Chapter 4 - The Beginning(4)

Naruto closed his eyes. He was trying to collect himself. He just met his father. The man who put the Nine-Tails inside of him. The same man who was Hokage of the village.

Naruto: 'Did that just happen? Did I just meet my dad?' He slowly let it sink in and even felt a little emotional. 'No matter. I have to be able to handle this. If I can't handle meeting my family, how can I handle the Nine-Tails or any other threat?' He stayed quiet in the same spot he was in. It was an odd sense of peace.

Soon he opened his eyes a few minutes later and what he now faced was a golden realm. There were small shining stars slowly drifting in the skies and looking front, he saw a woman. This woman had long gorgeous red hair, clear violet eyes, a slender build, and a lovable face. Naruto instinctively knew that this was whom he thought he was. He felt excitement build up inside of him but at the same time, a tranquil feeling as well. His energy started calming down and he was once again the same Naruto that faced Minato a few moments ago.

?: "Naruto..."

Naruto: "..."

?: "Do you know who I am?"

Naruto: "You're my mother...I think."

?: "Haha well you got that right ya know? The name's Kushina Uzumaki."

Naruto: "..."

?: "You're so different from what I saw from here. You were so lo-" She didn't even get to finish her words before she was enveloped in a hug. She was surprised but she lightly smiled and hugged back.

Kushina: "You are adorable you know that?"

Naruto: "..."

Naruto broke off the hug and then went back. He maintained a closer distance to Kushina than he did with Minato but it wasn't that close.

Naruto: "I want to know something."

Kushina: "What is it?"

Naruto: "Was everything that dad told me the truth?"

Kushina: 'Here it comes.' "Yes."

Naruto: "So the Nine-Tails sealed inside of me is not intentional?"

Kushina: "Of course it wasn't! I lived with the status of a Jinchuriki and had the Nine-Tails in me as well but I had Minato always by my side to prevent what you went through." Kushina looked sad. "I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel but son, you must understand, we had no choice."

Naruto: "You know what, you're right. You would never understand." Naruto's anger was rising but at the same time, it was becoming his rational thoughts once more. "You truly never had the chance to live the life of a prison. It's amazing ya know!" With confirmation that his mother was indeed not normal like he thought, he continued his words.

"You get hunted by citizens and shinobis alike, you get chased away, beaten, spit on, hated, starved, condescended. You name it." He paused. "But here's the thing that's pissing me off. You said you had no choice right? But...I just saw my father's techniques. One of them is called the Flying Thunder God. This technique essentially makes him the fastest person alive in this village so why couldn't he just grab another kid and seal the Nine-Tails in that child? If it's a citizen baby that can't handle it, then why not a shinobi baby? Oh wait, you had no choice. Or better yet, why didn't you seal it inside you? If you died, wouldn't you have permanently taken the Nine-Tails with you? But wait, you had no choice, right?"

Kushina had a wide-open mouth. She shocked, to say the least. A feeling of dread was growing inside of her. It was an instinct to her that screamed she was losing her son.

Kushina: "I, we didn't think of that at the time...and besides, what other people can handle a tailed beast? Uzumakis have strong enough vitality to become a Jinchuriki without going crazy after all." Was all she could say.

Naruto: "Is that so? What about other seals? He couldn't think anything other than the Reaper Death Seal?" 'I mean. I feel bad for making her feel bad but this will lead to more answers that I want and some special techniques while I'm at it.'

Kushina: "Well I taught him some of the seals he knew. Especially since I was taught by the Uzumaki Leader Mito Uzumaki. She was the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and I am the second. She died a few moments after she passed it onto me."

Naruto: "So you taught him the seals? What does the Uzumakis have to do with Seals?"

Kushina: "Well for one, we are all masters at it. Even an ordinary Uzumaki would surpass the Third Hokage or any Jounin in the leaf village with their sealing prowess. Not only that, but we also have insane vitality so we heal fast and can live very long."

Naruto: "That explains a lot. Looks like my heritage saved me more than I can count."

Kushina: "At least I passed down the immense vitality to you." She said bitterly. "Look, I want to say sorry but I know you won't accept it so you can ask me something to compensate you and I will do the best of abilities to do so."

Naruto: "I was getting to that. How did you hold the Nine-Tails down? It was said that the Nine-Tails in his last moments was held down by golden chains."

Kushina: "Oh yeah, that. It's called the Adamantine Sealing Chains. It's a sealing jutsu that only Uzumakis can do and only the special ones can use it at all. It is extremely tough. It even held the Nine-Tails and can create a barrier strong enough to endure almost every attack. So it's extremely good for fighting and restraining people. It can also bind people's chakra, effectively neutralizing them. Or that's what Minato said."

Naruto: "I see. Can I do it?"

Kushina: "Maybe. You can try it later. It's just a matter of sealing talent, a special chakra, and chakra control."

Naruto: "I see. Next thing then I guess. Did you ever use a weapon?"

Kushina: "Yes! I specialized in swordsmanship. You want to learn?"

Naruto: "It would be nice. Thank you."

Kushina: "No problem. It's the least I could do." With that said, she approached Naruto and touched his head. She used a strange technique where all her memories of sealing and Kenjutsu came inside his brain. A technique like this would originally kill the other person but Kushina used a seal beforehand to ease the knowledge into Naruto. Minato did the same thing but it went away after it was used but Kushinas lasted longer. It was ingraining those techniques to his very core so that even if he forgot them, his brain and body will remember.

Kushina: "There. Done. How do you feel?"

Naruto: "Wonky but fine." Then he looked directly at his mother. "Just another question while I'm at it."

Kushina: "Sure. Go for it."

Naruto: "Who's the dumbass that captured the Nine-Tails in the first place and put it inside of Mito Uzumaki?"

Kushina: "Uhhh..." Kushina rubbed the back of her head. "It's kind of complicated."

Naruto: "As complicated as the day of my birth?"

Kushina: "Touche." Kushina felt a little sour.

Naruto: "I know. That's why I said it." he said with a smirk.

Kushina: "Okay. Well, it started with the First Hokage." Naruto was listening attentively. "In the early stages of Konoha, there was a requirement for a balance of power between the villages. The First decided that he would use his Wood Style to capture the Tailed Beasts and distribute them to the other villages. This was his idea of promoting peace and showing good faith. Not to mention, the balance of power mentioned previously." Naruto's impression of the First Hokage went down faster than he can eat ramen. To Naruto, the sheer stupidity that the First displayed made him question how this village has survived for so long. His answer was the two extremely strong clans that were the foundation of Konoha.

"Every village gained a tailed beast or two and we kept the most dangerous, the Nine-Tails. The first-ever Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails whom which I already mentioned was a woman called Mito Uzumaki. A kind and wise woman who took care of me and made me the second Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails." At this point, Naruto understood what the word Jinchuriki meant but not its definition in the text that is referred to by the villages. "Due to our immense vitality and chakra, we could handle any of the Tailed Beasts, even the Nine-Tails. Not to mention, the special chakra in some Uzumaki's bodies like mine also contain the beasts."

Naruto: "I understand now." Naruto had many thoughts throughout the history lesson from his mother. Most of them consisted of having a strong aversion to the village. Taking a long deep breath, he smiled as he looked at his mother. Kushina felt that her son was different than before, as in this was the one that she always looked at. "Now that conversation is out of the way, let's talk."

Kushina: "I don't know if I should be happy or sad." She said. "First you act like a different person and then all of a sudden, you're now the boy that I have always seen except you seem calmer. More in tune with yourself."

Naruto: "What you always saw was a fake. A mask to hide my true self. Wouldn't want the villagers to think that the demon is smart after all."

Kushina: "Oh..." she looked down.

Naruto: "It's okay." She looked back at him with surprise. " When I first saw both of you, I didn't know what to say because never would I have imagined that I would meet my parents. I was just really angry with you and Dad from the beginning. Not to mention, I blamed you both for something that was out of your control.

In a perfect world, everything would've been settled but in the end, our humanity and morals determine our priorities. Dad loves you and not to mention the entire Leaf so, in a way, I understand. I understand his priorities. To you, his loving wife, to the Leaf, his home, to me, his future child.

Kushina: "Yeah." She agreed with him. "He loved you with all his heart. Every day when I was pregnant, he would come home at least two times a day and check on me and you. When I was a certain stage in pregnancy, he would come to listen to you from my belly and talk to you. Minato only had a father for a few years before he passed away so his dream was to always be there for you. Heck, if we were both alive, you most likely would've obtained another brother or sister."

Naruto: "..."

Kushina: "..."

Kushina felt weird. Naruto noticed the shift in the expression of his mother. Kushina, from the feet up, was slowly turning into white particles. She faced Naruto with a smile.

Kushina: "Before I go, I just want you to know that I love you. Even if you hate me, even if you resent me, I want you to know that I love you so much." She hugged him tightly. "My only request is that you live the way you want to that will make you happy. If it takes leaving the village to do that, go ahead. I'll approve. Just make sure you don't lose yourself."

Naruto: "I understand. I...um...I'm sorry for being a jerk and saying those mean things to you." Kushina almost stumbled and she thought that she was hearing wrong. "It wasn't fair to you and it was this Madara's fault anyway. I don't blame you. I'm more glad that you are here. Even if it is for a few moments. I get to know that, I, Naruto Uzumaki had loving parents." Naruto looked more apologetic the more he talked and Kushina couldn't handle herself and started tearing up.

Kushina: "It's okay. I forgive you." She was so happy. Her son has forgiven her for giving him a huge burden to live with. Although she would make sure that when the Third and all the others who knew that Naruto was her child and didn't care for him at his time of need would pay when they meet. She promised that strongly to herself. In the Leaf Village, certain individuals felt shivers and a foreboding feeling oncoming. She was mostly gone but she whispered something before she left.

Kushina: "I want to see my grandbabies in a few years though. Make sure that happens," she said with a smile with tears in her eyes as she disappeared for what will be forever.

He smirked, not knowing that he was starting to cry as well. A father may have contributed to your birth but your mother held you for many months before you were born.