakura asked. She could feel that Sasuke was hesitant to speak, and things might not be that simple.
"He said he had a headache," Sasuke repeated, still in a strange tone.
"He used to be like this," Sakura said.
"He's lying."
This sentence successfully caught Sakura's attention. In her impression, Naruto was the most honest person she knew. He was not good at lying, even a small lie would be exposed, so he never bothered to do that, especially to his friends.
"Why would he lie to you?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
Sasuke shook his head, looking confused. "I don't know."
The first thing Naruto did when he ran to the clearing where they usually practiced was to check and reactivate the barrier he had set up in the trees. He hadn't maintained it for a while, so he reinforced the chakra sensing barrier just in case. He didn't want to be easily found.
He took a deep breath and took off his loose jacket, leaving him in the sleeveless underwear he usually wore for training. He untied the leggings on his legs, rolled up his trouser legs to his knees, and kicked off his shoes.
As he stepped into the pond, the cool water refreshed him, and the branches of the willow tree brushed his cheeks gently. He quickened his pace and, with the help of his chakra, leapt onto a rock in the middle of the waterfall.
Because they come here so often, the rock has been polished very smooth. The water of the waterfall washes over the rock, making a deafening roar and splashing water. Due to the long-term erosion of the water, the surface of the rock is very slippery. He carefully adjusted his posture to keep himself steady.
The deafening sound of the waterfall drowned out all other sounds from the outside world until he could only hear the sounds deep inside his own heart - the strong beating of his heart, the gentle movement of his muscles, and the subtle sound of chakra flowing through his body.
He gradually emptied his mind, shutting himself out from everything in the outside world.
When he entered the sealed space, the water inside was unusually cold, as if it was going to freeze him.
He suddenly opened his eyes and found Jiu Lama standing in front of him. If he had not been able to feel its presence, he would have been frightened.
The fur of the nine-tailed fox gleams with a bright amber glow and looks very soft under the sunlight.
Its eyes were more golden than ever, with a ring of rose gold surrounding its irises.
Even after the horrific battle a few months ago, Naruto felt a little relieved to see Kurama so healthy.
Kurama looked even better than when they first met, full of energy and chakra.
When Naruto talked about this, Kurama simply said it was his credit and then kept silent.
Kurama gently rubbed Naruto's chest with his nose, and Naruto leaned his head against Kurama's nose for comfort.
One of the consequences of sharing a sealed space is that the emotional boundaries between them become blurred, and they can sense each other and even blend into each other when the emotions are too strong.
Kurama could sense Naruto's anxiety just as clearly as Naruto could feel his frustration and uneasiness, and could understand the reasons behind these emotions more easily.
Jiu Lama knew without him saying anything that he was afraid, very afraid that his friends would discover his identity.
He is not ashamed of having Kurama sealed in his body, nor does he hate his identity as a Jinchūriki, but the discrimination and hatred he has suffered over the years have left a deep shadow on him.
His friends meant too much to him, and the thought that Sasuke and Sakura might see him as a monster because of this was too much for him to bear.
However, this secret was like a time bomb, and he couldn't hide it from Sasuke and Sakura forever. He didn't want to do that either.
