"Maybe..." Minato sighed heavily, acknowledging the truth in Kushina's words.
They had forcibly split the Nine-Tails into two halves, sealing one within Naruto. By any reasonable assessment, establishing a harmonious connection between Naruto and the Nine-Tails seemed impossible.
Even Minato, with all his knowledge and power, couldn't find a way to diminish the hatred that had festered in the Nine-Tails' heart for generations.
"Yet, if Naruto is truly the child of prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage, perhaps he can accomplish what we cannot," Minato said softly.
The prophecy had spoken of a blue-eyed boy who would laugh and call out to the nine-headed beast by name—as if they were friends, not adversaries. If Naruto was indeed this chosen child, he might achieve what had eluded even Minato.
"We chose his path without his consent," Kushina said, guilt evident in her voice. "That's deeply unfair to Naruto."
Minato remained silent, unable to refute this painful truth.
Kushina's eyes suddenly brightened with resolve. "So, as his mother, I'll face this risk first. I'll attempt to control the Nine-Tails' chakra before we ever ask Naruto to try."
"Let's wait a while longer," Minato replied softly, struck by the determination in her eyes.
He closed his eyes briefly, sensing the other immensely powerful force residing within his body alongside his chakra—his portion of the Nine-Tails' power.
"I can do it alone," Kushina insisted.
Minato opened his eyes and shook his head firmly. "Your Uzumaki abilities can certainly restrain the Nine-Tails, but merely suppressing it won't be enough if you want to truly control its chakra."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "The Eight-Tails jinchūriki from Kumogakure once visited a place called the Falls of Truth."
"According to intelligence reports, those who stand beneath that waterfall are forced to confront their own darkness—their shadow self."
"Only by overcoming this inner darkness can one hope to establish the harmony necessary to control a tailed beast's chakra."
Minato explained that since he had planned for Naruto to eventually master the Nine-Tails' power, he had gathered extensive information on the subject. Unfortunately, relations between Konoha and Kumogakure had been strained for years, making it far too dangerous to send either Kushina or Naruto there.
"So what alternative have you prepared?" Kushina asked.
"The Falls of Truth appears to affect only the spiritual energy within a person," Minato reasoned. "If we understand the principle, we might be able to replicate its effects."
He looked directly into Kushina's eyes. "When I was reborn, my soul merged with my previous self. There is no shinobi in this world with stronger spiritual energy than mine."
Spiritual energy, unlike physical energy, couldn't be trained through conventional means in the shinobi world. Even clans like the Uchiha and Hyūga, born with innate visual prowess, possessed only marginally stronger spiritual energy than average shinobi.
But Minato's soul contained the spiritual energy of two lifetimes.
"I believe I can simulate the effects of the Falls of Truth," he continued. "I will support you while you attempt to connect with the Nine-Tails' chakra."
His voice softened with tenderness. "I would never let you face this alone, Kushina. I won't allow you to be in danger."
"You've shouldered so much," Kushina said, deeply moved. Since Minato's return to this world, he had taken nearly every burden upon himself.
She knew he felt especially responsible for Naruto becoming a jinchūriki—a fate neither of them had initially wanted for their son.
"This is not only for your safety but also my responsibility as a father," Minato replied, taking her hand in his. "Besides, I should be the one thanking you—for everything, all this time."
The Next Morning
Chiharu rubbed her still-sleepy eyes as she shuffled out of her bedroom and headed toward the living room.
"Where's my brother?" she asked, glancing into Naruto's empty room as she passed.
"He's in the front yard, practicing the new jutsu I taught him last night," Minato replied, appearing at the foot of the stairs and walking toward her.
"Oh," Chiharu responded simply.
"Then let's begin your training as well," Minato suggested with a gentle smile.
Chiharu nodded, resignation mixing with determination in her expression.
When they stepped outside, they found Naruto still focused intensely on the water balloon in his hand, channeling his chakra with all his might. The surface of the balloon undulated slightly more than it had the previous night—a small but noticeable improvement.
"What kind of technique is he learning?" Chiharu asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. She had never seen training quite like this before.
Without waiting for an answer, Minato gestured, and father and daughter leapt away from the house in a blur of movement.
The early morning streets of Konoha were still sparsely populated as Chiharu ran swiftly through the village, beads of sweat beginning to form on her smooth forehead.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, from around a corner, a streak of dark metal shot toward her from the side.
Chiharu's reflexes kicked in immediately. She twisted sideways, lunging forward and placing her hands on the ground to avoid the projectile.
Swish!
Just as she ducked, another ninja tool whistled down from above. When she looked up, the weapon was less than half a meter from her face.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Chiharu channeled chakra to her feet and burst forward in a surge of speed, narrowly avoiding the attack.
After coming to a stop, she paused to catch her breath before continuing her run.
"Not bad at all," Minato observed from his perch atop a nearby roof, watching his daughter's progress.
The training method he used with Chiharu was the same one Master Jiraiya had once used with him. Though Minato had surpassed his teacher in raw power, he recognized that Jiraiya's teaching methods were exceptional. As an instructor, finding the most effective training approach for each student was crucial.
Minato was determined that Chiharu should inherit the Flying Thunder God Technique because she showed the greatest natural aptitude for space-time ninjutsu.
After an hour of intensive training, father and daughter returned home. They found Naruto still diligently practicing the first stage of the Rasengan, his concentration unwavering.
"That's enough training for this morning," Minato announced. "You don't want to be late for your first official day as a ninja."
Only these words could persuade Naruto to pause his efforts.
After breakfast, Naruto carefully adjusted his forehead protector in front of the mirror, making sure it sat perfectly.
"Brother, it's almost time," Chiharu called. "We should get going."
"Right!" Naruto nodded, finally turning away from his reflection.
"Dad, Mom, we're heading out!" the siblings called in unison.
"It's nearly time for me to leave as well," Minato said, rising and donning his Hokage robe before turning to Kushina.
"Be safe, all of you," Kushina replied with a warm smile.
The siblings darted out the door while Minato simply vanished in a flash of yellow light.
Minato materialized in the Hokage's office, where stacks of documents awaiting his attention already covered the desk. Rather than sitting down immediately, he turned to gaze out the window at the village spread below.
The streets were coming to life with pedestrians going about their morning routines. Children played together along the roadside or interacted with pets, their laughter drifting upward.
Suddenly, Minato's expression darkened, his eyes growing distant.
"Nine-Tails," he murmured quietly, "we've shared this body for over twenty years now."
After his words fell, there was no response from the entity within him. Minato wasn't surprised by the silence.
"I've been pondering a question recently," he continued, undeterred. "The practice established by the First Hokage—distributing the tailed beasts as weapons among the different nations—perhaps it was fundamentally wrong."
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