Chapter 102 - Chapter 101: Family Reunion, Naruto's Heart Knot!

"Naruto… Naruto… How did you know my name?""Heh-heh!"Uzumaki Naruto grinned. He explained that he was a Shadow Clone, codenamed Uzumaki Menma, and had stumbled upon some important documents in the Third Hokage's office. In them, he discovered something shocking—the tailed beasts actually had names.The Nine-Tails Fox Demon wasn't just a beast. Its name was Kurama, a name given by none other than the Sage of Six Paths himself.Although Naruto hadn't had time to read all the records, the name "Kurama" stuck in his mind. And that one name stirred something deep within the ancient beast.For the first time in what felt like forever, someone had called it by its true name.Ever since the Sage of Six Paths left the world, humans had only referred to it as the "Nine-Tails" or "demon fox."Now… it heard its true name again."Naruto…"Kurama gazed through the bars of the sealed cage. Uzumaki Naruto was approaching, step by step. And for a moment, the great beast saw a flicker of the Sage of Six Paths in the boy.---Kurama: "Hmph! Naruto, look at me. I keep my promises. So why not try letting me out, too?"Naruto: "Eh? I don't remember ever promising you that, Kurama."Kurama: "Konoha brat, shut up! Don't call me by that name!"Naruto: "But… you obviously like it. Or is Kurama just being tsundere again?"Kurama: "Idiot! I'm not being anything! Anyway, if you open this seal, I'll lend you my power!"Naruto: "Hmph, I won't fall for that old trick. But… Kurama… I know now that you're not a bad fox."Kurama stared at the boy in silence.Naruto: "All these years, I've blamed you for everything. I took all the hatred and insults I received in Konoha and passed them on to you. But after meeting the other me… I finally understood. You and I… we're both victims in all of this. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry, Kurama."Kurama's voice trembled with restrained emotion.Kurama: "You… brat from Konoha… Don't think that saying a few nice things will make me act like that other Nine-Tails… blindly trusting you humans."Naruto: "Heh. I'll prove it to you through my actions, Kurama."Kurama: "Hmph. I'm not looking forward to it at all!"---Inside Naruto's spiritual world, he finally stood before the sealed gate.With no hesitation, Naruto activated the key. Using his chakra, he began to undo the Eight Sign Seal on his abdomen. It was the very seal placed by the Fourth Hokage himself.The seal started to rotate slowly… and then the giant gate that held back Kurama's power began to weaken and fade.Finally—the gate disappeared entirely.There was no longer any barrier between Naruto and the Nine-Tails.The two stood face to face."Congratulations on your freedom, Kurama!" Naruto said with a genuine smile, completely unafraid of the massive chakra radiating from the great beast.Kurama blinked in surprise.Kurama: "Hmph. Naruto, tell me how you want me to cooperate with you."Naruto: "Hehe, let's give Orochimaru a little taste of what a tailed beast can really do."Kurama: "Yes… that's exactly what I wanted to hear!"But before they could get to business, two figures suddenly appeared in Naruto's spiritual world.Naruto and Kurama instantly sensed the unfamiliar chakra. Kurama's eyelid twitched.Kurama (low voice): "It's… those two bastards…"He quickly corrected himself.Kurama: "No, it's those two people…"And before Naruto could react, he was swept up into a tight embrace."It smells… so good…" was Naruto's first thought. Then he heard it—a woman crying."Naruto… my Naruto!!!"---Kushina: "Naruto…!"Minato (calmly): "Kushina, be careful! You'll crush him if you keep hugging that tightly!"Sarutobi Hiruzen (shocked): "What? Minato and Kushina… they're still alive?"Jiraiya: "No, old man. That's impossible. Both Minato and Kushina died during the Nine-Tails Rebellion. That's a fact."Senju Tobirama: "Then… how is this happening? Could it be… the Fourth Hokage...?"Minato (smiling): "Yes, Second Hokage-sama. At the last moment, I sealed a portion of my and Kushina's chakra into Naruto. The moment the seal was undone… we appeared."Senju Hashirama: "Incredible! So much done at the moment of death… Had you lived a few more years, you might have truly transformed the ninja world."Minato: "Thank you, First Hokage. I only did what I could to fulfill Kushina's final wish."Shimura Danzo (mocking): "Hmph. As expected. You could've survived the Nine-Tails Rebellion but chose death… just for an Uzumaki woman."Minato: "Well…"Kushina (furious): "What's your problem, Danzo? Jealous of Minato's love for me? Someone like you—an old, cold, lonely shadow—will never understand what love is!"Danzo turned away with a cold snort.Danzo (thinking): Do I not understand? Tsk. You're too naive…After all, once upon a time, even I...dreamed of becoming Hokage…And now… it's half fulfilled.---Naruto, finally free from Kushina's embrace, looked at the two figures in front of him.A woman with fiery red hair that looked like chili pepper.And a man with golden hair, wearing a Hokage cloak with the words "Fourth Hokage" written on the back."You're…""That's right, Naruto…" Minato said gently. "We're your father and mother."He smiled—a warm, familiar smile, just like Naruto's own. It was the kind of smile that made people want to trust him."Father… Mother…"Naruto's voice trembled. He had never known what it was like to have a family. He had grown up alone, haunted by questions and resentment.Why… why am I the Fourth Hokage's son…?Why seal the Nine-Tails inside me?Why make me bear all the hatred of the village… as if I were a monster?He had hated his parents for their decisions. Hated the Hokage for being so arbitrary.But now, standing in front of them for the first time…Tears poured down Naruto's face."Naruto…" Kushina said softly. "You must have gone through so much hardship… all on your own."That one sentence shattered all the defenses Naruto had built up over the years.---Kurama snorted in the background, clearly unimpressed."Hmph. Naruto, now that your little family reunion is complete, I won't interrupt."The Nine-Tails turned around and padded back to where the sealed cage had once stood. He lay down with a heavy yawn, as if everything happening behind him was utterly boring.His eyes narrowed in disdain.He still held no fondness for Kushina or Minato—the two humans who had sealed him with pain, shackles, and chains.The trauma of the Adamantine Sealing Chains… the agony of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal… Kurama had not forgotten.Not even for a second.But as the fox lay down, he couldn't help but glance back at the reunited family.And for the first time in years, he sighed—softly.---To be continued…In the next chapter: Naruto's Resolve! Kurama's Silent Agreement!