People in Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began with Demon Slayer

"Oh, no problem, let's go." Gyutaro said calmly and smoothly.

Hozuki Suigetsu was completely exasperated by Gyutaro's nonchalant response: "Hey, can't you ask some questions? Like, what do the Seven Ninja Swords look like? Who has them? How difficult are they to collect? Can you please stop being so nonchalant?!"

Gyutaro said strangely, "But isn't it enough to just collect these seven swords for you? There's no need for you to ask these questions now."

Hozuki Suigetsu was utterly defeated by Gyutaro and said dejectedly, "You're right... Let's go, let's go."

Hozuki Suigetsu did not want to become a rogue ninja and leave Kirigakure, but his older brother, Hozuki Mangetsu, who was known in Kirigakure as a genius who could skillfully wield the seven ninja swords, died mysteriously.

Besides being a user of the dual swords Hiramekarei, Hozuki Mangetsu also possesses scrolls sealing three ninja swords that no one has inherited: the long sword Sewing Needle, the blunt sword Kabuto Slash, and the explosive sword Hibiki.

However, after Hozuki Mangetsu's death, the scroll that sealed the three ninja swords also disappeared.

Hozuki Suigetsu had been investigating Hozuki Mangetsu's death, but had no leads.

Although Hozuki Suigetsu was known as a child prodigy in Kirigakure, and the second Mizukage was Hozuki Gengetsu of the Hozuki clan, the villagers of Kirigakure did not like Hozuki Suigetsu.

Therefore, Hozuki Suigetsu has always lived in the lake outside Kirigakure.

Hozuki Suigetsu's idea was simple: if he could collect all seven ninja swords, the truth about his brother Hozuki Mangetsu's death might come to light.

Furthermore, Hozuki Suigetsu has a dream: to surpass his older brother, Suigetsu Mangetsu, and collect all the ninja swords.

Chapter 220 Naruto's Dark Side

Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, having used the Transformation Technique, disguised themselves as ordinary people and quietly arrived in Konoha.

Seeing the once prosperous Konoha now so desolate, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki felt a mix of emotions.

Kushina Uzumaki, unable to bear it any longer, said to Minato Namikaze, "Minato, if possible, let's help Konoha. After all, this is your hometown, and you were once the Fourth Hokage."

Minato Namikaze said somewhat heavily, "I understand, Kushina. After we visit Naruto and make sure he's alright, we'll go to the front lines in Konoha to help relieve some of the pressure on Konoha."

Kushina Uzumaki smiled as she thought of Naruto: "I wonder what Naruto is doing now. At his age, he should be a genin by now. Maybe he's doing logistical support in the village during the war."

Minato Namikaze smiled slightly: "Why don't we go and see for ourselves? Naruto has my Flying Thunder God mark on him, but we shouldn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique in the village. It wouldn't be good if someone recognized him."

Minato Namikaze sensed the Flying Thunder God seal and headed towards Naruto's location.

However, upon arriving at their destination, Minato Namikaze's expression gradually darkened, and Kushina Uzumaki also looked worried.

Because Minato and his wife had arrived at the entrance of Root's base, and the Flying Thunder God Seal was relaying information from Minato that Naruto was currently inside Root's base.

Kushina Uzumaki was incredibly anxious: "Minato, Naruto..."

Minato Namikaze forced a smile and comforted him, "Perhaps it's because Naruto needs to temporarily come to Root to complete a certain mission..."

Although he was comforting Kushina with these words, Minato Namikaze's heart had sunk to the bottom.

Naruto Uzumaki, who possesses the Nine-Tails within him, is currently in the infamous Root organization, and it's highly unlikely that anything good will come of it.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki infiltrated the Root base and arrived at Naruto's location.

The moment they saw Naruto, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were filled with rage.

At this time, Naruto was imprisoned in a torture chamber, his limbs were bound by chains, and his body was covered with sealing spells.

The serious punishment room, as the name suggests, is a room specifically for interrogating serious offenders.

Kushina's extreme anger caused the Nine-Tails' chakra to overflow from her body, and hurried footsteps could be heard not far away.

"Kushina, calm down!"

Minato Namikaze picked up Kushina Uzumaki and hid her in a dark spot.

With Minato's comfort, Kushina Uzumaki managed to control the overflowing Nine-Tails chakra.

The people who arrived at the severe punishment cell were researchers from Root. They opened the cell door and began to conduct various tests on Naruto.

"The Jinchūriki's physical condition is stable, and there is no sign of the seal loosening."

"What about the Nine-Tails' chakra that was just detected? Was it leaked?"

"The situation is unclear. Various experiments have shown that when a Jinchuriki is in a state of extreme anger, the seal will loosen and a small amount of Nine-Tails chakra will escape. However, the Jinchuriki is currently calm and the seal has not loosened. It is inexplicable why the instruments can detect Nine-Tails chakra."

"The matter of the Jinchūriki is of great importance. Let's report to Lord Danzo first."

...

Several researchers left once again.

Kushina Uzumaki had dug her nails deep into her skin, trying her best to suppress her emotions.

Minato Namikaze's tightly clenched hands also showed that he was not calm.

"Let's get Naruto out of here first."

Kushina Uzumaki did not answer Minato Namikaze, and silently followed behind him.

Minato Namikaze took out the Flying Thunder God kunai, cut the chains binding Naruto, and released the seal on Naruto's body. He then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave the Root base with Naruto and Kushina Uzumaki.

Seeing Naruto unconscious, Kushina Uzumaki could no longer control her emotions and hugged him tightly, bursting into tears.

Seeing Kushina Uzumaki weeping and Naruto unconscious, Minato Namikaze, who had not harbored any resentment towards Konoha even after being betrayed by Konoha during the Nine-Tails' rampage, gradually developed resentment towards Konoha in his heart.

Naruto, who was in a deep sleep, slowly woke up and saw the unfamiliar Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. He quickly broke free from Kushina's embrace and looked at the two of them warily.

Who are you?!

Kushina Uzumaki said sadly, "Naruto, I am your..."

"Kushina!"

Minato Namikaze stopped Kushina Uzumaki from revealing the truth. Although Minato was utterly disappointed in Konoha, the Sage of Six Paths instructed them that for the sake of the future of the entire ninja world, they could not expose their identities to Naruto.

However, Naruto asked in shock, "Are you my parents?"

Minato Namikaze's pupils widened in astonishment as he asked, "How did you know?"

Naruto, with tears in his eyes and a choked voice, replied, "Because of the feeling, I felt an unparalleled sense of familiarity with you all, and the Nine-Tails within me resonated with that feeling."

Naruto suddenly lunged into Kushina's arms. Kushina deactivated her transformation jutsu and hugged Naruto once more.

The mother and son immediately burst into tears.

Minato Namikaze was surprised that Naruto was so clever as to guess that they were his parents.

Minato Namikaze also deactivated his transformation jutsu and embraced Naruto along with Kushina Uzumaki.

The three of them enjoyed this warm moment together.

Minato Namikaze apologized to Naruto with remorse: "I'm sorry, Naruto, I've made you suffer."

"Yes, I've suffered a lot, my dad, my mom..."

Sensing something was wrong from Naruto's tone, Minato Namikaze quickly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take Kushina Uzumaki away from Naruto's range.

Minato Namikaze stared intently and saw two kunai in Naruto's hands. If he had been a second later, Naruto would have stabbed him.

Naruto gave a strange smile: "My dear mom and dad, why did you leave me? Don't you want to hug me more? We haven't seen each other for so many years."

Kushina Uzumaki stared at Naruto in disbelief, not understanding why he was attacking her.

Minato Namikaze asked gravely, "Why, Naruto?"

When faced with Minato Namikaze's question, Naruto burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"Hahaha, why? The great Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, you actually ask me why?"

The next moment, Naruto's smile vanished, and he stared coldly at Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

"It's a very simple reason: I want to take revenge on all of you!"

Chapter 221 Hatred

Naruto chooses to take revenge on everyone, catching Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki off guard.

Naruto said with a cold laugh, "Didn't you just ask me why I knew about your existence? I don't feel any kinship with you. Everything was told to me by Kurama. It only has half of its yang chakra now, but it can sense the existence of its other half of yin chakra."

If Kushina Uzumaki, as a Jinchūriki, had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage, then the other half of the Nine-Tails' yin chakra should have returned to my body and merged with the Nine-Tails.

However, since the Nine-Tails' yin chakra hasn't returned, it's easy to deduce that you two didn't die from the Nine-Tails' attack, and that you will come back to find me someday.

Minato Namikaze asked incredulously, "Naruto, you and Kurama...?"

Naruto interrupted Minato Namikaze directly: "Just like you think now, Kurama is my family!"

Minato Namikaze shouted, "Naruto! The Nine-Tails cannot be trusted! Don't let it bewitch you!"

"Bewitched? You self-righteous fools always like to impose your subjective assumptions on others, thinking you're always right. I've coexisted with the Nine-Tails since the moment I was born. Do you think I wouldn't know if it's deceiving me?! Or is it that the Nine-Tails has deceived me, and you're not actually my parents?"

Minato and his wife were speechless.

Naruto glared resentfully at Minato and Namikaze and said, "Do you know how I survived in Konoha? If it weren't for Kurama, I would have died at the hands of those idiots in Konoha long ago."

"From as far back as I can remember, I've been hated by everyone in Konoha. Do you know what it felt like to be isolated by those idiots my age, to have stones thrown at me until my head bled? Do you know what it felt like to eat rice that was half sand? Do you know what it felt like to be beaten to the point of near death by several adults when I was only three years old?"

Faced with Naruto's questioning, Minato and his wife felt as if their hearts were being torn apart.

Minato and his wife could only apologize to Naruto with remorse, saying, "We're sorry, Naruto..."

Naruto rudely interrupted Minato Namikaze once again: "You can't possibly know what this feels like! Minato Namikaze, hailed as a hero by Konoha, a disciple of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, and the Fourth Hokage, you've been elevated to the heavens from the very beginning."

And then there's Kushina Uzumaki. Although you are a Jinchūriki, you entered Konoha as a member of the Land of Whirlpools. Even if those idiots in Konoha are afraid of your Jinchūriki status, they won't lay a hand on you.

So neither of you has any idea how I feel!

Kushina Uzumaki, her face streaked with tears, pleaded with him, "Naruto, please come with us. Leave Konoha, and no matter what happens, we'll never be apart again. Minato and I will make it up to you."

Naruto sneered, "Make amends? Sure, give me the Yin-type Nine-Tails chakra within you, and then Minato Namikaze will destroy the entire Hidden Leaf Village, and I'll forgive you and go with you."

Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki stood there stunned. Minato asked incredulously, "Naruto, if Kushina didn't have the Nine-Tails inside her, her life would have ended there. She was your mother."

"Heh, so what? Didn't she say she'd make it up to me? Judging from your expressions, you're not willing. In the end, Konoha is still more important than me, isn't it? You two hypocrites, it's a real shame you didn't die during the Nine-Tails' attack," Naruto mocked venomously.

Naruto shouted in a deep voice, "Kurama!"

Naruto's body was instantly enveloped in a red chakra cloak, and three tails appeared behind him.

"Kushina Uzumaki, as a Jinchuriki, you didn't know the Nine-Tails' real name, did you? You only knew how to enslave it, and you must have never asked Kurama how he felt. From the moment Kurama and I opened our hearts to each other, Kurama became my only family in this world!"

Furthermore, my entry into the Root was not something they forced me to do; it was my own choice, so that I could rely on the power of the Root to remove the Bagua seal you placed on me.

Naruto grinned menacingly and launched an attack on Kushina Uzumaki, who was closest to him.