fromhundredstoone
Prologue
The Fourth Great Ninja War had finally ended-but it left a deep scar on a certain blonde shinobi. All of their plans had crumbled miserably, leaving behind only Naruto and his partner, the Nine-Tails, Kurama.
Naruto had even been forced into the role of Hokage in the middle of the war, but now, with the battlefield silent, Kurama didn't know what to do with his jinchūriki. The boy he once knew-the one who never gave up-was gone, buried under grief and failure.
Until an idea struck.
"Hey, kit. What about that plan of yours? The one you worked on after your masters died? Don't tell me you're giving up. Where's the Uzumaki Naruto I know-the one who never quits, no matter what? What about the trust your parents put in you? Think back!"
Naruto's dull eyes widened. "T-that's right... Kurama, thank you. I'm glad you're my partner. But... I don't have any paper or ink..."
"Idiot. Use your blood."
"Oh-right! Hahaha." Kurama shook his massive head at how stupid his jinchūriki could be.
With effort, Naruto sat up. His left leg had only just healed after being pierced by a blade, but he pressed on, biting into his palm and scrawling the seal in blood.
"Hey-are you all ready?" Naruto asked inside his mind.
One by one, the tailed beasts answered, their voices filled with warmth. All eight of them felt joy, knowing their chosen jinchūriki was back to his old self-even if his body trembled with exhaustion. They would follow him, even through time itself.
"Alright. See you guys again soon. Believe it."
Naruto formed a series of hand seals, his voice firm and strong once more.
"Jikan no Jutsu-Uzumaki Art: Time Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, Naruto vanished, leaving behind only the faint afterimage of a dark orange flash.