Chapter 7: Chapter 5
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***
Morning. I opened my eyes, still not understanding anything, and went to the bathroom. Taking the brush in my hands and putting paste on it, I looked in the mirror. Then came the realisation. 10 October. My parents don't suspect anything yet. Today it will happen. The calamity that struck all of Konoha and the Namikaze family. I look at my reflection. It's empty, doomed. Nothing can be changed. Nothing can be changed. The Nine-Tails must attack Konoha, it must be sealed into Naruto. Naruto must experience the pain of loneliness and become stronger, gain the will, pure soul and infinite kindness to save this world from the attack of the Ten-Tailed Biju. Parents are destined to die...
I went into the kitchen. It's still early morning. Father is reading a book and Mother is setting the table for us. Mum saw me and smiled the kindest and most welcoming smile and said.....
- Good morning, Menma. Sit down at the table, let's have breakfast. It will be the last time we can eat together like this.
- Good morning, Menma. Why are you standing on the doorstep, hurry up and sit down. - father. I'll never forget everything he gave me. He was the best example for me. He taught me everything I know. He gave me the strength to protect myself while he protected his family. He was the best father imaginable.
- Yeah, good morning, Mum, Dad. I sat down at the table and we started eating. Kari, I love this dish. Mum's cooking tastes great. It's delicious, Mum!
- Isn't it? Thank you, darling, but your father rarely compliments me like that. - and looks reproachfully at Minato. He didn't pay attention to Kushina's gaze and was eating quietly, thinking about his own thoughts. Then he jerked up sharply and said with a shout.
- Yes! It's delicious, darling!!! You're a great cook!!!- Kushina nodded at that, and Minato started to look at his leg in pain. We ate in silence afterwards, and after breakfast, my father put on his cloak and disappeared. I too went out dressed in my standard academy clothes. No, I'm not going to go to the academy on a day like this, I just have some things to do. After saying goodbye to my mum, I went straight to the family vault. That's right, I'm not going to leave all the knowledge from my father's and mother's scrolls to that arsehole. And I don't want to leave the rest of my inheritance either. So let's take literally everything we can find and put it all in the inventory. After I finished with all the scrolls, I took all of my parents' money from the house. There was a lot of it, I think I could buy a whole neighbourhood from a medium-sized clan with it. I put it all in my inventory. It took longer than I thought it would, but not by much. I had to do everything myself because the clones couldn't use the inventory. It seems that when I create them, the Player's Body trait doesn't transfer to them. That's to be expected. I didn't worry about training with Gai, I had already warned him that I wouldn't be there today. I didn't feel like doing it today at all. I didn't even send the clones anywhere. So, after that, I came home and started putting away all the valuables of the house. Weapons, paintings, family portraits and the like. In their place, I used Shadow Cloning of Things to leave them there, a technique based on Shadow Cloning of Shurikens. They wouldn't last long, just a day, but if they were dropped accidentally, they would disperse immediately. With Mum, I sent a clone out for a walk. She doesn't like it when I do that, she likes it better when I'm personally near her, so I hid the fact that there's a clone there. After all that, I just cleaned out my room. At the end, I picked up the family album. At this time, photos are only taken by masters and cameras are quite scarce, so in all the photos, the three of us are just sitting or standing with smiles on our faces. I opened the family album and started looking through it. The first picture is of a very small me, in Kushina's arms. My parents are smiling and I'm sleeping. All the subsequent pictures are almost the same, but I'm getting older in each one. From the first year to the age of three, I sit on my mother's lap, and then I stand on my own, while my father puts his big hand on the top of my head and rubs my spiky red hair. I smile genuinely at every picture. When I saw the last picture where I fell off the chair with my father and Kushina laughed and that's how we were captured in it, I laughed and a drop fell on the picture. Surprised, I touched my cheeks and realised I was crying. I tried to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn't stop flowing. After a few dozen minutes of this, the door to the house opened and I saw my mum. The clone, seeing me, decided to move away and Mum ran up to me and hugged me. She didn't ask what happened, just held me tightly in her arms, and I started crying. She stroked my hair and soothed me. Then I fell asleep on her lap and slept until evening. When I woke up, Kushina was looking at me and she was holding an album in her hands. She smiled at me and started telling me about how I was as a child. I just listened to her silently, lying on her lap. After a while, she offered to cook me something. I hastily agreed and sat down at the table. She started cooking as she suddenly froze and clutched her stomach. Then my heart clenched and I couldn't move from my seat. She leaned on the table and Minato appeared beside her. He quickly picked her up and told me to stay at home and not go anywhere. Then he disappeared with Mum just as he came back. I just sat there without moving. I thought about the fact that those were my last minutes with them. Thinking about how I hadn't reacted in time to help Mum from falling. Thinking about their last moments of life that I saw in the anime. All the hours that followed, I just pondered for now....
***
In the spacious, dome-shaped room that was dimly lit by yellow light, screams could be heard. The screams of a woman struggling to give birth to her baby.
- I can see his head, just a little bit left, Kushina!" said the old woman who was delivering Kushina's baby. The wife of the former Third Hokage and a rank A Iryonin.
- Hold on, Kushina-san!" the assistant chief Iryonin supported her mentor.
And inside Kushina, the Nine-tailed Fox Demon, Kyubi no Yoku, was desperately screaming, trying to break the chains that held him on all sides. During the birth, the seal on Kushina's belly had weakened greatly and this was the perfect chance for the demon to break free.
- Naruto! Get out quickly!!! And you Kyubey, stay there!!!- Minato shouted with fear in his voice, holding his wife's hand and trying to support her with all his strength. Kushina screamed and tried her best to hold on to Nine-Tails and give birth to her son. After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity to everyone present, the baby's thin baby cry was heard.
- Hot water!" ordered Iryonin to her apprentice, who understood her half-heartedly.
- Yes!
***
After hearing the baby scream and cry, Kushina slowly began to even out her breathing and stared at the ceiling wide-eyed with relief. Her eyes became wet and tears began to flow from them.
- He was born." Minato said into the void with the same wide eyes. Then, crying and wiping away the tears with joy in his eyes, he continued, "I've become the father of two sons.
- A healthy boy!" the woman said, covering the baby with an orange blanket.
- N-naruto!" the father of two children was about to take the child in his arms when he was interrupted!
- Minato was taken aback by such words, but Iryonin continued.-The mother will see him first!" and walked past him and slowly placed the child next to the mother.
- Naruto...- still lying there, looking at her son, Kushina said, - ...I finally got to see you.
- You'll still have time.- quietly taking the boy back, the woman said, and soothing the infant- Well, well... - took him to another room. And Minato, touching his wife's hand addressed her-.
- Kushina, how are you feeling?
- I'm fine.
- Thank you.- he said happily and gratefully looking at his wife.
- Minato...
- So! After you give birth, I can seal the Nine-Tails completely- Minato banged his fist on his palm and then put his palm on Kushina's stomach, but suddenly, there was a scream and the ireonin that was carrying Naruto fell....
- Biwako-sama! A man in a black cape and a mask with only a slit for his right eye stood at the doorway, holding the baby with one hand, the other at Naruto's head.
- Minato, the Fourth Hokage, get away from Jinchuriki!" the unknown man said menacingly and added, "Otherwise the child's life will end before it begins.
- "How did he get through the barrier?! He...who the hell is he?!"- Suddenly, Kushina's body was covered in seals and a thick black mass formed on her stomach that seemed like it would burst at any moment!"-Kushina! "The Nine-tailed Man's seal is still..."-but the Masked Man didn't let Minato finish his thought and pulled out a kunai and pointed it at Naruto and repeated....
- Get away from Jinchuriki, or don't you care about your child!?!?
- Wait! У... calm down!
- Speak for yourself, Minato. I am calm. - and without giving him time to think, he threw the baby up!
- Naruto!" Kushina screamed in panic, unable to do anything. While Naruto was floating in the air, the unknown man jumped upwards with his Kunai and at the moment when he was about to pierce the boy's body, Minato appeared and grabbed the child and landed on the wall.
- As expected of Yellow Lightning. But I'll take care of that next time!" and folding the seal of concentration, the masked man activated the explosive tags that he had attached to Naruto's blanket.
- Minato!" Minato sprang away from the wall and leapt through the air to an old house on the outskirts of the village, tossing the blanket away and leaping towards the exit, kicking in the front door. At the same instant, the house exploded and Minato was thrown back by the blast wave. He covered the child with himself and rolled on the ground, stopping to look at his whole son.
- "Thank God Naruto's okay!" he then turned his attention to the piece of wooden wall that had stabbed him in the leg. "I had to use the Flying Thunder God Technique. His target is Kushina. He managed to separate us, I must hurry!"- he ripped the piece out and moved towards Kunai in the house. Once home, Minato slowly placed Naruto on the bed and covered him with a white blanket. Suddenly, a boy appeared in the room and shouted.....
- Father?! What happened!!! Where's mum!!!?
- Menma, it's your brother. Look after him, you'll be safe here. Wait a bit, I have to save your mum.- Menma said nothing and quickly walked over to his brother and nodded decisively to his father. Minato, trusting his son, nodded back and disappeared. Then in the room, the boy's sad voice rang out quietly.
- There you are, Naruto. You have no idea how long I've waited for you to be born." and touching the baby's head he began to lull him to sleep.
***
A masked man stood in a meadow near a lake of giant rocks. He was looking at a woman who was suspended on black seals that in the form of a chain wrapped around the stones closest to her. She was breathing heavily and it was obvious that she was almost on the verge....
- What...what do you want?" asked Kushina with difficulty, trying to lift her head and look at the man across from her.
- I'm going to get the Kyuubi out of you and destroy Konoha. "Kushina was shocked at those words.
- W-what!?
- Minato's Teleportation Technique allows him to instantly travel between marks that are marked with seals. I'm sure he marked your seal too. To protect you. However, I was able to separate you. Besides, Kyubey's seal was weakened during childbirth. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?!
Nine-tails was crucified on a giant ball-shaped blob of lava. His body was wrapped in chains, and his arms, tails, and stomach were impaled with giant-sized wooden stakes. Through Kushina's vision, he saw the unknown man and through the pain he said....
- You..." he was not allowed to finish. In the only hole in the unknown man's mask, a red eye flashed out. Through Kushina's eyes, he looked directly at Kyuubi and at that moment, the vertical beast pupil in Nine-Tails' eyes swirled into a black blob and took the form of a Three-Tom Sharingan. The lava began to lose its shape and flowed downwards in a thick liquid, the chains began to melt and the stakes stopped restricting the Demon's movements. Kushina was covered in Kyubey's chakra and a purple clot formed in her stomach.
- It's time to free yourself, Kyubey!" After saying that, the clot began to emerge from Kushina's stomach and transformed into red chakra, which took the form of a Giant Fox with nine tails! Kyubey threw all his tails up and roared loudly!!!! The last remnants of red chakra left Kushina's body and she collapsed.
- Okay, I'm heading to Konoha now.
- Oh...stop!" the now former Jinchuriki mumbled with the last of her strength.
- The shinobi of the Uzumaki clan are amazing! You didn't die even after releasing the Tailed Beast. You were the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast, now I'm using it to kill you...- Kyubey looked at Kushina and brought his paw down on her with all his might! The stone cracked and crumbled in a flash Oka, and the water that surrounded it rushed in different directions. Suddenly, Minato appeared in one of the trees. He was holding an exhausted Kushina in his arms. The masked man spotted him and spoke up.....
- You're fast, just like your nickname. But you're too late.
- Minato, Naruto...is Naruto safe?
- Yes, he's fine. He's safe now.
- Thank God. Minato...you have to stop him and Nine-tails right now. He's heading for Konoha." After saying that, Minato gave them a look of hatred and then disappeared.
- He disappeared again. It doesn't matter, though. We're going to Konoha.
***
A man and a woman lying in his arms appeared in the room, with a sleeping baby and a boy standing at his bedside.
- Mum!!!
- Why?" questioned Kushina Minato.
- Never mind. Stay with Naruto and Menma.- Laying Kushina down next to the sleeping child, Minato spoke. Menma only stood quietly, not saying a word. Kushina, seeing her son, cradled him against her and could only say....
- Naruto...- Minato clenched his fists and walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed his cloak and quickly put it on. "Minato, thank you. Good luck." The cloak was labelled "Fourth Hokage".
- I'll be back soon.
***
Konoha was quiet for the time being. The residents were going about their normal business. Father and son sat looking at the stars.
- Oh! Another shooting star!
- Did you make a wish this time?
- Oh, man, I forgot!
The couple chatted at home, ignoring the cats purring in the nearby trees.
- What did you say? You're leaving?!
- Well, we all get together. I have to get out sometime too!
- Sometimes? That means every night!
- I promise to come early!
The residents were partying in bars and restaurants.
- Thank you!
- Thanks, I'll come back again!
Drunk men, holding each other so they wouldn't fall down, came back after the party.
- Hey! Watch the road!
- Aaaaay, aaaaay, aaaaay, aaaaay, aaaaay, aaaaay!!!
Kakashi and Gai were discussing matters at hand.
- Aah, maybe we should limit ourselves to a game of rock-paper-scissors, huh?
- Again?! Think of something more interesting! How can you call yourself my competition?!
- We have to get up early tomorrow, why don't we rest today?
- Don't use the mission as an excuse! I'm filled with the power of youth!!! We have to train! As long as we're young, we must train!!! To successfully complete missions! Are you even listening to me?!
- Listen, Gaius. Do you feel anything? Is there a chill in the air?" asked Kakashi anxiously.
- You're not paying attention to me!!!" Gai persisted. "Youth only comes once!
At home, Itachi held Sasuke in his hand and looked at the moon.
- What's that feeling? Suddenly Sasuke started crying. - Well, well. "It's a strange feeling...And why did Mum and Dad leave?" Don't cry, Sasuke. No matter what happens, your big brother will protect you.
Hiruzen, smoking a pipe in his office, shuddered. He blew out a large blob of smoke and looking out the window said:
- No way!
The masked man stooped down in one of the streets of Konoha, raised his hand and brought it sharply down to the ground, saying:
- Summoning Technique!" his hand sent seals in all directions and a Nine-Tail appeared in Konoha with a large puff of smoke! A huge gust of wind flew in all directions, and at the place where Nine-Tails had been, the houses shattered.
- What happened?!
- What's that?!
- That's...
- It can't be!
- Kyuubi!
- Run!
- It's Nine-tails! Run!
- Help!!!
- Go, Kyubey! - After Obito said that, Kyubey went on a rampage! He tore houses apart with his claws, his tails left nothing in his path, and his roar could tear neighbourhoods to the ground! Ordinary citizens fled to shelters, and Shinobi tried to harm the Demon. But all attempts were in vain. Hiruzen commanded the Jonins and they tried to at least delay the Nine-Tailed One. Atop the statue of the Fourth Hokage, Minato appeared.
- "As Hokage, I must protect the village and my family. I will not allow him to act as he pleases."-The Nine-Tailed glared at him and began to gather chakra around his mouth with rage. "So you recognised me? I won't let you do this!" said Minato folding several seals. Kyubey released the Tail Bomb and it flew straight at the Hokage Mountain. When it reached it, it disappeared into the seals and there was a loud explosion in the distance. "He's so big, I have to be careful." Suddenly, a masked man appeared behind Minato. He noticed it and wanted to attack, but the attack went through. Then, the unknown man tried to move him into his dimension, but Minato moved faster. He found himself on his training ground, where Obito soon moved as well. Minato grabbed his Kunai, and John Doe released the chains from his sleeves. They fought a battle in which Minato was able to wound the masked man and leave the mark of the Thunder God on his body. And then used it to move to him and put a suppression seal on him, thus severing his connection to the Nine-Tails. After that, Obito had to retreat.
***
In the village, Hiruzen, with the help of the Monkey King, was able to push Nine-Tails out of the village. The Jonins tried their best to contain his rampage. But then, Kyuubi began to build up chakra again for Nine-Tails' bomb projectile. But Minato showed up just in time and summoned Gamabuntu to crush Tails down to the ground. But the Demon didn't stop, and he had to use almost all of his chakra to move away from the village with him. There was an explosion of gigantic proportions. Minato appeared next to Kyubey holding Kushina and Naruto, and Menma stood next to him, looking dumbfounded at the Fox Demon.
- "I need to put up a barrier right away, but my chakra!"
- I can do it, Minato." and from behind Kushina's back, yellow chains appeared, which went through the ground and wrapped around Kyuubi's body, preventing him from moving.
- Kushina...
- I'm going to restrain Nine-Tails until I die and delay his rebirth. I will save you all, even with what little chakra I have left. Thank you for everything you've done for me.
- Kushina, thanks to you, I became the Hokage. You made me a man and made me a father, two wonderful children. And now.
- Minato, don't look at me like that, I'm happy you loved me. And today is the birthday of our child. If I were to imagine a life of the four of us together, I see nothing but a happy life. If there's one thing I'll regret, it's not seeing Menma and Naruto grow up. I wish I could see that.
- Mum...
- Kushina, there's no need to die with the Nine-Tails. Minato's tears started to flow. Use the rest of your chakra to see Naruto and Menma later. I'll seal your chakra in them. It will be part of the Seal of the Eight Elements. Then I'll seal the Nine-Tails into Menma. For that, I'll use the seal of the God of Death. It's the only way to seal a non-jinchuriki.
- But if you use this technique...
- One more thing, I can only seal half of the Nine-Tails. It's physically impossible to seal all of his power. Also, if you seal the Nine-Tails inside you and die, he won't be reborn as Jinchuriki. This will upset the balance of the Nine-Tails' power. With the seal of the God of Death, I'll only seal half of the Nine-Tails in Menma. As for the other half...I will seal it into Naruto.
- But...
- I know what you're saying, Kushina. But look at him...do you see his eyes?
- It's...
- Jiraiya-sensei spoke of the upheaval in the world and the danger that awaits us. The masked man who attacked you today is a harbinger of danger, and the one who will stop him is our child. And Menma, as his big brother, will help him. Jinchuriki who will bring light to our future. I just know it.
- But Minato! - After folding several seals, Minato shouted:
- "Seal of the God of Death!" and a Shinigami spirit appeared behind him. "Just believe in them. They are our sons after all. When I'm done with the Death God Seal, I'll seal your chakra into Menma and Naruto. When they try to control the power of the Nine-Tails, I want you to help them.
- Our children...they're our children, that's why I don't want such a horrible future for them! Why are you using the Seal of the God of Death?! Only for my meeting with Naruto and Menma. That's no reason for you to die! I want you to be there for them, to raise them and protect them, not leave such a burden on Menma! I don't understand! For the balance between the Tailed Beasts? For the sake of saving the country and the village? Why should we sacrifice our children?! Why do you have to sacrifice yourself for me!?!
- Turning your back on your country and village is like turning your back on your own child. Your home village of Uzushio has been destroyed, so you should know what it's like to live without a village. Besides, our family is Shinobi. And finally, if I survived, I couldn't replace you. Even if you don't have much time with them, there's something you have to tell them yourself that I can't. It's the role of a mother. I'm not just doing this for you, I'm doing it for Menma and Naruto. I'm happy to die for my sons. It's my duty as a father.-After saying those words, the Shinigami's hand went through Minato's chest and grabbed Nine-tails.
- Damn the Fourth Hokage," Fox spoke for the first time.
- Seal!" and the Kyuubi's chakra went straight to Menma in Fox form, grabbing a piece of chakra from each of his parents along the way. It penetrated his stomach, burning a spiral-shaped seal into it. The boy screamed in agony and fell to his knees, his body numb with pain. Nine-tails shrank to half his size and the chains that held him tight loosened. Minato folded the seals and summoned a ritual altar to seal the Eight Elements and placed Naruto in the centre of it.
- A ritual altar?! He's trying to seal me again?! Plus inside that little boy?!!!- as soon as the Fox realised this, he pointed his paw straight towards the infant. Minato and Kushina, at the same moment, obeying their parental instincts, lunged at Tails' claw. It pierced through both of them and stopped right in front of Naruto.... A drop of blood fell from its tip.
- Mum! Dad!
- Menma...Minato okay, we're ready...- Minato folded the seals and summoned the toad.
- Ohhhhhhhh you!!! Nine-tails! Eh, what?! The fourth one's here too?! What's the meaning of this?!
- Geratora, I want to give you the keys to the seals. Bring them to Jirae-sensei immediately.
- I'll be in my own world, I have the keys. I'm leaving, goodbye. - and the toad disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
- It's time to do it. Kushina, I'm running out of time. I'm going to activate the Eight Element Seal. I'm going to put some of my chakra into Naruto too. It will be a moment for us to see each other again. Tell them something if you want.
- Naruto, Menma, take your time when you eat. Eat plenty and grow strong. Take a bath every day and stay warm. And don't stay up late, you need lots of sleep. And make friends. Itachi is a good friend, Menma, but try to make at least one more. You don't need many friends. Just a couple you really trust. I had trouble with this, but study diligently and practice techniques hard. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Don't get too upset if you couldn't do something. Support each other. Respect the teachers and seniors in the academy. And most importantly, avoid the three vices of Shinobi. Be careful with your money. Set aside money from missions. And don't drink alcohol until you're of age. And don't drink too much, or you'll ruin your health. As for women...well, I'm a woman myself and I don't know what to say about it, but...one day you will fall in love, but don't fall in love with a bad girl. Find someone like me. And most importantly, watch out for Jirai-sensei, Datebane. Menma, Naruto, from now on, you're in for a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are. Find your dream and pursue it until it comes true. So...so...so much...so much more I have to say. I hope I can stay with you longer. I love you. Minato, I'm sorry I wasted your time." Minato only shook his head negatively.
- No, it's okay. Naruto, Menma I want to tell you. Listen to your mouthy mum. And Menma, I only trust this to you. Take care of your little, stupid, little brother...- Menma at this, endured the pain and stood up and sobbing with tears loudly shouted with all his might...
- Mum! Dad! Trust me! I'll protect him, I'll take care of Naruto! I promise!!! So...so you can leave in peace!!!!!!!!
- Good son. Seal of the Eight Elements.
The next thing I knew, my eyes began to hurt and I saw the breathless bodies of my father and mother fall and Fox disappear, and with the last of my strength I said- Naruto- and fell into the darkness.
***
I woke up jerkily. I looked around and realised I was in a hospital. My body was intact. My eyes hurt a little. But I didn't pay much attention to it. Then I went over everything in my head. This day was over. What will happen next? What will Hiruzen do? What will happen to Naruto? If I'm already a student at the academy, I should be given a dormitory flat. If so, will Naruto be allowed to live with me right away? If not, will he live in an orphanage until he enters the academy? Would we be allowed to live together then? Questions like that were going round and round in my head. Heh, after the Fox attack, it's probably going to take a long time to rebuild the village. My parents. Heh, they're dead. I'll miss them. More specifically, I'll miss them until I resurrect them. I'm sure I'll find a way to resurrect them. It's probably already in the Player's Auction. I'll resurrect them after the war. I didn't want to do it at first, but I've grown more attached to them than I thought. And now for the important part. I'VE BEEN SEALED WITH KURAMA!!! Wait a minute. He can't read my mind, can he? Can he see the alert windows through my eyes? I hope not, that would be a real shame! He's still inside me, though. He's not going anywhere. Hmm, since my father sealed the fox into me first, that means I have the half of Minato in me that was in the canon? Wait!!! He said he sealed a good half of Naruto into me, and in the anime Kurama was the evil one first. Well, at least it seemed that way. But he was actually kind if you think about it. He was always giving Naruto his chakra when he was in life-threatening situations. What if he just didn't do that? TRANSFORMED.!!!! So yes, he was kind to Naruto from the beginning. But he was a bit of a Tsundere, I guess... Mine's not like that. But I think Minato was able to be friends with him, no? If you sit in a Shinigami's stomach for a few years with only one person to talk to, even if they hate you, you'll be friends within a year. How am I supposed to get along with that? After seeing Nine-tails in full glory, I'm scared to go to him. Well, I've been there, but interest is stronger than fear. So, meditation pose and enter the inner world. I've learnt to do that and even get a little bit of inner peace. A minute of darkness and then I open my eyes and see the sewers. A normal person would have shat himself, or just surprised, but I was overjoyed!!!! There were several reasons for this. First of all, the sewer was BLUE!!! And that's right, in the anime, when Minato went in to see Fox, it was the same way. I like this kind of setting VERY much. Hmm, the corridor is gloomy, and there's water on the floor. The level is small, but it's still uncomfortable to step on. So we'll try to get the water out. How surprised I was when it disappeared when I thought about it. Before, in the inner world, it was difficult to just KNOW where the top and the bottom were, but here I was in control of the space!!!! I was unrealistically happy about it!!! I wonder if the intelligence is pumped or what happened? If yes, it is cool, but I do not know Why? And if not, the conclusion is drawn again by what was in the anime. It seems to me that the seal stabilised my inner world. I can't explain it in any other way, except for the intelligence pumping, of course. But he didn't have anything to pump for. Besides, Naruto had a world like that too, and Minato could even easily change everything in a second. And Naruto's intelligence was pumped up...a little below average. Now, what was I saying? Oh yeah, the fact that I can control my inner world is the second reason I was excited about this place. The water disappeared quickly. And then I decided to wander the corridors. It's really like a labyrinth in the form of a sewer, but it doesn't smell like one. The air is clean, very clean. After walking around for a while, I came across a strange door. When I opened it, I saw a large hall. At the end of it was a cage. Well, I don't have the keys, so the most I can do is loosen the seal by removing that piece of paper. By the way, there was no one behind the cage yet. Hmm, I guess I'd have to get closer for Kurama to show up. As I got closer to the cage, I could see two shining lights. As I got even closer, I saw him in all his glory. What can I say, I like the look of this Kurama!!! Even more than the other one, because this one has dark red hair and eyes. He has dark red glowing eyes, almost like my dark blue eyes!!!! And his aura! SHIKE!!! It's dark blue, cold, just the way I want it! I wonder if I can change Kurama's avatar colour to a bright navy blue. That's not what I'm talking about right now. The giant fox looked at me with a studying gaze. I was also looking at him. For a moment we just stared at each other. Yeah, apparently we missed the moment to start a conversation and now neither of us know what to say. But Kurama didn't let the silence last long.
- How did you get here, kid?" I was puzzled by the question. I stared at him square-eyed. What's the matter with you? It was like seeing a ghost. My shock was hard to describe. WHO IS THAT?! I wanted to ask him that question. I thought he was going to start accusing me, threatening to kill me, scaring me, even asking me to open this cage. But for him to start talking like a normal person. Okay, I'm breaking down, I've got to fix it and tell him what I need to tell him, because he's already looking at me like I'm an idiot.
- Do you know who I am? - I'm really curious now, because what if he doesn't know who I am, and when he does, he'll behave like his other half?
- Jailer. - Well, he seems to know, and his behaviour is almost like that of his fair half. Then why is he so calm? Did Minato mix it up in the canon, and this one turned out to be kind? No, that's crazy. Maybe not.
- Are you the good half of the Nine-Tails or the evil half? I'm not afraid to be dishonest about my knowledge, but I'm the only one who can talk to him.
- What are you talking about, kid? What good and evil half? Tell me, how did you get into your head so fast? I don't believe a little brat like you could do it on his own. Oh, and he's not like his other half, he's friendly and doesn't try to catch you and bite you.
- I'm a genius. Hmm, why are you being so friendly?
- Why do I have to be rude?
- Because you're Demon Fox?
- What makes you think I'm a demon, kid?
- Okay, just Fox.
- Why do you think Foxes should be rude?
- Oh. wait a minute! You're confusing me!
- No, kid, I asked the most logical question.
- Hmm, okay, let's put it another way. Don't you hate your jailers and people in general?
- Why would I?
- Because they've been sealing you up and using you as a tool! And you didn't fucking bother anyone, you just slept in your cave, didn't touch anyone!!! People don't think of you as a human being, they think you're a soulless beast. And after all that, how can you not hate them?! - Wait! Why am I saying this?! Isn't he the one who's supposed to tell me that?! How did we switch roles?! My world is falling apart.
- You're a good kid.
- Thank you.
- Yeah, you're right. They did it all. And when I was whole, I used to freak out about it. But for some reason, I didn't give a shit about them. No, an eye for an eye is sacred! I'll kill them if I get the chance, and I remember all the people who fucked me up, especially the older generation of your village, but why should I mess with you? I already killed your ancestors. I'm more surprised that you don't hate me because of that, and because I almost turned your village into a ruin, what's the reason?
- The reason is simple, I understand you. First you were controlled by Toby, you know, the one in the mask.
- Oh, yeah, I remember. Go on.
- Well, he controlled you, so you killed, and by the time you came round, everyone had been evacuated, except for the ones who were already dead. So from there, you just, like, collapsed buildings. Also, I don't like the older generation of this village myself, and I'd love to use your power to kill them. Especially Three.
- Who?
- You know, the one who pushed you out of the village with a monkey pole.
- Oh, I remember, I'm not interrupting anymore.
- Well, I want to torture that old prick not just to kill him, but to make him beg for death himself.
- I know, I've got one myself.
- Who, if it's no secret?
- No secret, I mean Madara. He's the one who started it all. He came into my cave like the devil out of a snuffbox and started talking about strength and a beautiful world. All I remember is Hashirama telling me that I had too much power and that I needed to be sealed. Now I've added that masked guy to the list. It still pisses me off that it's the second Uchiha taking control.
- Ah, I see. Let's do it that way. We'll torture Madara, Tobi and Hiruzen. What's the point? They're both on the plus side. You me, and I you. All right?
- Madara's been dead for ages. It was Hashirama who killed him.
- You think he'll die so easily. No, he'll be reborn soon. Tobi's the one who'll revive him. So we can have our revenge.
- How do you know about this, Kid?
- I've been in touch.
- All right, you can tell me any way you want. Well, if it's true, there's no point in me refusing. I'm gonna kill Hiruzen for that kick in the arse, too.
- Then you got a deal?
- It's a deal, Kid! That's settled, but why don't you avenge your parents?
- I'm avenging our mutual freak. This whole thing was about Tobi and Madara. My parents were on the brink of death. If you hadn't clawed them, my father would have died from using the last of his Technique and my mother would have died from you being pulled out of it. So I take no offence.
- Oh, I see. Well, I'm sorry anyway. I've got a little bit of guilt in there, too.
- Yeah, I'm sorry about my dad, too. He didn't know you had a normal mind and thought you were just a weapon on naked power. And he sealed it.
- It's no problem at all. I don't mind being sealed in you much. - After so many discoveries, I'm not surprised at all, but I'll ask the reason.
- And why, by the way, I am interested in this question, as well as you my revenge.
- It's simple, there's no chains, and there's nothing stuck in me. And the main thing is that there is no burning lava behind me, which burns my back and tails all the time, and I can move here, though not so freely, but still better. And if I sleep and don't move, it's like being in my own cave. And with you, I don't think I'll be disturbed. The main problem is that it's a bit cramped, but it's better than before. And you'll be dead quick. A man lives a little while, I don't know what kind of cage I'll have next. Hmm, makes sense, doesn't it? No, the other half would still freak out, it's a prison, but this one doesn't seem to give a shit.
- By the way, give me your fist.
- What?
- I've seen somewhere that you can read minds and memories.
- Why would you do that?
- We'll bump fists and you'll think about your old cave. But think about how it could be even better!
- I don't know why you're doing this, mate.
- Come on, I'll explain later.
- All right. And Fox closed his eyes and held out his fist to me. But I managed to get away from him, and then I ran up to him and banged on his fist. I've been wanting to check that out for a while, by the way. A few seconds later, I saw his cave. It was really gigantic, but what surprised me most about it was the sheer number of toys in the form of child versions of tails and a large dark orange carpet. It looked really fluffy. And it overlooks a forest of giant trees. And a full giant moon at that. Hmm, I wonder if I could do that. You'll never know. As long as I get Kurama's help for it! It's worth it, even if I have to work non-stop for days on fixing that sewer into THIS!!!! Taking my hand back I started working. The most trivial things were easy to do, like making the same cave, but it turned out flat, not as beautiful as it was in my memories or imagination? No matter! In short, I had to work on the detail. Kurama was at first astonished to see the sewers changing, and he kept silent for a long time, then tried to ask me a question, but I was too engrossed in my work and ignored him. But after I finished detailing the cave, he just lay down and fell asleep. Next I worked on everything else. The whole thing took about a MONTH!!! And I enjoyed doing it all, and I got into it without paying attention to time, and Kurama didn't wake up after he fell asleep. Anyway, when I finished it, it was WONDERFUL!!! I did everything on my conscience, and that's why it looked beautiful. I managed to make an empty planet and a moon of the size Kurama had in his dreams. And everything else: the cave, the hills, and the giant trees were 10 kilometres long. He made toys and a rug, too, and even made a big couch for himself. That's it. Now to wake Kurama up and see how he reacts. By the way, I couldn't get rid of the cage, so now it's at the entrance to the cave. I hope he won't be offended by that. It was hard to wake Kurama up. At first I tried to do it myself, but he didn't even scratch me. Then I threw his toys at him, but that didn't help either. In the end I just created a giant boulder over his head and it fell on him.
- AAAAI!!!! PATSY!?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!?! THIS...- Kurama went on after his stupor, just studying everything I'd done. It took him an hour. Kid? Is that you?
- Yes! What do you think? Isn't that cool? I can't move the cage, so I'm sorry about that.
- I'm sorry about that. I was grateful for a bigger cave, and you've done a better job than I ever dreamed of. Thanks, Kid! I'll never forget it!
- You're welcome. It wasn't that hard for me. It's my inner world, and watching you cramped up in there wasn't very nice for me.
- Yeah, you're modest, Kid. Makes me think that if you die, I'll be bored without you.
- What makes you think I'm gonna die?
- Not now. You people live too little, so maybe 100 years is a long time for you, but for me it'll pass quickly, so you'll be dead for me soon.
- Stop talking about me dying. I'll be immortal soon too, so don't worry.
- A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! Okay, Kid. Whatever you say. My name is Kurama, by the way. Can we be brothers?
- I know, wait, why do we have to be brothers?
- I like you, so you'll be my little brother. I say that to all brothers.
- We'll see about that. Seniority is determined by strength, and I'm only 5 and a half years old, I haven't had time to level up yet, so we'll see who's senior in 100 years!
- It's a deal! A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
That's how I met Kurama for the first time. I didn't worry about being away from the real world for a month. In the real world, it really only takes a second, no matter how long it takes in my inner world. That's a big plus. As for Kurama himself, I'll just say that I've been pretty damn lucky with my soulmate's character. It seems like all the friendliness and pofigism went to this one, and that one got all the hate. I don't get it at all. I'd like to talk to Kurama some more, but I think that's enough for now. I need to get things back on track in the real world, and I need to go through all the alerts I've received from Kurama without his help.
***
When I opened my eyes in the real world, I realised that there was something wrong with my eyes. They were starting to hurt a little more. When I saw a mirror on the nightstand next to me, I took it and looked at it. There was a Three Wash Sharingan glowing in front of my eyes. But my eyes were so red that red veins showed on the whites. Seeing this for the first time and got scared and threw the mirror away. The eyes were so saturated with hatred and bloodlust that just looking at it made me feel like I was looking into the eyes of a killer who was aiming at me. I felt defenceless in the sight of those eyes. It took me a long time to get my thoughts together. After a couple of minutes I tried to deactivate the eyes, but they didn't change. After a while I decided to just fall asleep. It didn't come out until an hour later. I woke up in the night. Taking a mirror in my hands, I gingerly began to bring it close to me. When I saw my reflection, I breathed a sigh of relief. The eyes were mine. Next, I began to think about what it was. I didn't turn my eyes on, because after each transition to the next stage, they have to stabilise. It was probably the fact that they were on that made my eyes hurt. And because my eyes had just appeared and I kept them activated for a long time, I didn't notice it because the quality of my vision had deteriorated a lot and I was essentially seeing with normal vision. If you think about it that way, the eyes might not have deactivated after waking up because of why they woke up. I guess that's when I felt the intense hatred and pain of losing my parents. But why even when I calmed down my eyes were still active, because when I woke up and was in the inner world I was in a pretty good mood and my emotional state was pretty stable? Questions questions questions and no answers. Maybe I should save up my soul and finally buy copies of the complete works of that Sasuke hitman. That would help me out a lot. Okay, I'll deal with the eyes when I do, but for now it's best not to activate them. Next, I looked at my stomach. It's the same seal as Naruto's in the canon. Although I thought my seal was supposed to be different. Oh, well. Now I guess... I didn't get a chance to think about it. An ireonin entered the room, apparently to check on the patient's condition.
- Sick! You can't get out of bed! Get back in the bed as soon as possible.
- I'm fine, I feel fine!
- But you'd better lie down. I'll report your awakening to Hiruzen-sama, so lie down and wait. Oh! Hiruzen has become active. Hmm, I've been wondering what he's going to do to us for a long time. I guess he wants to talk to me first so I'll trust him. I wonder how surprised they were when they didn't find anything in my parents' vault or cash reserves. They've probably written off our house as village property by now. I wondered what was up with Naruto now. Scared of the Sharingan, I didn't think about it and fell asleep. Well, let's wait for Third and see what he has to say.
Hiruzen came quickly, only half an hour later.
- Hello Menma, how are you feeling?
- I'm fine, Sarutobi-sama.
- Menma, I'm sorry that Minato and Kushina died, I couldn't save them.-I just lowered my head at those words, and it wasn't a game.- Menma, you do remember that the Nine-Tails were sealed in you, don't you?
- Yes, me and Naruto. We were each sealed with half of the Nine-tailed Kyuubi.
- About that, Menma, my condolences. Because of your strong Uzumaki genome, you were able to easily survive the Kyubey sealing, but your brother got more of the Minato gene. You saw his yellow hair, didn't you?
- What are you saying, Sarutobi-sama?
- Because Uzumaki's genome is stronger and more viable, it's easier for him to accept the Fox's chakra. But your father's genes weren't like that. Naruto got weak genes and couldn't withstand the sealing and the Fox broke free. If a Jinchuriki loses his Tail, he dies, no matter when the sealing took place.
- You mean...
- Yes, Menma, your brother is dead...-After saying that, a stream of red chakra flowed from me, my eyes changed from dark blue eyes to red eyes with an elongated vertical pupil. I looked at Hiruzen with complete hatred. Three Tails appeared behind me, nails transformed into sharp claws and fangs began to erupt in my mouth. Two clots of chakra on my head formed the shape of ears and I completely began to resemble a Fox. But it wasn't just Fox pressure coming from me. I was somehow able to release my own YAKI and thirst for BLOOD. And then, I felt the Sharingans on my eyes, they were...again...starting to evolve again. I could feel the changes. I felt Fox's eyes merge with mine. It all happened in a split second. All the things around me were thrown away, and Hiruzen crashed into the wall and punched through it. But after that, I heard Fox's voice in my head.
- Menma!!! Calm down!!! He's lying!!! I could definitely feel it. He lied to you about Naruto's death. Calm down! You can't hold that much of my chakra in you right now!!!! YOU'RE GONNA DIE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!! When I realised Kurama's words, I had an epiphany. That's what that old geezer wants to do!!! He wants to make me not know my own brother!!!! I'm sure he means to say that the other half of Tails was resealed. And my parents never told me Naruto's name!!! If I wasn't me, I'd definitely believe it!!!! After these thoughts, my eyes stopped changing and the Sharingan deactivated, then I saw Hiruzen run up to me and place a piece of paper on my forehead. I then blacked out...