Naruto Uzumaki was at a loss for words. Seeing the gentle smile on Kushina Uzumaki's face, all he could do was stammer, "It's… it's okay…"
His father and mother were completely different.
Kushina gave him a distinctly different impression; the red-haired woman's gentleness felt like it could embrace everything. "Hey," she said softly. "It must have been hard being alone all this time, right?"
"It's… it's alright."
"How could it be alright, growing up alone?" Kushina smiled gently and bowed apologetically to him. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. We never wanted to seal the Nine-Tails inside you. The situation was critical, and we had no better choice…"
"You don't have to do that." Naruto quickly helped her up and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. At least Kurama and I get along well now…"
"Is that so? Then this fox's personality must have changed quite a bit!" Kushina waved at the giant Nine-Tailed Demon Fox beside them. "Long time no see, Nine-Tails!"
"Hmph. Naruto, this woman is lying to you," the Nine-Tails grumbled, looking at Kushina with dissatisfaction as it tried to stir up trouble. "Konoha's Bloody Habanero is no gentle soul! In the entire ninja world, no one knows her temper better than I do…"
"The Nine-Tails is the same as always… Adamantine Sealing Chains!" Kushina smiled and lowered her head, but her eyes flickered. In an instant, countless dense, golden chains shot out from her body, tightly binding the Nine-Tails.
Kushina slowly raised her head and looked at the fox, now completely wrapped in chains. She chuckled, "This looks much more obedient…"
The Nine-Tails was silent.
This woman was also the same as always. Always tying it up at the slightest disagreement. This was their family affair, what did it have to do with him?
Kushina clapped her hands, looking satisfied at the tightly bound Nine-Tails, then turned back to her child, her eyes gradually becoming moist. "Naruto, you've really grown up…"
"..."
Naruto was a bit embarrassed. He didn't know how to face his mother. No one had ever taught him how. Neither Kakashi Hatake nor Kurama had ever mentioned Kushina much. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to, and Kurama was unwilling.
Just looking at the Nine-Tails' current state, you could tell its relationship with Kushina wasn't good. No wonder the fox always had a disgusted look on his face when he was teaching him the Adamantine Sealing Chains. So this jutsu was its weakness.
But Kurama had been willing to teach him a jutsu that could restrain a Tailed Beast. Maybe the fox wasn't as cunning as he thought.
Naruto looked at Kushina, who was so close, and slowly took half a step back. "Sorry, I'm still not quite used to this. I never even knew I had a mother…"
Kushina felt unfamiliar, yet he also felt a sense of closeness. This twelve-year-old boy couldn't easily accept the parents standing before him, especially since his father's attitude wasn't friendly—even worse than the Nine-Tails, actually.
"It's okay!" A flicker of disappointment crossed Kushina's eyes, but she immediately put on a bright smile for her son. "Just being able to see you all grown up makes me so happy…"
Naruto fell silent. For the first time, he hated his inability to express himself. Or rather, he somewhat hated himself. He was just a kid, so why was he always trying to pretend to be a mature adult? There were so many things he wanted to say, so many hardships he wanted to vent, so much weakness he wanted to show, but right now, he didn't know where to begin.
"Hey, Naruto, I'm your mom," Kushina said, approaching him again, step by step, until she was squatting in front of him. Looking at his face, she said softly, "Can I tell you a story?"
Kushina didn't know how to persuade him. She felt her own words were clumsy, but she hoped that after she finished her story, her son and her husband wouldn't be so at odds with each other.
Naruto hesitated, then nodded. "Okay."
Kushina recounted the events of twelve years ago: being chosen as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, being sent to Konoha by the Uzumaki clan under the pretext of seeking refuge, her life in the village, the discrimination she faced, and her abduction by ninjas from the Cloud Village…
Naruto's face darkened as he listened. Every time someone got abducted, it was the Cloud ninjas. Kushina was almost captured by them, Hinata Hyuga was almost captured as a child, and they even targeted Sasuke Uchiha.
What was with the Cloud Village? Why were they just like Danzo Shimura?
Kushina didn't know about these things; she just continued her story. "Minato saved me. At that moment, I saw a ray of light in my dark future…" As she spoke, she couldn't help but look at Minato's chakra form beside her, and their hands slowly clasped together.
The corner of Naruto's eye twitched. How did his mother end up holding hands with his father in the middle of her story? These parents were a bit unreliable.
The boy couldn't help but interrupt their nostalgic gaze. "And then?"
"And then we got together." Kushina's smile was a bit sweet and a bit shy. "Under Granny Biwako's watch, we got married. It just so happened that Minato became Konoha's Fourth Hokage. Minato originally didn't really want children, because his work was busy, and pregnancy is a very dangerous thing for a jinchuriki…"
As she said this, Kushina's face suddenly became awkward. Should she really be talking about her husband's thoughts at the time? She saw Naruto's expression gradually turning ugly.
"Anyway, I got pregnant later…" Kushina scratched her head in embarrassment. "Although it was an accident, Minato was still extremely excited for your arrival. He started trying to learn from the Third Hokage how to be a good father."
"Then he picked the wrong person," Naruto raised an eyebrow and turned to look at his father. "As far as I know, Asuma Sarutobi and his father didn't have a very good relationship."
Minato Namikaze hesitated, silent.
"That's right!" Kushina nodded vigorously, agreeing with her son. "But, at that time, the father-son relationship between Fugaku and Itachi was very good! My friend Mikoto was always talking about their family in front of me!"
That was true. Her best friend was Mikoto Uchiha, and from her, she learned that Fugaku and Itachi Uchiha had an excellent relationship—the kind of father-son bond that made many families envious.
"Itachi… that's Sasuke's older brother, right?" Naruto glanced at his mother and said in a small voice, "I heard that four or five years ago, Itachi killed his parents with his own hands."
Kushina Uzumaki: "..."
This conversation was impossible.
No, the problem wasn't the conversation. The problem was Konoha itself.
-----
Bonus:
Minato Namikaze: Lord Third Hokage seemed very successful at raising children.
Naruto Uzumaki: As far as I know, Asuma Sarutobi ran away from home for many years…
Minato Namikaze: ...
Kushina Uzumaki: That's why I said you should learn from Mikoto's husband!
Naruto Uzumaki: As far as I know, Itachi Uchiha killed their whole family…
Kushina Uzumaki: ...
Naruto Uzumaki: What's wrong with you guys?
Kushina Uzumaki: Minato, you were right.
Minato Namikaze: ???
Kushina Uzumaki: We shouldn't have had a child!
Naruto Uzumaki: ...