Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 28 Seal Released

The dining table was covered with things unrelated to food; most were books, pens, and paper; a few were kunai and shuriken that had been taken out for maintenance; and a few scattered bits... were Naruto's drool. After discovering Naruto asleep on the table for the third time, Sasuke finally couldn't take it anymore and kicked the guy onto the sofa.

"If you're sleepy, just go to sleep. Don't drool over your homework."

Naruto rolled over on the sofa, but his back remained firmly against the cushion, without even struggling. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I get dizzy just looking at words."

Sasuke had known about this symptom for a long time. Back in school, Naruto, who was full of energy before class, could fall asleep the moment the teacher started talking. He only paid attention in Iruka's classes, and now the symptom had extended to his homework. Would Naruto ever finish his homework at this rate? Oh well, what did it matter to him whether he finished or not! That guy deserved to suffer!

At that moment, Sasuke didn't notice that Naruto, who was lying on the sofa yawning, suddenly stiffened, clutched his chest and trembled slightly before relaxing his body after a while.

That was close! I almost disappeared. Is the main body alright?

To prevent the leakage of the Nine-Tails' chakra, all of "Hui's" current Kage-level and near-Kage-level powerhouses gathered, setting up layers of barriers and even placing a Four Red Yang Formation on the outside. However, the price for maintaining the formation was that of the four Kage-level warriors present, only Hashirama's clone still possessed any fighting power.

Unlike the others who were on high alert, Naruto was relaxed and even had time to tease Kurama in his mental space.

"Nine-Ra, you're probably going to have to see someone you don't want to see later~"

Kurama's ears twitched, and he lay quietly in his cage. He seemed indifferent, but his mind was racing, because Naruto's warnings were always crucial. Who could he not want to see? Senju Hashirama was outside—was that Uchiha Madara? That guy had absolutely no connection to Naruto; impossible. Then who could it be? His other two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? Right, that night, Minato seemed to say he wanted to conserve some chakra…

Kurama, having arrived at the correct answer, immediately perked up his ears, his fox-like face displaying a complex expression. For a long time, he had hated the humans who had sealed him away and exploited him, but Naruto had given him hope. If he could, he would want to go back and slap himself for having stabbed the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

"What's with that expression? It's disgusting." Naruto made a very funny face, instantly wiping away Kurama's guilt.

"Is it really that serious! Concentrate, you idiot! Even if I try my best to control myself, you'll still suffer a significant impact, and you might even die!"

"Okay, okay. If I accidentally die, don't hesitate, remember to get out of there immediately."

His reply was a massive wave. The Nine-Tailed Fox stopped his commotion and said seriously, "Don't say such things. You won't die. I will never let you die before dawn."

Naruto opened his eyes, smiled, and nodded at the wood clone in front of him. "I'm ready."

"Well then, I'll begin."

The wood clone stood solemnly, as if on a battlefield, one hand pressed against Naruto's abdomen, slowly rotating. The dark seal changed; the spiral patterns gradually thickened, until finally all the lines merged into a pure black circle—a sign that the seal was about to be broken. Having done this, the wood clone immediately moved away from the child, standing closest to the edge, intently watching the center. Orange-red chakra had already leaked out, spontaneously attaching itself to Naruto's body, forming fox ears and a tail—three in total on the first attempt alone. Naruto, immersed in Kurama's chakra, showed no discomfort, instead closing his eyes again and sinking into his consciousness.

The chakra flow here was even more chaotic, with red, blue, and golden chakra of all kinds. But Naruto seemed oblivious, controlling the waves of his consciousness to form a path to the seal. The instant he touched the seal, a person appeared out of thin air beside him, but that person didn't reach out to stop him; they simply stood side by side with him, quietly watching him. Naruto turned his head and met a pair of eyes that were remarkably similar to his own. He was already taller and older than his eternally young father, but his father's gaze was still full of love, as if it could tolerate all of his willfulness.

"Naruto." Minato Namikaze had already seen everything inside him, so he had no intention of stopping him. He simply looked at his growing child with satisfaction and said, "Do your best."

"Oh!" Naruto flashed his signature confident smile and ripped off the seal.

The sounds of the barrier collapsing echoed one after another, until finally even the wood clones had to use Wood Release: ...

"This is the perfect Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails..."

It's no wonder that these big shots were amazed, after all, none of them had ever perfectly controlled the Nine-Tails in their life experience, and they had never seen such a vast, pure, and vibrant chakra.

"Is this the Nine-Tails form? It's so cool!" A red-haired woman suddenly appeared between the father and son, her eyes shining as she looked at Naruto, who was now completely golden.

"I think it's super cool too." Naruto deliberately gestured a couple of times, striking a few poses that he thought were very cool.

The family met eyes and burst into laughter. Even without his parents by his side, Naruto resembled them perfectly. Their appearances were strikingly similar, their personalities alike, even their verbal tic was identical. After laughing for a while, Naruto suddenly lunged forward, embracing his parents and burying his head in their shoulders. Even though they couldn't see each other's expressions, Minato and Kushina reached out and gently patted their eldest son's back. How much hardship had their child endured to grow into this fearless adult, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders?

It was rare for Naruto's family to gather, so they were bound to have a lot to talk about. Kurama, who had just been freed, quietly retreated, trying to make way for them without making a sound. However, he had only taken a few steps when Kushina's voice came over.

"Kurama, thank you for taking such good care of Naruto all these years. I saw it all inside the seal! I'll never hate you again."

Over the years, Kurama has been living inside Naruto's body. He can't understand plans, and his ninjutsu skills aren't great, but he understands Naruto's physical condition best. Therefore, urging the child to live a healthy life has become the only thing he can do. When urging people to eat and sleep, he feels irritable, but when he is touched by gratitude, especially when the person thanking him has died at his hands, he only feels ashamed and guilty.

Naruto could have had such a happy family, but he became a lonely person because of him.

"I...I don't care about that at all," Kurama stammered in response, and as expected, Naruto, who knew him best, made fun of him.

“He actually cares a lot,” Naruto whispered in Kushina’s ear. “But he’s easily embarrassed.”

Enraged, the Nine Lamas jumped up and shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Faced with the Nine-Tails' overwhelming power, only the naturally ditzy family could still laugh. Minato laughed and remarked, "It's a completely different feeling. Naruto, you and Kurama have such a good relationship."

"Of course, we're partners who've been through thick and thin together."

Adults have learned to endure. Naruto didn't shed a tear, but just smiled and said, "It's nice to see you again, Dad, Mom."