I Finally Came Out

It was only because of Naruto Uzumaki that the Nine-Tails was willing to admit its faults.

Naruto Uzumaki did not say whether he forgave it or not, but instead asked, "Kurama, why did you suddenly want to tell me all this? You could have chosen not to."

The Nine-Tails muttered sullenly, "You said it yourself, we are friends."

A faint smile appeared on Naruto Uzumaki's face: "Thank you. From my perspective, you weren't at fault; it was all caused by the Masked Man and Daiban."

The Nine-Tails perked up.

"But I cannot forgive you."

The Nine-Tails' eyes dimmed, and it slumped down listlessly, turning its head away because it didn't want to look at Naruto Uzumaki.

"You should leave."

The friendship was over.

"Listen to me finish." Naruto Uzumaki looked helpless. Didn't it say it could accept whatever the outcome was regarding forgiveness?

"I think you should talk to the people involved, rather than finding me as a substitute."

The Nine-Tails was confused: "They are no longer here..."

You can't expect me to go down to the Pure Land and talk to them; that would be even more excessive than not forgiving me.

"But their Chakra is still here... and as it happens, I have something to ask them as well."

As he spoke, Naruto Uzumaki walked to the seal gate and reached out to pull the seal paper on the door.

"Naruto Uzumaki, stop!"

A large hand grabbed Naruto Uzumaki's arm.

A man with refined features appeared beside Naruto Uzumaki.

He had golden hair and azure blue eyes; except for the lack of the Sage of Six Paths' whiskers, his face was very similar to Naruto Uzumaki's.

The Nine-Tails instinctively roared, "Fourth Hokage!"

Minato had no time to deal with the Nine-Tails: "Naruto Uzumaki, the seal cannot be touched..."

Naruto Uzumaki didn't listen to Minato's lecture: "Kurama, calm down."

The Nine-Tails came to its senses, glared fiercely at Minato, and then said to Naruto Uzumaki, "Whether you accept it or not, I won't apologize to him. I am only willing to apologize to you."

The pain of the year Minato tore himself into two halves was etched into the Nine-Tails' heart.

"Apologize? What is going on?"

Minato was stunned. As a wisp of Chakra sealed away as a fail-safe, he had no energy to observe the outside world, leaving him completely unaware of the current situation.

"Fa... forget it, I'll call you Fourth Hokage for now. Fourth Hokage, let me explain."

After hearing Naruto Uzumaki's account, Minato was dumbfounded. Once he processed it, his eyes filled with pride as he looked at Naruto Uzumaki.

"As expected of my son, Naruto Uzumaki. Your growth has exceeded my expectations. Dad is proud of you."

The Nine-Tails mocked, "It's just a pity that Naruto Uzumaki is your son; otherwise, he would be perfect."

Minato gave a wry smile: "Kurama..."

The Nine-Tails bristled: "Don't call me Kurama! You don't have the right!"

In the Nine-Tails' heart, only the Sage of Six Paths and Naruto Uzumaki were allowed to call it by its name.

Naruto Uzumaki stepped in to mediate: "Kurama, could you do me a favor?"

"Hmph!"

The Nine-Tails crossed its arms and turned to the side, remaining silent.

Minato smiled: "It seems you two are very good friends..."

Naruto Uzumaki nodded in agreement: "The Nine-Tails is indeed my good friend."

"Since you are good friends, then don't be at odds because of things in the past."

As he finished speaking, Minato came before the Nine-Tails and said, "If we are talking about apologies, it should be me apologizing to you. Forcibly splitting you into two, and forcibly sealing you inside Naruto Uzumaki... I am truly sorry, Nine-Tails."

The Nine-Tails curled its lip: "Fourth Hokage, you finally said something sensible."

Minato didn't mind and smiled, pressing his palms together: "From here on out, I leave Naruto Uzumaki to you."

"I'm afraid that was your goal all along, but I would have done it even without you asking, because Naruto Uzumaki and I are..."

Seeming to suddenly remember something, the Nine-Tails paused in its speech and looked back at Naruto Uzumaki.

"Are we friends?"

Naruto Uzumaki blinked, asking curiously, "Yes, didn't we say that earlier?"

"Then what about the apology?"

"The apology isn't important. I just wanted you two to talk; once you've talked it out, that's enough."

From beginning to end, Naruto Uzumaki never intended to force the Nine-Tails to apologize to Minato.

The Nine-Tails nodded in satisfaction, "Very good, you are indeed someone I acknowledge."

"There is one more."

"Wait..."

Ignoring Minato's urgent cry, Naruto tore open the seal.

"Nine-Tails, don't you dare be arrogant!"

A woman with long red hair appeared, and dozens of thick chains emerged from behind her, binding the Nine-Tails tightly from all directions, just like a wrapped rice dumpling.

Seeing this, Naruto quickly tried to persuade her, "Um... Ma'am..."

Kushina turned her head to see Naruto standing to the side, glared at him, and said, "You must be Naruto. Why are you calling me Ma'am? You should call me Mom!"

"Uh..."

The Nine-Tails struggled violently and roared, "Kushina Uzumaki, you bastard!"

Kushina's willow eyebrows stood up, "You still dare to curse at me? Behave yourself! Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

More chains emerged from her back, wrapping around the Nine-Tails' mouth, leaving the beast only able to make muffled whimpering sounds.

A few minutes later.

"We are sorry!"

Facing the synchronized apology from Minato and his wife, the Nine-Tails snorted coldly and glanced at Naruto.

"For Naruto's sake, I will forgive you both this last time."

Things had developed to the point where everything was completely reversed.

Not only did the Nine-Tails not apologize, but it had actually become the one granting forgiveness.

It could only be described as quite surreal.

Minato and Kushina spoke a few more soft words, and the Nine-Tails' anger finally dissipated.

Next was time for the family of three to reunite.

"Naruto, this is your father, and this is your mother."

Kushina pointed a finger at Minato, then at herself, and looked at Naruto with an expectant face, the meaning self-evident.

Naruto lowered his eyes, "Sorry, I can't bring myself to say it just yet."

He didn't consider himself a difficult child, but being asked to call strangers Mom and Dad only minutes after meeting them was truly a bit awkward.

Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, feeling quite troubled.

They hadn't expected their first meeting with their son to be such an awkward scene.

The atmosphere was silent for a moment before Minato spoke first, "Is there anything you want to say to your mom and dad, Naruto?"

Naruto pointed his hand toward the sealing gate, "Can you open this?"

Hearing this, the Nine-Tails perked up its fox ears to listen.

Minato scratched his head and said apologetically, "Sorry, this requires a special key. Otherwise, even I cannot open it."

The Nine-Tails let its fox ears droop in disappointment.

"So... I guess I'll have to do it myself."

Naruto murmured, seemingly having made a decision.

Worried that his son might do something reckless, Minato quickly said, "Don't do anything rash. The key is with Master Jiraiya; you can get it when you see him."

"But I can't wait that long."

The experience of nearly losing his life at the hands of Obito that night told Naruto something.

No one knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.

The Rinnegan alone could not protect him; he needed the power of the Tailed Beast.

Under the shocked gazes of Minato and Kushina, Naruto activated his Rinnegan and unleashed the ocular technique Kamimusubi.

Green life essence poured into the sealing gate.

From that moment on, the sealing gate gained life.

"Open!"

The gate automatically dispersed, revealing the exit.

"I'm finally out!"

The Nine-Tails was overjoyed, quickly leaping out from within and roaring wildly toward the sky.