Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 394

He forcefully intervened and instantly took control of the young Naruto's body.

Outside, the young Naruto's body trembled slightly, and the expression on his face instantly changed from the previous struggle to a cold and extremely oppressive one.

He stepped forward and looked down at the small sunflower.

He attempted to explain the situation using his usual imposing presence, which was enough to intimidate even Kage-level powerhouses, and his concise and to-the-point manner.

However, when he was about to speak, he met Sunflower's large eyes, which were like the purest sapphire, filled with innocent curiosity and a hint of fear intimidated by her powerful aura.

The cold, direct words that Ban was about to say stuck in his throat.

"……Forehead……"

He opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't utter a single word of his prepared, intimidating speech.

That small, soft figure, that pure gaze devoid of any impurities.

As if possessing some strange power, it instantly disintegrated the murderous aura and aloof indifference he had accumulated over decades.

He stood there, frozen, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Within the realm of consciousness, the Nine-Tails, witnessing this scene, was initially stunned, then erupted into a deafening burst of maniacal laughter, its massive body tumbling across the water's surface.

"Hahahahaha!!! You old bastard!!! The Asura of the Ninja World?! The battlefield nightmare that strikes fear into the hearts of all?! Is that all?!"

"She can't even speak a proper sentence when facing a little girl?! Hahahaha! This is hilarious!!!"

Madara's true form instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, emanating a terrifying killing intent, and he remained silent.

It directly condensed a chakra phantom of the complete Susanoo, wielding a giant chakra katana as it slashed towards the laughing Nine-Tails:

"You filthy fox, I'll make you reincarnate right now?!"

Minato sighed helplessly, ignoring the impending "world war" beside him, and said gently to Kushina, "It seems we still have to step in."

He quickly took over from Madara and took control of the young Naruto's body.

Outside, the icy aura emanating from the young Naruto instantly vanished, replaced by a warm and gentle feeling, like a spring breeze.

His facial features softened as he crouched down, bringing his gaze level with the sunflowers.

She revealed an incredibly gentle smile, full of comforting power.

"Sunflower, don't be afraid."

Minato's voice was soft and melodious, with a reassuring magic: "It's a little hard to believe, but I am your grandfather."

He reached out and gently stroked Sunflower's hair, explaining in the simplest language possible: "We suspect that the very important fox friend who used to live in Dad's body—Uncle Nine-Tailed Fox—is behind it."

"It may not have completely left, but a small part of it quietly took up residence inside the sunflower's body to rest in a very special way."

"We'd like to go in and take a look, to make sure it's doing well, is that alright?"

Although the concepts of "consciousness space" and "chakra residue" are still very vague.

But Himawari could clearly sense the same gentle aura emanating from this "young father" that belonged to her grandfather, Minato Namikaze, just like in the photos and her father's description.

The slight fear in her heart vanished instantly, and she nodded vigorously, a trusting smile spreading across her face.

"Yes! I believe in Grandpa! And I believe in Dad too!"

Minato smiled with satisfaction, then looked up at the adult Naruto.

The adult Naruto had calmed down by then. He walked to his daughter's side, squatted down, and extended his fist.

Minato also manipulated young Naruto's hand to extend his fist, and then guided Himawari to extend her small fist.

Three fists of different sizes, representing three generations from different times but connected by blood, gently touched together.

The next moment, the light of chakra flickered slightly.

The consciousnesses of the adult Naruto, the young Naruto controlled by Minato, and the little Himawari all simultaneously entered a mysterious space.

A vast, white, boundless space.

When the sunflower's consciousness "opened its eyes," she found herself standing on a boundless expanse of calm water.

There were four people standing in front of her.

Grandpa Minato Namikaze, with his warm, short, golden hair and sunny smile, and Grandma Kushina Uzumaki, with her bright red hair that looks like burning flames, are watching her excitedly.

There was also an uncle wearing red armor, with long, black, bushy hair, a sour face, and somewhat unfocused eyes.

And a gigantic orange fox, lying on the water's surface with nine tails swaying back and forth, was curiously observing her with one scarlet beastly eye.

"grandparents!"

Sunflower exclaimed in surprise, even though it had never seen one in real life.

But she had seen photos of her grandparents since she was a child, which made her immediately recognize Minato and Kushina.

She took a few quick steps and joyfully pounced on it.

"Oh! My dear granddaughter!"

Kushina's tears welled up instantly, and she knelt down to hug Himawari tightly as she rushed towards her.

Feeling the warmth of this intergenerational embrace, I was so moved that I couldn't speak.

Minato stepped forward, his eyes filled with affection, and gently stroked Himawari's hair.

The Nine-Tails, standing to the side, looked at that small figure.

He felt the faint chakra aura emanating from her, a chakra aura that was both incredibly familiar and yet carried a hint of new life, a chakra aura that belonged to him.

A complex and gentle light, indescribable, flashed in the enormous beast's eyes.

Perhaps, Madara and Juro's feelings... weren't wrong.

Chapter 417 A Reunion Across Thirty Years

In the vast and tranquil space of consciousness, time seemed to flow exceptionally slowly.

The enormous nine-tailed fox's entire upper body was almost pressed against the calm water, its huge nose twitching very slightly.

With unprecedented focus and patience, he carefully smelled the little sunflower that his grandmother Kushina was holding in her arms.

It tried to come from this small, warm body.

He could discern a faint chakra aura that shared the same origin as his own, yet seemed somewhat different, like a candle flickering in the wind.

The feeling was so ethereal, like an illusion, yet also seemed real, that it dared not be careless in the slightest.

On the other side of the water, the adult Naruto stood quietly, his gaze not falling on Kurama, who was "studying" his granddaughter.

Instead, he stared intently, almost greedily, at the "tomato and egg" combination surrounding the sunflower.

His father, Minato Namikaze, had brilliant blond hair, and his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had hair as vibrant as flames.

This word carries too many complex emotions in Naruto's more than 30 years of adult life.

From the moment he had memories, the word was empty, a footstep that would never echo in the empty apartment.

It was a sky that he could only look up at alone, gradually darkening, while other children were led home hand in hand.

The first time he truly "saw" his father was during Payne's invasion, when he was on the brink of life and death.

That was just a fleeting, golden, radiant figure that appeared briefly in the spiritual world.

The first time she "met" her mother was during the moment of struggle with Kurama over chakra, when she was in the most difficult time of her life.

It was a red-haired woman's tearful yet smiling words of advice and embrace.

He learned their story.

Having learned of their love and sacrifice, he was proud of them and deeply saddened by their passing.

But "knowing" and "feeling" are two different things.

He had never seen the festival fireworks from his father's shoulders like other children.

I was never gently coaxed to sleep by my mother, and I never felt the warm touch of my parents' hands on my head.

This kinship, which arrived more than thirty years late, is real and tangible.

At this moment, it was vividly presented before his eyes, allowing the Seventh Hokage, who had experienced countless battles and shouldered the heavy responsibility of the entire ninja world, to see it.

For a moment, I was at a loss, as if I had returned to that lonely childhood when I could only attract attention by playing pranks.

Just then, Kushina Uzumaki finally released the sunflower from her arms.

She turned around, revealing eyes that were exactly like Naruto's.

For the first time, her son, now grown up, was reflected so realistically and clearly.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears—tears of joy, heartache, regret for missing out on so much, and an indescribable pride.

She walked step by step toward the adult Naruto, each step seemingly crossing the boundary between life and death, spanning a long thirty years.

She raised her hand, trembling slightly but with unwavering determination, and gently placed it on the top of the adult Naruto's head, which was much taller than hers.

The warmth emanating from her hand felt so real, carrying a mother's unique warmth that seemed capable of melting away all frost.

Kushina's voice was visibly choked with emotion, yet she forced a bright, gentle smile: "You've grown up... really... grown up..."

This simple touch, this call, was like opening a long-sealed gate.

The adult Naruto felt as if something was tightly blocking his throat, and a strong sour feeling welled up in his nose.

He subconsciously lowered his head slightly to make it easier for his mother to move, as if he were still the child who needed his mother's touch and encouragement.

He blinked hard, forcibly suppressing the sweltering heat that was about to burst forth from his eyes.

He forced a smile that seemed somewhat incongruous with his age and status, yet was undeniably genuine, tinged with a touch of silliness and dependence.

His voice was a little hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor: "After all... I'm already over thirty."

He seemed to be stating a fact, or perhaps reporting to his mother, reporting on the long life he had missed witnessing.

"Yes...it's been over thirty years..."

Kushina's tears finally fell, but her smile became even brighter.

She stroked the resolute lines of her son's face, as if trying to imprint his current appearance deeply into her soul.

She listened intently as the adult Naruto began to ramble on and on, his voice nasal but his words urgent and drawn-out.