Kushina was lying down, several stones had fallen on her, but none touched her body, something was holding them back. Her breathing was labored, and a sharp pain burned in her belly, while in the background the Kyuubi's roar echoed furiously.
"Ahh, come on!" she muttered, straining. She couldn't stop, she needed to seal the beast, or the entire village would suffer.
Suddenly, something warm fell on her forehead and ran down her cheek. The liquid trickled to her lips, bringing with it the metallic taste of iron.
"Are you hurt? I'll get us out of here!" Minato's voice sounded close, and she felt his hands touch her face before moving down her body, searching for injuries.
"You're bleeding!"
"What matters is that you're safe… I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about? Sorry for what? We need to get out of here… ahn…" Kushina tried to get up.
"Don't move, you're not well."
"Don't say nonsense!" she retorted, a little irritated. This wasn't the time for him to worry about her. Deep down, however, she felt relieved. He was still the same Minato as always, perhaps only burdened by the weight of becoming a father.
Kushina forced her body to rise, even with the sharp pain in her belly. As she ran her hands over his back, she felt something hard. A stone. That was when she realized: Minato was using his own body as a shield so that the rocks wouldn't crush her.
His body trembled. He wouldn't last much longer. Tears began to stream down Kushina's face as she clutched his clothes tightly.
"Bite." she said, placing her own hand before Minato's mouth. He immediately understood what she meant.
"No need."
"Just bite! Now!"
"It'll leave a mark."
"That doesn't matter! Do what I'm telling you! Now!"
Kushina forced her hand against his lips, waiting for him to bite. But Minato didn't. Not because he wasn't injured — he was — but because his wounds weren't serious. Irritation grew inside her. Why wouldn't he obey? Impatient, she pinched him.
"Hm…" Minato let out a low groan, more surprised than in pain.
"Sorry… just bite, please…" she pleaded, believing she had hurt him even more.
"No need." he repeated firmly, running his hand across her face to show he was fine. Then, he brought his fingers to her bloodied forehead, quickly drawing symbols on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!" shouted Minato.
A burst of white smoke filled the cave, blasting the stones away. The Kyuubi, which had kept its distance, turned its head as it felt the presence. A huge orange toad, dressed in clothes, had appeared before it. On its back, a blond man with bangs blowing in the wind and a red-haired woman — both faces the Kyuubi knew all too well.
"Roooaar!" the hateful roar echoed, reverberating through the earth. That woman could not live. If she did, the beast would be sealed again.
"Great, boss… and I'm the one who has to fight this thing." Gamabunta grumbled, already resigned. Chance of victory? None. He leapt back, clapped his toad hands together, and inflated his belly like a balloon. Then, he launched a massive sphere of water at the Kyuubi. The creature received the attack with one of its tails, scattering water everywhere and causing a brief rain.
"Boss, I won't be able to hold this for long!" Gamabunta warned.
"I know. Just take care of Kushina. I'll seal the Kyuubi." Minato replied.
He released her and clasped his hands. He knew that in his normal state, he had no chance against the Kyuubi. There was only one option left. He closed his eyes and drew in the natural energy around him. To his surprise, in less than a second he was filled with it, an amount that shouldn't even be possible in that place. It didn't matter. What mattered was finishing the seal.
On his closed eyelids appeared an orange mark. When he opened his eyes, his blue pupils had vanished: in their place, only the eyes of a toad. He had entered Sage Mode.
"Your eyes… they're like the toad's." Kushina commented, impressed. It was the first time she had seen anything like it. Despite resembling toad eyes, she thought they were beautiful.
"What?! Boss, you entered Sage Mode that fast?" exclaimed Gamabunta, astonished. It shouldn't be that easy, was that really possible?
"Take care of her. I'll seal the Kyuubi." said Minato, casting a look at Kushina. He would protect her, as her husband.
"I'm ready. Count on me!" Kushina answered eagerly, managing to stand, which made Minato uneasy. He feared she would worsen.
Kushina wouldn't stay idle while her husband fought alone. That, she would never accept. Besides being his wife, she was also his support. Her exhaustion meant nothing compared to that.
"You're not well…" Minato murmured.
"Nonsense, I'm fine!" she insisted, clasping her hands. But drops of sweat streamed down her face. It was clear she wasn't fine. After giving birth and enduring the Kyuubi's release from the seal, now she had to use everything she had to imprison it again.
Even as an Uzumaki, with absurd chakra reserves and superhuman endurance, Kushina wasn't invincible. She was at her limit, but she knew Minato would be too. That's why she couldn't falter.
"I can handle this." Minato tried, noticing her effort.
"I'm your wife! And as the Kyuubi's jinchūriki, I'm fulfilling my duty! Now do yours!" exclaimed Kushina, her blue eyes shining with unshakable determination.
Minato felt a pang in his chest. She was speaking to the real husband, not to him. He knew that, but it hurt — it hurt so much. He clenched his fists, trying to drive the thought away. This wasn't the time for that.
"Gamabunta!"
"Got it, boss!" replied the toad, shooting out his tongue and flinging Minato into the air.
"Ahhhhhh!" shouted Kushina, as golden chains burst from her back and lashed toward the Kyuubi. The beast, with hate and fear in its eyes, immediately recognized the cursed chains of the Uzumaki clan.
In the air, Minato created two clones and drew a kunai. Down below, the Kyuubi opened its mouth, gathering blue and black energy to form a Bijūdama. Minato pulled out another kunai, marked one of the clones, and threw one in front of Kushina, another behind the Kyuubi.
One of the clones grabbed the hand of the marked clone, hurling him on top of the Beast. The Kyuubi fired the Bijūdama, devastating everything toward Gamabunta and Kushina.
"Damn it…" muttered Gamabunta. He had no way to stop it, death seemed certain.
But Kushina didn't retreat. Her chains bound the Kyuubi tightly. Even facing the Bijūdama, she didn't despair. Always in those moments Minato appeared — and once again, she was right.
Minato appeared before her holding the kunai. A distorted space opened in front of him, sucking in the Bijūdama. In an instant, the sphere vanished, reappearing behind the Kyuubi and exploding against its colossal body. The fox roared in pain.
Kushina smiled. He always appeared to save her.
The chains pulled the Kyuubi forcefully into the seal. The beast dug claws and tails into the ground, resisting with all its might. One tail aimed directly at Kushina.
Minato switched places with the marked clone and, forming the cross seal, multiplied himself. His chakra drained at an alarming speed, and soon the sky above the Kyuubi was covered in white smoke.
When it cleared, hundreds of Minatos appeared, each holding a colossal Rasengan.
"Senpō: Chō Ōdama Rasengan!" roared more than three hundred clones, their voices thundering like a storm.
They dove like missiles onto the Kyuubi.
"What?!" shouted Kushina, shocked. Gamabunta, stunned, nearly dropped his jaw.
The fox's tails weren't enough to protect it. The blows struck full on, driving it toward Kushina. The pain was unbearable, and soon its body began to be sucked back into the seal. Still, the Kyuubi clawed and tailed the ground, resisting.
"Come on…" Kushina murmured, almost voiceless. Her body was heavy, her eyes about to close, but she fought to remain conscious.
Minato, falling to the ground, dashed forward. One kick, then another, gaining speed. Unwanted thoughts invaded his mind: why had he been thrown into this world? Why was he Minato? Was it wrong to take Kushina as his wife? She didn't love him, only the real Minato.
But… did it matter? Now, he was Minato. And if she didn't love him, couldn't he win that love? For the first time, he decided he would make that effort.
"Don't give my wife any more trouble!" Minato roared, punching the Kyuubi with all his might.
The final blow launched the fox once and for all into the seal.