Minato Namikaze's recent "life in the mental world" had been filled with subtle pressure and constant vigilance.
Some time ago, his "hiding" had finally been discovered by Kushina Uzumaki. What followed was not the tenderness of a long-awaited reunion, but an intensely emotional and rather prolonged "heated discussion."
Faced with the torrent of fear, grief, and anger in his wife's emotions, Minato could only remain silently apologetic throughout, enduring every tearful question she hurled at him.
Even now, Kushina had not taken the initiative to enter this space and look for him again. She was clearly still angry.
As for his decision back then—to split Kurama in half and seal one half away along with his own life in order to protect the village's future... Minato had never intended to defend himself.
That had been the choice he made as Hokage. But the things sacrificed as a consequence of that choice... the guilt gnawed at his consciousness day and night.
Minato began to think about what else he could do for Naruto within this tiny space where he could exist, even if it was only the most insignificant form of compensation.
And now, he had a clear and ongoing new task: monitoring the sealed uninvited guest—Otsutsuki Urashiki.
The alien invader's soul was trapped within Naruto's inner world. Minato never once relaxed his watch over that area.
On the first day, Urashiki walked toward a somewhat out-of-place "scenery" on the grasslands of the mental world—a pile of books Naruto had "copied" through Chakra manifestation principles to entertain Kurama.
Urashiki stopped before the pile and began flipping through them.
Was he trying to understand this planet's civilization and knowledge system? Assessing potential threats or weaknesses?
Minato immediately went on high alert, fully prepared.
On the second day, Urashiki was still sitting there.