บท 101: Minato Namikaze

[A.N : late upload, Inconsistent upload... I know, I am sorry , I hope I can continue to do better, Thanks]

As I closed my eyes and drifted into my thoughts while sitting quietly, I suddenly found myself in a dimly lit room.

Taking a cautious step forward, I realized the floor was covered in water. As I looked around, a thunderous voice echoed through the room, "What do you want, kid? Don't tell me you're here begging for my help!" The voice led me to a cage, and inside, I saw a pair of glowing red eyes. It was the fearsome Nine-Tails beast, staring at me from behind the bars.

I chuckled and replied, "Help? Why would I ever want or need help from anyone?!"

"What?! How dare you speak to me like that..." the voice began.

"Quiet!" I interrupted him mid-sentence, "I'm here to challenge you to a fight. If you win, I'll set you free from this cage."

He laughed deeply and said, "Interesting..."

"But if I manage to defeat you," I continued, "you'll have to submit to me and follow my commands."

"You really think you can fight me?" he laughed again, "You're such an arrogant brat."

"It's not arrogance. It's called knowing your worth. Right now, you don't realize who you're up against, but that's okay. I'll make it clear to you soon enough," I said confidently, as I flew toward the cage and noticed a seal in front of it.

I knew that removing the seal would open the cage, which was currently keeping the Nine-Tails trapped inside.

As I reached out to grab the seal, a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping me in my tracks.

I spun around to see who it was, and heard, "Don't do it, Naruto. It's dangerous."

Looking closer, it felt like I was staring into a mirror, or maybe he was my reflection.

"Dad...!" was the only thing I managed to say in that intense moment. For years, I had wondered if I would ever get the chance to meet my father, questioning if it was even possible. Yet, here he was, defying all odds.

"I've been eager to see the man my son has grown into," he said with a warm smile.

"Fourth Hokage... Come here, and I will tear you apart," the Nine-Tails snarled.

"Quiet," I commanded, directing my gaze back at the Nine-Tails before turning again to face the man standing before me—my father, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, "Dad, you really don't have to worry about me. I'm a lot stronger than you might think, and I'm confident I can handle him," I said with a grin.

His face shifted from surprise back to a smile. "Ah, so the Third Hokage talked to you about me. That means he thinks you're strong enough to handle the truth," he replied.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," I answered.

"But why are you trying to unlock the cage for the Nine-Tails? You know how dangerous he is," he said, keeping his smile as the Nine-Tails growled menacingly in the background. "Look!" he said, gesturing towards the furious creature.

"I know it's risky, but I believe I have what it takes to control him. That's why I tried to open the cage. There's no need to worry, Dad," I reassured him.

His eyes widened even more in surprise as he exclaimed, "Wait, you have the eyes too?"

"Yeah, I've had them since I was born. Jiraiya-sensei was the one who explained their significance to me," I replied.

"Jiraiya-sensei? So, he trained you?"

"You could say that. He gave me a scroll with all the techniques and told me I could ask him if I needed any help. But I managed on my own, so in a way, he did help," I explained.

"So, you can actually use all the techniques from the scroll Jiraiya-sensei gave you?" he inquired.

"Yes!" I confirmed with enthusiasm.

"I never thought you'd inherit the clan's power and actually be able to use its special techniques, especially since I couldn't. And on top of that, you possess the eyes, which is an incredibly rare gift," he remarked, clearly astonished.

"Yeah, Jiraiya-sensei mentioned that you couldn't use the clan's techniques, yet you still became one of the strongest," I said, noticing him blush a little at the compliment.

"You dare to ignore me like this? I'll kill you both!" roared the Nine-Tails, his voice filled with fury.

"Let me quiet him down. I'll remove the seal," I said, as I began to ascend towards the cage, lifting off the ground effortlessly.

"You can fly now?" he asked in amazement.

"Yes, it was in the scroll Jiraiya-sensei gave me. Surprisingly, it was easier to learn than some of the other techniques," I explained.

"He's even mastered the flying technique," Minato thought to himself in disbelief. "In the Namikaze clan, only a few ever learned it, and fewer than five in history truly mastered it. Yet here he is..."