Seeing the way his son interacted with the Nine-Tails gave Minato a spark of inspiration.
Maybe Kushina didn't have to constantly suppress it.
Maybe… they could learn to coexist.
If she could reach the same level of mutual understanding Naruto had with the Nine-Tails in the future, wouldn't that be the best possible outcome?
Then there would be no need to constantly worry about it breaking free and going on a rampage.
—
In the video, the water below suddenly exploded upward.
Another beast surged out—
The Nine-Tails inside Naruto.
For a moment, the scene became something rarely seen: Nine-Tails against Nine-Tails.
Two monstrous beings clashed atop the lake, their battle shaking the heavens.
That vast body of water looked no bigger than a pond under their overwhelming power.
The black Nine-Tails, fighting at full force, unleashed one terrifying miniature Tailed Beast Bomb after another. Each blast tore through the air with devastating force, sending torrents of water skyward and blasting massive craters into the ground of the training grounds.
The two beasts rose from the lake and fought their way into the sky.
Only then did everyone realize that the Nine-Tails could actually fly.
That alone was shocking.
High above, the two massive forms collided again and again until, at last, the genuine Nine-Tails inside Naruto seized victory.
At the same time, Menma was knocked from the sky, sent crashing down by Naruto's punch.
The earth-shaking battle finally came to an end—with Naruto's victory.
—
The onlookers' expressions shifted slightly.
It was the first time they had truly witnessed the Nine-Tails fighting at full power.
A creature like that… if unleashed on a battlefield, could overturn the entire tide of war in an instant.
"I figured as much. You'd be the one to win."
Uchiha Obito let out a low sigh.
"But even so, this fight went beyond what I expected. I didn't think you'd be able to synchronize with the Nine-Tails to that extent."
"All that's left now… is to defeat you."
Naruto lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Obito floating in midair.
"You still don't understand your situation."
Obito's tone turned colder.
"The resonance between the two Nine-Tails… and after that battle, your seal is weaker than it's ever been. Just like before."
As he spoke, he moved.
Menma lay unconscious, and in that instant, Obito seized control of his body.
The pupils in Menma's eyes shifted, turning into Sharingan.
Only then did everyone finally grasp his plan.
His true target had always been the Nine-Tails inside Naruto.
Everything else had been a setup—he had allowed the two Narutos to fight precisely to weaken the seal.
"So this world really is fake."
Hatake Kakashi frowned, thinking it through.
"If this were a real world, and his goal was still the Nine-Tails, then theoretically, the Nine-Tails in Menma should work just as well. Since he can possess Menma's body, dealing with that Nine-Tails shouldn't be a problem for him."
He paused, then continued.
"That leaves only one explanation. Even if he calls it a 'real world,' it's still created from the power of seven Tailed Beasts through Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi is genjutsu—this world is too. It's an illusion."
"The power sustaining it is so immense that it makes everything feel real. But no matter how convincing it looks, an illusion is still an illusion. It can't become reality."
"That's why he has to take the Nine-Tails from Naruto."
Kakashi's conclusion finally settled into place.
He had been questioning this world from the beginning—whether it was truly real or just another timeline or parallel reality, like the ones mentioned in Kaede Kitahara's diary.
Now, he had his answer.
This world was fake.
If it were real, Obito would have taken the Nine-Tails from Menma first instead of fixating on Naruto.
"Damn it—run, Naruto!"
The Nine-Tails roared.
It had instantly recalled how the Fourth Hokage and Kushina had once been manipulated by this same masked man, leading to its extraction and their deaths.
"What's wrong with him?"
Naruto demanded.
"I underestimated him because he doesn't have a physical body," the Nine-Tails growled. "I didn't expect him to have a trick like this. It's a visual jutsu, Naruto. If this keeps up, I'll be ripped out of you—just like what happened to Kushina."
"The Nine-Tails… is mine."
Obito, controlling Menma's body, launched his attack.
"Don't look into his eyes!"
the Nine-Tails warned.
But without looking directly, Naruto was immediately pushed onto the defensive.
"Damn it… at this rate… the red moon… I've got to take the gamble. If this really is the moment from the prophecy…"
Naruto looked up at the blood-red moon overhead and made his decision.
He pulled out the Scroll of the Red Moon.
But the moment it appeared, Obito—still controlling Menma—cut it apart with a kunai.
And in that instant, Naruto caught sight of the Sharingan in Menma's eyes.
The genjutsu took hold immediately.
"Forget everything. Nine-Tails, you belong to me now. There's no hope left for you."
Obito's voice carried a note of triumph.
Naruto stood on the brink of having the Nine-Tails torn from him—
When suddenly, at the last possible moment, Sakura rushed back.
She had escaped Itachi's escort and threw herself forward, blocking Obito's attack and shielding Naruto.
"Sakura's grown a lot."
Kakashi smiled faintly as he watched.
She was no longer the rookie who would faint from a low-level genjutsu.
For so long, she had stood in the shadow of Team 7, overshadowed by Naruto and Sasuke, often even holding them back.
But now, seeing her in the future, he could clearly see how far she had come.
Compared to the brilliance of Naruto and Sasuke—the ones destined to save the world—she still fell short.
But she had already surpassed the level of an ordinary shinobi by a wide margin.
"What… is this? What am I doing…?"
Naruto's mind went blank.
All he could do was watch as Sakura struggled against Obito's assault, steadily being driven back.
"Wait… who am I? Why… am I…"
His gaze fell on the shattered remains of the Scroll of the Red Moon.
And then—
Memories surged back.
Jiraiya teaching him the Rasengan.
His father using that same technique.
Clarity returned all at once.
Just as Sakura was kicked away, Naruto moved.
He caught her as she fell.
"You actually broke free of my genjutsu."
Obito sounded genuinely surprised.
"How could I forget?" Naruto said, his voice steady.
"What I inherited from my master is the Rasengan—and this name."
"My master's book was called The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja… and the name chosen by those two heroes…"
"…is mine."
Everything came back.
Naruto remembered it all.
"Hand over the Tailed Beast and fall in this world!"
Obito roared as he charged forward.
And then—
Everyone watching widened their eyes.
Naruto threw a shuriken.
Obito dodged it easily.
But in the very next instant, Naruto closed the distance and slammed a Rasengan straight into his back.
The scene felt eerily familiar.
It was the exact same tactic the Fourth Hokage had used years ago against the masked man.
The only difference was the absence of the Flying Thunder God teleportation.
Everything else was nearly identical.
And with Naruto wearing the Fourth Hokage's cloak, the resemblance was unmistakable.
It was as if the past had been replayed in the present.
Minato couldn't help but laugh.
"That's my son. Good—teach that guy a lesson."
The thought of Uchiha Kenji falling for the same trick twice made him laugh even harder.
If only Naruto knew the Flying Thunder God…
Then it would have been a perfect recreation.
Minato couldn't help but think about it.
If he had the talent for space-time ninjutsu, then Naruto likely inherited it as well.
If Naruto had learned the Flying Thunder God, combined with the Nine-Tails' power…
He might have surpassed even Minato himself.
Jiraiya had the same thought.
"He really is Minato's son."
Watching that exchange, it felt like Minato had come back to life.
Menma's solid fundamentals proved something else too—Naruto did have the potential. He just hadn't been trained properly.
After all, Menma was simply another version of Naruto.
Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder if Naruto should be taught the Flying Thunder God.
The technique required a natural aptitude for space-time ninjutsu, and as Minato's son, Naruto very likely possessed it.
If he mastered it, the boost to his combat ability would be unimaginable.
Since Kaede Kitahara had already called Naruto the savior of the future…
Then teaching him more techniques now would only make that burden easier to bear.
"The last time I was hit by that technique… was sixteen years ago."
Obito was forced out of Menma's body, looking down at Naruto.
"But this time…"
His chain shot forward—
Only to be blocked in the next instant.
To everyone's surprise, the ones who stepped in were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
Using the Flying Thunder God kunai Naruto had carried with him, they had teleported from Konoha and arrived just in time to intercept the attack.
"I don't know who you are," Minato said, his gaze fixed on Obito.
"But you feel… like someone close to me."