Planning to Break the Seal

"Hey, Kurama, can I ask you something?" Naruto leaned against one of the seal's pillars, asking with his back to Kurama.

By completely exposing his back to Kurama, Naruto showed just how much he trusted him now.

Kurama did not try anything sneaky just because Naruto had his back turned.

For one thing, the seal had been reinforced. It was far harder for Kurama's power to seep through it and greatly affect Naruto's body.

For another, after spending these days with Naruto, Kurama had already come to regard him as a friend, though he never said so aloud.

After all, he had always been sealed inside other people. Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki had both been rather boring, and each had their own purpose for dealing with him.

They had been decent people at best, but they could never truly be called Kurama's friends.

Only Naruto would come in to chat with him whenever he had nothing to do, without any ulterior motive. Sincerity was often what moved people most, and Tailed Beasts were no exception.

The Nine-Tails was lying on the ground. Hearing Naruto's words, he did not even open his eyes as he said, "Go ahead, Naruto."

"If—just if—I could undo your seal, what would you do?" Naruto had unknowingly turned around and was now sitting cross-legged, looking at Kurama.

His expression was utterly sincere.

Kurama was startled by Naruto's words. He abruptly opened his eyes and stared at Naruto. "Naruto, you're willing to give me back my freedom? But if you lose me, you might die!"

His first thought was not what he would do after gaining freedom, but concern for Naruto's safety.

Naruto felt warmth rise in his heart at Kurama's words. Then he smiled. "No, I mean undoing your seal, not letting you out. It would just give you a little more freedom than you have now!"

Naruto was testing Kurama's attitude. After all his efforts these past days, he knew Kurama was not evil by nature, nor was he a Tailed Beast that only knew destruction. He simply had never met someone suitable to guide him.

After hearing Naruto's explanation, Kurama sank into deep thought.

What did undoing the seal mean? He knew better than anyone. It meant that whenever he lent Naruto chakra, he could mix hatred into it if he wished, causing Naruto to lose control. Once Naruto lost control, Kurama could completely take over his body.

The most fatal possibility was that he could kill Naruto. Without Kurama, Naruto would essentially be doomed to die. And as a Tailed Beast, even if Naruto died...

His chakra would not disappear. After waiting for a time, he could gather a body again. Then, he would regain his freedom.

All the risks, all the initiative, would be in Kurama's hands. Was Naruto really willing to take such a huge risk and undo his seal?

"Kurama, what's your answer?"

Naruto looked at Kurama seriously.

Kurama's answer would affect how Naruto treated him next. Would he keep persuading him and speak heart-to-heart with him, or would he distance himself from Kurama for a while and let him think things through?

Kurama's mind raced. He had never felt his brain was so inadequate before. He did not know why Naruto was asking this. He only knew that he did not want to hurt Naruto. Yet after being restrained for so long, he had not experienced the feeling of freedom in a very long time.

"Maybe... I'd have you let me out for a stroll. You know, once you undo the seal, you'll be able to enter Tailed Beast form. I could take the opportunity to get out and breathe some fresh air. After I'm done wandering around, maybe I'll obediently come back."

Kurama spoke somewhat helplessly.

"Oh? You'd come back? I thought you'd take control of my body and run off immediately." Kurama's answer pleased Naruto greatly, and Naruto teased him with a smile.

"Give me a break, Naruto. You know that while I crave freedom, if I truly gained it, I might not even know what to do with myself. I have no goal. And you're my friend. Without me, you really will die. For your sake, I can only stay obediently inside you."

Kurama first responded to Naruto's joke, but his tone then became incomparably serious.

Naruto froze for a moment. This was the first time Kurama had acknowledged that Naruto was his friend.

The smile on Naruto's face grew even brighter. "Then it's settled, Kurama. We're friends, so we have to help each other!"

Kurama said irritably, "Even if we are friends, I seriously suspect you only want my chakra and my power. My friend, your intentions are impure!"

Even after his little scheme was exposed, Naruto was not embarrassed. "We're friends already. It's just a favor while you're at it, so don't worry about it so much, Kurama!"

Indeed, if he could eliminate the negative effects Kurama brought him, everything Kurama had left to offer would be an enormous boost.

Once the seal was undone, Naruto's chakra would increase dramatically. In battle, he could also enjoy replenishment from Kurama's chakra. Throwing out more than a dozen S-rank ninjutsu would not be a problem.

With Kurama's help, Naruto's speed and strength would both increase greatly. Just the Tailed Beast cloak alone would provide Naruto with an enormous boost.

Kurama's chakra would also greatly improve Naruto's recovery ability. Naruto's current bloodline combined with Kurama's chakra would turn his built-in healing into a portable healing spring!

Beyond all those benefits, the most important thing was this.

After undoing the seal, Naruto could fully connect with Kurama and try entering Kurama Mode!

At that point, Naruto could overthrow the entire Konoha Village without breaking a sweat!

Of course, all of that depended on Kurama being willing to help Naruto.

"So, are you ready, Kurama?" Naruto asked him.

"Ready for what? Naruto, don't tell me... No, you're serious? You're planning to undo the seal today?" Kurama was stunned at first, then asked with utter disbelief.

He had originally thought Naruto was just talking, testing his attitude. And he really had spoken from the bottom of his heart.

Having Naruto as a friend already made him very happy. Even if he continued living like this, it would no longer be as unbearable as before.

He never expected Naruto to decide to undo the seal today after hearing his answer.

Naruto stood up. "Kurama, you said it yourself. We're friends. Friends should trust each other. I believe in you, Kurama!"

Under Kurama's stunned gaze, the water pillar beneath Naruto slowly rose at his command, steadily lifting him higher. Naruto then moved before the enormous character for "seal."

Naruto placed his hand on the seal, preparing to undo it.

But if nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected was about to happen. After all, Minato Namikaze had left a backup plan behind!

At that moment, a strange glow emerged from the seal. Naruto knew this should be the chakra his father, Minato Namikaze, had left behind.

He was about to meet Minato Namikaze, one of his favorite ninja from his past life.

Come on! Even after dying, Minato was still this handsome?

In the original story, he was regarded as the fastest, coolest, and most technically skilled ninja!

"Naruto, it's not time to undo the seal yet."

Minato's chakra slowly took human form and spoke to Naruto.

He had golden hair, just like Naruto.

He was handsome, a little more handsome than Naruto, though still slightly inferior to the esteemed audience.

The handsome man wore the Hokage's white cloak, and the large characters "Fourth Hokage" on its back were impossible to look away from.

Minato grasped Naruto's hand, stopping him.

Kurama only acknowledged Naruto. As for Minato Namikaze, he was the culprit who had sealed him away. How could Kurama possibly give him a pleasant expression?

"Damn Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze! I'll kill you!"

Enemies meeting face-to-face were especially hostile.

Minato Namikaze looked somewhat helpless at Kurama's reaction. Naruto looked only six or seven years old, far younger than Minato had expected.

Seeing Naruto's age and the Nine-Tails' frenzied appearance, Minato immediately came to a conclusion. The Nine-Tails must have lured Naruto here, intending to deceive him into undoing the seal while his will was still weak. What a hateful Nine-Tails!

"Nine-Tails, as long as I'm here, don't even think about targeting my son!" Minato Namikaze stood in front of Naruto, shielding him behind his back as he faced the Nine-Tails.

Only then did Naruto realize that his father seemed to have misunderstood the situation. This was all a misunderstanding.

"Um, Dad, this is actually a misunderstanding," Naruto said to Minato Namikaze.

Hearing Naruto's words, Minato Namikaze turned around in surprise. "Naruto, you know who I am? Did Lord Third tell you everything?"

"He must have taken very good care of you. Then Kushina and I didn't sacrifice our lives protecting the Hidden Leaf in vain."

Minato had rehearsed his reunion with his son countless times in his mind.

For instance, if Naruto asked who he was, he could coolly answer that he was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Naruto's biological father.

Or if Naruto asked why he had sealed the Nine-Tails inside him, he could answer that Naruto was the child of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, and that they believed he could subdue the Nine-Tails and gain its power.

But instead, when Minato's chakra awoke, it felt as though the entire world had changed.

"Of course I know you. You're the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and my father!"

"As for the Third Hokage, definitely not. That old bastard wasn't that kind-hearted. I learned all this myself, and Kurama helped me with some of it."

Naturally, Naruto could not say that he knew the entire history of the ninja world, so he could only brush it off while pulling Kurama out as a shield.

"Kurama? Whose name is that? It sounds both familiar and unfamiliar. Have I met it somewhere before?" Minato asked in confusion.

"Of course, Fourth Hokage. That is this old man's name. But I won't allow you to call me that. Only Naruto gets to call me by that name!" Kurama snapped at Minato Namikaze's chakra.

"What? That's actually your name, Nine-Tails? But Nine-Tails, no matter how you try to deceive Naruto, Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze. As long as I'm here, don't even think about breaking the seal and making him release you to wreak havoc on the Hidden Leaf!"

After hearing Kurama's words, Minato shielded Naruto behind him and assumed a confrontational stance.