The night was silent and still as Naruto drifted into his mindscape. It was a familiar place—a vast, mist-shrouded space filled with ominous shadows that flickered as if alive, reflecting his most guarded thoughts and memories. Somewhere in the distance, faint whispers echoed, remnants of past pains and secrets that hid in the dark corners of his subconscious. Naruto's feet moved across the damp, stony ground, leaving faint imprints in the shifting mist, and he made his way toward the center, where the massive cage containing the Nine-Tails loomed in the dark.
Ahead of him, red and menacing, the iron bars glowed ominously with a faint, pulsing light. It was a place he had visited many times, yet the eerie atmosphere never quite faded. Even with the strength he'd developed, the cage's presence still weighed heavily on him.
As he approached, Naruto saw Kurama's eyes watching him intently from behind the bars, their fiery gaze softening slightly as Naruto came into view. The air around the cage felt charged with energy, a raw, potent chakra that reminded Naruto of both the beast's power and the bond they had formed.
"Kurama," Naruto began, a small, confident smile tugging at his lips. "Are you ready to be out of that cage?"
Kurama blinked, his massive face shifting into a grin that looked both fierce and affectionate. "Yeah, Naruto," he replied, his deep voice echoing through the mindscape, carrying a warmth rare for the mighty Nine-Tails. He could see the young boy's determination—a lonely child who seldom spoke more than necessary, someone who shielded himself against the world, fearing to form bonds he thought would one day shatter. But when Naruto did connect, he was loyal to the core, boundless in his commitment to those he cared for. Kurama had come to respect that resilience. Even though he sensed a darkness within Naruto—a blend of loneliness, cold determination, and whispers of despair—it was balanced by an equally strong light that drew people in. Naruto was a contradiction, a lifeless yet vibrant flame.
Naruto took a steadying breath, then placed his hands on his stomach, feeling the familiar swirl of energy within him. His fingers began to form a series of intricate symbols, the kanji glowing with power as they lined up along his fingers. Slowly, he turned his hands in a practiced motion, lifting the seal. The cage, its once-solid structure, started to dissolve into wisps of red chakra. The bars faded, bit by bit, until Kurama was free to step outside his prison.
Just as the last remnants of the cage disappeared, another chakra presence flared to life nearby. Naruto froze, and then he recognized the familiar sensation—a presence he'd felt once before, a chakra that was at once calming and charged with power. The chakra coalesced into a figure standing between Naruto and Kurama. With his back facing Naruto, the figure's broad shoulders and golden hair were unmistakable. There was only one person who could interfere with a sealing technique at this level. The person slammed his hand on the cage as the cage fully reformed sealing the Nine-Tails again.
"Hello, Father," Naruto said, the words laced with a faint tone of anguish?
The man slowly turned, his bright blue eyes locking onto Naruto's face with a mixture of softness and sorrow. Seeing the faint ghost of a smile on Minato's lips, Naruto's own expression hardened, his eyes turning colder, more indifferent. It was as if he was holding back an ocean of hollowness?
"...Naruto," Minato replied, his voice gentle and filled with sadness. He took a tentative step forward, his gaze softening with a deep affection that carried years of longing. But Naruto's reaction was unreadable, and the boy stood still, his face an impassive mask.
Minato took in the sight of his son, noting the way Naruto's gaze lingered with a mixture of recognition and distance. Though Naruto seemed to know him, it was clear that he held no real attachment. The father he had imagined would always feel like a stranger to him. That realization pierced Minato, leaving an ache in his heart that he hadn't expected.
Gently, Minato crouched down, reaching out and wrapping Naruto in a hug. "You've grown, son," he whispered, his voice laced with the sorrow of missed memories, of birthdays never celebrated, hugs he'd never been able to give and the future memories he wouldn't be able to make growing old with the love of life, seeing his kid grow up, spoiling his grandkids with his love and being their grandpa.
Minato's words hung heavy in the air, carrying the weight of years lost and dreams shattered. His voice cracked slightly, and Naruto could feel the deep sorrow resonating through the hug, the quiet desperation of a man who had sacrificed everything but received nothing in return.
Naruto stood still in Minato's embrace, unsure of what to feel. He believed he would feel anger if he ever saw his real father—the man who had left him alone, and beaten his mother and treated them like outsiders. But now, looking at this man, he felt something different. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew it wasn't the hatred he'd expected. Still, the word "father" stirred a bitter taste in his mouth, a feeling of discomfort that refused to leave.
He allowed Minato to hug him, but his arms remained at his sides, and his expression was one of distant contemplation. The idea of a father only brought memories of disappointment and abandonment. He didn't hate Minato himself, but his role as a father, made Naruto feel an ache he couldn't explain, a wound that seemed like it would never fully heal.
When Minato finally let go, he straightened and turned his gaze to the cage behind Naruto. His eyes shifted to the paper seal still attached to the bars, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
*The secondary seal I placed is still there,* Minato thought, frowning. *For Naruto to remove the main seal… someone with mastery over Fuinjutsu must have been involved. But who?* He knew that very few in the village possessed advanced sealing knowledge, and most only dabbled in basics like explosive tags or storage seals. The Uzumaki Clan, with their sealing expertise, had been nearly wiped out, with only Kushina and Naruto remaining. But for a boy of four to remove a seal of this caliber?
Suddenly, Kurama spoke up, breaking the heavy silence. "Minato… sigh," he began, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
Minato glanced over at the Nine-Tails, his expression shifting into a wary frown. "What is it, Nine-Tails?" he asked sternly, knowing that any words from the beast were worth taking seriously.
"It was your brat who opened the seal," Kurama replied with a resigned tone. "He did it himself. I had no part in it. This kid… he's something else."
Minato's thoughts raced, processing what the tailed beast had said. He turned to Naruto, watching as the boy placed his hand on his stomach, his fingers glowing faintly with kanji as he effortlessly manipulated the seal once more. In an instant, the gate vanished, freeing Kurama fully.
Alarmed, Minato reflexively prepared to restrain the Nine-Tails, but Kurama remained still, watching Minato with a calm yet intense expression.
To Minato's surprise, Naruto ran right past him and leapt toward Kurama, who extended one of his massive tails to catch the boy mid-air. Naruto grinned up at Kurama, who returned the look with a rare smile, a look of friendship and camaraderie that surprised Minato.
"Your kid is special, Minato. I like him," Kurama said with a huff, his tone begrudging but sincere as he glanced down at Naruto, their grins mirroring each other.
Minato felt a strange warmth at the sight of his son interacting so freely with the Nine-Tails. A small, proud smile crept onto his face as he watched them, a flicker of hope sparking within him. The only reason Minato sealed the nine tails inside Naruto was because he knew that his Son would be able to control the chakra of the tailed beast but he made friends with the beast which nobody thought about.. Minato smiled as it was tinged with an overwhelming sadness—he knew that he could never be part of the life Naruto was creating, the bonds he was forming.
With a deep, defeated sigh, Minato's shoulders slumped slightly. He could feel the limited chakra he'd stored within Naruto beginning to fade, and with it, his physical presence would soon disappear. He had known his time here would be brief, yet the reality of leaving his son again, without the chance to truly know him, felt as painful as a blade to the heart.
Kurama and Naruto both turned to Minato, sensing the change. Minato's figure, once so solid and vibrant, began to waver like a mirage.
"Naruto," Minato said softly, his voice carrying a fragile tenderness as he gazed at his son. "I may not be able to be here with you, but… I will always be proud of you. Every step you take, every challenge you face—know that I am with you, in spirit, every single day."
Naruto stared up at him, his eyes conflicted, as if struggling to grasp a feeling buried deep within. The coldness in his expression "softened" slightly, and for a moment, there was a glint of "understanding", perhaps even "acceptance". He raised a hand in a slight wave, and Minato mirrored the gesture.
"Thank you… Father," Naruto murmured, the words almost a whisper, but they carried a weight of finality. For the first time, Naruto's voice held a note of "sadness", an emotion he rarely allowed himself to feel.
Minato's form grew increasingly faint, his figure dissolving into wisps of light that danced in the air, reflecting off the walls of the mindscape. His eyes, however, remained fixed on Naruto, a lingering trace of his love and regret. With one final, bittersweet smile, Minato's image faded completely, leaving only the still, heavy silence of Naruto's mindscape.
As the last traces of his father's chakra disappeared, Naruto felt a strange "emptiness" settle within him, a quiet "ache" he had never experienced before. Beside him, Kurama watched quietly, his massive form casting a comforting shadow over Naruto.
Naruto nodded, swallowing hard as he looked away, his gaze lost in the mist that swirled around them. The mindscape was as silent as the night he had left behind, yet he felt less alone than before, knowing that his father's presence, though brief, had left an indelible mark on his heart.
With a steady breath, Naruto placed his hand again on the seal and turned the place from a slump to a field of grass and flowers under a massive a tress as the sun shined upon them giving them a sense of warmth as the soft wind flowed through the open fields.