Naruto: Boundless Potential

A deep, oppressive chakra surged from Naruto's house, spreading across the village like a tidal wave.

The ground trembled slightly as Kurama, feeling the restriction of the golden chains, roared in defiance.

Inside Naruto's subconscious, Kurama's massive form writhed, his red chakra bursting outward in an attempt to overpower the chains binding him.

"Damn these chains!" he growled, thrashing violently. His chakra pulsed, extending beyond Naruto's body, forming a massive, ghostly image of the Nine-Tailed Fox looming over the village.

On the outskirts of the village, chaos erupted among the clans.

The Nara Clan Compound—

Shikaku and Shikamaru sat at their usual spot, a shogi board between them. The pieces had barely moved when a wave of oppressive chakra washed over them.

Shikamaru furrowed his brows. "What a pain..." he muttered, staring toward the source of the disturbance.

Shikaku, however, had gone pale. Sweat trickled down his forehead. "This chakra... It's almost like that night..." His fingers tightened around a shogi piece.

Before they could react further, the head of the Yamanaka clan rushed toward them with Ino at his side, his face tense with worry. "Shikaku! What in the world is going on?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed. "Guess we're not finishing this game."

A few moments later, Choza Akimichi and Choji also arrived. The three clan heads exchanged glances before nodding in silent agreement.

They quickly instructed their children to stay behind and moved toward the source of the disturbance—Naruto's house.

The Hyuga Compound—

Hizashi Hyuga, awakened by the disturbance, immediately activated his Byakugan. His vision pierced through walls, tracing the chakra back to its source. What he saw made him clench his fists.

"This is... no ordinary chakra. It resembles the Nine-Tails..." His voice was grim. The Hyuga clan, sensing their leader's unease, began assembling.

Kakashi was the first to rush toward Naruto's home. His heart pounded against his ribs. Not again... I can't lose Naruto too. He had already lost Minato-sensei and Kushina that fateful night; he refused to let history repeat itself.

Behind him, Might Guy followed, his usual energetic demeanor replaced with an unusual solemnity. "Kakashi! This isn't youthful at all!" he called, trying to keep up.

Asuma and Kurenai weren't far behind, their eyes flickering with concern. "Is the seal breaking?" Asuma muttered, gripping his trench knives.

By the time they arrived, the scene before them was overwhelming. The entire street was flooded with red chakra, and the looming silhouette of the Nine-Tails sent shivers down their spines.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood firm, his pipe clutched tightly in his hand as he prepared for the worst. The ANBU Black Ops were already stationed in formation, ready to strike if necessary.

Suddenly, from Naruto's small frame, golden chains erupted.

The Adamantine Sealing Chains, reminiscent of Kushina Uzumaki's legendary ability, shot out in every direction, wrapping around the spectral form of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The ghostly beast thrashed.

No! Not these cursed chains again!

With each passing second, the chakra fox was pulled tighter, its oppressive aura weakening. Despite its violent struggles, it was no match for the chains.

The village watched in stunned silence as the golden chains dragged the beast back into Naruto's body. With one final roar of frustration, the spectral form collapsed, vanishing in a swirl of golden light.

Kurama's growl echoed inside Naruto's subconscious. Tch! This brat... Even while unconscious, he dares to suppress my chakra?

Naruto's body relaxed as the last of the chains retracted. The overwhelming pressure in the air dissipated, leaving behind an eerie stillness.

The gathered shinobi remained frozen, processing what had just happened.

"What... were those chains?" one of the ANBU whispered in awe.

Even Kakashi, who had seen Kushina use this ability before, felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple. Those are Kushina-sensei's chains… but how?

Hiruzen exhaled, a rare smile on his lips. "So… that's how it is."

Danzo, on the other hand, wore a grim expression, his mind already plotting. This boy… I cannot let him grow unchecked.

The shinobi clans who had rushed toward Naruto's home all let out a sigh of relief. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio exchanged glances.

Shikamaru, watching from a distance, rubbed his temples. So powerful… how troublesome…

Meanwhile, Sasuke had witnessed the entire event. He had felt the crushing power of that chakra—an overwhelming force unlike anything he had ever encountered. His hands balled into fists.

"I need more power… I need to surpass even that!"

His drive for revenge intensified, but seeing how the golden chains had suppressed the beast so effortlessly only fueled his frustration.

Damn it…

With the situation stabilized, the Hokage ordered guards to be stationed near Naruto's house.

The village eventually settled down, with guards stationed near Naruto's house for security.

Kakashi, however, took it upon himself to stay inside Naruto's home, watching over him through the night. He leaned against the sofa, exhausted but unwilling to take any risks.

As the first light of dawn broke through the curtains, Naruto stirred, groggy and half-asleep. He stretched, rubbing his eyes, and yawned.

Then, his eyes landed on Kakashi, who was sitting on the sofa, watching him.

Naruto jolted awake. "GYAAAH!!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Naruto jumped back.

"W-Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house?!" Naruto shouted, grabbing a pillow as if it were a weapon.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples. "Naruto, calm down. It's me, Kakashi."

Naruto blinked. Then he squinted at Kakashi's masked face before relaxing slightly. "Oh… Kakashi-sensei? Why are you here? What happened?"

Kakashi waved him off. "Oh, nothing much. I just… uh… dropped by to check on you."

Naruto eyed him suspiciously. "Really? Then why do you look so serious?"

Before Kakashi could answer, Naruto noticed something odd in his reflection on a nearby glass pane. He frowned, then quickly grabbed a mirror.

His breath hitched.

His whiskers were gone.

"…Huh?" Naruto touched his cheeks, as if expecting them to reappear.

Panic set in.

"W-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY FACE?!"

Kakashi, already prepared for this moment, put on his best nonchalant expression. "Oh, that? Must be puberty."

"PUBERTY?!" Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "That doesn't even make sense! I just went to sleep and now I look… different!"

Kakashi sighed, improvising further. "Well, you see… Those whiskers were probably just some chakra markings from when you were a baby. Maybe they finally faded."

Naruto paled. "D-Does that mean I'm gonna disappear too?!"

Kakashi facepalmed. "No, Naruto, you're fine."

Naruto let out a long breath of relief—until he took a closer look at his reflection.

"…Wait a minute." He narrowed his eyes.

His face… it was softer.

His features now appeared more delicate. His hair even looked slightly longer.

"…Why do I look kinda… girly?" Naruto asked, blinking.

Kakashi, who had noticed the same thing earlier, decided it was best to avoid the topic. "It's probably just the lighting."

Naruto wasn't convinced. He nervously peeked into his trousers to double-check.

A long silence followed.

Then, Naruto sighed in relief. "Thank God… I'm still a guy."

Kakashi deadpanned. "...Why do I have to deal with this?"

Naruto quickly turned to him, grabbing his sleeve dramatically. "Kakashi-sensei! You HAVE to fix this! I can't just walk around looking like this! Everyone will think I—"

Kakashi, completely exhausted, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Naruto, I—"

Then he had an idea.

Silently, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a spare mask. Without a word, he handed it to Naruto.

Naruto stared at the mask, then at Kakashi's own masked face.

His mind clicked.

"…This could work."

And just like that, Naruto slipped the mask on, covering his face entirely. He gave himself a once-over in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright! This is the new me! Call me 'Masked Naruto'!"