"By the way... can you tell me what's going on with your Tailed Beast Transformation now?"
Anyone else might not know, but how could Minato not?
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was his girlfriend. When had she become his junior disciple?
"I absorbed the Four-Tails' Chakra."
"You can do that?"
Minato furrowed his brows. "Don't tell me you've already taken the Four-Tails?"
"No." Kagami Uchiha shook his head. "Containing a tailed beast inside your own body is exhausting. You should know that very well."
In his view, the proper way to use tailed beasts was to follow Sasuke Uchiha's example.
Seal them away and use Susanoo as a vessel to carry their Chakra.
If he followed Naruto's example... the whiskers on his daughter's face already explained the problem.
Besides, he still had an untamed monster inside his own body. Stuffing something else in there and loosening the seal would be no fun.
Minato sighed. Thinking of Kushina inside the barrier, he felt rather conflicted.
"Kagami... I want to become Hokage. I want Kushina to be able to live a normal life..."
"She's been enduring that pressure all this time... What should I do?"
Minato and Kagami Uchiha had seen the Nine-Tails with their own eyes. A disaster-level monster inside Kushina was like a bomb strapped to her body, liable to explode at any moment.
Kagami Uchiha was silent for a while before asking instead,
"What do you think about the First Hokage distributing the tailed beasts?"
Minato thought for a long time.
"At the time, it was the right decision."
"The First Hokage longed for peace, and the ninja lacked the ability to rule the world. Using tailed beasts as a deterrent to balance the various sides was a reasonable course of action."
"And things turned out as he hoped. While the First Hokage was alive, the Ninja World entered its longest period of peace in a thousand years."
Kagami Uchiha chuckled. "He just failed to realize that what truly restrained the world was never the tailed beasts. It was himself."
"Perhaps he did realize it, but people... always die. Tailed beasts don't." Minato sighed and looked up at Kagami.
"Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"Minato, if it were you, how would you handle the tailed beasts?"
"Tailed beasts are necessary strategic deterrents. From the moment they were bound, unless someone like the First Hokage appears again..."
"Maintaining the status quo is necessary. Take the Nine-Tails, for example. If we released the tailed beasts, it would only bring endless disaster to Konoha."
At that thought, Minato's expression grew melancholy.
"War... really can't ever end..."
"Of course not."
"Land, wealth, power, culture, beliefs... Even a single Konoha village can't stop fighting. How could we hope for a world that remains peaceful forever?"
"The First Hokage's idea was correct. There must indeed be enough deterrence to make the various ninja villages stop waging war."
"But tailed beasts alone are far from enough."
Minato looked at Kagami Uchiha meaningfully.
He knew that his decision to stay had finally caused this junior disciple, who had originally kept his distance, to open his heart and explain his ideals.
A deep, shadowed eye gazed at Namikaze Minato from between the bandages.
"An individual's lifespan is limited, and the power of tailed beasts is insufficient."
"Clans!"
"Succession!"
"No clan is more suited to restraining the world than the Uchiha Clan."
"I will become the strongest person in the world!"
"The Uchiha Clan will transform from Konoha's Security Force into a clan that patrols the Ninja World!"
"I know very clearly that the Uchiha aren't suited to participating in politics. We will only serve as a restraint on war."
"And the premise for all this is that an absolutely powerful Uchiha must continue on without interruption."
As Kagami Uchiha spoke, Namikaze Minato felt as if his heart were being squeezed tightly.
He could barely breathe.
"I will die. Before I die, I will leave the Dojutsu Power I accumulate over my lifetime to the next successor through a Transcription Seal."
"Only the Uchiha Clan possesses this ability. Only the Uchiha Clan can bear the world's malice!"
"Kagami... people's thoughts can change."
"Even if you can avoid taking part in ruling, how could your successor... possibly resist the temptation of becoming the king of the world?"
"And besides... bearing the world's malice alone is too painful..."
Kagami Uchiha chuckled softly.
"Minato, your dream is to become Hokage. Have you ever thought about what you'll do after becoming Hokage?"
"Uh... That sort of thing can wait until after the dream comes true."
"That's exactly the point."
Kagami Uchiha turned his gaze and looked into the distance through the tent window.
"This is my dream. Whether there's a qualified successor is something to consider later."
"Besides... maybe I won't die."
"Haha, how could anyone not die?" Minato laughed, taking Kagami Uchiha's words as a joke.
There is someone.
The Otsutsuki are immortal.
Minato stood up. "Thank you for being willing to tell me all this. You should get some rest too."
When he reached the entrance, he looked back and smiled.
"I'll support you. I look forward to seeing you sever the hatred and entanglements of this world."
"Kid, that Blondie is pretty special to you."
"He's a good person, and he's very talented."
Kagami Uchiha replied indifferently, "There are too few good people in this world. Even villains like making friends with good people."
"After all, he won't be thinking about killing me every moment like you do."
"That's too cruel, kid~"
Sukuna's voice was hoarse and muffled. "I'm not thinking about killing you."
"I'm thinking about eating you!"
"Every drop of blood, every piece of flesh, every bit of marrow!"
"I want to savor it all!"
"You're suffering, aren't you, Sukuna?"
Kagami Uchiha's words carried a mocking edge.
"You see humans as ingredients, yet you're trapped inside a human body."
"You were once human too, yet you chose to become a curse."
"You don't understand human malice at all."
On the Sea of Corpses and Blood, Sukuna suddenly felt a powerful suction force.
"You... What are you trying to do?"
His battle with Roshi and Ōnoki had made Kagami Uchiha familiar with using Tailed Beast Chakra.
He had also gained... experience in seizing power.
Whoosh—
Within the Mental Space, a Blade Aura wreathed in roaring flames suddenly appeared.
Sukuna resisted the seal's suction with all his might, but it was useless. His entire body was dragged to the edge of the Gate of Seal.
One of his arms was pulled through the bars.
Realizing what Kagami Uchiha intended to do, Sukuna began laughing wildly.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Can't resist trying to take my power, can you?"
"Take it! Take all of it!"
"The more, the better!"
Slash!!
The flaming Blade Aura descended, severing Sukuna's arm. Thick black blood poured from the wound.
Kagami Uchiha's figure hovered before the seal, looking down at Sukuna with indifference.
The severed arm twitched a few times outside the seal before shooting toward Kagami Uchiha at incredible speed!
Boom!!
Immense Dojutsu Power crushed the arm firmly in place!
"Taking things step by step is my principle. Don't worry, Sukuna. I'll savor you little by little."
A smile curled across Kagami Uchiha's lips. A curtain descended over the crimson Gate of Seal.
Watching everything before him grow darker and darker, Sukuna began to panic.
He had been sealed for a thousand years, but he had been unconscious throughout that time.
Being conscious in the darkness, unable to sense the passage of time or see anything...
Unable to receive any information from the outside world—an ordinary person would suffer severe psychological damage after only a few hours!
What frightened Sukuna even more was that Kagami Uchiha had first chopped off one of his own arms.
Before this, even if Kagami Uchiha locked him in a dark room, he would absorb Sukuna's power after at most a few days, allowing Sukuna to see the outside world.
"No... Don't!"
"With my guidance, you'll be able to control this power better!"
"You're too noisy."
Kagami Uchiha lowered his fingertip, completely sealing the space.
Until he finished using this arm, Sukuna could stay obediently in the dark room.
Hopefully, by the next time they met, Sukuna would have learned how to speak to his master.
In the dead-silent dark space, only Sukuna's furious roar echoed.
Before you continue