Freedom

Konoha's Hokage advisor, Shimura Danzō.

He led the organization that governed the Darkness of Konoha, forming the dark half of the Konoha High Command opposite the Third Hokage's public-facing light. He believed his achievements far surpassed the Third Hokage's, yet the Third Hokage had strictly forbidden him from taking part in anything concerning the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki.

Danzo tried to open the Notebook, only to find that as he turned its pages, the words that should have been recorded on the paper in special ink twisted on their own, then became a mass of black flames that consumed the Notebook.

Then Danzo recalled the Konoha Chunin who had stood beside him earlier. Remembering the man's mechanical replies, he began to understand.

"Hmph, Sealing Jutsu." The warning intended by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, irritated Danzo. But at present, the man's reputation as the Professor of Ninjutsu and the strongest Hokage resounded throughout the Shinobi World. Danzo could hardly confront him outright, so he could only flick his sleeve and leave in resentment.

Meanwhile, within Naruto's mental world.

"All of this..." As Minato Namikaze listened to the Nine-Tails' unreserved account, turmoil surged through him. He had never imagined that the connections behind all this stretched back to the Sage of Six Paths' mother, the origin of all ninja.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, Asura, Indra...

"Now that you know all this, what do you intend to do?" Looking at Minato Namikaze's expression, the Nine-Tails grinned. "Still planning to keep your guard up against me?"

"..." Minato Namikaze remained silent for a long time, and the Nine-Tails waited patiently for his answer.

"...Your other half is with my soul, in the hands of the Shinigami summoned by the Reaper Death Seal." At last, Minato Namikaze chose to trust the Nine-Tails. "To make you whole again, we first need to Release the Reaper Death Seal and let my soul return to the physical world with your other half. But neither you nor I can do that at present."

"That's fine. Just tell me how." Hearing Minato's answer, the Nine-Tails remained noncommittal.

Indeed, he had explained the future to Minato Namikaze and told him that the key was the other half of his body, which Minato had sealed away and given to the Shinigami.

The Nine-Tails knew well what kind of people Minato and his wife Kushina were. If he really had returned to the past, Minato would surely be among those in the world who would help him and Naruto unconditionally at this point.

The Chakra Minato had left within Naruto was connected to his soul, a trump card he had left for his son. In the past—no, in the future—Naruto had once nearly released the Nine-Tails after being goaded by him during a rampage, only to be stopped by this contingency of Minato's.

The Fourth Hokage. Every step this man had arranged before his death had accounted for untold moves into the future.

The Nine-Tails was not whole at present. Without that portion of his power, even if the Sealing were undone, given little Naruto's current abilities, the number of people in the Shinobi World who could easily suppress them was probably no fewer than ten.

Naruto was not yet the strongest in the Shinobi World. In others' eyes, he was merely a vessel for the Nine-Tails, a living weapon of Konoha.

Anyone in this world who coveted his power would pose a danger to Naruto.

The Ōtsutsuki who would arrive sooner or later, Obito Uchiha, the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, the other four nations... even Konoha as it was right now.

The Nine-Tails was no ignorant beast. Having witnessed countless examples of humanity's darkness from within Jinchūriki, he understood perfectly well that he must never gamble their future on supposed human kindness when he lacked the strength to protect it.

Once, he would not have cared. But ever since forging a bond with Naruto, he naturally had to consider Naruto's safety.

"After the Reaper Death Seal Release, what do you intend to do?" Minato Namikaze asked. "Will you leave Naruto's body once you recover your power?"

"Leave?"

"Although I still find all of this unbelievable, Nine-Tails..." Minato Namikaze gradually absorbed the shocking news. His tone was no longer quite so steady, but he remained calm. "I sense no malice from you now. In fact, I no longer think you're dangerous. If this is who you are, I have no reason to keep you sealed. Once you regain your full power, my Eight Trigrams Sealing Style won't be enough to keep you confined here anyway. In this vast world, nothing will be able to bind you. Don't you want to be free?"

Free?

That familiar word made the Nine-Tails pause. As he looked at the blond man before him, another familiar face seemed to appear, and that man's words echoed in his ears: "Kurama, have you ever thought about where you'd go someday? After all, if I become an old man like the Third Hokage, my life will come to an end sooner or later."

The Nine-Tails kept listening.

"Hehe, I think it'd be pretty good if our generation were the last of the Jinchūriki. After that, you—and all the others—would be free." In his memory, the man wearing the Seventh Hokage's cloak stretched luxuriously in his office, looking at the sky with a cheerful grin as he spoke.

At that moment, Kurama had not answered. He had merely closed his eyes lazily and remained sprawled in the man's inner world.

Through his actions, he had avoided the suggestion the man had offered in such a roundabout way.

After a long silence, the Nine-Tails scoffed. "Hmph, Minato, you're as tiresome as ever. I told you I'm not hypocritical like you humans. Stop testing me. If I left, wouldn't Naruto die as a Jinchūriki? Don't worry. I'll watch over him as he fulfills his dreams and enjoys his old age."

Hearing the Nine-Tails' reply, Minato Namikaze, who had appeared in this inner world, showed his signature warm smile for the first time. "Then I can rest easy."

"You're resting easy too soon." The Nine-Tails' less-than-friendly words gave Minato no graceful way out, leaving him somewhat embarrassed. But what the Nine-Tails said next quickly turned his expression serious—

"The Third Hokage has come to see Naruto."

At Riverside Creek, a layer of snow covered the banks, and thin ice had already formed over the water. Little Naruto, dressed rather lightly, was carefully examining the places where fish might be found.

Little Naruto should have gone home to sleep, but hunger had left him frantic. For some reason, he did not feel cold at all despite the snow, so he had simply come out in the middle of the night to catch fish.

Fish in frozen creeks grew sluggish in winter, making them easier to catch than usual. That was a little fact he had learned long ago.

"Ho ho, Naruto, what are you doing here?"

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Third Hokage's cloak, called out to Naruto with a smile from a short distance away.