Planning to Break the Seal

"Hey, Kurama, can I ask you something?" Naruto leaned against one of the seal's pillars, his back turned to Kurama as he spoke.

Giving his back completely to Kurama showed just how much Naruto trusted him now.

Kurama did not try anything sneaky just because Naruto had his back turned.

Partly because the seal had been reinforced, making it much harder for Kurama's power to seep through it and greatly affect Naruto's body.

And partly because, after spending these days with Naruto, Kurama had already come to regard him as a friend, even if he never said so aloud.

After all, he had always been sealed inside other people. Uzumaki Mito and Uzumaki Kushina had both been boring people, and both had their own purposes for him.

At most, they had been decent people, but they could never truly be called Kurama's friends.

Only Naruto would come in to chat with him whenever he felt like it, without any ulterior motive. Sincerity was often what moved people most, and Tailed Beasts were no different.

The Nine-Tails was lying on the ground. Hearing Naruto's words, he did not even open his eyes as he said, "Go ahead, Naruto!"

"If—I mean, if—I could break your seal, what would you do?" Naruto had unconsciously turned around and was now sitting cross-legged as he looked at Kurama.

His face was filled with sincerity.

Kurama was stunned by Naruto's words. He abruptly opened his eyes and stared at him. "Naruto, you're willing to give me back my freedom? But if you lose me, you might die!"

Kurama's first thought was not what he would do after gaining freedom, but concern for Naruto's safety.

Naruto's heart warmed at Kurama's words. Then he smiled. "No, I mean breaking the seal. I never said I'd let you out. It would just make you a little freer than you are now!"

Naruto was testing Kurama's attitude. After all these days of effort, he knew Kurama was not bad by nature, nor was he a Tailed Beast that only knew destruction. He had simply never met someone suitable to guide him.

After hearing Naruto's explanation, Kurama fell into deep thought.

What did breaking the seal mean? He knew better than anyone. It meant that if he wanted to, he could mix hateful emotions into the Chakra Naruto borrowed from him, making Naruto lose control. Once Naruto lost control, Kurama could completely take over his body.

The most fatal possibility was that he could kill Naruto. Without him, Naruto would basically be doomed to die, while he was a Tailed Beast. Even if Naruto died—

His Chakra would not disappear. After waiting for a period of time, he could condense a body again and regain his freedom.

All of these risks, all of the initiative, would be in Kurama's hands. Was Naruto really willing to take such a huge risk and break his seal?

"Kurama, what's your answer?"

Naruto looked at Kurama seriously.

Kurama's answer would affect how Naruto treated him from now on. Would he continue persuading him and speak to him from the heart, or would he leave Kurama alone for a while and let him think things through?

Kurama's mind raced. He had never felt his brain was so inadequate before. He did not know why Naruto was asking this. He only knew that he did not want to hurt Naruto, but at the same time, after being restrained for so long, he had not felt the sensation of freedom in a very long time.

"Maybe I'd ask you to let me out for a walk. You know, once you break the seal, you'll be able to undergo Tailed Beast Transformation. I could take the chance to get out and breathe some fresh air. After I'm done looking around, maybe I'll obediently come back."

Kurama spoke helplessly.

"Oh? You'd come back? I thought you'd take control of my body and run away." Kurama's answer pleased Naruto greatly, and he teased him with a smile.

"Give me a break, Naruto. You know it too. I may crave freedom, but if I truly gained it, I'd probably feel at a loss instead. I don't have any goal, after all. And you're my friend. Without me, you really would die. For your sake, I can only stay obediently inside you."

Kurama first answered Naruto's joke, but then his tone became extremely serious.

Naruto froze for a moment. This was the first time Kurama had admitted that Naruto was his friend.

The smile on Naruto's face became even brighter. "Then it's settled, Kurama. We're friends, so we have to help each other!"

Kurama said irritably, "Even if we are friends, I seriously suspect you only want my Chakra and my power. My friend, your intentions aren't pure!"

Naruto was not embarrassed at all after his little scheme was exposed. "We're friends already. It's just a small favor, so don't worry about it so much, Kurama!"

Indeed, if he could eliminate the negative effects Kurama brought, everything Kurama had left to offer would be an enormous boost.

After the seal was broken, Naruto's Chakra would increase dramatically. In battle, he could also receive Chakra replenishment from Kurama. Throwing out a dozen or so S-rank Ninjutsu would not be a problem.

With Kurama's help, Naruto's speed and strength would both increase drastically. The boost brought by the Tailed Beast Cloak alone would be immense.

Kurama's Chakra would also greatly enhance Naruto's recovery ability. With Naruto's current bloodline and Kurama's Chakra, it would be like going from having natural healing to carrying around a mobile healing spring!

And beyond all those benefits, the most important thing was—

After breaking the seal, Naruto could completely connect with Kurama and attempt to enter Kurama Mode!

At that point, Naruto could overthrow all of Konoha without breaking a sweat!

Of course, all of this depended on Kurama being willing to help Naruto.

"So, are you ready, Kurama?" Naruto asked.

"Ready for what? Naruto, don't tell me—no, you're serious? You're planning to break the seal today?" Kurama was first stunned, then asked in utter disbelief.

He had originally thought Naruto was merely saying it to test his attitude, and he truly had spoken what was in his heart.

Having Naruto as a friend had already made him very happy. Even if he continued living like this, it would no longer feel as unbearable as before.

He had not expected Naruto to actually plan to break the seal today after hearing his answer.

Naruto stood up. "Kurama, you said it yourself. We're friends. Friends should trust each other. I believe in you, Kurama!"

Under Kurama's shocked gaze, the water pillar beneath Naruto's feet slowly rose under the control of his will, steadily lifting him higher. Naruto followed it up to the enormous seal character.

Naruto placed his hand on the seal, preparing to break it.

But if nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected was about to happen. After all, Minato Namikaze had left a backup plan behind!

At that moment, a strange light emerged from the seal. Naruto knew that this should be the Chakra his father, Minato Namikaze, had left behind.

He was about to meet one of his favorite ninja from his previous life—Minato Namikaze.

Seriously? Even dead, Minato was still this underhanded?

In the original work, he was considered the fastest, the coolest, and the most skillful ninja!

"Naruto, now isn't the time to break the seal, okay?"

Minato's Chakra slowly took human form and spoke to Naruto.

He had blond hair, just like Naruto.

He was handsome—slightly more handsome than Naruto, though just a little less handsome than you esteemed viewers.

The handsome man wore a Mizukage Robe, and the large words "Fourth Hokage" on his back were impossible to look away from.

Minato grabbed Naruto's hand and stopped him.

Kurama only acknowledged Naruto. As for Minato Namikaze, he was the culprit who had sealed him away. How could Kurama possibly show him a pleasant face?

"Damn Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze! I'll kill you!"

As the saying went, enemies were especially jealous when they met.

Seeing Kurama's reaction, Minato Namikaze was somewhat helpless. Looking at Naruto's current appearance, he seemed to be only six or seven years old, far younger than Minato Namikaze had expected.

Seeing Naruto's age and the Nine-Tails' crazed behavior, Minato Namikaze immediately concluded that the Nine-Tails must have lured Naruto here and planned to deceive him into breaking the seal while his will was still weak. What a hateful Nine-Tails!

"Nine-Tails, as long as I'm here, don't even think about taking advantage of my son!" Minato Namikaze stood in front of Naruto, shielding him behind his back as he faced the Nine-Tails.

Only then did Naruto realize that his father seemed to have misunderstood the situation. This was all a misunderstanding.

"Um, Dad, this is actually a misunderstanding," Naruto said to Minato Namikaze.

Hearing Naruto's words, Minato Namikaze turned around in surprise. "Naruto, you actually know me? Did Lord Third Hokage tell you everything?"

"He must have taken very good care of you, then. That means Kushina and I did not die in vain protecting Konoha."

Minato had rehearsed countless times in his mind what it would be like to meet his son.

For example, if Naruto asked who he was, he could coolly answer that he was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and also Naruto's biological father.

Or if Naruto asked why he had sealed the Nine-Tails inside him, he could answer that Naruto was the child of Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina, and they believed Naruto could subdue the Nine-Tails and gain its power.

But in the end, when Minato Namikaze's Chakra awakened, it felt as though the whole world had changed.

"Of course I know you. You're the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and you're also my father!"

"As for the Third Hokage you mentioned, not at all. That old bastard wasn't that kind-hearted. I learned all this myself, and Kurama helped me with some of it too."

Naturally, Naruto could not say that he knew the entire history of the ninja world, so he could only brush it off and use Kurama as a shield.

"Kurama? Whose name is that? It sounds familiar, yet strange. Have I met him somewhere before?" Minato asked in confusion.

"Of course, Fourth Hokage. That is this old man's name. But I won't allow you to call me that. Only Naruto gets to call me that!" Kurama said irritably to Minato Namikaze's Chakra.

"What? That's actually your name, Nine-Tails? But no matter how you try to deceive Naruto, Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze. With me here, don't even think about breaking the seal, making him release you, and throwing Konoha into chaos!"

After hearing Kurama's words, Minato shielded Naruto behind him and assumed a confrontational stance.

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