Having finished dealing with the Nine-Tails, Baiye prepared to leave the cage.
The Nine-Tails was overjoyed. It nearly cried from the excitement.
'This little monster is finally leaving.'
As Baiye was about to step across the threshold of the cage, he suddenly stopped. This pause nearly caused the Nine-Tails' heart to stop out of fear.
"By the way, you are not allowed to interfere with Naruto's training anymore!"
"Otherwise, I will come back and beat you every single day!"
The Nine-Tails nodded repeatedly. It was terrified that a slow response would result in another beating.
Baiye said nothing more and left the cage. He saw the admiration in Naruto's eyes. He realized that he had been so focused on fighting the Nine-Tails that he had forgotten his actual business.
Baiye did not feel like explaining everything to Naruto himself. There was a perfect worker inside Naruto's body who could do it for him. It would be a waste not to use him.
"Naruto, do you see the seal on that cage?"
"Go and tear it off. You will get all the answers you want!"
Naruto's eyes lit up. With an excited but nervous heart, he approached the seal. His experiences over the years made him desperate for answers.
Why was he a human, yet the villagers called him a Demon Fox? Why did everyone hate him? Naruto's mind was filled with questions as he reached out to rip the seal.
*Slap!*
Just as the seal was halfway off, a hand appeared out of nowhere and stopped him.
The person who arrived was the Fourth Hokage, Minato.
"You do not need to peel it all the way off, Naruto."
Naruto looked confused. He was curious why the Fourth Hokage would appear here.
Minato understood everything immediately. He gave Naruto an apologetic look before speaking.
"Come with me, Naruto."
Naruto looked at Minato and then looked back at Baiye. After seeing Baiye nod, Naruto followed Minato into the Sealed Space.
As Minato left, he gave Baiye a meaningful look. Although he had been inside the seal, the fail-safe he left behind monitored the Nine-Tails. He had seen the scene of Baiye beating the Nine-Tails clearly. However, he did not say anything about it.
With the two of them gone, Baiye stared boredly at the Nine-Tails inside the cage. This made the Nine-Tails extremely nervous. It was afraid Baiye would rush back in to punch it again.
Inside the Sealed Space, because Baiye had moved the timeline forward significantly, Kushina had not yet faded away. Naruto soon learned the truth from the two of them. He realized they were his parents and burst into tears. The family of three enjoyed a long-awaited reunion.
After some time, Naruto and Minato emerged from the Sealed Space. Looking at the happy Naruto, Baiye thought that Minato truly lived up to his nickname as the "Little Sun."
Minato noticed Baiye's gaze and smiled. "Well then, Baiye, I will leave Naruto in your care from now on!"
Baiye nodded. Naruto was his subordinate now, so he had to look after him. He could not be expected to do everything himself as the protagonist. That would be beneath his status.
"See, Dad? I told you Big Brother Baiye is a very, very good person!"
"And I will take care of myself too!"
Minato was momentarily speechless as he looked at the serious Naruto. He felt a mix of guilt and relief. After a long moment, a warm, sun-like smile returned to his face.
"Of course. You are our son!" He rubbed Naruto's head.
Baiye finally spoke up. "Fourth Hokage, your Chakra should be able to last for a while, right?"
Minato was stunned for a moment. He sensed his current state. "Yes. Compared to Kushina, I can stay for a long time."
"Then I will leave Naruto's training to you. The Nine-Tails will no longer interfere with his training. That should not be a problem, right?"
Minato naturally had no issue with this proposal. After talking with Naruto, he knew what the boy had been through. He felt a deep sense of debt and wanted to make up for it. Ninjutsu was the only thing he could give Naruto now, and training would allow him to stay by his son's side.
"Then it is settled. Naruto will come here to train with you every night."
"Also, if you can replenish your Chakra, it might be useful for your condition. You will have to figure that out yourselves."
Minato's gaze fell upon the Nine-Tails in the cage. He pondered for a moment and then nodded. He already had a plan.
Once everything was resolved, Baiye and Naruto immediately left the inner world. Naruto was clearly much happier. He felt a deep, heartfelt gratitude toward Baiye. Perhaps because Minato had given him some final advice inside the seal, Naruto spoke with intense sincerity as soon as they returned.
"Big Brother Baiye! I will work hard at my training! I will keep up with your footsteps!!"
As Naruto finished speaking, a pleasant notification rang in Baiye's mind.
`[Ding!]`
**Chapter 12: Super Hearing!**
`[Ding! The original protagonist has been recruited as a subordinate.]`