Kushina's Choice

"Just as I'd expect from the Fourth Hokage. I never imagined you'd manage to wound me so badly—and even free the Nine-Tails from my control."

Minato was still facing off against Obito. Obito was badly wounded, but most of his body had been replaced with White Zetsu tissue. If an ordinary person had taken a Rasengan and a kunai through the chest like he had, they would already be dead.

"But the Nine-Tails will be mine sooner or later!"

"I'm the one who'll unite the world. I have plenty of ways to get what I want!"

Obito knew that, in his severely wounded state, he couldn't do anything more. He had to return and recover as soon as possible. After tossing out those two threats, he activated the Kamui in his right eye. His entire body was slowly sucked in, and he vanished from the spot.

Minato was filled with worry over Obito's parting words. He feared that the Ninja World, which had only just settled down after the Third Shinobi World War, would once again be thrown into turmoil.

The Nine-Tails was still rampaging in the distance. Minato put his worries aside and immediately used the Flying Raijin Jutsu to reach it.

"Summoning Technique!"

A massive, deep-red toad dropped from the sky and slammed down on the Nine-Tails, which had been gathering energy for a Tailed Beast Ball. The toad wore a purple coat with the character for "shrimp" written on the back. A savage scar crossed the area around its left eye, and it had a pipe clenched between its teeth. A huge short sword hung at its waist, giving it a stylish yet fearsome appearance. It was Gamabunta, one of the top toads of Mount Myoboku.

Gamabunta stood on the Nine-Tails, with Minato, who had arrived just in time, standing on his head!

When the Fourth Hokage appeared, his Hokage Haori billowing, the Konoha Ninja still clinging to life on the battlefield were immediately invigorated. Even the Third Hokage, panting on one knee, looked relieved.

Looking at the powerful Nine-Tails, Minato couldn't think of any way to deal with it. After only a moment's thought, he decided to sacrifice his family for the sake of the village's peace, embodying the Will of Fire.

He had Gamabunta hold the Nine-Tails firmly in place, then gathered the Chakra in his body and used the Flying Raijin Jutsu to teleport himself and the Nine-Tails to a deserted clearing outside the village.

A few seconds later, a blinding flash erupted in the distance. The Nine-Tails, which had just been pinned down, had evidently finished charging its Tailed Beast Ball and unleashed it.

"Now!" Seeing Minato teleport the Nine-Tails away, Yusuke knew that Minato was about to use his last resort and seal it.

Following the flash in the distance, Yusuke immediately rushed toward the Nine-Tails' location, using the Body Flicker Technique repeatedly at his top speed. That was also where the Fourth Hokage and his wife had met their end in the original story!

According to his plan, Yusuke had to arrive before Minato sacrificed himself. Otherwise, the Nine-Tails' Yin Release Chakra would go with Minato into the Shinigami's stomach.

"Kushina, I'm sorry." Minato apologized, panting.

Minato supported the weakened Kushina with his right arm while holding Naruto in his left. Teleporting the Nine-Tails had consumed a huge amount of Chakra, and his battle with Obito had already taken a heavy toll on him. Minato, whose Chakra reserves were nothing exceptional, was now severely depleted.

"You don't have to say anything. I support you." Kushina smiled and shook her head. Then, forcing herself to move, she used the Uzumaki Clan's secret technique, Adamantine Attacking Chains.

Eight golden chains sprang from Kushina's back and firmly restrained the enormous Nine-Tails. A barrier spread out, enclosing them all within it.

No matter how fiercely the Nine-Tails struggled, the eight Adamantine Sealing Chains kept it completely immobile.

Kushina's strength was clearly extraordinary. Even after she had nearly exhausted herself, she could still restrain the full-powered Nine-Tails so securely.

Minato gently laid Naruto on the ground, then immediately formed Hand Seals and performed the sealing technique Kushina had taught him.

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!"

To keep the Nine-Tails' power from overwhelming the infant Naruto, Minato used the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to separate its Yang Release Chakra from its body and seal it in Naruto's abdomen.

Two layers of Four Symbols Seal markings appeared on Naruto's stomach, forming the pattern of the Eight Trigrams. Then they gradually faded from sight.

With half of its Yang Release Chakra extracted, the Nine-Tails immediately shrank to half its former size. The golden chains that had held it fast now had numerous gaps.

"Die!" The furious Nine-Tails seized its chance and swiped at Naruto with its enormous, razor-sharp claws, trying to kill him and release the other half of its sealed Yang Release Chakra.

At last, Yusuke arrived after rushing the whole way with the Body Flicker Technique. From a distance, he witnessed a sight that shook him to the core. To protect Naruto, Minato and Kushina had used their bodies to shield him from the Nine-Tails' claws. The enormous talons pierced them both, but at the last moment, they had saved Naruto's life.

Kushina let out a desperate cry, blood spilling from her mouth. The eight loosened Adamantine Sealing Chains snapped tight again, firmly restraining the Nine-Tails.

By then, both Minato and Kushina had not only exhausted their Chakra but also suffered mortal wounds. They were clearly at the end of their strength.

Their eyes met as they looked at each other. Everything they needed to say was left unspoken. Beside them, Naruto seemed to sense what was happening and began to wail.

"I wish I could see Naruto when he grows up." Tears in her eyes, Kushina gazed tenderly and sorrowfully at the crying Naruto.

Standing behind Kushina, Minato gently embraced his beloved wife one last time and said softly, "In a moment, I'll use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal a portion of your Chakra inside Naruto. When he grows up, you'll be able to see him."

"What? Why use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal? The Shinigami will devour your soul, and you'll never be able to rest in peace!" Kushina cried out in alarm, firmly trying to stop him.

Both of them had suffered mortal wounds and were certain to die. She had thought Minato would use an ordinary sealing technique to seal the other half of the Nine-Tails' Yin Release Chakra. She never expected him to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

"Only the Dead Demon Consuming Seal can leave a portion of both our Chakra inside Naruto!" Minato said with a smile.

"No! The price is too great!" Kushina insisted, gripping Minato's hand tightly.

"Fourth Hokage, things haven't reached their worst yet!" Just then, a figure in a white cloak and an oni mask appeared outside the barrier.

It was Yusuke, who had just arrived.

Looking at the other unidentified ninja who had appeared, Minato coughed and asked, "Who are you? Why have you appeared at a time like this? What do you want?"

Kushina eyed Yusuke warily as well, her heart filled with anxiety.

Once she could no longer maintain the barrier, neither she nor Minato would have any strength left to fight back. More importantly, Naruto would fall into the stranger's hands.

"I only want to help you seal the Nine-Tails. At this point, I have no reason to deceive you. You probably can't hold out for even five minutes." Yusuke spoke slowly.

"Then why are you sneaking around and hiding your identity? If you don't tell us who you are, I won't open the barrier," Kushina said.

Looking at the couple who had given everything for Konoha, Yusuke thought for a few seconds, then decided to remove his mask and reveal his identity.

"Uchiha Yusuke!" Seeing Yusuke beneath the mask, the two exchanged startled glances. As a talented jonin who had already made quite a name for himself in Konoha, Yusuke was someone Minato and Kushina knew.

Yusuke began, "When the Nine-Tails caused chaos in the village tonight, the clan head wanted to lead the Uchiha Clan ninja in helping Lord Third resist it."

Yusuke sighed. "But Lord Third agreed to Danzo's lockdown of the Uchiha Clan and forbade its members from leaving their compound tonight. That's why I concealed my identity and came here in secret."

Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance. Minato's eyes remained full of doubt, while a glimmer of hope appeared in Kushina's.

"Even if you've come, what can you do?" Minato asked.

"Although my nickname is 'Flame Tachi,' I'm actually skilled in Sealing Jutsu as well. Sealing the Nine-Tails, which only has Yin Release Chakra left, shouldn't be difficult."

At Yusuke's words, Minato furrowed his brows, unable to make a decision.

Yusuke was indeed a Konoha ninja. But Danzo had locked down the Uchiha Clan compound at a time like this, and the Third Hokage had approved it. There had to be some reason he didn't know about.

"To be safe, I can't let him into the barrier!" After thinking it over, Minato made up his mind.

Seeing Minato's expression shift from doubt to resolve, Yusuke knew he wouldn't take the slightest risk by letting him inside. Since he couldn't find a way through to Minato, Yusuke turned to Kushina and said earnestly, "You don't have much time left. Your life force is still draining away. If you wait any longer, even this last sliver of hope will be gone."

"Lady Kushina, you have to make this decision!"

"Kushina, we still can't trust him. If we hold on a little longer, Lord Third will arrive. Then I'll use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal the Nine-Tails, and everything will be certain!" Minato hurriedly said, before breaking into another coughing fit. Blood poured from his mouth in great gulps.

"But by then, both of you will truly be dead," Yusuke reminded her, staring straight at Kushina.

At that moment, the decision was in Kushina's hands!

Kushina lowered her head and fell silent for a few seconds. Then she gently held Minato's face and softly caressed it. "Forgive me for being selfish just this once. This time, I want to choose you."

"Kushina, you—" Before Minato could finish, Kushina's slender hand slid from his cheek to his neck.

With a gentle squeeze, Minato lost consciousness.

Seeing this, Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Lady Kushina, you made the right choice."

"Let's hope so," Kushina said, deactivating the barrier.

Time was short, and Yusuke didn't waste words. He took two syringes from his clothes and injected them into Minato's and Kushina's necks.

"Seal of Life!"

Yusuke quickly formed Hand Seals, then pressed a finger to each injection site on Minato and Kushina, creating a circular cursed seal on each of them.

After the seals were completed, Kushina immediately felt much better. Even Minato's unconscious face, previously pale, had regained a little color.

The Seal of Life was a by-product Yusuke and Orochimaru had developed while working on the Yin-Yang Cursed Seal. Combined with the Hashirama Cells Fusion Liquid, it could awaken the powerful life force within Hashirama Cells while suppressing their aggressiveness.

"Thank you. I never knew the Uchiha Clan had someone as skilled in Sealing Jutsu as you," Kushina said.

But Yusuke's brows were still furrowed. "We wasted too much time. The result isn't as good as I'd hoped. Your injuries are simply too severe. Especially you, Lady Kushina—even an ordinary person with ten lives would have run out by now."

Kushina seemed not to hear him. She simply turned her head and stared blankly at Minato.

A few seconds later, Kushina suddenly smiled. "It's not too late. Hurry and seal the Nine-Tails."

Even as she spoke, tears streamed from her eyes.

Seeing Kushina laugh and cry at once, Yusuke couldn't guess what she was thinking. But he didn't have much time left. He had to seal the Nine-Tails before the Third Hokage arrived.

Turning around, Yusuke looked at the Nine-Tails, still restrained by the Adamantine Sealing Chains. The Nine-Tails glared at him viciously, as if warning him not to try anything.

"Is that all, Nine-Tails? This is the end for you!"