Kushina's Rage

"Don't let your Nine-Tails Chakra erupt, or the Anbu will notice."

As Senyo restrained the Nine-Tails, two masses of chakra emerged in midair.

The chakra shifted and twisted, eventually taking the forms of the most handsome man in the ninja world, Namikaze Minato, and the woman who loved Naruto most, Kushina.

Only then did the Nine-Tails snap out of its daze. Minato and Kushina had actually left behind chakra? It had never known.

Namikaze Minato and Kushina appeared at the same time, both staring warily at Uchiha Senyo.

"Uchiha!? Are you trying to start a war!?"

"Have you captured Naruto?"

Senyo noticed that the Nine-Tails was struggling harder. It had clearly spotted Namikaze Minato and Kushina.

He did not answer them. Instead, he slapped the half-removed seal back into place.

Senyo turned around, and his Mangekyō Sharingan began to spin.

In an instant, he pulled Namikaze Minato and Kushina into the Illusionary World.

"My apologies, but these two masses of chakra of yours probably won't last much longer, so I can only communicate with you this way."

"I've connected Naruto's memories using my ocular powers. You can take a look at the kind of life Naruto has been living."

Senyo's voice came from high above. Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance.

Both saw shock in the other's eyes.

But their attention was quickly drawn to Naruto.

From a third-person perspective, they saw the life Naruto had lived after their deaths.

After Naruto passed infancy, he was kicked out of the orphanage while still very young.

Although Anbu watched him from all around, Naruto lived like an orphan, unable to find food or even a place to stay.

After Naruto had wandered like that for quite some time, the Third Hokage suddenly descended from the sky.

He found Naruto a place to live, making Naruto deeply grateful.

But Naruto's life remained miserable.

Whenever he appeared on the streets, people looked at him with fearful, disgusted eyes.

The children, influenced by their parents, began bullying Naruto as well.

"Get lost! You fox demon!"

"Die, you monster!"

"Go die!"

"Hit him!"

"Stone him to death!"

"No, I'm not a monster!"

"Don't hit me!"

"Waaah..."

"Why do they all call me a monster?"

"Why does everyone bully me...?"

Naruto longed for friends, yet not only was no one willing to play with him, he was freely abused by everyone else.

Namikaze Minato's face turned livid, while Kushina's heart nearly shattered.

She flew toward Naruto, trying to hug him, but her body passed right through his.

"Minato! Is that old bastard the Third Hokage really taking care of Naruto!?"

If they had merely kept Naruto's identity from him, Namikaze Minato could understand.

But Naruto had been bullied despite being under the heavy protection of the Anbu.

The Anbu stood right beside him and never once saved Naruto.

Every time, the Third Hokage only arrived belatedly after Naruto had been beaten until he was bloody and battered.

"Waaah... Grandpa Third, they're all bullying me."

The Third Hokage seemingly kindly stroked Naruto's head and comforted him in a soft voice.

Kushina, standing nearby, looked ready to breathe fire.

"Ahhh! Third, you bastard!"

Kushina had seen with her own eyes that the Third Hokage had been nearby, watching Naruto being bullied.

He only came over to play the good guy after Naruto had been beaten so badly he could no longer get up.

Senyo's figure slowly appeared beside Minato and Kushina.

"Well, Fourth Hokage? Your wishful thinking personally created your son's suffering."

"Do you regret it now?"

When Namikaze Minato sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto, he had two considerations.

First, as Hokage, he needed to maintain the balance of tailed beasts among the villages.

If Konoha did not have the Nine-Tails, the other villages might very well attack.

Konoha might even be destroyed.

That was why he had rejected Kushina's proposal to seal the Nine-Tails back into herself and die alongside it.

His second consideration was that schemers like Madara Uchiha—Obito—were still out there.

A major disaster might very well strike the ninja world in the future.

With the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, Naruto, as a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, would be able to protect himself and might even become a savior.

Minato's second consideration was based on Jiraiya's words, his own guesses, and his assessment.

But Minato clearly did not understand the darkness of politics, nor did he see the Third Hokage's true character clearly enough.

He had selfishly sacrificed his own family for Konoha, but now that he saw his son living a life worse than a dog's, he regretted it.

He regretted it deeply.

"Did Naruto live like this when he was little?"

Minato and Kushina watched as Naruto was not only bullied.

He could not even get a proper full meal.

Those vendors simply refused to sell him anything.

He either ate boxed lunches with sand in them or drank expired milk. Other than Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto had practically nothing to eat.

Senyo pointed at the scene before them.

"Heh, not just in the past. It's still like this now. What could be easier than raising an obedient dog?"

"Here's your living allowance for the next two months. Spend it carefully."

In the illusion, the Third Hokage was handing money to Naruto.

Yet there was only one bill in total—one thousand ryo.

And Naruto was still overflowing with gratitude toward the Third Hokage.

"Yeah! Thank you, Grandpa Third! If it weren't for you, Grandpa Third, I would've starved to death long ago."

Then the Third Hokage put on an act of grandfatherly affection with Naruto.

Hearing Naruto's grateful words, Kushina was nearly driven to collapse. Her beloved son had been bullied and manipulated.

"What about my assets?"

"That bastard Third Hokage couldn't even make sure Naruto had enough to eat?"

The gentle, serene expression on Kushina's face was completely replaced by fury fierce enough to devour someone.

Senyo shrugged helplessly. "What do your assets have to do with Naruto? Isn't Naruto an orphan?"

His words struck Kushina like a heavy hammer.

Bang!

Burning with rage, Kushina punched Minato and sent him flying.

"Minato! Look at the wonderful decision you made!"

Meanwhile, in the scene, Naruto sat alone on a swing, swaying back and forth.

His face was filled with loneliness and desolation.

"Why don't I have a dad and mom?"

"Why do they all curse at me and hit me?"

Minato climbed to his feet, his face full of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Kushina. I didn't know the Third Hokage was that kind of person."

From the conversation Minato and Kushina had before their deaths, it was clear that they had mentally prepared themselves for Naruto to suffer to some extent.

But they had never expected the Third Hokage not only to refuse to help Naruto through those hardships, but to instead exploit the villagers' hatred of the Nine-Tails to control him.

Senyo waved a hand. "Minato was just a commoner. What political sense could he possibly have?"

"The Third Hokage got the Senju Clan killed one after another, then got Hatake Sakumo killed too. If his eldest son hadn't suddenly died—"

"How could Minato ever have become Hokage?"

As he spoke, Senyo turned to Minato. "Minato, you don't really think your qualifications were better than Orochimaru's, do you?"

"The only reason they made you the Fourth Hokage was because you had no backing and were easy to control."

This world did not even have nine years of compulsory education. Even the Ninja Academy had only appeared within the last few decades.

Most of what they taught there was meant for brainwashing, so naturally they did not teach anything about political struggles.

After graduating from the Ninja Academy, he had gone straight into becoming a ninja.

Minato had been only twenty-four when he died—extremely young—so naturally he lacked the relevant experience.

His knowledge in these areas was practically nonexistent.

If the Nine-Tails' Rampage had not occurred, Minato would likewise have become a puppet in the Third Hokage's hands.

Minato suppressed all his emotions. "State your purpose, Uchiha."