Chapter 303: Minato
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 303: Minato
"I can see something down there!" Ino pointed.
"Yes, that's definitely him." Naruto ordered the bird to descend into the clearing.
A ghostly figure stood motionless in the middle of the field.
"Wow, I can actually see ghosts!" Ino said excitedly. This kind of thing might be normal for someone like Hinata, but not for her.
"His soul must be in some sort of transitional state, making it visible to the naked eye," Naruto said.
"Wait, so anyone could see him right now?" Ino asked.
"Do I look like a ghost expert? It was just a guess. Now let's hurry before he disappears." Naruto jumped off the bird and approached the translucent figure of his father.
Minato stared into the distance, seemingly unaware of their presence.
"Hey there," Naruto called. As he got closer, he could detect traces of the Kyubi's chakra...different from what he remembered, but definitely familiar.
Minato blinked, turning his head. "You… look familiar."
"Well, I should," Naruto shrugged. "I'm your son, after all."
"Naruto? No… that's not possible. He was just born… I…" Minato looked around. "I can't find my wife. She was just next to me a moment ago."
"Uh, Lord Hokage, sir?" Ino said hesitantly. "I'm afraid that wasn't a moment ago. It's been eighteen years since you died."
"Died…?" Minato's confusion deepened.
"The battle with the Kyubi. It happened right here," Naruto said.
"The Kyubi… yes… I remember now!" Minato's eyes lit up with recognition. "The demon escaped its seal and was laying waste to the village. Kushina had just given birth… I had to leave them to protect Konoha, and…"
"You did protect Konoha," Ino added. "You saved everyone that day. You were the greatest hero."
"And Kushina…"
"She died too," Naruto said.
Minato nodded slowly. "Those last moments… they're fragmented. Hard to make sense of. But I remember… she helped me hold the Kyubi while I… oh. I used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, didn't I?"
"You did. Your soul ended up trapped inside the Shinigami's belly," Ino confirmed.
"Then… how…?" Minato looked at Naruto in wonder.
"That Shinigami is no more," Naruto replied.
"Are you really my Naruto? You look like a man."
"It's been eighteen years," Naruto said softly. "I am a man now."
"Eighteen years—Kami… Wait, what do you mean, 'That Shinigami is no more'?"
"Naruto used the same sealing jutsu to summon the Shinigami," Ino explained. "Then he destroyed it, freeing all the souls trapped inside."
"You killed the God of Death?! That's impossible, even for my son."
"There's no such thing as 'impossible' for me," Naruto huffed. "And that thing wasn't a God. I've had this conversation already...just trust me."
"Well… I can't argue with the fact that I'm clearly not in that prison anymore," Minato said. "When I used that jutsu, I knew the price. But I'm glad you got me out… son."
Minato smiled. "It's strange to say that. You're already a grown man. The last time I saw you, you were a newborn. I wish Kushina could see you now."
He looked at Ino. "And is this your…?"
"Girlfriend," Ino answered with a small smile. "Ino Yamanaka. Nice to meet you, Lord Fourth."
"You've even got a cute girlfriend. Yamanaka… are you Inoichi's daughter?"
"I am!" Ino beamed. "You knew my father?."
"It's hard to believe that serious old Inoichi has such a cheerful daughter…" Minato muttered with a smile.
Naruto noticed energy particles starting to drift from Minato's body.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we're running out of time. Your soul is close to being pulled from the mortal realm, and we still have important business to conclude."
"Business?" Minato asked.
"I need to extract the Yin half of the Kyubi you sealed inside yourself. That chakra became tied to your soul when the Shinigami took you. If I don't recover it now, it'll disperse when you leave...and it could take years to reform. I can't wait that long."
"The Kyubi… right. I remember now. I sealed the Yang half inside the baby. I thought sealing the full beast would destroy his body, so I took the other half into myself," Minato muttered.
"Correct. Now I need the other half," Naruto said.
Minato glanced at Naruto's belly. "But shouldn't you still have the Yang half sealed inside you? Where's the seal? I can't see it."
Since Naruto was only wearing a pair of black pants, Minato could clearly see his belly, and there were no signs of the seal he had created.
"I broke that seal a long time ago," Naruto replied.
"What?! You freed the demon?!" Minato stared at him with shock.
"No. I consumed its chakra and made it my own."
"You consumed that vile chakra? That should've killed any normal human!"
"Any normal human, yes. But Naruto is different," Ino said proudly.
"It'll be easier to show you," Naruto said, extending his hand. "Cosmic Assimilation… Absorb!"
A vortex appeared in his palm, pulling red strands of demonic chakra from Minato's soul.
"What is this?!" Minato looked in shock as the energy was drawn out of him.
Naruto focused intently to avoid absorbing any of Minato's soul by mistake. After nearly a minute, the last of the chakra had been removed. In his mindscape, he worked to contain the mass before it could regain any form of consciousness.
"You… you did it?" Minato asked.
"Yes. The other half of the Kyubi is with me now," Naruto answered.
"I've never heard of a jutsu that could do that in my time…"
"Lord Fourth, your hands—" Ino pointed.
"Oh…" Minato noticed his hands fading. The rest of his body was slowly dissipating as well. "I guess… it's time to go."
"I hoped to have more time to explain things properly, but... I wish you luck in your next life, Father. " Naruto said.
Minato's eyes widened. "Wait—before I go—there's something you must know. The night of the attack… someone was controlling the Kyubi. A masked man with a Sharingan. He said his name was… Madara Uchiha… Be careful, son. If you see that masked man agai—"
Minato's soul dispersed before he could finish.
"Oh… he's gone," Ino said sadly. She had hoped to talk with him a little longer.
"Madara Uchiha…" Naruto repeated quietly.
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