Explanation, Grievances

"Hmph! I can't be bothered to fight you, Naruto. Explain it yourself. I don't want to have anything more to do with him. After all, I'm like this because of him!"

Kurama did not curse Minato Namikaze outright. His miserable experiences could not be soothed by mere insults.

But he was Naruto's friend, and Minato Namikaze was Naruto's father no matter what. He could not curse him. If he could not afford to provoke him, could he not at least avoid him?

"Yes, Dad. Kurama and I are friends. I was the one who wanted to undo Kurama's seal. Kurama itself didn't even expect me to take the initiative and release it!" Naruto said to Minato Namikaze, understanding Kurama's little temper as well.

This little tsundere had already done well enough by opening its heart to him. As for showing anyone else a pleasant face, then it would not be the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki people spoke of.

Minato was somewhat stunned. Becoming friends with the Nine-Tails was something even Kushina had never fully managed to do. His son looked to be only six or seven years old, yet he had accomplished it?

Had the village invented some method of controlling Tailed Beasts?

Though he did not know exactly what had happened, he could tell from Naruto and the Nine-Tails' manner of conversation that their relationship was truly unusual.

No matter the process, as long as the result was good, that was enough.

Once Minato realized there seemed to be no issue between Naruto and the Nine-Tails, he suddenly recalled what Naruto had said earlier. Naruto seemed rather dissatisfied with the Third Hokage?

"Naruto, tell me. What do you mean by saying that you learned I was your father yourself, and that the Nine-Tails helped you? Did the Third Hokage not tell you about your identity?"

Hearing Minato Namikaze's words, Naruto pondered for a moment.

Remembering everything that had happened in the past, he could not help but sneer.

"Dad, I'm six years old this year. After you died, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi did not reveal my identity to the people of the village—that I was the son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. At the same time, he changed my name to Uzumaki Naruto, claiming it was for my safety."

"He said that you and Mom had made too many enemies in the ninja world, and that since I was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, it was all supposedly for my own good."

"But after you died, your assets were divided up by Konoha. I became an orphan, and the Third Hokage did not take proper care of me. Instead, he allowed Shimura Danzō to spread the rumor throughout the village that I was the incarnation of the Demon Fox."

"From childhood to adulthood, the villagers hated me. They encouraged their children to isolate and bully me. Since I was little, I suffered all kinds of contempt and insults. They called me a wild child with no father or mother and said I should be driven out of Konoha."

"I couldn't even get enough to eat or wear. Sometimes, the Third Hokage would toss me a little relief money. When I tried to use it to buy things on the street, the villagers would deliberately sell me expired milk and make me have diarrhea for days. Some even refused to sell me anything. Sometimes I could only buy instant noodles, sometimes I could buy nothing at all, and sometimes I even felt like I was going to starve to death."

The more Naruto spoke, the more immersed he became.

Though he had seemingly long since let it go, it had only been buried deep in his heart. Now, he had the chance to pour out all the unfair treatment he had suffered over the years to his family.

Naruto could no longer hold it in. He intended to thoroughly denounce everything Konoha had done to him!

He wanted his father, Minato Namikaze, to know exactly what kind of Konoha he had protected!

At that moment, Kurama, who had been watching from the side, was also filled with righteous indignation. It laughed at Minato Namikaze. "Funny, isn't it, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze? In my eyes, you're nothing more than a joke. The Konoha you protected at the cost of your life, the Konoha Villagers you saved—they treated the Son of a Hero from Konoha like this?"

"Let me put it this way: I watched Naruto grow up. Everything Naruto went through was even more painful than he described. This was all the fine work of your corrupt and foolish Konoha higher-ups! If I hadn't secretly protected Naruto before, he might have died long ago! Died at the hands of your own Konoha people!"

Naruto's words made Minato Namikaze somewhat doubtful, but since they came from his own son, he should not have doubted them.

Furthermore, the Nine-Tails within the seal had said the same. Given the Nine-Tails' nature, it had no need to lie. It only needed to tell the truth, because the truth was often the most hurtful thing of all.

Though Minato Namikaze had harbored some suspicions toward the Third Hokage before, he had believed that even if Naruto could not be treated as the Son of a Hero and receive the care due to a hero's orphan—

At the very least, he should have been treated as an ordinary orphan. He should have been placed with a family and raised properly. Yet he had never expected this. Never.

The Third Hokage, whom he had respected so much, was actually such a bastard!

Kushina and he had sacrificed themselves to protect Konoha, yet their biological son had not even received the treatment afforded to an ordinary orphan!

Third Hokage, this was going too far!

If the Third Hokage truly wanted to hide Naruto's identity, there was no way it could have been leaked. Not many people knew Naruto's identity in the first place, and nearly all of them were Konoha's higher-ups.

The only person who could have revealed Naruto's identity and had the motive to do so was the leader of "Root," Shimura Danzō, as Naruto had said.

That meant Naruto's words were essentially confirmed. They were all true.

After understanding the full story, Minato felt as though his world had collapsed. The Will of Fire he had upheld for so many years, his faith in Konoha, and his trust in Konoha's higher-ups all came crashing down in that instant.

Once, he had believed that compared to being a good father, he would rather be a good Hokage and fight to protect the villagers.

But now, if he could do it all over again, he would choose to be a good father and protect his child so he could grow up healthy!

Having understood everything, Minato Namikaze looked at Naruto with guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Kushina and I failed to see the Third Hokage's true nature and pushed you into an endless abyss. If we could do it again, your mother and I would definitely choose to stay by your side and watch you grow up!"

After that, his feelings toward the Third Hokage gradually became disgust and hatred. In the end, he had placed his trust in the wrong person. Third Hokage, once you die, I definitely won't let you have it easy!

"It's okay, Dad. I'm doing pretty well now. I've made many friends in the village, and they don't isolate me because I'm supposedly the incarnation of the Demon Fox. On the contrary, they rely on me and believe in me. Even in the darkest places, there will always be a light somewhere—a place where I can belong!"

Naruto smiled calmly, and the sight of that smile made Minato Namikaze feel even more heartbroken.

"By the way, Dad, are you still going to stop me? I already promised Kurama that I would undo its seal and return its freedom!"

Naruto's eyes were full of determination as he spoke.

Minato Namikaze sighed. "Naruto, although your mother and I missed so much of your life, we are still your parents. We don't want to see anything happen to you. Undoing the seal is a major matter. What if the Nine-Tails is merely deceiving you? If something goes wrong, you could truly lose your life."

"Even the contingency your mother and I left behind might not be able to save you. Now, are you still certain that you want to undo the seal?"

Minato Namikaze could not bring himself to stop Naruto. He only explained the serious consequences that undoing the seal might bring. The final decision would still be Naruto's to make.

Naruto nodded confidently and smiled. "Of course, Dad. This is an agreement between Kurama and me. I believe Kurama won't deceive me. Besides, Kurama is actually a very pitiful Tailed Beast."

"From the moment I was born, you and Mom used Fuinjutsu to seal it inside me, imprisoning it all this time. And wasn't I also imprisoned in this cage called Konoha? So Kurama is just like me—a pitiful being unable to control its own freedom."

"Naruto!" Hearing this, even Kurama could not help but be moved, its eyes growing misty. Good brother! Brotherhood is held in the heart; everything need not be said!

From now on, anyone who wanted to lay a finger on Naruto would have to get past me, Kurama, first!

Minato knew he could not continue persuading Naruto. However, he said somewhat awkwardly, "Naruto, you may not know this, but your father has always been henpecked at home. Undoing the seal is such an important matter that I can't decide it on my own. If your mother finds out, she might give me a beating. So, let's ask your mother what she thinks!"

Minato also thought of the wife he had not seen in a long time—the sweet-looking but somewhat fiery woman with a head of fiery red hair, sometimes careless and sometimes extremely attentive. His little wife, Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina.

"Dad, you mean... we're going to see Mom too?" Naruto was clever enough to immediately understand the implication behind Minato's words.

"Yes. You're also curious about what your mother is like, aren't you?" Minato gave Naruto a warm smile.

If there was anyone who could make up for the familial love Naruto had lacked all these years, aside from the inarticulate Minato Namikaze, who was not good at expressing affection, then the only person left was Uzumaki Kushina.

"Then let's go!" Minato closed his eyes and mobilized the Chakra within his body. The surrounding space began to change.

Naruto was also very curious about this woman who had never formally appeared in the original main story and existed only in people's memories—his mother, Uzumaki Kushina!

Naruto curiously examined this unusual space. Compared to the gloomy sewer where Kurama was sealed, this place was filled with the warmth of sunlight. It carried a feeling of motherly love washing over him.

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