"Some doubts... Let's discuss them later. This isn't the right place."
Minato narrowed his eyes, glancing behind the sealed door.
Huh?
Is that... the Nine-Tails?
On the beach, Kurama narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a feral grin.
"Minato~!"
He wasn't about to simply smile and forget his grudge against the man who had sealed him away.
"Alright, Kurama. He's just a remnant now."
"Once this chakra is exhausted, his consciousness will return to the belly of the Shinigami."
Minato was stunned.
Because Naruto had spoken up, Kurama actually stopped. Though the fox still shot him a disdainful glare and snorted, there was none of the hostility a tailed beast should normally display.
And… the belly of the Shinigami?
Naruto... what exactly do you know?
Now the situation had flipped, and it was Minato who found himself filled with questions.
"Hey, old— Never mind, that's too weird to say."
Under Minato's confused gaze, Naruto took a deep breath, steeling himself.
"Alright, Yondai-sis, my late, cheap dad."
"Uh... Naruto, what's going on?"
Minato glanced at Kurama, who had returned to lounging on his beach chair, then back at his son—who bore the same golden hair as him.
"This... isn't what I expected."
"This seal... wasn't it the Nine-Tails who tricked you into tearing it open?"
"Hahaha~"
As soon as Minato finished speaking, Kurama erupted into laughter.
"Me? Trick him?"
"Minato, can't you sense what's happening outside?"
"Seriously, I could die laughing! Trick him? This kid has manipulated me more times than I can count."
Ignoring Kurama's resentful look, Naruto smiled faintly.
"You really can't sense anything at all?"
There was an almost imperceptible chill in his voice.
If Minato dared to deny it, he would be left to rot in the Shinigami's stomach forever.
Kurama's laughter died instantly.
Minato noticed the shift in atmosphere and felt uneasy.
But since he was speaking to his own son, he didn't overthink it and answered truthfully:
"I can, but only briefly. I don't have much chakra left, so I'm dormant most of the time."
"As for your situation, Naruto, I only caught glimpses of what's happened."
"But from what I can see… you know far more than I expected."
A look of deep helplessness and bitterness crossed Minato's face.
"You must hate me, don't you?"
Naruto shook his head. "Maybe at first. But Kurama is actually our best shot at turning things around."
"I understand your reasoning, but... if you couldn't escape the Third Hokage's control, how could you expect me to?"
Kurama scoffed. "Naruto, don't be naive. This guy faithfully inherited the Will of Fire from that old man. He's the Fourth Hokage, after all."
Minato's eyes widened, caught off guard.
He had imagined countless scenarios. Countless possible reactions from Naruto.
But not this.
Naruto placed a hand on the sealing tag and suddenly turned his head.
"I'm curious about something, but I won't ask in front of Mom."
Minato frowned.
"When Mom was brought to Konoha, wasn't it because of her special bloodline?"
Minato fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
Naruto continued as if he hadn't noticed.
"She survived the destruction of Uzushio because her lineage was too valuable, right?"
"Tsunade brought her back, and she met Uzumaki Mito in the Senju Clan compound. That's when it was decided that she would become the next Jinchūriki of Kurama."
"Her identity should have been obvious."
"So how did Kumo manage to sneak into the village and kidnap her?"
Minato's frown deepened.
"Konoha wasn't weak at the time, right? Sakumo Hatake was still active, wasn't he?"
"And was Mom already a Jinchūriki when they kidnapped her?"
"The entire infiltration and abduction—no commotion at all?"
"And, if I remember correctly, she should have left behind plenty of red hair, right?"
"Why were you the one to save her? And why were the Kumo ninja, who infiltrated Konoha so easily, taken down by you in just a few moves?"
Minato couldn't answer.
"If I recall correctly," Naruto said calmly, "Orochimaru wasn't a rogue ninja at that time."
That single sentence was a killing blow.
The Fourth Hokage should have been Orochimaru.
But Sarutobi hadn't wanted to retire.
After their defeat at the frontlines, the so-called 'God of Shinobi' had been forced to step down to avoid taking the blame.
That's how Minato Namikaze became Hokage.
The husband of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
But even as Hokage, Anbu wasn't his to command.
Before he could give an order, he needed approval from the previous Hokage.
A bitter smile crossed Minato's face.
"I investigated it later. But... there's no point in discussing it now."
"Naruto, I'm already dead."
Minato said this as if he had exhausted all his strength.
"I'm betting everything on you."
Slurp—
A rather untimely sound interrupted them.
They turned to find Kurama, sipping tea and munching on melon seeds.
"Go on, don't mind me. I'm just a harmless little tailed beast."
Minato sighed and smiled. "Naruto, don't tell your mother about this... alright?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Kurama."
"Yes?"
"When Mom comes out and asks how I've been all these years, will you tell her?"
"Hah! If she asks me? Absolutely."
Minato let out a breath of relief. "That's fine, as long as she doesn't hear about the past."
Right as he finished speaking—
"Oh, I'll definitely make sure to tell her about that last Adamantine Sealing Chain incident. That was not fun."
Minato's eyes widened in horror.
A new voice cut in.
"Minato?"
"Nine-Tails?"
"You… you're Naruto?"
Three short questions, three lightning-fast realizations.
A woman with long, flowing red hair appeared before them.
Uzumaki Kushina—the woman who once dominated the Nine-Tails with sheer will alone.
"What's going on here?"
Minato had no idea how to answer.
But Kushina wasn't really asking him.
Her gaze locked onto Naruto. Then, she swept forward and pulled him into a tight hug.
"My son~!"
Naruto felt suffocated. Do I say the same line as in the original? That she's the true form of the Nine-Tails?
Nope.
Because her Iron Fist of Love still hurts.
Moments later, Kushina suddenly turned her gaze to Kurama.
"Kurama... Have you forgotten my power?"
"How dare you seduce my son?!"
Kurama groaned.
Here we go again…
Naruto repeated what he had just said to Minato.
Kushina turned toward the Fourth Hokage, her expression filled with curiosity.
Minato nodded slightly. "Kushina, Naruto is now friends with Ku... Kurama."
"Ku... Lama?" Kushina blinked in confusion.
"Pfft—"
"Hahaha!" She burst into laughter, holding her stomach.
"Ku Lama? What a weird name!"
Kurama huffed in mild irritation. "Silly woman... just be happy."
Seeing Kushina's mood shift as quickly as flipping a page, and feeling her chakra chains retract, the Nine-Tails chose to remain still. He wasn't about to challenge her now, not when their relationship was no longer hostile. Getting caught in the Adamantine Sealing Chains again would be too embarrassing.
"Hmph~" Kushina folded her arms. "I left my chakra behind just to see my son. The amount is enough to help him control yours."
"Alright then, you're free now, Kurama. Be good~ I have more time to talk with my son."
She clapped her hands, showing no restraint toward the mighty Tailed Beast.
That's an Uzumaki woman for you.
Minato turned to Naruto. "Now that you and Kurama have reconciled, the seal can indeed be broken. Your mom has a lot to tell you."
Kushina's tone softened. "I'm sorry... I can't always be there to watch you grow up."
The warmth in her voice made Naruto pause. Just moments ago, she had been laughing; now, she was tearing up. A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean.
Naruto glanced at Minato, only to find his father smiling gently. No wonder he managed to handle Mom. It had to be you, Minato.
Bang!
Before Naruto could react, Kushina appeared in front of him and delivered a firm Iron Fist of Love to his head.
Naruto saw it coming, could have dodged, but... forget it.
"Naruto!" Kushina scolded. "Why aren't you happy to see your mother? I missed you so much that I cried, and you don't even say a word of comfort?"
She pulled him into a tight embrace, tears streaming down her face.
"Alright, Kushina, enough messing around," Minato said gently. "I don't have much chakra left. Say what you need to say."
Kushina wiped her eyes. "Yes, Naruto, from now on, your father and I—"
Naruto raised his hand, cutting her off. "Wait, about the chakra... I can replenish it."
He extended his palm, and a soft green light emerged.
"This chakra sphere contains spiritual energy and pure, nature-infused chakra. Just place your hands in it, and it will restore your lost energy."
"Huh? Is that possible?" Kushina asked in surprise.
Without hesitation, she bit her finger and reached out to touch the glowing sphere.
Minato hesitated for a moment before following her lead.
The moment their hands made contact, their bodies emitted a gentle white glow. Gradually, their once-fading forms became more solid.
"I can keep making these," Naruto stated matter-of-factly. "So you don't have to say everything at once now."
Kushina's eyes widened in amazement. "Naruto, you're already so mature?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. Little question mark, do you have a lot of friends?
"Damn it! This is Jiraiya's fault!" Kushina fumed. "Next time I see him, I'll beat him to a pulp!"
Her hair flared wildly, resembling the nine tails of the beast she once restrained.
Minato let out an awkward chuckle and quickly pulled her back. "Calm down, Kushina."
Kurama smirked. "If you hit me, I'll never tell you how Naruto's life has been all these years."
That silenced Kushina instantly. The weight of his words sank in as she remembered Naruto's identity as a Jinchuriki. Her own experiences as one came rushing back.
This child… when he was born…
She clenched her fists. "I knew it... I just knew it! That old man would never be kind!"
She turned on Minato. "And you! You're so obsessed with the Will of Fire that you—!"
But before she could continue her rant, she buried her face in Minato's chest, trembling.
Naruto sighed. Kushina's chakra held so many mixed emotions. That was why her mood shifted so rapidly.
If they had waited another two and a half years, when her chakra was almost fully depleted, a dominant emotion would have emerged instead.
Naruto placed his hand over the Eight Trigrams Seal and twisted it sharply.
Snap!
The seal shattered.
The Four Symbols Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal were undone.
As for the so-called key? After absorbing so much knowledge—including memories of sealing techniques—it was easy enough to figure out.
"In that case," Kushina said, "let's go somewhere else!"
Kurama immediately refused. "No. This place is built using Naruto's mental energy. I think it's great."
Kushina blinked. "Oh… sorry, Kurama. But it's not entirely my fault! If you had been this reasonable from the start, I wouldn't have sealed you away for so long!"
Kurama: "..."
Naruto smiled. "It's time to move, indeed."
Both Minato and Kushina looked at him, puzzled.
"Of course," Naruto continued, "we're going to the real world. You'll also need time to adjust to your new bodies."
Kushina: "???"
Minato: "???"
"New bodies?"
Minato narrowed his eyes. "Naruto… do you have a way to bring us back?"
Naruto nodded. "If I remember correctly, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, created a technique that can summon the dead from the Pure Land."
Minato frowned. "You mean Edo Tensei?"
"No," Naruto corrected. "I'm not talking about reincarnation. I mean giving you actual bodies. Right now, your consciousness is intact. Your souls, however, are trapped in the Shinigami's stomach. I'll need to release Kurama's Yin half."
He looked at Kushina. "As for you, I'll use Edo Tensei to summon your soul, then merge it with a body I've prepared."
Minato and Kushina were speechless.
They understood his words, but when put together, they made little sense.
Naruto smirked. "Don't resist. I'm going to absorb you now and inject your consciousness into your new bodies in the real world."