Chapter 27 Memories and Regrets

Naruto stood silent for a moment, his head slightly lowered as if lost in thought. Finally, he raised his gaze to meet Minato Namikaze's expectant yet apprehensive eyes.

"I'm not much into complaining. The past is over," Naruto said, his tone steady. "Besides, those people can only stew in anger now. They can't say a word to me."

Minato's hopeful expression dimmed slightly at those words.

"However…" Naruto's tone shifted, laced with subtle menace. "If you really want to know, why don't I let you see it for yourself?"

Ignoring Minato's widening eyes, Naruto turned toward Kurama, who was watching him with a mix of wariness and intrigue. He raised a fist, gesturing toward the giant fox.

"Kurama, if I remember correctly, this technique is called the Ninja Sect."

Kurama's eyes widened in shock. "You brat! You didn't warn me about this! Besides, gaining my approval isn't that simple!"

Naruto chuckled lightly. "Approval? I don't need it. Listen, Kurama, humans live short lives. Once I'm gone, there won't be another Jinchūriki. You'll be free again in a few decades. Why not just kill some time in the meantime?"

Kurama was silent, his massive eyes locked on Naruto. He found the boy infuriating but also intriguing. Naruto's grin was maddeningly smug—eerily similar to Minato's—but something about his audacity struck a chord.

"Tch. Fine," Kurama muttered begrudgingly. "I'll play along… just to pass the time."

With that, the Nine-Tails extended one massive claw and bumped it against Naruto's raised fist.

**BOOM!**

A powerful surge of chakra erupted from Naruto, golden light radiating like a tidal wave. The energy coalesced around him, forming intricate patterns on his skin. His eyes transformed into fierce vertical slits, and the aura of Kurama's chakra wrapped around him like a second skin.

Half of the seal was undone, granting Naruto access to the Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.

"This…" Minato's voice trembled as he stared at his son in awe. Even Kushina had never mastered Kurama's chakra to this degree. Only legends like Uzumaki Mito had wielded such power.

Naruto, now enveloped in golden energy, extended his fist toward Minato.

"Fourth Hokage, if you truly want to know… come and witness the past of Uzumaki Naruto."

Minato hesitated, his heart heavy with unease. He glanced at Kurama, who stared back with mocking eyes, and then at Naruto's unyielding gaze. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and bumped his fist against Naruto's.

The moment their hands connected, Minato froze.

Through Naruto's chakra, Minato gained the ability to sense Kurama's perception of malice.

It was suffocating.

The sheer hatred that had surrounded Naruto in Konoha—the malice of the villagers—was overwhelming, like a sea of darkness pressing in on all sides.

"This… this can't be…" Minato stammered, his voice barely audible.

Then the memories began to flow.

Minato found himself reliving Naruto's past.

He was a young boy again, small and defenseless, lying on the floor with searing pain in his throat. A villager stood above him, forcing scalding hot water down his throat, screaming, **"Why did my child die while you lived?!"**

Minato's fists clenched in rage, his knuckles whitening.

But the scene shifted.

Now he was wandering the streets of Konoha, surrounded by cold, hateful stares. Disgusted whispers followed him wherever he went.

He was starving, desperate for food. Yet when he tried to enter a restaurant, the owner shoved him out with enough force to send his small body tumbling to the ground, leaving his palms bloody.

At the supermarket, he tried to buy instant noodles, only for the clerk to snatch the package from his hands and smash it into his face.

Finally, Naruto sat alone in a dark corner, eating expired instant noodles, tears streaming down his face.

The memories kept coming.

He saw a three-year-old Naruto scavenging in the forest, eating poisonous mushrooms out of desperation, and falling ill. He watched Naruto, cold and alone, learning to fish just to survive.

Minato's heart shattered. The villagers he had once protected, those he had considered family, had become demons in his son's eyes. His former comrades were indifferent; his subordinates turned a blind eye.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, stood as a hypocritical figure—preaching morality but leaving Naruto to suffer endlessly.

"This… this can't be real," Minato whispered, trembling. His back, once straight and proud, now hunched under the weight of despair. "Why… Why didn't anyone protect him? Why did no one help my son?"

Naruto's voice snapped him out of his daze.

"What's that look on your face, Fourth Hokage?" Naruto's tone was sharp, disdainful. "What use are your tears now?"

Minato wiped his face, his hands trembling. His bloodshot eyes met Naruto's calm, unyielding gaze.

"I'm sorry, Naruto… I didn't know. I didn't think…" His voice broke, and his words faltered.

Naruto's expression remained indifferent. "Are you looking for my forgiveness? Is that why you're crying?"

Minato shook his head slowly. His fists clenched tightly, and his voice, though shaky, was resolute.

"No… I don't expect forgiveness. But at least… let me make up for some of my mistakes."

Naruto studied him for a moment, then spoke without hesitation.

"I need the **Flying Thunder God Technique** and the **Four Symbols Seal.**"