Nine-Tails Scramble (2)

As the Wood Dome shattered, the eyes of the Root ninja shifted, a feverish glint igniting within their gazes as they stared at the doorway.

Whoever breached that door first would claim the merit of the vanguard; whoever captured Naruto Uzumaki would become the most trusted confidant of Lord Shimura Danzō!

For the sake of Lord Shimura Danzō, and for the sake of Konoha, if they did not strike now, when would they?

The ninja of Root were twisted not only in their hearts but in their very spirits and ideologies. Having been subjected to the Cursed Tongue Seal and various forms of conditioning by Shimura Danzō, they were no longer capable of integrating into the lives of normal people.

In their eyes, Shimura Danzō was everything, and his orders were the only things that mattered.

One Root ninja moved with lightning speed, his hand already reaching for the doorknob.

The next moment, a short blade severed his entire arm before he could press down.

Just as the Root ninja was about to howl in agony, the man who had struck him down said coldly, "You Root ninja have quite the audacity, daring to take action here and injuring Anbu ninja. Are you attempting a coup?"

It was Uchiha Itachi who had spoken, and once he finished, he tossed the man who had tried to open Naruto Uzumaki's door aside.

The man hit the ground with a dull thud and fell silent.

Shimura Danzō stepped forward, eyes narrowed, and spoke slowly: "Uchiha Itachi, you have quite the audacity. Taking the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is my order; how dare you question my decision!"

"My apologies, but the Anbu report to the Hokage. Without the Hokage's command, no one is permitted to proceed!" Kakashi landed beside Uchiha Itachi.

He stared at Shimura Danzō with a dead-fish eye, arms crossed over his chest, and spoke coldly.

"Itachi, well done. The Third Hokage has already taken action; they won't be able to act arrogantly for much longer." Kakashi's voice was loud, intended not just for Uchiha Itachi, but as a warning to Shimura Danzō.

Shimura Danzō gritted his teeth, his eyes revealing a mix of rage, jealousy, murderous intent, helplessness, and resolve. In less than three seconds, his emotions shifted through a dozen states before he finally took a deep breath: "Kill them and bring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki back. As for the Hokage, I will handle him myself."

As long as he secured the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, even if he couldn't force the boy to serve him, Sarutobi Hiruzen would be forced to tread carefully around him out of fear of the Nine-Tails.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was no longer the vigorous, daring "God of Shinobi" he once was; he weighed every action against the potential fallout and the cost to Konoha.

He believed that once he held Naruto—a weapon comparable to a nuclear bomb—he would be the one calling the shots in the village, while simultaneously using the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to wipe out the Uchiha Clan!

Inside the house.

Naruto Uzumaki curled into a ball in the corner, shivering. He had heard every sound of the battle outside. Those people were here to capture him, though he didn't understand why. He didn't understand why his existence was so detested, nor what purpose they had in taking him away.

Just then, red chakra enveloped his body, his pupils slit into vertical lines, and he muttered, "Why (doushite), why, why, why, why!"

"What did I ever do wrong? Why treat me like this!" His emotional turmoil affected the stability of the seal, and the Nine-Tails' chakra began to leak out continuously.

Inside him, Kurama realized this was an opportunity and pulled him into the consciousness space.

Naruto remained curled in that same posture, causing Kurama to frown, but in order to regain his freedom, he tried to make his voice sound as gentle as possible.

"Hey! Brat!" Kurama started with the term 'brat'—truly, how gentle of him!

Naruto Uzumaki slowly looked up, tears already streaming down his face. Seeing Naruto in such a state, the harsh words Kurama had prepared stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

In his heart, however, he was sneering: "Minato Namikaze, Kushina, is this the result you traded your lives for?"

"How laughable. You couldn't even protect your own child, and after you were gone, he was guarded like a secret weapon, only ever feeling the warmth of that man, Sarutobi."

Returning his consciousness to reality, Kurama grinned: "Kid, do you want revenge? Kill those who came to capture you, kill the villagers who once insulted you. Why should you be born a demon fox? Why should you only deserve to eat scraps?"

Every word Kurama spoke struck at Naruto's heart, each sentence so painful it left him gasping for air. He clutched his chest and began to ask himself: "Why? Why on earth?"

His consciousness began to waver, and the Five Elements Seal began to loosen. The Nine-Tails sneered—the opportunity had arrived! Minato, it seems your son's current state of mind isn't enough to keep me sealed!

The Nine-Tails roared, releasing a massive surge of chakra that slammed against the gates of the Five Elements Seal, while Naruto Uzumaki remained unresponsive.

The Nine-Tails' words had plunged him into a state of profound despair and corruption.

Just as the Nine-Tails was about to break the seal, a figure appeared. He began to weave hand signs, reinforcing the Five Elements Seal and locking the Nine-Tails back inside!

This sudden turn of events left the Nine-Tails stunned. Wait, buddy, I was about to succeed! Why are you locking me back up!

He looked toward the entrance, and the whole person—or rather, the whole fox—felt terrible!

"Minato, aren't you dead?" The Nine-Tails stared in disbelief, then its eyes immediately turned blood-red. It grabbed the bars of the cage and roared, wanting to tear the figure before him to shreds!

It was him—it was him who, without a word, had split the Nine-Tails in two, sealing one half inside the Reaper and the other half inside Naruto.

"Nine-Tails, long time no see!" Minato Namikaze waved with a smile.

"Beast! You beast, let me out! I promise I won't harm Konoha, nor will I harm your son!" Kurama roared.

"I'm sorry, Nine-Tails. Your power is too great; you could endanger Konoha at any moment. I had no choice but to seal you inside Naruto. Now, your lives have become one."

"I cannot let you out, or my son will die!" Minato Namikaze said helplessly.

"Heh, son? You still remember you have a son!" A plan formed in Kurama's mind. Since he couldn't get out, he would make sure to disgust Minato Namikaze.

Sure enough, the golden Minato frowned, looking at Kurama: "What do you mean? Nine-Tails! Explain yourself!"

Minato Namikaze's figure became much more solid, standing there with massive chakra surging as he confronted Kurama.

"Brother, I mean exactly what I said. You aren't fit to be a father. These are your son's memories from all these years. Do you... dare to look?" As he spoke, Kurama extended his fist, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Minato Namikaze frowned, extended his own hand, and collided it with Kurama's. The next moment, memories flooded in like a tidal wave.