Nine-Tails and Anju

In the dim Sealing Space.

A giant orange fox huffed in displeasure.

It was none other than the Nine-Tails.

"Kurama, we're the same person, don't be mad."

A voice echoed in Kurama's mind.

"I shouldn't have trusted you!"

"Why not? Look how good it is now—at least I didn't end up in the Shinigami's Stomach."

"But I'm still sealed, stripped of freedom!"

"Trust me, it'll get better."

"Aren't you sealed too? What makes you think it'll improve?"

"Because I'm you from the future, and I'm inside Kushina's body. You should know Kushina Uzumaki's Sealing Space."

Kurama fell silent.

He'd been in Kushina Uzumaki's Sealing Space before—it was no place for a tailed beast, sealed tight as a drum.

Anju said cheerfully, "But what's better than your time is that I've got Minato Namikaze's Chakra Body here, so Kushina won't seal me completely."

"What's your plan?" Kurama asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, I'll raise the Jinchuriki well. Oh, and I want to borrow your chakra to visit your side. You can borrow mine to come here too."

"And then?"

"Temporarily latch onto the Child of Destiny. Once the Child of Destiny grows strong, we'll finally gain freedom!"

The Nine-Tails was baffled. "Where's this Child of Destiny coming from?"

"The kid sealing you right now—that's the Child of Destiny."

"What?" Kurama didn't believe it.

"The Ninja World isn't peaceful. I know Madara Uchiha will revive someday."

"What!?" The whole fox was shaken; just hearing Madara Uchiha's name made him restless.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm here. Madara Uchiha's revival is at least a decade away. No rush yet."

"How much do you actually know?" Kurama asked, incredulous.

"Heh, not much. But to nurture the Child of Destiny and fight Madara Uchiha later, we have to give it our all."

"If what you say is true, then of course."

"I'm you from the future—would I lie to you?"

"Hmph. Hope this Child of Destiny lives up to expectations."

With that, Kurama lay down on the floor of the Sealing Space and stopped talking to Anju.

Having calmed Kurama, Anju turned his attention back to Kushina Uzumaki, who had just appeared in the Sealing Space.

"Hey, are you two done? Making goo-goo eyes in my Sealing Space—ever think about my feelings?"

Kushina Uzumaki hadn't woken up in the hospital yet, but her consciousness had already reached the Sealing Space.

She immediately started apologizing to Minato Namikaze, and they went back and forth until they ended up hugging.

Then they started torturing the single dog.

Well, Anju really was a dog now.

Foxes are canines too!

Anju's original name was Li Anju. He'd just graduated college a year ago, dabbled in making videos and multimedia work on the side—his handle was Anju—and loved raising cats. He had two orange cats at home.

He'd stepped out to take out the trash one morning, felt a sharp pain on his head, and then blacked out.

When he woke up, he saw the scene from Naruto where Minato and Kushina sealed the Nine-Tails. Worst of all, he was part of it—but the most tragic part!

"Damn Nine-Tails, this is all your fault!"

Kushina Uzumaki whipped her head around and glared fiercely in the direction of the voice.

But she found no trace of the Nine-Tails.

Minato Namikaze pointed downward.

Kushina Uzumaki looked at the ground.

A fluffy little fox—what girl could resist that?

Kushina was just a slightly older girl. How old? Twenty-four!

"Is this the Nine-Tails?"

Kushina Uzumaki scooped up Anju and rubbed her face against his fur.

Minato Namikaze couldn't stand it, a little jealous of Anju for stealing his wife's attention.

Kushina Uzumaki snapped out of it too, hoisting Anju up with both hands. "That's right, you're the Nine-Tails! Spill it—what's your goal in this form?"

Then she hugged Anju again. "Oh my, if I'd known the Nine-Tails was this cute, I wouldn't have sealed you so tight."

(?ò?ó?)

Minato wanted to cry. Was this Nine-Tails here to steal his wife?

(▼皿▼#)

"I'm just trying to remind you—Naruto needs a mother, and Konoha needs a Jinchuriki. So, Kushina, you need to wake up, not pour your heart out to Minato."

Hearing this, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki both realized it at the same time.

At this point, how was Kushina supposed to awaken?

Even though the Kushina in the Sealing Space wanted to wake up, the Kushina on the hospital bed showed no sign of stirring.

"What's going on? Why won't Kushina wake up?" After a few attempts, Minato and Kushina found no way to rouse her sleeping body.

"Maybe her body's too weak," Anju said.

"Impossible. The Uzumaki Physique has strong recovery—how can she still not wake? Anju, did you pull something?" Minato was the first to voice suspicion.

Anju rolled his eyes. "You and I are both sealed in here. Whatever I do, you see it clearly, don't you?"

Anju recalled the original story and guessed that Kushina was already weak after childbirth, then lost her tailed beast for a while—doubling the exhaustion.

"Wait, if I stay asleep forever, won't I never get to see my little Naruto?"

"No, Kushina. The Third Hokage will definitely cure you."

Minato sat back down in the pavilion Anju had conjured. He knew that as long as Kushina wasn't dead, the Third Hokage would save her.

Just as Anju said, Konoha needed a Jinchuriki.

A Jinchuriki capable of combat couldn't be lost—especially one with a newborn son.

Darkly, a Jinchuriki with bonds was easy to control.

Minato didn't want to think that way about the Third, but he understood in his heart that the Third had done some shady things.

For instance, the Raikage kidnapping Kushina—wasn't that preparation to control the Jinchuriki?

He himself was part of that chain, but it was also because he had feelings for Kushina, so...

He couldn't dwell on it. Konoha needed a Jinchuriki—a mature, easily controlled one.

And Kushina was absolutely the best choice. The Third Hokage wouldn't let that combat power slip away.

Anju was held by Kushina as she sat down across from Minato.

Anju spoke up then, suggesting Minato tell Kushina about the enemy's intel so she could relay it to Konoha's others as soon as she woke.

"Minato, tell us what you think about that Masked Man who controlled my original body."

Honestly, Anju knew Obito's abilities well, but he couldn't say so—he had no way to explain it.

After Minato laid out everything he knew about the Masked Man to Kushina, he turned his gaze to Anju.

"What about you? Any intel to share?"

"All I can say is, the darkness of the Ninja World—you can't handle it, Minato." Anju chuckled, playing coy.

Just then, a tightening force squeezed his body—Kushina was reminding him with her grip. Anju immediately calmed down.

He couldn't talk like that. He was still sealed by her!

"I only know the Masked Man isn't Madara Uchiha—the Chakra aura is different. As for the rest, you know I was under the Sharingan's control."

Anju put on an act of not knowing much.