Chapter 289: Being a Shinobi
The Nine-Tails, now free from Obito's control, did not stop its rampage. It continued to attack Konoha, its heart filled with a deep-seated hatred for all of humanity, and especially for the village that had imprisoned it for so many years.
If Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha were still alive, it might have hesitated. But now... it was confident it could destroy the entire village with less than half of its power.
"ROAR! Die, all of you!" It lowered its head, preparing to launch another Tailed Beast Bomb to break through the accursed barrier that was holding it back.
Minato, his white Hokage robe fluttering in the wind, looked at his wife and slowly began to form a series of hand signs.
Kushina, a master of sealing jutsu herself, knew exactly what he was doing, and she knew the consequences. "Minato, what are you doing? Stop! You don't have to sacrifice yourself for me," she cried.
She knew what happened to a Jinchuriki who had their Tailed Beast removed. Though she seemed fine for now, her life force was draining away. She was dying.
Minato knew this as well. And that was why he had chosen to use the Reaper Death Seal. He would not let her go to the underworld alone.
He could have held out. He could have waited for Kyosuke to arrive. With his Mangekyo, the Nine-Tails would have been no match for him. But he had made his choice.
Kushina, seeing the unshakeable resolve in his eyes, finally gave up trying to dissuade him. "Minato... to have been loved by you... I have no regrets," she whispered. Her gaze fell on the sleeping Naruto, and she couldn't help but ask, "Why... why did you choose Naruto? You know how tragic the life of a Jinchuriki is... why must he bear this burden...?"
Her words brought a flood of images to Minato's mind: the countless civilians who had died in the war, the endless battles, the powerful enemies he had faced, including the two who had appeared today.
"Because... we are a family of shinobi," he said, and with that single, simple sentence, he managed to convince the grieving mother.
As a shinobi, especially as their son, Naruto would inevitably be drawn into the world of battle, of endless risk. And even if he chose to live as a civilian, there was no guarantee that Konoha would not one day be invaded by a powerful enemy. In that scenario, a powerless Naruto's fate would be in the hands of others. Minato would rather choose the path of a shinobi for his son now.
The life of a Jinchuriki was often tragic, but it was better than a meaningless death at the hands of an enemy. And with Hiruzen and the others to watch over him, he was confident that Naruto would grow up to be a fine man.
Because... he was their son.
Outside the red barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched as Minato completed the hand signs, a look of profound grief on his face. He wanted to take his place, to perform the Reaper Death Seal himself.
Though he was a man who craved power, his love for the village was undeniable. He could not bear to watch Minato, the hope of the next generation, throw his life away. He would have gladly given his own to save him.
But Minato had anticipated this. The barrier had been erected to keep him out. He would not let anyone else be drawn into this.
Hiruzen slammed his fists against the barrier, his eyes closed in pain. "It shouldn't be like this... why did it have to be like this...?" he whispered.
Ever since Orochimaru's defection, he had felt as if he had aged a decade. He had been preparing to pass the torch to the younger generation, to Minato. But now... he could only sigh at the cruelty of fate.
Don't worry. I will take care of Naruto for you.
The Nine-Tails looked down at the blond-haired man and felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease, as if it were about to die at his hands. It changed the trajectory of its Tailed Beast Bomb, aiming it directly at him.
"Kushina!" Minato shouted.
"Leave it to me." A series of golden chakra chains shot out from her body, wrapping around the Nine-Tails and suppressing the Tailed Beast Bomb that was about to be unleashed.
The Nine-Tails roared in frustration, a flicker of fear in its eyes.
"Damn you, Kushina! Let me go! I will not be sealed in another brat! Never!!!"
It knew what was coming. It would be imprisoned once again, until its new Jinchuriki died. It was a fate that any sentient being would find unbearable.
But the laws of this world were cruel. It was weaker than Konoha, and so, it had no say in its own destiny.
This was another reason Minato had chosen to seal the Nine-Tails in his own son. No matter what path Naruto chose in life, he had to have the power to choose it for himself. In this, he and Itachi Uchiha were the same.
The difference was that Minato believed in Naruto's ability to walk the right path. Itachi did not believe the same of Sasuke. And it was this difference in belief that would set the two of them on their very different, and often conflicting, paths.
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