Chapter 36
Chapter 36: We Are Alike
*Boom!*
With only two and a half tails left, Kushina Uzumaki's strength was severely diminished, allowing Jiraiya and Orochimaru to gradually gain the upper hand.
Just then, several kunai flew past. Jiraiya, upon seeing this, exclaimed in surprise, "Minato, you!"
Minato Namikaze, who had rushed into the battlefield, seemed to have found his resolve, shouting with determination:
"Master Jiraiya, I'll provide support."
Though Minato's strength was not very high, his reflexes and speed were exceptional, making him gifted. His agile movements, swift as lightning, saw him constantly throwing kunai and shuriken around the battlefield to attract attention.
*Boom!*
The red Nine-Tails chakra morphed into claw-like shapes, destroying everything in sight.
"Something's wrong!"
From a distance, Tsunade frowned as she observed Kushina's beast-like behavior, showing visible anger.
"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kushina is being dominated by hatred, lost within herself. Use genjutsu to wake her up. If not, she'll be drained of chakra and face certain death."
Immediately, Tsunade sensed something, urgently shouting to the two for action.
Hearing this, Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged glances of realization.
It made sense. Despite the weakening of the tailed beast's power, Kushina Uzumaki still showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Like the sand ninja village's Forced Sleep technique, she had completely surrendered her body to the tailed beast's power.
"Orochimaru, use genjutsu, quickly!"
Jiraiya shouted. He was skilled in breaking genjutsu, but not in casting it.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
The terrifying fire style caused Kushina, in her two-and-a-half-tailed form, to roar in fury.
At this point, Orochimaru wasn't the seemingly immortal figure of later years; even a single explosive tag could seriously wound him. Cautious, he used *Striking Shadow Snake* to bind Kushina with several large snakes. In that moment, Orochimaru formed hand seals, prompting a pained scream from Kushina.
"Raaah!"
Kushina clutched her head in agony, lashing out wildly, clearly under Orochimaru's genjutsu.
"Kid, move!"
Tsunade shouted, charging at Kushina with a sealing tag marked "Sit" in her palm, glowing with green chakra.
"Be careful, Tsunade!"
Jiraiya cried out, as Kushina, struggling under the genjutsu, suddenly burst forth with chakra, her chakra tail clawing forward.
"Kushina!"
In response, Tsunade angrily punched the fox-like claw chakra away. In an instant, cracks formed in the ground, from which more chakra claws emerged.
Sensing danger, Kushina's tailed-beast instincts took over, lashing out to keep Tsunade at bay. Suddenly, glints of cold light flashed as spinning shuriken flew past Tsunade from behind.
Orochimaru, noticing something, called out coldly:
"Jiraiya, hold her down!"
"Striking Shadow Snake!"
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
The two's combined jutsu briefly restrained Kushina, though the tailed-beast claws blocked them.
At that moment, Uchiha Yosuke shouted from afar:
"Kushina!"
With a tug on the steel wire in his mouth and fingers, Uchiha Yosuke sent spinning shuriken in an arc, wrapping Kushina up tightly.
"Tsunade, now!"
Uchiha Yosuke shouted as Tsunade charged in, her *Heavenly Foot of Pain* splitting the ground and shattering the chakra claws. Taking advantage of the opening, she closed in on Kushina.
"Wake up!"
"Monster Strength Punch!"
Kushina, sensing the threat, roared and pulled on the steel wire, dragging Uchiha Yosuke over.
"Raaah!"
In an instant, the immense force snapped the wire from Yosuke's fingers, leaving a puff of smoke—Shadow Clone Jutsu. In a thunderous crash, the ground split open, and the real Uchiha Yosuke emerged from below, having tunneled underground with *Earth Style: Inner Decapitation*.
*Boom!*
Uchiha Yosuke landed an uppercut on Kushina, breaking through her tailed-beast cloak and striking her chin.
With a puff of smoke, it was another shadow clone. The real Yosuke appeared behind her, locking her arms and shouting:
"Seal her now!"
Despite feeling the Nine-Tails chakra burning his skin, he held on, relying on his cursed seal powers.
*Boom!*
Tsunade's punch broke through the cloak, her open hand revealing the sealing tag, which she placed on Kushina's chest. A green chakra wrapped around them both, radiating life.
"Is this…"
Feeling the chakra's power, Orochimaru's expression shifted.
"This is the power of the First Hokage's chakra for sealing the Nine-Tails," Tsunade confirmed solemnly.
Beside them, Jiraiya wiped sweat from his brow, laughing, "That was close! We nearly lost to a berserk Kushina."
Though he downplayed it, even a two-tailed Jinchuriki was dangerous enough to kill them, given they hadn't yet reached their peak.
"What's this?"
The healing green chakra stripped Kushina's tailed-beast cloak. Uchiha Yosuke, surprised, felt the power stabilize his cursed seal.
"Kushina!"
Minato's voice called out as Kushina's gaze cleared. She slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, her expression hollow.
"A…a monster?"
In the spiritual realm, she had felt the intense fear and disgust of each Konoha ninja. They had all seen her as a monster.
Although Kushina's tailed-beast cloak had receded, her skin was burned and scarred by the chakra. Hearing her muttering, Uchiha Yosuke, also exhausted and lying on the ground, weakly replied:
"Didn't one monster just save another?"
With a wry smile, he caught her attention. Seeing his curse-marked form fading, Kushina's hollow look softened.
"A…monster?" she repeated, gazing at him.
Pointing to himself with a self-deprecating laugh, Yosuke said, "See? An evil Uchiha who can transform—what else would I be but a monster?"
His words struck a chord in her, as she realized the others looked at him the same way.
"Someone…like me…"
In her previously lonely darkness, she felt a hint of companionship.
"These two brats never stop causing trouble!"
Tsunade approached, healing them both, muttering disapprovingly.
"Finally over!"
The Konoha ninjas, who had been watching anxiously, couldn't help but shudder as they took in the damage left in the forest.
Among the onlookers were Kushina's classmates, whose eyes betrayed fear as they gazed at her.
(End of Chapter)
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