"What gratitude?"
Kushina had a bad premonition in her heart.
Recalling the Nine-Tails' initial words, she asked in confusion.
"Aren't you a Tailed Beast? How can you also link Chakra with us?"
Hearing this, the smile on the Nine-Tails' face deepened.
It glanced at Lock and, seeing that he didn't refuse, answered.
"It's not me linking with you, but me acting as a bridge so you can link with your 'happy' child."
"Don't you want to know how 'happy' he has been all these years?"
Before Kushina could speak, Minato stepped in front of her to block her.
"I'll do it. Kushina, you watch from the side and don't let the Nine-Tails take the opportunity to attack us."
Compared to Kushina's Chakra, which had been dormant...
Minato's Chakra had awakened two months ago after Lock exchanged for the complete Yang Nine-Tails.
At that time, the powerful Nine-Tails Chakra made him think the Nine-Tails had broken the seal, so he prepared to come out and stop it.
However, after arriving in the Sealed Space...
He found the Nine-Tails sleeping, the seal intact, and even an additional seal added by someone.
After that, he didn't return to dormancy to prevent Chakra loss.
Instead, he quietly observed Naruto outside, wanting to know if he was living well.
Then, he witnessed Naruto's two personalities and everything that followed.
This was one of the reasons why he hadn't gone all out to stop Lock from removing the seal earlier.
Although he was very gentle and called the 'Little Sun'...
Even the sun has solar storms and sunspots!
"Heh, attack?"
"So you want to fool this idiot Kushina again?"
The Nine-Tails was never a kind soul.
Now, it only wanted to see the regret of the Namikaze couple after they experienced those memories!
If it weren't for this brainless couple desperately stopping it and even teleporting it away...
It would have long since destroyed this stupid Village with a Tailed Beast Ball and escaped!
Minato wanted to say something else, but Kushina pulled him back.
Realizing something, she didn't get angry as she used to.
Instead, with tears shimmering in her eyes, she whispered with a pleading face.
"Minato, I trust Lock, and I also want to know if he has been happy all these years, if he has eaten well, if he has close friends, if he has a girlfriend, and why he changed his name..."
"In the end, I am also a mother. Don't stop me anymore, okay?"
Minato was silent for a moment, then tightly grasped Kushina's hand and nodded heavily.
"Okay, we'll watch together."
Seeing their fists approaching, a triumphant laugh appeared on the Nine-Tails' face.
"Have you finally made up your minds?"
"Then feel the malice of this cruel world!"
The moment the words fell, a massive amount of Chakra from Lock rushed out like a flood through an open gate.
In an instant, it completely submerged Minato and Kushina.
It wasn't gradual like it was with the Nine-Tails, but a total engulfment!
In an instant, images appeared before their eyes, and vicious curses came from all directions!
'Go to hell! You damn monster!'
'Haha, look, the parentless monster is actually eating trash!'
'Beat him to death, hurry and hit him a few more times, the Anbu will be here soon!'
'There's nothing for you here, I'm not selling, get lost!'
'If you pay double the price, I'll sell you expired food. A monster like you only deserves to eat this!'
'...'
'Mom, Dad, where are you... I'm not a monster, I don't want to be hated...'
'Why don't I have a mom and dad? Why am I a monster? Can't I just live a good life...'
'I am a monster, kill everyone... I'm not a monster, I want them to acknowledge me...'
'Why was I even born... I want to die so much...'
'I can't die, I have to live well and make them acknowledge me...'
'I hate everything here... They all deserve to die, every single one of them...'
'I shouldn't think like that, it must be because I'm not doing well enough. I have to work hard to make everyone like me and acknowledge me...'
'Why is everyone ignoring me... I'm not afraid of being scolded anymore, please just don't ignore me...'
'Grandpa Third... will of fire... As long as I become Hokage, they will definitely acknowledge me...'
'Yes, that's it! I want to become the dancing firewood of Konoha, I want to become the Hokage!!!'
...The time the memory took was both long and short.
Long was the endless pain and torture; short was the fact that only a few seconds had passed in reality.
Drip.
The silence was broken by the sound of a water droplet hitting the ground.
Minato lowered his head, not daring to look into Kushina's eyes.
He just felt the pain of his hand being nearly crushed, silently waiting for Kushina's rage to descend.
But after waiting for a long while, Kushina's anger didn't come. Instead, the dripping sound beside him became more and more rapid.
No, that wasn't the sound of dripping water!
Minato suddenly looked up and turned his head.
He saw Kushina standing there as if she had lost her soul, tears gushing like a spring, sliding down her cheeks uncontrollably.
It was an expression of despair greater than death.
Her most beloved and cherished child had actually been living this kind of life that was worse than death.
And he was even brainwashed and indoctrinated with ideas, to the point where his mind split and two personalities were born!
Now, Kushina finally knew. She knew why Lock wouldn't let her hug him and why he changed his name.
Because he hated everything, including her, his mother!
Just like those words in the memory.
Why was he born? Why was he hated? Why was he bullied? Why didn't he have parents who loved him?
"Destroy everything... Yes, everything should be destroyed! Nine-Tails!!!"
Kushina suddenly let go of Minato's hand and ran frantically in front of the Nine-Tails.
"Nine-Tails, we'll let you out! Go kill Hiruzen Sarutobi, go kill those damn villagers, go destroy that Konoha Village which should have perished long ago!"
The Nine-Tails' expression was cold. It glanced at Lock, who still showed no movement, and it didn't move either.
It just watched Kushina's madness with no emotion.
"Kushina, calm down!"
Minato quickly stepped forward and grabbed Kushina, his face full of complexity and gloom.
"Maybe the Third had some difficulties, maybe it was just to protect Naruto from other Villages..."
"Shut up!"
Kushina's hair was disheveled, her face like a vengeful spirit, and her roar cracked her voice.
"Minato Namikaze!"
"This is your great predecessor! The Village you protected! The will of fire you upheld! Your bullshit position as the Fourth Hokage!"
"Giving up our lives, and in the end, our only bloodline is treated like this!"
"Don't tell me about difficulties! Why is Hiruzen Sarutobi's own grandson so healthy and energetic, with special guards protecting him?"
"Why wasn't the property we left behind given to my son, making him have to buy ramen on credit?"
"Why did your disciples, your teacher, and the Ninjas who received your favors—why did not a single one of them come to help my son, letting him be bullied?"
"Tell me! Why exactly is that!!!"
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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