The transparent vacuum bullet hit the Nine-Tails' dazed head without fail.
When it came to beating a dog while it was down, Shukaku was always enthusiastic—especially when that dog was the Nine-Tails.
Watching the incredibly arrogant One-Tail Shukaku, Rinjin smiled awkwardly at the Minato couple.
"Don't let his fierce barking fool you... uh... Shukaku is actually very well-behaved."
Minato pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and nodded firmly.
"Teacher Rinjin, let's begin!"
Good man! The Fourth Hokage should have some backbone!
Besides, the Nine-Tails couldn't compare to his wife!
That said, Rinjin wasn't 100% confident he could keep Kushina alive. His understanding of how to save jinchūriki was limited to the few memories in his mind.
In the original story, the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique had revived Gaara, the One-Tail's jinchūriki. The special nature of the Eight-TailsGyūki allowed Killer Bee to survive. And Naruto survived because of Minato's half of the Nine-Tails.
Simply put, to extract a tailed beast and survive, you needed either Granny Chiyo, the Eight-Tails, or your dad.
Whether One-Tail Shukaku could replace the Nine-Tails' role and keep Kushina alive—they could only try.
With this thought, Rinjin stopped wasting time and beckoned to Shukaku, who was beating up the dazed Nine-Tails nearby.
"Shukaku, come here!"
Shukaku's body jolted violently. He immediately dropped the Nine-Tails and his massive form quickly shuffled over to Rinjin.
Seeing this, Rinjin nodded with satisfaction, placed his hand on Shukaku's slightly trembling body, and spoke:
"Behave yourself after being sealed! Did you hear me?!"
"I heard you, I heard you!" Shukaku nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken.
Witnessing this scene, Rinjin glanced at Minato and quickly formed hand seals with one hand.
"Ninja Art: Five Elements Seal Technique!"
With a low shout, a modest force instantly enveloped Shukaku. The next second, Shukaku transformed into a mass of earthy yellow pure energy, firmly grasped in Rinjin's five fingers.
Rinjin then rushed to Kushina's side, his eyes filled with seriousness.
"Here we go!"
His claw-like fingers instantly pressed against Kushina's abdomen.
Sizzle~
Wisps of white smoke rose as five regular yet strange patterns appeared on her skin.
As Shukaku was injected, a hint of color slowly returned to Kushina's previously deathly pale face.
Taking a step back and looking at Kushina, whose eyes showed slightly more life, Rinjin's furrowed brow showed no signs of relaxing.
It wasn't working!
This girl's life force was still draining away—the process had only slowed slightly, not stopped.
Switching tailed beasts didn't work?
Beside Kushina, Minato looked at his wife's slightly rosier complexion, his gaze growing increasingly tender.
"Teacher Rinjin, did it work?"
"No!" Rinjin shook his head gravely.
"She might last another day or half a day, but I haven't stopped the life force from draining away."
As soon as he finished speaking, the hopeful light in Minato's eyes dimmed.
"Then teacher, Kushina... does she... does she still have hope?"
Hearing this, Rinjin sighed, turned toward the Nine-Tails' direction, and said slowly:
"The life force drain has only slowed slightly. Use the remaining half day to spend some good time together as a family."
With that, he walked quickly toward the Nine-Tails.
Of course there was a way to save her. With Rinjin's life essence, he could use the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique at least eight more times.
But such a thing was impossible. He would never use his own life essence to save someone insignificant to him, even if that person was the savior's mother.
Walking quickly to the Nine-Tails, Rinjin looked at the half-dead beast, formed seals to cast the Expansion Technique, and stuffed the Nine-Tails into the Glass Pure Bottle.
The deal was complete. Time to retreat.
Shouldering the heavy Glass Pure Bottle, Rinjin waved at Minato.
"At minimum one year, at most three years—I'll return the Nine-Tails then."
Minato held his wife and child, nodding weakly with a forced smile on his face.
In the Land of Rivers, south of the Land of Rain, rivers crisscrossed the endless plains like a network.
Rinjin set down the violently shaking Glass Pure Bottle and removed the lid.
Instantly, a mass of red, scorching chakra surged from the bottle, shooting straight into the sky.
The chakra took form—the Nine-Tails landed heavily with a sky-shaking roar, its sharp-clawed paw striking fiercely toward Rinjin.
Seeing this, Rinjin calmly picked up the Glass Pure Bottle from the ground and flashed to a nearby spot.
Dropping the bottle, he removed his shirt, extended his right hand, and pressed it against the Five Elements Seal on his chest and abdomen.
The next second, his cat's massive form leaped out from Rinjin's body, baring its teeth at the distant Nine-Tails.
"Behave yourself, big fox!"
On the other side, the Nine-Tails, free from the Sharingan and dazed state, crouched on all fours, glaring threateningly at Rinjin with continuous snarls.
"Rinjin of the North! I knew you were no good! Too bad that stupid woman Mito Uzumaki wouldn't believe it!"
Rinjin waved his hand impatiently.
"Enough chatter! Two paths lie before you—either obediently lend me your chakra, or I'll beat you up first, then you'll obediently lend me your chakra!"
"Bastard!"
With an angry roar, the Nine-Tails charged at Rinjin without thinking.
Seeing this scene, Rinjin immediately sighed.
"You chose this yourself—nobody forced you! I already sorted out that hothead Shukaku, and I can't handle one little fox?!"
With that, the Super Expansion Technique activated, and Rinjin once again became a hundred-meter-tall giant.
The earth rumbled as the one-sided battle began.
The Nine-Tails, as the strongest of all tailed beasts, was first-class in both physical combat and jutsu abilities.
Unfortunately, it had encountered Rinjin—the guy who'd given the Two-TailsMatatabi bumps all over its head when he was only ten years old.
Faced with overwhelmingly powerful physical abilities, the Nine-Tails' sharp fangs were knocked out one by one by Rinjin.
Then its eye sockets quickly swelled up.
After that, fox fur flew everywhere as Rinjin began plucking the little fox's hair.
Meanwhile, his cat carefully avoided the network of rivers, found a dry patch of ground to lie down on, and leisurely watched its jinchūriki bully the Nine-Tails.
In others' eyes, the Nine-Tails was powerful.
But in Rinjin's eyes, the Nine-Tails had some ability, but not much.
Aside from its nearly infinite chakra reserves, this little fox really didn't have anything that caught his eye.
Ultimately, tailed beasts were essentially similar to Rinjin in nature.
They couldn't truly die—even if killed, they would reform after some time.
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