Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 303 Telling a Story

"……partner?"

Kushina repeated the word blankly, her tone full of questions. Who? Nine-Tails? And what is Kurama?

Judging from Naruto's words, it was as if he had become friends with the Nine-Tailed Fox who hated all humans.

But how could that be? The Nine-Tails had been sealed inside her for over ten years. Although they were "always together," their relationship was extremely hostile.

Every time they met in the sealed space, Kurama would try to bewitch her with malicious whispers, attempting to find a weakness to seize her mind and gain her freedom. Kushina's response was always simple and brutal: she would bind Kurama into a dumpling with the Adamantine Sealing Chains and then forcibly extract its chakra for her own use.

Making friends with the Nine-Tails? This kid's idea is too...

Seeing his mother's incomprehensible expression, as if she had heard something completely unbelievable, Naruto felt it was understandable. He decided to explain it in the most straightforward way possible.

"Like this," he said casually, standing up, "we're partners as one."

With a slight thought, a warm and dazzling golden chakra surged from his body, forming the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, which was as radiant as the sun and exuded a powerful yet peaceful aura.

"!!!"

However, the moment she sensed that chakra fluctuation, though completely different in color, was incredibly familiar in essence, Kushina sprang up from her chair! Her face was filled with terror, and almost instinctively she was about to activate her chakra and summon the Adamantine Sealing Barrier!

"Wait! Don't be impulsive!" Seeing his mother's reaction, Naruto hurriedly lifted his shirt before the golden chain phantoms appeared, revealing the intact Bagua seal on his abdomen.

"The Nine-Tails didn't go berserk! The seal wasn't broken!" he explained rapidly, showing no signs of being manipulated. "This is the power Kurama voluntarily lent me! It's the result of our cooperation!"

The expected roar of hatred and violent chakra surge from the Nine-Tails did not occur. Kushina forcibly suppressed the urge to activate the sealing technique.

However, given Naruto's current speed, Kushina wouldn't be able to catch him if she wanted to. But even just the aftershocks of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode's actions would probably require a complete renovation of this small apartment in an instant.

Kushina reached out with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, touching the seal on Naruto's abdomen. The first thing she felt was the gentle yet powerful Nine-Tails chakra.

Previously, when she forcibly borrowed the Nine-Tails' chakra, each time it felt like she was controlling a raging torrent of magma, the violent will within constantly eroding her spirit and draining her life force. Moreover, merely touching the tailed beast's cloak would instantly burn or even carbonize the hands of an ordinary ninja.

However, the golden chakra cloak on Naruto's body was completely different. Although one could clearly sense that it was a massive energy originating from the Nine-Tails, there was no violent or hateful negative emotion within it; it was as gentle as a hot spring, full of vitality and life.

Indeed, the seal was intact, even... seemingly optimized multiple times? Kushina, as a master of sealing techniques, noticed the changes to the sealing formula. Did Naruto modify it himself?

She looked up at her son, who was bathed in warm golden light and shone like a little sun. Could Minato's expectations have really been fulfilled in Naruto?

Although this idea sounds impossible, the reality is right before our eyes. Yes, Naruto saved Konoha with this power, and even... successfully sealed away the version of himself that was being controlled at the time.

As the initial shock and wariness gradually subsided and she relaxed, Kushina felt a surge of immense relief and pride, but also a deeper sense of guilt.

Just how lonely was my own child when he was little...? Was he really only able to spend time with and communicate with that hateful fox?

Besides the guilt that pained her deeply, a question also arose at the same time: the Nine-Tails... that tailed beast that had resented humans for hundreds of years, could actually listen to Naruto's words?

Based on her understanding of Kurama, at that time, it should have been preoccupied with how to manipulate Jinchuriki and find an opportunity to seize its freedom.

------

"A teacher at the Ninja Academy? He takes good care of Naruto?"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded vigorously. "Iruka-sensei is really amazing! At school, every time he hears someone laughing at me or saying bad things about me, he immediately stands up and gives those guys a good dressing down!"

"We really have to thank him." Kushina breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it. Even in this place, there would be people who could see Naruto's good points and take the initiative to be friendly to him. After all, our Naruto is so cute."

"It's a little embarrassing to say that..."

"Really? I don't think so at all!" Kushina immediately retorted. "What do you think, Satsuki?"

Immediately following was Satsuki's unwavering and frantic nodding.

"Haha, right!" Kushina laughed triumphantly, then looked at Naruto with a hint of apology, "However, although your personality is more like Minato's, you've inherited my somewhat strange catchphrase, sorry."

"There's absolutely no need to apologize! I think it's great! Besides, I'm so lucky to look like this; this face is all thanks to you guys."

"Yes," Kushina's gaze gently traced Naruto's features, "It's a good thing you inherited your hair from your father."

"Huh?" Naruto was a little confused. "But I think Mom's red hair is also very beautiful."

"Mom doesn't hate her hair," Kushina explained. "It's just that if Naruto also had red hair, it might attract more unnecessary and strange looks in this village. Besides... Naruto is the second man to compliment my red hair."

"The first one..."

"That's right, it was your father. That was a long, long time ago..."

------

"Naruto's cooking skills look amazing, he prepared so much. But tomorrow, let Mom prepare Naruto's bento! Little Sasuke will get some too! After all, it's a mother's duty."

As she spoke, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart. She wondered when the spell would be lifted, and before that, she really wanted to do more for this child.

"...Mom, are you still feeling guilty about what happened before?"

"...Uh," Kushina paused for a moment, then looked away somewhat awkwardly, "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes." Naruto nodded affirmatively.

"...I'm sorry, but when I think about what I heard from Satsuki about...the things you went through when you were little, it just makes me...it's so hard for me to calm down, isn't it..."

"Really, there's no need to feel so guilty! Even though I'm a Jinchūriki, I've had a pretty happy life before because I met a lot of good people! Of course... it's even better now that Mom is here with me."

Naruto spoke softly, and Kushina listened quietly, her gaze involuntarily falling again on Satsuki across from her, her eyes filled with even more affection and gratitude. "Hmm...we really should thank her properly..." she murmured, "Oh, and you too, Kakeru, thank you so much...for always being by Naruto's side."

Then, Kushina bent down and stroked the fluffy little head of the quiet little Hibiki lying beside her. Naruto, as always, tacitly avoided mentioning that the little guy had actually just hatched today.

Zacian? What a nice name. Kushina thought to herself, secretly relieved.

She was initially a little worried that Naruto would give his pet some weird name like "Super Spiral Blue-haired Dog Zero"...

Fortunately, Naruto didn't inherit his father's terrible talent for naming things...

She looked up at the night outside the window. "It's so late... Naruto, Mom has so much to tell you... We'll continue talking when we go to sleep, okay? I'm sorry... I can only do something as simple as Mom sleeping with you now... and this body is still so cold..."

"..." Naruto fell silent, seemingly both eager and somewhat embarrassed by the suggestion.

Meanwhile, Zuo Yue, standing to the side, revealed undisguised envy in her eyes.

Kushina took in both of their reactions. While she was certain that Sasuke had feelings for Naruto… wasn't this child's dependence on Naruto a little… too intense?

An idea flashed through her mind, and she smiled at Satsuki, suggesting in a seemingly casual tone, "By the way, Satsuki, why don't you stay tonight? Naruto's bed looks pretty big. Besides, I have a lot of things I want to ask Satsuki about Naruto's childhood."

Normally, a teenage girl hearing such a suggestion would blush and stammer out an excuse to refuse.

However, Zuo Yue's reaction was like this—

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she responded almost immediately, her tone devoid of any shyness, only full of longing and impatience.

"Really? Is that okay?"