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The Next Day
Naruto's Apartment
"How the heck did I get back here?" Naruto muttered aloud as he started looking around. He was lying on his bed with his usual green sleeping cap on his head and pyjamas on.
It was an honest question. The last thing he remembered from yesterday was beating that beefed up Fox Squirrel and getting that weird-ass message. Naruto had no recall of ever leaving TG 13 let alone getting home, eating, bathing, getting changed and going to bed.
Yet it was plainly obvious that he had done all of the above.
He grimaced as he remembered the last thing he could recall, being told he had the goddamn Nine-Tailed Fox sealed up inside him by his little [Gamer] system. Had he wandered back in such a daze that he couldn't even remember doing it? It certainly seemed so.
As he went about his morning routine, Naruto considered what to do. He had the Kyūbi inside him. That explained why people, the older generation at least, seemed to hate him so much for no reason, even before he started his pranks.
Well, the vast majority had anyway. He was man enough to admit that his pranks probably hadn't helped any in that department.
That, of course, led the young blonde to wondering just who he should be questioning about this, since it was plainly obvious he needed more information if he ever wanted any peace of mind.
His first instinct was Iruka-sensei, but he was only a Chunin. There were probably details about it, details Naruto had to know, that the Academy teacher wasn't aware of.
Iruka was near the top of a very small list of people that Naruto trusted while also being likely to know about his status as the…what had that message called it? Ah yes, Jinchūriki…of the Kyūbi. The sad thing was, there were only about a dozen people that satisfied both categories and sadly, only Iruka and one other were trusted enough that Naruto would accept their words at face value.
"Well…I guess it's about time I go and talk to Jiji again." He mused aloud. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation, Naruto was already sure of it. Still, he wanted, no he needed to know why; why did he have the Kyūbi sealed within him? The only person who could have done it was the legendary Yondaime Hokage, but why didn't history, at least the history books he had read in class, say anything about the fox being sealed?
Question after question (and a very large whack of hurt betrayal) started to run through his mind before Naruto rather firmly tamped down on them, [Gamer's Mind] activating and helping him do just that before his emotions started to run rampant. Jiji was the Hokage, first and foremost. He had to have reasons for what he did and Naruto sincerely hoped that the old man, who had acted as something like a surrogate grandfather for as far back as he could remember, would be willing to discuss them with him.
[Quest Alert!]
Grab the Fox By Its Tails: You have discovered that you carry the great Nine-Tailed Fox within you, sealed there by the Yondaime Hokage in all likelihood at the cost of his life on your birthday. The best person to ask is your surrogate grandfather, the Hokage. Confront him and get the truth!
Quest Rewards: +2500 EXP, +5000 Ryo, Special Status Changes, +? Reputation with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Quest Failure: More Quest Alerts until you do this.
Accept?
Y|N
Another quest with no refusal allowed. Naruto had to shake his head as he hit the 'Y' button to make it go away. He could almost swear there was someone pulling this crap for shits and giggles. If there was, the blond orphan swore he'd find them eventually before giving them a sincere and thorough beating and maybe treat them to a first-hand demonstration of all the jutsu he'd been collecting. As the target dummy.
Later
Hokage's Office, Hokage Tower
A long life as an active-duty shinobi had allowed Sarutobi Hiruzen to develop a number of talents, one of which was a finely-tuned sense for when trouble was afoot. It had served him well, both as an active shinobi and as a desk-bound Hokage, and had saved his life several times before, so he'd learned to trust it wholeheartedly.
Thus, since that same sense had been ringing constantly since he'd woken up this morning, he was naturally more than a little tense.
Then his surrogate grandson walked through the door to his office, his face seemingly carved out of stone into a severe expression, and those same internal alarms started blaring at a Condition Red level.
The last time they'd done that was when he last forgot his and Biwako's anniversary. He'd been on the couch for a month for that.
Before he could say anything, Naruto closed the door firmly behind him and began forming signs with his hands. Hiruzen instantly recognized the Konoha Field Sign Language; though he was half-surprised the boy already had it down so clearly.
'Top Secret Information. Secure Room.'
The internal alarms raised another level, going to Code Black. Naruto had never been one to hold anything back when it came to speaking with him about anything. For him to go this far…what could it be he wanted to talk about?
Deciding that this required looking into, the Hokage simply gave the boy a single nod before tapping a small panel on the side of his desk. This caused the hidden latch to switch and the panel to flip, revealing a black square seemingly burned into the wood. Channelling chakra into the square, which was actually a disguised sealing array, he felt, rather than saw, the network of intricate and powerful seals spring to life around the room.
The security system had originally been emplaced by the Nidaime Hokage at his brother's request, with no small help from Lady Mito. Jiraiya and the Yondaime had both worked to update and streamline the various arrays to keep up with any new developments in the sealing arts as well as a form of training for themselves. He remembered that Minato had made planning and designing a complete overhaul of the system a pet project after he became the Hokage.
"The room is now secure, Naruto-kun." He said in concern as he eyed his favourite orphan worriedly. "What is the matter?"
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