So Not Everything Has Changed

"What?! You're not dead?! Shouldn't you be crying and shouting that you're still alive?! Can't you speak properly, you brat?!"

Before Koko could recover from the immense shock, Kushina's fist had already landed mercilessly on his head.

"Thump!!"

Feeling the sharp pain coming from the top of his head, his previously dazed eyes instantly regained their clarity.

This familiar pain, this person who was all smiles and gentleness one second, and then turned on you the next...

Minato aside for now, the Kushina in front of me is definitely not a fake!!

"Is it really you guys?"

Kouchi winced and clutched his head in pain, looking at the red-haired woman in front of him who was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him resentfully. He then glanced at Minato, who was walking up to Kushina and looking at him with Minato.

His mind, which had just managed to calm down a little, began to burn again:

"Sister Kushina, Minato- kun, you... you're really still alive?!"

"Isn't this a fact right in front of us? The little genius I know wouldn't ask such an obvious question!"

Looking at the incoherent Koko in front of her, Kushina sighed heavily and scolded him irritably.

But her eyes had already become moist without her noticing.

"You've always been a smart kid, how come you've gotten dumber after all these years?"

"Don't be too harsh on this child, Kushina."

Minato gently placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons, and teased her tenderly:

"He's just too excited to see us. Weren't you so excited you couldn't even speak properly when you were confirming his identity?"

Kushina's fair cheeks flushed instantly, and with her still slightly watery eyes, she glared fiercely at her husband beside her who had so readily exposed her secrets:

"Minato!!"

"Uh, haha, sorry, sorry."

Minato clasped his hands together and apologized to his wife with practiced ease.

However, the barely suppressed smile on his lips betrayed his true feelings.

"She's just as adorable no matter how many times I watch her, Kushina's shy expression..."

Kushina's face flushed even more as she looked at Minato's insincere apology.

This time, however, he was clearly angry.

She glared angrily at the Minato before her, her long red hair beginning to flutter subtly even without wind.

"You're not reflecting on your actions at all!"

Looking at the loving couple in front of him, who had completely ignored his presence and were immersed in their own world, he couldn't help but sigh wearily.

"This familiar feeling... it's like going back to those carefree days at Minato's house, learning Sealing Jutsu while they were showing off their love..."

Silently cursing in his heart, the shock and excitement that hadn't been fully digested were somewhat diluted by the overwhelming sense of familiarity.

But at the same time, his doubts only deepened.

Why are they living inside Naruto's body in this state?

Kushina aside for now, according to the original timeline, Minato's soul should still be trapped inside the Shinigami's stomach...

Kouchi observed Minato, who was gradually losing Minato against Kushina, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes:

"Since Minato's soul is here intact, it means that when he sealed the Nine-Tails, he didn't use the Reaper Death Seal, but some other Sealing Jutsu that I don't know about?"

Thinking about this, Kou couldn't help but re-examine the blue and white space he was in.

This boundless space, composed of vast and soft blue-white light, was clearly different from the dark, damp, and sewer-like prison he remembered.

"It seems that seven years ago, when Minato and Kushina sealed the Nine-Tails, they indeed did not use that forbidden technique that traded lives for lives."

A deep sense of doubt flashed in Kou's eyes:

"But if that's the case, what kind of Sealing Jutsu could completely seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, who was still an infant, and also preserve the caster's own soul as well?"

Could Minato and Kushina's current state be related to that Sealing Jutsu...?

Even now, I know nothing about Sealing Jutsu that possess this effect.

"Could it be that Minato and Kushina developed it themselves?"

But that can't be right. If they really developed it, how could I not know?

As he rapidly considered his options, he glanced up at the loving couple who were still oblivious to their surroundings and made a preliminary decision in his mind.

There's no point in just making wild analyses here; it's better to ask the person in front of you directly.

"Only..."

Kou looked at the couple in front of him with a strange expression, who showed no signs of ending the relationship, and his lips twitched slightly.

"How much longer do I have to wait?!"

Looking at Minato, who had calmed Kushina down with just a few words and was now looking down at his wife who was Minato in his arms with a doting expression, he sighed helplessly.

Well, I've gotten used to it by now...

At the same time, Minato finally noticed Koko's helpless gaze, snapped out of his daze, and gave Koko, who had been waiting for a long time, a slightly apologetic smile:

"Kushina, Kokoro probably has a lot of questions for us too. Let's explain our current situation to him first."

Reminded by Minato, Kushina suddenly realized the presence of Koko, and reflexively pushed Minato away, then lowered her head with a blush on her face.

Looking at this all-too-familiar scene before him, Kou's eyes remained completely unmoved.

Nothing more than familiarity with the sound!

To avoid further angering Kushina, Kotori cleverly turned his gaze to Minato, who was smiling at him, and asked the question that had been on his mind:

"Minato- kun, what's going on between you and Sister Kushina right now?"

Are you... really still alive?

Hearing Koko's slightly probing words, Minato's expression became somewhat serious.

"Still alive...?"

"Strictly speaking, it's hard to say whether Kushina and I are still 'alive' right now."

He shook his head with a wry smile and explained frankly:

"Right now, we are only in a soul form, relying on the Super Thunder Soul Sealing 15 Yin-Yang Sealing Jutsu to absorb the Nine-Tails 'Chakra, maintaining the seal on the Nine-Tails while allowing our souls to remain relatively stable within Naruto's body."

"Soul state? Sealing Jutsu..."

He repeated these key words in a low voice, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:

"As expected, the key lies in the Sealing Jutsu!"

The Sealing Jutsu Minato used to seal the Nine-Tails was definitely not the same as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal from the original timeline!

"But... the Super Thunderbolt Soul Sealing Fifteen Yin-Yang Sealing Jutsu?"

He mentally reviewed the name of the Sealing Jutsu from beginning to end, then looked at Minato with a strange expression, who was smiling gently at him.

"If I'm not mistaken, this Sealing Jutsu was developed by you, Minato- nii!"

"... Huh?"

Minato looked at Koko, who had seen through his words, with surprise in his eyes:

"To think of that so quickly, you truly are worthy of being called Kou!"

"Hehe."

Feeling the admiring gaze from Minato, Koko guiltily looked away.

With that lousy name you came up with, who else in the entire Ninja World could come up with it besides you...?

He silently grumbled in his heart, but to save face for his former boss and friend, he considerately swallowed his words.

"With that lousy name you came up with, it's hard not to guess it!"

Kushina showed absolutely no consideration, and rolled her eyes mercilessly at Minato, who was still secretly Minato beside her.

Feeling Kushina's disapproving gaze, Minato awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, then turned his gaze back to Toki.

"However, being able to maintain the current state, talk to Naruto inside his body, and accompany him as he grows up Tenten is already a result that far exceeds our initial expectations."

This is all thanks to you, thank you!

"... I?"

Kou pointed to himself in surprise, a deep look of doubt flashing in his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Although he had indeed studied many Sealing Jutsu with the Minato couple in front of him back then.

But in this matter, he can be certain that he never contributed anything whatsoever...

"If I'm not mistaken, this technique was developed by you and Minato together Sister Kushina, right?"

Looking at the solemn Minato before him, he said with some doubt:

"What does this have to do with me?"

Minato solemnly shook his head:

"No, Kou, without you, we would never have been able to develop the Super Thunderbolt Soul Sealing Fifteen--"

"Soul-Sealing Dharma Seal!"

Kushina, unable to bear it any longer, added from the side:

"That's the name!"

Looking at the dejected, bowed head of the Minato in front of him, the complex emotions that had inexplicably welled up in his heart instantly dissipated.

Kushina glanced helplessly at her husband, who was standing beside her with his head bowed in grievance, and continued speaking before Minato could finish:

"After all, this technique was prepared for you from the very beginning!"

Hearing Kushina's earnest words, Koko's face immediately stiffened.

Kushina looked at Koko's suddenly frozen face, the image of that black-haired boy from many years ago involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

At that time, Kou was very clear that he had reached the limit of his talent, and he knew better than anyone else what an insurmountable wall he was facing, but he never gave up.

However, he is different from the boy who used to feel anxious because of a lack of talent and stagnant progress in his skills.

The one standing before her and Minato now has grown into a powerful figure who can rival them, or even surpass them!

"This child must have suffered a lot over the years..."

Kushina looked at the black-haired youth in front of her, whom she and Minato treated like a younger brother, and couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Feeling Kushina's gentle yet tender gaze, Koko seemed to understand something and lowered his head heavily.

With his current abilities, he could naturally deduce the whole truth that Minato and Kushina had not spoken from the few words they had just exchanged.

Soul-Sealing Dharma Seal, Blazing Flame Rasengan...

Like Minato, Sister Kushina Jiraiya these techniques for their own Teacher...

"Is that so? Oh, is that how it is?"

He bowed his head deeply, the light in his Mangekyō Sharingan flickering beneath his drooping bangs.

He felt something swelling rapidly inside him, so warm it was almost suffocating, yet so absurd it almost made him laugh out loud.

It turns out that, without my knowledge, I had already changed so many things.

It turns out that I hadn't remained unchanged after all.

"Ha, how ironic."

--

Thank you to the amazing Hong Laoda who loves coconut mini cakes for the certification, and thank you to everyone who gave me a reward for your support. I will continue to update three times a day for the next few days and will keep working hard!