Kurama grumbled internally, while Naruto couldn't help but chuckle softly at the flicker of fear on the great fox's face.
That was precisely why he hadn't warned Kurama in advance.
Just then, Minato—ever composed and used to Kushina's temper—stepped forward and calmly reached out.
"Kushina, it's alright."
"I was the one who woke you."
Minato gently reassured her, his voice as warm as ever.
Kushina blinked, recognizing the familiar voice. Her tension faded slightly as she took in her surroundings.
"Minato…?"
Her voice trembled, unsure of what was happening.
Minato didn't answer.
He simply gestured in Naruto's direction.
Kushina followed his gaze.
And that's when she saw him.
Naruto.
Her son—no longer the infant she'd last seen, but a full-grown young man.
Golden blond hair like his father's.
Sky-blue eyes that seemed to hold the whole sky within them.
Taller than her now.
Healthy. Strong.
He looked like he'd grown up well.
"Naruto…"
Tears welled in Kushina's eyes.
Even though time and death separated them,
Even though they stood in a space created by chakra—
A mother's love endured.
Naruto stared quietly at her.
She looked just like the memories—long, crimson hair flowing, with that same fiery yet kind aura.
Then he smiled.
"Mom."
The word fell from his lips, calm and warm.
The next instant—
Kushina couldn't hold back.
She rushed to him and threw her arms around him.
And then she completely broke down.
Tears poured from her eyes as she sobbed in his embrace.
Minato, watching the scene, could hardly suppress the emotions building within him.
Even Kurama, locked in the cage, was moved.
Watching this brat—Naruto—finally reunited with his parents,
After all he'd been through,
After the bond they'd forged over time…
Even the mighty Nine-Tails felt a pang of something deeply human.
"Mom… I'm here."
Naruto hugged her back tightly.
In that moment,
All of the loneliness he had felt since arriving in this world—
Began to melt away.
For the first time since coming into this life,
He felt something real.
Something warm.
Something to hold on to.
It took a while for Kushina to calm down.
She wiped her tears and looked Naruto over again and again.
She wanted to memorize everything about the son she never had the chance to raise.
What kind of man he had become.
What he looked like now.
Kushina gently patted Naruto's shoulder,
then reached up and affectionately rubbed his cheek.
She looked at him closely, almost in disbelief—
as if she still couldn't believe that the Naruto standing before her was real.
That this moment was real.
Naruto let out a small sigh, half helpless, half moved.
Though a little overwhelmed by her intensity,
he could feel it clearly:
The pure, unshakable warmth of a mother's love.
Watching the scene unfold, Minato Namikaze couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Heh…"
For the first time in a long while, it felt like—
They were a real family.
Kushina eventually pulled back and began checking Naruto up and down—head to toe.
She had to make sure her son had been growing up strong and healthy.
Only once she was satisfied did she finally return to the matter at hand.
"Minato… why did you awaken my chakra?" she asked, her expression turning serious.
Minato's smile faded slightly as he replied, voice calm and clear:
"Naruto wants to completely remove Kurama's seal."
"And… he also has something important he wants to tell us."
Kushina's eyes widened in surprise.
She instinctively turned around and glanced at the massive fox behind the bars of the seal.
"So… your name is Kurama?" she said, a little stunned.
"Why didn't I know that back then?"
Kurama narrowed his crimson eyes at her and let out a dismissive snort.
"Hmph. Did you ever bother asking my name back then, woman?"
"Naruto's a lot better than someone like you."
There was clear irritation in his voice—
and a hint of long-held resentment.
Kushina froze for a second, taken aback.
Then, crossing her arms, she gave a cold snort of her own and turned her head slightly.
Still… she felt a pang of guilt.
She hadn't asked.
Back then, she had simply gone along with everyone else—referring to him only as the "Nine-Tails."
She had never thought to ask if he had a name… if he had an identity.
Now, seeing how far Naruto had come—
She could feel that his bond with Kurama was something much deeper than anything she had ever experienced with the beast.
Her voice turned stern as she looked back at her son.
"Naruto… If you really plan to break Kurama's seal…"
"Have you truly thought about what might happen next?"
She was worried.
Even if Naruto had come this far, she feared he still didn't understand the danger.
But Naruto met her gaze calmly and smiled.
"Mom, I've thought about it."
"The bond between me and Kurama… it's stronger than anyone could imagine."
"I trust him with my life—completely."
"And he trusts me with his."
He spoke with quiet conviction.
Kushina and Minato looked at each other—speechless.
They hadn't expected this.
To think the boy who once held the Nine-Tails in fear now shared this kind of bond with it.
They had underestimated him.
Naruto had grown far more than either of them realized.
Even Kurama, sitting behind the bars of the seal, couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride.
He had heard Naruto's words.
The sincerity behind them.
The trust.
Tch… This brat…
For the first time in centuries, the great Nine-Tails felt… genuinely happy.
Although the tsundere showed nothing on the surface.
Kushina and Minato exchanged glances. They had clearly seen the deep bond between Naruto and the Nine-Tails.
After a silent moment of understanding passed between them, they nodded.
Minato spoke solemnly, "In that case..."
Kushina continued with equal gravity, "Let's unlock Kurama's seal."
Naruto nodded firmly at both of them, then turned and leapt toward the massive red gate that held Kurama imprisoned.
Inside the cage—
Kurama watched Naruto's approach, and for the first time in a long while, a complex mix of anticipation and uncertainty swelled in his heart.
This moment had finally come.
Naruto stood in front of the seal, staring at it with determination. He reached out and gripped the edge of the paper tag that held it in place.
With a grunt of effort—
"Haaah!!"
The seal ignited like burning paper and vanished into the air.
Immediately after—
A series of loud clicks echoed as the massive red lock on the gate fell away, releasing its hold.
Naruto dropped down to the ground.
He placed his hands on both sides of the heavy red doors.
A confident smile formed on his face.
And he declared—
"Kurama, come out!!"
With a sudden pull, Naruto swung open the doors.
At that moment—
The mightiest of the tailed beasts, with fur as red as a blazing inferno and slit-pupiled eyes filled with power, emerged.
Kurama, the Nine-Tails.
Finally, he was free.
"ROOOAAARRRR!!!"
Kurama let out a deafening roar that echoed across the mindscape, venting the emotions he had kept bottled up for so long.
Kushina and Minato instantly tensed, their chakra flaring.
Even though they trusted Naruto, they couldn't take any risks.
What if Kurama was only pretending?
What if he had tricked Naruto into granting him freedom?
If necessary, the two of them were prepared to expend every last drop of their chakra to reseal the Nine-Tails.
But then—
After letting out his roar, Kurama looked directly at the wary Minato and Kushina.
A booming laugh escaped from his maw.
"Heh... You two."
"Don't lump me in with you humans. I don't go back on my word."
Kurama didn't take a single step forward.
He made no move to flee, to attack, or to betray.
And in that simple gesture, Minato and Kushina understood.
The bond between Naruto and Kurama…
It was beyond anything they had imagined.
It was proof—
That humans and tailed beasts could coexist.
They exchanged a glance.
This time, it was one of relief.
They both let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.
Naruto turned around with a grin and said:
"See, Mom, Dad? Kurama and I have an unbreakable bond."
Kushina and Minato both looked at their son with pride shining in their eyes.
"Yeah," Kushina said with a nod, her voice thick with emotion. "You've grown so much, Naruto."
Then—
Minato remembered something.
"The important thing you wanted to tell us earlier," he said, turning serious again. "What was it?"
"If it's something we can help with, we'll do everything we can."
Naruto smiled, touched by their support.
He didn't hesitate.
"Dad, Mom… I want to become Hokage!"
Kushina and Minato's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, slowly, a warm, proud smile spread across Minato's face.
"Hokage, huh?" he said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"You'll make a great one. We believe in you."
Kushina felt a wave of emotion.
As she gazed at Naruto standing before her, she couldn't help but see traces of a young Minato in him.
However—
Naruto's next words caught both her and Minato completely off guard.
Naruto, seeing Minato's proud and supportive expression, shook his head gently.
Then, he spoke.
"No… I'm not talking about becoming Hokage in the usual sense."
"I'm talking about overthrowing the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—and dismantling everyone backing him. That includes Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the entire Konoha leadership clique that revolves around him."
For a moment—
Silence.
Neither Kushina nor Minato had expected that.
Naruto wasn't planning to earn the title of Hokage through hard work and recognition.
He wanted to tear down the current regime and take it.
He wanted justice.
He wanted change.
The "power group" around the Third Hokage?
The idea was foreign to Kushina.
She stepped forward, voice tight with concern.
"Naruto… What do you mean? What happened in the village?"
Her instincts as a mother were screaming.
There was something deeply wrong hidden in her son's words.
Minato's expression grew grim as well.
He echoed her unease.
"Naruto. Tell us—what was your childhood like?"
They had been so focused on Kurama's release, they hadn't even asked how Naruto had grown up in their absence.
And they realized something now.
In their eyes, they had entrusted Naruto to the care of the Third Hokage—someone they both believed in.
Why would Naruto harbor such animosity… unless something truly terrible had happened?
From their perspective, Naruto should've grown up safely, surrounded by care—even if they couldn't be there.
But…
That wasn't Naruto's reality.
Naruto remained silent.
He understood why they were confused. Why they were skeptical.
After all, they had entrusted his life to Hiruzen Sarutobi before they died.
But reality had been cruel.
As a newborn, Naruto was passed between families like a burden.
And when word began to spread that he was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails…
There were those in the village—ignorant, hateful villagers—who had tried to kill him in his crib under cover of night.
As a toddler, Naruto was forced to survive on his own.
No warmth. No love.
No family.
Just cold stares.
Muttered curses.
Thrown stones.
The few stores that would even sell him food gave him spoiled or expired goods.
Everywhere he went, he was met with suspicion and disgust.
The only reason things had changed at all…
Was because of the current Naruto—
The one who had crossed time to reach this moment.
But despite everything…
Telling his parents face-to-face felt too heavy.
Too painful.
He lowered his eyes, lips pressed in a thin line.
Kushina and Minato both noticed the shift immediately.
Their son's silence told them more than words ever could.
Something terrible had happened.
And then—
A deep, rumbling voice broke the silence.
Kurama, who had remained quiet all this time, suddenly spoke.
He looked down at Naruto, then turned to Kushina and Minato.
"Kushina. Yondaime. If you want answers—fight me in a fist bump, and I'll show you Naruto's truth."
He extended one massive paw forward.
An offer.
A pact.
Kushina and Minato exchanged a look.
No words were needed.
They stepped forward together—and without hesitation—pressed their fists into Kurama's.
BOOM!
In the next instant—
Kurama activated the spiritual connection between them.
A surge of memories—Naruto's memories—flooded into the spiritual realm like a rushing river.
Kushina and Minato were pulled into that world.
There, before their eyes, their son's life played out.
As the one sealed within Naruto for so many years, Kurama had seen everything.
Every moment of loneliness, every bitter glance, every whispered insult.
He had kept all of it buried in his heart.
Now… he replayed it for Naruto's parents to witness for themselves.
They saw it all.
Naruto's infancy, passed from household to household.
How villagers whispered rumors of the "demon fox reborn."
They watched in horror as ignorant civilians tried to smother the baby in his sleep, afraid of what he represented.
Then, as Naruto grew older…
He was left to survive on his own.
He walked the streets alone, barely clothed, barely fed.
Villagers shouted, sneered, and sometimes even threw stones.
Vendors refused to sell him food—or sold him only spoiled goods.
Children were told to avoid him.
Adults whispered behind his back.
To them, he wasn't a child.
He was the Nine-Tails.
A monster.
And overseeing it all—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.
He never told Naruto who his parents were.
Never ensured he was cared for.
Never protected him from the hatred.
He let Naruto grow up with nothing—
Not love, not guidance, not even truth.
"..."
"Naruto..."
Kushina covered her mouth, eyes trembling with tears.
Her heart shattered as she watched the life her son had endured.
He always looked so strong, so cheerful—
But to think he'd survived such cruelty…
It was unbearable.
Why?
Why had her son suffered like this?
Why had her son been forced to endure what no child ever should?
She and Minato had given their lives to protect this village!
And this—this was how Konoha repaid them?
What the hell had Hiruzen been doing all these years?
Kushina's sadness boiled into fury.
Fury toward Hiruzen.
Toward the entire village.
Even Minato—known for his calm demeanor—could barely contain his rage.
His fists clenched tightly, knuckles white.
His shoulders trembled with suppressed fury.
Before their deaths, they had trusted Hiruzen with Naruto's life.
They had believed in him.
"We're entrusting Naruto to you," he had said.
And this is how that trust had been betrayed.
"What the hell happened?!" Minato burst out, unable to stay silent anymore.
The pain and guilt in his voice were unmistakable.
He couldn't believe it.
Kurama stood quietly, watching their reactions.
He understood it better than anyone.
And now…
He let the silence settle as Kushina and Minato processed the weight of what they had seen.
Slowly, he reconnected the spiritual thread, grounding them back into the seal.
...
TN:
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