A/N: I see y'all reading my story and not giving me a heart :-( c'mon, it only takes 5 seconds, please!
A/N 2: Also, the next chapter will be slightly delayed! Expect it to be published before July ends! I'm currently have writer's block and I don't want to sacrifice quality just to pump out another chapter! So, please be patient, thank you.
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The battle moved to the mountain sides of Konoha, where Naruto was rampaging in the nine-tails form. Pain used a technique to create an artificial ball of stone in the sky.
"What a powerful technique. To be able to create a miniature moon." Hiruzen commented. "Is this the power of the Rinnegan?"
"More or less." Naruto replied.
"We're inside your mindscape right now, aren't we?" Kushina asked.
"We are."
Naruto sank to his knees, the seal on his stomach exploding to life. The ink on the seal thickened until it started to leak, pooling into a large black circle on the ground. The nine-tails shot out of the floating rock, with eight tails writhing about.
Naruto walked to the gate that held the nine tails and moved to tear off the seal.
"This is bad! It's too late, we're all going to be fox food!" Jiraiya clutched his hair.
A hand grabbed Naruto's hand, the words 'Fourth Hokage' was written on his white cloak. Naruto was tackled backwards with the blonde man.
"The fourth hokage…" Naruto mumbled.
"The seal is set to that if eight tails are released, I'll appear within your consciousness. I didn't want that to happen, I never wanted to see you again, nine tails."
"But I looked forward to seeing how my son had grown, so I guess you could call it even."
"I guess this confirms it, daddy dearest." Kushina purred out, giving Minato a kiss on the cheek.
"Heh…" Minato blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
Rin cooed at the sight while Obito gagged. Kakashi just shrugged as he gave Minato a sly wink.
Minato brought them to a white landscape, "I guess the third hokage never told you. He wanted as little information about the nine tails out in public as possible. If anyone knew you were my son, you'd have been in constant danger. Forgive me, Naruto."
"Dad…" Naruto socked Minato in the gut, "Why did you seal the nine tailed fox in your own son?! Do you know how tough it's been living with that?! I'm happy, I'm pissed as hell, I don't know what to feel!"
He yelled as he cried.
"Someone was hiding in the shadows, controlling the nine tails every move, he too was a shinobi of unfathomable power. I'm sure he'll attack again."
"Was Pain the one who sent the nine tails to attack when I was a baby?!" Naruto asked.
"No, it wasn't him, it was a man from Akatsuki, wearing a mask."
Minato looked at Naruto, who gave him a grim look.
Minato cursed inwardly as he sneaked a glance at Obito, who was still watching the heartfelt conversation between him and his son.
"Stop lumping all this crap on me! If you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty stupid! I'm not even that good of a ninja, and plus—!"
Minato ruffled Naruto's hair, "You'll figure it out someday. I know you can do it."
"Really? You really think I can…"
"Hey, a parent always believes their kid can do anything, no matter what."
"I told you you'd be a great father." Jiraiya told Minato.
"I'll redo the seal, but this will be the last time. The Leaf will grow again, it's in your hands now, Naruto."
The nine tails vanished from the floating rock, Naruto in its place, already in sage mode.
Naruto fought against Pain, grabbing the rod, and stabbing himself with it, reversing and following the flow of chakra back to the originator. "Found you!"
"There's a five second delay in which he can't use his Almighty Push, I had to finish it within that time frame."
"Five seconds?!" Obito gaped, awed at the reaction time of Naruto.
A ring of smoke puffed up around Pain, as hundreds of Naruto clones leapt at him, before they could touch him, the five second interval had finished and Pain launched his attack, sending the clones flying back.
"If you don't have an answer! Give up!" Pain shouted.
The clones formed a line, holding themselves back against the unrelenting force of the Almighty Push. Now there were only two clones holding up the original. "You… withstood it?" Pain fell to his knees, spent.
"Damn it!"
Naruto started forming a Rasengan.
"That won't reach Pain in time, unless you're about to use the Flying Raijin?" Minato asked with stars in his eyes, rooting for his son.
"Heh…" Naruto laughed, "Not yet."
"What? Then how will you reach Pain in time?"
"I'd just jump." Tsunade chimed in.
"Not everyone's as freakishly strong as you, Princess." Jiraiya laughed before he got sent flying.
"You give up—" The clones threw Naruto towards Pain, "Thinking I'm going to give up!"
The Rasengan slammed into Pain, severing the connection.
The scene changed; Naruto was seen talking to a man with black rods sticking out of his back.
"Nagato?! He's alive?" Jiraiya stared at the screen, mouth-wide.
"Do you hate me? Now that you see me before you. You want your revenge, don't you?" A black rod shot out of the throne Nagato was sitting on, hitting Naruto in the stomach.
"This close, I can easily control you with my chakra. Don't worry, it's not a fatal wound. You're very important to me, after all."
Naruto looked up Nagato, sage mode merged with the nine tails. Nagato shivered in fear, he had managed to hit Naruto because he let him.
"That pervy sage said the day will come when people truly understand one another, he had faith."
"When he told me that, I wasn't even really listening to him, he said he wanted me to find the answer, but I was just glad to have his approval. Now, I finally know what he meant, it's not that easy."
Tsunade and Hiruzen nodded, peace was never easy to start, and even harder to maintain.
"Now you have heard my story, let me hear your answer."
Naruto took out a book from his jacket.
"That's…"
"That pervy sage believed in me, so I… will believe in what he believed in. That's my answer. So, I won't kill you."
"Thank you." Jiraiya breathed as he looked at Naruto.
"I will lift the curse. If any kind of peace exists, I'll grab hold of it and never let it go. I refuse to quit."
Nagoto looked shocked, "You… Those words."
"My name's one of his gifts to me! If I quit now, I'd disgrace him and everything he gave me! I'll become hokage and when I do, I'll bring peace to the Hidden Rain along with everywhere else! Believe it!"
Jiraiya smiled. A real smile.
"I couldn't find the strength to have faith in Jiraiya, or myself. But you, you chose a different path, and in you I see the glimmer of a new future." Nagato pulled his hands out.
"I will try putting my faith in you, Uzumaki Naruto."
"What?! He can bring people back to life?" Hiruzen asked, shocked. "Then, young Kakashi…"
"That's how there were little casualties during the invasion." Naruto answered.
"Well, that's quite a tale son."
"Yup."
"Why is that coward here?" Kakashi glared at the screen.
"Kakashi…" Minato started.
"No!" Kakashi vehemently said, "He abandoned the mission because he wanted to save his friends. Someone that does that…" Kakashi looked at the ground.
"It's too bad, both of us died. Far too young."
"Not as young as mom, though." Kakashi sighed.
"Regardless of how it ended, you did everything you could have. I understand what you went through now, why you broke the law to protect everyone else…"
"Because now… I too have people I would die for." A picture of Team Seven in their younger years could be seen in Kakashi's hand.
"Good for you, Kakashi." Minato grinned at him.
"I'm proud you were my father."
"B-but…" Kakashi could feel the tears gathering in his eyes, blinking them away as he watched in disbelief.
Rin put her hand on his in silent support.
Sakumo looked mildly surprised, "Thank you…"
A bolt of pure white light hit Kakashi, shocking him. "What is this?"
"I guess you really did come here too soon. There must still be things you need to do."
"Dad…"
"I'm happy we got to talk." Sakumo laughed, "And thank you for forgiving me, I think I can move on now, and see you mother again at last."
Kakashi opened his eyes, to see Chouza and Choji looking down at him. "So, Kakashi's back too!" Chouza laughed.
"Nagato…" Jiraiya sighed.
The great paper tree started to fly away as it broke apart. "My role ends here. Naruto, maybe you really can do it."
"What happened to him?"
"He died." Naruto looked sad.
Jiraiya released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Naruto wondered off Kakashi's support; the entirety of the Leaf Village was cheering him on his return. Sakura walked up to him, "Sakura…"
She punched him on the top of the head, "Why do you always push yourself so hard?!" As Naruto was reeling from the punch, he was pulled into a hug from Sakura.
"Thank you." She said.
The shinobi and villagers tossed him into the air as they cheered and celebrated.
"From being scorned by the villagers to becoming the hero of the Leaf." Tsunade looked at Naruto proudly. He did Minato and Kushina well.
The clock showed it to be almost nine in the evening, "We shall be taking our leaves first, please do notify us if Sasuke is to appear anytime." Fugaku said as he bowed out.
Hiruzen nodded.
"Are you all able to continue for one more memory?" Inoichi asked.
"We're not children, Inoichi sensei!" Obito said, "Let's keep going!"
Inoichi snorted, breaking out into a smile. "Very well."
Jiraiya and Tsunade agreed as well, showing that they wanted to continue.
The orb appeared once again, signaling the start of a new memory. "So where and when are we?" Hiruzen asked.
Naruto looked at the memory, instantly noticing the shaded shinobi. "This is where I got the nine-tails chakra form! That's Bee, the host of the eight tails!"
"I remember him, I had a confrontation with him just recently. He was pretty skilled."
"Ok! Then I'm going to close the door, I'll show you what to do with the nine tails!"
Naruto entered his mindscape.
"Wow, the place looks a lot cleaner too, and brighter. A nice change of pace." Kushina smiled. "Though he still looks as grumpy as ever." She shivered as she looked at the fox snarling through the bars.
"Naruto, you… where is the real you?" The nine tails eyed Naruto suspiciously.
"I'm here right before your eyes!" Naruto leapt forward and pulled the sealing tag away from the lock.
Naruto's hands lit up with flames as he plunged them into his stomach, the gate seal slowly un-spiraling as it opened.
Naruto and the nine tails stared at each other for a beat, before the nine tails lashed out. "I see, so you want to control my power."
"Come at me!"
Naruto entered sage mode and pushed a Rasengan at the nine tails, who easily blocked it with his tails.
"The nine tails is strong as ever." Minato commented.
His team watched with bated breath, eyes never leaving the screen.
As the scene played, it showed Naruto being consumed by the nine tails hatred, sinking to his knees.
"This isn't good for my heart." Kushina tried to calm her beating heart. "Maybe Minato'll appear like before."
Kushina appeared before him, "Naruto."
"Hey! It's me!" Kushina pointed at the screen.
"What? What's a person doing here?"
"Try to guess who I am, Naruto." Kushina waited, "Have you gotten who I am?"
Naruto gasped, "Ah! You're the nine tails' true form!"
Kushina started to laugh, "What an evil laugh! You think you can trick me by transforming into a woman—!"
She punched him on the head, hair flaring dangerously, "You're wrong, yeah know?!"
Minato reflexively inched further away from Kushina, a sheepish look on his face.
"Excuse me?" Kushina looked at him.
"N-nothing at all!" He moved back to sit with her.
"Minato never said anything about it, that's right. I'm your—."
Naruto pulled her into a hug.
"So I get punched and you get a hug? Life is truly unfair." Minato complained.
"Stop complaining, you big baby." Kushina laughed.
Chains exploded from Naruto's body, wrapping around the nine tails. Still inside with Kushina, Naruto imagined himself with red hair, "You've got such pretty red straight hair, I wish I'd inherited that from you though."
Kushina laughed, "You're the second man to ever compliment my hair."
"Who was the first?"
"Your dad, of course!" She beamed.
Obito gagged, while Rin giggled.
Minato flushed red like a beet.
As the chains kept the nine tails in place, Naruto slammed many Rasengans into it. At long last, the chakra flowed out and seeped into Naruto.
In its place stood a new form, entirely cloaked in the nine tails chakra, Naruto looked like the incarnation of pure chakra.
"Cool!" Obito gushed, "C-can you show us?!"
"W-what?" Naruto looked surprised.
He looked around the room, everyone else seemed equally as curious. Even the third hokage inched closer from his desk. "O-oh… I guess I can."
Inoichi took his hand away from Naruto, as he sat up from the chair and stood in the middle of the room. Naruto's eyes closed in concentration, as everyone held their breaths, waiting.
Naruto's body was suddenly cloaked with yellow flames, his skin from head-to-toe was all covered in orange chakra.
A sort of circular design is featured prominently over his stomach; the whisker-like markings on his face become thicker to resemble the three trigram; six magatama markings are present around his collar; various other dark designs appear along his body, appearing densely enough to give the appearance that he's wearing a body suit beneath the yellow coat.
A pattern consisting of a Rinnegan like marking above nine magatama also appears on his back. Six truth-seekers orbs float just behind him.
Tsunade dropped her sake gourd on the bottle, clanking lightly as it rattled on the ground.
Nobody said anything as they took in his new form.
"W-w-woah…" Obito said softly. Before he burst out, "What the hell?! This is amazing!"
Minato stood up and walked up to Naruto, "You look more like the Yellow Flash than I do." He laughed.
Kakashi gave a mumble, not wanting to say how cool it looked as well.
"What are these orbs floating behind you?"
"Those are truth-seeker orbs, I can bend them into any kind of weapon or shape, it also has the nasty side effect of disintegrating anyone that touches it." Naruto awkwardly said the last part.
Jiraiya inched his hand further from the orbs, coughing. "S-so, that's what it does."
Kushina ran a hand through the flame-like chakra, it floated across her hand like smoke.
Hiruzen sensed the immensely dense chakra around the room, a sudden cracking made everyone look at the window.
"I think you should shift back, Naruto. The room will break if you don't control your chakra."
"But I'm holding back at least fifty percent already."
The form vanished as Naruto made a move back to the seat, the audience breathing slowly to calm their beating hearts.
The scene started up again, Naruto standing in his new form, "Why does it look different from what you showed us just now?" Hiruzen asked.
"That form was when I got a power-boost from the Sage of Six Paths."
"What?! He's real? I thought he was just a myth." Jiraiya asked, wide-mouthed.
The atmosphere changed as Naruto stood with Kushina, "I was the previous host of the nine tails, let's start there."
"Looks like we finally have another chance to know more about our son." Minato smiled at Kushina.
"The masked man that attacked the village knew when the seal would be at its weakest. During childbirth."
A memory started.
Kushina was screaming in pain, "It hurts!"
"Are you sure it's okay to show this? There're children here." Kakashi eyed Obito.
"H-hey! I know what childbirth is like." Obito stuck his tongue out.
Kushina blushed slightly.
"Um, I've never seen her in such pain before, will she really be alright?" Minato asked.
"Of course! Just keep an eye out on the nine tails' seal!"
"Biwako?" Hiruzen heard his wife's voice.
"You can do it Kushina! You can do it Naruto!"
Kushina screamed even more, "Naruto, come out! Nine tails you stay in!"
A baby's crying could be heard as Naruto was swaddled in cloth. Minato wiped tears from his eyes, chuckling, "I'm a father now!"
"Naruto, I finally get to see you." Kushina said tiredly.
"Cute." Tsunade smirked.
Rin cooed at the baby.
Suddenly, Biwako and Taji fell to the ground.
"Biwako!" Hiruzen jumped at the sight of his wife falling to the ground, injured.
"Fourth Hokage Minato, step away from the host, if you don't, this child won't live a minute longer." The masked man held a kunai to Naruto's body.
"W-wait! Calm down."
"I am perfectly calm, you're the one that needs to calm down, Minato." The masked man threw Naruto into the air, holding the kunai underneath him.
"Naruto!" Kushina yelled.
"Naruto!"
In an instant, Minato was sticking to the wall, holding Naruto. "I expected nothing less from the Yellow Flash, but how will you deal with the next one?"
Bomb tags were stuck to the cloth, but Minato was faster. Teleporting outside with Naruto in tow, he had placed a teleporting kunai in advance. But now, he was separated from Kushina.
In an undisclosed location, Minato sat Naruto down onto a bed, "Just wait here a bit, Naruto. I have to go save your mother."
As the masked man threatened Kushina, a Sharingan spun in his eyes.
"An Uchiha?" Obito asked.
Naruto choked on air, as Minato bit his lip, knowing who was already underneath the mask. The biggest question was, what motivated Obito to target his family? Even Minato failed to bite back the instincts to protect his family, leaking just the slightest bit of murderous intent.
The room chilled for just a bit but vanished just as quickly.
"Now, come out of there, nine tails!" The nine tails erupted with a thunderous roar, shaking the ground around them.
The audience shivered, Kushina especially, this was one of her worst nightmares, and it was happening in front of her right now.
The masked man commanded the nine tails, sending its large hand hurtling towards Kushina. "You were the host, and now I'll use him to kill you!"
But Minato teleported them away, "Naruto, Naruto, is he alright?"
"Yeah, he's in a safe place right now."
Kushina's eyed fluttered, "Thank goodness. Minato you have to stop the nine tails, its headed for Konoha."
Minato vanished. Putting Kushina with Naruto, he put on the Fourth Hokage's coat, "I'll be right back."
Kushina started sobbing, "Kushina, are you alright?"
"Does it look like I'm alright?! This is probably where we both die." Knowing about something and watching it were two entirely different things.
Minato landed on his stone monument, the nine tails sensing him and preparing a chakra bomb. "So, you sensed me, huh?"
He weaved hand seals and a large space-time barrier appeared and warped it to the mountain-side. The masked man appeared behind Minato as he swung a kunai, but it simply went through his head.
The masked man grabbed Minato's arm, "You'll have to fight me, and it's over."
As Minato was being sucked away, he teleported. "You're fast."
An instantaneous battle commenced, with Minato flashing above the masked man and slamming a Rasengan into his back.
"Woo! Go sensei!" Obito cheered.
"Kick his butt!" Rin cheered alongside. Jiraiya felt very proud of his student, letting him know by patting his back.
Minato summoned Gamabunta, crashing it down onto the nine tails. "I'm taking this with me!"
The nine tails vanished underneath the toad, alongside with Minato.
"I can still fight, Minato." Long chains sprouted from Kushina's back, entirely covering the nine tails. "L-looks like I woke up Naruto."
"My god, you look horrible…" Tsunade said, her eyes wide.
Kushina wiped her tears away, still sniffing.
"I'm going to draw the nine tails in… and kill myself. That way, I can put off its resurrection. That's the only ways that my remaining chakra can help you." Kushina wheezed painfully.
"No! No!" Minato held her hand tighter. His face deathly pale.
"Kushina, you… you made the fourth hokage, you made me a man, you made me a father! And yet!"
"Don't look at me like that, Minato." She smiled, "I'm happy you love me and, it's his birthday today…"
"If there's one thing I regret, it's that I won't be able to see him grow up."
Minato was openly crying now, his genin team comforting him, even Kakashi joined them.
"It's alright, Minato sensei! You can change this now!" Rin told him.
"Kushina, there's no need for you to die with the nine tails."
"W-what?" Minato looked up at the screen.
"I'll seal you remaining chakra inside Naruto with a eight symbol seal. Then I'll take down the nine tails with the Reaper Death Seal!"
"I'll seal the nine tails inside of Naruto!"
"But…"
"The true value of a man is shown when he is facing his death." Hiruzen said solemnly.
"Have faith in this child. He's our son after all!"
"Minato sensei!" Rin pointed to the now smaller nine tails, the chains holding him weak because of Kushina's deteriorating chakra levels. "Look out!"
The large and sharp claw flew down, aiming at Naruto, who was laid down on the altar the Minato had summoned.
"No!" Kushina wailed.
The large claw impaled both Minato and Kushina. "I told you… this is something a father can do."
Kushina laughed, "Then a mother would do even, better right?"
"Kushina, you're not going to last much longer, I'll start the seal now! I want to put some of my chakra inside Naruto as well!"
"You won't see him for a while, so tell him what you want to say!" Minato started weakly weaving hand seals.
"Naruto… don't be a picky eater. Take a bath every day and keep warm. And… don't stay up late, get enough sleep! And make friends, you don't need a lot but just a few true friends that you can trust! And speaking of vices, look out for Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya laughed, a wheezing laugh as salty tracks dripped to the ground.
"Naruto, as your father, I'll just second everything your mother just said!" He said over the sounds of Kushina sobbing.
Kushina broke down, similarly with Minato who bit his lip so hard to he drew blood. Even Hiruzen had wet eyes.
"I'm sorry…" she gasped.
"Don't apologize, I went through a lot because I was the host. But I never hated you or dad!"
Kushina slowly looked up at the screen, "…Huh?"
"I know there was a lot of love inside me before the nine tails! I'm happy! I'm glad you guys were my parents."
Kushina was a sobbing mess now, "Minato—, d-did you hear that? Our love reached him."
Minato grabbed Naruto, letting his tears drip into the blonde mess of hair, "Y-yeah!"
"Thank you for being born to us!" Kushina said before she vanished back, the last of her chakra finishing.
"I'll be even cooler than dad! And even stronger than mom!" Naruto declared.
Kushina pulled Naruto closer, the three of them sharing a hug.
"It seems we shall stop here for today. Please get lots of rest, and I will see you all tomorrow."
"Mum… can't breathe."
Kushina laughed as she released him, eyes still red and puffy from crying. "You're such an amazing kid."
"And an amazing son."
Naruto gave the widest smile of his life.
"Believe it!"