Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails saw that Shinju had no intention of making a move, and asked uncertainly,
"Naruto, are you sure you don't need his help?"
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah! I mean, I'm the future Hokage of Konohagakure. I might not be as strong as Shinju yet, but I'm no weakling either! ୧⍢⃝୨"
The Nine-Tails chose to ignore Naruto's words and instead turned his gaze toward Shinju, as if asking, You really don't plan to do anything?
Shinju nodded slightly.
The Nine-Tails instantly felt confident again. (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎
"Kid! Without Shinju's help, you're still twenty thousand years too early to gain my power!（▼へ▼メ）"
With that roar, the Nine-Tails lunged straight at Naruto, releasing all the hatred he'd built up over years of being sealed!
But Naruto wasn't the type to sit and take it. After years of training under Shinju, he had learned plenty of tricks. With Sage Mode boosting him, he could at least go a few rounds with the Nine-Tails...
Shinju stood nearby, merely observing.
He didn't interfere with Naruto's attempt to subdue the Nine-Tails—but that didn't mean he'd just watch Naruto get devoured. The moment Naruto's mental state wavered, he'd intervene.
After a while, Killer B's spiritual form appeared inside the sealing space, standing next to Shinju.
He whistled.
"Ho~! Didn't expect that guy Naruto to be this strong! No wonder, growing up with you—his body's practically a Tailed Beast itself! d(ŐдŐ๑)"
Shinju chuckled.
"Of course. (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎"
Just as the two chatted, Naruto's battle with the Nine-Tails suddenly shifted again.
When Sage Mode wore off, Naruto started to struggle. Eventually, the Nine-Tails smacked him away with a single massive claw!
"Whoosh!"
The moment Naruto was hit, Shinju flashed behind him and asked,
"Hey, you holding up?"
Gritting his teeth, Naruto pushed himself up, stubborn and determined.
"Of course!"
"Stupid fox! If I don't rip off two of your tails today, I'm not a Uzumaki! (▼皿▼#)"
With that, Naruto charged again to face the Nine-Tails!
...
Outside the sealing space—in the real world—Might Guy watched Naruto's wildly fluctuating chakra and frowned in confusion.
"What in the world are they doing inside his spiritual world?"
Suddenly—
"Vmmm——"
A surge of chakra exploded from within Naruto!
Blood-red chakra engulfed half of his body!
Even one of his pupils turned blood-red!
...
Inside the sealing space, Naruto coughed up blood and collapsed once again.
It was clear—he wasn't the Nine-Tails' match.
Killer B looked at Shinju.
"You're still not gonna step in?"
Shinju frowned, his expression complex.
"Wait. I just noticed... something's off about the chakra inside Naruto's seal."
Nearby—
"ROAR!!"
The Nine-Tails charged straight at Naruto, its claws aimed right for his chest!
Suddenly, the sound of rattling chains echoed through the sealing space!
The next moment—
"Swish, swish, swish!!"
Golden chakra chains shot out from within Naruto, wrapping tightly around the Nine-Tails!
Killer B's eyes widened. (°A°`)
"Looks like your Konoha's Four Symbols Seal is stronger than our Kumogakure Seal! Even after being released, it can still bind a Tailed Beast! ∑(°Д°)"
Shinju shook his head.
"No... this isn't Naruto's chakra."
At the same time, the Nine-Tails, now bound, also froze.
"This chakra... this familiar feeling... it's... (๑ʘ̅ д ʘ̅๑)!!!"
While Shinju and the others were still stunned, Naruto's spiritual form suddenly entered a meditative state!
His consciousness drifted away from the sealing space—into another world of shimmering gold.
Everything around him glowed golden, making the single crimson silhouette in the distance stand out even more.
Curious, Naruto walked closer—and saw a woman with long red hair standing there.
She was stunning, looking barely in her twenties. The woman smiled gently at him.
"Naruto, you've grown so much. ∩_∩"
Naruto stiffened, stepping back warily.
"Who are you?! Ծ‸ Ծ"
"That creepy smile—you're not some illusion created by the Nine-Tails, are you?"
"I won't fall for your tricks! (▼ヘ▼#)"
The red-haired woman fell silent.
Then she smiled again—and punched him square on the head.
Bonk!
"Idiot! I'm your mom! ＜(｀^´)＞"
Naruto froze. Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
That truth hit harder than if she'd been the Nine-Tails itself.
He'd grown up alone. Only later did he befriend Shinju.
A mother—he had never even seen one.
He'd never thought deeply about it, but apart from him and Shinju, everyone else seemed to have family...
"Really?"
Naruto's nose stung as he asked softly.
The woman didn't answer. Instead, she opened her arms and said gently,
"You already know the answer in your heart... my son."
Hearing that, Naruto dove into her embrace.
"Mom!"
"I've really, really missed you..."
...
Back in the sealing space, Killer B and Shinju exchanged looks.
Killer B asked, "What's going on now?"
Shinju shook his head.
"Not sure. But if I had to guess, that chakra chain must've been left behind in Naruto's seal beforehand."
"As for who did it... the Nine-Tails probably knows."
He turned his gaze toward the Nine-Tails.
The beast raised its head, meeting Shinju's eyes. Suddenly, its expression softened—obedient and respectful.
"To answer, the chakra on those chains belongs to Kushina."
Shinju blinked.
"Kushina? That name sounds familiar. Explain."
The Nine-Tails continued,
"She was my previous jinchūriki—and the mother of Uzumaki Naruto."
"Back then, she and the Fourth Hokage of Konoha split my chakra in two. One half was sealed within the deceased Fourth, and the other half—within Naruto."
Shinju nodded in realization.
So, out of love for their son, they had prepared a safeguard long ago.
Still... if they loved him so deeply, why seal the Nine-Tails inside him?
Surely they could foresee how a jinchūriki would be treated...
...
In the golden world, Naruto poured out his heart.
"Mom, I've been really happy these years."
"I eat properly, I study seriously, and I even drink milk so I can grow taller..."
"Even though people used to give me cold looks, I had Shinju by my side..."
"Oh, right! You and Shinju both have red hair! Mom, do you know Shinju's mom?"
Beside him, Kushina simply listened quietly, her gaze warm and gentle.
When Naruto finally asked, she replied softly,
"I don't. When you were born, there wasn't a child named Shinju in the village... but from what you've said, I'm truly grateful to him for taking such good care of you all these years. ´◡`"
——