From that day forward, Sasuke joined Naruto's training squad.
With Naruto and Lee as role models, the intensity of Sasuke's training increased significantly, as he pushed himself, determined to surpass Naruto.
During their training, Naruto also developed an interest in Sasuke's brother, whom he had never met.
According to Sasuke, his brother was considered Konoha's foremost genius and was a gentle person.
However, after joining ANBU, Itachi became extremely busy and rarely returned home.
So, whenever Itachi was home, Sasuke would stay to spend time with his favorite older brother.
With Sasuke's addition, the quality of Naruto and Lee's meals also steadily improved.
The kind and capable Mikoto would prepare an exceptionally lavish bento for the trio each time.
Naruto silently committed this kindness to memory.
During this period, Naruto didn't visit the sealed space at all.
His chakra training remained difficult, with the Nine-Tails still stubbornly interfering, though the intensity seemed to have lessened somewhat.
Due to his rigorous training schedule, Naruto had largely put the Nine-Tails out of his mind.
It wasn't until one day, a month later, that Naruto was surprised to find his Three Academy Jutsu flowing with incredible smoothness and natural ease.
Only then did he remember that there was, in fact, a Nine-Tails residing within him.
"Is it reminding me to enter the sealed space? Looks like it couldn't bear the loneliness anymore," Naruto thought with a helpless smile, and then entered the sealed space.
Drip, drop. The familiar sound of dripping water. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the incredibly dim sealed space.
Naruto navigated his way towards the iron gate with practiced ease.
In this past month, he hadn't come to the sealed space once, nor had he even seen Aizen-sensei.
He had been completely immersed in his training; his Kido and Zanjutsu had both shown visible improvement.
"Stinking brat! Stinking brat, get over here, quick!" The moment he appeared in the sealed space, Naruto heard the Nine-Tails' seemingly desperate roar.
As Naruto reached the iron gate and tried to peer through the dim light to see the Nine-Tails, a massive paw suddenly gripped the bars tightly. A distorted fox face pressed against the gate, its eyes filled with madness.
"Brat! You win! This old fox admits it, you win! Quick, quick, unlock the rest of the game for me! Quick!!!" The fox claws slammed against the iron gate relentlessly, the Nine-Tails' voice turning hoarse and unhinged.
During its frantic banging, it even repeatedly slammed its head against the iron bars, the resounding thuds making Naruto's eyebrows twitch.
Through the faint light, Naruto could finally make out the Nine-Tails' appearance.
Its fur was matted and messy all over, its eyes were shot with blood, and the look it gave him was filled with an urgent desperation, like a dying man who had just glimpsed the fountain of life.
"Is this what the books described as 'gaming addiction'?" Naruto's eyes widened as a sliver of understanding dawned on him.
Even a powerful beast like the Nine-Tails was susceptible to this, to the point of developing psychological issues.
Such a "virus" was truly terrifying.
Naruto instinctively took a step back, as if afraid he too might contract this gaming addiction.
This single backward step, however, sent the Nine-Tails into a panic, thinking Naruto was about to leave.
It immediately gripped the iron gate tighter, pressing its face even harder against the bars, so much so that indentations were visible.
"Don't go, brat! Don't go! I won't interfere with your chakra anymore! Don't go!"
"You'll never interfere again?" Naruto asked pointedly.
"Never again! Really, never again! If I ever interfere with your chakra again, you can just let me starve to death, let me die of boredom!" The Nine-Tails nodded its head so vigorously it looked like it was pounding garlic.
During this agonizing month, the Nine-Tails had done a lot of serious, repeated thinking.
Freedom was undoubtedly important.
But right now, tensions between the ninja villages were high, and countless powerful individuals lay dormant in the ninja world.
No one knew what the future of the ninja world would look like, or what kind of powerful figures would emerge.
If it left Naruto's body now…
It would undoubtedly become the target of every ninja village.
They would all covet its power. In its current state, it might not even be able to defeat Konoha's top-tier shinobi, let alone face the entire ninja world.
The Nine-Tails was confident, but not arrogant.
Now was not the time to leave Naruto.
That Uzumaki Naruto, the stinking brat, might be an annoying, ill-mannered kid, but this black box he had conjured was very interesting.
It would reluctantly stay inside him for a little longer.
During this time, it would thoroughly enjoy the games in the black box and quietly await the opportune moment for freedom.
Yes, that's settled then.
"Stinking br—Naruto," the Nine-Tails forced back its craving for the game, feigning a calm demeanor. It cleared its throat and said seriously, "Ahem, this old fox has decided not to interfere with your chakra anymore."
"You don't want to get out? You don't want to destroy Konoha anymore?" Naruto asked teasingly.
"Hmph! Konoha is nothing but a speck of dust to this old fox! I can destroy it whenever I please!" the Nine-Tails snorted coldly.
Its small eyes, however, kept darting towards the computer.
Naruto followed its gaze and saw a peculiar interface.
On it were five very cute creatures, each corresponding to a number.
Naruto had read similar explanations in books.
Those numbers represented levels: 60, 63, 63, 71, and 42.
Sensing Naruto's gaze, the Nine-Tails puffed up with pride.
"These are all this old fox's Pokemon! Their levels are very high! This Charizard here is a special attacker type; one blast of its fire has the flair of my old Tailed Beast Bomb! And this Pidgeot, don't let its handsome appearance fool you, it used to be just a tiny little bird."
The Nine-Tails, having transformed into a bona fide gaming addict, chattered on enthusiastically.
"You have fun. I'm heading back now."
Naruto had no interest in listening further. He sighed in resignation and turned to walk back the way he came, preparing to leave the sealed space.
"Wait a minute, Naruto! Unlock the game for me, quick!" the Nine-Tails roared desperately from behind him.
After Naruto left, the Nine-Tails returned to the computer.
The game's restrictions had vanished. It skillfully grabbed the keyboard and mouse with its two paws and dived into game mode.
"Hahahaha! This old fox's Pokemon are invincible!"
"The first Gym Leader? How come his Pokemon are only level 16? They're no match for me at all!"
As soon as he left the sealed space, Naruto immediately tried using a ninjutsu again.
Skillfully forming the hand seals, he said, "Clone Jutsu!"
After a puff of smoke, an identical Naruto appeared before him.
"Success!" Naruto lowered his hands, his eyes brimming with joy.
With the Nine-Tails' cooperation, Naruto's ninjutsu training progressed by leaps and bounds.
Sasuke and Lee, with his help, also made significant progress in their strength.
Most importantly, Lee had solidified his conviction and was charging full-steam ahead with his taijutsu.
His training weights were even close to surpassing Naruto's.
In the days that followed, the Nine-Tails beat the Pokemon game and then, predictably, began to interfere with Naruto's chakra again.
It wasn't until an enraged Naruto entered the sealed space that the Nine-Tails revealed its motive.
It wanted more games.
To further cultivate the "gaming-addicted demon fox," Naruto downloaded several new Pokemon games onto the Nine-Tails' computer.
In the subsequent days, Naruto and the Nine-Tails developed a new kind of understanding.
When the Nine-Tails completed a game, it would interfere with Naruto's chakra. At that point, Naruto would download a new game for it.