Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 30

Shuimen stood in the center, his expression solemn.

Madara leaned against the stone wall, his arms crossed, his Sharingan glowing crimson in the darkness.

"You knew perfectly well what kind of lives Jinchuriki led," Madara's voice was as cold as ice, "yet you still made Naruto the vessel for the Nine-Tails?"

Minato's fist clenched unconsciously, then slowly relaxed: "The original plan... was for Naruto to become a Jinchūriki, with Kushina protecting him. But..."

The Nine-Tailed Fox suddenly raised its head and let out a low, sneer: "I simply pierced through you two together."

Madara frowned: "What happened?"

Minato took a deep breath, and images formed from chakra unfolded in the space.

Twelve years ago, on that blood-red night, the enormous Nine-Tails ravaged Konoha Village, and the scene of the masked man controlling the tailed beast was clearly visible.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage..."

Minato's voice was filled with deep weariness: "That masked man took advantage of Kushina's recent childbirth, when the seal was weakened, to break free and control the Nine-Tails."

The images shift, showing the fierce battle between Minato and the masked man, a clash between the Flying Thunder God Technique and a mysterious space-time ninjutsu.

"In the end, I had no choice but to split the Nine-Tails in two," Minato said, pointing to Naruto and himself. "The Yin Release chakra was sealed within me, while the Yang Release was given to Naruto."

Madara's Sharingan stared intently at the masked man in the image: "This is the guy you were talking about... the one who's immune to physical attacks?"

Minato nodded: "His space-time ninjutsu is extremely unique; it allows him to become intangible, so any attack will pass right through him."

"Immune to physical attacks is indeed a bit troublesome."

"I asked him about it at the time, and even guessed that he was Madarasan."

Minato said in a deep voice, "Although I don't know the other party's true identity, I can deduce that this person's goal is to collect the Tailed Beasts."

Madara suddenly sneered, "That would be perfect, ensuring he doesn't leave alive."

A glint of fighting spirit flashed in his eyes: "Since that idiot Hashirama isn't here, let me take on this junior."

Minato gave a wry smile: "The problem is, we're all trapped inside Naruto. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Nine-Tails perked up its ears alertly.

Minato looked at Madara: "Unless, like Madara controlled the Nine-Tails back then, you temporarily release your chakra externally through the Sharingan."

Madara's Sharingan twitched slightly: "Interesting. But what's more important now..."

He turned to Kurama: "You stinking fox, don't you feel even a little bit guilty about the suffering Naruto has endured all these years?"

The nine-tailed fox slapped the ground in frustration: "Hmph! Humans created this mess themselves, why blame me?"

Minato's expression suddenly turned serious: "Nine-Tails, do you know what I did during the sealing?"

The space suddenly fell silent.

Nine-Tailed Fox's ears twitched, and its golden beast eyes narrowed slightly.

“A double seal,” Minato said softly, “which I can use anytime I wish…”

"You dare threaten me?!" Kurama suddenly stood up, his chakra surging like flames.

Madara's Sharingan instantly transformed into Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan: "Quiet down, it's bedtime now. Do you want to wake Naruto?"

Just as tensions were about to rise, the sealed space suddenly trembled slightly.

The three of them turned their heads at the same time and saw Naruto unconsciously turn over while he was sleeping, his brows furrowed.

“He’s dreaming.” Minato immediately withdrew his chakra.

Kurama slowly crouched back down, but its eyes remained warily fixed on Minato: "Kid, what did you mean by the backup plan you mentioned earlier?"

Minato sighed, "I made a special setting to the seal, so even if you are extracted from Naruto's body, the part within me can temporarily sustain his life."

Ban seemed thoughtful: "So that's why you said that masked man 'can indeed'...he probably knows that."

The image changes again, revealing various details of the masked man's actions in the battle.

His use of the Sharingan, his familiarity with Konoha, and even...

"Wait," Madara suddenly interrupted, "this hand seal method..."

Minato turned his head: "What's wrong?"

Ban frowned deeply: "The way he formed that hand seal is very similar to mine."

The Nine-Tails' ears perked up: "So, that person wearing the mask really was you?"

After thinking it over, Madara finally shook his head: "No, that guy's space-time ninjutsu is more like a dojutsu, while my Mangekyou Sharingan dojutsu is not a space-time ninjutsu."

The three fell into deep thought.

Within the sealed space, the deep blue chakra flowed silently, reflecting the complex expressions on each person's face.

Suddenly, Naruto murmured in his sleep, "Mom..."

The three "fathers" froze simultaneously.

A flicker of pain flashed in Minato's eyes. Madara turned his face away, and the Nine-Tails' tail gently wrapped around Naruto's chakra.

Minato calmed himself down and said, "At the very end of the seal, I sealed both my and Kushina's chakra inside. Mine was the first layer of protection, and Kushina's was the second."

The images shifted, revealing the red-haired woman's dying smile and the special technique she left behind in the seal.

"This is..." Madara's Sharingan widened slightly.

"This was the last thing I could do at the time..." Minato said softly, "Whenever Naruto was in mortal danger, Kushina's chakra would manifest."

Nine-Tails was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "That red-haired woman... is indeed very special."

Minato smiled as he looked at the sleeping Naruto: "She will always protect Naruto, just like we will."

The sealed space was quiet for a moment, then Madara suddenly stood up straight: "Alright, the sentimental time is over."

A sharp glint flashed in his Sharingan. "Now that we know of such an enemy, we must prepare in advance."

Minato nodded: "First, we need to accelerate Naruto's growth."

“Leave the physical techniques to me,” Madara said decisively. “That kid relied too much on Shadow Clone Jutsu in today’s battle.”

"I'll instruct you on ninjutsu and sealing techniques," Minato said, looking at Kurama. "As for chakra control..."

Nine-Tails turned its head away: "Hmph! Then I'll have to handle it."

Minato suddenly remembered something: "Right, that masked man seemed very familiar with Madara-san, could it be...?"

A cold glint flashed in Madara's eyes: "Whoever he is, if he dares to mess with Naruto, he should be prepared to face the Uchiha."

Outside the sealed space, moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating Naruto's sleeping face.

His brows gradually relaxed, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if he were dreaming of something wonderful.

The three "fathers" fell silent as they watched this scene unfold.

"Special training will begin tomorrow after the mission ends," Madara said finally, his figure gradually fading away.

Minato gazed tenderly at his son: "Goodnight, Naruto."

Kurama gently covered Naruto's chakra with its tail, muttering softly, "You brat, grow up already..."

Chapter 35 Acceptance, C-Rank Mission

Early morning three days later.

As the morning light began to fall on the streets of Konoha Village, the three members of Team 7 were already standing at the entrance of the mission posting area.

Naruto yawned, his golden hair as messy as a bird's nest.

"Ugh—why so early!" Naruto complained, rubbing his eyes.

Sasuke snorted coldly: "Why are you starting to pick up Kakashi's habit of being late!"

"Do you think I wanted this?!"

Naruto looked worried.

These past few days, after each mission, his father (Ban) would give him intensive training.

Therefore, Naruto would crawl into bed exhausted every night, so he often overslept during the day.

However, Sakura was unaware of all this. At that moment, she was nervously organizing her ninja equipment, occasionally stealing a glance at Sasuke.

"Oh dear, I'm just lost on the path of life, there's no need to use me as a negative example!"

Kakashi had somehow gotten to the side and was leaning against a tree, holding a copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" in his hands.

"You still have the nerve to say that."

The three responded at the same time.

Kakashi, while reading "Icha Icha Paradise," said, "Alright, our mission today is..."

He slowly pulled a task sheet from his pocket: "Find a lost kitten named 'Wangcai'."

"Wangcai? Little Cat?" Sakura's expression froze instantly. "What a strange combination of names..."

Sasuke's lips twitched: "Anyone who names a cat like that must have something wrong with their head."

Naruto jumped up immediately: "What?! Another boring mission like this! Can't you give me something more exciting? Like escorting a daimyo, or wiping out bandits or something!"

Kakashi's one eye curved into a crescent moon: "After all, it's a D-rank mission, so let's not complain. The mission reward is 5000 ryo, and the client is already waiting for us."

After walking through several streets, the four arrived at a luxurious mansion.

Sasuke's Sharingan twitched slightly as he carefully observed the ground and the walls.

“There are cat paw prints here…” he pointed to several marks in the corner of the wall, “and some fallen orange fur.”

Sakura quickly flipped open the Konoha Village map she carried with her: "According to clues provided by the villagers, Wangcai has been frequently seen near the fish market in the commercial district recently."

Naruto covered his head with his hands: "Why don't you just let me use Shadow Clones to find it?"

"Idiot!" Sasuke glared at him. "Gathering intelligence first will improve efficiency."

Kakashi nodded approvingly: "Sasuke is right. For ninjas, intelligence gathering is the first step in carrying out a mission."

Inside the sealed space, Madara snorted coldly, "Finally, you're starting to look like a ninja."

Minato smiled and nodded: "Sasuke is very thoughtful."