Chapter 301: Nine-Tails: Never Has There Been Such a Wonderful Opening
Namikaze Minato was stunned.
After a brief hesitation, he suddenly recalled certain scenes from the novels written by Jiraiya-senei.
Could it be that without the upbringing of the two of them as parents, Naruto had already fallen so far as to… sell his backside?
But that didn't make sense either. What did selling himself have to do with unleashing the Nine-Tails' chakra?
Unless…
Naruto was being forced?
A series of images appeared in Minato's mind…
In the Land of Rice Fields, inside a forest that no one and no sensory ninjutsu could detect.
Naruto was hanging in the air like a roasted duck.
Kimimaro introduced the Sound Four to Naruto—each of these four had their own unique skills, each had special abilities, their fighting spirit and endurance were astonishing, and their secret weapons could even bring unexpected surprises.
Scenes like that appeared in Minato's imagination.
Otherwise, he simply couldn't understand why someone outside would be attacking Naruto with a drill.
"Y-you, who are you?! Let go of the Nine-Tails right now!!!"
Naruto rushed forward anxiously and slapped away Minato's hand, which was about to continue reinforcing the seal.
The urgency in Naruto's expression made the Nine-Tails feel goosebumps rise.
In its heart, it prayed that Naruto would not develop any strange feelings toward it.
But this was not the moment for it to argue with Naruto.
It could only go along with things obediently.
Because if the Fourth Hokage wasn't told what was happening outside soon and continued strengthening the seal, then without the protection of the tailed beast cloak, the three of them would all simultaneously experience a breakthrough straight to the heavens.
At that point, they might as well tear open the seal again and let the chakra Kushina had left behind appear too.
Then the whole family of three plus the Nine-Tails could all enjoy being attacked by Kimimaro's drill… or rather, the Dance of the Clematis.
"Naruto…"
Minato released part of the Nine-Tails' seal again, allowing the tailed beast chakra to spill out and block the attack of the Dance of the Clematis outside.
Then he looked at Naruto with a gentle gaze and raised his hand to pat Naruto's head.
"Naruto…"
"I am your father."
"What?!"
The furious Naruto froze for a moment, staring blankly at the man in front of him.
Then…
He clenched his fists.
"Sigh."
Minato let out a small sigh.
He and Kushina had "selfishly" died, leaving Naruto alone in the world. Life for him must not have been easy.
A father and son meeting again… if Naruto punched him once or twice, that would be completely reasonable.
Minato had already prepared himself.
Hm?
Bang bang bang.
Naruto suddenly formed hand seals and created several shadow clones.
A few of the shadow clones grabbed Minato's arms and legs respectively, as if afraid he might resist or dodge.
"…"
Was Naruto's resentment toward his father really this deep?
Just how much suffering had Naruto endured?
Minato's heart filled with guilt, and he had no intention of resisting at all.
If one or two punches wouldn't calm Naruto down, then being beaten up would be fine too.
Thump thump.
Naruto angrily gave Minato two punches.
Then the real Naruto appeared behind Minato, crouching halfway down…
"You damn bastard! You tricked me once earlier, and now you're trying to fool me again with genjutsu! Do you think I'm an idiot?! You like playing dirty, huh? Then take this Wind Release: Spiral One Thousand Years of Death!!!"
Naruto vented all the frustration he had been holding back.
On the fingers forming the Tiger seal, rapidly spinning wind blades gathered as he fiercely attacked Minato's weak point.
Clearly, Naruto had mistaken Minato for one of Kimimaro's genjutsu illusions.
After all, not long ago Kimimaro had distracted him with the line "I am your father", causing him to lose focus and lose the initiative.
Now Minato appeared and said the exact same line.
Even the voice hadn't changed.
How could Naruto not react?
"Hm?"
Minato had been standing there with his eyes closed, thinking, "Come on, Naruto. Vent your anger and resentment. It was my fault."
But the moment he heard Naruto's words, Minato instantly sensed something was wrong.
What did Naruto mean by "tricked me earlier"? And what was this about "liking to drill"?
Minato suddenly noticed Naruto's attack coming from behind and widened his eyes.
What is happening?
Could it be that in the real world Naruto was being attacked in that same way because… "those who treat others that way will be treated the same in return"?
Did Naruto normally like using this move, and now karma had caught up with him?
Had the opponent returned the favor in kind?
This is bad!
Minato didn't have time to think further and immediately tried to use Flying Thunder God to teleport away.
[Naruto, that's right! Hold onto his arms tightly and don't let him throw a kunai!]
[Hahahahaha, Fourth Hokage, you fool. This is the brat's mental space. You can't sense any Flying Thunder God marks here!]
[Hehehehehe! Beautiful! Naruto! Fourth Hokage, how does it feel now? How does it feel?!]
The Nine-Tails' voice rang through the mental space with manic delight.
The Yin Nine-Tails reconciling with Naruto has nothing to do with the Yang Nine-Tails. This old one hasn't received any information from that side yet. Right now, the Fourth Hokage is still the enemy who sealed me.
Seeing his enemy suffer such a miserable fate, how could he not laugh loudly?
That was precisely why the Nine-Tails hadn't spoken up when Naruto misunderstood the situation.
At the same time.
Naruto's real body attacked Namikaze Minato, who was producing Kimimaro's same voice line.
Meanwhile, the shadow clones hadn't forgotten the Nine-Tails' earlier instructions and stepped forward to tear off the seal.
[Gah?]
The Nine-Tails inside the cage suddenly widened its eyes.
There was even extra entertainment?!
Originally, when the Nine-Tails told Naruto to remove the seal, the purpose had been to trigger the chakra Minato had left behind.
Minato would then use Flying Thunder God to help Naruto's real body outside escape Kimimaro's drill attack.
Whether the seal was actually removed wasn't the key.
The key was the act of trying to remove it.
But Naruto misunderstood and thought removing the seal itself was the key.
So he actually tore it off.
What did that mean?
Rip!
The seal was removed.
But golden chains burst up from the ground and tied the Nine-Tails into a tight bundle.
A red-haired woman appeared.
"So we've finally reached this day… Nine-Tails… huh? Nine-Tails, what kind of expression is that?"
Kushina had been about to deliver a serious speech.
But she suddenly noticed that the Nine-Tails she had bound up was wearing an expression of pure delight, excitement, and happiness.
Kushina froze.
After so many years, had the Nine-Tails developed some kind of strange fetish?
Why did it look so happy while being tied up?
[Hahahahaha! Kushina, turn around! Turn around and look behind you!]
For the first time, the bound Nine-Tails felt that being sealed could be this enjoyable.
"Behind me? Nine-Tails, what kind of trick are you trying to pull now?"
Kushina frowned as she prepared to turn around.
In her mind, the only thing behind her should be Naruto.
What else could there possibly be…
"Kushina… hello."
Namikaze Minato, sweating profusely, gritting his teeth while being attacked by Naruto's One Thousand Years of Death, awkwardly greeted her.
"?"
Kushina froze for a moment.
Then her eyes widened.
Had she fallen under the Nine-Tails' genjutsu?
(End of this chapter)