Something Was Off About This!

Si-hai-wei-mao-xu-zi-you-wu-si!

Snap!

Minato clasped his hands together, fully activating the little chakra he had left.

This was the chakra he had recovered after a short rest, and it was also his last chakra.

A white, deathly Phantom floated behind him; it was none other than the projection of the Shinigami from the Netherworld onto the mortal Phantom.

A unique aura belonging to the Netherworld enveloped the earth, Minato's soul was suspended in mid-air in front of the white Phantom of the Shinigami.

A chilling and eerie aura emanated from the area, sending shivers down one's spine!

Just then, space suddenly distorted, like ripples on water, gradually coalescing into a dark shadow.

The dark figure that appeared within the barrier was none other than Tōka, wearing Fox Mask and a black robe.

"This barrier really can't stop you, Tōka!" Minato said with his back to Tōka, his tone unusually calm and natural, as if he were meeting an old friend.

Tōka was slightly taken aback, not understanding where she had given herself away.

He stood Budong ten paces away, a distance from which Tōka was confident he could escape even if Minato suddenly attacked.

With Minato in this state of summoning the Shinigami, Tōka really didn't dare to get close to him. What if he were sealed inside the Shinigami's belly? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

As for the Nine-Tails...

It might be difficult to capture them in the future, but there will still be opportunities. However, once they are sealed inside the belly of Shinigami, they will never see the light of day again!

"How did you recognize me?" Tōka removed his Fox Mask, revealing his delicate little face. As he grew older, he looked more and more like Otsutsuki Kaguya.

"I wasn't sure either..." A faint smile appeared on Minato's tired face.

"Tōka possesses a unique charisma that ordinary people cannot imitate."

Only when faced with life and death can one truly see what kind of person they are, whether they remain calm or not.

Minato's expression was indifferent, with a smile always playing on his lips.

Kushina, however, seemed somewhat confused...

Kushina nestled weakly in Minato's arms, turning her head with difficulty to look at Tōka, who was dressed in black robes. Using the Adamantine Sealing Chains to restrain the Nine-Tails had already exhausted her.

In Kushina's memory, Tōka was just a rather mature kid who looked as cute as a girl.

She didn't understand why Tōka would do such a thing.

"I guess it's fate." Tōka understood Kushina's gaze; it didn't matter that Minato and Kushina hated him.

Only...

Upon hearing Tōka's words, Minato and Kushina showed no hatred in their eyes, but rather endless regret.

"If only Tōka could have been born in Konoha." Minato sighed softly, still thinking about how to protect the village even at this moment.

Tōka stared at the two silently, surprisingly losing all interest in making a move.

He originally planned to use Kakuzu to lure away the Third Hokage and the others, and then use the Six Harmonies Divine Technique to control the Nine-Tails for a final desperate attack.

If we fail and cannot take the Nine-Tails, then we should abandon this operation.

However, when he saw the regret in Minato and Kushina's eyes, Tōka suddenly didn't want to do it anymore.

The night breeze was slightly cool.

The raging Nine-Tails Chakra in the sky shrouded the lonely moon in a bloody hue.

The forest was quiet. The Battlefield between the Third Hokage and others and Kakuzu was deliberately kept far away from this place. The sounds of fighting gradually subsided, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"You will die." Tōka said in a low voice, looking at Minato's retreating figure.

"When we became ninjas, we were already prepared," Minato said gently, glancing at Kushina in his arms.

To become a ninja, one must be prepared to kill and be killed.

Tōka could understand the sentence, but what he couldn't understand was...

"Don't you hate him?" Shouldn't you hate the person who killed you, the person who killed your family, the person who killed your villagers?

Minato pursed his lips, his gaze never leaving Kushina's face, as if he wanted to remember her appearance in his final moments.

Kushina weakly looked up at Minato. The fact that the Nine-Tails had been extracted from her body and that she had survived until now already demonstrated the powerful vitality of the Uzumaki Clan.

Tōka's Ice Blue eyes narrowed slightly. So it really is hatred!

After all, he killed his family, he killed himself...

"Well, if I had to say, it would be regrettable," Minato suddenly said, his calm tone revealing no trace of hypocrisy.

He's... serious!

Regret? Tōka was slightly taken aback. Regret that he couldn't kill his enemy with his own hands?

"When we first met, I felt that Tōka destined to be an extraordinary person. It's such a pity that I can't become his companion!"

Minato was wary of Tōka, tested Tōka, and kept a close watch on Tōka, but he also hoped to prove that Tōka's heart was with Konoha.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to do such a thing himself.

If the goal is to eliminate a potential threat, it would be more appropriate to hand Tōka over to Gen to deal with.

Because the roots of Konoha exist for this very purpose!

For a moment, Tōka Ge was speechless.

Roar!!

The Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox roared in resentment, its anger, evil, brutality, and ferocity engulfing the earth with endless negative emotions.

However, the golden chains tightened more and more, and all of the Nine-Tails's struggles were in vain.

Kushina's final life force was undoubtedly very strong; the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Technique, Adamantine Sealing Chains, tightly trapped the Nine-Tails.

The shockwave stirred up dust and sand from the earth, lifting a corner of the black robe.

Tōka pursed her lips and voiced the last question that had been on her mind.

"Why didn't you expose me?" The Third Hokage and the three Anbu who followed him clearly didn't recognize him.

Minato had a faint smile on his lips, seemingly not intending to answer Tōka's question.

"Tōka, I have one last request, and I hope you can grant it."

A final request? Then don't make any more requests. Wouldn't it be better to just die peacefully?

Tōka silently complained in his heart, but his eyes revealed a look of curiosity. Why would Minato need him to do something at a time like this?

Minato slowly raised his right hand, and a faint amount of chakra slowly gathered in his palm.

Buzz!

A dazzling dumpling appeared in his palm.

Rasengan?!

Tōka made no move to attack or defend, because he knew that Minato no longer had the strength to attack him.

Moreover, in such a weakened state, the Rasengan in Minato's hand posed little threat to him.

"I hope you can help me teach Naruto the Rasengan!" Minato turned around with difficulty and glanced at Tōka. This was the first time he had turned to look at Tōka since summoning the Shinigami.

"That kind of thing..." Jiraiya do it too!

Why do you want him...?

Tōka's voice stopped abruptly, and the words that were about to come out were suddenly swallowed back. He didn't understand why Minato was doing this.

Rationally, Tōka knew it was best to refuse, but emotionally...

"Okay." Tōka glanced at Naruto, who was sleeping peacefully in Kushina's arms, and nodded inexplicably, uttering a single word.

As soon as he finished speaking, even Tōka himself was completely bewildered. Why had he agreed to Minato's request?

Minato smiled slightly and then began to explain the principle of the Rasengan.

"Same principle as the Tailed Beast Bomb..."

High-density chakra is concentrated and condensed into a small area, then rotated at high speed to form a sphere.

It contains immense tearing power and represents the pinnacle of chakra form transformation. It can be infused with chakra nature transformation as an advanced version.

"Haha, that's a bit complicated, isn't it?" Minato scratched his cheek. It took him three years to develop this number, and then several more months to fully master it.

It's a bit... that Tōka learned it in such a short time.

Isn't that asking the impossible?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Minato stared dumbfounded at the scene before him.

Tōka raised a small hand, palm up, and a chakra ball as dazzling as jade appeared in his palm!

"Condensing high-density chakra and spinning it, right?" Tōka's talent allowed him to learn any technique exceptionally quickly.

Compared to the incredibly complex principles of techniques like Impure World Reincarnation and Flying Thunder God, the principle behind Rasengan is as simple as it gets.

Staring blankly at the Rasengan gathering in Tōka, Minato's eyes were filled with shock.

Tōka's performance clearly surprised Minato once again. He learned the Rasengan in just a moment? I underestimated him after all...

"As expected of Tōka!"

As Minato finished speaking, the Shinigami behind him had already drawn his dagger...

Reaper Death Seal!!

In the dense Forest, on the way to the Land of Rain, Tōka was still a little confused. Whether or not the capture of the Nine-Tails was successful was really not that important.

But why did he have to teach that idiot Naruto the Rasengan?!

Good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years.

Tōka has always considered himself a bad guy, so why was he given a "good guy" card?

The only sound in the woods was the rustling of footsteps. Pakura and Bai walked behind, while Kakuzu was on Tōka's right.

"Kakuzu, do I look like a good person?"

Tōka wouldn't ask Pakura this kind of question, much less Bai, because he could guess their answers.

Only Kakuzu's answer was truly remarkable.

Tōka tilted his Kakuzu, making sure the other had heard him, before turning back to look ahead.

"Hmm... not like it..." Kakuzu responded in a muffled voice, then thought to himself, "You don't even look human!"

Just as I thought, Kakuzu also thinks I'm a bad guy!

Tōka silently confirmed his identity as a bad guy. If he knew what Kakuzu was thinking, he would definitely fire a Bone Bullet Barrage at him.

The sound of pattering rain gradually began, and a hazy rain curtain could be vaguely seen outside the Forest.

The group had arrived at the border of the Land of Fire, while the Land of Rain lay deep within that curtain of rain.

"Hmph, what a waste of time, and we got nothing in return!" Kakuzu snorted coldly, annoyed, and walked straight into the rain.

Tōka, however, simply held up an umbrella. Wasting time? He didn't think so.

Firstly, through this practical experience, Tōka gained a certain understanding of the use of the Tenseigan's abilities and the consumption of chakra.

Secondly, Tōka was even more certain that his Shapeshifting Clone was safe in Konoha, as no one except Minato and Itachi had recognized his Original Body tonight.

The fact that Tōka's clones, Tsuchi-e no Jutsu, are lurking in Konoha means that he is still Konoha Ninja!

Having such an identity makes it much easier to infiltrate Konoha —no, to appear openly in Konoha.

On the Tallest Tower in the Land of Rain, Tendou sat quietly on Deva Path Rooftop, gazing up at the rain falling from the sky.

Suddenly, Rain Tiger At Will Technique sensed the presence of Tōka and the others. Deva Path's eyes narrowed, and his sharp, eagle-like gaze turned towards the distance.

"They're back, but I don't sense the Nine-Tails' chakra," Pain said in Deva Path voice, his calm and indifferent tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"So the mission failed?" Konan remained cold and aloof; she only showed her gentle side when facing Nagato.

"They've arrived!"

As the words of the Deva Path Dao fell, the Void inside the tower trembled.

Immediately afterwards, the figures of Tōka, Kakuzu, Pakura, and Bai appeared one after another.

Deva Path's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't recall Kakuzu this ability to travel through space, let alone Pakura and Shiro.

So... the only one left is Tōka?

"Your mission has failed." The cold voice of the Deva Path rang out, and even Kakuzu felt immense pressure in his heart.

Pakura forced herself to stand up straight to make herself look more natural, while Bai, her face pale, huddled anxiously behind Tōka.

Even if it were an imposter possessing the Six Paths' eyes, would it have such formidable power of intimidation?

Tōka glanced at Deva Path with a calm expression, a flash of Ice Blue light One Flash through his dark eyes, and the oppressive aura that had been pressing down on the air instantly dissipated.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and even their breathing became easier.

"The main objective has been achieved. Konoha truly lives up to its reputation as the leader of the Five Great Nations." Tōka's goal was never the Nine-Tails; capturing it would be ideal, but not capturing it wouldn't matter.

Nagato shared the same idea: capturing the Nine-Tails was secondary, provided Akatsuki wasn't exposed; the real purpose was to test Konoha's strength!

The Deva Path Dao shifted its gaze from Tōka to Kakuzu, believing that Nagato Kakuzu tell it everything that had happened in Konoha.

"Let's leave it at that. Go and rest." Deva Path turned around coldly, his tone indifferent and unreadable.

Tōka glanced deeply at Deva Path's retreating figure, then walked out unhurriedly.

Bai followed Tōka without thinking, while Pakura paused slightly, glanced at everyone in the tower, and then strode out.

Kakuzu, however, wisely chose to stay.

"Tell me, what exactly happened in Konoha?" Tendo asked in a Deva Path voice. Kakuzu his spy planted next to Tōka.

However, Kakuzu was also a shrewd man, and only he himself knew whether he was truly willing to act as an informant.

Kakuzu's eyes One Flash slightly, and he nodded Budong, saying in a deep voice, "The Nine-Tails Demon Fox did indeed break the seal and escape, but it was resealed by the Fourth Hokage."

"Oh? Tell me more." Deva Path stood with his hands behind his back, his back to Kakuzu, gazing at the flying rain outside the tower.

"This is how it happened..."

Kakuzu had his own thoughts in mind. He told the truth about everything that happened in Konoha, but he didn't mention a word about the Sealing Scroll Tōka gave him to store living hearts.