Unsealing the Seal

Thinking about how he was sure to run into Orochimaru in the second exam coming up,

Naruto began recording some key knowledge and core formulas in the blank space on the new scroll.

These were guidelines for certain key research projects in the future Five Great Shinobi Villages, including some of Orochimaru's own research.

Having experienced countless cycles, Naruto was, in a sense, truly all-knowing and all-powerful.

Naruto planned to use this information as one of his bargaining chips the next time he met Orochimaru.

That guy would definitely be extremely interested in it.

Naruto carefully put away the scroll in his hands, making sure all the blueprints and contents had been properly encrypted and sealed.

Only then did he go to the bed and lie on his back. The room was lit only by the faint moonlight coming through the window.

Naruto slowly closed his eyes and gently placed his right hand over the Eight Trigrams Seal on his stomach.

He could faintly sense the Chakra flowing within it.

It was time to undo the seal.

In a sense, safely undoing the Eight Trigrams Seal his father had left behind would normally require the special sealing key Jiraiya had.

But after all the experience and study he had accumulated over countless cycles,

Naruto's mastery of Fuinjutsu had long since surpassed that of ordinary people.

So Naruto didn't need a key. He could smoothly undo the seal without letting even a trace of Chakra escape.

Naruto calmed his mind. Chakra gathered in his palm and flowed slowly into the sealing formula on his stomach, in a manner so practiced it seemed effortless.

"Drip... drip."

The sound of water droplets falling from above echoed all around him.

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself standing in the familiar sealed space.

The surroundings were dim, and shallow water covered the ground beneath his feet.

Straight ahead stood enormous iron bars, forming a sturdy cage.

Inside, a massive orange figure lay sprawled on the ground.

It was Naruto's old friend,

the Nine-Tails, Kurama.

A sealing tag covered in runes was attached to the bottom of the cage door.

The Nine-Tails seemed to have sensed Naruto's arrival long ago. It slightly raised its enormous head, and its scarlet eyes lit up in the gloom as they fixed on him.

"Hmph..." The Nine-Tails spoke in a low voice, a hint of amusement in its tone. "To think that after only thirteen years, the seal has already started to loosen. You've finally made it here, brat."

"BAM!"

As it spoke, the Nine-Tails suddenly raised a massive paw and slammed it against the bars. The dull crash sent ripples across the water at Naruto's feet.

Lowering its voice, the Nine-Tails spoke in a bewitching tone. "Come here, brat... Help me tear off this pesky seal."

Seeing Kurama trying to entice him into undoing the seal with such a menacing act, Naruto couldn't help finding it a little amusing, even though he'd seen it countless times before.

In Naruto's eyes, the fox didn't look frightening at all. If anything, it was almost too cute.

Naruto suppressed the upward twitch of his mouth.

He ignored the Nine-Tails' temptation, but didn't hesitate either. He walked straight toward the enormous cage, his steps rippling through the shallow water, and finally stopped in front of the sealing tag.

"Oh?" The Nine-Tails' pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of surprise in its eyes. "You're actually that obedient?"

But inwardly, it muttered, Does this Jinchuriki not have much sense?

Just as the Nine-Tails thought Naruto was really going to reach out and tear off the sealing tag,

Naruto suddenly raised his fist. He didn't swing at the seal, but instead pushed it through the bars and held it steady in midair.

"Before I undo the seal, let's bump fists."

"Kurama!"

The Nine-Tails' enormous body stiffened. Its scarlet pupils contracted sharply, filled with disbelief.

"You..." For the first time, the Nine-Tails' voice held genuine shock. It growled, "How do you know that name?!"

That name should only have been known to itself, the other Tailed Beasts, and the Sage of Six Paths!

"Once we bump fists..." Naruto patiently explained, looking calmly into the Nine-Tails' enormous scarlet eyes, "you'll know everything."

The Nine-Tails stared at the tiny yet remarkably composed blond boy before it.

It pondered for a moment, weighing its options.

In the end, intense curiosity and a strange sense of foreboding overcame its doubts.

It slowly raised an arm, drew in its sharp claws, and clenched its massive paw into a fist. Then, carefully, it pressed it against Naruto's comparatively small fist.

"I'll see what you're up to!"

The Nine-Tails spoke fiercely, but the instant their fists touched, it fell into a daze.

An enormous, complex torrent of memories flooded into the depths of the Nine-Tails' consciousness.

They were memories of fighting side by side countless times: facing Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki together during the Fourth Shinobi World War, and finally battling Uchiha Sasuke at the Valley of the End.

Then came Naruto's countless cycles, his endless attempts and failures over the long years.

And the Nine-Tails had always been by Naruto's side, witnessing it all.

The sheer volume of information plunged the Nine-Tails into complete silence. Its scarlet eyes instantly lost focus, as though it were immersed in their shared memories.

Naruto knew the Nine-Tails needed time to process the fragments and emotions from countless cycles.

So, without hesitation, he reached for the sealing tag attached to the cage door.

But just then, a voice he knew all too well suddenly rang out, gentle yet urgent.

"Wait!"

A figure appeared out of nowhere in a flash of gold, blocking Naruto from the sealing tag.

It was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

At that moment, Minato gazed at Naruto, worry in his eyes.

This was the first time Minato had met his son in thirteen years, though, of course, he'd expected this day to come.

Minato's gaze softened, but his tone was serious as he explained, "The Nine-Tails is far too dangerous. Don't let it trick you into undoing the seal rashly."

In previous cycles, Naruto had met his parents many times and had even brought them back to life himself.

So at that moment, Naruto wasn't particularly overcome with excitement at seeing his parents.

Naruto simply shook his head. "It's all right, Father. It isn't an enemy. It's a comrade who can fight alongside me."

"What?"

Minato was visibly stunned, his face full of disbelief.

His son said he'd already become comrades with the Nine-Tails?

How could that be possible?

Minato had always existed inside this seal as a Chakra construct, and hadn't noticed what was going on between Naruto and the Nine-Tails at all.

What puzzled Minato even more was how Naruto knew he was his father.

Based on what Minato had observed inside Naruto over the past thirteen years, Naruto shouldn't have known the truth.

But...

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

The Nine-Tails, having finished receiving the memories, suddenly burst out laughing, openly teasing him. "Fourth Hokage, I never thought the first time you met your son would look like this."

The Nine-Tails thoroughly enjoyed the bewildered look on Minato's face as he tried to make sense of it all.