Kaito Chapter 31:MInato's Resolve
"A contract seal? He intends to separate the Nine-Tails from me?" he thought, a wave of despair washing over him as the extent of his defeat became painfully clear.
"With this," he declared, his voice resonating with authority, "the Nine-Tails no longer belongs to you!"
…
While Minato was engaged in a fierce battle with the masked man, back in the Hidden Leaf Village, chaos reigned as the Nine-Tails wreaked havoc. The towering beast, unleashed from its seal by the masked man's interference, rampaged through the village streets, its massive claws tearing down buildings and sending debris flying through the air.
Panic-stricken civilians screamed and fled, their cries for help swallowed by the deafening roar of the Nine-Tails. The village's shinobi, including the elite Anbu, scrambled to contain the destruction, but their efforts were futile against the overwhelming power of the rampaging beast.
From his vantage point atop a building, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched the unfolding disaster with a heavy heart. He knew that time was running out, and that he had to act decisively to protect his village from the Nine-Tails' wrath.
Gathering his chakra, Hiruzen addressed the shinobi gathered before him, his voice stern but laced with determination. "You must avoid damage to the village! Chase the Nine-Tails outside the village walls!"
The shinobi nodded in unison, their faces grim with determination. "Yes, sir!" they chorused.
"Buy me time so that I can execute my jutsu!" Hiruzen continued, his gaze unwavering. "Do not slow down the attack!"
With a resounding "Yes, sir! Let's go!" one of the Anbu shinobi took the lead, guiding the assembled ninja towards the rampaging Nine-Tails. Their mission was clear: to distract the colossal beast long enough for the Third Hokage to prepare his powerful jutsu.
The Anbu launched a barrage of kunais at the Nine-Tails, each one equipped with explosive tags to amplify the impact. The Nine-Tails, however, reacted with astonishing agility, swatting the incoming projectiles away with its massive paws, sending the Anbu shinobi flying backward.
Meanwhile, atop the building, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had gathered enough chakra to execute his jutsu. With a determined bite on his right thumb, drawing blood, he swiftly performed the hand signs: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram.
"Ninja Art: Summoning! Monkey King Enma!" he proclaimed, slamming his hand onto the ground.
A cloud of white smoke engulfed the rooftop, concealing the surrounding area from view. As the smoke dissipated, a majestic figure materialized – Enma, the Monkey King.
Enma, a towering figure with white fur and long, flowing hair, emerged from the smoke, his eyes locking onto the Nine-Tails. "The Nine-Tails, huh..." he remarked, his voice laced with a hint of surprise. "So the seal was broken?"
Hiruzen nodded grimly, his gaze unwavering. "We're going to chase it out of the village with the Adamantine Nyoi!" he declared, his voice resonating with authority.
"Got it! Transform!" Enma exclaimed, his voice booming. In an instant, his physical form shifted into a long, sturdy staff, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly sheen. As Enma soared through the air, Hiruzen grasped the staff with a firm grip, his resolve unwavering.
"Let's go, Enma!" Hiruzen commanded, his voice resonating with determination. "Extend!"
With a surge of Hiruzen's chakra, the staff elongated at an astonishing speed, transforming into a colossal weapon that dwarfed even the Nine-Tails' imposing form. With a powerful thrust, the staff struck the Nine-Tails, pushing the monstrous beast backward.
The Nine-Tails, momentarily stunned by the unexpected blow, stumbled backward, its massive body crashing against the village's outer walls. Taking advantage of the beast's disorientation, Hiruzen issued a final command.
"I've Pushed it out of the village," he declared, his voice echoing through the battlefield. "Don't let up! Keep at him!"
As one, the Hidden Leaf shinobi charged forward, their chakra ignited with renewed vigor. They swarmed the Nine-Tails, their combined attacks raining down upon the beast like a relentless storm.
Amidst the chaos of the battle, Hiruzen's thoughts drifted towards Minato. 'Minato… where are you?' he wondered, a hint of concern flickering in his eyes. The Hidden Leaf Village needed Minato's unparalleled speed and strategic brilliance, but he was nowhere to be seen.
…..
Back in the midst of their intense battle, Minato watched as the masked man retreated to the top of a nearby tree, his body battered and bleeding from Minato's Wind Release Rasengan attack. The masked man's left hand, now a bloody stump, throbbed in pain, and his movements were noticeably slower and more hesitant.
"That Rasengan... it affected my healing abilities," the masked man thought to himself, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Despite his injuries, his eyes remained cold and determined, his resolve unshaken.
"I must hand it to you, Fourth Hokage," he acknowledged, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You wounded me and managed to release the Nine-Tails from my control. However, the Nine-Tails will be mine eventually."
Minato listened intently, his expression grave. The masked man's words echoed ominously, hinting at a grand scheme that extended far beyond the destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village.
"I am going to rule the world..." the masked man continued, his voice laced with a chilling ambition. "And there are so many ways to go about doing that."
With that final declaration, the masked man vanished into thin air, leaving Minato standing alone amidst the wreckage of the battlefield. His mind raced, analyzing the masked man's parting words.
"That tone... he's serious about that," Minato thought to himself, a sense of foreboding washing over him. The masked man's ambition posed a grave threat, not only to the Hidden Leaf Village, but to the entire world.
Without wasting another moment, Minato activated his Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting away from the battlefield .
….
Minato appeared atop the Hokage Rock faces just as the Nine-Tailed Fox was preparing another Tailed Beast Bomb. "This is dire," he muttered, and promptly teleported away.
Hiruzen collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Is he going to do that again?" he asked, his eyes widening as he saw the Nine-Tailed Fox preparing another Tailed Beast Bomb.
Minato reappeared near the Nine-Tailed Fox and quickly threw a Hiraishin kunaï above the creature. In a flash, he teleported to the kunaï, above the Nine-Tailed Fox
With lightning-fast hand signs Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram, Minato shouted, "Summoning Jutsu!"
A giant red toad appeared atop the Nine-Tailed Fox, its massive body crushing the creature beneath it. Hiruzen, upon seeing the toad, exclaimed, "That's..."
The shinobi surrounding him finished his sentence, "It's the Fourth Hokage!"
Minato stood atop the toad, his eyes closed as he contemplated the masked man's parting words, "I will rule the world." With a newfound resolve, he turned to the toad and said, "Hold down the Nine-Tailed Fox for just a while, Gamabunta-san."
Gamabunta, the toad, grunted, "That's going to be tough... even for me."
Minato focused his chakra, knowing that teleporting something as massive as the Nine-Tailed Fox would require as much chakra. Meanwhile, the Nine-Tailed Fox, had charged its Tailed Beast Bomb and was poised to unleash it.
Hiruzen and the other shinobi braced themselves for the impending impact.
But before the Nine-Tailed Fox could unleash its devastating attack, both it and Minato vanished.
Gamabunta, now without its burden, plopped onto the ground with a resounding thud.
"Minato... did he teleport away with the Nine-Tailed Fox?" Hiruzen asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Just as he finished his sentence, a massive explosion erupted in the distance, beyond the mountains.
"That way!" Hiruzen shouted, urging his fellow shinobi to follow him as he dashed towards the source of the explosion.
…
Having teleported the Nine-Tailed Fox to a remote location, Minato reappeared with Kushina and their two children. With his wife and eldest son in each arm, and Kushina holding baby Naruto, Minato gasped, "I must put up a barrier immediately." His chakra, depleted from the arduous teleportation, was nearly spent.
Noticing Minato's exhaustion, Kushina reassured him, "I can still do it, Minato." With a surge of determination, five crimson chakra chains emerged from her back, entwining and restraining the Nine-Tailed Fox while simultaneously erecting a protective barrier. The immense exertion caused her to cough, her strength waning.
"Kushina," Minato called out, gently taking baby Naruto from her arms after placing their unconscious eldest son Kaito on the ground.
Sensing his mother's discomfort, Naruto began to cry. "Did I wake you up, Naruto?" Kushina asked, her voice laced with concern,
"Kushina," Minato said, his voice heavy with emotion, his gaze fixed on his beloved wife.
Kushina, her eyes glistening with tears, responded, "I'm going to take the Nine-Tailed Fox with me to my death. With the little chakra I have left, I can seal it away, delaying its revival and saving you all."
A bittersweet smile graced Kushina's lips as she continued, "Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Minato's eyes welled up with tears as he confessed, "Kushina, it's because of you that I am the Fourth Hokage! You've made me the man I am today... and a father! And yet..."
Kushina reached out and gently wiped away Minato's tears. "Minato, don't give me that look! I'm happy that you loved me... and today is Naruto's birthday. If I were to imagine me alive, and our future together, the four of us as a family... I can't see us having anything but a happy life."
She paused, her gaze lingering on Minato's tear-stricken face. "If I were allowed just one regret, it's that I won't be able to see Kaito and Naruto grow up. How I wish I could have seen that.".
Minato stood tall, his eyes burning with determination. "Kushina," he said, his voice resonating with conviction, "there is no need for you to die with the Nine-Tailed Fox. Preserve what little chakra you have left... so you can see our sons grow up."
He wiped away the tears that streamed down his cheeks, his gaze unwavering. "When Kaito told us about his dream, he said I split the Nine-Tailed Fox and sealed one half in you. I didn't understand then, but I do now... if we sealed the full Nine-Tailed Fox in you, you will die due to the immense chakra. But if we seal half the Nine-Tailed Fox in you with the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique, there's a chance you will survive... the only way I know to split the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra is to use the Reaper Death Seal!"
Kushina's eyes widened in shock as she heard Minato's words. "But the caster of that jutsu...!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.
Minato placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with determination. "And one more thing..." he said, his voice laced with wisdom. "It's strategically unwise. If you take the Nine-Tailed Fox and its seal with you when you die, there won't be a jinchuriki around when it reemerges. That will upset the balance of power between the villages."
He paused, his gaze falling upon baby Naruto in his arms. "As for the other half of the Nine-Tailed Fox..." Minato continued, his voice filled with resolve, "I will seal it inside Naruto with the Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique!... I know what you want to say. But remember what Master Jiraiya said about world upheaval and the calamities that would follow. Two things were confirmed for me today. That masked man who attacked you today is a harbinger of disaster! And the one who will stop him is this child!"
Minato's eyes shone with conviction as he declared, "He will open up the future as a jinchuriki. I don't know why, but I'm convinced of this." With that, he gently placed Naruto on the ground.
Kushina's voice trembled as she protested, "But Minato...!"
Minato, his resolve unwavering, stood tall and began weaving the hand signs for the Reaper Death Seal. With lightning-fast precision, his fingers formed the intricate sequence: Snake, Boar, Ram, Rabbit, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Snake, Clap.
"Reaper Death Seal!" he proclaimed, his voice echoing with determination.
A translucent figure materialized behind Minato, its skeletal form reaching out with ghostly hands.
"Let's place our trust in our child!" Minato declared, his eyes filled with unwavering belief in his son. "He's our son, after all!"
Just outside the barrier, Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the ominous hand signs. "Those signs..." he murmured, his voice laced with disbelief. "Yes, it's the Reaper Death Seal!"
Kushina's heart sank as she witnessed Minato's unwavering determination. "Our son..." she trailed off, her voice choked with emotion. "He's our son, which is why I don't want to place such a heavy burden on him!"
Her voice grew stronger as she voiced her concerns, her words echoing with maternal love and protectiveness. "And why use the Reaper Death Seal? Even if there's a small chance to see them grow up, there's no need for you to die! I want you to stay by their side as they grow, to protect them... I don't understand! Why must Naruto be sacrificed for the sake of maintaining balance between villages? Why must you sacrifice yourself for me?"
Her words struck Minato deeply, his heart aching with the pain he was causing his beloved Kushina. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze filled with love and understanding.
"Abandoning one's nation and village is akin to abandoning one's child. You of all people, having witnessed the destruction of your own homeland, should understand the harsh life that awaits those without a country," Minato declared, his gaze resolute, meeting Kushina's with unwavering determination. "Moreover, our family... we are shinobi!" he emphasized, his voice filled with pride. "And even if I were to survive this encounter, I am no match for you. There are things that only you, as their mother, can impart, things that I cannot. That is a mother's role," he explained, gently cradling Naruto in his arms. "I am not doing this solely for you; I am doing this for them as well." His eyes met Kushina's, conveying a depth of love and resolve that transcended words. "I will gladly lay down my life for my sons. It is my duty as their father," he affirmed, his voice resonating with unwavering conviction.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, desperately attempted to breach the barrier erected to contain the Nine-Tailed Fox. Two Konoha shinobi approached him, their faces etched with concern. "Lord Third, what's wrong?" one of them inquired.
Hiruzen pounded against the barrier, his efforts proving futile. "It's no use... I cannot break through this barrier. It prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from escaping," he explained, his voice laced with urgency. "Those two... they're planning to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox themselves!"
If you wish to support this story, please join me at patreon.com/Tilct