"Big Brother Sarutobi Hakuto… that big fox… it seems like it's crying…"
Hearing Naruto's words, Sarutobi Hakuto quickly glanced at the Nine-Tails.
Its massive body was trembling violently,
And the sorrowful sight left Sarutobi Hakuto momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, it was a full-fledged tailed beast—
Yet here it was, crying after getting beaten.
"Can you at least have some dignity as a tailed beast?!"
"Crying… really?!"
Sarutobi Hakuto didn't even know how to comfort it.
After scolding it in exasperation,
The Nine-Tails suddenly started crying even harder.
What had been quiet sobs turned into a wailing roar,
The pitiful sound making it seem like Sarutobi Hakuto had committed some heinous crime.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hakuto hurriedly shouted:
"Crying?! You're crying?!"
"Better stop crying or I'll hit you again!"
Upon hearing this, the Nine-Tails instantly fell silent,
But the look it shot Sarutobi Hakuto was full of grievance and bitterness.
With the Nine-Tails finally broken,
Sarutobi Hakuto decided it was enough for now.
He had tested the abilities he needed;
There was no reason to torment half of a tailed beast.
When the Nine-Tails was fully merged again,
He could conduct proper testing then.
As Sarutobi Hakuto planned this in his mind,
The Nine-Tails felt as if it were being watched—
Its fur bristled,
A bad premonition creeping over it.
After handling the Nine-Tails,
Sarutobi Hakuto prepared to leave the cage.
Seeing this, the fox's joy was nearly overwhelming—
It almost cried from relief that this little monster was finally moving away.
But just as Sarutobi Hakuto was about to step out of the cage,
He suddenly stopped,
A pause that nearly gave the Nine-Tails a heart attack.
"By the way, don't interfere with Naruto's training from now on!"
"Otherwise, I'll come here and beat you every day!"
Hearing this, the Nine-Tails nodded frantically,
Fearing that delaying would earn it another beating.
Satisfied,
Sarutobi Hakuto said nothing more and left the cage.
Seeing the admiration in Naruto's eyes,
Sarutobi Hakuto remembered that he had almost forgotten the main task amidst all the fighting.
For Sarutobi Hakuto, there was no need to explain everything to Naruto—
After all, a perfect "employee" resided inside Naruto already,
It could handle the explanations on its own.
"Naruto, see that seal on the cage?"
"Rip it off, and you'll get all the answers you've been looking for!"
Naruto's eyes lit up at Sarutobi Hakuto's words.
Heart pounding with excitement, he nervously approached the seal.
After all these years, he desperately wanted to know:
Why was he called a demon fox when he was human?
Why did everyone dislike him?
Questions filled his mind as he tore at the seal.
Snap!
Just as the seal was halfway removed,
A hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping Naruto.
It was none other than the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze.
"You don't need to remove the whole thing, Naruto~"
Seeing Minato, Naruto was confused,
Curious why the Fourth Hokage was here.
Minato understood everything immediately,
But said nothing.
He only offered a apologetic smile before speaking:
"Come with me, Naruto~"
Naruto glanced at Minato, then at Sarutobi Hakuto.
When he saw Sarutobi Hakuto nod,
He followed Minato into the sealed space.
As Minato left,
He cast a meaningful glance toward Sarutobi Hakuto.
Though inside the sealed space,
He still monitored the Nine-Tails.
He had witnessed Sarutobi Hakuto brutally thrash the Nine-Tails—but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hakuto, slightly bored, continued watching the fox in the cage.
The Nine-Tails was terrified, fearing Sarutobi Hakuto might suddenly return to beat it again.
Inside the sealed space,
Because Sarutobi Hakuto arrived earlier than expected,
Not only was Minato present, but Kushina hadn't yet disappeared.
Soon, Naruto learned the truth from his parents,
Realizing the two in front of him were indeed his father and mother.
He cried uncontrollably.
For the first time in a long while, the family of three reunited inside the seal.
Time passed unknowingly.
Naruto and Minato emerged from the sealed space,
And seeing Naruto so happy,
Sarutobi Hakuto couldn't help but think: truly a little sun, Minato Namikaze.
Noticing Sarutobi Hakuto's gaze, Minato smiled and said:
"Well, Sarutobi Hakuto, I'm counting on you to take care of Naruto from now on!"
Sarutobi Hakuto nodded.
After all, Naruto was his little subordinate—he had to watch over him.
No way could the protagonist handle everything himself—that would be far too demeaning.
"See, Dad? I told you Big Brother Sarutobi Hakuto is really, really great!"
"And I'll also take care of myself!"
Seeing Naruto so earnest, Minato was momentarily speechless—
Perhaps feeling both guilty and relieved.
After a while,
His face brightened with a warm, sun-like smile:
"Of course, you're our son!"
He gently ruffled Naruto's hair.
Sarutobi Hakuto finally spoke: "Fourth, your chakra should last a bit longer, right?"
Minato was momentarily surprised, then sensed his status:
"Yes, compared to Kushina, I can still hold on for quite some time."
"Then Naruto is in your care for training. The Nine-Tails won't interfere anymore."
"That should be fine, right?"
Minato had no problem with Sarutobi Hakuto's proposal.
After chatting with Naruto, he understood the boy's struggles and wanted to make amends.
Now, all he could offer was his own ninjutsu to help.
"Then it's settled. Naruto will train with you every evening~"
"And regarding your chakra situation, it should help if supplemented~"
"You'll have to figure that out yourselves!"
Sarutobi Hakuto said this,
And Minato's gaze fell on the Nine-Tails in the cage.
After a moment of thought, he nodded, already forming a plan.
With everything resolved,
Sarutobi Hakuto and Naruto left the inner world instantly.
Back in reality, Naruto was visibly happier,
And sincerely grateful to Sarutobi Hakuto.
Perhaps Minato had given him more guidance inside the seal—
Because the moment they emerged, Naruto exclaimed:
"Big Brother Sarutobi Hakuto! I'll train hard!"
"And keep up with you!!"
As Naruto spoke, a pleasant notification sounded in Sarutobi Hakuto's mind:
[Ding!]