Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

"You really pushed yourself too far, Minato."

Inside Naruto's mental world, Kurama looked through the bars toward the tiny flickering light floating weakly in the air.

That dim glow was Minato's chakra.

Or rather—

The last remnants of it, like a candle flame on the verge of extinction.

The giant fox clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"If this old man hadn't returned in time, after transporting those two away, you wouldn't even have enough chakra left to maintain this much."

"I truly owe you my thanks, Nine-Tails-sama…"

The weak cluster of chakra that could no longer even maintain human form floated faintly up and down.

As though bowing politely.

Minato's voice sounded from within it—

So faint it was nearly impossible to hear.

"Why didn't you use Naruto's chakra?"

Kurama frowned slightly.

"This old man could clearly sense there was still a considerable amount remaining inside him."

"I was worried something unexpected might happen…"

Minato's voice broke intermittently.

Even though Kurama continued feeding chakra toward him, the chakra imprint left behind by Minato's original self had already reached its limit.

"If an accident truly occurred, Naruto needed enough power left to protect himself…"

"But, Nine-Tails-sama…"

Despite his weakened condition, Minato still sounded genuinely amazed.

"You were incredible."

"Not a single unexpected situation occurred until the very end…"

Minato genuinely could not imagine how Kurama managed to stall Obito for so long using only a single Shadow Clone.

After all, Minato had already fought Obito twice himself.

He understood better than anyone how troublesome Kamui truly was.

Yet Kurama merely controlled a Shadow Clone.

And when the fox finally pulled Minato's consciousness back into the inner world—

Kurama remained almost completely intact.

Compared to Minato's current miserable state, the contrast was painfully obvious.

Using your chakra as a backup plan?

Isn't this old man still Naruto's backup?!

Kurama really wanted to roar those words at him.

But looking at Minato's nearly silent chakra mass—

The fox ultimately couldn't be bothered scolding him anymore.

"Enough already. Stop talking."

Kurama snorted irritably.

"The chakra your original self left behind is almost completely exhausted."

"At this rate, if you want to recover to your previous condition…"

The Nine-Tails lazily flicked his tail.

"It'll take at least a year or two."

"As for chakra itself, this old man can provide as much as needed."

"But in your current state, converting it into your own chakra won't be easy."

"You'll have to recover slowly."

"I'll… try…"

Minato sounded astonishingly weak now.

Strangely enough, he even felt as though he were being lectured by an elder.

"Then Naruto's training…"

"This old man will handle it."

Kurama interrupted immediately, sounding completely unconcerned.

"You focus on fixing yourself first."

Back then, Kurama had repeatedly claimed he wasn't good at teaching others.

Although Minato always suspected that was merely an excuse, hearing the fox say this now still caused him to feel faint unease.

Meanwhile, while continuing to transfer chakra toward Minato, Kurama suddenly remembered the unfamiliar Akatsuki member with black cloth covering his eyes.

Confusion surfaced within the fox's mind.

Who exactly was that guy?

Why don't I remember seeing him in the future?

Did something happen within the early Akatsuki organization that caused him to disappear later on?

Or…

Has the current timeline already begun changing?

After thinking for a while without finding any matching memories, Kurama stopped bothering with it.

Then his deep voice sounded again.

"Perfect timing."

"It's about time the current Naruto learned some truths anyway."

"And while we're at it…"

Kurama's eyes narrowed slightly.

"This old man can begin teaching Naruto how to use natural energy and enter Sage Mode."

"... Sorry for troubling you."

Minato's chakra fell silent for a long while.

Kurama quietly waited for what came next.

"I still didn't do enough."

Minato's voice finally sounded again.

"Many people I knew and cared about… I still failed to protect."

"And many tragedies that should never have happened…"

"I still couldn't change."

Perhaps because he no longer possessed a human form—

Or perhaps because this major battle had genuinely caused him to regard Kurama as his closest confidant—

For one of the rare times in his life, Minato openly revealed his frustration and pain.

"Only when I truly tried to change something…"

"Did I finally realize…"

"How weak I really am."

"Good."

Kurama glanced toward Minato's fading chakra.

"At least you understand that now."

Then the fox slowly asked:

"So?"

"This time…"

"Did you succeed?"

"I don't know."

Minato's chakra fluctuated slightly, revealing how unsettled he currently felt.

"I already did everything I could."

Then Minato slowly recounted everything he accomplished tonight.

Including how he handled Itachi Uchiha.

Kurama listened quietly the entire time without interrupting once.

A long silence followed.

Finally, Minato could no longer hold back.

"Nine-Tails-sama…"

His voice became low.

"Do you think…"

"That what I did truly changed anything?"

"... Hmph."

Kurama slowly swayed his massive tails.

Honestly, after learning some Uchiha clan members survived, the fox felt far from pleased.

He had never liked that clan.

Still—

He could not deny that Minato truly did exactly as he claimed.

The man genuinely gave everything he had.

He even managed to send warnings toward the Third Hokage.

Though Kurama doubted that side would produce the outcome Minato wanted anyway.

After all—

Kurama didn't particularly like the Third Hokage either.

"That depends on your goal."

Kurama finally answered calmly.

"Goal?"

Minato froze briefly.

"If your goal was to preserve a future combat force for the ninja world…"

"And leave Naruto with a reasonably useful ally…"

Kurama paused briefly.

"Then you did fairly well."

"That older brother of Uchiha Sasuke's really did influence the battlefield somewhat during the future battle…"

"Tch."

"This old man isn't good at praising people."

"But in short…"

"Uchiha Itachi really is as talented as you believed."

"And judging from your description…"

Kurama's eyes narrowed slightly.

"He probably respects you immensely now."

"Then…"

"But."

Kurama suddenly interrupted.

"If your goal was saving the Uchiha clan itself…"

"If you wanted to preserve the full combat strength of that clan…"

"Then you were wrong from the very beginning."

A dangerous, terrifying aura suddenly spread from the Nine-Tails' massive body.

His vertical pupils narrowed coldly.

"If this old man were you…"

"The moment I learned the fate awaiting the Uchiha clan…"

Kurama's voice became icy.

"I would've immediately started figuring out how to kill Uchiha Itachi…"

"Beforehand."

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