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"Summoning Jutsu!" The masked man landed right in the center of Konoha and immediately summoned the Nine-Tails.
Boom!
The Nine-Tails crashed down onto the ground, flattening everything around it.
Roar!
With a deafening roar into the sky, the Nine-Tails began smashing buildings. Konoha's forces quickly jumped into action—every available ninja mobilized to evacuate civilians and protect non-combatants.
"M-Mom…" Akio gripped Kushina's hand, his whole body trembling. Kushina, of course, heard the chaos outside too.
"Don't be scared, Akio." She turned around and tried to lift him up with both hands—but she didn't even have the strength left to hold him.
So Akio climbed up onto the bed by himself. His clumsy little scramble made Kushina smile a little. He lay down next to Naruto on her other side, and Kushina pulled both of her children into her arms.
"Don't worry. Minato's out there—everything's gonna be okay," Kushina whispered, trying to comfort the kids, though her own heart was full of panic.
Meanwhile, Minato was already fighting the masked man near the small cabin where he'd first brought Naruto. He knew this fight had to end here. He was trusting Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, to handle the Nine-Tails and hold it off.
But the masked man's powers were seriously weird. Minato's attacks kept phasing right through him, and the guy could also go solid at will. Still, Minato wasn't the Fourth Hokage for nothing—he quickly figured out the trick behind the guy's powers. Using the second stage of the Flying Raijin technique combined with a Rasengan, he nailed the masked man square in the back.
Boom!The masked man slammed into the ground with force. When the dust settled, his arm had come off—but it wasn't flesh and blood. It looked more like white slime.
Minato didn't give him a chance to react. He teleported straight to him again and slammed his palm onto the man's chest, using a Contract Seal to sever his connection with the Nine-Tails. That meant the beast was no longer under his control.
Back in the cabin, Akio and Kushina heard the commotion outside. Akio jumped off the bed, ready to go find Minato.
Right at that moment, Minato appeared in front of them, scooped up Kushina and Naruto, and prepared to teleport them away. He wasn't planning to take Akio—but the boy reacted fast and grabbed onto his cloak just in time.
All four of them reappeared together in front of the Nine-Tails, now outside the village.
"Akio?! Why did you come with us?!" Minato panicked when he saw him.
"I want to stay with you guys!" Akio said firmly—but as soon as he looked up and really saw the Nine-Tails, his tiny body started shaking all over. The beast was beyond terrifying.
Wham!Behind Kushina, chakra chains burst out and wrapped around the Nine-Tails, instantly locking it in place.
"Wah... wah..." Naruto started crying, finally woken by all the noise.
"Sorry for waking you…" Kushina gasped for breath. "Sorry, Naruto…"
"Kushina!" Minato's face went pale when he saw she'd used the chakra chains.
"I'll hold the Nine-Tails here... Even if it costs me my life… If I do this... we can at least delay its return…" Kushina said between heavy breaths. "I'll use what little chakra I have left... to help you. It's the only way."
She smiled brightly. "Thank you... for everything you've done for me."
Even little Naruto seemed to sense how heavy the moment was. His crying slowed and grew quieter.
"Kushina... you made me the Fourth Hokage, you made me your husband, and now the father of these kids… But I…" Minato's voice cracked with emotion.
Akio stepped forward and took his hand. "Dad…"
"Minato, don't make that sad face," Kushina said with a smile. "I'm really happy—because I had you and Akio's love. And besides, today's this little one's birthday." She looked at Naruto with warmth in her eyes.
"And more than anything... if I were still alive... I'd just keep dreaming of our happy life together as a family."
Minato couldn't stop the tears from falling. He might've been the Fourth Hokage, sworn to protect the village, but at the end of the day, he was also a husband… and a father.
"I just have one last wish... I really want to see... Akio and Naruto when they grow up…" Kushina said softly, looking at her children.
"You don't have to die with the Nine-Tails, Kushina." Minato wiped away his tears. "I'll make sure you get to see Naruto again. I'll seal what's left of your chakra inside him using the Eight Trigrams Seal. As for the Nine-Tails… I'll take care of it."
"Since I'm not a jinchuriki, the only option is the Reaper Death Seal…"
"But… that sealing jutsu will…" Kushina didn't finish. They both knew what it meant—it would cost Minato his life.
"There's another issue. The half of the Nine-Tails sealed in me… it's way too powerful to suppress through force. Strategically, it's risky. But if we both help seal it, then even if there's no jinchuriki before the Nine-Tails revives, we can still maintain the balance of the Tailed Beasts."
"If I use the Reaper Death Seal, I can seal away both myself and half of the Nine-Tails. So the other half…"
Minato remembered what Jiraiya had once told him—the child of prophecy, the one who would bring change to the world… it was Naruto.
"I'll seal the other half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto using the Eight Trigrams Seal."
Kushina's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to say that.
"I know what you're thinking," Minato said. "But what Jiraiya-sensei told me—about a great change in the world and the disaster that would follow… Today, I saw both with my own eyes. That masked guy… he's going to bring chaos and bloodshed."
"And the one who'll stop him... is this child." Minato looked at Naruto. "This child that Jiraiya-sensei believed in… he'll carry the Nine-Tails and lead us to a new future. I don't know why… but I believe in him."
"Dad… you can seal the other half of the Nine-Tails inside me," Akio suddenly said from the side.
"Akio, you've inherited the gift of prophecy. Your life's gonna be hard enough already," Minato said gently. "I've passed my jutsu to you—make sure you master it. But you can't carry the Nine-Tails. It'll affect your abilities."
"But Dad! If you seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, the villagers will hate him! They'll think he is the Nine-Tails!"
Minato and Kushina both froze for a moment.
"Akio... are you trying to protect your little brother?" Kushina asked softly, finally understanding. She patted his head. "You're such a good boy."
"It's okay, Akio. Naruto can handle it. Don't you believe in him?" Minato said.
"I do! I believe in him!" Akio answered without hesitation.
"....."