The final seal on the Nine-Tails could have been broken a long time ago.
Although the key to the second seal was with those toads, Minato was right there, so making another key wasn't a problem.
The reason Naruto had delayed for so long was partly because he had been genuinely busy during this period.
The other reason was that he felt that dealing with Kushina would be a bit troublesome.
The 'Red Hot Habanero' wasn't just a nickname for nothing. There's no such thing as a wrong nickname, only a wrong name.
If Naruto treated Kushina the same way he treated Minato, she definitely wouldn't accept it easily.
At this time, Naruto's figure appeared in the seal space.
The layout here hadn't changed much from before. It was still designed like a sewer, with water and a cage.
However, there are now many more decorations.
On the other side of the cage, Minato was reading a book as usual. This time, it was a textbook from the Land of Waves.
He was reading so intently that he didn't even notice Naruto's arrival. He was also working hard to become a teacher at the Land of Waves' school.
The one who had changed the most was undoubtedly Kurama. Even Naruto's mouth couldn't help but twitch when he saw its current appearance.
Next to Minato, a small, cute, and somewhat silly fox was lying down.
It was using its tiny paws to flip through a manga on the ground, while the other paw occasionally grabbed a potato chip and popped it into its mouth.
He is eating with a 'crunch, crunch' sound.
Behind this little fox, nine tails swayed gently as its paws turned the pages.
This was none other than Kurama.
However, this was just a small Chakra clone Kurama had created. And Kurama's real body was still lying further back in the seal space.
Naruto wasn't sure when it had started, but one day, Kurama suddenly began using this small body to laze around. Perhaps it felt that reading manga this way was far more convenient.
Still, it had to be said… the little Kurama was undeniably cute.
Naruto quietly slipped behind Kurama. Perhaps because they were in the seal space, neither the fox nor Minato had any sense of alertness.
Or maybe the content of the book was just too captivating.
They didn't notice Naruto's arrival at all.
Naruto grabbed Kurama by its midsection and lifted it up.
"Huh?"
Kurama, still immersed in its fictional world, suddenly felt its feet leave the ground as it was lifted into the air.
It immediately began to struggle.
Naruto ignored its flailing little legs and gave it a good rub.
Although foxes are part of the canine family, Kurama's chubby form was undeniably satisfying to pet.
"You little brat, put me down right now!"
As Naruto's actions grew more audacious, Kurama's struggles intensified.
After a fierce struggle, Kurama finally escaped Naruto's clutches.
Once back on the ground, it immediately dropped to all fours, its fur bristling as it bared its teeth at Naruto.
There was no trace of Tailed Beast's dignity left in it.
Kurama had completely given up on its former life. Every day, it read manga, ate snacks, and when it encountered a disgusting plotline, it could take out its frustration on Minato.
It felt life here was so enjoyable that it had no desire for freedom.
Out in the world, it was constantly hunted and attacked. How could that compare to lazing around in the seal space?
"You brat, what brings you to the seal space today?"
Kurama growled fiercely.
Minato, who had been watching the spectacle, still wore his warm, sunny smile.
"Naruto, is there something you need to arrange?"
Naruto also smiled and said, "I'm here to remove the final seal on Kurama."
"R-really?"
Hearing this, Minato's face lit up with excitement. After all, he could finally see Kushina again.
Kurama, however, didn't react much. Although its fur flattened, it continued to bare its teeth.
Even though the seal was being removed for its sake, it acted as if it didn't care at all.
Naruto didn't mind and reached out to pet it again.
"You stinky brat!"
Kurama cursed again, and its chubby little form disappeared, turning into a stream of Chakra that flew back into its main body.
"Roar!"
Once its consciousness returned to its main body, Kurama let out an angry roar.
The force of the roar caused Naruto and Minato's clothes and hair to flutter wildly.
However, all Kurama could do was roar. Even without the seal, it was no match for Naruto now.
Naruto raised a hand to calm Kurama and said with a smile, "Alright, Kurama. After I remove the seal, even though your main body will still need to stay inside me, you'll be able to go out and stretch your legs using a clone like before. "
Hearing this, the Nine-Tails wasn't particularly grateful. It just snorted and said, "Hmph! I'm not interested in going outside right now. It's much more comfortable staying in here."
Seeing the Nine-Tails' attitude, Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit speechless, 'This old fox had no concept of 'freedom' at all. Even if it went outside, it would probably just find a quiet place to sleep.'
In the original work, it had fought so desperately to break free from the seal, likely because it was too bored in the seal space. There was nothing to do, and the time flow inside the seal was different from the outside world. What seemed like a few decades might have felt like centuries to Kurama. Just thinking about it was painful it.
"Well, if that's the case, then suit yourself. I'll remove the seal now. If you ever want to go out, just let me know."
Seeing that Kurama truly didn't care, Naruto decided not to push it. He turned to Minato and teased, "Are you ready?"
Hearing Naruto's playful tone, Minato understood what he meant. Naruto was asking if he was ready to get beaten up.
Minato could only smile wryly and nod, silently praying that Kushina would go easy on him.
Seeing Minato's nod, Naruto didn't hesitate any longer.
Following the method Minato had taught him, Naruto channeled Chakra into his hand and reached out toward the seal on the cage.
Click, click, click!
Under Minato's expectant gaze, the spiral seal on the cage began to rotate, emitting crisp, clear sounds.
Crack!
With the final sound, the seal on the cage was completely broken. The tightly shut gate, as if pushed by some immense force, slowly began to open.
Accompanied by the heavy sound of friction, the long-sealed gate finally swung wide open.