"..."
After listening to his son calmly recount his experiences over the years, from a childhood of being disliked but not lonely, to meeting companions, then becoming friends with Kurama, until finally saving Konoha from the brink during the Konoha Crush Plan.
Afterward, Minato Namikaze fell into a long silence. Finally, as if all his strength was exhausted, he let out a long, deep sigh.
The development of events was far smoother than his most optimistic assumptions, even a miracle.
During Naruto's critical growth period, he knew the treatment a Jinchuriki might face. But in his final moments, he chose to gamble on a father's trust, believing his son could inherit his and Kushina's will and overcome numerous difficulties.
Although deep down, Minato had selfishly hoped that his child would grow up as the 'Hero's Son,' loved and respected by the Village... However, from Kurama's sarcastic additions, he painfully learned that the absurd rumor circulating in the Village, which directly slandered Naruto as 'the Nine-Tailed Fox itself,' had completely shattered his extravagant hope.
That somewhat cruel choice he made back then... The Fourth Hokage won the gamble.
Naruto did not harbor resentment or become disillusioned with the Village due to the unfair treatment a Jinchuriki received. On the contrary, he stepped forward during the recent attack, saving Konoha from danger and becoming a true Konoha hero.
Naruto did even better than Minato could have imagined.
What shocked and pleased Minato even more was that Naruto had achieved something even Kushina and the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had never accomplished—he and Kurama truly understood each other, achieving perfect cooperation, becoming an unprecedented perfect Jinchuriki in Konoha's history, capable of fully controlling Tailed Beast power!
However, as this immense relief and pride surged through him like a warm current, another emotion, heavy as lead, also came, almost suffocating him.
All these achievements... how much had he contributed? All he left him was a heavy burden and a lonely childhood... "Hmph," Kurama's ill-timed sarcasm rang out again, "I saw the faces of those Konoha guys clearly! They used to discriminate against and insult Naruto so blatantly, and now that he's powerful and saved the Village, they can't wait to put him on a pedestal as a 'hero'?"
"How sickeningly hypocritical! Fourth Hokage, if I were you, I would make those blind idiots pay the price!"
It paused, the sarcasm in its tone growing thicker.
"Oh, right, even though Naruto knows his lineage now, those fools in the Village are still in the dark. It seems that even without the halo of being the 'great' Fourth Hokage's son, Naruto can still amaze those guys with his own abilities! Tsk tsk, thinking back, you, as a father, truly brought nothing but trouble and pain to Naruto. As a father, you're quite a failure."
Kurama continued to be relentlessly venomous, every word laced with its strong personal dissatisfaction towards Minato, mercilessly piercing the corners of his heart where he felt most guilty and defenseless.
"..."
After a brief silence, Minato looked up, his gaze complex as he looked at the giant beast in the cage, and frankly admitted, "...Hmm, Kurama, it seems... you are right."
After clearly understanding the relationship between Kurama and Naruto, Minato realized that he could no longer treat Kurama with the same attitude as he once viewed a 'calamity' and 'weapon.'
Although Kurama's words were full of personal emotion directed at him, Minato understood the nature of Tailed Beasts—in such matters, Kurama disdained and had no need to lie. What it said about Naruto's childhood experiences were cold, hard facts.
"Kushina... she hoped I could grow up with Naruto," Minato's voice carried an unresolvable bitterness, "But... I gave up that option. I chose to leave you and your power... in Konoha. If Kushina knew Naruto's true situation all these years... she would definitely be furious with me..."
He could almost see his beloved wife's red hair fluttering with anger.
Naruto's expression became a bit strange upon hearing this. It seemed... if Minato and Kushina truly reunited, the scene might not be a touching embrace and tears?
And Kurama, hearing Minato's sigh of "self-awareness," its smile became even more playful and expectant. As the fox that "respected" the Fourth Hokage the most in the world, it "considerately" did not tell Minato—your wife, Uzumaki Kushina, has been temporarily resurrected through a forbidden Jutsu.
It just maintained a joyful look, waiting for a good show.
"Alright, it seems this bit of Chakra you left as a backup won't be needed." Kurama impatiently flicked its tail, pointing at the iron gate, "Now, could you please step aside for a moment and let Naruto undo this troublesome Seal? I've waited long enough."
Minato looked at the unreserved trust and determination in his son's eyes, and with a bitter smile, he nodded and moved aside as requested.
Kurama's emotions were always direct and pure; hatred was hatred, like was like. Just like its Chakra, it no longer contained the millennia of violent hatred that could corrode the human heart.
His son chose to believe it... so, Minato also chose to believe his child.
Of course, as the former Sealer, he was not unprepared. If Kurama's current behavior was a carefully planned deception, the remaining part of his Chakra was confident enough to activate the Sealing Jutsu again at the critical moment, even if the price was immediate dissipation.
Seeing his father move aside, Naruto stepped forward again, standing steadily before the huge Seal iron gate. Merely tearing off the paper talisman would not completely undo the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
He raised both hands and quickly formed a series of hand Seals in front of his chest.
"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style: Release!"
The Seal release began to activate, and the slightly fluttering paper talisman in the center of the gate began to tremble violently! The black Seal runes on the iron gate, which had originally flowed slowly like living things, began to recede rapidly like a tide, all the energy and Jutsu converging frantically towards the central paper talisman.
Minato Namikaze witnessed this scene with his own eyes, and his eyes immediately burst with admiration. It seemed Naruto's mastery of Sealing Jutsu was already comparable to his own, and he didn't need his help or guidance at all.
"Buzz—!"
After absorbing all the Sealing power, the paper talisman emitted a slight hum, then completely dissipated into the air like burnt ashes.
"Click... click... boom—!"
Immediately after, the sound of gears turning, accompanied by the roar of metal friction, echoed loudly in the vast Sealing space! This was a clear sign that the Sealing gate was completely undone and about to open!
"Boom—!!!"
The next moment, that huge iron gate, which had existed in Naruto's inner world for more than a decade, symbolizing isolation and imprisonment, finally opened completely to both sides with a deafening roar!
An unprecedented, majestic and pure wave of Chakra, like a breaking dam, instantly swept through the entire Sealing space, pressing down the green grass on the prairie!
Of course, the basic Eight Trigrams Sealing Style framework still existed; this was the cornerstone for maintaining the symbiotic relationship between the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beast. But the "shackles" within it, used to suppress, bind, and torment the Tailed Beast's spirit, had been completely removed with the dissipation of the runes!
At the moment the shackles symbolizing imprisonment completely disappeared, Kurama's massive body seemed to lighten by a few points. It lowered its head, looking down at the small but incredibly important figure below, and once again solemnly raised its giant fist.
This gesture was a delivery of trust, a symbol of understanding, a unique ritual belonging to it, Kurama, and Uzumaki Naruto!
In Naruto's heart, Kurama was never a demonic fox that brought disaster, but his most important partner, Kurama, coexisting with his Soul and fighting alongside him!
Naruto looked up, and he, too, unhesitatingly raised his relatively small fist again, meeting the giant fist!
"Boom!!!!!!!!"
This time, when the two fists touched tightly again, an energy surge even more terrifying and dazzling than when the gate opened just now erupted! Brilliant golden light, centered on Naruto, burst forth like a supernova!
The entire prairie of the Sealing space was completely swept by this pure energy storm, with grass clippings and soil mixed with Chakra light particles flying everywhere!
The vast and boundless golden Chakra, no longer in the previous body-covering mode, but as if it had come alive, joyfully and unhindered climbed onto Naruto's body, undergoing the deepest Fusion and sublimation with his own Chakra!
After completing the initial form, similar to the previous Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, the transformation did not stop, but continued to evolve towards a more perfect, more powerful form!
On his cheeks, black facial markings began to naturally appear next to the original fox-whisker-like patterns, and his golden hair, soaked in Chakra, transformed into flowing, burning golden flames.
And on the surface of Naruto's body, a flowing and majestic trench coat made of pure golden Chakra energy instantly formed. On the back of the trench coat, six pitch-black tomoe patterns appeared, neatly arranged in two columns.
A warrior, clad in a brilliant golden Chakra trench coat, with sharp vertical pupils like a beast and mysterious black facial markings, stood in the consciousness space! The energy emanating from him was no longer just powerful; it also carried a vast aura, warm like the sun yet unrivaled!
Perfect Tailed Beast Chakra Mode! This was the supreme form that surpassed all previous stages, truly perfectly fused with Tailed Beast power, becoming one!
[Kurama Link Mode]—Achieved!
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