"Ha—"
Naruto yawned so hard his eyelids were nearly glued shut. He barely managed to open his eyes, glancing toward Iruka, who was droning on at the front of the classroom.
This morning, Sasuke had forcibly dragged him out of bed for intense Taijutsu training. After hours of sparring, Naruto had rushed straight to class, exhausted beyond belief.
Now, as the afternoon sun streamed in through the windows, a wave of drowsiness washed over him like a tide. He felt like he could fall asleep the moment he closed his eyes.
No, no, I can't.
Naruto resisted the urge to lay his head down, knowing full well that Iruka's chalk attack would be immediate and merciless.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Hinata sitting beside him. An idea flashed in his mind.
That's it!
Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "Hinata, can I lean on your shoulder?"
"E-Eh?"
Hinata's face turned bright red, all the way to her ears.
L-L-L-Lean on...my shoulder?!
"Um… o-okay..." she stammered, flustered.
Before she could fully process what was happening, Naruto had already nestled his head against her shoulder and drifted into a deep sleep.
Hinata froze. Her whole body stiffened as warmth spread through her cheeks.
Naruto-kun…
She glanced at his peaceful sleeping face, her heart pounding wildly.
On the podium, Iruka continued his lesson, oblivious to the fact that one of his students had completely checked out.
---
Inside the Sealed Space
"Eh? Where am I?"
Naruto looked around, confused. The space around him was dark and damp, with water dripping from the walls. A strange chill hung in the air.
Scratching his head, he muttered, "Why am I here all of a sudden?"
"Naruto, come here," a deep voice boomed, echoing through the cavernous space.
Naruto jumped in surprise, his body tensing.
"Who's calling me?" he called out, trying to sound brave.
"Step forward," the voice commanded.
Naruto hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. Besides, standing here wasn't getting him anywhere.
After searching for an exit and finding none, he had no choice but to follow the voice.
With cautious steps, he ventured forward.
Suddenly, the darkness peeled away, revealing a massive iron gate—a cage.
"Whoa… what a huge fence."
His gaze swept over the enormous bars, and his eyes landed on a piece of parchment with seals in the center of the gate.
"Hey! Who's there? Show yourself!" Naruto demanded.
As if responding to his words, a pair of giant, glowing red eyes appeared from the shadows within the cage.
Naruto instinctively took a step back.
"A-Ah! There's something in there!"
"You finally came, Naruto," the deep voice rumbled.
A hulking form emerged from the darkness.
A massive fox.
Its thick fur rippled as it stepped closer, its nine tails swaying behind it. Its sharp fangs glinted as it smirked.
"Naruto, remove the seal and let me out."
Naruto blinked, his fear ebbing as curiosity took over.
"You're… a talking fox?"
Kurama twitched an ear, looking exasperated.
"I am Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox," he stated with a huff.
"Kurama? That's a weird name," Naruto muttered before grinning. "But nice to meet you! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
Kurama let out a sigh.
It seemed their bond needed rebuilding.
Really, they were supposed to be the strongest team in the world.
"Naruto, let's get back to the important part. Release the seal."
"Seal?"
Naruto looked at the paper talisman on the gate.
"Are you trapped here?" he asked.
"Yes," Kurama confirmed.
"That's awful! Who would do such a thing?!" Naruto exclaimed, outraged.
Kurama coughed awkwardly.
Ahem… this is a bit awkward.
"Anyway," Kurama quickly continued, "you should remove it now."
"Oh! Right!"
Without hesitation, Naruto stepped forward, reaching for the seal.
Kurama's heart swelled with emotion.
This was too easy!
In the past, no matter how hard he tried, he could never convince Naruto to release him.
But now? A few simple words, and Naruto was already helping.
As Naruto's fingers grasped the sealing talisman, an ethereal hand suddenly appeared, stopping him.
"Huh? What?!"
Naruto spun around, eyes widening.
Before him stood a man with golden-blond hair and warm blue eyes.
The stranger smiled gently.
"Naruto, you can't remove the seal just yet."
His voice was filled with kindness, but also authority.
Naruto blinked, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.
"Who… who are you?"
"My name is Namikaze Minato."
Naruto's breath caught.
"The Fourth Hokage of Konoha," Minato continued. "And also… your father."
"WHAT?!"
Naruto's jaw dropped.
His father?
"Didn't the Third Hokage tell you?" Minato asked, frowning slightly.
"Grandpa Third? Tell me what?" Naruto was utterly confused.
Minato took a deep breath, realization dawning on him.
So the truth was hidden from him…
A pang of guilt flickered across Minato's face.
"Naruto… I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? Are you really my father?"
Naruto's mind raced with questions.
Minato smiled sadly.
"Your mother will explain everything when the time comes. I don't have much time left."
Unlike Kushina, who had sealed a significant portion of her chakra within Naruto, Minato had only left behind a small trace—just enough to reinforce the seal if it weakened.
His time was almost up.
He turned to Kurama, expecting anger, insults—maybe even rage.
Instead…
Kurama rolled his eyes.
Minato blinked.
What?
Kurama's expression was three parts helpless, three parts exasperated, three parts confused…
And ninety-one parts irritated.
"Have you finished your overly sentimental Fourth Hokage performance yet?" Kurama said dryly.
Minato: "???"
What… was going on?
Minato frowned. "Nine Tails, you seem… different."
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Are you… reformed?"
Kurama snorted.
"Let's just say I've seen the light."
Minato chuckled awkwardly.
The Nine Tails of the past had been violent, raging, and filled with hatred toward humans.
But this one?
Sitting there like a giant, slightly grumpy stuffed toy?
Rolling his eyes at him?!
What happened?
If Kurama had been like this back then, Minato might not have needed to sacrifice himself.
"Father?" Naruto hesitated. The word still felt unfamiliar.
"Kurama's not a bad guy," he said, defending his friend.
"You hear that, Fourth? Even Naruto trusts me now," Kurama said smugly. "I'll train him to be a perfect Jinchūriki. With our power, no one in the ninja world will stand against us."
He grinned and winked at Naruto.
Naruto grinned back, giving him a thumbs-up.
Minato hesitated. He wasn't sure if Kurama was pretending… or if he was actually sincere.
In the end, he smiled.
"Naruto, the choice is yours."
"This is your future—you should be the one to decide."
His body grew lighter, fading away.
"Hey! Why are you disappearing?" Naruto reached out.
Minato gave one last gentle smile.
"I have to go. Walk your own path, Naruto."
His chakra fully dispersed.
Naruto stared at the empty space where Minato had been.
Father…
It felt so strange. So distant.
Kurama's voice snapped him back.
"Don't just stand there, Naruto. I'm with you."
Naruto nodded firmly.
Then, with all his strength—
He tore off the sealing talisman.
"One step closer, Kurama!"
-------------------------
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