Minato Namikaze took Naruto from Miyuki Uzumaki's arms.
Though Miyuki had been immobilized with the Paralysis Jutsu, she could still speak. Yet she remained silent, her bloodshot eyes filled with a strange, distant look as they fixed on Minato.
Minato summoned the ritual tools required for the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
He placed Naruto at the center of eight candles and began forming hand seals. Once the seals were complete, he pressed his five fingers onto Naruto's abdomen.
An Eight Trigrams Sealing Style formation appeared over Naruto's stomach.
Minato then twisted his hand clockwise. A pitch-black void opened at the heart of the seal.
With a sharp cry — "Seal!" — the Nine-Tails' chakra was pulled into the void.
The beast's massive form began shrinking rapidly.
When it had reduced to half its original size, Minato twisted his hand counterclockwise. He split the creature in two, sealing its positive chakra inside Naruto's body.
Now only half remained — the Nine-Tails now contained only its negative chakra.
By this point, Minato's chakra reserves were completely drained. There was no way he could attempt a second Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
Originally, he had considered asking Chinya for help.
But when he saw the cold contempt in Chinya's eyes, he abandoned that thought.
To Chinya, he must have seemed like a monster unworthy of aid.
Suddenly, Chinya asked, "Minato Namikaze... you're not regretting this, are you?"
Minato hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No regrets. I am the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. This is my duty."
Chinya sneered slightly. "Is that so? I get it — you're all about being Hokage and protecting Konoha. But why should your wife and child bear your burdens? Miyuki willingly carried your load because she loved you. But she clearly refused to let your child inherit this responsibility.
And yet you've forced it not just onto your wife, but also your son.
That boy isn't just *your* child — he belongs to both you and Miyuki.
You had no one else in Konoha who could serve as jinchuriki? No one else who loves Konoha enough?
Or do you have to sacrifice your own child to prove how much you love Konoha?"
Minato clenched his jaw, his entire body trembling slightly.
Through gritted teeth, he growled, "I didn't..."
Chinya smirked. "Didn't you? Then what was that barrier you set up a minute ago?"
Minato kept his gaze lowered toward the ground as he replied, "I raised the barrier to prevent the Nine-Tails from escaping."
Chinya scoffed. "Preventing the Nine-Tails from escaping? Right. Don't tell me you forgot — Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others are already on their way here. They could easily drive the beast out of Konoha. Surely they could handle it after binding it with Adamantine Sealing Chains?"
"You used to always tell me to trust my comrades, but is this really how you show trust? Do you think your actions are noble?
Indeed, to Hiruzen Sarutobi and others, you may seem very noble. Perhaps they're even shedding tears right now for their Hokage who chose to sacrifice his wife and child for the village.
But have a good look at your wife and newborn child. This man, who should have protected them from wind and storm, chooses instead to sacrifice them."
Minato Namikaze glanced at Naruto crying on the ground and Uzumaki Miyuki with her unfocused gaze.
Minato clenched both fists tightly, unwilling to let his gaze linger on them.
Chinya shook his head: "To be honest, I feel quite sorry for you, Minato Namikaze. You're praised as the Yellow Flash, the fastest man alive, yet you couldn't save Obito Uchiha, couldn't save Rin Nohara, couldn't save your own wife, and now you're sacrificing your own child.
This was your choice, your family matter. Originally it had nothing to do with me. But Uzumaki Miyuki is Kushina's close friend—and my friend too. Seeing her like this makes me feel terrible as well. Uzumaki Miyuki loves you dearly, yet you've disappointed her so much."
Originally, Chinya hadn't wanted to say much to Minato.
And Chinya only wanted to save Uzumaki Miyuki, not Minato Namikaze.
But under the current circumstances, it looked like Minato would live after all.
So Chinya hoped that in the future, Minato could treat Uzumaki Miyuki and Naruto better—fulfilling both his duties as Hokage and as a husband and father.
Naruto's fate as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki couldn't be changed, but maybe his future could still be different.
Minato Namikaze staggered toward Uzumaki Miyuki, his voice rasping with emotion: "I'm sorry, Miyuki. I'll find a way to make this up to you and Naruto. Let's finish this first."
Uzumaki Miyuki didn't react, staring at the crying Naruto with an unfocused gaze.
Minato Namikaze helped Uzumaki Miyuki stand up, walked with her to the altar, and guided her to sit at the center of the altar.
Minato swallowed two Military Rations Pills, then extended his hand over Uzumaki Miyuki's abdomen.
[The Eight Trigrams Sealing Style] appeared on Uzumaki Miyuki's abdomen.
Minato rotated clockwise, and a dark vortex formed at the heart of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Formula.
Minato performed another *hand seal*.
[Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!] Seal!
The remaining half of the Nine-Tails entered Uzumaki Miyuki's body.
As Minato began locking the seal, something went wrong.
Minato lacked enough chakra to secure the Eight Trigrams Sealing Formation.
The Nine-Tails struggled to escape from the seal.
Minato urgently called out: "Miyuki, quickly use your chakra to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra!"
Uzumaki Miyuki didn't move, staring at Minato with an unfocused gaze.
Minato shuddered when he saw Uzumaki Miyuki's expression.
"M-Miyuki..."
Uzumaki Miyuki made no attempt whatsoever to control the Nine-Tails' chakra within her body. Minato could only desperately try to restrain it himself.
Minato forced the escaping Nine-Tails' chakra back into Uzumaki Miyuki's body by sheer strength.
As Minato Namikaze attempted once more to lock the formation, the Nine-Tails' chakra suddenly burst out from the seal.
Minato Namikaze was thrown backward, tumbling across the ground several times before coming to a stop.
Still, Minato Namikaze struggled to rise back to his feet, but now his chakra reserves were nearly empty. After that impact, he rolled his eyes upward and immediately passed out.
Chinya sighed, "Look what a mess this turned into."
Chinya formed hand seals, gathered chakra onto his hands, pressed down on the emerging Nine-Tails chakra, forced it back into Uzumaki Miyuki's body, then twisted counterclockwise to reseal it.
"Huff."
Chinya exhaled lightly. [Nine-Tails' Rampage] could be considered completely over.
Originally, Chinya had only wanted to keep Uzumaki Miyuki alive so she could stay behind and care for Naruto.
Chinya glanced at the unconscious Minato Namikaze. He hadn't expected Minato Namikaze to survive too.
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