Chapter 173 - The Battle is over

"Keep pulling Lord Fourth!" Hashirama reminded from the back.

"Mm!" Minato nodded following which the three pulled back at the same time once again.

"GRRR!!!!!!" Berserk Naruto growled once more and stood its ground, preventing the team from pulling the chakra any further.

Shikaku turned towards Minato.

"Lord Fourth, I have a suggestion,"

"Speak," Minato commanded.

"Is it possible for you to switch with the nine tails?" Shikaku asked.

"Switch?" Minato had his doubts.

("Minato") Kurama called out from within.

("Kurama, what he said, is it possible?") Minato asked.

("It is, but it is a risky maneuver,")

("If I switch with you, my chakra is exposed,")

("Meaning, if I lose in the tug of war, Naruto will become overpowered to the point that no one will be able to stop him,") Kurama explained.

("I see…") Minato understood and then conveyed the message to Shikaku.

Shikaku immediately came up with a countermeasure.

"How about this, Lord Fourth will switch with Kurama for about a few seconds,"

"Surely Kurama is much more powerful when he takes control,"

"We'll use that time to set up the Four Corner Crimson Ray formation and then continue this tug of war inside,"

"The barrier will keep Naruto at bay here till we can figure out how to handle the problem," Shikaku suggested.

"Got it," Minato responded, However at this moment Shū showed up next to Minato.

"Shū-kun," Minato was concerned seeing the almost fading image of Shū.

"I am almost done sealing the curse, but I might have to sleep for a while,"

"Tell Naruto not to do anything reckless over the next few days; otherwise I won't be able to turn time like back then,"

"Got it," Minato responded.

"Once the seal is done, I'm afraid Naruto might not recover immediately," Shū said.

"It will be undone only when the chakra is pulled out?" Shikaku asked.

"Indeed," Shū nodded.

"Leave this to us," The hokages nodded at the same time.

"Mm!" Shū's clone disappeared, knowing that the situation will be handled once he sleeps.

Minato looked at Kurama within his psyche,

"SWITCH!"

"Hm?" Tobirama and the others noticed the sudden change of atmosphere around Minato.

"Is that you, Kurama," Hashirama asked.

"Stop wasting time and pull!" Kurama said, following which he tugged hard.

*Sh!*, Almost Half of Naruto's cloak, was sheared away.

"AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Naruto, on the other end of the team, howled.

"It's working!" Inoichi exclaimed.

"Looks like we don't need to use the barrier then," Shikaku smiled.

"Tenzō!" Hashirama called out.

Tenzō immediately understood that he had to increase the force of the restraints on Naruto.

*Crk!*

*Crk!* *Crk!*

The wooden trunks twisted and curled around Naruto restraining him further in…

"AAAARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!" Naruto or in other words the killing intent burned with fury seeing that any moves it made were futile.

Kurama looked at Naruto from within,

("Seeing you from this angle, It reminds me of my old self…") Kurama thought back to the time the seal in Naruto's body restrained him.

("So much as I hated this cursed world, being with you was not bad,") Kurama thought back to the times he fought alongside Naruto from within his body.

Sometimes in the form of a cloak, sometimes as another mind in a plan of attack, sometimes as a bodyguard when sleeping, sometimes as a guardian beast of the Hidden Leaf.

The fourth Ninja World war, The battle at the final valley, The fight against Toneri (Also writing in terrible handwriting the words mission accomplished on the moon). There were many battles, hardsh.i.p.s that the duo went through together. Watching Boruto, Himawari, Kawaki, and others grow old. Kurama also knew about Azami, but after the Hidden Leaf's and the other Kages request, Kurama knew that it was a secret to be taken to the grave.

The time in the land of waves, the battle on the bridge, Kurama knew there was something wrong when Killing intent started to leak into his dimension.

"Why is this curse back again?" Kurama stared with a devastated expression reminded of how Azami was brutally murdered. Later on, he met Shū the same day.

"Ōtsutsuki Shū!" Kurama stared in anger.

"The legendary Kurama, huh?"

"Pleased to-"

"Cut the crap!" Kurama interrupted in anger following which Kurama bent down and brought his giant face next to Shū.

"You kid, you don't know what you are playing at!"

"Stop messing around and leave this body," Kurama said in anger.

"Sorry, I cannot do that just yet," Shū said politely.

"Huh? What do you mean 'just yet'?" Kurama asked.

"For my soul to leave this body, there are certain conditions that have to be met," Shū said.

"I don't care what your conditions are, but If you dare go near that seal again…"

Kurama released a terrible amount of killing intent that was almost on par with the curse.

"You'll wish you weren't born," Kurama said, following which he blended back with the darkness.

However, Shū stared at the spot where Kurama was and chuckled to himself.

("As a member of the time branch I can never be killed…")

Fast forward to what had happened earlier in the hospital, Kurama looked at Shū in anger.

"You want to undo the seal?"

"Shikamaru is here,"

"There's a chance to reverse whatever happened that you are afraid of as long as Shikamaru can figure out a solution," Shū replied.

Kurama stared silently.

The secret that was meant to be taken to the grave can it be fixed?

Zabuza and Haku were alive. The Third Hokage was saved, the Edo-Tensei worked in their favor meaning that the village had more than enough firepower to face any threat head-on other than some exceptional few, the village was doing almost ten times better than what it did in the previous timeline. Especially the part where the third Hokage was saved without Shū having to use any of his time-reversal techniques. Could this mean that Kurama no longer had to keep the secret and for Naruto to no longer live a life of regret?

Kurama looked at Shū.

("If Naruto wants to save Azami, then this might be our only option…")

"Your idea is good, but I have to warn you, wh-"

(Bang!)

"You!" Kurama growled.

"Sorry, I anticipated you would agree, so I sent my clone here when I started working on the seal,"

"You idiot!" Kurama scolded.

But it was too late, and all the events that had transpired to this point were out of Kurama's control.

Shū who had been occupied with sealing the killing intent this entire time had finally finished and was exhausted to the point his soul would have almost vanished into nothingness.

Shū took one final look at the seal and then left the inner mind dimension.

…

"Kurama!" Shū called out.

"What is it?" Kurama asked in a dejected tone.

"I'm sorry for everything until now," Shū said following which his figure transformed into a ball of light which then suddenly dimmed.

"Tell Naruto; I won't be able to wake up for a while…" Shū uttered before finally falling asleep.

Kurama closed his eyes.

"Hmph, not bad kid…" Kurama smiled as he entered into the darkness once again.

…

Outside on the battlefield…

Kurama looked at Naruto.

"It's time to end this!" Kurama exerted more force in pulling the chakra away once again.

*RIP*

Half of Naruto's cloak was peeled away revealing Naruto's burnt skin…

"GOOOAAHHHHHH!!!!" Berserk Naruto was unwilling.

"Everyone put your backs into it!" Hashirama shouted.

"Haaa!!!!!!" Kurama, Tobirama, and Hashirama grunted at the same time.

"AAARRRGGHH!!!!" The killing intent finally faded away with the last of the chakra cloak being ripped off, leaving Naruto to shout in pain.

*sh!*

"Naruto!" Minato immediately appeared by Naruto's side.

"Azami…" Naruto uttered before finally falling unconscious.

"The battle is finally over huh…" Hashirama sighed in relief as he looked at Minato, holding onto Naruto's unconscious body.