Chapter Summaries

After Kurama sacrificed himself to save Naruto, he unexpectedly awoke in a strange, oppressive space and sensed Naruto again. He pulled a frightened young Naruto into his inner world and realized the boy was only three or four years old.

• Naruto accepted Kurama's final fist bump as Kurama faded away, then awoke in the real world without the Nine-Tails inside him.
• Kurama unexpectedly regained consciousness before fully reviving, trapped in a dark space surrounded by malicious presences.
• Kurama called out to Naruto and sensed a response, then pulled Naruto toward him.
• Kurama found a frightened young Naruto, who mistook him for a monster and ran around the dark inner world.
• Kurama calmed the boy and recognized him as Naruto at three or four years old.

The Nine-Tails awakened in Naruto’s childhood memories and found young Naruto willing to help remove the seal. Minato Namikaze appeared to stop him, but the Nine-Tails offered Minato Chakra before he could reinforce the seal.

• The Nine-Tails realized he had returned to a time when Naruto was a child and urged him to remove the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
• Young Naruto overcame his fear and devised a way to climb up and reach the seal, explaining that he felt close to the Nine-Tails.
• As Naruto reached for the seal, Minato Namikaze appeared, stopped him, and caused him to lose consciousness.
• Minato recognized that the Nine-Tails had gained influence over Naruto’s inner world and prepared to reinforce the seal.
• The Nine-Tails offered Minato Chakra to keep his body from disappearing.

Little Naruto woke from a vivid encounter with the Nine-Tails, while the Nine-Tails explained to Minato Namikaze why it had kept its seal intact and revealed that Obito Uchiha had attacked him. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi uncovered the identity of the ninja surveilling Naruto and ordered him back to Root.

• Naruto woke beneath a lamppost, found himself warm despite the snow, and walked away unaware that a Konoha Ninja had recorded his behavior.
• The Nine-Tails told Minato Namikaze that its Chakra was sustaining his soul and that it wanted Minato to guide Naruto.
• The Nine-Tails warned Minato that releasing the seal could expose Naruto's Chakra and bring another attack, then identified the masked attacker as Obito Uchiha.
• At the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed a report about Naruto's Chakra fluctuations and told the reporting ninja to stop the mission.
• A voice from the darkness revealed that Hiruzen had discovered the ninja's identity and ordered him to return to Root.

Danzo discovered that the Third had sealed the Notebook against him, while Minato chose to trust the Nine-Tails and learned that Kurama intended to stay with Naruto. The Nine-Tails then warned Minato that the Third had come to see Naruto, as Hiruzen found the hungry boy fishing at Riverside Creek.

• Danzo tried to read the Notebook, but its writing turned into black flames, and he realized the Third had sealed it against him.
• Minato trusted the Nine-Tails after hearing its account and explained that they would need to release the Reaper Death Seal to restore its other half.
• Minato asked whether the Nine-Tails would leave Naruto once it was whole, and Kurama promised to watch over Naruto throughout his life.
• The Nine-Tails told Minato that the Third had come to see Naruto.
• Hungry Naruto went out at night to fish in the snowy Riverside Creek, where Hiruzen Sarutobi approached him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi found Naruto fishing beside a frozen river, checked that no Nine-Tails Chakra was leaking, and warmed him with his Hokage cloak. As they shared grilled fish, Hiruzen explained the Hokage’s role and inspired Naruto with the idea of earning the village’s trust; Hiruzen left hoping Naruto would grow into a Konoha ninja who embraced the Will of Fire.

• Naruto greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi excitedly, and Hiruzen noticed the crack in the frozen river where Naruto had been trying to fish.
• Hiruzen examined Naruto for signs of the Nine-Tails Chakra, found no abnormalities, and draped his cloak around the cold child.
• Hiruzen used his Smoke pipe to spear a fish through the ice, then helped Naruto grill the catch beside the river.
• Naruto asked what a Hokage was, and Hiruzen described the Hokage as the village’s protector and most trusted leader.
• Hiruzen saw Naruto’s interest spark when he spoke of trust and acknowledgment, and hoped Naruto would pursue becoming Hokage and embrace the Will of Fire.

Minato and the Nine-Tails planned to strengthen Naruto and secretly teach him while he slept, while Hiruzen moved to keep Anbu away and arrange caring mentors for him. The chapter ended with Minato preparing to teach Naruto Sealing Jutsu in a dream.

• The Nine-Tails explained that Naruto needed guidance to develop his Uzumaki chakra, and vowed not to let his future enemies threaten him again.
• Hiruzen ordered Anbu to stay away from Naruto and asked Shikaku to find younger Academy teachers and Chunin who could connect with him.
• After Naruto fell asleep, the Nine-Tails prepared a dream in which Minato would teach him, though Naruto might remember only a fraction of the lessons.
• Minato told the Nine-Tails that he would begin Naruto's dream lessons with Sealing Jutsu.

Minato Namikaze watched Naruto’s lonely dream and tried to comfort him by speaking about Kushina, though Naruto did not recognize his father. After Naruto woke, he began trying to remember Kushina’s name, giving Minato hope that his words had reached him.

• Naruto dreamed that villagers rejected him and that he was left alone, while Minato watched from behind him.
• The Nine-Tails told Minato he could only approach Naruto in his dream by appearing as someone Naruto recognized, but Minato continued calling to him and speaking about Kushina.
• Minato watched Naruto’s painful memories unfold and spent the night offering words of love, guilt, and encouragement.
• When Naruto woke, the Nine-Tails reported that he sat in a daze, said “Mom,” then mentioned the Hokage and acknowledgment before getting breakfast.
• Naruto tried to remember Kushina’s name while preparing instant noodles, and the Nine-Tails told Minato that things might not be as bad as he thought.
• Minato smiled and said Naruto was a good boy.

Naruto struggled with unexplained changes in his abilities and hunger while deciding how to spend his few coins. Inside his mental world, Minato Namikaze and the Nine-Tails debated how to train him without attracting attention, and Minato wondered why the Nine-Tails seemed unconcerned about the powerful enemies he had mentioned.

• A Konoha Chunin bumped into Naruto, recognized him as the Demon Fox, and then chose to take his teammate out for a feast instead of ramen.
• Naruto reflected on strange dreams, unfamiliar movements and knowledge, his unusual resistance to heat and cold, and his constant hunger.
• Naruto debated whether to spend his limited coins on bread rolls or ramen.
• Minato Namikaze proposed teaching Naruto a food-producing ninjutsu, but the Nine-Tails warned that using it could attract suspicion.
• Minato Namikaze and the Nine-Tails agreed Naruto could learn taijutsu and Uzumaki Clan Sealing Jutsu while keeping their existence secret from him.
• After the Nine-Tails returned to rest inside the seal, Minato Namikaze wondered why it was not anxious about the powerful enemies it had described.

Naruto met Itachi and Sasuke after eating at Ichiraku Ramen, while the Hokage and Shikaku discussed the Uchiha Clan’s treatment. Shisui was summoned away from training, and Itachi returned to the riverbank just as a dark blur flew toward him.

• Naruto left Ichiraku Ramen and asked Itachi and Sasuke if he could watch them practice shurikenjutsu, but Itachi politely declined and noticed Naruto’s unusual stance.
• Naruto felt a strange familiarity with shuriken and wondered if the brothers were heading to the river.
• Shikaku told the Third Hokage that continued restrictions on Uchiha promotions could deepen the village’s distrust, and the Third summoned Shisui.
• Shisui left his training with Itachi because urgent business had come up, and Itachi went back to check on Sasuke.
• Itachi returned to the riverbank and heard someone cry out as a dark blur hurtled toward him.

Uchiha Itachi encountered Naruto by the river and noticed the boy could throw pebbles with the accuracy of shuriken. After helping Sasuke train, Itachi wondered about Naruto’s skill, while Naruto began drawing a Flying Thunder God Mark from memory.

• Naruto accidentally threw a pebble toward Uchiha Itachi, who shattered it with a shuriken and redirected the weapon into a tree with a kunai.
• Naruto praised Itachi’s skill, then collected the shuriken and kunai from the tree and took them home.
• Uchiha Itachi returned to the Uchiha Clan's Training Ground and helped Sasuke practice throwing shuriken.
• Uchiha Itachi carried Sasuke home and wondered whether someone had taught Naruto to throw so skillfully.
• Naruto drew a remembered symbol on paper, and the Nine-Tails recognized it as a badly remembered Flying Thunder God Mark while Minato Namikaze encouraged patience.

Uchiha Itachi accepted his father Uchiha Fugaku’s mission to join the Anbu and secretly report on Konoha’s leadership. After settling Sasuke into bed, Itachi left a signal for Shisui Uchiha and met him in a shadowy corner.

• Uchiha Fugaku warned Uchiha Itachi that contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki could bring Anbu surveillance and told him to avoid drawing attention to the Uchiha Clan.
• Uchiha Fugaku explained that the village was restricting the Uchiha Clan’s influence and ordered Uchiha Itachi to join the Anbu to learn what the Hokage’s officials were thinking.
• Uchiha Itachi accepted the mission and kept his thoughts about Naruto’s Shurikenjutsu to himself.
• Uchiha Itachi found Sasuke asleep in the courtyard, carried him to bed, and left the house.
• Uchiha Itachi scratched a secret signal into a streetlamp and met Shisui Uchiha in a deserted corner.

Shisui advised Itachi to join the Anbu and choose his own path amid rising tensions between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. Six months later, Minato revealed that Naruto had already learned the Flying Thunder God.

• Shisui asked Itachi to recount his conversation with Fugaku and heard about his encounter with Naruto.
• Shisui told Itachi to join the Anbu, but urged him to judge the conflict for himself rather than serve the Family or the village blindly.
• Shisui revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan and told Itachi to see his own future and make his own decisions.
• Six months passed as Minato watched Naruto train within the mental sealing space and resolved to help change his fate.
• The Nine-Tails asked why Minato had not corrected Naruto's Flying Thunder God Mark, and Minato said Naruto had already learned the technique.

Minato explained to the Nine-Tails how Flying Thunder God combined Sealing Jutsu and ninjutsu, then allowed him to keep learning. Later, Naruto enjoyed ramen with Hinata, but left before she could finish thanking him.

• Minato explained that Flying Thunder God's marks relied on Sealing Jutsu and its teleportation relied on ninjutsu.
• The Nine-Tails admitted he wanted to understand ninjutsu, and Minato welcomed him to listen.
• Minato reflected that he had taught Naruto Sealing Jutsu to give him a fallback, while he and the Nine-Tails left Kushina's chakra unmentioned.
• Naruto ate ramen at Teuchi's shop and accepted a handkerchief from Hinata, who had treated him.
• Hinata gathered courage to thank Naruto, but he left before she could speak, leaving Teuchi to ask how she knew him.

Naruto went out to find food and encountered Hinata hiding from the Hyuga Clan’s tournament. After encouraging her, Naruto offered to go back with her, while Minato watched the exchange through Naruto’s viewpoint.

• Naruto noticed his stored food had expired and left home to eat under the warm October sun.
• Neji defeated an older branch-family opponent at the Hyuga Clan tournament and endured praise that reminded him of the Caged Bird Seal.
• Hinata hid by the estate’s back gate, afraid of fighting and of facing Neji.
• Naruto recognized Hinata from a previous encounter, greeted her, and listened as she struggled to explain why she was hiding.
• The Nine-Tails let Minato see Naruto’s surroundings, and Minato watched Naruto take Hinata’s hands and encourage her to believe in herself.
• Naruto mistook Hinata’s blushing and silence for continued fear and offered to go back with her to cheer her on.

Neji Hyuga faced Hinata in the final match of the Hyuga Clan tournament, carrying resentment over his father’s death and the Caged Bird Seal. Naruto’s unexpected encouragement helped Hinata steady herself, while the Guard who tried to remove him began to suspect that Naruto had deliberately evaded him.

• Neji waited to fight Hinata, reflecting on his father Hizashi’s forced death and his hatred of the main family and the Caged Bird Seal.
• Naruto appeared atop the compound wall and called encouragement to Hinata and Neji, then evaded a Hyuga Guard who tried to seize him.
• Hyuga Hiashi ordered the Guard to leave Naruto alone and directed the clan to continue the match.
• Hinata regained her composure, and the Referee began the fight as Neji wondered who Naruto was.
• Naruto stayed outside the wall despite the Guard’s dismissal, and the Guard noticed he had no scrapes from his supposed fall.

Naruto dodged Hyuga Hengzuo’s attack so unexpectedly that he crashed through the courtyard wall and landed in the middle of Hinata and Neji’s clan match. Hinata lost to Neji, and Hyuga Hiashi ended the matches, sent Naruto away, and privately acknowledged both fighters.

• Hyuga Hengzuo attacked Naruto to test his power, but Naruto evaded him and sent him crashing through the courtyard wall.
• Neji knocked Hinata down, but she struggled back to her feet and insisted the match was not over.
• Hengzuo landed in the courtyard, where Naruto waved from outside the broken wall and asked Hinata whether she had won.
• Hyuga Hiashi examined Naruto and felt uneasy about the child’s potential, then declared Neji the winner and ended the clan matches.
• Hiashi told Hinata to give Naruto a return gift and praised her effort, leaving her stunned.

Hinata gave Naruto a birthday present and treated him to ramen, while Minato learned that Hinata had become Naruto’s wife in the future. After Naruto returned Itachi’s lost ninja tools, he wondered whether to give Hinata a return gift.

• Hinata found Naruto, gave him a birthday present, and offered to treat him to Ichiraku Ramen when she learned it was his birthday.
• Minato learned from the Nine-Tails that Hinata had been Naruto’s wife in its future, and he worried about their relationship as they grew up.
• Naruto met Itachi outside Ichiraku Ramen and returned the kunai and shuriken he had found by the river.
• Itachi noticed the Flying Thunder God Mark on the kunai, then left using the Body Flicker Technique.
• Naruto thought about Hinata’s present and considered giving her a return gift.

Itachi learned that the Uchiha rebellion was nearing open conflict and met with Shisui, who urged him to find his own convictions before choosing a side. After giving Sasuke a marked kunai to practice with, the story left Naruto examining a trident-shaped kunai bearing Minato Namikaze’s Flying Thunder God Seal.

• Itachi disguised himself to meet Shisui in the woods and shared what he knew about the Uchiha Clan’s plans for rebellion.
• Shisui told Itachi to decide for himself what was right and asked him to meet again the next day if he chose to help.
• Itachi turned down Sasuke’s request to practice together and gave him a kunai and shuriken marked with a formula.
• Naruto examined the kunai Hinata had given him and recognized its markings as Minato Namikaze’s Flying Thunder God Seal.

Minato asked the Nine-Tails about the Uchiha Clan’s fate in the future, learning that Uchiha Itachi would wipe them out while Naruto was at the Ninja Academy. The Nine-Tails warned Minato not to endanger Naruto by trying to change events for the Uchiha, then sent him away when Naruto fell asleep.

• Minato asked the Nine-Tails about Sasuke’s role in the future and what happened to the Uchiha Clan.
• The Nine-Tails revealed that the Uchiha Clan had died out and recalled that it happened when Naruto attended the Ninja Academy, about two years later.
• Minato wondered whether Konoha could prevent the coming conflict, and the Nine-Tails pinned him down with overwhelming pressure while warning him not to involve Naruto in saving the Uchiha.
• The Nine-Tails identified Uchiha Itachi as the one who carried out the massacre, likely on someone’s orders.
• The Nine-Tails told Minato that Naruto had fallen asleep, and the dreamscape ended.

Minato decided to begin teaching Naruto Ninjutsu after seeing him happily celebrate his birthday in a dream. After testing Naruto’s chakra nature, Minato and the Nine-Tails discussed his abilities and the possibility that he could awaken Kushina’s Uzumaki kekkei genkai.

• Hinata gave Naruto a birthday gift of Ramen in his dream, and Minato wished his son a happy birthday.
• Minato asked the Nine-Tails for permission to teach Naruto Ninjutsu, and the Nine-Tails told him to use his judgment.
• Minato tested Naruto’s chakra nature and discovered that he had an affinity for Water Release as well as Wind Release.
• Minato explained that Naruto’s original chakra nature differed from the nature altered by the Nine-Tails’ chakra and suggested Naruto might resemble Tobirama Senju.
• Minato and the Nine-Tails discussed Naruto’s potential Uzumaki kekkei genkai and Kushina’s chakra sealed inside Naruto.
• The Nine-Tails warned that Naruto’s new Ninjutsu might attract attention, while Minato believed Naruto would become remarkably powerful.