Kushina said softly, "Alright, you've both seen my memories from back then."
"As for what comes next… that's up to you. After all, I'm already dead."
"Naruto, Mom doesn't have much time left, so I need to tell you a few last things."
"Don't be picky with your food. You're still growing, and you'll get taller in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing my son become tall and handsome..."
"Remember to take a hot bath every day, don't stay up too late, and make sure to get enough sleep..."
"And, make friends. It's fine even if you don't have many—as long as they're trustworthy, that's enough. Shinju is a good kid..."
"Work hard on your ninjutsu training. Of course, everyone has their own strengths, so it's okay even if you can't master everything right away. Take your time, don't get discouraged, and always respect the teachers and seniors who guide you..."
"And there's one more important thing—about the three taboos for shinobi. When you earn money, save it properly and don't waste it. And don't drink alcohol before you turn twenty..."
"Naruto, you're growing up now, and it's normal to be interested in girls. Just don't let yourself get tangled up with weird ones... Find a girl as wonderful as your mom..."
"And also… Naruto... you're still young. Whether it's pain or happiness, you'll experience a lot of both in the years to come..."
"Follow your own pace, keep your dreams in your heart, work hard for them, and have confidence in yourself. You really are an amazing boy..."
By this point, Kushina's body was starting to fade, parts of her turning into radiant light that slowly dispersed into the golden space around them...
"Naruto... thank you for letting me become a mother, and for letting Minato become a father."
"I'm sorry... please forgive us for not being able to fulfill our duties as parents..."
"Really... thank you for coming into our lives..."
"Naruto, there's still so much I want to tell you... I wish I could have lived with you..."
"And one last thing."
"Mom loves you. So, so much..."
Kushina's body completely vanished.
Tears streamed down Naruto's cheeks, tracing his face before falling into the golden space below...
"Mom... you don't need to apologize. I'm not sad about being the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. Even though I went through some tough times when I was younger... I understand now. You and Dad gave your lives for me..."
"I'm proud... proud to be your son..."
As he spoke, the ever-energetic Naruto finally broke down crying. Eventually, he buried his face in Shinju's chest and wept.
Shinju didn't say much. He simply patted Naruto's back in silence, letting him know he wasn't alone—that he'd always be there with him.
...
Inside the sealing space.
Killer B grew anxious. "Wasn't Shinju just checking on Naruto's condition? Why's he lookin' just like Naruto now, yo?"
The moment he finished, both Naruto and Shinju opened their eyes.
Wiping his tears, Naruto looked toward the Nine-Tails, still bound by golden chains...
Kurama: Σ( ° △ °|||)︴
This doesn't look good...
...
In the real world, Might Guy noticed that the blood-red chakra cloak surrounding Naruto had vanished!
"That's great! Looks like they did it! ୧⍢⃝୨"
"But why hasn't he woken up yet?"
Just as he said that, all three of them opened their eyes. Naruto smiled and said,
"It's done."
Guy excitedly punched someone's shoulder.
"As expected from Kakashi's disciple! Remarkable!"
...
Land of Fire — Konohagakure.
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade, already swamped with work, received a new report.
"What? Yamato's missing? Σ(っ °Д °;)っ"
"He's such a big guy—how could he just vanish?"
The kneeling ANBU agent reported truthfully,
"According to Sai, who's still in the hospital, they were ambushed by the Akatsuki during a supply mission for ninja tools!"
"So that means... Yamato's been killed?! Σ( ° △ °|||)︴" Tsunade's head started to ache.
The war hadn't even officially started yet, and she'd already lost one of her key fighters!
"Not exactly," the ANBU continued. "Sai said the enemy seemed to be targeting Yamato specifically. After capturing him, they didn't launch any further attacks."
Tsunade frowned. Yamato wasn't dead—but captured. She couldn't tell if that was better or worse.
As the only successful survivor of the Wood Release experiments, if Yamato fell into the wrong hands, there was no telling what kind of research they might conduct on him...
Tsunade waved her hand. "Enough. You can go for now."
"Make sure to search for Yamato's whereabouts with everything we've got!"
"Oh—and what about the sensory division? Any word on the Akatsuki base?"
The ANBU shook his head. "Not yet, but they're actively searching..."
...
Somewhere in an Akatsuki secret base.
The masked man had replaced his orange mask with a white one—and the left eye he had always kept hidden now glowed with the Rinnegan!
He regarded the Yamato that Kabuto had brought back with a questioning gaze.
"He's just a Wood Release test subject. Instead of wasting time retrieving him, you should've focused on figuring out how to deal with Shinju."
If Yamato had been awake, he probably would've rolled his eyes in pure frustration.
Come on—he was Shinju's former teacher, after all! Did these guys really have to make it sound like he wasn't even worth a toe of Shinju's foot?! （༎ຶ‿༎ຶ）
Kabuto spoke unhurriedly, "He's the only successful experimental subject created by Orochimaru-sama. With him, our combat capabilities might improve significantly."
"Also, he likely knows a great deal about Konoha's strategy for the Fourth Great Ninja War. Capturing him can only benefit us."
"Oh, and one more thing."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses with a sly smile.
"From what we know, the Allied Shinobi Forces formed by the Five Great Villages number around eighty thousand. Your Akatsuki forces alone might not be enough to stop them."
"Your army—does that mean Zetsu?"
The masked man chuckled. "So, you've done your homework on Zetsu after all."
Kabuto remained humble. "A bit, yes—but just a little. There's so much mystery surrounding that creature's biology. If you'd let me study one properly, perhaps I could make some groundbreaking discoveries… (๑ت๑)"
The masked man replied coldly, "Bring me a tailed beast first, and then we'll talk."
"Come with me."
He opened a large door deeper inside the base.
Once inside, Kabuto first saw an enormous, grotesque statue. Before he could even ask, the masked man continued leading him downward—farther into the depths of the base.
At the lowest level, there was no floor. Instead, there was a vast pool of deep green liquid—like some kind of cultivation fluid.
And there, Kabuto saw a man.
The man had no lower body—his torso was fused into a thick wooden trunk, like part of a massive plant.
Kabuto frowned. "This is..."
The masked man replied with a trace of pride, "Hashirama Senju. Not the real one, of course—just something I cultivated using his living cells."
"As for the army you were curious about... look down."
Kabuto lowered his gaze through the green liquid—and saw them.
Countless White Zetsu bodies, densely packed, stretching endlessly below!!!