What he was seeing mostly originated from Itachi's consciousness, including the bindings that held him.
Yet when he focused on observing the battlefield between Sasuke and Itachi, he noticed that the area representing Sasuke's consciousness was gradually expanding.
Sasuke was fighting back.
Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
"Can he really resist Tsukuyomi through sheer willpower?"
Naruto had tried resisting before but hadn't managed to shake the illusion even a little.
"No… I was thinking too simply," he realized. "At my current level, there's absolutely no way I can break free from Tsukuyomi. If Itachi used it against me, I'd be finished. But I can break these bindings."
He focused on the wooden stakes trapping him, sensing his own influence slowly growing stronger.
Itachi's focus remained solely on Sasuke—he hadn't noticed Naruto's shift at all.
This gave Naruto an opportunity.
Outside of his own conscious avatar, Naruto couldn't affect anything within the illusion.
Up to now, his ability to endure had relied entirely on his combat skills.
Unlike Itachi and Sasuke, he couldn't feign immunity to the genjutsu.
When attacked, he actually felt pain, and his real-world body sustained injuries.
The wooden stakes pinning Naruto down finally began to loosen. He suddenly yanked both hands free of the kunai piercing them.
Behind him lay the small patch representing his own consciousness—never before had he wanted so badly to get there.
As soon as his foot touched that zone, he quickly gathered all his chakra and forcefully expelled it outward.
[Release!]
***
(Naruto's Spiritual World)
Naruto knelt on the ground. This place was the sewer-like labyrinth of his spiritual world, where the Nine-Tails was imprisoned.
But unlike usual, the Nine-Tails looked unusually subdued and didn't even seem to notice Naruto arrive.
"This is impossible… How could it be so calm?"
He scanned his surroundings using the Sharingan, detecting no traces of genjutsu. This was his spiritual domain; he had already shaken off the illusion's influence.
Yet when he attempted to draw upon the Nine-Tails' chakra, he found himself powerless.
At this moment, he recalled what Sasuke had said earlier.
"This is the price you pay for controlling the Nine-Tails?"
He now realized—the illusion also affected the Nine-Tails.
Just like Madara, Itachi had forcibly sealed away the Nine-Tails' power.
Naruto stood up and approached the iron cage. Since he could see the illusion, perhaps—he could shatter it?
All he needed was to disrupt the Nine-Tails' chakra flow using his own chakra—just a slight disturbance would do.
However, as he reached out toward the cage, he suddenly got repelled backward.
Strange. Previously, he clearly could interact with the Nine-Tails. He had obtained its chakra for training precisely through this method.
Certainly, this iron cage was preventing his contact with the beast. He'd never tried entering the cage before, let alone ever wanting to get this close to the Nine-Tails as he did now.
He had to act fast.
Looking up at the sealing tag on the cage door, he couldn't help but scoff in disdain.
If it's come to this, I guess I have no choice. What a hassle. He used to be able to get close to the Nine-Tails without any effort, but now he had to jump through all these hoops.
Just as his hand was about to touch the seal, a firm hand suddenly clamped down on his arm.
"I'd advise you not to touch it," a calm yet deep voice came from behind him.
Naruto immediately got into a fighting stance. He spun around, assuming it was Itachi or Sasuke breaking into his spiritual world again.
But when he saw who it was, he froze in shock, blinking his eyes in surprise.
His heterochromatic red and blue eyes locked onto the man before him. After a long pause, he finally managed to speak.
"Dad?"
Before Naruto stood the Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Long time no see, Naruto."
***
Sasuke held the eye pulled from his socket by Tsukuyomi, breaking free from the illusion.
He gasped for breath heavily, kneeling on one knee.
Though physically unscathed, he suffered immense mental anguish.
On the ceiling, that strange plant-man muttered:
"This battle ended sooner than expected," said his white side.
"Why?" the black side asked in confusion.
"Because he just fell into Tsukuyomi," explained the white personality. "Now he can't move at all, completely under our control."
At that moment, he was shocked to find out that Itachi had also fallen onto one knee, clutching his left eye.
"Huh?"
Itachi fixed his gaze tightly on Sasuke.
"You actually escaped my Tsukuyomi."
Sasuke stood up proudly, then turned his gaze toward the Third Person—Naruto.
Naruto didn't appear dead, nor did he seem caught in an illusion. His body hadn't collapsed either.
"He actually escaped from Tsukuyomi?" Itachi stared at Naruto.
***
(At the same time – within Naruto's spiritual world)
Naruto didn't know what to say to the man standing before him—his father.
Since childhood, he had never had a father's companionship. The absence of this role had long made him stop expecting anything.
Even after learning about his true heritage later, he only spent a little time looking at pictures of his parents, not letting it weigh on him too much.
But now, here this man stood right before him, making Naruto feel like he needed to say something:
"Long time no see, Dad… Actually, it's been really long. I've never even seen you once in my entire life."
Minato softly chuckled, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere:
"Yeah, it's entirely my fault, Naruto. I'm truly sorry."
Naruto gave a slight shrug and a faint smile:
"Why are you apologizing? You gave me strength—the ability to do what I want and protect my home. I don't blame you, even for…" he gestured toward the tamed Nine-Tails behind him, "this guy, who can sometimes be really troublesome. You did what had to be done. I don't hold anything against you."
"But…" Minato frowned, "You're taking this way too easily, and that just makes me feel guiltier. Don't you want to yell at me, question why I did it, or at least get angry with me?"
" Naruto raised his injured eyebrows,
Said, 'I've already told you, I don't mind. Do you *want* me to be angry?'
Minato shrugged, mimicking Naruto's mannerisms,
'It would make me feel a bit better.'
Naruto sighed and shook his head before suddenly lifting his right hand and slapping Minato hard across the face.
The slap rang loudly through the silent sewer-like labyrinth.
Minato turned his head to the side, a red handprint quickly appearing on his face.
Naruto lowered his hand, clenched his fists, and said with a mischievous tone,
'It was your order, Hokage-sama. I'm just obeying the Hokage's command.'
Minato stared at Naruto, then suddenly burst out laughing, and Naruto joined in. Their laughter echoed through the sewer-like labyrinth.
'I've seen all there is about you, Naruto. I know everything you've experienced—both in the past and now.'
Naruto stopped laughing and seriously replied,
'I had Tamako examine your sealing technique. She said if I tried to release it, you'd show up. I won't do that.'
Minato nodded solemnly.
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