As The Kyuubi no Yoko in Naruto

The academy classroom buzzed with nervous energy. Students filed in for their final exam, casting occasional glances at Naruto and Sasuke.

The events of the morning had left both boys quiet, thoughtful, but they couldn't afford distractions now.

"Remember," the warm voice in Naruto's head spoke softly, "the clone technique requires precise control. Let me guide your chakra, kit."

This was new - hearing the Nine-Tails while awake, offering direct guidance. Before last night, their interactions had been limited to dreams and that subtle warmth. Now...

"Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka called from the examination room.

As Naruto stood, Sasuke caught his eye. They hadn't spoken much since the morning's interrupted revelation, but something had shifted in their dynamic.

The shared weight of secrets made even simple gestures feel heavier with meaning.

The examination room felt smaller than usual. Iruka and Mizuki sat behind their desk, headbands laid out before them. But what caught Naruto's attention were the imprints - they lined the walls, watching with intense focus.

"The clone technique," Iruka stated. "Whenever you're ready."

Naruto formed the hand seals, feeling that familiar warmth guide his chakra flow. But something felt different this time - more controlled, more precise.

"Let me show you," the voice whispered, "how to properly shape chakra."

The chakra molded differently under the Nine-Tails' guidance. Instead of the usual rush of power that made control difficult, Naruto felt it flow like water through precise channels.

"Good," the voice approved. "Now, release it slowly. Like I taught you in our dreams."

Three perfect clones appeared beside him, their details flawless down to the smallest shadow. Iruka's eyebrows rose in surprise, while Mizuki's smile seemed to freeze slightly.

The imprints along the walls shifted, their movements suggesting both approval and concern.

One - an elderly Uchiha teacher Naruto had glimpsed before - seemed to be studying the clones with particular intensity.

"Excellent work, Naruto," Iruka said, though his voice held a note of confusion. "This is... significantly better than your previous attempts."

"I've been practicing," Naruto replied, the prepared excuse feeling hollow now that he understood the true source of his improvement.

"Indeed." Mizuki's voice was carefully neutral. "It seems you've finally managed to control your... chakra."

The slight pause didn't go unnoticed. The warmth in Naruto's mind stirred, responding to the subtle threat in those words.

"Be careful of that one, kit," the voice warned softly. "He sees more than he should."

As Iruka handed over a headband, Naruto caught glimpses of the imprints' reactions. Some seemed pleased, others worried, and a few were making urgent gestures he couldn't quite interpret.

But he was officially a shinobi now. Whatever warnings they were trying to convey would have to wait.

Back in the classroom, Sasuke was already wearing his headband, his expression carefully neutral as Naruto returned.

But his eyes held questions - about the sudden improvement, about the Nine-Tails' involvement.

"Now that everyone has completed their examinations," Iruka announced, "you are all officially genin of Konohagakure.

Team assignments will be announced tomorrow. Congratulations, and remember to arrive early."

As students began filing out, chattering excitedly about their success, Naruto noticed Mizuki watching him with an expression that didn't quite match his encouraging smile.

"He's planning something," the warm voice observed. "Stay alert, kit."

The imprints seemed to agree - they had begun gathering more densely around Mizuki, their gestures becoming more urgent.

One pointed repeatedly between Mizuki and Naruto's stomach, while another made motions that looked like warning signs.

"We should go," Sasuke muttered, having noticed Naruto's attention drift to the corners again. "We need to talk anyway."

But as they reached the academy doors, Mizuki's voice called out.

"Naruto! A moment, please? There's something I'd like to discuss about your... impressive improvement."

The warmth in Naruto's mind grew protective, almost warning. Around Mizuki, the imprints' movements became increasingly frantic.

"Naruto," Mizuki said, catching him alone as other students filtered out of the classroom. He glanced briefly at Sasuke. "If you could excuse us? This is about... special arrangements for those needing additional credit."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but Naruto gave him a slight nod. The warmth in his mind was encouraging him to hear this out.

"The Third Hokage has arranged a special test," Mizuki continued once Sasuke reluctantly left. "For students who might need... additional consideration for team placements. Given your academic standing..."

The imprints' movements became almost violent in their urgency, but the Nine-Tails' warmth remained steady, encouraging.

"What kind of test?" Naruto asked.

"That's part of the challenge," Mizuki smiled. "You'll need to figure out what to bring yourself. Though it should be... obvious. Very obvious, especially for someone of your potential, Naruto."

'Why are you telling me to play along?' Naruto questioned internally.

"Because, kit," the warm voice replied, "this is an opportunity. Trust me."

"When and where?" Naruto asked aloud, ignoring the increasingly frantic warnings of the imprints.

"The forest clearing, east of the village. Midnight." Mizuki's smile never wavered as he gave him a scroll. "Don't be late. And remember - what you need to bring should be obvious."

As Mizuki walked away, the Nine-Tails' warmth curled protectively around Naruto's consciousness. Whatever trap was being laid, his tenant seemed not just willing, but eager to spring it.

The Hokage Tower at night loomed before him. Naruto hesitated at its base, the warmth in his mind unusually quiet.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked internally.

"We'll find out together, kit," the voice replied, showing an unfamiliar uncertainty. "This trap... it might reveal more than Mizuki intends."

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The security was lighter than Naruto expected - perhaps because no one anticipated the dead last attempting something so brazen. The imprints grew more numerous as he climbed higher, their warnings becoming increasingly desperate.

He found the study through simple trial and error, the map not being completely clear. The large scroll seemed to almost call to him - or perhaps that was just his awareness of how 'obvious' this target was meant to be.

As he reached for it, movement caught his attention. The Third Hokage, entering the room.

"Naruto? What are you-"

Pure instinct took over. "Sexy Jutsu!" having still developed it in the early years - unknown to him, through subtle manipulation from Kurama.

The technique worked - whether from surprise or genuine effect, the old man collapsed with a nosebleed. The warmth in Naruto's mind stirred with curious interest at this development.

"Interesting choice," the voice mused as they fled into the night.

The imprints followed their escape, their forms a silent chorus of warning and witness to whatever trap they were willingly walking into.

As Naruto landed in a secluded part of the forest, far from the meeting spot Mizuki had specified, the warmth in his mind stirred.

"Open it, kit."

Naruto hesitated, fingers brushing the scroll's edge. "But Mizuki-sensei said-"

"Do you trust me?" The voice was gentle, but carried weight. "After everything you've learned, about the village's lies, about the Third's deceptions, about your own father's choice... who has been there for you? Always?"

Naruto's hands trembled slightly as memories washed over him. Years of cold stares and whispered hatred.

The Third Hokage's careful omissions, his concerned looks whenever Naruto mentioned his dream-father.

The Fourth Hokage - his father - choosing the village over his own son, leaving him alone to face their fear and rage.

And through it all, this warmth. This presence that had never abandoned him, never lied about its care.

Even now, knowing what it was, the Nine-Tails remained what it had always been - the only constant in his life, the only one who had chosen him above all else.

"You're my father," Naruto whispered, the words feeling right despite everything. "Blood or not. You're the one who was there."

The warmth enveloped him like an embrace. "Then let's see what secrets they've been keeping from us, kit."

With steady hands, Naruto unrolled the scroll.

As Naruto unrolled the scroll, the warmth in his mind became sharply focused, like a predator spotting prey. His eyes moved across the techniques, guided by subtle pressure from his tenant.

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu," the voice mused. "That one first, kit. It suits your chakra reserves."

But even as Naruto began studying the hand seals, he felt the Nine-Tails' attention fixed on other techniques. Strange, complex diagrams and seals that made his head hurt just looking at them.

One seemed to involve some kind of transportation, another had disturbing references to death and souls, and a third... a third felt familiar somehow, though he couldn't say why.

"Let me memorize these," the warmth whispered, studying each diagram intently. "Focus on your clone technique for now."

"What are they?" Naruto asked, curious about what held his tenant's interest so intensely.

"Power, kit. Different kinds of power. But the clone technique is what you need right now."

As Naruto practiced the hand seals, the Nine-Tails carefully committed every detail of those other techniques to memory, his interest particularly keen on the ones involving seals and death.

The imprints watched from the forest's edges, their warnings now silent but their agitation growing with each passing minute.

"Naruto!"

Iruka's voice cut through the night, making Naruto's head snap up from the scroll. The warmth in his mind stirred alertly.

"Stay calm, kit," the voice advised. "Let's see how this plays out."

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto started, but his teacher's expression was a mixture of worry and disappointment that made the words die in his throat.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Iruka demanded. "Stealing the Forbidden Scroll... why would you-"

"It's for the special test," Naruto explained, watching his teacher's face carefully. "The one the Third Hokage arranged. Mizuki-sensei told me-"

Iruka's expression shifted from disappointment to alarm. "Mizuki told you what?"

The warmth in Naruto's mind grew more focused, more alert. The imprints around them began moving with renewed urgency, some pointing into the darkness of the surrounding forest.

"He's coming," the voice warned softly. "Now we'll see the truth of this trap."

Sure enough, the whistle of kunai cutting through air made both Naruto and Iruka jump back. Mizuki's form appeared in the trees above them, his friendly teacher's smile replaced by something far more sinister.

The game was about to begin.