Once the training was complete, Goku sent little Hinata back to the Academy. Though fifteen days had passed in the Time Chamber, only a short while had elapsed in the real world. Classes hadn't even started yet.
After seeing Hinata off, Goku returned to the World Ring. The intense training period had done wonders for his rapport with Mikoto. Now, with the other women occupied elsewhere, it was the perfect opportunity to deepen their bond.
He found Mikoto in the living room, absorbed in a book. Her focused, mature demeanor held a quiet allure that was undeniably attractive. Goku's eyes softened. He moved behind her silently, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered a sincere compliment into her ear. "Mikoto, you really are beautiful." Without another word, he gently guided her onto the plush sofa, and they lost themselves in each other…
An hour later, Goku pressed a kiss to Mikoto's flushed cheek, got dressed, and tucked a blanket around her. With a thought, he left the World Ring.
Dusk had settled over Konoha. Another day was drawing to a close. Back at Naruto's apartment, the women had all returned. The scene was one of domestic harmony: some were reading, others were preparing dinner, a few were playing a quiet game. The shadow clone he'd left on guard duty gave him a nod as he entered before dispelling itself in a puff of smoke.
Naruto was back from school and was in the middle of a card game with Alice. The moment she saw Goku, Alice tossed her hand aside and launched herself into his arms. "Goku-nii! You're back! Alice missed you!"
Goku laughed, scooping her up and tapping her nose playfully. "It's only been a day. And wasn't my clone here with you?"
"That was just a clone! It's not the same as the real Goku-nii!" Alice pouted adorably.
"Alice! That's not fair! I was about to win that round!" Naruto complained, throwing his own cards down. A fleeting shadow of envy crossed his face as he watched Alice snuggle in Goku's embrace—a poignant reminder of the familial warmth he'd always craved.
Goku noticed it immediately. He had a soft spot for the boy. Reaching out, he ruffled Naruto's spiky blond hair. "So, Naruto, did you learn any new ninjutsu at the Academy today?"
Naruto's face instantly brightened. "Yeah! And guess what? Iruka-nii is our new teacher! Well, I mean, Iruka-sensei now… He taught us the Henge no Jutsu today, but… I'm pretty bad at it. I still can't get it right…" His enthusiasm deflated as he spoke.
"Is that so…" Naruto's words reminded Goku of the entity sealed within the boy—the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama. And with that thought came another: Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina. A fragment of her chakra—no, a vestige of her very soul—still resided within the seal. Which meant Goku could bring her back, too.
"You know, Naruto, I sense there's something else inside you. It might be interfering with your training. How about I take a look?" Goku offered, his hand still resting gently on Naruto's head.
"Something… inside me?" Naruto looked puzzled but trusted Goku implicitly. "Okay, Goku-nii! Go ahead!"
With a gentle wave of Goku's hand, Naruto's eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted into a deep sleep. Goku laid him carefully on the sofa.
"Goku-nii, is there really something inside Naruto? Will he be okay?" Alice asked, her large eyes wide with concern.
Yuriko walked over, setting a plate of food on the table. "Actually, I was wondering about that too. When I went shopping earlier, some people gave us a wide berth. They muttered about us living with a 'little monster,' a 'demon fox.' Were they talking about Naruto?"
"They were," Goku confirmed, his tone matter-of-fact. "Naruto has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. He's its jinchūriki. The villagers project their fear and hatred of the beast onto him. In truth, he's a very lonely boy." With that, he closed his eyes, extending his consciousness into the depths of Naruto's seal…
"Oh, that poor child…" Yuriko murmured, and the other women looked at the sleeping boy with newfound tenderness and sympathy.
---
Within the seal, Goku found himself in a damp, cavernous space reminiscent of a sewer. Before him stood an immense iron cage, and behind its bars loomed the colossal form of the Nine-Tailed Fox. A faint smile touched Goku's lips. "As expected of Kurama. The malevolence and killing intent here are almost palpable."
The fox's eyes snapped open, glowing with savage, crimson light. "Who are you? How did you breach this seal so easily?"
"You're Kurama, the Nine-Tails, correct? I've taken a liking to this kid. From now on, ease up on suppressing him. This isn't a request. It's an order."
Kurama's pupils contracted in shock. "How do you know that name? Only the Sage of the Six Paths and the other tailed beasts should know it!" Its voice grew into a rumbling snarl. "And who do you think you are, to speak to me in such a manner?"
A torrent of corrosive, red chakra surged from the beast, crashing toward Goku like a tidal wave.
"Hmph. An insect dares to challenge the moon?" Goku snorted dismissively. In a blur, he passed straight through the bars of the cage and delivered a swift, devastating kick to the side of the fox's massive head.
BANG!
The impact drove Kurama's head into the 'ground' with earth-shaking force. The entire sealing space trembled from the blow.
Stunned, seeing stars, it took Kurama a long moment to recover. When it did, it realized its head was pinned beneath Goku's foot. Rage erupted within it, and its chakra flared violently. Yet, it couldn't budge the weight holding it down an inch. True fear, cold and primal, seeped into the beast for the first time. The aura radiating from this man was terrifying, dwarfing even that of the Sage of the Six Paths.
"Just… who are you?" Kurama's voice was now subdued, all its bravado stripped away by the overwhelming pressure.
"My name is Son Goku."
"What?!" The Nine-Tails was visibly startled.
"Sound familiar?" Goku's expression soured. "That damn Four-Tails has the same name. A mere monkey—how dare it share my name! If I ever run into it, I'll teach it exactly why flowers are so red."
A bead of cold sweat seemed to form on Kurama's brow. It offered a silent, sympathetic thought to the Four-Tails, Son Gokū. To think it was once so proud of that name…
"But I digress. Did you hear what I said earlier?" Goku pressed his foot down slightly for emphasis.
"I… I heard," Kurama grumbled, its pride wounded but its survival instincts keen. "I'll restrain my chakra. I won't interfere with the boy's training anymore."
"Not 'no interference.' Controlled interference. He needs some resistance to grow. Understand?"
"…Understood."
Satisfied, Goku stepped out of the cage. His gaze fell upon the paper talisman sealing the gate. He focused, sensing the intricate chakra patterns, then raised a hand. A faintly glowing hexagram array materialized in his palm. With a pulling motion, he drew a small, shimmering orb of chakra-light directly from the seal itself.
"Found you," he murmured. His form began to fade from the sealing space.
---
Back in the room, Goku opened his right hand. The hexagram array was still there, cradling the captured orb of light. With a gentle wave, he released it. The light floated free, shimmering and expanding until it resolved into the form of a beautiful woman with vibrant red hair—Uzumaki Kushina.
All the women in the room turned to stare at the sudden apparition.
Kushina looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on the sleeping Naruto. A trembling hand reached out to gently stroke his cheek, her expression overflowing with maternal love and bittersweet sorrow. "Naruto… you've gotten so big…"
Then, she whirled around, her expression transforming into one of fierce protectiveness as she glared at Goku. "You! You pulled me from the seal?! Who gave you the right to interfere, you meddling jerk!" True to her "Red-Hot Habanero" reputation, she threw a punch straight at his face.
Goku caught her fist effortlessly. "Just as fiery as they say."
Kushina's eyes widened. Her punch had been stopped cold. "Explain yourself! Why did you do this? If I don't like your answer, you'll regret it!"
Goku met her fiery gaze with a calm smile. "I can bring you back. Fully. I can revive you."
"Revive… me?" Kushina faltered, her anger momentarily displaced by shock. Her eyes drifted back to her sleeping son, and she fell into a deep, conflicted silence.