Minato nodded slowly, his voice softening. "Yes, Naruto. You're my son. When the Nine-Tails attacked the Leaf Village, I… I sealed the Fox inside you to save everyone."
Naruto's teary eyes grew wide as the words sank in. Her expression shifted from shock to indignation. Without warning, she raised her hand and swung, hitting Minato in the crotch with surprising precision.
Minato stumbled back, doubling over with a strangled sound. "Ow! Naruto! What was that for?!"
Naruto stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him through her tears. "Why would you do that to your own son, eh, child, dattebayo?!"
Minato straightened up slowly, rubbing the sore spot and wincing. "Naruto, listen to me." His voice was firm yet gentle. "It wasn't an easy decision. Your mother and I knew the risks, but we didn't have any other choice."
"Why not?!" Naruto demanded, her voice breaking. "Why me? Why not someone else, dattebayo?!"
Minato's eyes softened, filled with regret and pain. "Naruto, when the Nine-Tails attacked, it was far too powerful to be defeated outright. Sealing it was the only way to protect the village. And only a newborn could handle the strain of being its jinchūriki, someone whose chakra network was unformed and malleable enough to withstand the Fox's power."
Naruto's anger faltered, replaced by confusion and sorrow. "B-but… why your own son? Why not someone else's baby, dattebayo?"
Minato placed a hand on his chest, his voice resolute. "Because it was my responsibility as Hokage. How could I ask another family to sacrifice their child when I wasn't willing to do the same with my own?" He paused, his eyes locking with hers. "Your mother and I believed in you, Naruto. We believed you could handle it. And we believed that one day, you'd use the Fox's power to protect the village and the people you care about."
Naruto's lips quivered as tears streamed down her face. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "But it's not fair, dattebayo! It's not fair! I didn't ask for this!"
"I know," Minato said softly, his voice thick with regret. "I know it wasn't fair. And I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for everything you've been through. If there had been another way, I would have taken it. But I had to make a choice. And in that moment, I chose to believe in you."
Naruto stared at him, her tears falling silently as his words sank in. The anger and hurt in her chest clashed with a small, flickering ember of understanding.
Minato reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Naruto. And you're not alone. You have people who care about you, people who are willing to fight for you. Never forget that."
Naruto looked down, her voice barely a whisper. "But… I feel so broken… so useless…"
Minato's grip on her shoulder tightened gently. "You're not broken, Naruto. You're my child. And no matter what happens, no matter what form you take, you'll always be the light your mother and I believed in."
Naruto's tears flowed freely as she met his gaze, a flicker of hope and determination returning to her sapphire eyes.