Si-hai-wei-mao-xu-zi-you-wu...
Just as Minato was about to form the final 巳 (Snake) hand sign, Wakato and Hashirama suddenly appeared next to him out of thin air.
Minato noticed instantly.
Without hesitation, he canceled the Ghoul Seal and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing in an instant.
In a flash, he reappeared beside Kushina, holding their baby. His quick reaction was staggering.
No wonder he's so skilled with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Who are you?!" Minato shouted, his nerves stretched thin under the repeated attacks.
He was even more alarmed by the sudden arrival of Wakato and the others.
How did they get here?
Could they be enemies?
He had set up barriers.
Even Lord Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, couldn't get past them. Who else could slip through without detection?
For a moment, Minato feared it might be that masked man who claimed to be 'Uchiha Madara' again.
But on closer inspection—
Only then did he realize that the three who had arrived were no ordinary people.
Especially two of them, who looked exactly like the Second Hokage carved on the Hokage Rock!
"Brother, this Fourth Hokage doesn't recognize us?"
Tobirama gave a quick glance and muttered his complaint, annoyed that this 'disciple from another era' couldn't recognize the man whose face was engraved on the Hokage Rock.
"And my face is huge on there, too!"
"Hahaha, in this era, we've been gone a long time. It's only natural they wouldn't recognize us right away."
Hashirama laughed it off, unbothered.
After all, who would expect ancestors who'd been dead for decades to show up out of the blue?
Even if they recognized us, it would take a moment to believe it.
"First Hokage, control the Nine Tails first. Mrs. Kushina can't hold on much longer," Wakato urged.
"Alright, I'll handle it!"
Senju Hashirama wasted no time. Clapping his hands, he activated Sage Mode in an instant.
Sage Art: Myojinmon!
Three massive red torii gates crashed down from above, one stacked upon another, pinning the Nine Tails and sealing its chakra on the spot.
The control was even stronger than the Adamantine Sealing Chains!
Minato and Kushina were both stunned.
"This... Is this Sage Art?"
"So powerful!"
Minato recognized Hashirama's Sage Mode right away. He knew Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode himself, though he wasn't fully proficient.
But even with all the toads from Mount Myōboku combined, they'd struggle to subdue the Nine Tails!
The result was clear.
It wasn't just Sage Art that was powerful; it was the man standing in front of him!
"A-are you the First Hokage and Second Hokage?"
"Hah! Finally figured it out, did you?"
Upon hearing the answer, Minato was even more stunned.
"How is this possible? Weren't you already..."
"Is this Reanimation Jutsu?"
Minato didn't think the First and Second Hokage, long dead, could still be alive. So they could only have been summoned by a Jutsu, like the Reanimation Jutsu recorded in the Book of Seals.
After all, no one had ever heard of a technique that could truly bring back the dead in this era.
"How dare you compare me to those dull reanimated puppets!"
"Tobirama, you left those forbidden scrolls behind, didn't you?"
Hashirama raised his eyebrows, catching the hint that Tobirama might have spread other forbidden techniques like Reanimation.
"Brother, I—"
At this moment, Kushina, weakened, collapsed to the ground.
"Kushina!"
Minato panicked, helpless.
"Sir, is there any way to save her?" Hashirama turned quickly, asking urgently.
"It's simple, just seal the Nine Tails back in," Wakato answered.
"Huh?"
(°Д°)?
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Doesn't the Jinchūriki die when a tailed beast is removed? Just seal it back in, and everything will be fine?
Could it really be that simple?
"Usually, when a Jinchūriki has a tailed beast extracted, they die immediately, with no chance of resealing. But a few with strong life forces can survive a bit longer. The Uzumaki clan is one of those rare examples."
"But what if..." Minato hesitated, anxious.
He didn't know Wakato, but the First Hokage's demeanor and those eyes, almost like Rinnegan, proved he was no ordinary person.
But despite Wakato's confidence, Minato still felt worried. There was no precedent to follow.
"Fourth Hokage, just trust him! He wouldn't... well, at least we wouldn't harm you!"
"Alright!" Minato agreed, gritting his teeth.
He didn't have much of a choice.
He could either trust Wakato or continue with the Ghoul Seal.
The latter would mean certain death for both him and Kushina, while the former offered a chance to save her.
In the worst case, with the First and Second Hokage here, the situation couldn't become more disastrous.
In truth, he also didn't want to leave Naruto parentless, newly born and already an orphan...
"Kushina, do you—"
"I do!"
Kushina, too weak to question who the newcomers were, quickly agreed. She didn't have the strength to verify if they were the legendary Hokage.
But she was willing to try their plan, even if it failed.
After all, it would only mean taking the Nine Tails to her death.
Although that might disrupt the balance of tailed beasts across the villages, it would allow Minato to survive and be there to protect Naruto as he grew.
For Kushina, there could be no better outcome.
She had already been prepared for this.
"Alright. Fourth Hokage, get ready to seal. I'll keep the Nine Tails in check!"
Hashirama clapped his hands, activating Wood Style: Laughing Buddha Technique, and two massive wooden hands emerged, gripping the Nine Tails.
The Nine Tails recognized Hashirama. At first, it had been unwilling to believe he could be resurrected and had fought to escape.
But as the giant Wood Style hands held him down, the entire fox felt helpless.
Against the true God of Shinobi Senju Hashirama, how could he hope to resist?
Nine Tails still remembered when this man restrained him with these very hands, declaring him 'too dangerous.'
Compared to tailed beasts, this man was the real monster!
Enough.
It resigned to its fate.
Soon, the Nine Tails was rolled up into a ball of chakra by the two wooden hands.
Minato set up the sealing altar, ready to begin.
After a while, he and Hashirama successfully resealed the Nine Tails into the Jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki.
The entire process went smoothly.
For the first time, Minato saw the Nine Tails so cooperative, calm as a little fox. It was unbelievable!