"Nine-Tails? Are they all sealed too?"
Kushina frowned. Creatures like the Tailed Beasts would be ticking time bombs waiting to explode if left unchecked.
Though she didn't fully understand, logically speaking, the Kages of various ninja nations wouldn't allow them to run loose either.
"Yes, those who have Tailed Beasts sealed inside them are called Jinchuriki," said Mito. "Among the great ninja nations, the power of the Tailed Beasts has become a balancing factor. In other words, if one village loses its Tailed Beast, it will face attacks from all other nations."
"How could that be?"
At that moment, Kushina couldn't wrap her head around this concept of balance through Tailed Beasts. In her eyes, these creatures only brought destruction. Such a bargaining chip seemed completely meaningless.
"So if I die, the Nine-Tails will also perish. The countries that already look upon the Land of Fire with hostility will definitely launch war without hesitation. At that time, perhaps even the entire Konoha might directly perish."
Mito's expression turned grave. Currently in the Ninja World, the Land of Fire was locked in a three-way standoff with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth in the Land of Rain, each taking turns attacking. Although the Land of Lightning hadn't participated due to its geographical position, Tachiyama Shinsaburo's defection and powerful Cloud Ninjas like Yagura appearing in the Land of Hot Springs bordering the Land of Fire were enough to reveal their ambitions.
As for the Land of Water, located overseas, it couldn't be guaranteed they wouldn't take action either, potentially striking at the weaker side during this conflict opportunistically.
Konoha possessed the strongest strength among the Five Great Ninja Nations, but it absolutely couldn't withstand an assault from the other four major ninja nations combined.
"So... you want to seal the Nine-Tails inside me?" Kushina's eyes rippled slightly. Although she had a carefree personality, it didn't mean she was foolish or ignorant.
Mito nodded while displaying a guilty expression on her face.
"I'd like to know... why me?" Kushina pursed her lips slightly, her voice trembling faintly.
Observing her expression, Mito softly sighed. "Although sealing a Tailed Beast isn't difficult as long as the sealing techniques are available, the power of the Tailed Beasts is too overwhelming for ordinary bodies to endure."
"If that happens, the Jinchuriki will die and the Tailed Beast will go berserk—incidents which have happened previously across various ninja nations. Our Uzumaki clan naturally possesses powerful chakra, making us ideal candidates to be Jinchuriki. In fact, among everyone in Konoha today, you're the only one who can fully contain the Nine-Tails' power..."
"In that case... was I brought to Konoha all along just so I could take your place someday as the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki?" Kushina's voice trembled as she spoke. At this moment, it felt as though the sky itself was collapsing upon her.
"I'm sorry, Kushina..." Mito, now extremely weak, twitched painfully on her aged, pale face.
If there had been any alternative, she absolutely wouldn't have sacrificed this child's life.
The entire room fell silent, the only sound being the soft whimper of Kushina as her small shoulders trembled.
Mito simply kept watching her.
However, the silence didn't last long. Kushina quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at Mito, saying, "If this is what it takes to protect Konoha, then I'm willing to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
Mito hadn't expected Kushina to recover her resolve so quickly.
In fact, she had braced herself for the worst—that Kushina might outright reject it.
Although truthfully, her choice no longer mattered—the Nine-Tails' sealing was going to happen either way.
But... did this girl really understand what her choice meant?
"Is that your final decision?" Mito asked.
Kushina's small face was filled with determination. She said, "Thank you for telling me all of this. At least now I know what kind of monster will be sealed inside me."
Clearly, Kushina also understood that she didn't truly have a choice.
"I'm sorry," Mito apologized again. The affection between them was real.
"You don't need to apologize," Kushina said gently. "Without Konoha, I probably would have died during the border skirmishes in the Land of Fire. I really love my current life, and if protecting it requires sacrifice, I won't refuse it either."
She forced a weak smile onto her face.
"But what if I told you," Mito continued, "that after becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, this life you cherish would change? Your freedom would likely become even more restricted, and people around you might see you as a monster and shun you?"
That was the fate of the Jinchuriki. Mito herself, as the wife of the First Hokage, had received much respect. But Kushina's situation was different.
The burden she had to carry would be far greater than what Mito had ever faced.
"Treated as a monster?" Kushina clenched her fists tightly, then looked straight into Mito's eyes. "Then tell me, Grandma Mito, do you regret sealing the Nine-Tails within yourself? Was living a life seen as an outsider what you truly wanted?"
She couldn't find the answer herself, so she turned to Mito.
Expecting hesitation, Kushina was surprised when Mito answered without hesitation: "Not in the slightest."
Kushina's eyes widened slightly with surprise as she asked, "Why not?"
Smiling gently, Mito replied, "Although the path of a Jinchuriki may be harsher than others', true happiness can still be found if we learn how to shape our fate."
"A way to achieve true happiness?" Kushina murmured.
Their eyes met.
"That method," Mito said, "is filling the beast with love before it fills us. If we do that, even as Jinchuriki, we can still find happiness."
"Because I knew he was by my side, I willingly became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Mito said, her face lighting up with a warm smile. "Because protecting this village was his dream!"
Kushina lowered her gaze slightly. Being seen as a monster—it was exactly what she had experienced since her early days at the Ninja Academy.
Still, she was happy now, all because... someone always responded to her with a gentle smile, no matter how bad-tempered and difficult she could be or what mistakes she made.
As long as that smile remained, so did her happiness!
"I'll become the Hokage who protects every single family in the village!" Kushina remembered how he'd said those words the first time they met.
And she shared that exact same dream.
Thinking of him, Kushina's heart was no longer lost or anxious—it felt peaceful and safe instead.
"Hehe, looks like you've already found it, and his love too," Mito chuckled. It seemed the little guy named Minato mentioned by Sarutobi truly was like the sun for Kushina.
The sunlight would banish every shadow and sorrow from their hearts.
"Mm-hmm." Kushina softly nodded, her expression no longer gloomy. She smiled gently and said,
"Lady Mito, let me continue protecting the village for you... and safeguard his dream, too!"
...
...
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