Just how deep could the evil in human nature run?
That was what Kushina was seeing right now in the Nine-Tails' memories, the way Konohagakure had treated Naruto.
It was far worse than what she had faced as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki…
Adults influenced children, and in the end, everyone isolated Naruto, called him a monster, and denied the value of his very existence.
From the perspective of the Nine-Tails, or rather, from Naruto's perspective, she looked out over the whole of Konoha beneath the Fourth Hokage Rock.
There were no words that could fully describe what Kushina Uzumaki felt in that moment…
Hatred, helplessness, pain.
Her resentment toward The Third Hokage and Konohagakure, and even toward herself and Minato Namikaze, all erupted at that moment.
But the Hokage and the village were both part of her faith, and Minato was that child's father.
She watched her own child lower himself just to make friends, obeying every word from children who were clearly toying with him. If not for Shikamaru and Iruka, the consequences might have been unimaginable.
All of this clashed violently with Kushina Uzumaki's memories!
"Oh my, isn't this Young Master Naruto from the Fourth Hokage's family? Having you visit my humble shop truly brings honor to the place!"
"Ah, Old man! How much is that mask?"
"Why are you being so distant?! Really, Young Master Naruto, you're too polite! Minato-sama is the great hero who ended the Third Shinobi World War. Which mask do you like? I'll give it to you!"
"No, no, no. If that's the case, I don't want it."
"Oh, I told you not to be so distant. Come on, take the mask."
"Your change."
A banknote was flashed in front of the shopkeeper's face, stopping less than a centimeter from his eyes. It left no doubt that if it had been a kunai instead of paper money, it could have taken his life.
"It's an Uchiha…"
"Kakashi-san! Obito-san!"
"Tch! I told you, you should call me Obito-sensei!!"
"How do you know you'll become my teacher? Maybe Rin-san and Kakashi-san will be my teachers instead, dattebayo?"
"Ugh, you little brat! You're going to be the death of me!"
"Fail!!!"
Kushina smiled bitterly. The chakra reserves of the Uzumaki Clan were not inferior to ordinary ninjas from the Uchiha and Senju clans, and on top of that, Naruto always had to set aside part of his chakra to suppress the Nine-Tails. It could not be helped that, among the Three Basic Jutsu, only his Transformation Technique was somewhat decent.
But…
Who on earth made him come up with a prank ninjutsu like the Sexy Technique?!!
Who was it?!!!
Step forward! I, Kushina Uzumaki, promise I won't beat you to death!!
"As long as you secretly learn the ninjutsu on the Scroll of Seals, Iruka-sensei will definitely let you pass the exam and graduate from the Ninja Academy."
"What the heck! The first ninjutsu is the Clone Technique, the one I'm worst at."
"Naruto!"
"Iruka-sensei?"
"You little brat! You've really gotten yourself into huge trouble this time!!!"
"It's not like this is the first time I've gotten into trouble. More importantly, Iruka-sensei! I learned the ninjutsu in here! Hurry up and let me pass the graduation exam, dattebayo!"
"!!!" Iruka said, "Naruto, who told you that?"
Iruka Umino. Kushina Uzumaki was very familiar with this Chūnin teacher. He was Naruto's favorite teacher at the Ninja Academy.
Of course, that was in Kushina's memories.
In reality, or rather, in the Nine-Tails' memories, aside from the night of his birth, Kushina Uzumaki had completely disappeared from Naruto's childhood. Along with her, the village's kindness toward Naruto had disappeared too.
"Mizuki-sensei! He said that as long as I learn the ninjutsu on the Scroll of Seals, he'll definitely let me pass the graduation exam, dattebayo!"
Naruto…
He was too innocent.
To gain someone else's acknowledgment, he would give anything.
Just like when he was even younger. Those children only had to say they were willing to play with him, and that single condition was enough to make Naruto rush happily into a trap set by enemy ninjas of Konoha.
It was not only that he gave everything he had. At this moment, Kushina did not know that for the first companion who acknowledged him, Naruto could even cast aside his dignity, silently endure being beaten by ninjas from other villages, hold onto his dream of becoming Hokage while never being able to let go of a Missing-nin, and even kneel before the leader of another village, burying his head in the cold snow to plead for mercy.
"Naruto! Do you know why everyone in the village hates you, avoids you, and despises you?!"
"W-why?"
Watching the Nine-Tails' memories, Kushina hated that she could not travel there and punch this man named Mizuki straight into the center of the earth!!
Iruka shouted, "Don't say it!! You're not allowed to say it, Mizuki!!"
"Hmph. Naruto, that's the rule that only you in the entire village don't know."
"The rule… that only I don't know…?"
At that moment, Kushina's heart rose into her throat.
She was terrified. Terrified that Naruto would be unable to withstand the hatred brought on by the truth, giving the Nine-Tails an opening.
If the Nine-Tails went berserk, Naruto would undoubtedly die. Even if by some miracle Naruto later managed to control the Nine-Tails, it would only make his treatment in the village even worse.
And…
In the end, Kushina Uzumaki was afraid.
She was afraid that Naruto hated them from the bottom of his heart.
Hated the Fourth Hokage as his father, hated her as his mother and the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, hated them as his parents for making him endure such pain.
Just the thought of that possibility terrified Kushina Uzumaki, the woman even Mikoto Uchiha had called fearless. She was terrified to death. She knew all too well that wounds of the heart were far, far harder to heal than wounds of the body.
"That S-rank gag order was this. No one is allowed to tell you that you are the Nine-Tails Fox who killed Iruka's parents, killed the Fourth Hokage, and destroyed Konohagakure!!"
Killed Iruka Umino's parents?!
In Kushina's memories, there had never been a Nine-Tails Incident, and Iruka Umino's parents were still alive.
"Stop talking! Mizuki!!!"
"Hahahaha! Naruto! Did you know? The one who sealed you away with his own hands was the very Fourth Hokage you admire the most!"
"Stop talking!!! Don't listen, Naruto!"
"Don't you think it's strange? Why everyone in the village hates you, why no matter what you do, you can never gain anyone's approval. The truth is… even Iruka hates you to the bone!! Because you're the reason he became an orphan!!!"
"Naruto!!!"
Hearing Iruka-sensei's shout from behind, Kushina could tell that in this memory, the Nine-Tails was curling his lips in excitement.
["The brat's emotions are extremely unstable right now. All the slander he's suffered over the years didn't leave him unharmed. Just a little more. Just a little more and I can get out of this damn place!"]
Kushina no longer had any hatred left for Mizuki. The only emotions overflowing from her heart were guilt and love for Naruto.
She wished she could step into the Nine-Tails' memories just like that, hold him, and tell him that she and Minato loved him. Loved him so much, loved him beyond everything.
Boom.
"Why did you know I wasn't Iruka?"
"Because Iruka… is me!"
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Hiding behind a large tree with the scroll in his arms, Naruto heard the conversation between Mizuki and Iruka.
"Why would you protect Naruto with your life when he killed your parents? The Scroll of Seals is a treasure where the First Hokage personally sealed many Kinjutsu developed by the Second Hokage! They say that if you learn the ninjutsu inside that scroll, you can get anything you want. There's no way that monster fox won't use its power."
"Yeah, I know."
["Heh heh. The seal loosened a little more."]
"So Iruka-sensei really never acknowledged me either. He hates me to the bone too."
Hearing Naruto's inner voice, the pain in Kushina Uzumaki's heart could not be described in words.
But it should not be that way.
She knew Iruka's character. He and Mizuki were not the same kind of person.
"But what you're talking about is the demon fox! Naruto is different!"
"!!!"
"What?!"
"That kid may be clumsy, but he's always worked hard. Because of what he's gone through, he understands the pain in people's hearts better than ordinary children, and he knows how to think about things with empathy."
"Now, he hasn't been the demon fox for a long time. He's the student I acknowledge most among Konoha's ninjas, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Uzumaki… Naruto…
Look, it's "that."
Oh, "that." Stay away from him, or you'll catch his bad luck.
How did "that" end up here?! What was The Third Hokage thinking?! Hurry up and drive him away.
Drip.
Drip, drip.
After seeing the Nine-Tails' memories and knowing what kind of childhood Naruto had before the age of twelve, Kushina naturally understood why, after he heard those words, it was as if rain had begun falling inside the Nine-Tails' cage.
It was a spring rain, silent and nourishing, soaking into the darkness and driving away the bitter cold.
The deepest part of a Jinchūriki's mind was controlled by their own consciousness. The current golden cage had been left behind by Minato, and the water that covered the ground beneath the Nine-Tails' paws was Naruto's pain, the pain he had never been able to release.
"If you dare lay a hand on Iruka-sensei, I'll kill you!"
The Nine-Tails' seal loosened, and Naruto unconsciously drew out a little of the Tailed Beast's chakra.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!"
Kushina Uzumaki: "!!!!!"
An entire forest! Packed full of shadow clones created by Naruto!!!
Even Kushina Uzumaki was shocked!!
Although she had the Nine-Tails inside her, because the sealing method was different, she could not borrow the Nine-Tails' chakra.
So when she saw solid clones of Naruto packed densely all around her, Kushina could not help being utterly stunned.
["Hmph. Not bad, you damn brat."]
["No need to rush. I can wait. There will definitely be another chance later…"]
"Kurama…"
From the Nine-Tails' memories, Kushina Uzumaki discovered that his view of Naruto seemed to have changed a little.
"Speaking of which, why did you tell Naruto your name? I spent more than ten years with you too, didn't I? You never once thought of telling me your name. Were you embarrassed, dattebayo?"
["Shut up! Stop talking and keep watching! Besides, I wasn't the one who told him my name. It was that bastard Son!"]
"Son?"