Hearing Kai's words, Minato found himself torn.
By all rights, since Kai had saved Kushina, they should repay him. But as Jiraiya's student, Minato understood perfectly how vital a jinchūriki was to any village.
Moreover, he knew exactly who this man was—an enemy of Konoha.
"Sir, could we perhaps arrange different terms? This request is—"
Before Minato could finish, Kushina interrupted him. "Don't be stupid, Minato! I promised to repay Uncle, so how can I go back on my word?"
She looked at Kai and continued earnestly, "Uncle, go ahead and take the Nine-Tails. But you absolutely have to keep me alive, okay? I'm not ready to die yet!"
She gazed at Kai with an adorably pitiful expression.
"Don't worry, Kushina. It'll hurt a bit, but just bear with it," Kai said with a gentle smile.
"Alright, Uncle. Let's begin." Kushina's expression grew resolute.
Suddenly, chakra blazed across Kai's five fingers. Black magatama-shaped seal threads emerged from his fingertips, quickly spreading across Kushina's entire body.
After a few seconds' pause, the black magatama seals locked onto the Nine-Tails sealed within Kushina, then began pulling the beast away from her body.
Along with the Nine-Tails, Kushina's soul was also being drawn out. Pain flickered across her face, but she pressed her lips together tightly, refusing to make a sound.
"Sir, Kushina..." Minato watched her with heartbreak written all over his face.
"It'll be over soon," Kai said calmly.
With a sharp upward motion, all the black seal threads detached from Kushina's body, the Nine-Tails wrapped within them. Even as the strongest of the nine Tailed Beasts, it clearly couldn't break free from the black magatama seals created by the Rinne Tenseigan.
"Kushina!"
Minato stared at Kushina lying motionless on the ground, her breathing completely stilled. Panic filled his expression, and his voice trembled. "Sir, didn't you say Kushina wouldn't die? How... how is she...?"
"Don't worry. It'll be fine in just a moment." Kai smiled as he formed hand seals.
Self-Reincarnation Technique!
A surge of immense life force poured into Kushina's body. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, her natural vitality far exceeded that of ordinary people. Kai hadn't even used half the life force from the Self-Reincarnation Technique before Kushina's soul had already returned to her body.
As her soul re-entered her physical form, Kushina slowly began breathing again. After a moment, she opened her eyes in a daze.
She blinked, then looked at Kai. "Um, Uncle, did you take the Nine-Tails?"
"Of course."
Kai pointed to the Nine-Tails still bound by black magatama seal threads nearby, then continued, "Since you've already repaid me, it's time for me to go. Farewell."
"Sir, wait..."
Hesitation crossed Minato's face, but seeing Kai about to leave, he remembered his duty as a Konoha ninja and called out to stop him.
"Is there something you need?" Kai asked.
"Well... Sir, may I ask what your purpose is in collecting the Tailed Beasts?" Minato looked at Kai nervously, afraid his question might provoke anger.
"My purpose in collecting Tailed Beasts?"
Kai chuckled. "Of course I have my own goals. But it could also bring relatively lasting peace to the ninja world. Minato, do you believe me?"
After speaking, Kai shook his head. If he himself weren't absolutely certain of his own intentions, even he wouldn't believe what he'd just said—let alone anyone else.
"I believe you, because I feel like you're a good person, sir." Minato answered without the slightest hesitation.
Minato's response surprised Kai somewhat, though he quickly felt relieved. Just based on feeling? Indeed, this was exactly the same personality as the Minato he knew.
Looking at Minato, a thought occurred to Kai. The Rinne Tenseigan in his eyes rotated slightly, and a strange power shot directly into Minato's eyes, then spread throughout his entire body.
"Minato, use the power I've given you to protect this world." With those words, Kai's figure vanished, though his voice still echoed in Minato's ears.
Watching Kai disappear, Kushina's eyes darted about curiously.
She turned to Minato and suddenly asked, "Dummy Minato, didn't Uncle say he gave you power? Try it out quick! Are you stronger than that stinky old Third Hokage now?"
Sensing the chakra within his body, Minato felt no change. He scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm not really sure."
What Minato didn't know was that the power Kai had granted him had only one effect:
The ability to resist the God Tree's chakra absorption!
Imagine this: when all the chakra in this timeline was absorbed by the God Tree, Minato—the only one left with chakra—would become the god of the entire ninja world!
Entrusting the whole world to Minato—that was Kai's intention.
Kai believed that with Minato's absolute power, the entire ninja world would maintain peace. At least until Minato's death, there would be absolute peace.
Several days later, Land of Rain.
The Land of Rain's geographical position could be said to be the very center of the entire ninja world.
It was also the perfect location for Kai to complete the final step of his plan.
Kai had now entered Six Paths Mode. Without using any repulsive force, he stood suspended in midair a hundred meters above ground, his expression unusually grave.
Phantom Dragon Nine Seals!
In Six Paths Mode, Kai instantly sealed the Nine-Tails into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
The statue, previously like withered wood, began trembling as its ninth eye opened. Its massive body started to shake, as if preparing to stand upright.
At this rate, it would completely revive as the Ten-Tails!
But Kai would never allow that to happen!
Hovering in the air, Kai formed several hand seals, then suddenly pressed his palms together. He spoke in a low voice:
"Divine—Birth of the Tree World!"
All of Kai's vast, vibrant Wood Release chakra and surging life force poured into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Instantly, the statue stopped trembling.
An even deeper transformation began to take place!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
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