At this moment—
For Kushina Uzumaki, the weight of her emotions was heavy.
She and Minato had once trusted the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. They believed he would protect their son. But because of the village's interests, their only child, Naruto, was left to suffer alone.
As a mother, Kushina's heart burned with rage.
She now hated her own naivety—how she once thought Hiruzen would truly care for Naruto.
If she weren't just a remnant of chakra...
She would have stormed out long ago to confront the Third Hokage herself.
Minato, meanwhile, watched Naruto, who already had a clear plan in mind.
He nodded in quiet pride.
Naruto had reached this level entirely by his own strength—not by relying on what his parents had left behind.
In fact, he had surpassed their expectations. Minato couldn't help but feel proud...
And yet, a deep guilt gnawed at him.
If only he hadn't chosen to seal the Nine-Tails into Naruto...
Maybe their son wouldn't have endured such a lonely, painful childhood.
This guilt, paired with his desire to help Naruto grow even stronger, led Minato to speak.
"Naruto," he said gently, "Your mother and I are only remnants of chakra. Once it's used up... we'll disappear."
"To help make sure your plan succeeds..."
"I have one last technique to teach you."
"But sadly..." he added with a sigh, "You'll have to master it on your own from here."
His tone was calm—like someone putting their affairs in order.
He could feel his chakra slowly fading ever since he emerged from the seal.
He and Kushina didn't have much time left...
Kushina followed up, tears shimmering in her eyes:
"I'm sorry, Naruto. Your father and I couldn't be there to help you more..."
"This is the last of our strength..."
She choked up, unable to hold back her sobs.
This time, when they faded—
It would truly be the end.
It might be the last time she would ever see her son again.
So Kushina stared at Naruto, memorizing every detail of his face—trying to etch the memory deep into her soul.
Even in the Pure Land...
She wanted to remember what her son looked like.
Then—
Naruto smiled.
That warm, confident smile that always said: Don't worry, I've got this.
"Mom, Dad," he said. "Don't worry."
"Did you forget?"
"Kurama can share his chakra with others."
"He can replenish yours."
"And with the help of the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, you two can re-enter the world... even for a while."
"You can experience life again—together."
Minato and Kushina both blinked in surprise.
That's right!
They were chakra constructs.
And Kurama could share chakra with others.
Didn't that mean... if they wanted to stay...
They could stay?
"Ahahaha!" Minato suddenly laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
Kushina followed, laughing through her tears.
They were honestly stunned.
Then, Minato realized—if they had more time, they could help Naruto train.
Just the thought made him smile.
"In that case," he said with renewed spirit, "I'll teach you personally once we get out of here, Naruto."
Naruto nodded firmly. "Yeah."
He then turned toward Kurama, the Nine-Tails, who stood beside him.
Flashing a grin, Naruto said, "I'm counting on you, Kurama."
Kurama let out a snort and muttered, "Tch. Fine, fine."
He acted like he was annoyed—but they all knew better.
Of course, Naruto had already talked this through with Kurama beforehand.
This was just Kurama being his usual tsundere self.
Naruto chuckled.
At that moment, Kushina and Minato turned to Kurama.
Kurama met their gaze.
The air grew still.
Years ago, they had been bitter enemies.
Now, thanks to Naruto, they stood connected—through something far deeper than chakra or history.
Kushina and Minato looked at Kurama with sincerity in their eyes.
They bowed their heads slightly and said in unison:
"Thank you."
"Kurama."
"Thank you for protecting Naruto."
The Nine-Tails stared at them, momentarily stunned.
And for once—
He didn't know how to respond.
Kurama's eyes shifted awkwardly, clearly caught off guard by the sincerity of Kushina and Minato.
"H-Hey! W-Who said I took care of Naruto for your sake?!"
"Don't get the wrong idea, humans!"
"I just… felt sorry for that loud brat, that's all!"
"It's not because of you two idiots!"
With his head held high, Kurama stubbornly tried to defend his pride, though the stammering betrayed his embarrassment.
At that moment—
Neither Minato nor Kushina could have imagined witnessing such a thing:
The mighty Nine-Tails.
The creature the world feared as a living disaster.
The demon fox known as a force of pure destruction...
Looking utterly flustered.
A giant beast—embarrassed.
Kushina couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
Minato followed with a warm chuckle.
And Naruto? He doubled over in laughter.
Kurama watched them, his ears twitching, visibly irritated by their reactions.
These humans… were laughing at him!
"Damn humans..." Kurama muttered internally, trying to save face.
Still, despite his grumbling, he hadn't forgotten his purpose.
Trying to look composed, Kurama raised a claw and channeled his chakra—
Splitting it between Minato and Kushina.
A moment later, both felt a surge of power within them.
Their depleted chakra reserves were restored.
Their spirits reignited.
And just like that—
Naruto opened his eyes.
He had left the sealed space.
He was back in the dense woods of the Land of Waves.
The wind blew gently through the trees as he stood still, taking in the silence.
He raised his hands into a familiar seal.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
With a puff of smoke, two shadow clones appeared beside him.
Naruto nodded at them and closed his eyes for a moment, syncing their consciousness.
Through the unique link of the Uzumaki sealing arts—
Minato and Kushina's chakra-based consciousnesses connected with the shadow clones.
From within the seal, their awareness now flowed directly into the clones outside.
Naruto gently disconnected his consciousness from the clones, letting his parents take full control.
And just like that—
Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina had complete control of the shadow clones.
Without missing a beat, they both performed the Transformation Jutsu—
Changing the clones' appearance from Naruto's face into their own.
To avoid suspicion, Minato and Kushina didn't just change their appearances using the Transformation Jutsu—they even added some subtle disguises to stay completely under the radar.
After all…
If the deceased Fourth Hokage and the former Nine-Tails Jinchūriki suddenly appeared in the ninja world…
It would cause a massive uproar.
So, for Naruto's sake, Kushina and Minato didn't dwell on the joy of "living again."
They had no time to reflect or reminisce.
Minato quickly laid out their next steps.
To make Naruto stronger—
To reunite Kurama with his missing half—
And to retrieve his own soul from the Shinigami—
He had to return to Konoha, to the Uzumaki Clan's hidden chamber.
There, he would search for the Mask of the Reaper.
Only that mask…
Only that tool, which could summon the Shinigami, would allow him to break the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
At the cost of his soul.
Only by undoing that forbidden seal could he recover Kurama's missing half—and retrieve the other part of his own soul trapped within.
At the same time—
Naruto had another request.
He asked Kushina to locate the Uzumaki Clan's ancient sealing scroll.
The "Perfect Heaven Piercer" he envisioned could only be completed after analyzing countless complex sealing techniques.
And who had the strongest sealing arts?
None other than the Uzumaki Clan.
Naturally, Kushina agreed immediately.
Without wasting a second—
Kushina and Minato set off to act.
While Naruto was sharing a heartfelt reunion with his parents...
On the other side—
Sasuke had been training relentlessly under Kakashi's guidance.
And finally, that day—
He completed his training of Lightning Release: Chidori.
In front of a roaring waterfall, Sasuke stood still, eyes focused.
Then suddenly—
"Chidori!!"
A crackle of power surged through his arm.
Lightning erupted from his palm, chirping wildly like a thousand birds in flight.
Sasuke charged at the waterfall.
His steps quickened.
The power of the Chidori surged.
Kakashi, standing nearby, observed closely.
As Sasuke sprinted forward, chakra crackling violently around him, Kakashi gave a subtle nod.
The next instant—
Boom!
Sasuke thrust his Chidori straight into the heart of the waterfall.
A massive burst of lightning exploded outward.
The waterfall was blasted open—
For a moment, a vacuum formed as water was violently displaced.
Even Kakashi's expression flickered with surprise.
So he's truly inherited the Uchiha's talent, he thought, impressed.
Sasuke stood still, breathing heavily, watching the powerful display of his technique.
His heart raced with excitement.
This level of strength—
It was intoxicating.
A true taste of power.
And then…
He thought of Naruto.
He hadn't seen him in days.
He remembered the Rasengan Naruto had used during the battle with Zabuza.
How far apart are we, really…? he wondered.
That evening—
Team 7 returned to Tazuna's house for dinner.
Afterward—
Sasuke approached Naruto.
With the confidence only a newly minted power-up could provide—
The sky had cleared, the rain had stopped, and Uchiha Sasuke was feeling bold again.
Having just mastered the Chidori, he couldn't resist the urge.
He had to challenge Naruto.
To test himself.
To measure the gap between them.
"A challenge?" Naruto paused thoughtfully.
He glanced at Kakashi, who was watching quietly from the side.
Naruto knew.
The bridge was nearly complete.
Their mission in the Land of Waves was coming to an end.
Soon, they'd return to Konoha.
And before that—
Kakashi would have to make a choice.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
If you're still hesitating, Kakashi-sensei… let me help you decide.
"No problem," Naruto said, accepting Sasuke's challenge with a small smile.
He wasn't going to hold back.
But inwardly, he sighed.
This might shake Sasuke up a bit too much…
Sorry, Sasuke…
He silently lit a candle in his heart for the poor Uchiha.
Then Naruto turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, you might want to pay close attention."
And just as he finished speaking, he noticed Sakura nearby, trying not to look too curious.
"Ah—can I watch too?" she asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Sure."
Sakura immediately cheered.
She was especially eager to see just how much Sasuke had improved.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Naruto, sensing a deeper meaning behind his earlier words.
And so—
Naruto and Sasuke, with Sakura and Kakashi in tow, headed into a quiet clearing deep within the forests of the Land of Waves.
The area was wide open and free of obstacles—perfect for a sparring match.
At the center of the clearing, Naruto and Sasuke stood facing each other.
Sasuke's expression was tense, focused—like he was staring down a formidable opponent. His gaze never left Naruto's figure, watching every twitch of movement.
Naruto, on the other hand…
Appeared completely relaxed.
He wasn't even in a combat stance.
But Sasuke didn't dare underestimate him.
Not anymore.
Then—
A figure flashed between them.
As expected, it was Kakashi, the captain of Team 7, stepping up to serve as the referee for this match.
He looked first at Sasuke, then at Naruto, gauging their readiness.
"This match ends when one side yields or is clearly defeated," Kakashi stated calmly. "Use your own judgment."
With that, the rules were established.
A pause.
Then—
"Begin."
Kakashi's voice echoed crisply through the trees before his figure vanished in an instant.
The moment he disappeared—
Sasuke made the first move.
Without hesitation, he launched several shuriken at Naruto, drawing them from his pouch in a practiced motion.
Clink, clink, clink—!
The deadly steel spun through the air, whistling straight toward Naruto.
Naruto didn't flinch.
With a slight tilt of his head, he casually dodged them, his expression calm and unbothered.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The shuriken whirled past, barely grazing his cheeks.
But Sasuke didn't look frustrated.
On the contrary—he smirked.
Just as expected.
He knew Naruto's reflexes were insane.
But that was fine.
Because—
Sasuke's fingers moved.
It felt like something had caught onto him—tugging lightly.
Naruto glanced down.
Thin wires shimmered faintly around him, nearly invisible to the eye. But they were definitely there.
The Uchiha Shurikenjutsu.
Sasuke had laced his shuriken with wire.
A classic trick—meant to restrict Naruto's movements.
From the sidelines, even Kakashi was impressed by Sasuke's execution.
Sakura, thrilled, couldn't help but cheer. "Sasuke-kun!"
But...
Did Sasuke really think Naruto hadn't noticed the wires?
Naruto caught the smug look on Sasuke's face—and couldn't help but smile back.
Oh, Sasuke...
It's nothing personal. You just happened to be the one standing here today.
Naruto glanced at Kakashi.
Time to make you understand something, sensei.
Without hesitation, he turned to Sasuke.
Time to crush him.
Naruto looked again at the wire wrapped around him…
Then at Sasuke's confident smirk.
But the ease on Naruto's face—
The gentle, almost goofy smile—
Vanished in an instant.
In its place—
A cold, commanding expression.
A presence that felt overwhelming.
And then—
He inhaled.
A deep, focused breath.
"Hsshhh—"
With that single breath, a surge of natural energy and oxygen flooded into Naruto's body.
In that moment—
Naruto entered Perfect Sage Mode, stacked with full-body breath control.
His physical form surged with raw strength.
His senses sharpened with immense mental clarity.
And the Senjutsu chakra within him roared to life like a volcanic eruption.
His arms opened wide.
His feet slowly rose from the ground—
He was flying.
Using the Sky Walking Technique (Kuuchuu Ayumi no Jutsu)—a rare ability born of precise chakra control and raw power—Naruto lifted off the forest floor.
And then—
Golden flames erupted across his body.
A divine radiance.
A burst of wind chakra exploded outward from him—
A shockwave that swept through the entire clearing.
Grass flattened. Trees bent under the force.
The wire-threaded shuriken binding him?
Completely disintegrated.
Obliterated by his chakra alone.
Not a trace remained.
Sasuke was sent flying by the blast, completely caught off guard.
Even Kakashi and Sakura, standing much farther away, staggered under the pressure.
If they had been any closer—
If Kakashi hadn't reacted instantly with a defensive stance—
Even they might have been knocked flat.
Now—
Sasuke lay sprawled on the ground, scrambling to brace himself against the winds.
Kakashi stood firm, arms crossed in front of him, shielding Sakura.
She huddled behind him, eyes wide with shock.
All three of them—
Even with all their experience—
Couldn't make sense of what they were seeing.
Naruto.
Their Naruto.
Was this really him?
No transformation. No clone tricks. No tailed beast chakra.
And yet—
Even without a sensor, just by looking with the naked eye—
They could all feel it.
A terrifying, unmatched power radiated from him.
...
TN:
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