As the Wood Dome shattered, the Root shinobi's expressions changed one by one. They looked toward the doorway, their eyes burning with anticipation.
Whoever opened that door first would earn the credit. Whoever captured Naruto Uzumaki would become Lord Danzō's most trusted confidant!
For Lord Danzō, and for Konoha—if they didn't act now, when would they?
The Root shinobi weren't just warped in their hearts; their minds and thoughts had been twisted as well. After being conditioned with the Cursed Tongue Seal and all of Danzō's other methods, they could no longer fit into ordinary society.
In their eyes, Shimura Danzō was everything. His orders were all that mattered.
One of the Root shinobi moved quickly, his hand already reaching for the doorknob.
The next moment, a short sword severed his entire arm before he could press down on the handle.
The Root shinobi was about to scream when the man who had cut off his arm said coolly, "Root has some nerve, daring to attack here and injure an Anbu Ninja. Are you trying to stage a coup?"
It was Uchiha Itachi. When he finished speaking, he tossed aside the man who had just tried to open Naruto Uzumaki's front door.
The man hit the ground with a thud and fell silent.
Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Uchiha Itachi, you've got some nerve. Taking the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is my order. Do you dare question my decision?"
"I'm sorry, but Anbu answers to Lord Hokage. Until Lord Hokage gives the order, no one is taking him!" Kakashi landed beside Uchiha Itachi.
He stared at Shimura Danzō with his half-lidded eye, arms crossed over his chest, and spoke coldly.
"Itachi, well done. The Third has already made his move. They won't be able to act so arrogantly for much longer." Kakashi spoke loudly, addressing not only Uchiha Itachi but also warning Shimura Danzō.
Shimura Danzō clenched his teeth. His eyes betrayed anger, jealousy, murderous intent, helplessness, and resolve! In less than three seconds, his emotions shifted several times. Finally, he took a deep breath. "Kill them. Take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki back. As for the Hokage, I'll convince him myself."
As long as he got his hands on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, even if he couldn't make him serve his own ends, Sarutobi Hiruzen would be wary of him because of the boy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was no longer the vigorous Shinobi Hero who dared to fight and take risks. Every move he made, he had to consider whether it would affect him and whether it could reduce Konoha's casualties.
He believed that once he had Naruto, a weapon on par with a nuclear bomb, he would be the one calling the shots in the village. He could also use the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to wipe out the Uchiha Clan!
Inside the house
Naruto Uzumaki huddled in a corner, trembling. He had heard all the sounds of the fight. Those people had come to capture him. He didn't understand why his existence made people hate him, or what those people wanted with him.
Just then, red chakra enveloped him. His pupils became slits, and he murmured, "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"
"What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?" His emotions weakened the seal, and Nine-Tails chakra began seeping out.
Kurama realized this was an opportunity, so he pulled Naruto into the Consciousness Space.
Naruto was still curled up in the same way, making Kurama frown. But to regain his freedom, he tried to make his voice sound gentle.
"Hey, brat!" Kurama opened by calling him "brat"—how gentle of him!
Naruto slowly raised his head, tears already running from the corners of his eyes. Seeing him like this, Kurama found the harsh words he'd planned to say caught in his throat.
But inside, he grumbled, "Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, is this what you gave your lives for?"
"How ridiculous. You couldn't even protect your own child. After you were gone, they kept him under guard like a secret weapon, leaving him to feel warmth only from that Sarutobi fellow."
Back in the real world, Kurama grinned. "Kid, do you want revenge? Kill everyone who came to capture you. Kill all the villagers who used to insult you. Why should you have been born a demon fox? Why should you have to eat scraps?"
Every word Kurama spoke struck Naruto right in the heart. Each one hurt so much he could barely breathe. Clutching his chest, he began asking himself, "Why? Why is this happening to me?"
His resolve began to waver, and the Five Elements Seal loosened again. The Nine-Tails sneered. The opportunity had come! Minato, it seemed your son wasn't strong-minded enough to keep me sealed!
The Nine-Tails roared, releasing a massive amount of chakra that battered the gates of the Five Elements Seal. Naruto didn't react.
Kurama's words had plunged him into deep despair and hopelessness.
Just as the Nine-Tails was about to break through the seal, a figure appeared. He began forming Hand Seals, reinforcing the Five Elements Seal and locking the Nine-Tails away once more!
The sudden turn of events left the Nine-Tails dumbfounded. Hey, man, I was about to make it! How did you lock me up again?
He looked toward the doorway and was completely shaken—not just him, but the entire fox.
"Minato, weren't you dead?" The Nine-Tails stared in shock. Then its eyes instantly turned red as it grabbed the bars and roared. It wanted to tear the figure before it to pieces!
It was him! He was the one who had split the Nine-Tails in two without a word, sending half into the Shinigami and sealing the other half inside Naruto.
"Nine-Tails, long time no see!" Minato Namikaze smiled and waved.
"Beast! You beast! Let me go! I promise I won't hurt Konoha or your son," Kurama roared.
"I'm sorry, Nine-Tails. Your power is too great, and you could endanger Konoha at any time. I could only seal you inside Naruto. Now your lives are bound together."
"I can't let you out, or my son will die too!" Minato said helplessly.
"Heh. Your son? You remember you have a son?" Kurama got an idea. If he couldn't escape, he could at least get under Minato's skin.
Sure enough, Golden Minato frowned. He stared at Kurama. "What do you mean, Nine-Tails? Explain yourself!"
Minato's figure grew more solid. Vast amounts of chakra surged around him as he stood facing Kurama.
"Bro, I mean exactly what I said. You don't deserve to be a father. These are your son's memories from all these years. Do you dare look?" As he spoke, Kurama held out a fist, the corner of his mouth curling upward.
Minato frowned, then pressed his own hand against Kurama's. The next moment, the memories flooded into him.
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