Ready Player Five Pt. II

"Okay," he began. "Your father's chakra is actually inside of you."

Naruto gestured toward his belly, wondering what that meant.

William took a deep breath. This really wasn't easy for him. Hesitating, he continued, "I can't explain it right now, but I can take you to him."

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement as he asked in anticipation, "Really? How're ya gonna do that?"

William nodded and warned, "It won't be easy… We have to enter your inner world. Ugh.. I mean your subconscious. Ugh, crap! I mean your seal!"

Naruto's excitement turned into confusion again. While he knew he had a seal on him, he'd never been told what it was exactly.

But one thing was certain: he believed William, and he wanted to see his father.

"Don't worry, Naruto. I specialize in sealing techniques, so I'll try my best to make sure nothing bad happens. Just let me know when you're ready."

"I'm ready," Naruto urgently said, holding up a fist. "Whatever it is you're gonna do, I trust you!"

Smiling, William reached out and touched Naruto's forehead. A pulse of chakra flowed between them, and in an instant, their minds were transported to a new realm.

This was the first time anyone's traveled inside Naruto's seal. Sasuke had done it with his Sharingan, which was a heavily underrated scene. But since then, it's never happened again.

Apart from him, Gerotora, a toad, and had also come here.

William and Naruto stood in a dark corridor that was slightly flooded. Water dripped from the ceiling, creating a haunting atmosphere.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked, feeling something off.

William took a deep breath and said, "We're inside your seal… Most people don't know what this place is called, but I like to think of it as your subconscious."

"Most people?" Naruto repeated. "Ya mean, others know about this, too?"

"Ugh! Never mind that," William corrected. "All that's important to know is that this is where the Nine-Tails is."

Naruto's eyes widened. That strange feeling he felt when he first entered here was the devil fox's chakra. There were many open hallways, but he instinctively knew which one the fox was in.

Now was the time to confront the monster that had been a part of him for so long.

The two continued down the corridor, the silence broken only by the sound of their wet footsteps. They turned a corner as Naruto took the lead.

William could feel something unbearable.

At the end of the corridor, they reached a massive caged door. It was made of metal, and there was a large paper tag on it that read "Seal."

Behind the door, they could hear a low growl, a sound that sent shivers down their spines. The sight that greeted them was terrifying: a giant, nine-tailed beast with audaciously sharp teeth and a menacing glare accentuated by slitted, fiery red eyes.

William took a deep breath and said, "This is it." But when he looked at Naruto, the boy was frozen in place.

Naruto's heart pounded in his chest. This was the creature that had caused so much pain and suffering in his childhood. This was the monster that had taken his parents' lives.

The air filled with tension as the massive form of the Nine-Tails loomed behind the cage, its colossal body dwarfing the two figures.

William could barely make out its form due to the darkness, but he could still see its spiky orange fur and feel its sinister chakra.

To think there were those that could withstand being in its presence.

The beast had been seen plenty times on earth, but he had never imagined anything like this before. It was like drowning in a sea full of hatred. He could feel the bead of sweat trickling down his own spine.

"Come closer, kids," The Nine-Tails' deep, rumbling voice reverberated through the corridor, shaking William's bones. "I won't bite… much."

He was aware of Naruto's surprise, seeing the way the main character's mouth fell open in awe. William himself was both excited and terrified.

"Will?" Naruto nudged him, shaking his shoulder vigorously. "Hey—Wake up!"

Suddenly, William's senses snapped back in place. He stammered, blinking rapidly to shake off the daze.

"Oh! Sorry!" he said.

"Pathetic," the Nine-Tails growled. "Even with my power restrained, you can barely stand in my presence. You're truly worth nothing."

William's face flushed. He had to regain his composure, but he wasn't prepared for how little this creature valued him.

"Don't you dare talk to my cousin that way!" Naruto spoke up with confidence.

"Uh, well," William spluttered, but in the moment of nervousness, a name slipped inadvertently from his lips: "Kurama..."

The silence slammed like a closing door. This was the first time in a long time anyone uttered the beasts' real name.

The Nine-Tails' glowing eyes narrowed to slits as it directed an intense stare at William. It asked in a voice that rumbled the room, "How do you know my name, brat?"

William felt his pulse quicken. He had to think fast.

"It's… it's because Naruto here is special," he stammered, glancing sideways at his cousin, who was still processing the unfolding drama. "And we're going to free you one day!"

The Nine-Tails erupted in a roar of laughter, the sound bouncing off the walls and shaking the chamber's very foundation.

"You think you can free me?! You do realize that I am the most powerful creature you've had the pleasure of laying eyes on, trapped by a mere seal?! The moment you free me, I'll eat you both alive!"

Naruto's face flushed with anger as he stepped forward, fists raised.

"You know what, Kurama, or whoever you think you are? You can just stay in that cage forever if you're gonna keep talking down to us! I don't need you!"

The Nine-Tails, taken aback, bristled in fury.

"Sniveling brats! You think you can dictate terms to me? You're always moping about your sad little friends!"

"Stop it!" William suddenly cut in, raising his hands in an attempt to defuse the confrontation. "Listen, both of you. That's not why we're here."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He was initially defensive but then looked from William to the Nine-Tails and back. "You said you were going to introduce me to my dad!"

At the mention of Minato, the Nine-Tails fell silent, momentarily intrigued by the shift in focus. The wrangling ceased as the beast seemed to consider this new development.

William leaned in, bending close to Naruto's ear, whispering earnestly, "You need to control your emotions, Naruto. When you touch that seal and try to rip it out, your father will come. Can you do that?"

Naruto nodded, his fierce look of determination returning.

"I can do it! I trust you, Will!"

"Good," William said, feeling more hopeful. They were all in this together, and their bond would guide them.

"Now!" Naruto shouted, bounding toward the seal.

Without hesitation, he hurled his hands forward and touched the paper affixed to the gate.

Just as he grasped the edge of it, a figure materialized in a flash of blinding yellow light.

"That's far enough!" the figure's voice commanded as the two landed. It echoed with a familiarity that sent a rush of recognition through Naruto's veins.

Minato Namikaze stood there, unmistakable in his bright, spiky blonde hair and signature Hokage cloak. A tranquil aura surrounded him, contrasting sharply with the drama just moments before.

"Dad…?" Naruto's voice trembled with a mix of shock and disbelief.

William's expression was the same. Many die-hard fans would do anything just to be in his shoes and witness this incredible event unfold before their eyes.

"I didn't want to see you again, Nine-Tails," Minato said, turning to the beast. The beasts' features were one of malice. "But I'm glad my son recognizes me."

In a sudden surge of anger and emotion, Naruto drew back his fist and punched Minato squarely in the gut.

"Why did you seal the Nine-Tails inside your own son?!" he screamed.

William, who had seen this scene several times, was still astounded.

Minato staggered back, hurt but still smiling. He gathered himself after the theatrics and said, "Not quite the lively greeting I was expecting."

Naruto wasn't amused. His expression turned serious and intense as he said, "Do you know what my life has been like because of that?! People hated me, and I was alone for so long! Everyone treated me like some kind of monster!"

"I understand," Minato replied, his tone earnest yet calm. He could see the hurt in his son's eyes, the burden of loneliness that had weighed on. "How old are you now?"

"I'm turning thirteen soon," Naruto whimpered, tears filling his face.

William, standing a few paces away, couldn't help but marvel at the intensity of the exchange. It was almost exactly like the original story, yet so different in its emotional weight.

The dynamic between father and son was raw and powerful—and it was all transpiring three years earlier than he'd ever expected.

"Thirteen?" Minato mused. "You've grown so much."

Their tender moment was shattered as the Nine-Tails exploded with rage, its voice rumbling loudly: "Don't think I'll let you off so easily, fourth Hokage! Come here, so I can kill you!"

Minato's expression flipped from one of affection to one of contempt. In an unflinching tone, he said, "Guess I'll stay here then."

With only a look, he redirected the flow of chakra around them, and pulled Naruto, William, and himself into a different realm within his son's subconscious.

The dark corridor had turned into a bright expanse, a dreamlike landscape.

William had seen this place plenty of times before. The air was shimmering softly, tinted in hues of blue and white. Everything felt lighter.

Minato's expression softened as his eyes took in the scenery.

"I owe you an apology, Naruto," he began with sincerity in his voice. "For all the pain I put you through."

Naruto, still simmering with emotions, crossed his arms stubbornly but made no effort to pull away.

"You made my life miserable," he said.

"And that I regret," Minato continued, undeterred by Naruto's defiance. "But I need you to know that I did it to protect you. It was the only way I could think of to safeguard the village… and you."

The conversation allowed a glimpse of vulnerability to surface, fueling an already charged atmosphere.

It was at that moment that Minato turned his attention to William, curiosity evident in his gaze, asking, "And who is this?"

"I'm Will, sir. It's short for William," he answered respectfully to the fourth Hokage. "I'm an Uzumaki, too, your son's cousin."

"An Uzumaki?" Minato smiled, slightly surprised. Realization settled in quickly. "There are still Uzumaki scattered throughout the ninja world. It's good to see that my son has someone he can still call family."

Naruto looked at William with a smile that broke through his earlier anger.

"Will's helped fill that void I felt without you," he said in a warm tone.

William's cheeks flared a soft shade of red at the compliment suddenly bashful. It felt good to be acknowledged by both Naruto and Minato in this way.

"I'm glad," Minato responded with a genuine smile. The bond those two shared was heartwarming, so he believed.

William couldn't help but beam at the compliment, his heart swelling with happiness at what Naruto and Naruto's father had voiced. Minato's approval felt like a silent acknowledgment.

But in that suspended moment, William remembered why they came here in the first place.

"Naruto, there's something I need to tell you," Minato said in a serious tone.

Naruto looked at his father. He knew that whatever his father was about to say would be important.

"It's about the Masked Man, right?" William said, stepping forward.

Minato was surprised as he asked, "How did you know about that?"

William explained how he had discovered the truth, a lie about how he had pieced together the clues.

Minato nodded, impressed by William's deduction skills. But what truly set his story apart was the revelation of who the man behind the mask was—Obito Uchiha. Upon hearing that, it only took Minato seconds to accept the idea that his own student had become a vigilante.

"Obito is being manipulated by the real Madara Uchiha, you say?" Minato asked after hearing the whole plot. "If that's the case, then those two will stop at nothing to achieve this goal of theirs."

Naruto was doing his best to catch up to speed. He had never heard of any of these two figures, let alone understood where his own story was going. But at least he was sure that Obito was someone lost like he was.

"We have to stop them," he said with determination.

Minato nodded and added, "But you two must be careful. Madara is powerful, and he's built up many allies after dying."

William and Naruto looked at each other; their resolve strengthened. It's then that they revealed to Minato about another adversary: Arthur Bennett.

Of course, this version of Minato wouldn't know anything about Arthur. It was only chakra that timed itself to manifest should Naruto's seal ever come close to breaking. Afterwards, it would disappear and never be seen again.

"We'll stop him, too," Naruto said with the same attitude.

Minato smiled and replied, "I know you will. My son has the strength and courage to overcome any obstacle. That's how I would have raised him."

That statement bloomed something in Naruto's heart.

Minato stood in silence, knowing that the weight of the world rested on their shoulders. He knew that the battle against Madara, Obito, and Arthur would be long and arduous, but he was also pleased upon seeing how far his son had come.

Naruto and his friends were a team, united by a common purpose. And together, they would prevail.