36)Foxy Adventures: Ch.36

'Well, at least it's a good thing we expected this,' I thought with a frown as I stared at the two people in front of me, who looked just as surprised to see me as I was to see them.

Kurama on the other hand looked excited and I was not surprised when he grinned and turned his head to them with a grin.

“If it isn't my former jailor and the one who put me in the cage. Oh, it's not even my birthday, but I will most definitely enjoy this~”

“Kurama,” I spoke with a sigh, surprising both Kushina and Minato as Kurama smirked and turned to me with a chuckle.

“Let me have my fun.”

“I want to, but I also don't know whether or not they're here for a short period or forever so I'd rather not waste some of that time with you having your fun.”

“Hah, very well. I suppose I will torment you for the rest of our time as partners, then.”

“Uh, Minato, are you seeing what I'm seeing?”

“I think I'm having a hard time believing what I'm seeing. The Nine Tails is…docile?”

“Don't call me docile because I can quickly show you how pissed off I can get,” Kurama spoke with a growl as he turned to my parents, which made them blink before they turned to me as I spoke up.

“Uh, don't worry about him. He's as grumpy as ever so you can just leave him on his own,” Kurama huffed at my words as he laid down on the open floor of the mindscape while I walked closer to them with a smile.

“So, uh…how ha-!”, I was surprised as Kushina immediately hugged me the moment I got close, Minato walking over with a smile and ruffling my hair as I felt my chest growing tight.

“Oh, it's so good to finally see you, Naruto~,” Her embrace was tight yet warm and comforting as I felt her emotions being made visible to my mindscape. Love, regret, relief, joy and pride all flowed into my mind, nearly overwhelming me with the emotions as I felt my eyes burn.

As Mom pulled back, I could see the tears shining in her eyes as she looked me over, her hands cupping my face like she was trying to memorize every detail while Dad stood back with a smile.

“Look at you, all grown up. I wish I could have been there to help you when you needed us the most.”

“Eh, life…life wasn't that bad. Besides, I wasn't completely alone,” I said while gesturing to my partner in crime, who rolled his eyes as Dad looked at him with a thankful smile.

“Thank you for looking over our son, Kurama.”

“Firstly, you don't get to say my name, blondie. Secondly, I'm not going to pretend that I was good company for most of it.”

“But you were company nonetheless. I know you and I could never get along, but I truly am thankful for you being there,” Mom spoke with a smile as she stood up and I snickered as Kurama just snorted while looking away.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“That's 'you're welcome' in his language,” I spoke for him, laughing as Kurama growled while Mom and Dad looked amused at our interaction.”

“You've come farther than we expected, Naruto. You've done and endured more than I could have ever asked of you.”

“Eh, I'm my mom's son after all. Stubborn, emotional and one made for endurance with the added addition of having your brain. I'm not going to lie and say that I didn't used to hate you and the village for what you did to me, but I've come to understand that what you did was needed to make sure we survive in the future. 'Forgive, but never forget' is the saying I live by,” I spoke with a shrug, smiling as Dad gave a nod before Mom spoke up.

“Yep, just like me. We're stubborn hurricanes that don't stand for anyone's shit.”

“Especially when they say you look like a rotten tomato.”

“What was that, you orange furball?”

“You heard me, period hair.”

“Oh, those are fighting words, hairball.”

“Is this their usual interaction?”, I asked as I stood beside Dad, who nodded with a sigh as we watched Mom and Kurama argue like old friends.

“I do mean what I said, though. I have forgive you for what I did even though every fibre of my body wants to punch you right now.”

“You would be free to do s-!”, I didn't waste a single second as I spun and landed a vicious uppercut to his jaw, watching as the man was sent flying into the ceiling with a deafening boom while Mom jumped at the sound.

“What was-Really? He let you punch him?”, She asked with a frown and I shrugged as Dad fell down, landing with a slight stagger while holding out an arm to steady himself as he held his jaw with the other hand.

“Oh, that's…that's not bad,” His words made me crack a smile as he groaned, Mom helping him standing while shaking her head.

“Honestly, I've been waiting a long time to do that.”

“I deserve that and more, probably, but I am glad that you're still willing to talk to me.”

“Yeah, I just needed to get that out. It's just pain that needed to leave.”

“Hmm, he really is my kid, isn't it?”

“He's our kid and yes, he is down to your emotional punching.”

“I approve that punch,” Kurama spoke up from the side and I smirked as I saw the glee in his eyes while Dad shook his head.

“Of course you do. Now, you were correct when you assumed that we do not have long. What we are are simply spectral remnants of what remained when I sealed parts of our chakra and souls into your seal that were to released when you either unleashed the eight tail for me or when you needed help to fight the Nine Tails with your mother.”

“Huh, well, I guess both of those were kind of not needed considering how close Kurama and I am.”

“That is true, but at least this way, we can pass on to our original forms after we pass on the last of our knowledge,” He spoke with a smile, my eyes widening slightly at that as Mom giggled.

“Wait, you mean…all of your knowledge?”

“All of the jutsu we learned and wanted to learn as well as every bit of knowledge that we possessed up to when I fought against this Madara Uchiha that I fought against and that the Nine Tails told you of.”

'Kurama…question?'

'No, they can't see your memories of your past life because I'm blocking them.'

'Good. At least this way, they can pass on without knowing that their son died in some form,' I thought with a smile as I sat down, Dad and Mom doing the same before Mom cleared her throat.

“Ahem! Well, I suppose I need to be the one to start off. It all started…”

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“And after Minato's original soul sealed us in here, we've been watching over you,” Mom finished with a smile and I just sat there, absorbing every detail that she's told me while Dad had chimed in with his own tale now and again to help me understand.

I also tried my best to remember every jutsu and seal they told me about, which were far more than I was expecting, but I also knew that Kurama had probably memorized them considering he was a sponge for all forms of knowledge.

'You're damn right I am,' He spoke up in my mind with a huff and I smiled as I took a deep breath.

“I'll make sure to tell Pervy Sage and the old man about what you told me.”

“Add in a punch from me for both of those idiots, Jiraiya for his pervy behaviour and Hiruzen for everything else.”

“I'll make sure for that, though if I told Pervy Sage that it's from you, he'd probably take it as a compliment.”

“Unfortunately, Sensei has always had a resilient view of pain,” Dad spoke with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as Kurama snorted.

“I'm surprised you didn't haunt them.”

“Oh, I thought about it, but haunting someone gets tiring after a while. I'd rather use that time to watch over my baby boy,” Mom spoke with a smile as she kissed the side of my head, making me smile before I asked the one question I know Naruto would want me to ask.

“Was I…what you hoped I would be? You know, a good shinobi and stuff like that?”

“You became a Special Jounin at 12, Naruto. You've become strong and not just that, but you're kind and you never stop fighting to bring a better future for those that cannot fight for themselves.”

“That's not mentioning the fact that you are a true combination of our best traits: Hot-headed and loyal to a fault yet calculative enough to know when to cut loose something that holds you down. No parent could ask for a better child,” Mom finished for Dad with a smile and I ignored the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes as I nodded before laughing as Kurama chimed in.

“Don't forget infuriating and a goofball at times.”

“Oh, shush you, fox,” Surprisingly, I heard the amused and playful tone in Mom's voice as she snapped at Kurama, who huffed while having a playful gleam in his eyes.

“Hey, I'm right and you know it,” He spoke before I frowned as I saw their bodies beginning to glow, both Mom and Dad smiling sadly as their bodies slowly turned into motes of light.

“Well, I suppose it's time for us to leave.

“I wish I had more time with you,” I spoke softly and Dad chuckled as he tapped a finger lightly against my chest.

“You'll always have us here in your heart.”

“Besides, we also live on through your pranks and your Uzumaki puns,” Mom joked lightly as she wrapped her arms around me, Dad doing the same as I felt the tears flowing.

“Until we meet again, this is goodbye. Now go out there and live a life so full and loud that the world remembers your name until the end of time.”

“Also, tell Hiruzen that you want the keys. He'll understand what you mean,” Dad spoke softly with a smile and I nodded, their forms turning into light that faded even as their warmth stayed with me.

A sense of peace flowed into my mind and I closed my eyes as I felt my body relaxing, hearing Kurama walk over before feeling his warm form sitting down beside me as I laid back onto his fur.

“Sentimental fools, the lot of you,” he muttered and I chuckled as I felt his breathing washing over you.

“You love it and you know it.”

“…Tch, perhaps,” he muttered and I opened my eyes to stare at the vast forest around us, both Kurama and I sitting in a large clearing the size of Konoha with a large shrine in the distance that had two suns burning brightly atop its rooftop.

“…What?”

“Welcome to your new mindscape,” he spoke as I reached a hand out to the forest, watching in awe as the branches swayed as if they were alive, responding to my command.

It was not just that as I could feel the warmth and joy from the trees around us, raising my other arm and watching as the trees themselves creaked and groaned to my command.

“Woah~ You know, it almost looks like the Wood…Style…,” I trailed off as I looked at Kurama, who smirked before he flicked my forehead and I felt myself waking up.

As I did so, my eyes widened as I found myself standing on top of the Hokage building, staring at the Hokage and dozens of Jounin standing in front of me.

'How the hell did I get here?', I thought before seeing their gobsmacked looks of awe at something behind me, making me slowly turning around only to stare in awe at the gigantic tree that was slowly growing the more and more my chakra flowed into it.

When I finished pulling my chakra away, the tree ceased its growth, the top branches just barely brushing the chins of the Hokage Monument faces while it cast a shadow over the building we were on.

“…Well, shit.”

“Uh, Naruto?”

“I'm awake, old man. Uh, anyone wanna tell me why there's a giant tree in front of us.

“We could be hoping that you would tell us that,” he said with a sigh and I looked at him before immediately turning to the source that knew most likely.

“Kurama, buddy~”

“Yes, you have the Wood Style. Now, let me enjoy my new freedom in peace.”

“Got it…Wait, I have what?!”

“Naruto?”, the old man called out once more, sound a bit concerned this time and I felt Kurama kicking me out before slowly turning to the Hokage with a sheepish smile.

“So, remember the little transaction we did?”

“I remembe-Wait, please don't tell me…”

“Yeah, turns out I got the Wood Style. Yay~”, I cheered half-heartedly, not even sure what to do about this as the Hokage just groaned while Jiraya and Tsunade blinked at my words.

“Excuse me?”

“Y-Yeah, turns out that I have the Wood Style now…or I'm guessing some variant of it. I'm just as confused as you are.”

“Naruto, Tiger, dog, snake and then envision yourself creating a clone,” Tsunade spoke and while I was a bit confused, I nodded as I weaved the three handsigns, clapping my hands together in the Snake seal before envisioning a Shadow Clone beside me.

However, my eyes widened as wood tendrils grew out from my right side, watching in awe as they slowly coiled and twisted upon each other until the final product that was a picture-perfect wooden clone of me stood beside me.

The clone turned to me and I looked at it, both of us blinking as I poked at its chest while it poked my face.

“Holy shit, this is trippy.”

“You're telling me. I feel like I should be there and you should be here,” The clone's words surprised me as I looked at it before narrowing my eyes.

“Can you hear me?”

“A…static…but yeah…trippy,” Unfortunately, his words came through in a garbled mess like a radio tuning between station, but it was still enough to make me smile as I nodded and the clone sunk back into my body.

'Why do I feel like chakra control is the reason why it sounded mostly like static. Ooh~ What if I can use Fu's Wave Transmission Jutsu with them? That way, I can scatter them in the trees and then I can simply send my thought to each of them until the final one sends his thought to Fu? Oh, this is going to be a fun experiment.'

“Well, it looks like he does have the Wood Style. What's your plan now?”, Jiraiya asked as he looked at the Hokage and I gave a sheepish smile again as the man looked at me with an exasperated look.

“Hargh~ Okay. Naruto, do you have any other things you wanted to tell me?”, he asked and I blinked at that before walking over, gesturing for him to lean down.

“Kind of. I may have unsealed Kurama and my mom and dad may have sealed parts of themselves in the seal so I talked to them and they told me to get the keys. They said you would know what that means,” I whispered before watching as the man stood up straight with a stoic face.

“…Why couldn't I have just died during Orochimaru's invasion?”

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“So, you got the Wood Style now?”, Kakashi asked as the two of us stood in Training Ground #3 and I nodded as I sat beside him on the grass while caressing the flowers blooming in front of me.

“Pretty much, yeah. Although, Granny said that it's not like the First's considering I'm using both my own chakra and the Nine Tails' in combination.”

“Oh, is that the reason for the ANBU?”, he asked while looking to the trees to our right, to which I nodded while smiling as I could feel the ANBU hiding in the trees.

I wouldn't even have noticed them before, but with the fact that I could now feel everything the trees were feeling if I focused, it was kind of hard to ignore the presences hidden there.

“Yeah, the old man wants to keep me under surveillance for a while just in case something happens before he gives me the all-clear.”

“That's a good idea. There were many that have tried to obtain the Wood Style and let's just say that dying painfully would have been the better of the outcomes,” he spoke and I sighed before looking at him as the man looked out at the forest.

“Anyway, why did you want to see me?”

“I simply wished to see how my former student is doing.”

“We both know you're not the best liar when it comes to us, Kakashi,” I spoke with a smile, chuckling as he rolled his eye while crossing his arms.

“Well, we're about to go on a mission again, a B-Rank this time.”

“Was this mission approved by the old man?”

“It was. Considering how skilled Karin and Sasuke are and how much Sakura has trained to master her genjutsu and chakra control, Lord Third has seen it fit to allow us to do this mission. However, since I am wary of how our past couple of missions have been going…”

“You want a second Jounin there just in case something happens. Okay, got it. Who do you want me to persuade?”

“You,” he answered and I looked at him before pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Okay, then. What is the mission?”

“We're going to escort the Feudal Lord back to the Capital.”

“…Son of a bitch.”

A/N: And we end it off here~! Since most of you wanted to see the Wood Style, I decided to use this as the chance to give it to him.

However, don't expect him to spam the moves as he still has chakra control trouble and I want him to keep it as a trump card that he can use in combination with Kurama's Yang Chakra.

Anyway, next chapter: New Mission.

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!