Chapter 16

Mount Justice

Soft moonlight filtered into the dimly lit room, casting gentle shadows across the walls. In the quiet sanctum of Mount Justice, Naruto lay curled up on Kushina's lap, his head resting against her as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his golden locks.

For all his strength, for all his pride as a warrior, Naruto couldn't deny that this moment of comfort… it was something he needed.

It was embarrassing, sure—he was no child, and he hated looking weak—but the warmth of his mother's touch was something he had never known before. It was soothing. A love without limits.

And tonight, he could finally feel it.

His empathic ability—one that had seemingly awakened just today—let him truly understand the emotions of those around him.

And right now, his mother's love was blinding.

But beneath that?

A storm was brewing.

Kushina's fingers twitched slightly as he spoke, and Naruto knew she was angry.

No—furious.

She had been asking about what had happened to him, and Naruto, wrapped in a golden sphere of chakra to keep their conversation private, told her everything.

Not because he had to.

But because she deserved to know.

This was his life. And if anyone had the right to hear it, it was her.

And with every word, Naruto could feel his mother's rage bubbling beneath the surface.

Her heart pounded with barely restrained fury.

Her fingers, once gentle, clenched slightly in his hair before she consciously forced herself to relax.

She hated it.

She hated that she hadn't been there.

She hated that her baby boy had gone through so much alone.

That Minato had been too trusting.

That Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and Kakashi had been too broken, too tired, too weak to do what needed to be done.

They had meant well. She knew that.

But meaning well didn't change the reality.

Naruto had suffered.

And the village… oh, the village.

The people didn't truly hate him—not all of them, at least. No, the real problem had always been fear.

They feared him.

Deep down, to their core, they feared the monster that had destroyed their lives, the nightmare that had taken everything from them.

And to them, Naruto was that nightmare given flesh.

It didn't matter that he had been an innocent child.

They had seen a demon.

And demons weren't meant to be loved.

They were meant to be feared.

And even when he had been small—when he had smiled, when he had laughed—they had never seen an adorable little boy.

They had seen a little devil.

One who grinned too wide, one whose presence sent shivers down their spines, one whose very existence taunted them with their worst memories.

Naruto could remember their eyes.

The way people clutched their chests as if they were having a heart attack when he simply existed.

And now?

Now he could feel it.

The fear.

The sorrow.

The hatred.

He understood now. But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

And Kushina?

She was done.

"Once I return home…" her voice was a low growl, her fingers cracking as her knuckles turned white.

Naruto, still lying against her, felt the heat of her rage boiling over.

"…I'm breaking some skulls."

Her words weren't an empty threat.

No.

She meant it.

Death was an unknown thing.

Even now, after experiencing it firsthand, Naruto still couldn't say what it felt like.

Because, in truth… he had died peacefully.

No pain. No fear. Just a quiet fading into nothingness.

And yet, that experience had cost him everything.

At least, it should have.

But strangely, Naruto couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Because what he had gained in return was worth more than anything he had ever lost.

For the first time, Kurama was his friend.

For the first time, Kushina was in his life.

And as if that weren't enough, he had awakened something new—something powerful.

A sense beyond the physical.

Two, actually.

One was spiritual awareness, allowing him to feel anything that interacted with souls—his own or others.

Before this, Naruto had already been able to see ghosts, but that was simply because ghosts were pure spiritual energy. Chakra, on the other hand, was a mixture of physical energy from billions of cells and the mental and spiritual energy of the soul.

So, while it was possible for shinobi to see ghosts when circulating chakra, it was rare.

After all, it wasn't like people were constantly sealing spirits away in the middle of the woods… or developing jutsu to turn themselves into ghosts.

Back then, he had relied solely on sight to perceive them.

Now?

Now he could feel them before they even appeared. Even if a ghost entered his body unseen, he would know.

And his attacks? They would still hit.

That was comforting.

Because ghosts were, by nature, unknown beings.

Maybe they had ways around his defenses.

Maybe they could slip in while he slept.

Maybe they could use intangibility to bypass all his barriers.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

But then, Naruto smirked.

That's why I've got Kurama.

Even if some spirit tried to possess him, the giant fox would tear through them like wet paper.

Then there was his second new ability—spatial awareness.

This wasn't just some random power; it was a remnant of Asura's knowledge.

That didn't mean he could suddenly teleport or track every spatial distortion in existence.

It wasn't that simple.

Everything had a skill level.

And right now?

Naruto was still at the bottom of this particular field.

He could sense low-level spatial or spiritual disturbances, but anything beyond that?

That would take time.

This passage has a lot of great ideas, but it could benefit from clearer structuring and better flow. Here's a refined version with improved readability while keeping the essence intact:

When Zatanna placed a soul mark on Naruto's soul, he didn't even realize it.

Neither did Kurama.

Both of them simply weren't at her level when it came to soul-based magic. If she hadn't mentioned it, they would have remained unaware.

The mark's purpose?

To allow Zatanna to locate him anywhere—from one solar system to another world, distance wouldn't matter.

She had carefully crafted the mark to ensure that only she could detect it. No weak, amateur spellcaster would ever notice its presence. And to make absolutely sure that Naruto and Kurama wouldn't question it or accidentally give it away...

She erased their memories of it.

Before that, though, Naruto had voiced an interest in soul-related abilities.

That conversation led to Zatanna helping him make a major change—relocating Kurama.

Previously, the great fox had been inside Naruto's seal space, which still existed but had become irrelevant. With Zatanna's guidance, Kurama moved into Naruto's soul space, while the remnants of the original seal were scrapped.

It was Kurama's idea.

The outside world was too noisy, and the limitations of his physical form meant his power was diluted. Instead of focusing his chakra, he constantly had to manage the drawbacks of being tethered to Naruto's body.

Now?

Now he was free—fully merged into Naruto's soul space.

The benefits were clear.

Kurama, like all the Tailed Beasts, carried a fragment of the Ten-Tails. That fragment limited him. But the Ten-Tails itself had gained power by absorbing the world's life force, nature energy, and planetary vitality.

So why couldn't he do the same?

Once Naruto had mastered his current level of power, they could start pouring energy into his real body.

Would this take away energy from the planet? Yes.

Would it reduce the world's lifespan? Also yes.

But if they absorbed from a star instead of the planet, it wouldn't be a problem.

This was a long-term plan, a way for Kurama to keep up with Naruto's future growth.

Because at the rate Naruto was improving, Kurama knew the day would come when he would be left behind.

To remain equals, he needed an edge.

Right now, he contributed chakra, chakra control, and his mind.

But in the future?

He risked becoming nothing more than a battery—a source of chakra Naruto barely needed.

That thought led to this decision.

Kurama had been analyzing everything since their arrival. He had already predicted Naruto's exponential growth—even with a terrible training regimen, the results were undeniable. Now? With a proper system in place?

Naruto's power would skyrocket.

Kurama had to prepare.

And Naruto?

He didn't hesitate.

The moment their souls touched, he knew—he could trust Kurama completely.

And with that, the fusion was complete.

Kurama was now part of his soul space.

There were no downsides—only benefits.

For Naruto, his soul expanded, granting him a natural power boost and additional protection against threats.

For Kurama, it was an investment in his own future.

If Naruto ever died?

Kurama would return with his body intact and all his power restored.

It was a win-win.

For the first time, Naruto thought of Kurama as a true friend.

For the first time, Kurama saw Naruto as more than just a host—he was a partner. A partner who, over time, might even become something more.

Then there was the final change.

Death Sense.

Naruto first noticed it through a clone, which had saved a man from a falling flower pot.

He should have died.

But Naruto felt it—death was close.

This new sense worked alongside his danger sense, drastically improving his chances of survival.

And in the dangerous world he lived in…

That was priceless.

"Why do you not feel any anger for their actions?" Kushina asked, her voice laced with concern as she listened to Naruto's story.

"I did feel anger in the beginning," Naruto admitted. "But with understanding came forgiveness. I realized they were just fragile beings, trapped in their fears, unable to move forward. It made sense… they had no power to protect themselves if I ever turned against them. Their fear led to my isolation, but I was able to change their minds through my actions—through proving myself, through risking my life for them."

Kushina clenched her fists, her heart aching at his words. "That doesn't make it right, Naruto. What they did to you—ignoring you, isolating you—it's not something you should just brush aside. That kind of treatment can break a person."

"I know," Naruto said, his voice calm but firm. "It could have turned me into something worse. Gaara was regularly attacked by his own people, and look at what that did to him. I was just left alone… that's all."

"That's not 'just all,' Naruto," Kushina countered, her voice shaking with emotion. "Loneliness, neglect—they leave scars just as deep as any wound. You could have become a violent criminal, fallen into despair, or even… taken your own life."

"But I didn't," Naruto said simply. "And that's what matters."

Kushina took a sharp breath. The way he spoke, as if his own suffering was insignificant compared to others—it scared her. "Who taught you to think like this?"

"The old man Third, Iruka, Kakashi, and Jiraiya," Naruto listed.

Kushina's eyes narrowed. "It must have been that old man. Always preaching about the village being a family, about sacrificing everything for it…" She exhaled sharply. "Listen to me, Naruto. Never—never—throw your life away for others. Your life is precious. If you get hurt, it will hurt the people who love you. If you die, I will be hurt. You understand?"

Naruto blinked as Kushina cupped his face between her hands, her grip tightening as if to keep him from slipping away. Tears glistened in her eyes.

"I will try to be careful," Naruto said softly. "But if I stop protecting others because of my own safety, then what am I teaching the world? That it's better to leave someone to die if helping them puts me at risk?" He shook his head. "The world is already becoming a place where people turn their backs on those in need. Where friendship is just a word, and people betray each other without a second thought. Where 'family' is spoken, but never truly acted upon. I refuse to be another sheep waiting for a shepherd to lead. I want to be the shepherd. I want to guide people toward something better."

Kushina's heart clenched. She wanted to be angry, to scold him for thinking so recklessly. But deep down, she felt nothing but pride. His conviction, his will—it was unwavering. It was Minato's heart, her heart, shining through in their son.

"Fine," she finally said, sighing. "I won't ask you to stop. But promise me this—your survival must always come first. Your life is worth more than any stranger's. If you die, you can't save anyone else in the future."

Naruto hesitated. He didn't believe that. To him, all lives were equal. But looking into Kushina's tear-filled eyes, he knew this wasn't just about logic—it was about her love for him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said at last. "I'll become stronger—so strong that no matter what, I'll survive. That way, I can keep my promise and still change the world."

Kushina sighed, wiping her eyes before giving him a small smile. "You really are your father's son."

Naruto grinned. "And my mother's too."