When Minato saw Kushina—whom he hadn't seen in days—his heart ached.
She was sobbing softly, her voice barely reaching him.
Just a few days ago, when they last parted, she had still been smiling joyfully.
But now, she carried the heavy burden of being a jinchūriki.
As the Fourth Hokage, Minato clearly understood what a jinchūriki meant to the village—and the hardships they endured.
He also knew that, at this time in Konoha, there was only one person capable of becoming a jinchūriki—Kushina alone.
Of course, Minato didn't want Kushina to bear this role. But even if he had arrived in time that day with the power to stop it, he believed he still would have chosen for her to become the jinchūriki.
This was his helplessness—a choice made out of even deeper necessity.
To maintain balance through the Tailed Beasts, such a decision had to be made.
Even if he were reborn a thousand times, he wouldn't change it.
Yet he knew what mattered most to a jinchūriki.
And that one thing—he could give to her.
Love.
Minato broke away from the Ninja Academy group and strode toward Kushina.
At that moment, he noticed another cluster of figures nearby. One stood out among them—his teacher, Jiraiya.
Jiraiya was standing beside a pair of siblings.
Nawaki knelt on the ground, writhing in pain and pounding the earth with his fists, clearly struggling to accept their grandmother's death.
He had just returned from a mission when he received the devastating news.
Beside him crouched a blonde woman in her early twenties, gently placing her hand against his back. Though she wasn't crying as hard as Nawaki, the sorrow carved into her pretty face was unmistakable.
Tsunade-hime, Nawaki's older sister and Mito's granddaughter—the royal princess of Konoha.
Standing on the other side was yet another figure—a man whose pale skin seemed almost unnatural. Purple eyeshadow lined his eyes, long black hair cascaded down his back, and his pupils resembled narrow snake-like slits, giving him a cruel and sinister look.
The last of the Sannin—Orochimaru.
In the future, their relationship would sour. Orochimaru had originally been next in line to become the Fourth Hokage, only for Minato—his junior—to take the position instead.
After all, he had been the Third Hokage's most favored disciple...
As Minato approached Kushina, some of the shinobi nearby noticed his arrival and moved to block his path.
From this distance, Minato sensed no movement or reaction from the Nine-Tails sealed within Kushina.
It was truly incredible how powerful Lady Mito's sealing technique was—the beast remained subdued even three days after the ritual.
This brought him a slight sense of relief.
"You're not allowed any closer," a ninja warned, stepping forward to halt Minato's advance.
Minato understood why—they were only following orders. He gave a light chuckle and said, "Senior, I just want to speak to her for a moment. I won't take another step."
"Minato?"
Kushina was so overwhelmed with grief that she didn't even notice herself breaking down—until she heard Minato's voice. Then, like a snap, she came back to her senses and looked up.
Tears traced down her delicate face like petals falling in the rain. Though she still wore the hairpin Minato had given her, her long red hair was now slightly disheveled. Clearly, such small details hadn't mattered much to her these past few days.
Seeing Kushina's worn appearance stirred Minato's heart with tenderness; it reminded him of the expression she'd worn after his own death. That mix of unwillingness to accept and deep sorrow... Minato never wanted to see that again.
His bright blue eyes blinked gently, then curved into a warm smile as he looked at Kushina. "Kushina, I know you must be hurting terribly right now from losing someone so close. But Grandma Mito fulfilled her dream. I believe she passed away with a peaceful smile on her face..."
"She entrusted her dreams and responsibilities to us—the next generation. So what Grandma Mito would've wanted to see most at her funeral is definitely our strong faces, not endless crying. So please, stand up again... Let her spirit know your determination."
Though he hadn't witnessed it himself, Minato still firmly believed this truth—because when he himself died serving as Hokage, his face had also worn a smile.
Kushina remained stunned for a moment. His words were merely guesses, yet she had actually witnessed Mito's smiling countenance herself.
Hearing Minato's words brought Kushina immense comfort. Gradually, she straightened her posture and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I understand!" Kushina said, almost as if expressing her resolve to Mito in heaven.
Then she turned toward Minato. "Thank you."
Seeing that she was alright, Minato quietly stepped away. He believed the Third Hokage's watching over Kushina was only temporary.
As far as he was concerned, knowing that she was safe was more than enough.
Following that, the funeral proceeded. The Konoha elders, including the Third Hokage and Koharu Utatane, each laid flowers.
Everyone cherished memories of those who had passed before them.
It was precisely because of these predecessors' willpower that future generations could inherit their legacy, continuing it endlessly through generations.
Once the funeral ended, there were no more classes at the Ninja Academy, so the students just dismissed themselves and went home.
Kushina was escorted away by her guards.
Minato didn't leave though, because Jiraiya-sensei was walking in his direction.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Nawaki also stayed behind. Nawaki, still too young and immature, continued weeping until now.
It wasn't weakness or cowardice from Nawaki—it was just that, even as a ninja, he hadn't yet grasped the natural flow of life and death.
"Jiraiya, is this your disciple?" Orochimaru glanced sideways at Minato standing beside Jiraiya, who had just arrived, and asked.
"What do you think? Isn't my apprentice just as handsome and wise as me?" Jiraiya grinned while pointing at himself with his thumb.
Tsunade slightly turned her head to look at Minato, then back at Jiraiya. "If he looked like you, then we're doomed."
She mercilessly jabbed at Jiraiya, who wore a disappointed expression but dared not argue back one bit.
"Nawaki-kun, please don't be sad anymore. Life is fragile and fleeting, vanishing like fireworks that blink out in a flash. Even someone as extraordinary as Mito-sama would no longer hold any value once dead..." Orochimaru spoke at this moment, though his words of comfort to Nawaki were clearly one-sided.
"You've got some nerve—say that again!" Tsunade instantly exploded with rage, glaring at him furiously.
Jiraiya's face darkened with concern as he said, "Orochimaru, do you even understand what you're saying?"
Nawaki himself stood there, visibly confused, unable to determine whether Orochimaru's words were right or wrong.
"Although human life is short, one can pass their will on to the next generation, ensuring its legacy endures across time. The ninja of Konoha today have inherited the will of both First Hokage-sama and Mito-sama, and they continue to act guided by that legacy. Although they've already passed from this world... the impact of their deeds will reach into an even more distant future..."
At this moment, Minato, who stood beside Jiraiya, suddenly spoke. Hearing these words, Orochimaru fixed his snake-like eyes upon Minato.
Minato's sapphire-blue eyes met Orochimaru's gaze head-on, his expression still and composed, like an undisturbed pond...
...
...(To be continued.)
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