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The Night of the Nine-Tails
Land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village.
Having survived the brutal Third Shinobi World War, the people of Konoha should have finally been able to welcome a life of peace and prosperity.
But that fragile dream was shattered on this night—
—a night drenched in blood and chaos.
A thunderous roar split the sky.
> "ROAR!"
Inside the Village, a monstrous beast towered above the burning ruins. Nine colossal tails lashed through the air, each one glowing like molten flame and sweeping aside everything in its path. The creature's eyes blazed crimson—feral, demonic, and filled with pure hatred.
The Nine-Tailed Fox.
Beneath its massive frame, the ground was littered with the shattered remains of homes, burning debris, and the bodies of fallen shinobi.
Despite the overwhelming power before them, squads of Leaf ninja charged fearlessly toward the beast. They were ants before a mountain, yet none turned away. Their jutsu flashed like sparks against a storm—beautiful, futile, and fleeting.
A single Chūnin, his uniform soaked in blood and ash, raised his voice above the chaos.
> "Hold the line! We just need to buy time—until the Fourth Hokage arrives!"
His shout was hoarse, raw with desperation.
A moment later, a comrade beside him was struck by the sweep of a tail, his body crashing lifelessly to the ground. The Chūnin didn't even flinch. His gaze burned forward, filled not with fear, but with faith—
Faith in that man.
The man who shone brighter than the sun itself.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
---
Elsewhere in the Village, a battle of an entirely different scale was unfolding.
Rustle…
The air quivered with the sound of clashing metal and crackling chakra. Chains, dark and heavy, coiled through the air like vipers. A masked man wielded them with deadly precision, the links glinting in the dim light as they wrapped around his prey—a man with golden hair.
For a moment, it seemed the Hokage was caught.
Whoosh!
But in the blink of an eye, Minato's form shimmered and vanished. The chains snapped shut on empty air.
The masked man's single visible eye, a scarlet Sharingan, narrowed beneath his mask. He turned his head—
—and saw the Hokage standing calmly beside a Flying Thunder God Kunai, the faint glow of its seal illuminating his face.
Minato's expression was composed yet grave. His azure eyes reflected the flickering firelight as he studied his opponent.
> My attacks pass right through him… But he has to become tangible to strike. That's the moment I can counter.
If he's controlling the Nine-Tails, then he'll want to end this quickly.
His thoughts moved with lightning precision. In an instant, he made his decision.
Minato surged forward, chakra flaring around him.
> "Victory will come down to speed!"
The masked man welcomed the charge, his voice calm, almost amused.
> "Come then, Yellow Flash. Let's see if your legend holds up."
The two closed the distance in a heartbeat.
Five meters. Three meters—
Minato hurled his kunai, its trajectory perfect. The blade spun straight toward the masked man's head—
—and passed harmlessly through him.
A low hum filled the air as chakra spiraled in Minato's palm.
A swirling Rasengan, brilliant and deadly.
The masked man reached forward, his hand mere inches from Minato's shoulder.
> The moment I touch him… it's over.
But before contact—
Whoosh!
Minato vanished.
> "—Rasengan!"
The explosion shook the ground. The masked man was driven forward as Minato's jutsu slammed into his back, the force cracking the earth beneath them.
In that instant, the kunai he had thrown earlier gleamed faintly—
hovering just an inch away.
> "Damn it… He teleported with the kunai just now?!"
Pain rippled through the masked man's arm, and realization dawned too late.
Minato stepped forward, calm and precise, eyes glowing with fierce intelligence.
> "This is Flying Thunder God—Stage Two."
He caught the returning kunai in his hand, his movements smooth as the wind.
The masked man's chakra wavered, space distorting around him. His voice carried a note of grudging respect.
> "As expected of the Fourth Hokage… To wound me—and force the Nine-Tails to break free."
"But this isn't the end. The Nine-Tails will be mine. The world will be mine. I have countless ways to make it so."
Space twisted violently, and he vanished.
Minato stood silently for a long moment, his expression darkening.
> That presence… He wasn't lying. Whoever he is, his ambitions are real.
If left unchecked, he'll plunge the world into ruin.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. There was something far more urgent.
In a flicker of gold, Minato disappeared once more.
---
Hokage Rock
He reappeared atop the Hokage Monument, his gaze sweeping over the ruined village below.
The sight tore at his heart—flames consuming the homes he had sworn to protect, the lifeless bodies of comrades lying where they had fallen.
In the distance, the Nine-Tails roared again, its power shaking the earth. The Third Hokage had managed to drive it out of the village, but Hiruzen's chakra was nearly depleted.
Time was running out.
Minato clenched his fists.
His decision was already made.
---
No matter how powerful a shinobi may be, time always leaves its mark. Flesh weakens, chakra wanes, and even legends grow old.
From the Nine-Tails' massive jaws, a sphere of dense chakra began to form — a Tailed Beast Ball that pulsed with destructive energy. If unleashed, it would reduce what remained of Konoha to ash.
> "Damn it… it's using that move again!"
The Third Hokage lay sprawled amid the rubble, his breath ragged, his eyes full of frustration. His aged body had reached its limit.
Then—
> "Summoning Technique!"
A massive shadow fell from the sky.
Boom!
The ground trembled as a colossal toad landed squarely atop the Nine-Tails, crushing it into the earth. The forming Tailed Beast Ball shattered instantly under the impact.
> "It's the Fourth Hokage!"
Cries of relief erupted among the surviving shinobi. There he stood—golden hair gleaming like dawn—atop the head of Gamabunta, the Toad Boss of Mount Myōboku.
Minato's blue eyes hardened. The masked man's chilling words echoed in his mind—
> "I am the one who will unify the world."
A tremor of unease rippled through his heart.
> I'm sorry, Kushina…
He knew the decision he had just made was one she would never have wanted—but there was no longer time to hesitate.
The Nine-Tails roared beneath them, its chakra flaring once again.
> "Gamabunta!" Minato called. "Please hold it down—just for a moment!"
The great toad grimaced, his pipe falling from his mouth.
> "Easier said than done, kid. This thing's a monster. Even I can't keep it pinned for long!"
Minato's jaw tightened. The Nine-Tails' chakra was building again, spiraling toward another devastating attack. The Village couldn't withstand one more blast.
And then—
The Nine-Tails' form flickered—
—and vanished.
> "Minato… did he just teleport the beast away?" the Third Hokage muttered in disbelief as the Hokage's presence vanished as well.
A moment later—
Boom!
A massive explosion rippled through the distant mountains. The sky burned orange with the light of the blast.
> "There…" Hiruzen whispered, eyes narrowing.
---
Far from the Village, deep within a forest clearing, the Nine-Tails thrashed violently, but chakra chains glowed around its body, binding it to the ground.
The chains extended from behind a red-haired woman, her face pale but resolute. Her chakra pulsed with unique power — a chakra meant to restrain the beast.
> "I'll pull the Nine-Tails back into my body and die with it," Kushina Uzumaki said softly. "That way, I can delay its resurrection. My remaining chakra… will be just enough for that."
Her expression was calm, almost serene, even as exhaustion trembled in her limbs. And then, she smiled—warm, gentle, unbroken.
> "Thank you for everything, Minato."
Her words pierced his heart like a blade.
Minato clenched his fists, his voice trembling.
> "Kushina… You made me the Fourth Hokage, became my wife, and gave me our son. You've already given me everything. This burden… it should've been mine alone."
His voice cracked. The faint blue of his eyes shimmered with tears.
Kushina only smiled.
> "Don't say that. I'm happy, Minato. Truly happy. Today's our baby's birthday, after all."
Her gaze softened as she looked at the small bundle in Minato's arms.
> "If I could've lived a little longer," she whispered, "I would've loved nothing more than to see the three of us together as a family. That's all I could ever wish for."
Minato bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
> "If I have any regrets…" Kushina continued, her voice growing faint, "it's that I won't get to see Naruto when he grows up."
That smile — brave and bittersweet — shattered something inside him.
> "You don't have to die with the Nine-Tails," Minato said suddenly, voice resolute. "I'll use your remaining chakra so you can see Naruto again. I'll take care of the beast myself."
> "The only sealing technique I can use now is the Reaper Death Seal."
The words fell like thunder.
Kushina froze. The Reaper Death Seal was a forbidden technique—one that consumed the user's soul in exchange for sealing anything, even a Tailed Beast.
Minato's expression was unshakable.
> "I can only seal half of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Its full power can't be contained—not without upsetting the balance between the Tailed Beasts."
Even now, he was thinking like a Hokage. Thinking of the Village, of the world beyond it.
He looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms—his son, unaware of the chaos around him.
> "The other half… I'll seal within Naruto, using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style."
Kushina's breath caught. Her heart trembled.
> "Minato, you can't—!"
> "I know what you're thinking," he said gently. "But Jiraiya-sensei once told me of a prophecy—of a child who would bring great change to the world. Tonight, I've seen two things clearly: that masked man will one day plunge the shinobi world into chaos… and the one who can stop him—will be Naruto."
The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
At that moment, a figure landed outside the barrier Kushina had created — the Third Hokage, his face lined with sorrow.
> "Minato…" Hiruzen murmured.
Kushina still wanted to protest, but Minato was already moving. He placed Naruto gently on the ground and stood.
His fingers moved through a rapid sequence of seals.
> "Snake—Boar—Ram—Rabbit—Dog—Rat—Rooster—Horse—Snake!"
Snap!
He brought his hands together. A chilling presence filled the clearing. Behind him, spectral energy took shape — a ghostly figure draped in white robes, clutching a blade in its mouth.
The Shinigami.
Kushina stared, eyes wide, as Minato whispered his final words.
> "Believe in this child, Kushina. He is our son."
The wind stilled. The Shinigami's blade gleamed.
Minato Namikaze — the Yellow Flash of Konoha — smiled one last time at his wife and child.
> "I'll use the Reaper Death Seal to seal your chakra inside Naruto," Minato said, his voice steady but heavy with grief. "That way, you'll be able to watch him grow up. Even if it's only for a short time… please, guide him when he faces the Nine-Tails' power."
Relief flickered across his face — yet it was a painful kind of peace. He had fulfilled Kushina's final wish, but at the cost of breaking her heart again.
Kushina's expression twisted with disbelief.
> "It's because Naruto is our son that I don't want him to bear such a burden!"
Her voice cracked. She stared at him, eyes trembling, searching for any sign of hesitation — but Minato only lowered his gaze in silence.
> "Why use the Reaper Death Seal just so I can see him for a moment? Is that worth your life, Minato?" she demanded, her voice hoarse with fury and sorrow. "What I wanted… was for you to stay by Naruto's side. To watch him grow up. Why?!"
Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
> "Don't sacrifice Naruto for the balance of the Tailed Beasts — and don't sacrifice yourself for me!"
Her breathing turned uneven. The effort of controlling the Nine-Tails, combined with her despair, made her body tremble violently.
Minato's lips parted, his voice low but resolute.
> "Abandoning one's village is the same as abandoning one's child," he said. "You know better than anyone — what kind of life awaits those without a homeland."
He met her gaze, his blue eyes calm and filled with sorrow.
> "And besides… we're shinobi. All three of us."
A faint smile curved his lips.
> "And if I live, I could never win an argument against you anyway."
Kushina blinked — and for a heartbeat, she saw the same gentle smile she'd fallen in love with years ago.
> "As a mother, even if your time with him is short," Minato continued softly, "what you can teach Naruto… will be far greater than anything I could ever give. That's a mother's strength. A mother's duty. Not just for you — but for him."
He looked at her — her radiant red hair glowing under the moonlight, her fierce yet tender spirit unchanged from when they first met.
Now she was a mother.
And he was a father.
> "To die for one's child…" Minato smiled faintly. "That, too, is something a father can do."
Their eyes met — understanding passing between them in perfect silence.
Only they could understand each other this way.
Only they could share this burden.
From outside the barrier, the Third Hokage watched, his aged face lined with grief and admiration.
> "That jutsu… it's the Reaper Death Seal," he murmured. Even though only the caster could see the Shinigami, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor of Ninjutsu, recognized the technique from the hand seals alone.
"Lord Third! What's happening inside?!"
Several Konoha shinobi had arrived, but the barrier that contained the Nine-Tails was impenetrable.
> "No… they've decided to face it alone," Hiruzen said bitterly, pounding his hand against the invisible wall.
---
Inside the barrier, the spectral Shinigami extended a ghostly hand toward the rampaging beast.
> "Seal!"
Minato's roar echoed through the clearing.
The Nine-Tails screamed in defiance as the Reaper's invisible hand plunged into its body, wrenching out its very soul. The Shinigami's blade, gripped in its teeth, came down in a single slash — splitting the Nine-Tails' chakra into two halves.
> "Tch… such power—!" Minato gasped as one half of the beast's chakra flooded into his body. His limbs went numb, his body trembling beneath the immense pressure.
Outside, the Third Hokage watched the scene unfold.
> "He's really using the Reaper Death Seal…" Hiruzen whispered, eyes wide with awe and sorrow.
The Nine-Tails' body shrank rapidly, its form flickering and fading as chakra poured out of it.
Boom!
Dust billowed as Minato summoned a small stone altar in the center of the clearing. Carefully, he laid the sleeping infant Naruto atop it.
The Nine-Tails' blood-red eyes burned with hatred. Once before it had been sealed by Uzumaki Mito — and now, after escaping that prison, it was to be caged again by a newborn.
> "Cough—"
Kushina's weak gasp drew Minato's attention. Her body trembled violently, her strength nearly gone.
> "Kushina! Are you alright?!"
He turned — and in that single instant, the Nine-Tails seized its chance.
With a furious roar, it swung its massive claw toward the altar.
Slash!
Blood splattered across Naruto's tiny face. The claw stopped an inch from his body — its tip buried instead through Minato and Kushina's chests.
They had thrown themselves in front of their son.
> "You bastard!"
The Nine-Tails howled in frustration as the chakra chains binding it tightened even further, Kushina's rage surging with maternal fury.
Minato, pressed against her, managed a faint smile.
> "I told you… this is a father's responsibility."
Kushina smiled back through tears.
> "Then as a mother… I'll just have to do even better."
She looked sideways at him.
> "You win this time, Minato. My first loss in a marital argument."
Despite the blood, despite the pain, they both laughed softly.
A lone flower for a lifetime — that was their bond.
Each the other's one and only.
> "Kushina… thank you," Minato whispered.
Forming the hand seals, he summoned a small toad — the Scroll Toad of Mount Myōboku — and handed over the key to Naruto's seal.
> "Take this to Jiraiya-sensei. One day, Naruto will need it."
Behind him, the Shinigami's hollow eyes gleamed as it raised its blade once more. Minato could feel his time slipping away.
> "Kushina," he said quietly, "I don't have long. Let's begin the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. I'll add some of my chakra to Naruto as well… If the seal ever weakens, it might help him suppress the Nine-Tails again."
He paused, voice softening.
> "We'll be parting ways soon. Say what you want to say to Naruto."
Kushina's tears fell freely as she looked down at her son.
> "Naruto… you must eat well, and don't be picky."
Her voice trembled, overflowing with love and regret.
> "I wanted to be there for you — to see you grow up, to teach you, to watch you chase your dreams. But even if I can't… I want you to live with courage. Believe in yourself, Naruto. Chase your dreams and never give up… I love you."
She sobbed openly now, her words catching between breaths.
> "I'm sorry, Minato… I talked too long."
Minato smiled gently.
> "It's fine. You said everything I would have."
He turned toward his son one last time.
> "Naruto… what your dad wants to say is the same as your mother."
He pressed his palms together.
> "Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!"
A brilliant light flared, engulfing them all. The air shook with the sealing's power — the Nine-Tails' roar echoing into silence.
When the light faded, the beast was gone.
A sealing formula now marked the infant's abdomen.
The barrier shattered.
Kushina collapsed first, her body drained of life.
Then — thump — Minato's body fell beside hers.
The Third Hokage and the others rushed in, but Kushina heard nothing.
Her gaze fixed on the man who had always been her light — who had loved and protected her without fail — now lying lifeless on the cold ground.
> "Minato…"
Her voice broke, silent sobs wracking her frail frame. She knew — with the sharp certainty of a sensor-type shinobi — that his chakra had vanished completely.
He was gone.
Her eyes widened in anguish.
> "No… no… MINATO!!!"
Her scream tore through the night. Chakra exploded from her body, wild and overwhelming, her red hair flaring as its color began to fade.
The sheer force of her chakra sent the nearby shinobi staggering backward. Even the Shinigami — which should have been invisible — trembled under the surge.
From within its presence, another chakra surged in defiance.
The Nine-Tails.
Even half-sealed, its hatred and will refused to die.
Two monstrous chakras collided — Kushina's blazing red, the Nine-Tails' burning crimson — their clash twisting the very air.
Caught between them was Minato's fading soul.
> "Kushina!" he called, reaching out, though his voice was already fading into the void.
Outside, the Third Hokage and the others froze as a blinding distortion appeared — a black speck in the air, no larger than a fingernail, pulsing with impossible energy.
> "What is that…?!"
The distortion widened for a fraction of a second — and Minato's soul was drawn into it, vanishing without a trace.
When the light faded, the clearing fell silent.
The Fourth Hokage was gone.
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