After Minato left, Kushina did her best to slow the loss of her life force after having the Tailed Beast forcibly extracted. Normally, a Jinchūriki would die almost instantly after such an event—but she was different.
First of all, the Nine Tails' chakra was unlike any other. Not only was it overwhelming in quantity, it possessed powerful vitality. Its energy lingered in every cell of her body like embers refusing to go out. This chakra was potent enough that, if poured into a dried tree, it could make it bloom again. And Kushina, being an Uzumaki of the highest bloodline activation in her generation, had an extraordinarily resilient body.
So her life didn't bleed away like air from a burst balloon. Instead, it escaped slowly—like a balloon with pinholes. Without the beast sealed inside her, she couldn't stop the process entirely, but she could at least slow it down.
Tremors continued shaking the ground, the ceiling above quaking with aftershocks. Dust trickled down, making it harder to breathe. Kushina didn't care. But her babies were different. Naruto whimpered softly, clutching Menma's little hand, while Menma smacked his lips—probably hungry. If Kushina weren't in such a condition, she would have tried to breastfeed him. But she couldn't—not while death loomed so close.
Still, full of a mother's love, she gently stroked her two newborns, undisturbed by their wrinkled skin. Naruto had soft, pale yellow hair and a spotless, cherubic face that made anyone want to nibble his cheek. Menma, on the other hand, had vibrant red hair like a newly lit flame. On each cheek were three fine whisker-like lines—lanugo that made him resemble a tiny kitten. She wondered if those markings would stay as he grew.
Her senses told her that both children had awakened chakra, indicating a high degree of Uzumaki bloodline activation. But Menma's chakra... it was three times stronger than Naruto's. Even more alarming, it radiated a rare, intense vitality—a trait scarcely seen in her clan. It reminded her of a forbidden secret: a body like Kaguya's, capable of healing others with its own life force. Such a person was considered priceless—and cursed. If others found out, it would mean certain death. She silently prayed it wasn't that.
As she worked to stabilize herself, she realized something else. The residual Nine Tails chakra was more effective at preserving her life than her own. She had isolated a small portion of it before the extraction, and now she allowed that chakra to flow through her network of meridians.
The result was incredible. It didn't just slow her decline—it started repairing her broken body. In moments, she had enough strength to stand—an impossible feat for someone who had just delivered twins. Hope flared inside her.
As she drew in more and more of the Nine Tails' chakra, nearing a partial beast state, Menma suddenly grabbed her finger with his tiny hand.
Confused, she looked down—and nearly screamed in horror.
A thin layer of Nine Tails' chakra now cloaked Menma's tiny body.
It should have been burning him. That kind of chakra would melt any normal infant's skin. But Menma looked... comfortable. Blissful, even. Like he was enjoying a rare treat.
She examined him quickly, expecting burns. But instead, she found that his body was slowly absorbing the chakra. Her eyes widened.
She looked at the little kitten-like face, those three delicate lines on his cheeks—and understood.
Nine Tails had been sealed near her lower abdomen, close to her womb. It was inevitable that its chakra had leaked into the womb, bathing the fetus in it for months. Menma had essentially grown inside that chakra. No wonder he was fine.
But how did he pull chakra out from her like that? Even if it was external chakra, she still had full control of it. It was like someone had stolen a ring off her finger without her noticing. That was not normal.
As she pondered this, a flash of light signaled Minato's sudden return. He appeared beside her in an instant, scooping her and the twins into his arms and teleporting them again.
Just as they landed outside, a thunderous boom erupted behind them—followed by a crushing shockwave.
"Ahh!"
"Waaah! Waaah!"
Kushina gasped in pain, and the startled twins burst into tears..
Kushina tried to calm them while looking at Minato. He was covered in dust but didn't appear to have any visible wounds. However, he was panting hard—clearly exhausted and low on chakra.
"Sorry… Kushina. I had to bring him here to seal it… I'll just arrange a barrier… In a while… I'll deal with him… one way or another… There are things… you are what I must protect…"
He lowered his head, looking at Naruto in embarrassment. Pulling him to his chest, he continued, still panting:
"…many Precious… things… I have to keep them all safe… As long as I have them… I swear… I'll never give up."
His speech was broken from fatigue. She could see he was doing his best. She couldn't bear to see him—her most beloved—like that.
Determined to help, she handed Menma—whom she had been holding—to him, speaking softly, full of care.
"Minato, wait… I… you know… I can always do what I want, Minato. You know, I'm the princess of the Uzumaki clan."
She formed a hand seal, and in the next moment, massive chakra chains erupted from her back, drilling into the ground—completely binding the confused Nine Tails that had just stood up and was trying to get its bearings.
"…To hell with your family, Fourth Hokage…" Kurama muttered bitterly.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
Minato quickly rushed to Kushina's side.
"Kushina!! Don't push yourself to hard!"
"Huff… Don't worry about me. I've recovered a lot… Huff… Just arrange the sealing ritual… After all… You promised me."
Minato was surprised at how well she seemed. He knew what happened when a Jinchūriki lost their tailed beast.
But here she was—alive and stable.
Touching her hand, checking her pulse and body, he was shocked at how much she had recovered. But he found something else too.
Kushina's body couldn't contain the Nine Tails' entire chakra anymore—not with how badly her body and spirit were damaged.
Even if he forcibly sealed the beast back into her and guarded the seal, it wouldn't work. She would die along with the Nine Tails.
There was no solution unless the Nine Tails lost at least half its chakra—but that was impossible.
Unless he could cut it in half in one move, its recovery speed exceeded all consumption.
Only a Tailed Beast Bomb could temporarily halt it.
No other option would reduce its chakra to half.
Then, an absurd idea struck him.
He considered the feasibility—and realized it was possible. It might actually work.
But the cost…
Thinking of how it could strengthen the village, save his wife, and protect his children, he made his decision—as a Hokage, a husband, and a father.
He retracted his hand, considered his words carefully, and said:
"Kushina, your body can't contain Nine Tails as whole in its current state."
Hearing this, Kushina was shocked for a moment. It took her a while to understand what Minato was saying, and then she looked at her two children in Minato's arms. A tear slowly slipped from the corner of her eye. She wanted more. She wished for a better life with her family. She hoped for it. But reality was hard. Seeing Kushina so emotionally unstable, he wanted to continue, but Kushina didn't give him time.
"Then, I'll take Nine Tails with me to death!! This way, the interval would be delayed until he is revived again!"
Seeing his wife being so decisive, he immediately tried to stop her from doing anything.
"There is no need for you to die!! Kushina, you are the one who made me the Fourth Hokage, a father... who made me a man! I could see our family's bright future. A happy family of four! But my wish can't become true. Kushina, you won't be the one to die. I'll be!! I want you to watch them grow up in my place. I want you to teach them how to be a man just like how you taught me to. And... and if you feel like it, tell them how their father was when he was alive."
After saying those words, Minato stood up and walked to the flat ground on the side, leaving the confused Kushina there, to summon two ritual altars.
"Wait!! Didn't you say I can't keep the Nine Tails? Then, why are you the one to die?! Minato! What are you going to do?? How can I live alone in this world without you? Minato, answer me! I beg you! Please!"
Minato summoned two altars and made the preparations for the sealing ceremony as fast as he could, not answering Kushina, who was keeping Nine Tails captive and was staring at him.
After finishing everything, he walked to the smaller altar and stood in front of it, looking at the twins, hesitating. Finally, he made a decision and placed the red-haired child with the stronger chakra, Menma, inside.
Then he walked to his wife, kneeled beside her, holding her shoulder, and slowly, despite the chains hanging behind her, moved her to the bigger and closer altar. Kushina kept staring at him, seeking answers, but still followed his intentions, moving to the center of the altar.
In fact, she had already guessed what he wanted to do, especially after summoning two altars, placing Menma in one, and moving her to the other. But she couldn't figure out how he was going to do it, nor why he had to die. After finishing everything, Minato finally talked:
"There is no need for you to die. I'm going to seal the yin half of Nine Tails inside Menma, and the other half, the yang part, inside you. Dividing him in half will solve the problem and will make it easier to control the Nine Tails in the future. It is the best outcome for you, the village, and our family. I won't be there with you, but you will have what remains of me by your side. And not just one, but two. They will give you all the love I had for you and love you unconditionally, never leaving you alone."
"I'll also leave part of my chakra as a part of the Eight Signed Seal, watching over Menma and you, so you will never be alone. As for why I won't be with you... Reaper Death Seal!!"
"But Minato!!!"
"Kushina, remember the world upheaval and calamities that teacher Jiraiya said. Today, I became convinced of two things: the masked man who attacked you today—he will bring catastrophe to the world. Even though earlier I sealed his chakra, I sensed that he left the village moments ago, and that child, Menma, will stop him at that time. I have this feeling that, if it wasn't for his existence, perhaps everything would be different. He will open up the future as a Jinchuriki. I don't know how, but I'm sure of it. Especially since you will guide him, he won't be consumed by the hatred of the Nine Tails."
"Also, if Nine Tails dies, the balance will be broken and war will be inevitable. Flames will burn this whole ridden village and this country again. And I'm afraid it won't be able to hold on this time."
"But... Minato....."
Minato walked to Menma's side and summoned another toad which had a long scroll in the middle of its body. He handed Naruto to him carefully and then stood behind Menma, facing the Nine Tails. At this moment, Menma was awake and babbling something softly, making him look very cute.
"Let's believe in him.... After all... he is our son..."
"It's because he is our son... that I don't want him to bear... such... heavy burden...!! And why Reaper Death Seal?! I want you to stay with them and watch over their development! Why... why does Menma have to be sacrificed for the balance of the tailed beasts?! For the peace of this country and this village?! And why do you have to sacrifice yourself for my sake?! Sniff... Huff..."
"Forsake one's country, one's village... it's the same as forsaking one's children! You are an Uzumaki, you should know too well how harsh life is to those who have no land to call home! Besides that, our family are ninja! Finally, if I were to live, I'd lose out to you!"
"Huh?"
"There are only things you can tell them that I can't tell. That's a mother's role. So I'm not doing it just for the sake of the village or you. I'm doing it for them too! I'll die for my children. This is my duty as their father!"
Saying these, Minato made hand seals, and then a ghostly figure appeared behind him. He looked down upon his newborn child, a tear sliding down his face, and then looked up to the furious Nine Tails.
"Humph. Seal!!!"
The reaper raised its hand and thrust it through Minato's chest toward the sky. It flew high and then entered Nine Tails' head. The moment it grabbed Nine Tails, he sensed something and looked at Minato and the familiar and unfamiliar figure behind him. Trying to remember, he thought of old and painful memories he had with the Uzumaki clan and was horrified.
"What!! ... Don't tell me you...!!"
"Seal!!"
Just as Minato shouted, the hand pulled out hard, grabbing a massive amount of dark and heavy chakra. At first, it was like a miniature Nine Tails, but as it pulled more, it became a big ball of highly compressed chakra. Just as Nine Tails reduced to half of his normal size, the chakra stopped separating and then flowed toward Minato.
Minato once more made many hand seals at a very fast speed. Just as the ball of chakra was about to enter his body, he slapped it downward to the sealing altar and the chakra followed his command. The moment it entered the center of it, the chakra was absorbed very fast and entered inside Menma, settling in the Eight Signed Seal that appeared on his stomach. Menma grunted in pain but calmed down soon, falling asleep nevertheless fast.
The reaper, that had lost its prey, seemed enraged and tried to grab the chakra back, but Minato's earlier seals came handy at this moment. No matter how hard the reaper tried, it couldn't touch the altar. Finally, after the sealing ceremony finished, it calmed down and slowly retracted its hand back, waiting patiently to eat Minato's soul.
"Ugh... finally done."
Kurama, now smaller and weaker, tried to attack. But the chains bonding him tightened again, making him unable to move at all. Enraged, full of hatred, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"You.... What have you done!... Minato... Fourth Hokage!!!"
Minato looked at the smaller Nine Tails and checked his chakra, not forgetting to look at Menma's seal to find any problems. After seeing everything was fine, he weakly and slowly walked to Kushina's side, kneeling beside her, just like at the wedding they had—but this time not for union, but for separation.
Kushina couldn't bear it any longer. She hugged him tightly, crying bitter tears one after another, shaking nonstop.
"Minato... Huff.... Why does this have to happen... to us... why..."
"It's alright, Kushina! I'm sorry! I couldn't protect you well... I'm afraid you have to walk the rest of the road with the children alone. I'll wait for you, but please, don't rush like always.... Now, let's begin!"
"You know.... Minato.... This is the.... first time.... I lost an argument.... with you.... it proves.... how serious... you are....! Fine.... you better wait for me.... don't rush for incarnation! Not that you can! Before I leave, I'll break it and we will be united one more time. I promise you, so you wait for me... Promise.."
"Hmm. I promise!"
Making a few more hand seals and injecting what remained of his chakra along with it, Minato sealed the yang half of Nine Tails inside Kushina.
"Nooo...!!! Not again...!!"
Kushina's chakra chains lost their target and slowly disappeared. Kushina, who lost consciousness, leaned to the side. Minato grabbed her weakly and walked staggeringly, not paying attention to the reaper, who was raising the blade in his mouth, taking her to Menma's side. Putting her down, he called the toad holding Naruto to his side, taking Naruto from him and placing him next to the two.
"I'll give you the key to both seals. After this, rush to Master Jiraiya's side and have him take you in. Be careful and don't mention what happened to anyone else, Gamataba."
"I'm off then, Minato. And.... goodbye, it was nice to know you."
Puff.
Just as Minato was ready to lie down by his family's side for the last time, the Third Hokage came.
"Minato!!!"
"Lord Third! I'm sorry, I couldn't protect the village as I should have."
"No Minato. You have done more than enough!"
"Then I'm relieved! Lord Third, the person behind this was a masked man. Probably from the Uchiha clan, but he isn't a member of the village. I think he is a successor of... cough... Uchiha Madara!"
"What!! How is that possible!!"
"I'm not sure, but he will definitely do something bad and destroy the very foundation of society!"
"I have left a few notes on his intelligence in the hideout beneath the Hokage office. Also, I'll leave Kushina, Menma, and Naruto to you. Please take care of them and guide them."
"How is Kushina still alive?"
"About that... I have divided Nine Tails into two beasts."
"What?!"
"Well, things happen, you know. Finally, the village is back in your hands! Tell my regards to Master Jiraiya."
After saying those words, Minato's soul was taken away by the reaper and his lifeless body fell next to his family.
The Third Hokage quickly came forward and supported him, but found his body was lifeless. Laying his body slowly next to his family, he checked Kushina and the children.
He was surprised to find two children, which should have been one—but that was fine. The child with red hair, who was called Menma and was the Jinchuriki, along with the other one, Naruto, were fine. In return, Kushina wasn't in a good condition. The seal was stable but her pulse and life signals were weak. Knowing that she was in danger, he ordered his men to take her and the children away.
He stood at the devastated battlefield of love and hate, looking at the night sky, deep in thoughts.
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