Naruto: Uchiha's Resolve

Chapter 36: Drawing Promises for Kurama

Kurama, the Nine-Tails, eyed Uchiha Hirito warily. His words had stirred a deep longing, one Kurama had buried under years of imprisonment and betrayal.

No one had called him "Kurama" in centuries, not since the Sage of Six Paths himself. It was a name that spoke of respect, of personhood—not a label imposed by those who saw him only as a weapon or a monster.

"How do you know that name?" Kurama growled, his tails flicking back and forth like agitated flames.

Hirito smirked, his Sharingan gleaming. "Oh, I have my sources. Let's just say… the Sage of Six Paths told me in a dream."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Liar! The old man hasn't shown himself in ages!"

Hirito shrugged nonchalantly. "Believe what you want. But I also know your siblings' names. Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu…" Hirito listed each tailed beast's name, watching as Kurama's suspicions turned into something closer to curiosity.

"Fine," Kurama said at last, his growling subsiding into a low rumble. "If you truly know, then tell me—what did the Sage say to you?"

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Hirito's Gambit

Hirito leaned casually against the fiery walls of Kurama's mindscape, a practiced ease in his posture. "He said I'm destined to free the tailed beasts. To restore the balance that's been lost for centuries."

Kurama's ears twitched, and his massive head tilted slightly. "You? An Uchiha? You expect me to believe that?"

Hirito's smirk faded, replaced by a serious expression. "I understand your mistrust. Uchiha Madara… he wronged you in ways I can't begin to fathom. But I'm not him. I don't see you as a tool to be used—I see you as a being who deserves freedom."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Kurama's eyes softened, just a fraction, but the fox was not so easily swayed.

"Freedom? And how do you plan to give me that?" Kurama asked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

Hirito's face lit up with a practiced salesman's charm. "Simple. Help me become Hokage, and I'll make it my mission to unseal you. No more cages, no more chains. You'll be free to roam as you please."

Kurama's massive tails stilled. The prospect of freedom, after centuries of confinement, was almost too tempting to ignore.

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The Catch

But Kurama was no fool. "And what's stopping you from going back on your word once you have what you want?"

"Nothing," Hirito admitted, his tone honest. "But think about it—what do I gain by betraying you? A powerful enemy? That doesn't sound very smart, does it?"

Kurama huffed, a plume of fire-like chakra escaping his nostrils. "You're clever, Uchiha. But cleverness can only get you so far."

"Perhaps," Hirito said. "But I know this much—if we keep fighting like this, it's a lose-lose situation. You'll exhaust yourself, and I'll be forced to use every trick in the book just to contain you. Why not work together instead?"

Kurama's piercing eyes bored into Hirito's. For all his bluster and bravado, this Uchiha seemed… different.

(End of Chapter)

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