Though Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were both pouring every ounce of their strength into helping Naruto, the truth was this—
The only one who could actually pull chakra from the Nine-Tails… was Naruto himself.
Minato and Kushina's efforts weren't meaningless, but their effect was limited.
After all, only chakra could seize chakra.
And as the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails' power far surpassed that of any human.
Against Naruto's desperate struggle, the beast only needed to resist slightly to reclaim part of its chakra.
The harsh truth was that Naruto had never undergone the training at the Waterfall of Truth.
Deep in his heart still lurked his own darkness.
Not only that—he had not yet grown into the level of strength he would one day wield in the Shippuden era.
The amount of chakra he had now was far less than he would possess then, and his control over it was weaker still.
So when the Nine-Tails fought back with all its might, the chakra Naruto had painstakingly dragged away began slowly slipping back into the beast's body.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Seeing this, Naruto quickly formed hand signs and split into dozens of identical copies.
But instead of helping him pull chakra, he had them attack.
If they could force the Nine-Tails back, separating its body from its chakra, Naruto could seize that fleeting opening to capture its energy.
"That's my son, alright."
Kushina couldn't help but praise him once she understood his plan.
Minato, however, was struck speechless by what unfolded before his eyes.
Naruto's clones charged the Nine-Tails without hesitation. Harnessing the power of Sage Mode, each one unleashed Sage Art: Super Giant Rasengan, slamming them against the massive fox.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every strike exploded with deafening shockwaves.
At the same time, Kushina withdrew her chakra chains—she couldn't risk the Nine-Tails using her power to maintain its link with its chakra.
And it worked.
Naruto's plan was effective.
The relentless barrage of Super Giant Rasengans forced the Nine-Tails backward, disrupting its focus and keeping it from concentrating on tugging back its chakra.
For a moment, the balance tipped in Naruto's favor once more.
But…
Naruto's chakra reserves were not infinite. They were simply larger than most people's.
And while the Super Giant Rasengan was devastating, its cost in chakra was monstrous.
One by one, his shadow clones burned out their reserves and dispelled, vanishing in clouds of smoke.
The crushing fatigue slammed back into Naruto's body, leaving him so drained he dropped out of Sage Mode altogether.
The truth was—those attacks had been his trump card. His all-or-nothing gamble.
"Wind Style…"
From the back, Senju Haruto frowned, instantly realizing why Naruto had failed.
In the original timeline, Naruto had indeed defeated the Nine-Tails with this strategy and stolen its chakra.
But back then, after unleashing the barrage of Super Giant Rasengans, he had followed up with Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, blasting the Nine-Tails back completely.
Yet in this timeline, neither Jiraiya nor Kakashi had guided him to develop new techniques.
Right now, Naruto didn't know the Rasenshuriken at all.
And the worst part—because his chakra had been consumed so rapidly, Naruto no longer had the strength to contest the Nine-Tails at all.
Not only was the chakra he'd pulled being sucked back into the beast… even his own chakra was being ripped out of him.
"Not good."
Minato's expression darkened. He rushed forward, catching his son as Naruto staggered.
Seeing things spiral out of control, Kushina had no choice but to hurl out her chakra chains once more, trying to bind the Nine-Tails.
But this time, the fox wouldn't just stand still.
For all its massive size, its speed and agility were anything but clumsy.
Even as it yanked Naruto's chakra away, it darted nimbly around the battlefield, dodging Kushina's sealing chains.
To the Nine-Tails, victory was already inevitable.
"Haruto…"
With no other option, Minato turned to him, pleading that he use Wood Release to restrain the beast.
"Can't stand by and watch anymore."
Senju Haruto let out a helpless sigh and stepped forward.
Both Minato and Kushina froze instinctively at his words.
Can't stand by? What does he mean…?
The truth was—Haruto had believed that with Minato and Kushina's help, things would go smoothly.
That seizing the Nine-Tails' chakra was practically guaranteed.
He had even thought to step back, letting this family of three strengthen their bonds together through the struggle.
But he hadn't expected Naruto's chakra to drain away so quickly—and with so little effect.
"As I thought… making Naruto at this age try to seize the Nine-Tails' chakra is just too much."
Haruto shook his head, unable to stop himself from thinking it.
In Shippuden, Naruto had already grown into adulthood. Both his chakra reserves and his physical endurance were at their peak.
But right now? He hadn't even passed the Academy's graduation exam.
He wasn't even a genin.
Failure, in this situation, was only natural.
So Haruto slowly raised both hands.
"Kushina!"
Minato called urgently to his wife, hoping she would join him in supporting Haruto's attempt.
Even if the Nine-Tails only had half its full power, it was still an immense threat.
That night of chaos years ago, it had nearly destroyed Konoha outright.
Minato had sacrificed himself, countless shinobi had died…
But before Kushina could move to Haruto's side to provide cover—
She froze in her tracks.
So did Minato.
Because Haruto did not unleash Wood Release right away.
Instead, before that—his true body gathered natural energy, entering Sage Mode.
"Sage Mode…"
Minato swallowed hard, shock flooding him all over again.
Haruto could use Sage Mode too—and not only that, but his control of it seemed even more refined than Naruto's.
Even more striking, his sensory abilities exceeded even the famed perception of the Uzumaki clan.
And the sheer volume of chakra he possessed in this state…
Kushina's breath caught. If she hadn't personally watched Minato seal away the other half of the Nine-Tails inside himself, she might have thought Haruto was a Jinchūriki too.
"This power… impossible…"
Even the Nine-Tails' eyes widened in disbelief.
Staring at Haruto, the beast couldn't help but recall one man—
Senju Hashirama.