Chapter 310: Connection
"..."
After listening to his son calmly recount these years' experiences—from a despised yet not entirely lonely childhood, to befriending companions, to becoming friends with the Nine-Tails, until ultimately turning the tide in the Konoha Crush Plan—
Minato Namikaze fell into prolonged silence. Finally, as though exhausting all his strength, he released a long, deep breath.
How things developed was far smoother than even his most optimistic vision, even deserving to be called miraculous.
During Naruto's crucial growth period, he'd known the treatment jinchuriki might encounter. But in life's final moments, he'd chosen to gamble on a father's trust, believing his son could inherit his and Kushina's will and overcome tremendous difficulties.
Though deep in his heart, Minato had once selfishly hoped his child could grow up as the "hero's son," surrounded by the village's love and respect...
However, from the Nine-Tails' mockery-filled supplements, he'd learned painfully that the absurd rumors circulating in the village directly stigmatizing Naruto as "the demon fox itself" had completely shattered his wishful thinking.
That somewhat cruel choice back then... the Fourth Hokage had bet correctly.
Naruto hadn't grown resentful due to the unjust treatment jinchuriki suffered, becoming disappointed in the village and falling into darkness. On the contrary, he'd stepped forward during the recent attack, saving Konoha from crisis, becoming a genuine Konoha hero.
What Naruto accomplished exceeded the best outcome Minato could have imagined.
What shocked and comforted Minato even more was that Naruto had achieved what even Kushina, a perfect jinchuriki candidate, had never fully accomplished—he'd truly achieved mutual understanding with the Nine-Tails, reaching perfect cooperation, becoming an unprecedented perfect jinchuriki in Konoha's history who could completely control Tailed Beast power!
However, while this tremendous comfort and pride surged like warm currents through his heart, another emotion heavy as lead followed, pressing until he could barely breathe.
All these achievements... when had he contributed even half? What he'd left him was only heavy burdens and a lonely childhood...
"Hmph," the Nine-Tails' inappropriate cold mockery rang out again. "Those Konoha folks' ugly faces—I've seen them crystal clear! Previously discriminating against and insulting Naruto so unscrupulously, now seeing his powerful strength and that he saved the village, they can't wait to lift him onto the 'hero' pedestal?"
"Truly nauseating hypocrisy! Fourth, if I were you, I'd definitely make those blind bastards pay!"
It paused, the sarcastic meaning in its tone growing thicker.
"Oh right, though Naruto now knows his lineage, those idiots in the village are still in the dark. Looks like even without your 'great' Fourth Hokage's son halo, Naruto can still make those guys' jaws drop with his own abilities! Tsk tsk, thinking back, as a father, aside from trouble and pain, you really brought Naruto nothing at all. As a father, you're quite the failure."
The Nine-Tails still spared no effort in its sharp tongue, every sentence mixing its intense dissatisfaction with Minato personally, mercilessly stabbing toward the most guilt-ridden, most indefensible corners of his heart.
"..."
After brief silence, Minato raised his head, looking toward the caged giant beast with complex eyes, frankly admitting: "...Yes, Nine-Tails, it seems... you're right."
Having clearly recognized the relationship between the Nine-Tails and Naruto, Minato understood he could no longer treat the Nine-Tails with that previous attitude of purely viewing it as "calamity" and "weapon."
Though the Nine-Tails' words were full of emotions directed at him personally, Minato understood Tailed Beasts' nature—in such matters, the Nine-Tails disdained and had no need to lie. What it said about Naruto's childhood experiences were all cold, true facts.
"Kushina... hoped I could accompany Naruto growing up," Minato's voice carried indissoluble bitterness. "But... I abandoned that option. I chose to leave you and your power... in Konoha. If Kushina knew Naruto's true circumstances these years... she'd definitely fly into a rage at me..."
He seemed already able to see his beloved wife's red hair floating from fury.
Hearing this, Naruto's expression couldn't help becoming somewhat strange. In that case... if Minato truly reunited with Kushina, the scene probably wouldn't be a touching tearful embrace?
Hearing Minato's "self-aware" sigh, the Nine-Tails' smile became even more playful and anticipatory. As the fox in the world most "respecting" the Fourth Hokage, it very "considerately" didn't speak out to tell Minato—your wife Kushina Uzumaki has already temporarily revived through forbidden jutsu.
It merely maintained an appearance of gleefully awaiting a good show.
"Alright, looks like that chakra backup you left won't be needed." The Nine-Tails impatiently swished its tail, pointing at that iron gate. "Now, could you please temporarily step aside and let Naruto unseal this obstructive thing? I've already waited impatiently."
Minato looked at the unreserved trust and determination in his son's eyes. He smiled bitterly, nodding and moving aside as requested.
The Nine-Tails' emotions were always direct and pure—hate was hate, like was like. Just like its chakra, no longer containing that violent hatred accumulated over a thousand years, enough to erode hearts.
His own son chose to trust it... Then Minato also chose to trust his child.
Of course, as the former sealer, he wasn't completely unprepared. If the Nine-Tails' current performance was an elaborately planned deception, the chakra portion he'd left behind had confidence to activate sealing jutsu again at the critical moment, even if the price was immediate dissipation.
Seeing his father step aside, Naruto once again stepped forward, steadily standing before that massive sealing iron gate. Merely tearing off the paper talisman couldn't completely undo the Eight Trigrams Seal.
He raised both hands, rapidly forming a series of seals before his chest.
"Eight Trigrams Seal: Release!"
The seal-breaking method activated. That gently fluttering paper talisman at the gate's center began trembling violently! Those black sealing runes originally flowing slowly like living things on the iron gate began rapidly receding like tides, all energy and jutsu madly converging toward the central talisman.
Minato Namikaze personally witnessed this scene, eyes immediately bursting with amazed brilliance. Looks like Naruto's sealing technique mastery was already about equal to his own—no need for him to step forward to help guide at all.
"Hum—!"
After absorbing all sealing power, the talisman released a faint hum, then like completely burned ash, utterly dissipated in the air.
Crack... crack... RUMBLE—!
Immediately after, mechanism gear rotation sounds accompanied by metallic friction roars rang thunderously throughout the vast seal space! This was the clear sign that the sealing gate was completely released and about to open wide!
BOOM—!!!
The next moment, that massive iron gate existing in Naruto's inner world for over ten years, symbolizing isolation and imprisonment, accompanied by deafening tremendous sounds, finally completely opened toward both sides!
An unprecedented, tremendous yet pure chakra wave like a bursting flood instantly swept through the entire seal space, pressing the grassland's green grass low!
Of course, the basic Eight Trigrams Seal framework still existed—this was the foundation maintaining the jinchuriki-Tailed Beast symbiotic relationship. But those "shackles" used to suppress, restrain, and torment the Tailed Beast's spirit had been completely removed along with the runes' dissipation!
The instant the shackles symbolizing imprisonment completely vanished, the Nine-Tails' massive body seemed to lighten several degrees. It lowered its head, gazing down at that small yet incomparably important figure below, once again solemnly raising its massive fist.
This action was trust's entrustment, understanding's symbol—the unique ritual belonging between Kurama and Uzumaki Naruto alone!
In Naruto's heart, the Nine-Tails had never been any calamity-bringing demon fox, but rather the most important partner coexisting with his soul, fighting alongside him—Kurama!
Naruto raised his head. He also unhesitatingly once again raised his own comparatively small fist, meeting that massive fist!
BOOM!!!!!!!
This time, the instant their fists touched closely again, an energy maelstrom even more terrifying, more dazzling than when the gate opened earlier erupted! Brilliant, dazzling golden light with Naruto as center exploded like a supernova!
The entire seal space's grassland was completely swept by this pure energy storm, grass debris and soil mixed with chakra light fragments dancing through the sky!
Tremendous, vast golden chakra—no longer that previous mode covering the body's surface, but as though possessing life, joyfully, unobstructedly climbing up Naruto's body, conducting the deepest fusion and sublimation with his own chakra!
After completing the initial form resembling the previous Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, changes didn't stop but continued evolving toward more perfect, more powerful form!
On his cheeks, beside those fox whisker-like markings, black facial markings began naturally surfacing. His head of golden hair, soaked by chakra, transformed into flowing, burning-like golden flames.
On Naruto's body surface, a flowing yet majestic cloak constructed from pure golden chakra energy instantly took form. On the cloak's back, six pitch-black tomoe patterns surfaced, neatly arranged in two rows.
A warrior clad in brilliant golden chakra cloak, possessing beast-like sharp vertical pupils and mysterious black facial markings, stood in the consciousness space! The energy emanating from his entire body no longer merely represented power, but carried sun-like warmth yet also an incomparably vast, matchless aura!
Perfect Tailed Beast Chakra Mode! This was the supreme form truly surpassing all previous stages, perfectly fusing with Tailed Beast power, completely unified!
[Kurama Link Mode]—achieved!
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