Third person pov

Flowers, Kurama has come to find, are far more resilient than he thought. 

There is no sun here. It is dark in the sewers of Naruto Uzumaki's mind, and Kurama had idly wondered time and time again where these flowers get their nutrients from. They have yet to wilt, still spry and with petals that bounce, their wiry stems swaying in an invisible breeze.

They are all different shades of pastel, whites and pale pinks and light yellows. The grass that pokes up between them is a bold contrast, but then, grass has always been known to be a little pushier. It's not as sensitive, able to grow up through thin cracks in the concrete, able to thrive in even the worst conditions. 

Maybe it's because the flowers aren't real. They-- they are, but not in the sense that they are a part of nature, in the sense that they are physical. They are mental constructs, solid only within the confines of this mind. And yet... 

Here, it is sour. Kurama feels that anything that exists in too close proximity of him, for too long, should rot away. It seems only natural that they should. He is putrid, monstrous and cruel. He is a poison, and the flowers should be his victims.

Should be, but aren't. 

They remain untouched by his storm from earlier. The crashing waves had not left the destruction Kurama had expected in their wake. Instead... Instead, what is left seems to be more. More flowers, continuing to rapidly sprout and spread. There is a long strip of them now, thin but present, that stretches the entire length of his gargantuan cage.

Kurama is known to lay waste. He wreaks havoc and brings only despair wherever he goes. He is fear in solid, tangible form. He is used to bringing forth only ruin. For as long as he can remember, all he's ever done is burn things down. Never has he created, and never something so fragile.

He hadn't thought he had the potential for it. Not really. But these flowers-- he feels them as they rise, in a way he did not feel the first ones. Those one's came from Naruto, he is certain. From some sort of acceptance, some sort of equilibrium the brat had reached far before Kurama did.

Now, Kurama feels level. The cards are all on the table. And as he listens to Naruto talk, as he listens to Naruto defend him?

More flowers spindle out alongside other plants, still young and budding. They flourish, all life and warmth and things he never thought would exist for him in a place like this. Strangely, his cage feels less like it's barring him and more like a home-- something he has not had in a very, very long time. 

A den, his mind supplies. A place in the world. Somewhere he belongs. Somewhere he is supposed to be. It is impossible to think it, but it is true. Here, Kurama is wanted as he is. He doesn't know how. He doubts he will ever fully understand, and he is not ashamed to admit it. 

More flowers spring into existence, blossoming larger and taller, small bushes that rustle and expand with eager consistency. Kurama watches them and he laughs. He laughs and laughs until he cries, hunched over, paws over his eyes and ears back. He bares his teeth in a smile and a sob, unable to pick between the two.

In the ground, the roots of a tree begin to take, still a thin sprout on the surface with no more than two tiny leaves. It has found a home here too, a place to be lovely and anchor itself, a place to settle and stretch. To rest weary bones, to simply be and not be axed for it.

The roots are still new. They could still be plucked out, not strong enough to fight for their place just yet. If allowed, they will lengthen and climb across Naruto's mindscape. It is still young, but it is not hesitant. It wants not just to live, but to thrive.  

Kurama is old, large and fairly terrifying. But maybe that's all he is too: maybe he's just a sprout. Maybe he's always been a sprout, one that has never touched soil. He had thought himself sturdy and unshakable, but perhaps he didn't know any differently. After all, how can one know if they've never seen, if they've never experienced?

(Maybe, now, he will get the chance to be a tree.)

~~~

The heat from the last time Ayumu entered is absent, and the waters are almost eerily still.

It's not easy to bring other people into a mind. The mind they're entering has to be entirely open, for one thing. Naruto rejecting any of them at any given time could have irreversible consequences, and he had warned the boy of such in a stressed, careful tone in order to convey the severity of the risk being taken.

Naruto had nodded in all seriousness, just as determined as he was with just about everything else he put his mind to. It had taken some prodding and gentle direction, but he'd managed to open up his mind fully. Ayumu wasn't sure why he was surprised the blonde had managed to do it so well. Naruto was an expert in the unpredictable.

Taking the minds of other people out of their own bodies and into another's mind was a careful and uncommon art. Ayumu was one of the few proficient in the act, and that was purely because of his work in the field of psychology. It had little practical use on the field as a ninja, but in situations like this--

Well. Ayumu supposed he'd never actually been in a situation like this before. Anyhow, he thought the point stood. It was a precise, delicate sort of practice that was more dangerous the more people you were bringing along. Ayumu hadn't done it in a while, so bringing just one was pushing it enough. To take along two?

That's not to say he couldn't do it, of course. It was just... slower. Ayumu is no prodigy, and he's never claimed to be. Minds are unique, are intricate constructs that one must know how to move around, not through. A single bolt knocked out of place, a single beam downed, and the entire structure could collapse, and its magnificence with it.

It is far more disorienting than it was the first time. It feels like it's been ages since he last entered Naruto's mind, not mere hours. It is almost deathly silent, the faint roar from last time no longer present. The only noise is their own breathing, and the faint drip of water somewhere further down the tunnel.

Kushina and Minato stumble to more hazily than Ayumu does. Being in a mind is murky, not like being out in the real world is. It takes a moment to orient oneself when you are not in physical form, but instead in the unclear shape of just your conscious. 

Unlike his parents, Naruto appears to have no trouble.

He stands there with his hands planted firmly on his hips, looking no worse for wear. He seems relieved to be here, maybe even happy behind the obvious nerves shining through his expression. He's afraid that this will backfire, Ayumu can tell. His emotions pulse in the air around them in a way they did not when the boy was unconscious, steady as a heartbeat.

"Did-- Did you do it?" Kushina asks dizzily, no doubt unused to the innate energy that comes with being in the mind of a child despite having apparently been dormant in this very one for six years. She steadies herself on the moist wall to her right, blinking rapidly. "Is this--"

"My sewer!" Naruto grins, evidently not ashamed that his mind has taken on the form of a drainage system. Minato blinks down at the water beneath his feet rapidly, taking in its murky quality in the low light. "I don't think I've ever appeared in a tunnel before, though. Believe it."

Interesting. Ayumu files that piece of information away for later and takes a deep breath. The air is not foul, though it is humid and sticky. No longer sweltering with its heat, but the remnants of such remain.

He tries not to be scared. He reminds himself of the cage, of the massive, thick bars. The fox is held back by a sturdy seal, one Jiraiya and Lord Fourth were both certain was still in perfectly in tact. The Nine Tails, should it be truly hostile, could not get to them. He had to keep faith in that if he wanted to do this in a calm, controlled manner.

Besides, as insane as it seemed, he truly didn't think Naruto was lying. He was too genuine, too earnest. And he was right-- the more Ayumu analyzed his last interaction with the Kyuubi, the more it seemed to line up with Naruto's reported image of him. The fox had protected Naruto, and had seemed truly upset that this had happened to him in the first place.

That... probably wasn't an act. Ayumu's no expert on Nine Tailed foxes, but hell if he doesn't know how to psychoanalyze. Of course, he's sure chakra constructs are somewhat different than humans are, especially as old as... Kurama is, but you know. He'd seemed worked up enough about Naruto's well-being. 

"It's... dark." Minato cringed a little at his failure to come up with a solid compliment. Kushina elbowed him in his side, hard. He swallowed a yelp, his expression somewhat pained as he forced a smile for his son, rubbing his ribs as he did so. "So where is-- ah, Kurama? We shouldn't stay in here any longer than we have to, right?"

The question was directed at Ayumu, who nodded. 

"Correct." He peered down at the water. It was notably lower than last time. "Though Naruto has been given a clean bill of health, the human body isn't meant to host more than one mind. It's best we don't poke around anymore than we have to."

"Then let's get to it!" Kushina crowed. "Anyway, is anyone going to give me a crash course on the whole sewer thing? Not that I'm not totally digging the vibes, really, it's kind of nice. A little drafty, but this brickwork is--"

Minato elbowed her this time, earning a hiss in response and an even harder jab in response. Ayumu felt some of the tension leak out of his shoulders. It was hard to feel scared with the two of them bantering about. Not to mention the fact that they had defeated the Nine Tails once before. It wasn't so remiss to think that they couldn't subdue it again if it somehow came to that.

(Ayumu really, really hoped it didn't come to that. Looking at Naruto's sunny, determined expression, he found comfort in the assumption that it wouldn't.)

~~~

In the spirit of total transparency, Kushina is going to come out and say she doesn't actually know much about the Kyuubi. Which, considering she hosted it for more of her life than she didn't, is actually sort of sad.

Honestly, she's not even entirely sure what's going on. She's got total whiplash. She probably needs a nap or something, and Minato really looks like he could use one too. The bags under his eyes seem darker and darker every time she manages to tear her gaze away from their son to glance at him.

Naruto is... everything. He's everything she knew he'd be, sassy and bold and so brilliant she has to wonder how she possibly made something like that. She hadn't thought herself capable of producing something, someone, that amazing. Yet here he was, with steely determination and stubbornness that reminded her of herself at that age.

She still hasn't entirely wrapped her head around whatever it is that she's been dropped into. Something about Naruto being in cahoots with the Nine Tails. Which was admittedly worrying, but not when you really looked at the kid. 

Naruto didn't seem particularly concerned, which was her first sign that things were probably fine. He hadn't been persuaded to hurt anyone, nor was he acting possessed by... evil chakra, or whatever weird mojo the Nine Tails had swimming around in there. He wasn't hurt, or disillusioned, nor had he done anything to indicate there was some sort of problem amiss. 

Six years old or not, nobody knew Naruto as well as Naruto knew himself. The same could be said for literally anyone. You were your own person-- only you yourself could truly know the full encompassment of how you felt at any given time. If Naruto said the Kyuubi wasn't-- pardon her french-- fucking things up, then it was probably safe to assume it... 

Well. That it wasn't fucking things up, she guessed. She'd never been eloquent with her words.

Anyway. They're going to go talk to it now. Minato's acting like it's going to eat them, and Naruto's therapist is acting like it's going to eat them, spit them out to torture them, and then eat them again. As if it isn't behind a seal or something. Do they think the Nine Tails is just free roaming or something? Naruto had said it was stuck in a cage, and Ayumu had reported the same.

Maybe she's so calm because Kushina had seen the Kyuubi sealed in herself. Not often, but on a few occasions she'd found herself in her mindscape long enough to sort of talk to it. It was never particularly happy to see her, so there's not much conversation to look back on, but it had never been able to reach her in any harmful sense. Not whilst she was inside herself, anyway.

On the outside, though? Different story. It hadn't gotten to her often, but a few times she'd been hurt enough for it to leak through and take the wheel. Kushina hardly remembers it beyond the distant memory of burning pain and all-consuming rage, and she's sort of relieved about such. She's not sure she'd want full clarity about what she'd done during those times.

So, she doesn't know the Kyuubi. She has what she's been told about it and her own experiences, but Naruto is right. Kushina never went out of her way to actually, really talk to it-- to him. Him. That was going to take some getting used to, but it was just another sign that Naruto was right-- nobody had ever put any effort into seeing the Nine Tails as anything but a monster.

Sort of stupid, really. Even the most evil of villains weren't absolute devils through and through, without a single good quality. It's been said that Madara Uchiha was very charismatic and had a dark, but admittedly hilarious, sense of humor. He liked tempura and could drink his weight in vodka before he started to feel tipsy-- or so Hashirama's written accounts say.

Even Orochimaru hadn't been born evil. Jiraiya, when plied with enough alcohol, would reminisce fondly about their younger days. They had been teammates, and Orochimaru had been... normal. A little creepy and off-putting, but a genin just like them, with aspirations of being strong and great enough to protect the village.

Kurama wasn't a human. But he was intelligent, and if he could feel anger, why not other things? Kushina's few interactions with him were still fairly vivid in her mind, and it wasn't just rage she could recall. Annoyance, irritation, maybe even exhaustion. Clearly, the fox felt things other than pure, unadulterated anger.

Naruto was enthusiastic. He obviously wanted this to work, and the last thing Kushina wanted was for him to be hurt in literally any way. She hadn't known him very long, but she'd kill for this kid, and she'd rip the throat out of anyone who dimmed his light. 

At the thought, she gave Minato a pointed look. He rose an eyebrow in question, to which Kushina rolled her eyes. Men.

Even with the seal in place, and even with Naruto vouching for him (Not it! Be progressive!), Kushina can admit to... some unease. She's not about to break into hysterics, teeth chattering, body shivering, pupils dilating with fear or anything. She's too headstrong to have that kind of reaction. But, behind bars or not, this is the ancient and revered Nine Tailed Fox.

One Naruto had apparently been calling a rat almost this whole time, barring the brief period of time in which he had assumed him to be a dog of some kind. Kushina still has to resist the urge to guffaw at that. Her son is something else, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

The Kyuubi has presence. It's heavy and oppressive, probably through no fault of the fox's own. After all, it is a chakra being. It's not like it (He! He, Kushina!) can just stop being made out of pure energy, ya know? It hits full force about halfway down the tunnel, which Naruto has taken off down with reckless abandon.

"N-Naruto! Maybe we should slow down!" Minato had his hand clasped tight with hers. Presumably for moral support. It would be sort of hard to get lost and separated in a tunnel with no branching paths off of it. "We don't want to-- uh, spook him, or anything!" 

Naruto throws a look so judgmental over his shoulder that Kushina has to swallow a bark of laugher, as well as the sudden, overwhelming desire to scoop him up and plant kisses all across his tiny face. This is her baby, and even though she didn't get the chance to see him grow into what he is now, god he is perfect.

And, if you want to get technical, she was there for all of it. In a sense.

"I really don't think it's us that's going to be doing the spooking." Naruto said derisively. Minato choked a little. Naruto rolled his eyes in the same way Kushina had just moments prior, and she resisted the urge to squeal. "Hurry up! You don't want me to be mentally impaired for life, right? It's your fault if I become a vegetable because you guys walked too slow!" 

Kushina laughed as Naruto took off with renewed vigor. Minato groaned and followed, tugging her along. Truly, she didn't have a clue what the hell was happening, or what her life had suddenly become. She'd just given birth to Naruto less than a day ago, had just fought and sealed the Kyuubi! And now she was-- she was here!

Ayumu muttered something about wishing he had his clipboard, and Kushina decided right about then that she didn't really care if everything was all out of sorts. There wasn't any other place she'd rather be.

~~~

Naruto's not panicking because that's simply... not what he does. Isn't in his repertoire, if you catch his drift. He's just a little wrong-footed. That's all.

Look, he's not scared. Obviously he'd never be scared of Kurama. Even with Naruto lying about knowing he was the Nine Tails, he genuinely believed the fox would never try to hurt him. He just sort of wishes they'd, you know, saved this for tomorrow! Or something!

A chance to sleep and talk to Kurama first would've gone a long way. Right now, Naruto's got totally no idea what the old fox is thinking or feeling, believe it! Which is so totally fine and all, but also it sucks ass and Naruto's skeptical. What if Kurama is feeling a little tetchy about the whole rat thing and like, eats someone?

Naruto's not super sure what to expect. Though Ayumu had (nervously, and very quietly, as if expecting Kurama to charge down the tunnel and gobble them up) reported that the heat from before was absent, Naruto had still half anticipated the sight of an orange ocean of angry chakra to meet them. He'd dreaded it, fearing the worst possible impression might be made.

Kurama getting taken from him wasn't an option, even if the fox may be pissed at him for his deceptions. It just-- wasn't. They had to make this pitch a good one. He had to go full shady business man to crack this deal! Naruto was a fairly good negotiator, right? Besides, what else would they do with Kurama if not leave him sealed in Naruto? Put him in a teapot? 

...Maybe he shouldn't jinx it.

Anyway, totally besides the point. Point is, he'd expected like, a miniature hurricane. Maybe Ayumu had been being dramatic and was playing it up, but honestly> Kurama was sort of a powerhouse, and definitely a drama queen. If he wanted to make a giant sea of upset chakra, he so could, seal or not. 

It's strange to be here with other people. It feels wrong, an undeniable pressure in his head, but Naruto ignores it completely. Trying to mess around with the feeling or get rid of it would probably give him brain damage, and he already had enough of that from the many times he was probably dropped on his head as a baby by daycare attendants. Believe it.

What Naruto finds at the end of the tunnel... it's not unbearable heat, not rising pressure enough to make his temples ache, not tremulous emotion. It's none of those things. In fact, it's better than Naruto could've ever expected, because when he rockets out of the tunnel with his dad and apparently-not-dead mom on his heels, it's--

It's flowers.

The sewer isn't filled or anything, but compared to the modest few from before this is practically a field in its own right. It's a stretched, oval-shaped patch spanning the same length of Kurama's massive cage. Naruto's feet skidded in the water, his control over his chakra nearly waning in his surprise as he gaped.

More than just flowers, there were other plants there too. Leafier ones, still small but telling of a future full of diverse fauna and brush. Naruto felt the tight coil in his chest unwind, a grin splitting his face unbidden as excitement shot through him like a bolt of lightning. 

The chamber felt warm and comforting, the chill Naruto had grown used to gone completely. The water had lowered and was almost completely clear now, rippling ever so slightly, almost like the beginnings of waves were beginning to lap about. He heard Ayumu make a noise of slight surprise and looked up. His dad sucked in a sharp breath.

Red eyes blazed out at him from the dark recesses of the cage, just as intimidating as ever. They watched him carefully, flickering away from Naruto to eye the company he'd brought with him. The silence wasn't exactly uncharacteristic of Kurama, who was usually quite content to let Naruto prattle on. 

In this context, however, it just seemed intimidating. But... But not fiery. Not angry.

A heavy silence falls. It's charged with something even Naruto can't name. It's not often he's struck speechless, but he can't seem to find the words as he looks at the plants before him. They're all so vivid, a stark contrast to the darkness of the rest of the sewer's main cavern.

Ayumu gulped somewhere at his back. His parents were stiff in the shoulders, though his mom offered a smile when he peered back at her to check. It was a warm and reassuring thing that made him think maybe this would all be okay and that it would all work out. She, he decided, was about a million times cooler than his dad was. And his dad was pretty cool, so that's really saying something, believe it.

Being here was strange. Naruto was aware that something had changed, obviously. He just hadn't expected to feel so emotional about it. Maybe he was afraid that Kurama would hate him. That he'd lose the friendship he'd tried to hard to forge, and that... he doesn't know. He just wants this to work. He wants Kurama to want to stay with him, wants him to see himself the way Naruto sees him.

He looks at the flowers and dares to tearfully hope. He lets the elation inflate in his chest, aware that if Kurama chooses to pop the bubble, it'll just hurt all the more. Naruto doesn't really care. He steps forward once, and then twice, and then he's walking. His parents skirt close behind. 

Ayumu waits at the mouth of the tunnel. Naruto doesn't begrudge him for it. He's brave for coming this far-- they definitely owe him like, a lifetime supply of ramen for doing them this solid. Or something. What food does he like, again? Day old sushi, or somewhere along those lines?

Kurama shifted as Naruto approached. In the silence, the sound of his movement seemed deafening. His parents immediately stopped, but Naruto didn't still until he'd reached the edge of the patch of grass and other assorted plants. It was so much bigger up close, and Naruto resisted the urge to laugh and faceplant into it, arms spread wide. 

Kurama's as big and imposing as ever as he comes into the light. His eyes are redder than usual, and Naruto thinks they look a little watery, just like his own are. The fur around his snout is wet, and Naruto wonders for how long he was crying. He wonders if the tears were good.

Naruto can tell his dad wants to say something. His mom once again proves herself the be the best ever by grabbing his arm, stopping him as Kurama lowers his head to better look at him. His ears twitch as he gazes down at Naruto. Naruto peers back with big eyes, unable to halt the sheepish grin that cracks across his face.

Suddenly, he feels like he wants to break down for some reason. He's six, not a baby, but he can't help it. It's not that he feels like he's-- he's betrayed Kurama or something. He doesn't feel guilty. It's just that he loves him so much, and they want to take him away. They want to take Kurama away. 

Naruto really, really, really doesn't want Kurama to be taken away. Believe it.

His expression wobbles, and Kurama huffs out a puff of air that makes his dad tense even further and his mom squint. It ruffles Naruto's hair and clothes the same way it always does, smelling of something burnt and ozone. It's familiar and it only makes him feel like he wants to cry even more.

Kurama saved his life. Naruto would've died without him. He'd risked everything just to keep him safe, and then he'd given him back when Ayumu came looking. He could've eaten Naruto, or-- or could've tried to get out. But he'd chosen him without a second thought, and now he might get punished for it. Might get sealed deeper, or taken away from the little patch of growth they've made together.

Naruto sniffles, bringing a hand up to wipe at his eyes. He doesn't look away from Kurama even as he does, helplessly stubborn. Kurama settles down further, tension rising as his long snout pokes out from beneath the bars. His parents step up behind him, looking at him, waiting.

Kurama, looking imperious, grins at him. And Naruto feels the tension in the air snap like a rubber band, a sharp slap before it's gone entirely slack. Something in him falls apart with relief. Something tight and fearful he hadn't fully realized was there.

His parents both bristle. To be fair, Kurama's grin is a little threatening if you don't know him very well, a thing of sharp teeth and slitted eyes. To Naruto, it is an invitation, a sign that he didn't royally fuck up their friendship. It is the words "it's okay" without anything having to be spoken aloud.

Naruto, embarrassingly enough, hiccups at the sight.

The first one takes him off guard, and the second is just offensive. Naruto isn't supposed to cry. Again, he's six, not a baby who cries at the drop of a hat because he's dramatic and loves attention. That's Sasuke. Yet, Naruto can't seem to keep himself, cracked open like a particularly hearty geode that had finally given under the persistent blows of a sledgehammer. 

"You stupid brat. Stop crying." Kurama scoffs out, though his words are fond and perhaps a little shaky. They rumble and fill the cavern in an echo, somehow louder than normal. Naruto is pretty sure he's doing it for effect, since there's company. "Though, call me a rat again and I'll eat you, you little moron."

He's not mad. Of course he isn't mad. They're best friends and even though he's stingy about it, Kurama totally loves him too. 

"Eat him?!" His dad sounds absolutely horrified. 

"Moron?" His mom bites out at the same time, sounding utterly offended on his behalf.

That doesn't really matter, though. Naruto bursts into full blown sobs because who gives a shit anymore when the only people here to witness it will have no real proof that it happened and that he was a loser? He throws himself forward before either of his parents can think to lunge forward and grab him. 

(Apparently they'd thought he'd meet threats to his life with less enthusiasm. Weird.)

Kurama obligingly dips his snout as Naruto dives at it, bounding over flowers and grass and across water the short distance. Kurama's big nose is just as dry and warm as he remembers, just on the lower side of too hot, but Naruto has never cared before and certainly doesn't now. 

Kurama doesn't hate him. And if Kurama doesn't hate him, if Kurama is on his side, then that means--

That means they can do this. That means they can work together. And that? That's everything. 

~~~

There is something absolutely earth-shattering, in the worst way possible, about watching your six year old son sail onto the nose of the Nine Tailed Fox like it's not the nose of a beast that could kill him in seconds.

Minato and Kushina both go very, very still when he lands. Naruto, crying and emotional, spreads his arms out in what Minato faintly registers as some sort of hug. The Kyuubi could easily retract into the cage if they dared move to take him. Could even flick Naruto into the air and swallow him in a single gulp if he wanted. 

Minato half expects him to. Some crazed part of his brain immediately assumes that this will only end in blood and grief, never mind Naruto's passionate rants about how 'awesome' and 'really nice' the fox was. His heart thunders, and despite having fought the Kyuubi once before, he still doesn't think he's ever been so afraid in his life. 

As an infant, Naruto had gotten close to the fox. He'd had several near calls. This, though-- this isn't just close. He is on top of the Kyuubi. And--

And instead of eating him, the Kyuubi instead... closes its eyes?

It's a strange enough sight to break through Minato's haze of panic and make tilt his head a little. All at once, the tension coiled in the Kyuubi's massive body seems to deflate. He takes in a deep, slow breath: one he releases in a whoosh. Behind them, more flowers audibly pop up, and Minato finds himself a unable to look away. 

The Kyuubi almost seems to shrink. The regal aura it-- he-- had given off before vanishes, and left behind is something weary and heavy. The Kyuubi's snout dips, ears falling back and tail curling ever so slightly inward. Minato can't see the other eight no doubt piled behind it (him!!!) in the dark, but he's sure they're doing the same.

Kushina holds her breath, visible in the way her cheeks bubble and grow slightly red. Naruto brings an arm up to scrub at his own face, sniffling as he lightly pats at the leathery texture of the Nine Tail's nose. The moment is warm and seems almost private enough for Minato to look away.

Almost.

Nobody says anything. Nobody has to. Minato realizes, then, that Naruto was right. It strikes through him with startling clarity, the dawning understanding that the Kyuubi truly isn't a construct of pure hate and energy, because it (he) would not be capable of this otherwise. There is intelligence and feeling here that Naruto has tapped into.

And if anyone could do it, it would be Naruto, wouldn't it? Minato watches the quiet moment, his hand still clenched tight around his wife's. Their palms are both sweaty but neither care, watching with their jaws set in place and brows drawn ever so slightly. Worried. Waiting. 

Minato thinks the Kyuubi would stay there forever if he could. Just drifting. The Nine Tails is basking in Naruto's presence and in his chakra. Minato can feel it, can feel the way the Kyuubi pokes and prods, gently checking Naruto out to see if he's truly healed in full. 

Minato relaxes slightly and opens his mind to the chance of the impossible.

Kushina has never been all that patient. Naruto gets that from her. She likes to stay in motion, always advancing forward, forward, forward. She's always been the braver one out of the two of them as well, and Minato isn't ashamed to admit it. He's glad for it now, so relieved she's back he could cry.

(He's not sure he could've done this alone. But then, she always had balanced him out perfectly, hadn't she?)

"We don't have that much time. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it gets, ya know?" Kushina's tone is bordering on light, yet somehow it keeps a cool undertone at the same time. How she does it, Minato doesn't know. "We came here to talk to you. I assume you know why?"

It's almost formal the way she says it. The Kyuubi's eyes fly open as though it forgot they were even there only to quickly narrow, and Minato jumps as its (his, Minato, his!) lips peel back threateningly, all semblance of relaxation and relief gone. Naruto is jostled slightly, and he immediately props himself up in surprise and slight alarm, head swiveling as though he expects to turn and see one of his parents holding a knife or other threatening item.

"Of course I know why, you runt." Kurama growls out, sounding supremely irritated and incredibly threatening. Minato swallows thickly as heat floods forth, stinging his face and eyes. "And though you seem incapable of caring for him, no harm is going to befall Naruto-- not here. You think I spent all that time healing him just for you to take him away thanks to a botched mind mission done by a band of complete idiots?" 

Minato blinks rapidly. Naruto slides down the Kyuubi's nose, skipping backwards so he can be seen by the fox in better view. He's not crying anymore, though his face is still sticky with the remnants of such, and his eyes puffy. The redness makes the blue of his irises stand out boldly.

"Kurama! Y-You've gotta be nice!" Naruto cried out in, scrubbing at his cheeks again. Kushina planted a hand on his shoulder and dragged him back, further away from the fox. "They wanna take you away! Believe it!" 

The Kyuubi scoffs again. Minato's face simultaneously tries to flush with outrage and pale with something else. He almost wants to tip over. Obviously, he'd known the Kyuubi could talk and such, but the obvious irritation and apprehension tells of the personality Naruto has spoken about so affectionately. 

It makes the Kyuubi seem, quite suddenly, very capable of all the feelings Naruto had cited him to have. Minato takes a deep breath and steadies himself. They're here to talk. And have a civilized conversation. It just-- feels realer, now. A challenge to what he knew.

"Nice?! You almost died!" The Kyuubi's tail thumps hard enough to make Minato and Kushina both jump. The fox's head raises, red eyes glaring down terrifyingly. "Your moronic father should've never taken you beyond the confines of the village walls. What if I had not been able to reach you? You'd have been gone!"

Naruto sends Minato and Kushina both a panicked look, one that makes Minato's heart hurt a bit.

"And you'll be gone if you don't start being nice! Like I said you were!" Naruto cried out back in argument. He shot a another slightly panicked look at his dad. "Because you uh, totally are. Usually. All the time. Super nice! And you're going to tell them all about that so that you get to stay here and we get to have flowers and I get to tell you all about my day for the rest of my life."

All about his day. It's such a simple thing, but something Naruto holds to astronomically high value. And after seeing the way he'd all but collapsed, opening up like one of the flowers behind them upon their coming here? Minato... Minato can't take this from him. 

He doesn't think he has the heart to.

The Kyuubi sighed. Muttered something to itself (Himself, Minato. Come on now.). Minato's not sure what, but most of the words he caught can't be appropriately repeated. Minato decides right about then that he can't continue to think of Kurama in the same context he used to think of the Nine Tails. Because though Kurama is the same nine tailed fox he fought, Minato has never actually known him. 

This is an exasperated creature, not a mindless and thoughtlessly cruel one. He is an annoyed one, a fond one, one that looks down at Naruto and softens the razor edges of his gaze so they won't cut. It is a look of rounded corners and something sappy, and the only reason Minato recognizes it is because he has given the same look to Naruto himself a thousand times.

There's love there. Kurama is exactly what Naruto said, possibly more than the words of a six year old could convey. Minato sees that and he slouches with relief. The tension locking his shoulders drops, and he stares. Because though terrifying, though absurd, he is certain that this entity means his son absolutely no harm.

Which, in hindsight, should have been obvious. But hearing and seeing for yourself are two vastly different things. This new Kyuubi overlays atop the old one, but this image of it is more sure and opaque. This is no lie. Minato has always prided himself on being a fair judge of character-- or, in other words, for having (what Kakashi has called on several occasions) an impeccable bullshit sensor.

Said sensor isn't going off. And by the way Kushina's lips are beginning to curl, a bit disbelieving and on the edge of hysterical, she's getting the exact same message he is. They share a look.

"Super nice, huh?" Minato asked in a raspy tone. The Kyuubi's eye twitched. He reared back a little further, seemingly warring with himself before he sighed again. 

Naruto beamed. Apparently, some unspoken battle had just been fought. And the Nine Tails hadn't won. Naruto bounced in place.

"...Fine." The Kyuubi glowered. Or maybe... pouted? "I dislike you both and likely always will to an extent. I don't wish to speak to you, or interact with you. Especially with you.

Kushina didn't look offended by the venomous glare she got. The Kyuubi sighed once more, looking quite suddenly rather tired then. Its (his!) claws drummed against the cold floor of its (dear god, his) cage. It made the fox seem almost smaller, almost... sadder. In a way Minato never thought a tailed beast could be.

Naruto frowned. His mother's hand still on his shoulder was the only thing that stopped him from moving forward to try and hug the fox again. Minato watched his son war with himself before seemingly deciding not to speak, crossing his arms tight over his chest and waiting with bated breath.

The fox grumbled something again, this time about dignity and humiliation. Minato entertains the brief idea that this may be a fever dream. Plausible theory after your dead wife comes back to life and your comatose son awakens and brings with him the revelation that he is apparently best friends with an all powerful chakra beast.

"I do not seek to harm your son." The Kyuubi decided on after a moment of deliberation. There was fierce conviction in his tone as he peered down at them with intent red eyes, just daring them to doubt him. "I do not wish to leave him, either. There is little I can say to convince you; you humans have a tendency to hear only what you want to hear, you narrowminded cretins. Just know that if you attempt to remove me, I will dig my claws in as hard as I can, and if you do pull me out by some sage-given miracle, I will be coming out teeth first so that I can rip your--"

"Dude." Naruto cut off flatly, brows furrowing. The Kyuubi shot him a glare, mildly incensed by the interruption. "Just say you love me or something. This is the worst sales pitch I've ever heard. I thought we were a team."

"Yeah. We have a checklist, ya know." Kushina noted idly, lips curling. "You're supposed to be kind, aren't you? Why should we let you talk to our six year old?" 

Kushina was actually trying to tease the Nine Tailed Fox. Because of course she was. That's exactly something Kushina would do. The Kyuubi at least didn't seem like he was about to make any sudden movements, tense but not coiled and ready to strike. It was odd to see it (him) so benign. 

"Because I will kill you if you do not?" Kurama sounded genuinely confused as he said it, as though the answer were obvious. He sniffed with authority and pomp, snootily looking down his snout at Kushina. Like she was a bug he wished to squash. "And he is my six year old. More than he is yours."

The Kyuubi sounded absolutely certain of this. As though it were an undisputable fact. Minato blinked rapidly. Behind them, there was the click of a pen. They all turned.

Ayumu had approached at some point. He wasn't shaking any longer, nor was he particularly pale in comparison to his usual complexion. Naruto's brows shot up at the sight of the clipboard he had (apparently?) spawned into existence out of absolutely nowhere. Which was... not super surprising. Wherever Ayumu was, a clipboard would surely follow.

The man stepped up. He seemed more confident than Minato did, a speculative look in his eye. It was the same sort of fascination he got when he tried to corner Kakashi and interrogate him about his past traumas, ready to wring out any details he could, no matter how miniscule they may be. 

If you looked, there was the faintest of tremors in his hand. The Kyuubi did not look very impressed to see him standing there. The fox shot a look at Naruto, and Naruto shot one back, shrugging. Minato, feeling a little lost, stepped back and let Ayumu take the stage.

And take the stage he did. Kushina silently tugged Naruto back as well, and they watched quietly as Ayumu glanced up at the fox for a moment before beginning to write. The Kyuubi's ears flicked, eyes growing half-lidded with boredom. It (heeeee) seemed to be growing more agitated the longer they were there.

(Some foxes were rather territorial. Especially when a perceived unknown was hanging around their young, by birth or simply chosen.)

Ayumu shifted a bit. Nodded to himself. Took another deep breath and looked up.

"You claim you mean him no harm and that he is yours." The pen clicks again. The Kyuubi's ears lay back flat against his head. "If that's the case, then I'm sure you won't mind a short interview. Just a few questions to get a feel for where we are, and then we can be on our way. I'm sure you understand our caution. We want to be thorough for your sake and Naruto's. 

Naruto peeks at the clipboard and immediately bursts out laughing. Kushina clearly doesn't know why, but Minato does. After all, it's the exact same survey he'd been given during Naruto first appointment. The same one he kept trying to give Kakashi.

Kurama's resounding growl is bone-rattling and will probably haunt Minato's nightmares for the next several months, but you know what?

It's not a no.

~~~

As always, the next four chapters are out on Patreon's early access tier. All the way up to 34, plus other Naruto content

Sneak peek of chapter 34:

"Are you talking to yourself?" Shikamaru asked drily, voice a little croaky and throat dry. He swallowed achingly. This sucked.

"What? No. I would never do that." Naruto sounded offended, but then he stopped, staring at Shikamaru for a moment. Shikamaru cocked a brow. Naruto squinted, backtracking slowly. "Er. I mean, yes? Yeah. To myself and nobody else, at all, even slightly. Since you weren't very good company. Had to improvise."