At the side, Obito, hearing Naruto's words, showed a thoughtful look.
'Is this the angle a clear-minded but Konoha-affiliated Naruto can come up with?'
'Maybe there's some warped logic just based on the jinchuriki thing.'
Once a village decides to pass that power onto someone, it has to be prepared for that power's holder to eventually revolt against them.
Perhaps those in power don't fully realize this, or they do realize it and therefore used all kinds of means to brainwash and control.
Still, no matter how much you brainwash and control, the most objective rule of the shinobi world is that the strong rule.
Once a jinchuriki grows up, they become top-tier combat power, no matter which village they're in.
At that point, almost all hard measures fail; if you still want the jinchuriki to keep sacrificing, you can only use moral blackmail.
But moral blackmail is often mutual.
When you bind the jinchuriki, you're also binding yourselves.
People will, for the sake of their own interests, eventually become the things they disdain.
From insults gradually to respect, even flattery, "Lord Jinchuriki, please be the leader of our village!"
So, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura being a jinchuriki, the Fifth Kazekage Gaara also a jinchuriki, after the Fourth Great Ninja War the Eight-Tails' Killer Bee could have been Raikage if he wanted, and Naruto would take the Hokage spot from Kakashi… maybe Minato realized this before he died. He didn't fail to foresee Naruto's tragic experiences, but he believed that suffering would eventually lead to sweetness.
This is exactly what Naruto called a kind of unique compensation mechanism. A mechanism that perhaps doesn't follow any ruler's will, but follows fate's design.
Or the latent collective subconscious of those who still have a conscience.
Of course, Kushina wouldn't consider so much. She just said, "Naruto, why should we be the ones to suffer, to lose our homeland, in order to gain some compensation you might not even want?"
"I'd rather none of it happened. I'd rather the Land of Whirlpools still exist. I'd rather grow up happily in Uzushio my whole life!"
Naruto gave a bitter smile, "But Mom, things don't have ifs. Like Obito, if he could, he wouldn't have opened that ridiculously strong Mangekyo Sharingan. Once opened, it can't be closed."
After a pause, Naruto continued, "At least Dad's dream came true, right?"
Kushina nodded, then suddenly got a little excited, "That's true, your father is about to don the Hokage robe."
Naruto said, "So Mom, in a sense, Konoha isn't some stranger's thing anymore, it's ours. Maybe Dad was a good man; he wouldn't and didn't want to own Konoha. But with Obito around, you can't be sure."
"Mom, when you get angry and smash your own things, don't you feel bad about it?"
Kushina froze, then felt awkward.
She was the type who even tried to save on the electricity bill.
If Konoha became their own… she… she… Kushina put her hands on her hips.
"Naruto, why are you spouting so much warped logic? Didn't Obito say you're dumb and naive?"
Naruto smiled, "Mom, I used to be not very smart, but after going through a lot, I'm no longer the same me…"
Seeing her son be so understanding and tender, Kushina couldn't help but have her hair fly up in agitation, and she slammed a fist onto the ground.
"So infuriating. I can put up with being wronged, but why do you have to suffer so much and still defend Konoha?"
"That's right, your father is about to be Hokage, but I'm still angry and want to wreck the place. Naruto, what should we do?"
Looking at Kushina so furious with nowhere to vent, Naruto's mind drifted to Sasuke.
If Mom was harmed by Konoha, even if Dad got praise and became Hokage and won villagers' respect, Mom still felt deeply wronged and wanted to vent.
What about Sasuke?
Sasuke's whole family and clan were harmed by Konoha and ended up with nothing, alone and bitter. Konoha never compensated them; even his one brother, who sacrificed for Konoha, had to endure Konoha's scorn.
Wasn't Sasuke even more wronged than Mom?
But what did Naruto do?
Time and again, when Sasuke most wanted revenge and most needed strength, Naruto urged him to let go of hatred.
Especially later, Naruto could clearly see Sasuke's side and understand him.
But for Konoha's sake, what did understanding accomplish?
He chose to pull Sasuke away from revenge? To solve the problem by forcing Sasuke into that most suffocating way, to stop him with words?
If Sasuke were replaced by his mom…
Suddenly Naruto's head buzzed.
Tears began to fall.
He turned to Kushina and said, word by word, "Mom, how about we just blow up Konoha?"
Kushina was stunned.
She thought she'd been extreme, but how did Naruto suddenly become even more extreme than her?
She said sullenly, "Naruto, I'm glad you want to stand up for me, but you also said smashing your own house hurts you, how about we be a bit milder?"
At the side, Obito couldn't help shaking his head.
When someone proposes an extreme idea, if another person proposes a more extreme idea, the first person often compromises.
But… does this need compromise?
Obito suddenly said, "Boss lady, this method could actually work."
"The Konoha we're in now is just an empty shell. The villagers have long gone to sleep on the God Tree; they're living happily in the Infinite Tsukuyomi dream. The remaining village is a relic of an old era, blow it up, who would care?"
Kushina was first taken aback, then her eyes lit up.
Not gonna lie, Naruto's proposal was very nice: it wrecked the place hard, didn't harm the innocent, and kept just enough moral ground. It was a special benefit from Obito winning the Fourth War and activating the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
She admitted she was moved.
She looked at Karin, "Karin, if we really blow up Konoha to get revenge for your mother and for our lost homeland, would that be okay?"
Karin froze. Auntie said blow it up and blow it up just like that?
But thinking of her miserable childhood, thinking of Sasuke when he opened his Mangekyo Sharingan standing on the rock with waves crashing, that heartbreaking scene, she couldn't bear it.
Before, she had no one and dared not wish for much; being able to stay with Sasuke was her greatest happiness.
But now she had her maternal family; she was someone's child who was cared for.
She swung her fist viciously, "Auntie, let's blow it up. Blow it up good. Konoha is hateful; look at how they treated Sasuke. I want Konoha wiped from the face of the earth!"
Kushina wore a strange expression, 'Why does Karin's every line seems to be about Sasuke? Is she blowing Konoha up for her mother or for Sasuke?'
'Well, whoever it's for, since the decision to blow it up is made, blow it up!'
She looked at Naruto.
"Naruto, Obito said you've mastered all kinds of powerful Rasengan. Mom's never seen them. How about you show mom?"
A black line appeared on Naruto's face, 'What did Obito told Mom?'
Actually, Naruto not only knew Rasengan, but in the dream world had secretly learned a huge Rasenshuriken from another self.
That move, compared to Uncle Nagato's Shinra Tensei, was no slouch, blowing up a village would be easy.
But could he really bring himself to do it?
Maybe before he couldn't, but now, huh?
"All right, Mom. I'll blow it up."
At that, Naruto paused.
"Actually, this isn't only for you, Mom. It's more for him."
"I once insisted he turn back but failed to fully understand him."
"By the time I understood, we had already gone to opposite extremes. I could only decide to go with him to death."
"But now, I think I was wrong. I want to do something for him."
"Although I know that blowing up this hollow Konoha won't heal his wounds, I still should do something."
Having said that, he didn't hesitate and flew up, soon hovering over Konoha.
Looking down at Konoha below, he spread his hands, and between them a black, continuously compressing and twisting orb gradually took shape.
'This is a farewell gift!'
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