Konoha.
Hokage Building.
A flicker of memory crossed the Third Hokage's eyes.
A family that could control the weather.
A child named Yūta.
The Anbu once captured him... The wrinkles on Hiruzen's face deepened.
If this incident hadn't been exposed by the screen,
Hiruzen Sarutobi would have already forgotten about it.
To him, it truly was a minor matter.
A strange person, suspected of being an enemy Ninja spy targeting Konoha.
It was quite normal at a time when the situation between Villages was unclear.
In fact, many real spies were caught during that period.
There's no telling right from wrong.
It was just unexpected.
It turns out this child had such experiences with Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, Ino, and others.
Just watching the content displayed on the screen
was filled with regret.
If only it were possible.
Hiruzen even felt that if he had another chance,
perhaps taking Yūta into Konoha wouldn't have been difficult.
What the screen alone revealed:
Yūta's sorrowful and painful loneliness.
Konoha could heal such pain.
Konoha, this big family, has many, many bonds... What a pity.
Hiruzen shook his head.
Forgotten.
Everything about Yūta was forgotten.
Perhaps the children at the Ninja Academy
can't remember who he is now... Ninja Academy.
Observation Deck.
Several youngsters inexplicably shed tears.
Watching Yūta being shattered by lightning in the snow on the screen.
Choji's round face silently wept, leaving two tear trails.
He was the most easily empathetic to the content displayed on the screen.
Because
his thoughts were the most delicate among these children.
Since knowing Little Naruto, he had always empathized with Naruto's loneliness.
Because he was afraid of loneliness,
that's why he did so many mischievous things.
Rather be scolded than endure loneliness, right?
Naruto... Listening to Yūta's clear voice narrating,
and seeing his innocent, lovely smiling face with dull green, lifeless eyes,
Choji could feel the emotions within even more deeply.
Born in a place that sold weather,
used as a tool.
Made him cry, made him laugh.
Couldn't even control such things himself.
As soon as Choji thought of this, he couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Why did he die young?
Wasn't it because his ability or 'Talent' was overused?
Regarding this so-called 'Talent',
Choji would rather Yūta didn't have this 'Talent'.
An ordinary person's daily life might be what Yūta yearned for.
Knowing that Yūta knew him, Shikamaru, Naruto, and others,
yet Choji scratched his head, unable to remember at all.
This sense of emptiness
made Choji even sadder.
Sad for Yūta... Sakura and Ino were also infected by the screen's emotions.
Their eyes were red.
Yūta's entire life was spent in a 'child's' body,
yet he couldn't enjoy the happiness of childhood.
In the end, he suffered the pain alone.
Taking away the memories
was just so that everyone wouldn't be sad or cry for him.
Such a kind-hearted child.
Even without memories, just by watching the screen, they were willing to accept Yūta as a friend.
But where is Yūta now, alone in his loneliness... Naruto watched the screen.
Like Choji, he couldn't stop crying.
The screen showing such things
was really good at making him cry.
He felt he shouldn't have forgotten that memory.
But now he couldn't remember it at all.
He was truly guilty.
Yūta whistled so well.
And he was the one who taught him.
How could he forget Yūta?
Wiping his tear-stained face with his sleeve,
Naruto turned to Jiraiya and Kakashi: "Teachers, can't we get our memories back?"
Jiraiya looked at Naruto's serious eyes.
He responded gravely: "Do you really want to remember? It might bring pain!"
"Of course I do! If only Yūta suffers, what kind of friend am I?"
Choji: "Me too!"
Ino, Sakura: "We need that memory!"
Kiba: "Compared to pain, I need Yūta's memory more!"
Akamaru: "Woof! Woof!"
Everyone looked at the last one.
Shikamaru nodded: "Same!"
After a moment of hesitation, he looked intently at Jiraiya.
"If possible, can we find Yūta and have him join the Ninja Academy...?"
The other youngsters all agreed: "Yes!!!"
... ["Nine-Tailed Naruto"]
[The azure sky was covered with a layer of yellow sand]
[Rolling, foamy yellow dust surged into the sky]
[Smoke billowed]
[Kakashi and Might Guy stood guard in front of Golden Naruto, looking intently ahead with great vigilance]
[Only to see]
[The Masked Man, carrying an uchiha war fan and wearing a long robe, quietly watched them]
[What was astonishing was his mask]
The original orange single-eyed mask had turned into a White Masked Man's mask at some point!
The White Masked Man's mask had three tomoe.
Within two of the tomoe,
one Mangekyo Sharingan!
One pale purple Rinnegan!
[With a boom]
[A white beast, resembling both a dolphin and a horse, charged towards the White Masked Man from not far away]
[Might Guy emitted blue steam, "Five tails, is that the Five-Tails?!"
[Kakashi's single Mangekyo observed carefully, "This guy wants to attack him."]
[Facing Son Gokū's resistance]
[The White Masked Man slowly raised his right hand]
[Opened his five fingers]
[Pale purple Chakra chains, with even greater speed, bound the Five-Tails Son Gokū's neck]
[Tightening the grip]
[The next moment]
[Son Gokū, who was charging, was dragged to the ground by the chains around his neck]
[Half of his body slammed heavily onto the ground]
[Powerless to resist]
[Son Gokū's deep voice reached Golden Naruto's mind]
"It hurts so much."
"I'm actually being controlled by this scoundrel..."
[Immediately after]
[Under the White Masked Man's control]
[The Five-Tails Son Gokū's body transformed into a hateful crimson Chakra state]
[At the same time]
[The Two-Tails Matatabi, Three-Tails Isobu, Four-Tails Son Gokū, Six-Tails Saiken, and Seven-Tails Chomei also transformed into their hateful forms]
[Controlled, they charged towards Naruto and the others]
[The gigantic Eight-Tails Gyūki: "Damn it!"]
"We Tailed Beasts also have feelings, seeing it treated like that."
"It's truly infuriating, it hurts."
[The Nine-Tailed, lying within the sealed gate: "What's there to say now?"]
"All those Ninja who treat us Tailed Beasts like pets do the same thing."
"Eight-Tails, only you and that brat Killer Bee are exceptions."
[The stoic Gyūki: "Hmph, that's not necessarily true, Nine-Tailed."]
[Golden Naruto listened in surprise to the conversation between the two Tailed Beasts in his mind]
He hadn't expected
that Tailed Beasts could communicate directly with each other.
[Gyūki: "I understand, Nine-Tailed, you--"]
[The orange fox Kurama was impatient, "Less talk, even if we only look at the number of tails,"]
"you are the Eight-Tails, second only to me in power."
"Go deal with them quickly, I want to sleep."
[After speaking, the prone Kurama closed his eyes.]
[The octopus Gyūki opened his giant white-toothed mouth, "Don't determine strength by the number of tails, you were always like this, no wonder the Ichibi hates you."]
[Kurama slept peacefully.]
"Hey, did you hear me, you bastard? Stop pretending to sleep, you fox, hey!"
[The closed-eyed Kurama bared his fangs upon hearing this.]
[Golden Naruto held his stomach, "Haha, Eight-Tails and Nine-Tailed are fighting!"]
[Killer Bee, wearing sunglasses, rapped]
"♫ Tailed Beasts can talk through telepathy ♫"
"♫ A fight is rare, what a sight to see ♫"