Reverse Sage Mode

The next day.

Naruto came alone to the outskirts of the small town. He looked around, confirmed no one was there, and sat down cross-legged.

"Kurama, let's begin..."

"Hmph..."

In the small inn, Tsunade and Jiraiya were talking. Shizune had already gone out to buy groceries.

"Something like that actually happened...?" Tsunade was shocked, having never experienced anything like it.

Future memories? The Konoha Crush Plan? Teacher Sarutobi's death? Was she really pulled back to become the Fifth Hokage? The Akatsuki Organization? Collecting Tailed Beasts? The Moon Eye Plan? Six Paths of Pain nearly destroyed all of Konoha? The Fourth Great Ninja War? Madara Uchiha actually revived? Naruto died?

"The old man called me back, and when I first encountered this, I also found it unbelievable..." Jiraiya took a sip of hot tea and smiled. "I read Naruto's memories directly through Inoichi's jutsu... This kid has truly grown into a hero who shoulders the world..."

"Child of Prophecy, child of destiny..."

Tsunade fell silent, let out a scoff, and picked up her teacup—

Her hand trembled.

"This strange and ominous chakra?!" Tsunade suddenly turned her head, put down her teacup, and looked into the distance outside the window, towards the outskirts of the town. Frowning, she turned back to Jiraiya. "Where is Naruto? This should be the Nine-Tails, right? Didn't you say he had already mastered the Nine-Tails' power? How could he unleash such ominous chakra? And such a terrifying amount..."

"Don't get excited, don't get excited..." Jiraiya put down his teacup and gestured with his one hand. "Didn't you guys bet that Naruto would learn the Flying Thunder God Technique within a week? He's out there learning it..."

"Who agreed to bet with him...?"

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, who had to put down his teacup even to make a hand gesture, and her heart ached slightly. No woman could remain unmoved by a man, even when he had become an old man. However... she had already made her decision in her heart. Even though he was already dead... but...

"What does the Flying Thunder God Technique have to do with the Nine-Tails? Have you lost your mind? This chakra feels completely different from how he acted yesterday! This feeling... it's more like the Nine-Tails is trying to take over his consciousness...!"

Jiraiya chuckled at this and asked Tsunade instead, "Do you know when Naruto started learning the Flying Thunder God Technique? He had already memorized the jutsu when he graduated and had been studying it day and night, but until yesterday, he still couldn't draw the Flying Thunder God's formula..."

"Then why bother? It's impossible to learn this jutsu without talent!"

"Minato encountered the same 'bottleneck' as Naruto back then. Teacher Sarutobi said the same thing to Minato as you did to me... But after a year of dedicated study, Minato eventually found a way."

"So? This kid isn't Minato! You know Minato's talent better than anyone..."

"Do you know, Minato left a trace of chakra within Naruto back then. This chakra was set to appear at a specific time. That time was... when [Eight Tails] appeared."

On the grassy field outside the town, a dark red [Eight-Tails monster] was lying on the grass.

"Ahhh... it's been so long since I've stretched my legs..." Kurama, controlling Naruto's body, ambled around.

Inside the body.

"Dad..." Naruto's eyes welled up with tears.

The Fourth Hokage, clad in a white God Robe, the man who had personally sealed the Nine-Tails into his newborn child, smiled at his son, whom he hadn't seen in 12 years.

"You've grown up, Naruto."

Naruto sniffled, his nose feeling sore, and softly grunted "Mm."

"I know everything now. Call Kurama back," Minato's smile was warm, like the sun. "Back then, I set it so that I would appear when Eight Tails manifested, as a last resort if the seal was broken... I didn't expect that by the time it appeared, the seal would already be completely released."

"Things always develop in unexpected ways, Fourth Hokage." Kurama's giant body suddenly appeared beside the father and son. It looked down at them. "I never thought I'd get along with this Jinchuriki like this..."

"What are you talking about! You sound like you were really unwilling, Kurama!" Naruto tilted his head up and pointed angrily at Kurama.

"Heh heh..." Kurama twitched its neck, refusing to bother with such a brat.

"What are you twitching your neck for, hey, hey, explain yourself..." Naruto held up his middle fingers, and Kurama, not to be outdone, reciprocated with a massive middle finger.

Heh heh...

Minato watched this scene with a smile, feeling both gratified, disappointed, and regretful.

Back then... if Kushina could have gotten along with Kurama like this, perhaps so many things wouldn't have happened? Would our family have been able to live in peace?

However, that masked man...

"Naruto, in the memories you received... is there any information about that masked man? Is he... is he really Madara Uchiha?" Minato asked. The Mangekyo Sharingan of that mysterious masked man had always kept him on guard; it was an eye filled with hatred and ruthlessness.

Although his residual chakra allowed him to vaguely understand Naruto's experiences in the outside world, it couldn't probe into his mind. Therefore, even knowing that Naruto had received [Future Memories], he didn't know the content of those memories, hence the question.

Naruto froze. He remembered Obito... his father's student.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked.

Kurama said from behind Naruto, "That's Obito Uchiha! Your student who was thought to be long dead, Fourth Hokage."

"Obito...?!" Minato was utterly shocked, finding it almost unbelievable.

That eye, that eye filled with hatred, despair, ruthlessness, and indifference... was Obito's? Was it the eye of that Obito Uchiha? The eye of that Obito who was always laughing foolishly and was often late because he was helping the elderly?!

Naruto was speechless. Although he didn't know how [his future self] felt when he witnessed Obito's inner turmoil, he... felt heartbroken now. It was a pain he could empathize with. Naruto wasn't sure if this was him being overly sympathetic, but seeing Obito, who was once a boy yearning to become Hokage, gradually turn into a villain who opposed the world, he couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow.

Weren't you going to become Hokage? Why are you doing something so foolish?

Weren't you going to protect Rin? Why are you doing evil?

How can someone who does evil still claim to protect anyone...

Naruto thought about what he should do when he met the current Obito in the future, and the result of that thought was... to stop him.

[Hint: According to the setting, Naruto died at the moment the Nine-Tails was extracted, and before the Yin Nine-Tails could enter his body... At this time, Naruto had no chance to see Obito's change of heart.]

"It was Madara who changed him! Madara, who was barely clinging to life in this world, saved Obito when he was in despair. You won't forget how Kakashi [killed] the other female member of your squad... and Obito witnessed all of that at the time!" Kurama finished speaking for Naruto.

Because they had once punched each other, and their chakra had been intertwined for many years, it was almost inseparable. Therefore, the moment Naruto's chakra touched Kurama's, Kurama saw everything Naruto had seen.

Of course, this included a glimpse into Obito's heart.

Kurama narrowed his eyes and snorted, "Moreover, with my understanding of that bastard Madara... even that incident was personally orchestrated by him for Obito, all to make him fall into darkness!"

Minato clenched his fists tightly. "Obito... it's all my fault as your teacher..."

"I will definitely stop him, Dad. Everything has started over now, and I won't let Obito move the Ten-Tails again! So, Dad, teach me the secret to the Flying Thunder God Technique! I must learn this jutsu! Without this jutsu, it will be very difficult for me to keep up with Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan..." Naruto said firmly.

Minato was startled, then remembered the reason his son had specifically summoned him this time.

"The secret to the Flying Thunder God..."

Minato collected himself; he didn't have time for sentimentality. Since he had entrusted the future to his child, he should believe in him.

He asked Naruto, "Have you learned Teacher Jiraiya's Sage Mode?"

Naruto nodded, then looked a little confused, not understanding the connection between the Flying Thunder God Technique and Sage Mode.

Minato smiled slightly, "The secret I learned for the Flying Thunder God Technique is... Reverse Sage Mode! This is also why I'm not accustomed to fighting using Sage Mode..."