Fox Fight Club and Feelings We Don't Talk About
Naruto stood at the edge of the mental world—again.
It always began the same way. A vast sewer, ankle-deep in water, stretching endlessly into shadows. The air smelled like ozone and regret. And there it was—the massive gate of the seal, stretching taller than any skyscraper, its bars pulsing faintly with chakra. A single paper talisman fluttered in the middle like the world's most aggressive "Do Not Enter" sign.
Behind it: Kurama.
Nine tails. Eyes like twin suns filled with sarcasm. Voice deeper than a thunder immortal on bad mood duty.
"Back again?" Kurama drawled, eyes barely opening. "Let me guess. You missed me."
Naruto crossed his arms. "Nah. I was just lonely, figured I'd come get roasted by a giant murder fox for old times' sake."
Kurama's teeth glinted in a lazy grin. "Touching."
There was a beat of silence before Naruto sobered. "You know why I'm here."
Kurama already knew. He always knew. Because Kurama wasn't just a pile of raw power stuffed in a fuzzball. He'd been around longer than empires. Seen entire shinobi clans rise, fall, and turn into drama fodder.
And right now, Naruto needed him.
Again.
"Still not interested," Kurama said, voice calm but immovable. "You want a fusion, beat me in a duel. Rules are rules."
"Your rules," Naruto gritted out.
"Don't blame me," Kurama said. "Blame Hagoromo. Old man loved his stupid tests. 'Prove your worth, find your path, blah blah blah.' I just follow the script."
Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kurama, we've been through this. I've trained with Jiraiya. I've mastered up to three tails without losing my mind. I can go Sage Mode now. I'm not that twelve-year-old kid anymore."
"No," Kurama said, rising to his full terrifying height, voice turning serious. "You're stronger. Smarter. And a lot more annoying."
Naruto blinked. "...Wait, was that a compliment?"
Kurama ignored that. "But the truth remains: you haven't beaten me. Until you do, no fusion. No perfect Jinchūriki. Just you and the chakra loan office on a case-by-case basis."
Naruto stepped forward, squinting through the bars. "Then what's the point, huh? If I can beat you, why would I even need to fuse?"
Kurama was quiet for a long moment. Then his tails lowered slightly.
"Because," he said slowly, "if you can stand against me, it means you're strong enough to stand with me."
Naruto didn't respond right away.
This wasn't just about raw power. Kurama didn't need a master. He needed a partner who could handle the weight—his weight. One who wouldn't lose their mind or try to use him as a chakra battery for world domination. (Been there, seen that, didn't end well.)
"Alright," Naruto finally said, rolling his shoulders. "One more round. Let's see if I can last longer than ten seconds this time."
Kurama chuckled darkly. "You always start with such hope. It's cute."
"Just open the damn cage already."
The seal shimmered, and reality bent. Suddenly Naruto was no longer standing in front of the gate, but on a battlefield made of molten rock and howling winds. The ground cracked with every step Kurama took.
"Same rules," Kurama said, his chakra already gathering like a storm. "You fall, you crawl back to the drawing board. Again."
Naruto cracked his knuckles and let Sage chakra surge through him. His eyes turned gold, the markings appearing on his face like war paint.
"Bring it on, fuzzbutt."
Kurama snorted.
And then, with a roar that shook the sky, the fight began.
-------------------
So… that went well.
By "well," Naruto meant horribly, in the way getting hit by a thousand fists and then vaporized by a world-destroying laser counted as "oopsie-level bad."
He coughed as he sat up, chakra sizzling on his skin like leftover lightning. His vision was blurry, and his head felt like someone had played dodgeball with his neurons. There were gaps—tiny holes in his memory, like someone had carefully removed a few puzzle pieces just to mess with the picture.
Dying inside your own mental world had its perks, clearly.
"Okay," Naruto muttered to himself, "so maybe full-on assaulting a nuke-fox again wasn't the brightest move."
From behind the seal, Kurama lay on his side like a content cat after a long day of knocking stuff off shelves. His tail lazily swayed as if to say you tried, kid.
"You didn't even give me a chance," Naruto grumbled.
"You weren't ready," Kurama replied flatly. "You focused on the hands and forgot the bigger threat. Distractions are lethal. You should know this by now."
"Pretty sure I'd learn better if my soul didn't get turned into cosmic dust each time."
Kurama shrugged. "That's called stakes. Welcome to adulthood."
Naruto scowled but stayed silent. He could whine, or he could learn. He knew which one Jiraiya would pick. Which his dad would pick. Which he had to pick if he wanted to survive what was coming.
"You always go for overkill now," he finally said, more statement than accusation.
Kurama's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've learned my lesson. The last time I held back, some wood-style idiot shoved me into a woman and called it a day."
Naruto tried not to laugh. He failed. "Hashirama?"
"The plant maniac," Kurama growled. "Never trust a pacifist with glowing hands."
"Got it," Naruto said, wiping his eyes. "So… what now? You gonna let me in on the secret 'how to win against an ancient chakra beast' training arc or do I just keep getting barbequed for fun?"
There was a pause. Then Kurama—actually serious—spoke.
"You need to stop fighting like a human."
Naruto blinked. "I am human."
"Not anymore. You're a Jinchūriki. You're half human, half me. And yet every move you make is based on what worked in the Academy or what Jiraiya taught you."
Kurama leaned forward, his red eyes glowing with a primal intensity.
"But I'm not some rogue ninja. I'm nature. Raw chakra. Rage. I don't follow patterns. You can't learn to beat me with kata or scrolls. You have to feel it. You have to adapt."
Naruto let that sink in.
It wasn't about overpowering the fox. It was about syncing with him. Not with chakra control, but with understanding. Trust. And that was the hardest part.
Naruto had forgiven Kurama.
But deep down, he still didn't trust him.
Not fully.
And Kurama knew that.
"Alright," Naruto finally said, standing up again. His legs trembled, but his voice was steady. "No more training for a while. I'll just talk. Ask questions. Get to know you better."
Kurama blinked. Slowly, the giant fox tilted his head. "...You're serious?"
"Yup. You want me to stop thinking like a human? Then teach me what it means to be you."
The two stared at each other. One a boy still reeling from another defeat. The other a living legend, a force of chakra older than nations.
And for once, there was no taunt, no growl.
Just quiet acknowledgment.
"Fine," Kurama said. "You want answers, you'll get them. But you better keep up. I'm not slowing down for a brat."
Naruto grinned weakly. "Wouldn't dream of it, fuzzbutt."
Kurama growled.
And that was how the next phase began—not with a fight, but with a conversation.
One between the boy who'd been called a demon…
And the demon who'd been treated like a monster for far too long.
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If you've never seen a crew of overpowered ninja teenagers go through a training montage, let me summarize it for you: It's like dropping a bunch of caffeinated squirrels into a weapons lab and watching them evolve into war immortals.
In the span of a week—which, by ninja standards, is basically a year—everyone got stronger, cooler, and at least 30% more dramatic.
Let's start with Tenten. You know how some people collect stamps? Tenten collects bladed death. She forged a new lightning sword for Kakashi-sensei, which basically meant he now had a weapon that could cut through reality and probably make your teeth vibrate out of your skull just by humming in its sheath.
Asuma? The man leveled up from "chain-smoking sensei" to "wind-bladed executioner." His trench knives now had so much wind chakra packed into them, I'm pretty sure a single swipe could part your hairline from the planet.
Neji and Hinata? Oh, they decided that archery wasn't just for elves anymore. Their new bows didn't just shoot arrows—they fired chakra bolts so fast they could turn a flying enemy into a pincushion before they blinked. Side note: Neji now does this thing where he closes his eyes before firing, because apparently, being cool is a Hyuga clan obligation.
Kiba got wind claws. Wind claws. As if being a feral ninja with a giant dog wasn't terrifying enough. Now he could slash buildings in half and still make time to chase squirrels with Akamaru.
Choji's hammer got an upgrade too. Now it could manipulate earth. So he basically went from Thor Jr. to Earthbender Hulk. At this point, I'm betting he could punch a mountain into submission if someone just made him mad enough by stealing his chips.
Ino's water whip now morphs into a rapier, which means she can either strangle you with it or poke you to death with surgical precision. Graceful and deadly. Also, she said something about it being "aesthetic." So, yeah, she's still Ino.
Shikamaru surprised everyone by wearing armor. Not just any armor—full-on, shadow-weaving, wire-shooting tactical gear. He also got boosters that let him avoid close combat. You'd think that meant flying, but no, he just lazily hovers out of punching range while insulting your intelligence. I gave him about a hundred thousand explosive seals—yes, one hundred thousand—which I may or may not have stockpiled like a pyromaniac. I thought they were fireworks. He called me a war criminal in the making.
Then there's Shino. Quiet, weird, bug Shino. His new gauntlets have stingers. Literal venomous blades that can inject insects into people. So if you ever wondered what it feels like to be both stabbed and infested at the same time, don't worry—Shino has you covered. Probably permanently.
After all this upgrading, fine-tuning, and threatening to blow up our own ship (thanks, me), we were ready to move on.
We even invited the giants—Brogy and Dorry—to join us. They were big, loud, and completely obsessed with their never-ending duel. Like, imagine two giant Vikings stuck in an eternal slap-fight over who insulted whose beard first. That was them. They respectfully declined, of course. Said their "warrior's pride" demanded they finish their battle. I think they just didn't want to babysit us again.
So, everything was going great.
That is… until Kakashi noticed the monkey.
Now, to be clear, our ship is huge. Like, if the Titanic and the Hidden Leaf Village had a baby, it'd be this boat. And yet somehow, somehow, no one noticed the twenty-foot-tall King Kong lounging on the deck like he owned the place.
"Kakashi, meet our newest crewmate," I said, grinning.
He blinked. "Is that…?"
"The Monkey King of Little Garden," I said proudly. "He's my new partner."
"Of course he is," Kakashi muttered.
Behind us, on the beach, a literal parade of monkeys was waving goodbye. Some of them were crying. Others were launching mangoes into the air like fireworks. And about fifty of them were hauling an absolutely ridiculous amount of fruit onto the ship.
"Why do we need this much fruit?" Neji asked flatly.
The Monkey King let out a chest-pounding roar that shook the bananas off the palm trees. He then delicately peeled one and handed it to me like a peace offering.
I took it. "He insists."
Shikamaru sighed. "Just one week. That's all I wanted. One week without a giant gorilla joining the crew."
"Don't worry," I said. "He's house-trained."
He wasn't.
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Let me just start by saying this: when Kakashi-sensei pulls out a whiteboard, things are about to get either very cool or very traumatizing. Possibly both.
"Kakashi turned to Naruto." Sounds normal, right? Except what he said next made my brain short-circuit:
"Send it to the summon dimension."
"…What?" I blinked.
He might as well have told me to send it to the Shadow Realm or the Trash Dimension or whatever place socks disappear to in the laundry.
Kakashi gave me the patented teacher sigh. You know the one. The I-love-you-but-you-are-several-fries-short-of-a-happy-meal kind of sigh.
"Didn't Jiraiya teach you about custom summons?" he asked, like I was supposed to have read the fine print on ninja contracts while I was busy not dying for three years.
I gave him a flat look. "Do you think I can learn everything about being a ninja in three years? I had to skip a few electives, like 'Advanced Seal Theory' and 'Monster Dimensional Real Estate 101.'"
That's when it happened.
Kiba rolled in a whiteboard.
A whiteboard.
I knew I was in trouble.
Kakashi clicked a marker and began sketching like a mad scientist. "Custom summons," he said, "are when a shinobi bonds with a creature—monster, animal, whatever—and raises it using their own chakra. It becomes smarter, stronger, loyal. And when it reaches a certain threshold, boom—sentience achieved."
"Okay… that's cool," I admitted, now 67% interested.
"But wait, there's more," Kakashi said like an infomercial wizard. "Then, with the help of a fuinjutsu master, you craft a summon dimension. Think of it like a pocket dimension—but instead of holding your dirty laundry, it has a whole mini ecosystem for your creatures."
Kiba grinned. "You've met Laboon, right? Big whale, kinda sassy? Not here. He's chilling in my custom summon dimension. He even has a waterfall spa now."
I stared blankly. "You're telling me you built a personal Jurassic Park for your pets?"
"Exactly," Kakashi said.
Silence.
More silence.
Then it hit me.
"Wait…" I said, a grin forming. "So I can make my own army of monster summons? Train them, evolve them, name them weird things, feed them ramen?"
Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Yes, Naruto. You can become the Monster King."
I'm not gonna lie. I may have cried a little.
Within the hour, I was already summoning paper, ink, and my good old absurd amounts of chakra to build the most absurdly massive summon scroll in history. I named it: "The Book of Beasts." Trademark pending.
We picked out a nearby uninhabited island for the dimension base. It was perfect—lush trees, mountains, natural waterfalls, and probably haunted, because that's just how ninja worlds work.
Then I called up Kong.
No, not the movie one. My Kong. The Monkey King of Little Garden. Twenty feet of muscle, fur, and banana-based diplomacy.
"Kong," I said, "you're coming with me."
He nodded solemnly and gave a Tarzan yell that summoned fifty gorilla warriors from the jungle. They showed up like a marching band made of steel, fangs, and primal vibes.
Then things got weird.
Enter: Dinosaurs.
I may or may not have borrowed some from the island. Two T-Rexes—one male, one female. Two triceratops—also paired. And two spinosaurus—the big water-walking ones that look like crocodiles took a body-building course.
"Why pairs?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes.
I gave her the most innocent smile I could muster. "I don't want them to be lonely."
She stared.
"They deserve love too, y'know."
I may have seen her eye twitch.
So, in summary:
I now had a monkey king, fifty monkey warriors, six massive dinosaurs, a scroll the size of a small mountain, and a personal summon dimension that looked like prehistoric paradise.
"Oh," I added to Kiba, "let's throw in some frogs too. Big ones. Talking ones. Maybe a dragon later."
Kakashi just patted me on the shoulder.
"Good luck, Monster King."
And just like that, Naruto Uzumaki's Summon Dimension officially opened for business.
-----------------
We had just waved goodbye to two giants who were casually having a century-long duel, and honestly, that still wasn't the weirdest part of my week.
No, the weirdest part was me—Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage and full-time chaos goblin—standing on the Sunny deck, belting out the theme song of my newly founded Monster Kingdom at full volume.
🎵"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and DINOS!~"🎵
I may or may not have been dancing with a banana like a mic.
Kiba had locked himself in the kitchen. Hinata had politely smiled and left. Kakashi had activated his "Ignore All Noise" mode, a powerful jutsu he'd clearly mastered as a teacher.
And me? I was just living my best life. Pouring chakra—insane amounts, to be specific—into my summon scroll like I was overwatering a very dangerous magical garden.
"Naruto," Shikamaru said in his eternal why-am-I-surrounded-by-insane-people tone, "can you not pump god-level chakra into a pocket dimension while we're discussing an invasion?"
I stopped mid-moonwalk. "But I need Sage Beasts, Shikamaru! I lost Gamabunta, remember? He went full toad sage and retired to the mountaintop for spiritual enlightenment or whatever."
Kiba peeked out from the kitchen. "Didn't he say he got tired of being launched into sky battles and used as a meat shield?"
"Same thing!" I yelled back.
Back on track, Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Right. So… Alabasta."
Immediately, the mood shifted. Serious ninja faces on. You could practically hear the background music change from circus jingle to suspenseful war drums.
Shikamaru pulled out a map, pushed Naruto's dancing banana off the table, and pointed at the ancient desert kingdom.
"The mayor of Sunshine Peak confirmed our suspicions. After Crocodile's fall, Doflamingo stepped in to fill the power vacuum. He's got men planted in the capital, the ports, and probably even the royal court."
"He's smart," Asuma muttered, chewing on a fresh stick of pocky. "Keeps his hands clean, lets the chaos grow."
"Not for long," Neji said, his fingers tightening around his newly reinforced bow.
"We go in, we infiltrate, we identify who's loyal to Cobra, and we clear the rot," Shikamaru said. "No flashy explosions until the end. Got it, Naruto?"
"Of course," I said innocently. "Only one volcano-sized summon beast this time."
"Naruto."
"Okay, fine. No more than three."
-------------
As we continued sailing toward Alabasta, I kept multitasking: chakra into the summon world, rehearsing verse two of my theme song, and imagining what my Sage Beasts might become. Maybe a flaming T-rex? A Triceratops made of lightning?
Kong, my loyal monkey king, appeared beside me in a puff of summoning smoke, sipping a coconut. He gave me a nod, which I interpreted as Keep up the good work, my lord of bananas.
I nodded back. "Don't worry, Kong. By the time we hit Alabasta, we'll have an army of awakened beasts ready to drop."
He grunted and gestured vaguely toward the sky.
"Oh, right," I added. "Maybe a flying one too. For aerial domination. Totally forgot."