[Honestly.]
[This past month, Great Fox has lived in terror, treading on thin ice.]
[Every now and then, most of his Chakra is siphoned off by a certain red-haired woman.]
[He's almost gone mad.]
[Naruto is equally stunned.]
[The Uzumaki Clan's constitution truly is a Tailed Beast's nightmare.]
[Ever since Kushina and Minato Namikaze entered the genjutsu world,] Great Fox hasn't had a single night of peaceful sleep.]
[Sometimes, while sound asleep, he suddenly finds himself 'dead'.]
[Great Fox wrestles with Kushina every moment of every day.]
[It's like a tug-of-war with their Chakra.]
[Whenever Kushina flies into a rage, Great Fox must be on highest alert,] stay far away, and watch out for the Adamantine Sealing Chains shooting out from behind her.]
[If they touch him, he's bound for sure; once bound, there's no escape.]
[At the start, even Naruto had to devote a huge portion of his focus inside the Sealing Space, constantly helping the poor fox break free of the chains.]
[For Great Fox, this month has been agony.]
[Yet for Kushina, it's been just as excruciating.]
[She has all that power but nowhere to release it.]
[Watching scene after scene in the genjutsu world nearly drives her insane.]
[She erupts constantly.]
[But she can't interfere with anything happening inside.]
[All she can do is beat Minato Namikaze again and again,] question him again and again.]
[At first, Minato would answer.]
[Later, he no longer knew what to say.]
[Kushina always hits hard;] after death, she hits even harder.]
[In other words, for Minato this month has been torment—no, sheer torment,] both physically and mentally.]
[That trademark sunny smile is gone;] those blue eyes are almost black.]
Everyone: "…"
All right.
For some people, even death will soon be out of reach.
Although the black-framed large screen didn't show the genjutsu world,] everyone could guess what was playing.]
[Inside it, Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina spent the month] not as the former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki or the Fourth Hokage,] but simply as two onlookers,] watching Naruto's childhood—] just two ordinary parents.
"Sigh…"
Shizune sighed and shook her head.
This is torture.
The one who caused it all probably suffers less than they do.
Suffering isn't meant to be compared,] yet right now she can't help thinking it.
For a Ninja, death is often not the worst fate.
She then looked at the silent Tsunade;] her own heart grew heavier.
The black-framed screen continued:
["Kushina…"] Inside the genjutsu world, Minato hadn't spoken for ages.]
[These thirty days felt like thirty years.]
[Words caught in his throat like thorns.]
[He watched Kushina rage, weep, and nearly break,] then fall into deafening silence—] no more blows,] not even a glance,] as if he were air.]
[Only now did Minato understand regret.]
[The moment he chose the Village over his family,] he should have foreseen this day.]
[Kushina said nothing, only stared lifelessly at Naruto,] who had finally survived the worst.]
[Her dead eyes at last showed light,] yet still only silence answered Minato.]
[But in his ears her words echoed endlessly:] "I told you… you never believed me."
["What damn Leaf hero?"] "Hokage who protects everyone?"] "Look—those animals steeped in the Will of Fire are bullying your son."] "Hero's son… fox demon?"] "Such amusing theater."] ["…"]
The moment those echoes sounded in Minato's mind,] most of Konoha lowered their heads.]
[Even Black-Framed Naruto had lightly excused them—] merely brainwashed creatures,] beasts that worship the Will of Fire and the Old Thing,] unable to think.]
[Hateful, pitiful, deplorable… death is too good for them.]
[Yet faced with a mother left with only silence,] no one dared utter a word.]
["So, great hero, does the fox demon deserve to live in Konoha?"]
Minato stayed silent.
["Great Hokage, is this the Will of Fire?"]
Still silent.
["Strongest Hokage… thank goodness it almost succeeded—] no, it did succeed."]
Minato had no reply.
["The Hokage's son starves and is scorned;] the Hokage's grandson enjoys everything—] worlds apart."] ["Both were Hokage, why such difference?"] ["The son's inheritance from his mother was taken by the grandson."] ["After all, little fox demon… I'm the Great Fox, an outsider."] ["Right, Hokage-sama, inheritor of the Will of Fire—] Great Fox plans to raze everything you cherish,] destroy your beloved Village,] kill your revered strongest Hokage…] no grand scheme,] just pure vengeance."] ["The war may even spread to other Villages because of our surnames."] ["So… Hero of Konoha, Fourth Hokage—] what will you do?"]
Minato could give no answer.
["No, no, Great Fox is cruel and black-hearted;] he won't let them die easy."] ["Great Fox is very petty—] they'll pay a thousandfold!"] ["Hero, try and stop us mother and son."] ["If your power alone isn't enough,] go find your dear teacher who knows everything yet does nothing—] just tell him the fox demons are moving against Konoha and he'll rush back to help."] ["…"]
Kushina's voice in his mind never stopped.]
[Some words she may have spoken,] some perhaps not,] yet they all resounded in Minato's head.]
[The genjutsu world seemed silent for ages.]
[Neither of them noticed] the small fox trailing close behind,] every step trembling,] walking on thin ice.