Nine-Tails still in a daze was jolted into consciousness. Under its wild nature and enormous pain, it started attacking the ninjas surrounding it, in a frenzy.
As Hiruzen and ANBU were about to launch the sealing array, they suddenly heard a sound coming from above.
---
---
Minato teleported back to the Hokage rock, still taken back by the destruction the Hidden Leaf had gone through during this disaster. He looked at the NineTails in the distance. It had regained its clarity.
------------------------
As the ninjas attacked the Nine-Tails Fox, it back swiped at a huge area and eliminated hundreds at once. The full area in front of the beast cleared in an instant, giving it some respite.
Taking advantage of the break in the constant battle, it started charging another Tail beast bomb. Huge motes of read and blue chakra amalgamated into a huge ball connected to a thin strand of chakra supply in the beast's mouth.
Hiruzen and the three ANBU gathered around the beast to launch the seal. Suddenly everyone heard the noise.
"CLEAR OUT!!!!"
"Summoning Jutsu", Everyone looked up to to see the bottom of a huge frog falling down from the sky.
A huge tremor resounded, causing a disturbance in the air as a giant red frog landed on Nine-tails head.
The summonned frog adorned crimson mystical markings all across its body, tracing its lineage to the realm of the sage frogs, Mount Myōboku. The frog wore a dark-blue jacket with white linings, decorated with cryptic symbols. A large dosu blade hung under its sheath and tied to the beast on its left side. The frog let out a grunt, and a small cloud of smoke, billowed out of the smoking pipe, clutched in its mouth.
Every ninja looked in awe, as the Fox was crushed beneath the Frog.
The frog looked below, getting a huge scare and dropped his cigar when he saw the Nine-Tails under his feet. The scar above its left eyes, twitched with irritation as he confronted his summoner.
"Eh, Minato, you could give a warning before you summoned me, I was all set to court another one....heh.."
"Be serious, Gamabunta, I need your help". Minato replied as if not in a mood to spar with words with his summon. He looked above as if in thought and gritted his teeth as he remembered the masked man's words. "Forgive me...Kushina".
"it's Lord Hokage".
"He's back"
"Now, we can capture the NineTails"
"It's Minato", Hiruzen sighed with relief as he sensed a wave of calm enveloping him due to he presence of the genius of the Hidden Leaf.
"Hold him off, Gamabunta, just for a little while longer".
"That's going to be tough". Gamabunta replied while trying to forcefully close the beast mouth to cut off the energy supply. The tailed beast bomb became dangerously close to being completed.
"Minato, hurry, it's going to loose", Gamabunta pleaded.
Hiruzen put up barriers all around the NineTails. Every ninja with the earth affinity either went underground or joined the Third Hokage, in creating Earth style barriers.
Ninetails closed its mouth and tried to launch the blast.
...
...
The ninjas anticipating a huge blast with eyes shut, frightened by their upcoming demise, opened their eyes and looked at the epi-center where they expected the blast to occur.
"..."
"..."
"..."
No blast.
Just a frog dangling in the air.
*Booom!*
A small tremor was caused by the frog falling down from atop of Nine-Tails head, since the beast as well as the Fourth Hokage had disappeared.
Hiruzen looked towards the east, noticing the huge light show lightening the dark sky, he determined that Minato succeeded in his teleportation of the huge beast away from the village.
He sighed a huge sigh of relief and then began commanding others to do the clean up. He took few of the Top ANBU skilled in sealing and headed to Minato's location.
-----------------------
A creature, hid amidst the shadows in the Hidden Leaf forest. From the beginning of the conflict, it observed the masked man. It saw the defeat of the masked man, yet it kept observing the battle as if it was its only duty. It observed the Hidden leaf ninjas only a few hundred meters away from the crater, where the Ninetails previously fell.
The creature embodied a humanoid figure of striking contrasts, with one side emanating a sickly alabaster-white skin and the other cloaked in a deep, shadowy darkness. The creature's eyes displayed a vivid opposition, one a shimmering emerald hue resembling a human, the other a malevolent yellow circle evoking a sense of unholiness. Its vibrant green hair resembled the colour of plant stems, a fitting match to the vines surrounding the creatures, jutting out of the ground in a protective cocoon. More than half the body was hidden or melded with the surrounding earth.
A raspy hoarse sound grunted from the black side, "He has failed"
"Oh poor, Tobi. Well, we can't be too hard on him." The white half pleaded in a mellow tone.
"Hmph...It is to be expected from a nurseling. Such overconfidence".
"We should head towards the Leaf Hokage's side. Maybe, there will still be another opportunity."
"Hngh, I suspect there is a problem with the Ninetails."
"Why do you think that?"
"I am naturally attuned to soul fluctuations. Yet, I felt something missing from the Tailed beast, ever since it gained its freedom from his Genjutsu", Black half replied.
"Hmm, What do you think the problem could be?"
"I am not sure. We have to keep an eye on it.",
The white half expressed its approval over the black half's decision. The creature delved further in the ground as if fusing with it. The land surrounding it vibrated with some emerald hue, before disappearing entirely.
----------------------------
In a mountainous landscape, quite some distance away from the leaf Village, Ninetails laid flat still on the ground, exerting effort to rise up again.
Minato emerged with Kushina in one hand and baby Naruto in the other. He appearred exhausted, at having expended a huge chunk of his chakra in the continous battles.
"I must erect a barrier for the seal"
"I can still do it, Minato", Kushina spoke, spent due to the child birth and the ensuing chaos. Huge adamantine chains, characteristics of the Uzumaki clan, burst out of her back, in great quantities, slithering and spreading every where to take root in the ground and chained the huge Nine-Tails fox. Noticing the activity, as if sensing the upcoming doom that loomed over, Naruto started to cry.
"Woke you up, Huh, Naruto"
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"Kushina..."
She faced Minato with exhaustive breath, blood drops gathering at her chin, "I will take Nine Tails with me, to my death"
"In that way, we can reduce the interval, between now and when he emerges again. Its all I can manage for now, with the little chakra I have left. So, thankyou for everything... Minato", Kushina smiled with tears welling up in her eyes.
Minato influenced by tears, "It is me who is grateful for you. It was only because of you, that I was able to become the man I am today. You made me, this baby's father and yet you—"
"Oh Minato...", Kushina placed his hand on his face as if comforting her husband, "Please dont give me that sad look. I'm happy. I have your love and that is all I ever wanted... If I were to picture us together, I can't really picture us as anything but truly.. happy"
"I guess, if there is one regret that.. I have, is to see Naruto.. all grown up."
A surge of tears filled in Minato's eyes, as he gazed at the Nine-Tails with conviction, "Kushina, there is no need for you to die in order to kill the Nine Tails, preserve what little chakra you have, for your reunion with Naruto."
As Kushina looked at Minato with astonishment, he continued, "I am going to seal your chakra in Naruto, It will be a part of an Eight-Sign Seal.. and then I will take the Nine-Tails with me. Since I am not a Jinchuriki, I will have to use the Reaper Death Seal"
"You can't, If you cast that you wi—"
"And there is one other thing, I am only going to seal half of Nine-Tails. It is physically impossible to seal this much power... and also this is strategically unwise."
"If you take the Nine-Tails with you, there will be no Jinchuriki until he remerges. This will upset the balance of power among the Hidden villages. I will take one half and the other half... I will seal it inside Naruto, with the Eight-Sign Seal"
Noticing Kushina`s bated breath, he continued, "I know what you are gonna say...but remember what Master Jiraiya said about world upheaveal and the calamities following it... I have become convinced of two things today...First that masked man that started all of this, will be the precursor to the future calamities and... second, the one to put a stop to all of it will be, this child.", He looked at Naruto with loving eyes," This infant, who's Godfather is Master Jiraiya."
"But... Minato"
Nine Tails tried to roar, at the proclamation of its future, being decided by the tiny speck of mortals before it. Yet, Kushina's seal was latched around its mouth as well, in order to prevent it, from charging up another Tail-beast bomb.
'Guess, I have no choice... I have to initiate my plan early.. Although I dont know what consequences that will lead to... It will save me the fate of being sealed up again.', It decided on its plan and tried to rouse its chakra into action once more.
'Damn that woman, Its not enough... you kept me sealed up for the last twenty four years...Yet, you are trying to seal me up again. I will not let it pass'.
Nine-Tails's power began to skyrocket again. Yet, he felt it, the chakra was being absorbed by the adamantine chains. It felt hopeless at its situation.
Noticing Nine-Tails' power rising up, Minato made signs in a flurry. "REAPER DEATH SEAL"
A shadow of a horrifying demon came into existence, eclipsing Minato and Kushina under its shadow. The demon with long ruff white hair clutched a knife, embellished with demonic markings between its teeth. It wore a white kimono, ancient, yet appeared to be untouched. It held a red rosary filled with beads in each hand. Six soul fires burned around its huge figure, half on each side. The demon smirked with a mocking grin, when it noticed the sacrifice that lay before it.
Hiruzen arrived ahead of the ANBU, with one hand clutching ENMA staff, he looked at the scene of the Death Demon summon with concern.
"Those signs, thats..."
"Yes... It's the Reaper Death Seal!" Hiruzen affirmed Enma's suspicion.
...
"Lets believe in him.. After all, he is our son. After I have completed this seal, I am going to seal up your chakra inside Naruto too. You won't have much time, but I want you to help him control the power of Nine-Tails as a Jinchuriki", Minato
"But.. He is our son, Minato.. That is why I dont want him to bear such a heavy burden", Kushina countered furiously, amidst her pain.
"Tell me, why use the Reaper Death Seal, If its just so I can meet Naruto when he is grown up, especially when its only going to be for a short time, then there is no need for you to die...I—I'd rather you stay with him, watch over him. I j-just dont understand why it has to be this way. Why should Naruto be sacrificed for the balance of power among Tailed Beasts, for his nation, for his village. Why do you have to sacrifice yourself at all?. Just for me?... please...", Kushina pleaded to her husband.
Minato's heart torn at her crying, he replied in a heavy tone,"To forsake one's nation and one's village, is exactly the same as abandoning one's own child. Your very own homeland was destroyed, so you should understand the most. A harsh life awaits those, who are displaced from their home. Besides, our family... is Shinobi."
"Finally even if I were to live, I could never be a substitute to you". He leaned closer to Kushina, "You won't have much time with him, But there is something only you can tell Naruto. Something that I just can't, that`s a mother's role. I am not doing it just for you, I am doing it for Naruto"
Picking up the child from the ground, he declared, "I will die for my son. It is my duty as his father".
The Death demon's eyes moved towards the other direction, noticing Hiruzen's attempt to enter the sealing area. It enhanced the sealing area around that location. Hiruzen tried multiple times to enter, striking Enma, but the efforts proved to be futile.
WIth Minato's will, the Death Demon's entered inside Minato abdomen from the back and emerged from the front, forming the mark of the Eight-Sign Seal on his abdomen. The arm moved towards Nine-Tails, which was glowing with an orange hue as if about to burst.
"SEAL!"Minato roared.
The Demon's hand clawed at the Nine-Tails. Half of Nine-Tails chakra separated immediately upon contact and moved towards Minato settling into the seal. The Eight Signs formed away from the spiraling circle located in the middle of the abdomen. With the beast sealed inside, The marks moved towards the spiral as if nailing the coffin.
'My body...It's going numb. I cant believe how heavy its chakra is...'
"Ghrrrr...Damn you", In its agony at having been separated from its chakra, it entered into a frenzy. The chains loosened a little due to its size shrinking, from the chakra removal.
Minato summoned a small altar, placed Naruto on it and prepared to seal the rest of the Nine-Tails inside. Noticing, Nine-Tails in its disturbed state, he commented, "What is happening?"
The beast appeared to be glowing with a radiant orange light.
"OH NO... Its going to self-destruct..."Kushina alarmed at the sight, warned Minato, "I still have a bond with Nine-Tails, I can feel it Minato..."
"Right.."
Minato made the signs of the Eight-Sign Seal in a hurry. Kushina moved towards Naruto to pick him up in her arms, but dropped down in exhaustion.
Sensing the couple distracted, and the chains loosening up even more, Nine-Tails attacked the child laying in the ritual altar with its nail.
"No!!!"Minato and Kushina shouted as they moved to secure Naruto.
Hiruzen, the ANBU, the upcoming ninjas, looked in astonishment as they saw the beast's nail, passing right through the couple. First Minato and then Kushina, both impaled by the beast's nail.
...
"Saving him is my duty"
"Yes... But I am his mother, it's mine too..."
"Why YOU!..."Nine-Tails repeated. It tried to gather energy again. The process had slowed once more due to half of its chakra being removed.
"heh... I think its the first time that I lost an argument. I guess it proves.. just how serious you are about this", Kushina uttered. Her figure paling with the burgeoning stress and blood loss.
"Thank you Kushina". said Minato. "Summoning Jutsu".
After the appearance of a small smoke, A frog with a a very weird shape appeared. The upper torso and lower body were similar to others of its kind with its red skin and symbols signifying its origin from Mount Myōboku. The part between, consist of three large rings stacked on top each other. It was a scroll toad.
"Ahhhh.... The NineTails!!.... and Lord Fourth!..WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!"The frog frightenely exclaimed.
"Gerotora, I will give you the sealing formula`s key, When I am done. Take it to Master Jiraiya and store it".
The three rings on the frog expanded to form a scroll. After engraving the seal on the scroll, Gerotora acknowledged the recieval and ended the summoning.
"Kushina... I can sense something brewing back there... Can you control the Nine-Tails a bit...longer."
"I...I will Minato"
Minato made the handsigns for the seal, and pointed at Naruto. "I will seal some of my chakra inside the seal. We wont see him for quite a while... So, lets tell him what we want to say"
Kushina with a weak smile instructed Naruto as if opening her heart, "Naruto.... Don't be a picky eater. Just eat a lot, so you grow up big and strong...and make sure that you bathe every day and that you stay warm, too. Also, Don't stay up too late. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Don't forget to make friends as well. You don't need a ton of them. Okay,?. Just a few is fine as long as you trust them and...your mom wasn't very good at this. Make sure you study hard and learn your ninjutsu.
Always remember everyone is good at some things and not so good at others. So even if something doesn't go well. Don't get depressed. Okay. When you're at the Academy respect your teachers and the upper classmen. Oh now this is important regarding the three prohibition of the Shinobi. Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Take your pay and put it in a savings account. No alcohol, not until you are of age.
And another prohibition is women. Remember, I am one. So, I don't know too much about it. Keep in mind that this world is made up of men and women. And so at some point you will notice girls, and that's normal. Be careful and dont fall for the bad ones. Just find someone who's like me. Just be true to yourself.
That reminds me. Speaking of the three prohibtions, you should be wary of Jiraiya Sensei... you know." She paused to take a breath."Naruto, there may be painful times ahead. Make sure to have dreams. And the confidence to make those dreams come true. Oh Naruto... there is so much more...so much I want to tell you, I love you Naruto.."
"Minato, sorry, I used up your time."
"No, its allright. Naruto... My words to you..I guess your talkative mom..said it all.."
Minato hurriedly looked back, "Oh no..", Nine-Tails was practically glowing, Its light radiating the surroundings. Minato hurriedly casted, "Eight Signs Seal"
A sealing gateway appeared on Naruto's little body placed at the altar, opening like a maw of a deep well, about to welcome its new resident.
"I wont accept it...NO!!!", Nine Tails roared.
Nine Tails evolved into its chakra cloak state under the influence of the seal. Its chakra forcibly being taken into the seal. Yet, as the seal's influence reach the final tail, an explosion resounded.
*Booooomm!!!!*