Published at 18th of September 2024 12:43 pm

Chapter 132 Kurama’s Misadventures, Fox in a Ninja’s Body: 5 The Hokage’s Headache

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Kurama returned to Konoha, feeling more tired than ever. Pretending to be Naruto was becoming a full-time struggle, and it was only getting worse. He’d barely survived that mission without raising too much suspicion, but Sasuke was onto him. Sakura was confused, and Kakashi... well, Kakashi was always impossible to read.

As he strolled through the village gates with the team, Kurama felt the familiar tug of exhaustion from maintaining the charade. At this point, he was almost ready to throw in the towel and lock himself in Naruto’s apartment for the next week.

But the universe, as usual, had other plans.

“Oi! Naruto!” came a booming voice that Kurama instantly recognized. His heart sank as he turned around to see Lady Tsunade striding toward him, looking as irritable as ever.

Kurama braced himself. What now?

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Tsunade led Kurama back to the Hokage’s office, her sharp gaze cutting into him the entire way. He tried to keep his cool, mimicking Naruto’s usual nonchalant attitude, but something told him this was going to be a problem.

Once they were alone in the office, Tsunade crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. “Naruto, we need to talk.”

Kurama raised an eyebrow, leaning back casually in the chair. “Sure, what’s up?”

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t play dumb with me. You’ve been acting strange, and it’s not just me who’s noticed. Kakashi mentioned it. Even Shikamaru asked if something was off with you.”

Kurama felt a cold sweat break out. Damn it. They’re catching on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, forcing a grin. “I’m the same old Naruto!”

Tsunade wasn’t buying it. She leaned forward, her voice dangerously low. “You think I can’t tell when one of my shinobi is hiding something? You’ve barely acted like yourself in weeks, and your performance in the field has been... sloppy.”

Kurama shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn’t used to being cornered like this. Normally, in his fox form, he’d just scare people into backing off. But in Naruto’s body, he had to play along.

“I’ve just been tired, Tsunade-baa-chan. You know how it is with all these missions and—”

Tsunade’s fist slammed onto the desk, making Kurama jump. “Stop calling me that, and stop dodging the question!” she barked. “What’s really going on with you?”

Kurama realized he was trapped. There was no getting out of this without some kind of explanation, and he had to make it believable enough to shut her down.

“Fine,” he sighed, scratching the back of his head like Naruto always did when he was nervous. “You want the truth? I’ve been... distracted. It’s just... with all the pressure of becoming Hokage one day, and with Sasuke acting like a jerk half the time... I guess it’s been getting to me more than usual.”

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, still not fully convinced but seeming to soften a bit. “You’re not seriously going to use that excuse on me, are you?”

Kurama groaned. “Come on, baa-chan, what more do you want? I’m dealing with it. I’m fine.”

Tsunade studied him for a moment longer, her sharp eyes searching for any signs of deceit. Finally, she sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Alright, fine. But if I catch you slacking off again, you’ll have to answer to me.”

Kurama forced a smile, relieved to have dodged another bullet. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

_______________________________________________________________

Kurama left the Hokage’s office with a sense of dread looming over him. Tsunade wasn’t completely convinced, and the fact that others were starting to notice his odd behavior meant that his time was running out. He had to figure out how to handle this situation before it all came crashing down.

He walked aimlessly through the village, lost in thought. He didn’t even notice the person standing in his way until it was too late.

“Hey, watch it!” came a voice that snapped him back to reality.

Kurama blinked, looking down to see Konohamaru glaring up at him. “What’s wrong with you, Naruto? You’re totally out of it today!”

Kurama groaned inwardly. Not this kid again.

“Sorry, Konohamaru,” he said, trying to sound as normal as possible. “Just... got a lot on my mind.”

Konohamaru tilted his head, looking suspiciously at him. “You? Since when do you think about anything serious?”

Kurama grinned, trying to fake his way through the conversation. “Oh, you know, sometimes I have my deep moments.”

Konohamaru narrowed his eyes. “Right. Well, if you’re not too busy ‘thinking,’ why don’t we have a quick sparring match? I’ve been practicing my Rasengan, and I want to see how it stacks up against yours!”

Kurama froze. Sparring with Konohamaru? Using the Rasengan? Oh, no, no, no, he thought. There was no way he could pull that off without blowing his cover. The Rasengan was one of Naruto’s signature moves, and Kurama had no idea how to perform it.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s such a good idea right now,” Kurama said quickly, waving his hands in a dismissive gesture. “I’m... I’m really tired from the mission.”

Konohamaru crossed his arms, pouting. “You’re just making excuses! What, are you scared I’ll beat you this time?”

Kurama grit his teeth. This kid is a real pain. But he couldn’t risk it. “Fine, you want the truth?” he said, leaning in conspiratorially. “I’ve been training in secret. Really intense stuff. I can’t just show off my moves right now, it’s top-secret ninja business.”

Konohamaru blinked, clearly intrigued. “Top-secret ninja business?”

Kurama nodded enthusiastically, relieved that the kid was buying it. “Yeah, totally. So, you’ll just have to wait a little longer before I can show you my new skills.”

Konohamaru looked disappointed but didn’t push the issue further. “Alright, fine. But you better not be lying to me, Naruto!”

Kurama gave him a mock salute. “Wouldn’t dream of it, boss.”

_______________________________________________________________

After escaping Konohamaru, Kurama finally made it back to Naruto’s apartment. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, letting out a long, frustrated sigh.

This is getting way too complicated, he thought. Between Tsunade grilling him and Konohamaru wanting to spar, Kurama was barely holding it together. How much longer could he keep up this charade?

He slumped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The idea of having to keep pretending to be Naruto for days—maybe even weeks—was starting to feel unbearable.

“Why did I agree to this again?” he muttered to himself, even though he knew the answer. It had been a slip-up, a moment of curiosity gone horribly wrong.

I need to figure out how to switch back, he thought, feeling a pang of longing for his true form. Being trapped in Naruto’s body was proving to be far more trouble than it was worth.

But for now, all he could do was wait and hope that no one else caught on to the fact that the real Naruto was currently... unavailable.

_______________________________________________________________

***

Kurama narrowly escapes suspicion from Tsunade and avoids a potentially disastrous sparring match with Konohamaru. However, the pressure is mounting, and Kurama knows he can’t keep this up forever. How long can the fox stay hidden in the body of Konoha’s most unpredictable ninja?

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