Until the very end, Uzumaki Naruto never found the answer to his question.
The Kyuubi—fur bristling with alarm—wrapped its nine tails tightly around its lower half, refusing to let Naruto see anything. The blonde knucklehead kept trying to peek, but the enormous fox wouldn't budge.
Souta Kazuki, watching from the side, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Given how the Tailed Beasts were formed from chakra, did they even have genders? If they didn't, then… wouldn't Kyuubi's backside be completely smooth?
Hmmm. That was an oddly fascinating thought.
Naruto, of course, had no such deep considerations. He just wanted to know if he should find a female fox for Kyuubi.
"Brat! Get out of here!!" Kyuubi roared, shaking the entire space as Naruto continued pulling on one of its tails.
Despite all this, the problem between Naruto and Kyuubi had been resolved with surprising ease.
Of course, this was only a temporary truce. Naruto could now freely use the Kyuubi's chakra without being negatively influenced by it, but achieving full synchronization—truly unlocking the power of the Nine-Tails—required a deeper connection between them.
Souta, arms crossed, observed Naruto still playing with Kyuubi's tail. Given how that idiot had managed to break through even Uchiha Sasuke's defenses, getting through to a tsundere fox shouldn't take long.
Speaking of Sasuke...
Souta turned his gaze toward Uchiha Fugaku, who was watching his son in silence. Their eyes met, and a knowing smirk passed between them.
Fugaku gave a slight nod.
Souta didn't hesitate. His Sharingan spun, shifting into its unique Mangekyō pattern.
"Sasuke, let's have a chat," Souta said casually.
"Huh?" Sasuke barely had time to react before his vision blurred. In the next instant, he found himself trapped inside a genjutsu. His body remained motionless in the real world, eyes blank and unseeing.
Uchiha Madara, watching this unfold, raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What exactly are you doing?"
Souta smirked. "An experiment."
He then explained his theory—how the evolution of the Sharingan wasn't strictly bound to pain and hatred. Love, too, could be a trigger. After all, extreme love could lead to extreme sorrow. So why not use love as a catalyst in a different way?
Madara listened carefully, intrigued.
"Do you really think this will work?"
Souta shrugged. "Who knows? But it's worth trying."
They turned their attention to Sasuke, who was now fully immersed in the illusion.
Inside the Genjutsu
Sasuke stood in confusion, staring at Souta. "Why did you bring me here?"
Souta crossed his arms, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I just heard something interesting. Did you know Naruto had a twin?"
Sasuke's brows furrowed. "A twin? Since when?"
"Since birth," Souta replied. "Her name is Uzumaki Naruko."
Sasuke's eye twitched. A memory surfaced—the time Naruto had transformed into a blonde, twin-tailed girl and used the Sexy Jutsu against him.
"...You're joking, right?"
Souta laughed. "Nope. She's real. And apparently, she's in trouble right now."
The scene shifted.
Sasuke now found himself in the Land of Waves. Before him stood a trembling girl—Naruko Uzumaki, with bright golden twin tails, her violet-blue eyes wide with fear.
She was cornered by a group of warriors led by Gatō.
Sasuke's instincts kicked in. He didn't hesitate.
With precise movements, he cut through the enemies, eliminating them within seconds. When he turned back, Naruko was kneeling on the ground, teary-eyed.
Sasuke stepped closer, extending a hand.
"Are you hurt?"
Instead of answering, Naruko burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.
Sasuke stiffened. His heart pounded.
...What was this feeling?
Time within the illusion moved quickly. Months passed.
By the time Team 7 returned to Konoha, Naruko had decided to stay, revealing her lineage as the daughter of the Fourth Hokage.
A year later, under circumstances that baffled many, Souta Kazuki was officially declared the Fifth Hokage.
On that day, the twelve strongest of their generation gathered at Sasuke's house for a private celebration.
"Congratulations, Souta!" Naruto cheered, clapping him on the back. "You're finally Hokage! Now we can really start shaking things up!"
Souta chuckled. "Indeed. Time to change Konoha for the better."
Then, turning to Sasuke, he smirked.
"But before that, Sasuke—when's the wedding?"
Sasuke blinked. "What wedding?"
"With Naruko, of course!"
A visible blush crept up Sasuke's neck. Naruko, sitting beside him, turned red as well, stealing shy glances at him.
Sasuke sputtered, "T-That's not important right now! We have bigger things to focus on! Like, I don't know—unifying the ninja world?!"
Souta laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Then let's ask Naruto—when's your wedding with Hinata?"
Naruto, caught off guard, started stammering. "W-Wait! Don't put me on the spot like that—"
Sasuke, seizing the opportunity, turned the tables. "And you, Souta! Don't think we haven't noticed how many times you've been sneaking off with Ino!"
Silence fell.
All eyes turned to Souta.
For the first time, the ever-composed Hokage seemed caught off guard.