Naruto, transformed into the Seven-Tails, struggled continuously against the Wood Release binding him. The Tailed Beast chakra around him grew ever denser, and Yamato's Wood Release could only restrain him for so long.
Within Naruto's mental world, Naruto had completely lost consciousness under the influence of the Nine-Tails chakra. He slowly walked toward the cage sealing the Nine-Tails.
"Faster! Hurry up!" the Nine-Tails said excitedly. This was the closest he had come to regaining his freedom in all these years.
Naruto reached out, about to tear off the sealing Fuinjutsu, when a hand reached out from beside him and stopped him. That familiar, gentle voice rang out once more. "Naruto, are you going to hurt Konoha's companions?"
Those words alone dispelled the darkness in Naruto's heart, and clarity returned to his eyes.
"Dad!"
Naruto turned around and threw himself into his father's arms, tears streaming down his face.
Fatherly love filled Minato Namikaze's eyes as he gently stroked Naruto's blond hair. "My child, have you run into some difficult problem? Tell Dad about it. Maybe I can help clear up your doubts."
Naruto pulled away from his father's embrace and said anxiously, "That day, an Anbu being hunted down came to my house and gave me some intelligence. It detailed many of Sarutobi Hiruzen's schemes."
"Since the day I was born, the villagers saw me as the incarnation of the Demon Fox. I suffered endless bullying because Konoha needed an outlet to ease its internal conflicts."
"Mom giving birth to me was Konoha's top secret, so why did the Masked Man know where she was delivering me?"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen leaked it! He wanted to kill you, Dad, become Hokage again, and seize all power for himself!"
"And the one who killed Dad and Mom was your disciple, Uchiha Obito. He