Naruto landed and shook his head."I don't think I need Dad's jutsu anymore."
"We're already connected now."
He drew his golden short sword.
"Asura's power, huh?" Minato Namikaze smiled gently. "It truly is a very gentle force."
"But listen carefully, Naruto."
Naruto sheathed his blade.
"Before I conceived that technique," Minato continued, "I realized that both the Nine-Tails and your mother are alike. They put on a strong front to hide the gentleness deep within their hearts."
Kurama bared its teeth, looking both annoyed and embarrassed.Can we not do this now?
At a time like this—when I've just been released and I'm feeling great—can't we talk about something more cheerful?
"But the Nine-Tails has long been misunderstood as a calamity of rage and negativity," Minato looked up at it with a smile. "Like you once said, it's a mirror—however people treat it, it treats them the same way."
"That may be true…"
"But in the Nine-Tails' long lifespan, those negative emotions have become an inseparable part of it."
He paused, then gently patted Naruto's head."That's why, my son… Naruto, you are incredible."
"Because where there is love, hatred can also take root."
"Contrast intensifies both love and hate."
"And yet, you still stay true to your heart."
Minato's eyes were filled with guilt.
All parents wish for their children to mature quickly.
But… when they truly do mature like adults, how could a parent not feel remorseful?
Especially someone like himself—
He hadn't taken responsibility as a parent even for a single day, and yet his child now possessed a resilience that many adults couldn't match.
The weight of "failing as a father" pressed down even more.
He sighed and continued,"You're a great kid. But even you carry darkness in your heart."
"Have you heard of the 'Falls of Truth' in the Hidden Cloud Village?"
Naruto shook his head.
He hadn't had a chance to travel to the Land of Lightning yet.
"It's a place said to reflect the darkness within one's heart," Minato explained gently, looking at both Naruto and the Nine-Tails. "In the jutsu I had in mind, I planned to go there—or somewhere similar—to help Kushina confront and shatter her inner darkness and accept the Nine-Tails. A pure person would see their pure self in the mirror."
"That way, the two of them could truly connect."
Kurama swished its tails.
Naruto's eyes followed the movement. "But my relationship with Kurama is different from Mom's. So… do I have to confront and shatter our inner negativity together?"
"Exactly!" Minato nodded. "So go on."
"You've already overcome it once."
"Just do it again."
He paused and spoke even more softly,"Kushina left behind a portion of her chakra in your body too."
"She was in a rush to come out, but I stopped her."
Naruto blinked, instinctively placing his hand on his stomach.
So besides his dad's chakra, his mom's chakra was inside him too?
"Don't be afraid to face the darkness within yourself." Minato patted his head."Kushina will appear and accompany you through it."
Naruto took a deep breath and replied cheerfully.
"Goodbye, Naruto," Minato stood straight and waved."And goodbye to you as well, Nine-Tails."
"Wait, Dad!" Naruto stopped him, eyes full of determination."Can you teach me the Reaper Death Seal technique?"
"I'll find that grim reaper!"
"I'll free you both from its stomach and meet you again in the Pure Land!"
"I am the death god!"
Minato smiled brightly.
He raised his right hand, brought his index and middle fingers together, and gently tapped Naruto's forehead."Is that so?"
"It's hard to believe something so incredible could happen to you."
"But alright then…"
Minato's body began to fade—gradually turning transparent, from bottom to top, left to right.
"Let's meet again in the Pure Land."
"By then, Kushina and I will properly apologize to you."
A warm current flowed from the spot his fingers touched, spreading into Naruto's body.
It was the complete Reaper Death Seal technique.
As that knowledge slowly filled in Naruto's mind, Minato's form vanished completely, not a trace remaining.
"Naruto," Kurama leaned in, sensing his sorrow.
Naruto lifted his head and grinned."I'm okay."
"I'm really happy."
"Finally got to see my dad once."
"I'm the death god—death isn't the end of life. We'll meet again."
Kurama sat beside him and responded with a hum.
In the real world—
"That brat has already undone the Four Symbols Seal," Fukasaku said, staring at Naruto's stomach. The glowing seal was visible even through his clothes.
"Not a single backlash reaction." The scroll toad had already returned to Jiraiya's side.
It could sense the powerful but gentle and vibrant energy within Naruto.
But… even if the energy was gentle, it was far too strong. It made the toad extremely nervous.
Karin frowned.
She had a lot of faith in Naruto. After traveling together for over a year, they hadn't encountered a problem he couldn't solve.
But…
These frogs were so annoying!
They just kept voicing their worries out loud.
All their chatter was making her anxious too!
"He hasn't lost control," Jiraiya muttered, brows furrowed. "Is he communicating with the Nine-Tails?"
As he spoke—
Naruto's energy suddenly calmed. The golden glow faded, and the light on his twin blades dimmed.
The red blade's nine tassels merged into one.
He opened his eyes.
Jiraiya noticed something odd in Naruto's mood—he seemed a bit down. Worried, he asked,"Naruto, how are things?"
Naruto nodded,"It's resolved."
"I want to try a new way of using this power."
Jiraiya blinked."A new way?"
"Take Karin and back away a bit." Naruto waved them off.
—"No mistake about it, it's the real thing!"—
Back away?
Is it because of how powerful it is?
Jiraiya, along with Karin and the frogs, retreated several dozen meters away.
Naruto raised his blade.
He chanted the release—though the incantation hadn't changed.
Even the released form remained the same—still the golden body, six arms, and dual blades.
Nine red tassels danced on the red blade.
"Is that the Nine-Tails transformation?" Jiraiya peered through his spyglass. "Looks like everything went well—he seems totally at ease."
"But this 'new way'..."
He was still pondering when Naruto suddenly thrust the red blade into his own stomach.
Jiraiya was startled.
But quickly noticed the blade hadn't harmed Naruto.
The tip touched his skin like flowing water, merging into him.
Golden light shimmered.
Even the hilt vanished inside him. The nine red tassels lit up, extending behind Naruto, growing into nine thick tails.
At that moment—
His tailed-beast cloak flared with radiant light and expanded. In an instant, it became massive, reaching nearly 100 meters tall.
A giant fox, single head, six arms, brown prayer beads around its neck.
Naruto floated midair, no longer six-armed, holding "Ashura," standing at the Nine-Tails' stomach.
Even though Jiraiya and the others had retreated far away, once Naruto assumed this form, they were only a few meters from the enormous fox's paws.
"So this power really allows you to be released," Naruto muttered.
It reminded him of an old subordinate, the current 9th Division Captain.
That big dog, Komamura Sajin.
It was just like his Bankai form.
Kurama's voice was touched."At last… I can see the world again."
Within Naruto, it could only perceive through Naruto's senses.
But in this form, it regained its basic perceptive ability—to see the world with its own eyes.
Naruto tried lifting an arm, but Kurama didn't follow.
"Are you trying to control my body right now?" Kurama asked.
Naruto nodded."Can I?"
"I'll relinquish control," Kurama replied. "Try now."
Naruto raised his arm again, and the giant body moved in sync.
Like a kid with a new toy, he tested the movements several times.
This complete Nine-Tails form was different from "Divine Retribution King."
He could both control this massive body—
—or let Kurama control it.
Their life forces were shared.
But any injury Kurama suffered wouldn't affect Naruto, and vice versa.
At that moment—
Several chakra signatures approached rapidly.
Kurama clicked its tongue in irritation. Its massive form made hiding difficult. That's how it was discovered in the first place.
Sometimes, it envied Isobu the Three-Tails—That guy could live underwater and remain unnoticed.
"Let me return," Kurama said softly. "Some annoying people are coming."
Naruto sheathed his blade.
He slowly descended to Jiraiya and the others.
"Naruto! You looked so cool!" Karin's eyes sparkled.
"Was that the full power of the Nine-Tails?" Jiraiya exclaimed.
Naruto smiled and nodded."Yes. But let's leave now."
"Some ninja are approaching."
"I don't want to deal with them."
Jiraiya followed his gaze but sensed nothing.
Still, Naruto and Karin had already vanished using Shunshin, so he followed.
They arrived at a nearby town.
Jiraiya spoke with Naruto and was astonished to hear that Minato had left behind a portion of chakra in his body.As expected of Minato… Even in such critical moments, his planning was so meticulous.
Hearing about the reconciliation with Kurama and the "mirror" analogy, he felt deeply moved.
A child could understand such a simple truth—why hadn't anyone thought of it before?
(End of chapter)