Chapter 309: Contrasting Attitudes
That suddenly appearing hand yanked Naruto backward a step, distancing him from that sealing door. Caught off guard, Naruto's body tilted slightly backward, his gaze clearly capturing the extremely conspicuous characters on the back of the ceremonial robe worn by the person before him—Fourth Hokage.
"Heh... I wondered who it was," the Nine-Tails, having already anticipated his appearance, immediately spoke in a tone full of sarcasm the moment the Fourth Hokage manifested.
"Isn't this that 'great hero' who was so 'great' in protecting Konoha that he sacrificed his own biological son?"
It seemed that even though the Nine-Tails had completely accepted Naruto, toward this Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze who'd once split it in two, it still showed not the slightest good face, harboring deep accumulated resentment.
Hearing the Nine-Tails' merciless mockery, Minato Namikaze turned his head, looking toward the caged giant beast. "Nine-Tails, you seem completely unsurprised by my appearance here. However, I personally have no desire to see you again. I just didn't expect you'd so quickly deceive Naruto into making such a dangerous move."
"Deceive? Dangerous?"
The Nine-Tails laughed as though hearing a tremendous joke, its claw slamming against the cage. "Who exactly are you putting on this sanctimonious act for? Do you know that the person you should have protected most, after your 'heroic' sacrifice, lived days a hundred times harder than your impoverished imagination could possibly sketch!"
Minato was quite surprised. From the Nine-Tails' roar, he felt not the slightest fury at having its "deception" thwarted and plans exposed. Instead, that voice was filled with mockery directed specifically at him personally, plus long-accumulated resentment?
"I remember every single one of those high-sounding words you said before dying! You said you 'believed in your son'? Stop putting gold on your own face!"
"What you did back then was forcibly stuff a bomb into your just-born infant's swaddling clothes! Then you contentedly patted your ass and went off to die! What right do you have now to stand here putting on airs and pointing fingers?"
It seemed the Nine-Tails had far more grievances against Minato Namikaze than Naruto had imagined, and they ran far deeper. Though the Fourth Hokage was renowned for calmness, being mercilessly berated to his face by the Nine-Tails like this, especially with words directly targeting the deepest pain and struggle in his heart, his complexion couldn't help darkening somewhat as his lips pressed tightly together.
However, Minato Namikaze knew well his time remaining here was limited. He didn't want to waste this brief yet precious reunion time on endless arguments with the Nine-Tails. No longer paying attention to the Nine-Tails' cold mockery, he turned his gaze back to the blonde youth before him.
When his sight fell on Naruto's face—seventy to eighty percent similar to his own yet younger, full of vitality—the gravity and sharpness in his eyes instantly melted like ice and snow.
His voice also became much softer. "It's been a long time... You've... already become an excellent ninja, Naruto."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: Bond established with canonical character "Minato Namikaze" at Level 7 (Maximum)!]
[Points Rewarded: 2450!]
"Yeah, a long time... No, I should say, this is our first formal meeting, Dad."
Naruto looked at that gentle, handsome face before him—both familiar yet strange—hesitating slightly before still speaking that address aloud.
Though his heart was far from as calm as his surface appearance, he clearly called out their relationship.
The explanation and opening words Minato had prepared suddenly stuck in his throat. Naruto... actually knows who I am?
"Did the Third tell you everything?" Minato instinctively speculated, tone carrying some worry. "But if your identity is made public, I'm afraid much danger from outside the village will descend upon you..."
He paused. There was a question, carrying barely perceptible caution and anxiety, that he asked softly:
"By the way... these years... how have you... been?" As a father who'd missed his son's entire growth, this guilt made even his inquiry seem extraordinarily cautious.
Though Naruto maintained composure on the surface, his heart regarding how to interact with this father he'd never met yet was blood-connected to was completely blank, feeling somewhat at a loss. He worked hard to show a smile, trying to gloss over things lightly.
"These years, I've been doing well, made many frien—"
"That's only recently happened for this kid!"
Suddenly, the Nine-Tails' voice rang out again, mercilessly interrupting Naruto's attempt to whitewash reality.
"When he was small, the situation was completely different! Almost every Konoha villager despised your son! He'd be pointed at behind his back for no reason, insulted to his face, isolated and ostracized by everyone! Even just wanting to go buy something to eat at a shop, he'd be roughly driven out like shooing away flies!"
Minato perceived it—in the Nine-Tails' multiple inflammatory statements, besides resentment toward him personally, there was also extremely distinct indignation at the injustice Naruto had suffered?
"Everything went just as you originally 'envisioned,'" the Nine-Tails' tone was full of sarcasm. "You successfully sealed me, leaving this power in Konoha. You knew jinchuriki were destined to bear the world's fear and rejection, so you 'believed' your child could 'endure' all this... And this kid, he indeed did it 'as you wished.'"
"Tch... thinking about it really is irritating."
The Nine-Tails clicked its tongue, tone complex. "Your son is far more excellent than you imagined. However, his growth has not a single bit of your credit, because you never accompanied him even one day!"
"Kurama, don't be so harsh on Dad." Naruto finally spoke, tone carrying comfort for his partner. "Though those childhood experiences, I do have a tiny bit of complaint... But thinking carefully, if Dad hadn't done that back then, you and I couldn't have met, much less become the kind of friends we are now."
Saying this, he turned toward the Nine-Tails, his face showing a resolute smile, then toward that massive fox, once again raising his fist.
And the Nine-Tails, watching Naruto's smile without a trace of gloom and his extended fist, released what seemed a helpless light snort from its throat, showing an "I really can't do anything about you" expression as it solemnly extended its own massive fist, once again lightly touching Naruto's tiny fist.
"Naruto... what exactly is this..." Minato completely understood—the situation before him was completely different from what he'd anticipated—his son being deceived by the Tailed Beast, falling into danger!
Is this really that Nine-Tails demon fox filled with hatred and destructive desire? Minato Namikaze had lived two lifetimes, yet this was the first time seeing such a... nearly "gentle" expression on the Nine-Tails' face, even hearing its laughter?
"Hmph, Fourth!" The Nine-Tails withdrew its fist, looking down at Minato, tone still carrying undisguised contrast. "Your son is ten thousand times stronger than you! He endured loneliness you fundamentally can't imagine, yet learned understanding and tolerance from it. He faced malice from almost the entire world, yet would still, when danger descended, unhesitatingly choose to save everyone—including those who'd once hurt him!"
It seemed the Nine-Tails' attitude toward the Fourth Hokage wouldn't improve even slightly.
Naruto helplessly lowered his fist, turning toward his father whose face was written full of shock and confusion. "Dad, I don't resent you sealing Kurama inside me back then. On the contrary, being able to meet Kurama because of this and ultimately become important friends to each other—I'm sincerely happy."
"As for what's happened these years... it's a long story. Let me slowly tell you about it."
Though his heart still filled with questions—why didn't even his own son show the slightest surprise at seeing his deceased father?
But watching Naruto's calm, mature appearance plus that incredible harmony between him and the Nine-Tails, Minato needed to understand all this anew. He nodded, preparing to listen to his son's story from these years he hadn't participated in.