"The Uchiha clan has been wiped out." Inside the Sealed Space, the Fourth Hokage's voice was heavy with regret.
Even when he had been alive, the Uchiha clan's situation hadn't been ideal.
Danzo, a student of the Second Hokage, and the Third Hokage himself had always harbored deep suspicions towards the Uchiha, constantly maneuvering to suppress them.
The Fourth had seen it all, his heart aching.
He and Fugaku, and Mikoto too, had been very close—true friends, even.
He had constantly strived to ease the tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha.
He knew well that while the Uchiha clan members were indeed proud and stubborn, they weren't inherently bad people.
Sometimes, they were even foolishly endearing.
But the Konoha higher-ups, deeply influenced by the Second Hokage, hadn't seen it that way.
They viewed the Uchiha as dangerous beasts, never truly considering them a part of Konoha.
Little did they know, it was their very actions that were pushing the Uchiha towards rebellion.
"The Uchiha are gone, and then there's the Hyuga. Konoha's really running low on clans, isn't it?" the Nine-Tails chimed in from the side, clearly reveling in their misfortune. "Wipe out a few more, and Konoha won't be able to stop me."
Minato's eyes were filled with exhaustion.
It was precisely because he had tried so hard that he felt the loss so acutely.
"Fugaku and Mikoto… they're dead too," he murmured.
"Konoha truly couldn't tolerate the Uchiha, could it?" He let out a long sigh.
"Stop moping. You're a dead man anyway. You'd be better off figuring out how to improve your relationship with Naruto. Right now, he doesn't see you as a father at all! You're just a utility NPC to him," the Nine-Tails jeered.
"I've been trying my best," Minato said, his expression downcast at the mention of Naruto.
"I desperately want to give him the warmth of a family, but he doesn't seem to care about any of that."
"If he hated me, that would almost be better; at least it would mean he cared about me in some way."
"But the way he looks at me… it's like he's looking at a stranger. Everything from the past seems like a fleeting cloud to him. Do you know what I mean, Nine-Tails? That genuine indifference, as if everything that ever happened has been completely erased." The Fourth Hokage clutched his head, his words tumbling out in a jumble.
"He doesn't care how Konoha treated him in the past, he doesn't care about me, he doesn't care about anyone. He appears refined and gentle, but his heart is colder than anyone's."
"It's not an act; it's genuine, absolute indifference."
Minato slapped his own head in self-reproach.
"It's all my fault. Naruto's become like this because of me."
Naruto's detachment was something Minato found almost terrifying.
It was just as Naruto himself had said.
He only wanted to pursue power, to transcend this world. If anyone stood in his path, they would be mercilessly crushed.
Whether it was Konoha, his friends, or even Minato himself.
"Isn't this just the mess you made, Minato, you clueless wonder~~ You just don't understand people's hearts~~" The Nine-Tails chuckled, lounging on its gaming chair as it began its daily ritual of mockery and criticism.
"Yeah, you're right. I really don't understand. I'm the one who ruined Naruto," the Fourth Hokage didn't argue, his voice low.
"Ruined him? Hmph." The Nine-Tails snorted disdainfully. "I suddenly understand why Naruto can't be bothered with you."
"It's because you're too self-righteous. Naruto is doing just fine. He fills his days with training, and he has plenty of friends too."
"From my perspective, he's the most successful Jinchuriki there's ever been. He deceived—no, he cultivated his public persona, gained the approval of many, and he also has the ambition to become stronger."
"If you ask me, he's far more outstanding than you are, and he certainly doesn't need your pathetic pity." The Nine-Tails didn't hold back its praise for Naruto, quickly turning it into a jab at Minato.
This was the first time it had praised Naruto so unreservedly.
Its relationship with Naruto was… delicate.
Not exactly friends, but perhaps something like it.
It was the being that understood Naruto best, and also the one that had accompanied Naruto through his growth.
Yet, they still maintained a degree of caution towards each other.
One used the other for Ninjutsu training.
The other used Naruto to create more entertainment for itself.
Finding joy in the midst of suffering.
It eagerly awaited the day it could escape its confinement, break free from Konoha's control entirely, and unleash its fury. The Nine-Tails firmly believed Naruto would not disappoint it.
"You're right. He really is far more outstanding than I am," Minato muttered dejectedly to himself.
Over the past year, Minato had thought about many things.
Although Naruto had been treated so poorly by Konoha, Minato still couldn't bring himself to hate the village.
Perhaps his love for this land truly ran too deep.
So, he had redirected all his resentment towards the Konoha higher-ups.
His goal now was simple: to ensure Naruto could live well. But at the same time, he hoped to influence Naruto, to prevent him from harboring hatred towards Konoha.
Even parting ways would be better than Naruto destroying the village.
Minato knew that such thoughts were unfair to Naruto.
But as a father, he naturally didn't want to see his only son commit such an atrocious act as annihilating Konoha.
He hoped Naruto could retain a sliver of kindness.
Even just a little.
But right now, he understood so little about Naruto.
Even the Nine-Tails knew Naruto better than he did.
Thinking of this, Minato looked at the Nine-Tails, his tone sincere.
"Nine-Tails, could you tell me more about Naruto's past? Please? If you do, I'll… I'll grind for shinies for you all night again."
Unexpectedly, this sentence caused the usually nonchalant Nine-Tails' expression to change instantly. It roared in fury, "You bastard, don't even think about it! Don't you dare touch my computer ever again! Or else, you and I are finished!"
"What's the big deal? Why are you being so stingy!" Minato's expression froze, and he mumbled, "I was so diligent helping you grind last time. Weren't you really happy then?"
"Stingy? You damn fool! Naruto must have been blind to infuse you with his Reiatsu back then." The Nine-Tails was so furious its fur bristled.
It still remembered that time. It had been smugly thinking it had Minato completely under its thumb, even assigning him the task of catching shinies.
Then it had sat back to leisurely reap the rewards.
At first, everything went smoothly.
It had tormented Minato until he looked like death warmed over, forcing him to monotonously grind for shinies day after day like a zombie.
But everything changed after a shiny was caught.
You could nickname a Pokemon after catching it.
And that goddamn Minato had actually named his Shiny Mewtwo: "Super-Escape-Shiny-Dashing-Gale-Zero-Style-Divine-Beast."
Not even someone whose brain had been addled for a decade could come up with a name that idiotic!
At that moment, the Nine-Tails had been so enraged it nearly had a heart attack.
It immediately had a massive falling out with the Fourth Hokage.
It was just short of crying, screaming, and threatening to hang itself.
The commotion had even reached the point where Naruto had to intervene to mediate.
From then on, the Nine-Tails refused to let Minato anywhere near its computer.
It had a severe case of mental "cleanliness"; any Pokemon nicknamed by Minato was immediately released.
Just thinking about it now made its heart ache.
That was a Shiny Mewtwo!!!
At this thought, the Nine-Tails couldn't help but snort coldly.
It sneered at Minato, "You foolish Fourth Hokage. Just you wait, wringing your hands and tearing your hair out, hoping one day you'll get Naruto's past from me. The day I complete my shiny collection will be the day your true despair begins!"
The Nine-Tails proudly flicked its tail, humming a little tune as it began its day's quest.
Minato pouted, standing behind the Nine-Tails, and started suggesting various interesting and catchy names.
Once again, the Nine-Tails erupted in fury.
The Sealed Space instantly descended into utter chaos.