Chapter 274 – The Aftermath (Part I)
"Huff… huff…"
Minato Namikaze's breathing was ragged.
Every breath felt heavier than the last.
He could tell the side effects of the Akimichi clan's stimulant were beginning to set in.
It wasn't lethal — the backlash would fade eventually —
but right now, even a small weakness was dangerous.
He hadn't used the Reaper Death Seal to split the Nine-Tails.
Everything — every incision, every seal, every layer of chakra control —
he was doing with his own strength alone.
Thankfully, his past conflicts with Danzō had forced him to study sealing techniques in depth.
Without that, he doubted he could have divided the Nine-Tails so precisely.
Even with Fugaku Uchiha and Kei Uchiha restraining the beast like a chained panther,
the precision required to sever and seal its chakra
was enough to drain Minato's entire mind and body.
His chakra, even bolstered by the medicine,
was nearly gone.
Still, he pressed on.
The hardest part was already over —
he had successfully completed the first stage.
Following Kei's plan, Minato had sliced the Nine-Tails in half —
a straightforward division,
no need yet to balance Yin and Yang chakra ratios.
He had sealed one half into Kushina.
Even weakened, she could stabilize that portion.
A full tailed beast would have crushed her,
but half — half she could handle.
Now, her breathing was steady again.
But Fugaku's wasn't.
The Uchiha patriarch's face was pale,
and blood streamed steadily from his eyes.
Even with Kei's shadow clone aiding him,
holding the Nine-Tails this long was tearing at his body.
Minato's gaze hardened.
I have to finish this quickly.
The most difficult step remained —
to split the remaining half of the Nine-Tails into its Yin and Yang attributes.
The Yin half — the spiritual energy — he would seal into himself.
The Yang half — the physical vitality — would go to Naruto.
The boy's Uzumaki blood would help suppress the beast's chakra.
Once his calculations were perfect, Minato moved.
In one precise motion, he severed the chakra essence and sealed the Yin half into his own body.
Instantly, his exhaustion hit him like a storm.
His limbs trembled, vision flickering.
But when he glanced at Fugaku, he saw the man's grimace ease slightly —
the strain lessened.
Even Kei's Susanoo-clad clone had diminished,
the black armor shrinking and fading.
But it was enough.
The worst was behind them.
Only one step remained.
The most crucial of all.
"Just one more," Minato whispered.
"You can do this… Minato Namikaze."
Ignoring the turbulence of the half-sealed Nine-Tails raging within him,
he formed another rapid series of seals,
then struck his palm to the ground.
A small altar appeared before him, lit by a single candle flame.
He laid baby Naruto upon it —
still crying, still unaware of the fate his parents carried.
Minato smiled faintly.
He brushed a hand across the boy's soft cheek.
"You'll grow up strong… stronger than both of us."
He stepped back and formed another seal.
"Eight Trigrams Seal…"
He paused.
No… to stabilize it long-term, I'll need a failsafe.
He clapped his hands together and called out:
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke burst open, revealing a peculiar toad sitting cross-legged —
its belly folded like a scroll.
"Lord Minato?" the toad blinked. "What in the world—? The Nine-Tails? Mangekyō Sharingan? Susanoo?! What happened here!?"
Minato smiled weakly through his exhaustion.
"Fukasaku… there's no time. I'm entrusting you with the sealing key.
Take it to Mount Myōboku and keep it safe."
The toad's eyes darted to the baby,
then to the exhausted shinobi before him.
He nodded solemnly.
"Understood. I'll see it done. But… it seems this night has gone terribly wrong.
Still, to think I've seen the Mangekyō and Susanoo with my own eyes… unbelievable."
"Thank you."
Minato turned his eyes back to his son.
Naruto…
This isn't fair to you. But your mother endured the same.
You'll live a better life than either of us.
Because we'll protect you — together.
With a soft smile, Minato pressed his palm to Naruto's stomach.
"Eight Trigrams Seal — activate."
The sealing mark flared across the infant's belly.
In a surge of light, the chakra of the Nine-Tails poured into him,
coalescing into a swirling vortex of power.
---
Meanwhile, in the other world of illusion —
"Y-you're lying!"
Obito Uchiha trembled violently.
His eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face.
Kei's words tore at him like claws.
He wanted to dismiss it — to call it manipulation —
but something deep inside whispered that it might be true.
That Rin's death…
was arranged.
That she hadn't simply died on Kakashi's blade —
but had been forced into it.
That she had carried the Three-Tails within her,
and an activation curse mark on her heart
that would've compelled her toward Konoha until death released her.
A puppet forced into tragedy.
And he — Obito — had spent years hating the wrong people.
"No… no, that can't be…"
His voice cracked.
His body shook uncontrollably.
Kei's gaze was calm, cold.
"Think about it. Why would I lie?
What could I possibly gain from deceiving you?"
His tone was steady — perhaps too steady —
but in Obito's fractured state, it didn't matter.
His mind wavered.
His heart split between rage and doubt.
If it's true… what have I done?
He clutched his head, trembling.
"I… I can't believe you. Even if it's true…
Even if what you say is real…
This world is already broken!
It's too late to fix anything!"
His voice turned to a hoarse scream.
"Kill me, then! I'm not your equal — I never was!
At least if I die, maybe… maybe I can see Rin again…"
Kei exhaled slowly.
"Maybe you're right.
This world is filled with despair."
He stepped forward, his voice quiet but sharp.
"I've seen that despair — lived it, bled it —
but I don't plan to die in it.
And I'm not going to kill you, either."
"Then… what do you want?"
"The truth." Kei's eyes glimmered faintly.
"I want to know what you and your 'organization' are planning."
For a moment, Obito's clarity returned.
His eyes narrowed.
He could sense the manipulation now — but too late.
Before he could respond, the illusion around him shifted again.
He saw through Kei's eyes — his perspective.
Saw Kei approaching him in battle,
defeating him, retrieving Rin's body…
then, later, standing in a dimly lit underground chamber with Ayaka Hyūga beside him.
On the table lay Rin's lifeless body,
still and pale beneath the glow of lantern light.
"Rin…" Obito whispered.
"Yes," Kei's voice echoed. "Her."
Ayaka's voice followed softly:
"Her cells still resonate with tailed beast chakra… it's keeping her body unnaturally active.
And there's something else — a seal on her heart.
A curse mark. Likely the reason she was compelled toward Konoha."
"So she couldn't even choose her death…" Kei murmured.
"That's why she made Kakashi do it."
Obito stood there in silence.
His hands trembled.
Every illusion felt too real — too sharp.
When the scene faded, he was left in darkness.
He didn't cry. He couldn't.
Only silence — and regret — remained.
---
At dawn.
Morning sunlight bathed Konoha in gold.
But the village woke to sorrow, not song.
Ash filled the air.
Homes were gone.
Families shattered.
For many civilians, this was the first time the war had come home.
The Nine-Tails' rampage had carved a wound deeper than any battlefield ever could.
They wanted to believe it had all been a nightmare.
But the smoke on the horizon told them otherwise.
---
At sunrise, Hiruzen Sarutobi left the medical ward for the Hokage Tower.
His body was wounded, but his heart — broken.
He'd lost his wife in the attack.
The pain, layered atop the betrayal of Danzō,
was almost too much to bear.
And though the Nine-Tails had been sealed,
questions remained.
When he learned that Fugaku Uchiha possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan —
his heart sank.
A power capable of controlling the Nine-Tails…
in the hands of the Uchiha clan.
Even if Fugaku and Kei had helped seal the beast,
suspicion clawed at him like poison.
---
"Lord Third."
A masked figure appeared before him.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen said, recognizing the boy immediately.
"You seem to have recovered. What is it?"
Kakashi bowed slightly.
He had returned from the battlefield late — too late to see his master.
Since then, he'd done all he could: rescuing survivors, assisting the police force.
He remembered Hiruzen's words about "not trusting the Uchiha"…
but those words no longer held meaning for him.
He was his sensei's student — loyal to Minato, not to politics.
And Minato had trusted the Uchiha.
So would he.
When Hiruzen tried to enter the Hokage's office,
Kakashi stepped in front of him.
"Please wait, Lord Third."
"What's the meaning of this?" Hiruzen's tone darkened.
"The Fourth is inside," Kakashi said evenly.
"He ordered that no one — not even you — may enter."
"No one?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"Does that include me?"
"I'm sorry," Kakashi said, bowing. "Those were his exact words."
"Then who's inside with him?"
Kakashi hesitated briefly.
"Only one person."
"And who is that?"
"The head of the Police Force," Kakashi replied softly.
"Uchiha Kei."
---
Inside the room, Minato sat behind his desk, pale and weary.
"Kei… is everything you told me true?"
His voice was quiet — a mixture of disbelief and awe.
"You've asked me that five times already," Kei said with a faint sigh.
"And I'll give you the same answer: yes.
But what you should be doing right now… is resting.
That thing inside you isn't done stirring, is it?"
Minato gave a tired smile.
"Maybe. But… with the village like this, can I really rest?"
Kei said nothing. He simply looked at him — calm, steady.
Inside, though, he was relieved.
Both Minato and Kushina were alive.
His shadow clone's intervention in the sealing
had changed the course of history.
Without Danzō's interference,
the Police Force had been able to act freely —
fighting on the front lines, rescuing civilians,
and winning the village's respect in the process.
Their reputation had soared overnight.
Even the younger shinobi who resented their authority
would, in time, understand.
And at the center of it all —
stood Fugaku Uchiha.
Fugaku Uchiha, bearer of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If he had chosen to act in the original timeline,
perhaps much of that tragic chaos would never have unfolded.
But in that world, he never had the chance.
Back then, his relationship with the Fourth Hokage
was limited to being the husband of his wife's friend.
A courteous distance, nothing more.
Without trust, without a true bond,
he had no reason — nor courage — to reveal his power.
Worse yet, the Fourth was close to the Third and the elders.
To Fugaku, Minato seemed like nothing more than Hiruzen's successor in spirit —
a man bound to the same cautious ideology that had long suppressed the Uchiha.
So he had stayed his hand.
He had watched from the shadows.
But now… things had changed.
Kei Uchiha had entered the picture.
Through Kei's intervention, Fugaku's relationship with Minato had transformed —
from polite acquaintance to genuine partnership.
And once he saw for himself that the Fourth truly sought to reform Konoha's stance toward the Uchiha,
that Kei himself also possessed the Mangekyō,
and that together, their line would soon awaken the Eternal Mangekyō,
Fugaku made his choice.
He gambled everything.
And he acted.
Working in perfect coordination with Kei,
he had subdued the Nine-Tails —
its overwhelming chakra now docile as a cat.
It was thanks to their control
that Minato could safely divide and seal the beast into himself, Kushina, and their child.
But that victory came at a cost.
Fugaku's condition afterward was poor.
He had returned to the Uchiha compound to recover,
his body exhausted, his eyes bleeding from overuse.
Kei wasn't sure how serious his injuries were —
shinobi never revealed everything, even to allies.
Still, Kei himself wasn't in much better shape.
And the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize this fragile new balance.
With Minato alive, the future had become unpredictable again —
an open canvas of possibilities.
And in such a world, powerful allies were essential.
But that required one simple truth:
Kei could not afford to fear those allies.
And he didn't.
He already had his own means of counterbalance —
he only needed time to complete them.
Now, watching Minato sitting across the desk,
tired, pale, and unsteady,
Kei couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at his lips.
"You should go home," Kei said at last.
"The village's security is being handled by the Police Force,
and the Administrative Division will coordinate reconstruction.
I'm sure Captain Shikaku can manage."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The Medical Corps has already been notified —
by now they're likely mobilized.
So there's no need to worry."
Minato hesitated.
"I know… but still, Kei—
are you absolutely certain about all of this?"
Kei sighed softly.
"Of course. That masked man was no random attacker.
He's backed by an organization — a large one.
Their motives are complex, but one thing's clear:
they're after the tailed beasts."
He rubbed his temple, repeating himself for what felt like the tenth time.
"I defeated him. He escaped, yes, but not before I left behind a genjutsu —
a subtle tether that will compel him to deliver information to us, periodically."
He gave Minato a half-smile.
"Now, Hokage-sama… how many times have I said this?"
Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry. I suppose I'm still trying to process everything."
"Then process it at home," Kei said firmly.
"Or I'll have to visit Lady Kushina myself…
and tell her you refused to rest."
Minato blinked, caught off guard.
"Kei, you wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't I?" Kei arched a brow.
"Do you really want your son growing up without a father
because his old man couldn't sit still for one night?"
Minato could only sigh.
"...You're insufferable."
"And right," Kei said with a faint grin.
---
Leaving the Hokage's office, Kei exchanged a brief nod with Kakashi,
then turned toward the Uchiha compound.
As he walked down the streets of Konoha,
the once-bustling avenues were filled with quiet crowds.
Faces were tired, eyes red — a mix of grief and numb hope.
Kei exhaled, lowering his gaze.
He had seen scenes like this too many times before —
villages broken by war,
streets littered with corpses and the living hollowed into husks.
Compared to that, Konoha's sorrow still carried something precious.
Hope.
Yes — this village still had hope.
And hope meant movement, rebuilding, life.
They would recover.
They always did.
As that thought lingered,
Kei's mind drifted back to last night —
to the fight, to the masked man…
to Obito Uchiha.
And a faint shadow crossed his eyes.
Obito… what will you do now?
He looked up at the morning sun,
its light spilling over the scarred rooftops of Konoha.
Even in ruin, it shone brilliantly.
Kei turned away and walked on.