This Time, Treat Her Well

Let's call him "Future Naruto" for now.

"Dad..." Future Naruto's voice trembled slightly as he looked at Minato. His clothes were tattered, and he had several wounds, looking like a child returning from a brutal battlefield.

"You..." Minato hesitated.

"You're... the future me who gave me those memories, right?" Naruto guessed, his tone filled with excitement. This person, this future self... was the one who changed his destiny.

He had never imagined a situation like this, but this person had truly appeared before him.

"You are..." Compared to the current Naruto, the taller Future Naruto was greatly surprised to see his "childhood self," his face displaying an expression of "Can someone please tell me what's going on?!"

"Ha... So it was like this," Kurama chuckled softly from behind Naruto and Minato.

"What's wrong, Kurama? Do you know why he's here?" Naruto looked up at Kurama and asked.

Minato gazed deeply at the "eldest son" before him... The haggard and exhausted appearance of his son made his heart ache uncontrollably.

Future Naruto seemed a bit slow to react, only now noticing the giant Nine-Tails. He exclaimed in surprise, "Kurama... Didn't Madara pull you out...?"

"Stop being confused, other Naruto kid! Where you are now... is 5 years ago! Your chakra appeared in your own 6-year-old body 11 years ago!" Kurama boomed at the bewildered Future Naruto.

Future Naruto froze completely.

Naruto walked up to him, raised his right fist, tilted his head to look at his grown-up self, and smiled, "If you can't explain it clearly... then let's punch it out!"

"Heh..." Kurama behind him chuckled softly, recalling how this kid had also charged at him with a fist extended in the same way back then.

"..." The turn of events had exceeded Minato's imagination. He didn't know what to say anymore.

Future Naruto stared blankly at the slightly immature fist before him, remaining silent. Finally, he raised his own right fist.

Their fists met gently.

Everything became clear.

"Kid, didn't you ever wonder... why I accepted you so easily back then?" Kurama asked, lounging on the water behind Naruto and lazily swaying his nine massive tails.

"Why would I think about that?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, confused.

"Ultimately, you were influenced by the memories you received... Do you think I would so easily accept kindness from a human? I am the Nine-Tails! The Nine-Tails of hatred incarnate! Would I accept you just because of those memories?"

Kurama scoffed dismissively, "You think fabricating some seemingly plausible memories... could easily subdue me? If that were the case, I would have been subdued countless times over the years!"

Naruto was rendered speechless. He turned to look at his future self and murmured, "My memories weren't fabricated..."

"What do you think those memories you received were?"

Kurama looked down condescendingly at Naruto at his feet, then at Future Naruto:

"They were merely a part of this guy's chakra! And the chakra of a Jinchuriki and their Tailed Beast are inseparable. Even if the Tailed Beast is extracted, residual Tailed Beast chakra and Jinchuriki chakra will remain mixed together... When I punched you back then, it was because I absorbed the 'my' chakra attached to the 'memory chakra' you received... that I truly acknowledged you!"

For Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki who share the same body for years, their lives... or rather, the Jinchuriki's life depends on the Tailed Beast.

The Tailed Beast is equivalent to an extremely crucial organ for the Jinchuriki.

This organ provides the Jinchuriki with immense power. Once it is taken by external force, the Jinchuriki will die.

However, over years of infiltration, the Tailed Beast's chakra has become inextricably intertwined with the Jinchuriki's chakra, like two coins fused together by time, making it impossible to completely remove from the Jinchuriki's body. YAWEN8

Of course, under normal circumstances, if a Jinchuriki has their Tailed Beast extracted, they are essentially doomed. No one would bother checking if any residual fragments of Tailed Beast chakra remained on their corpse.

"Chakra is produced by combining Physical Energy extracted from the body's 130 trillion cells with spiritual energy accumulated through training and practice..." Minato couldn't help but mutter to himself from the side.

"That's right, just like your current situation... A person's chakra records everything about that person! Although you were supplementing the chakra left by the seal, you also possess memories and know the Flying Thunder God Technique, don't you?" Kurama gently swayed his tails.

Minato fell silent and turned to look at Future Naruto.

Naruto and Kurama were also looking at him.

"Ah... I think I understand my current predicament a little now." Future Naruto's tone carried surprise, sadness, regret, and acceptance... He sighed and smiled faintly, "It seems I'm already dead."

A few days ago.

Outside the gates of Konoha, a group of people were heading towards the Land of Waves.

Tazuna, the middle-aged man, felt immense pressure... He had only declared a C-rank mission, so why were so many ninja following him?

One masked adult ninja who looked formidable, plus the five young ninja trailing behind him... Hey, it was just a C-rank mission, did they really need such a grand display?

They wouldn't see through my false mission report, would they? Let me be clear, I can't afford the payment!

Tazuna thought nervously.

"Hey, client uncle over there... You seem quite nervous?" Shikamaru, who had been acting lazily beside Kakashi, keenly noticed Tazuna's unusual expression and couldn't help but tease him in his uniquely languid tone.

"Ah, ah? Ahaha... Really? How could that be!" Tazuna denied it with extreme clumsiness.

Kakashi was speechless. With the information provided by the Third Hokage, he understood that this client's mission had many hidden aspects. At the very least, ninja wouldn't be encountered on a C-rank mission. And this mission... even involved a ninja of Zabuza's caliber.

He had already informed the five Genin in his squad about this.

The Genin, upon learning that they would face a powerful Jonin who was no less capable than Kakashi (as Kakashi himself claimed), reacted differently...

Sasuke: "Hmph, there's a lot of pressure, but only this way can I improve and catch up to Naruto. And..."

Shikamaru: "Ah, special missions are really troublesome... I might even lose my life there..."

Sakura: "... (shivering inwardly)"

Hinata: "What should I do... I... I... I definitely can't hold everyone back..."

Rock Lee: "Sakura, don't worry, I'll definitely protect you with my life!" He flashed a confident smile, revealing his pearly white teeth.

Soon after, a puddle appeared on the road ahead of the group...

Sasuke and Shikamaru exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

"Haha... That Sasuke is actually obediently training with you! Haha..."

Future Naruto sat on the water, laughing heartily. The Sasuke in his memory had always been a goal he admired, yearned for, and strived to catch up to. He never imagined their positions would be swapped; Sasuke had been desperately trying to keep pace with "himself" since he was six years old.

Naruto also laughed. He felt this future version of himself was like a goofy older brother.

"Hm?" Future Naruto chuckled for a while, then noticed the younger him was watching him intently. He touched his cheek in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I just feel so happy..." Naruto sat, swaying back and forth, a look of innocence on his face. Over the years, when he was alone, he always forced himself to be mature and strong. But in front of his father, Kurama, and "himself," he couldn't help but reveal his childlike side.

"Haha... Is that so..." Future Naruto smiled.

Minato stood nearby, watching the two, one tall and one short, with a smile.

It felt like... having two sons...

"Hey... Fourth Hokage..." Kurama was also watching the "brothers," saying in a low voice, "Perhaps this Naruto was drawn out because of his longing for you two... Naruto also said that the other time he vaguely sensed this Naruto's presence was when Kushina appeared last time..."

"Is that so..." Minato said softly, feeling an inexplicable pang of sadness.

At the time of his death, was he unable to let go of parents he never truly met?

The three of them and the fox talked for a long time, and finally, Minato's figure gradually faded.

"Goodbye, Naruto... and, Naruto." Minato smiled, his form becoming transparent and disappearing.

"Goodbye, Dad," Naruto said quietly, feeling very dejected.

Future Naruto smiled faintly. "I'm already very satisfied to see Dad one more time... Well then, I should be disappearing soon too... I can sort of feel it."

Naruto felt reluctant. He looked back at Kurama, then at this future version of himself.

Is he going to fall into a deep slumber again... just like that 'other special chakra' within Naruto... Kurama thought to himself.

Future Naruto's figure grew fainter and fainter. At the very end, as if remembering something, he entrusted Naruto with a request, "Oh, right..." A look of reminiscence, and also a bit of regret, appeared on his face. "Maybe it's because I'm dead now, but I've unexpectedly come to understand many things... I regret not giving Hinata a proper response... Back then, I thought her liking was for ramen... Haha..."

"Please treat her well for me this time," Future Naruto requested earnestly.

Naruto's eyes welled up with tears, and he affirmed, "Of course."

With a smile, he faded and vanished.

Naruto wiped away his tears. He knew that he would have to walk many of the roads ahead alone.

The next day, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Naruto began their journey back to Konoha.