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"That old coot, Danzo, sure knows how to run!"
Using his chakra to sense the area, Toshiro realized that Danzo had vanished without a trace. He missed his chance and immediately fled.
However, escaping Toshiro's sensing range? Even though he escaped to his Root HQ, Toshiro was confident he would find Danzo and eliminate him. Despite the risks, it was worth it.
"Toshiro, as Hokage, I cannot allow you to act independently and kill Danzo without a trail."
Just as Toshiro was about to ignore the Sandaime's and Minato's pleas and continue pursuing Danzo, a strong hand landed on his shoulder. Seeing the determination in the Yondaime Hokage's eyes, Toshiro knew he meant every word.
"Since Minato-nii insists, I won't disregard the bigger picture." Minato's stern expression softened slightly as he continued, "But Danzo, that old rat, will only disrupt Konoha's unity!"
"He sent assassins after me and the Sandaime. This matter won't end here. If I encounter him again, I won't show mercy!"
Though Danzo had escaped, the responsibility for the attack remained. Toshiro knew that by morning, the Sandaime would likely downplay the incident. Nonetheless, Toshiro issued a stern warning. If he wasn't satisfied with the outcome, he, Uchiha Toshiro, would seize the opportunity to kill Danzo.
The hatred was already there. If Danzo dared to cause trouble again, Toshiro would exact his revenge.
"Don't worry... I will make sure you and everyone get an explanation."
Seeing Toshiro's gaze, the Sandaime, despite his pain, made a promise. The attack had seriously injured him, and with so many witnesses, he couldn't hide the involvement of the Root Ninjas even if he wanted to. Danzo had gone too far this time, attacking him in public. It was time to discard him.
Yet, the years of friendship made him hesitate.
"You damn Konoha ninjas, you will all die!"
As the Sandaime Hokage struggled with his thoughts, the Nine-Tails, suppressed by Vajra's seal, broke free. The Vajra sealing circle had expanded it's range to include Toshiro, Shiromari, and the others, hence loosening the seal.
With enough time to recover from the damage and paralysis caused by the 'Kirin' jutsu, the Nine-Tails lashed out at the Konoha ninjas in anger.
The attack was sudden. Apart from Toshiro and Namikaze Minato, no one noticed the impending danger, not even the injured Sandaime.
"Vajra Seal Reorganize."
Namikaze Minato acted quickly. As Toshiro moved away, Minato pressed his palm on the black spells. Completing several seals, the black, tadpole-shaped incantations came alive, transforming into black chains that bound the Nine-Tails. The power of Minato was such that he could immobilize the recovered kyuubi with his own power, when it required multiple 'seal masters' to restrict it in a weakened state.
"You damned Yondaime Hokage!"
Sealed again by Minato, the Nine-Tails, filled with resentment and unwillingness, glared at Minato with blood-red eyes.
Given the chance, the first person he wanted to kill was his Jinchuriki Uzumaki Kushina, and the second was the Fourth Hokage Minato.
"Kyuubi..."
The Fourth Hokage seemed to have something to say about the Nine-Tails, but when he thought of Kushina, his expression darkened and his face turned desolate. As Kushina's husband, he knew exactly what would happen if the Jinchuriki lost the tailed beast.
"Toshiro, I'll leave the Kyuubi to you for now! I need to return to Konoha to make some preparations and get ready for the sealing of the Nine-Tails!"
Leaving the Nine-Tails unattended wasn't an option. As the Fourth Hokage, he had a duty to fulfill and immediately set to work on preparations for the sealing.
"Yeah, go ahead! There's nothing else left for me to do here..."
Watching Minato disappear, Toshiro sighed. The Flying Thunder God jutsu was indeed convenient! He wondered if he could earn enough merit to learn it himself, and if so, could he master it?
"What are you all doing here? Except for the sealing team, everyone should stand guard outside to prevent any attacks!"
Dismiss these thoughts, Toshiro ordered the Konoha ninjas to disperse and maintain vigilance. They couldn't do much gathered here, so it was better for them to be on guard. He also heightened his own vigilance, wary of Obito's possible return.
"Yes, Toshiro-sama!"
A chorus of responses followed his command, with a few particularly enthusiastic shouts of 'Sama' making Toshiro feel quite satisfied.
'Who was that? They will have a bright future ahead!'
Seeing the Konoha ninjas respect him so much, Toshiro had to admit that it felt good to be addressed as an authority. However, his moment of satisfaction didn't last long.
Suddenly, a golden light appeared in his sight. It was Minato, returning with his wife and child in his arms.
"Minato-nii… Kushina-senpai!"
Toshiro was surprised to see Minato holding his wife. Were they planning to seal the Nine-Tails in Naruto again? What could Minato be planning this time?
"Toshiro! Long time no see... ahem... I really caused too much trouble for you this time!"
Hearing Toshiro's voice, Uzumaki Kushina shifted her gaze from Naruto to Toshiro, giving him a cheerful smile. Despite the dire situation, there was no fear of death in her eyes. However, when she looked at her child, the reluctance she felt was palpable, even to a blind man.
The way Kushina looks now, she truly seems to be on her deathbed, holding on by a thread. However, compared to her son when the Kyuubi was taken from him, her condition is relatively better. Without the Nine-Tails, Naruto had died immediately. If the Sage of the Six Paths hadn't intervened, the story would have had a different ending.
As for Kushina, although she would die soon, she still had some life force left. In the manga, she managed to restrain the Nine-Tails again and had enough remaining chakra to seal it inside Naruto with the help of the Fourth Hokage.
"Yondaime, how do you plan to seal the Nine-Tails?"
At this moment, Minato's situation was not like in the manga, where he had to deal with Obito for a long time, return to the village with no one to help him, teleport a giant Bijudama, summon Gamabunta, and also teleport the Nine-Tails away from Konoha. Then, together with Kushina, he sealed the Nine-Tails at the cost of their lives. Now he still has a lot of chakra left and is close to his full power.
"I plan to make Naruto the new Jinchuuriki. He is my and Kushina's son. I believe he can handle the burden."
Without any hesitation, Minato decided that his son would become the new Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki.
"It's just… I don't know if Naruto can withstand the chakra of the complete Nine-Tails!"
This was Namikaze Minato's main concern. Naruto had just been born and was only half Uzumaki, while the Nine-Tails' chakra was immensely powerful.
"No! I don't agree! Even though I'm about to die… I can still take the Nine-Tails with me."
"Just let me take the Nine-Tails with me…"
Before Namikaze Minato could think further, Kushina objected. As a Jinchuuriki, she knew the immense suffering involved. She couldn't bear to let her son endure the same pain.
"But…Kushina…"
Minato was at a loss for words. The Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki was crucial for maintaining the balance of tailed beasts among the five great villages. Konoha couldn't afford to be without the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, even if they managed to seal the Nine-Tails again.
Would other villages stand by and watch Konoha capture the Nine-Tails? Wouldn't they restart the war if they got the news? These were the concerns of the Hokage.
"Kushina…"
Just as Namikaze Minato was about to continue persuading his wife, Toshiro interrupted,
"Well… Minato-nii… I've heard that Jinchuuriki die immediately without the tailed beast. But with Kushina-senpai's resilient body… Maybe she can persevere?"
"After all, she is still alive… If the Nine-Tails is sealed in her body again, maybe she will return to her original state."
Why should I provide information to them in advance? It is to change the outcome for the couple and also his clan.
Seeing that Minato was about to seal the Nine-Tails in Naruto's body, Toshiro offered his advice.
"This…"
Looking at the baby in his arms and then at his wife, Namikaze Minato was deeply conflicted.
No matter the possibility, Namikaze Minato didn't want his wife to die this way, but no one knew whether Toshiro's suggestion was feasible.
Normally, jinchūriki die immediately after losing their tailed beasts. Although Kushina, with her Uzumaki clan bloodline, was temporarily stable, the outcome of re-sealing the Nine-Tails into her body was uncertain.
Logically, it should be possible, but there was no precedent for this. As Hokage, he had to consider the consequences of failure.
"Sandaime-sama, I don't know…"
Namikaze Minato turned to the Third Hokage, seeking his opinion and support on this critical matter.
"This…"
The Sandaime tugged at his beard, pondering deeply without giving a direct answer. He was hesitant; if the re-sealing didn't work as expected, it could spell disaster.
Seeing the Sandaime's indecision, Namikaze Minato also fell into deep thought.
"Otherwise… we could split the Nine-Tails into two parts—half sealed in Kushina's body, and half in Naruto's." Toshiro suggested again, trying to find a middle ground.
"Okay… let's do it!"
The Sandaime's eyes lit up at this suggestion. He had always been concerned that Konoha had fewer tailed beasts than other villages like Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri. Splitting the Nine-Tails would not only increase their numbers but also make it easier to control the tailed beast to the jinchuuriki.
"Would it be difficult to do this…?"
However, the Sandaime Hokage, understanding the complexities, quickly inquired about the feasibility and costs involved.
Executing such a plan would be extremely challenging. A sealing technique that could manage the Nine-Tails was already a rare and advanced skill. But to seal and simultaneously split its soul and chakra was exponentially more difficult.
"There might be a way…I can't be certain. Using that specific ninjutsu could accomplish it, but with other sealing techniques, I'm not entirely sure."
The technique to seal the Nine-Tails was already a high-level skill. Splitting it and sealing it into two bodies added immense complexity and risk.
"That ninjutsu?"
The Sandaime understood which technique Minato referred to, leaving him uncertain. He didn't know how to choose between saving both halves of the Nine-Tails and Minato's life.
Even Toshiro hadn't anticipated that splitting and sealing the Nine-Tails would be such a complicated and risky endeavor.
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