Flesh Seed Technique X Parasitism X First Encounter with the Nine-Tails
The first person I thought of was Roy. The Sun-Earring Boy and Namikaze Minato had been traveling together and had already left the courtyard; they were nowhere to be seen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen his head to look out the window, then glanced out again. His expression changed, and he asked Fukasaku with extreme seriousness, "Did the immortal say who it was?"
Great Toad Sage the true master of Mount Myoboku, one of the three holy lands of the Spirit World. His exact age and combat strength are unknown, but in terms of background, he surpasses even his summoned beast, the Ape Demon Clan!
He asserted—if the prophesied child who will change the ninja world appears... then it's almost certainly true...
"A prophecy is not a prediction," Fukasaku stroked the small tuft of white goatee on his chin, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and said, "It's already difficult enough for the Ancestor to send down a revelation. As for who it is... those who are interested can go and find out for themselves..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe and slowly nodded... "No matter who it is, anyone who wants to change the ninja world can't be an unknown nobody... Ideally, this person should be from Konoha..."
Lost in thought, Roy's face, three parts resembling Fugaku and seven parts Mikoto, reappeared in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind. The old man tapped his pipe, snapped back to reality, and said to Fukasaku, "Tell me about the battle at the front."
Fukasaku gave a noncommittal "hmm," and on this bright morning, he quietly huddled together with Sarutobi Hiruzen...
"Ring ring..." As noon approached, the Ninja Academy bell rang, signaling the end of the school term.
Worried about frightening passersby or children, Roy, with Namikaze Minato, emerged from a secluded alley and decided to walk home.
There was still a considerable distance between the shopping district and the Uchiha Clan's residence. Shops selling food, clothing, accessories, hardware, and condiments lined the streets, bustling with activity. Roy and Namikaze Minato walked side-by-side, strolling through the lively streets, watching the traffic and smelling the Human Realm, occasionally greeting passersby. It must be said... even though Namikaze Minato hadn't yet defeated the AB Duo in the upcoming Three Kingdoms War and earned the title of "Yellow Flash," his past achievements and status Jiraiya Sannin, meant that wherever he went, he was practically the center of attention...
Roy stood silently by his side, watching him smile and greet people, and suddenly a saying came to mind: [The mass base determines the superstructure].
Putting aside combat strength, based on Namikaze Minato Namikaze's current popularity in Konoha, Orochimaru's defeat in the original story was not unjustified. Even now... because he was exposed for poaching and experimenting on living people, and defected prematurely, it's estimated that he would have a hard time competing with Namikaze Minato for the future Hokage position.
"Yohoo~"
"Everyone was so enthusiastic!"
At the edge of the shopping district, the crowds gradually thinned out, and Namikaze Minato finally got a chance to catch his breath. He smiled wryly at Roy and said, "Actually, I like this kind of liveliness Kushina, but unfortunately, she can't get out..."
As the vessel to contain the Nine-Tails, the Jinchuriki are not allowed to leave without a valid reason. This applies not only to the Uzumaki Clan Kushina but also to the Jinchuriki of other villages. For example, Gaara was strictly restricted from leaving in the early days, and Sand Village even sent a hunting party to try to eliminate him.
For example, Killer B, during the Third Raikage's time, needed to be accompanied by the Raikage's son to go out. Later, after A succeeded as Raikage, the restrictions were tightened even more to protect his safety... Even though he was the best Jinchuriki among all Jinchuriki in terms of bond with the Tailed Beast, and the first to be acknowledged and accepted by the Eight-Tails, he still had to sacrifice his freedom for the sake of the village.
Therefore, this is the drawback of "strategic weapons"—they are incredibly powerful, but human life is restricted, and their existence is primarily for... deterring opponents!
Roy thought of the various disasters that followed in Konoha due to the Nine-Tails' attack, which ultimately led to the deaths of Namikaze Minato Kushina Uzumaki Clan... He looked up at the sky and said with a sigh, "Weak... it's all because... were too weak..."
"Who's weaker?" Namikaze Minato stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the Sun-Earring Boy.
Roy caught a ray of sunlight in his hand and played with it, then released it back into the light. He paused, pointed at Namikaze Minato, and then at himself. "You, me, Konoha... are all too weak."
"If someone is strong enough to control and manipulate the Nine-Tails at will, do you think Aunt Kushina?"
Namikaze Minato's eyebrows twitched slightly. "You know about the Nine-Tails?"
Roy didn't answer. The Sun-Earring Boy lifted his foot again, looked ahead at the Ninja Academy, and said without turning his head, "The man is incompetent, leaving a woman to bear the burden of fate, Uncle Minato."
The Sun-Earring Boy suddenly stopped at the courtyard wall that he had blasted down and then rebuilt with his "Fireball Jutsu," and turned to look at Namikaze Minato, saying, "This is also why I really can't bring myself to like Konoha now."
Namikaze Minato paused slightly, looking up at the Sun-Earring Boy standing quietly beneath the courtyard wall inscribed with the Will of Fire, gazing back at him. His heart pounded with turmoil, like a raging sea. This was the first time in his life he had heard such an answer, such an answer... one that even he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage Assistant, and even... the entire Konoha would never have imagined!
Ironically, from a certain perspective, this is indeed the truth!
Kushina, and even Uzumaki Mito, were all... sacrifices based on this fact!
"But that's the Nine-Tails,"
No one can control the Nine-Tails... Namikaze Minato, looking intently at Roy, and said, "You don't know how terrifying it is..."
"Is that so?" Roy stopped looking at Namikaze Minato, put his hands in his pockets, and walked slowly towards the Uchiha Clan's compound, brushing against the Ninja Academy wall. The Sun-Earring Boy's figure wasn't particularly tall, but he certainly wasn't thin either. His black hair cascaded over his shoulders, shimmering in the sunlight. Without turning his head, he said, "My father told me that our clan's ancestor once controlled the Nine-Tails. I think... he was the first, but he definitely won't be the only one..."
"Squeak..." The [Flesh Seed Technique] lying in Roy's panel began to wriggle uncontrollably, like a "Wriggling Hunger" impatiently urging Roy to... eat... but who knows if the Kujo fox demon can withstand... parasitism!
A barely perceptible sneer flashed across the Sun-Earring Boy's lips. His mind briefly fell silent as he tried to calm [the Flesh Bud].
He said, "Good boy... it'll be soon, very soon..."
As people followed, they unconsciously quickened their pace...
"Whoosh~" A gust of wind rose, scattering a few leaves... Beside the Ninja Academy, on a not-so-wide, Namikaze Minato stood frozen in place, watching Roy, draped in a Rosy Garment emblazoned with a sun halo, a red and white fan branded on his back... The man stood there dumbfounded for a long, long time, then, seeing Roy about to walk away, he hurriedly took off after him...
"Jhin, will you be... next?"
The silent murmur drifted away on the wind as the man quickened his pace. A short while later, when Namikaze Minato caught up with Roy, a small courtyard could be seen nestled among lush trees, the door open... and a brash laugh could be faintly heard from within.
That's right, it's Kushina without a doubt. A gentle smile appeared on Namikaze Minato's lips. He quickened his pace and followed Roy to the door. There, two ANBU Anbu wearing cat and fox masks stood guard on either side of the door. When they saw Namikaze Minato, they nodded slightly to him and stepped aside to make way for him and Roy.
"I'm back...
Two soft calls rang out simultaneously, one from Roy and the other from Namikaze Minato. The Sun-Earring Boy and the young man, having removed their shoes and socks, emerged from the entrance hall. A kitchen curtain was lifted, immediately revealing a head of fiery red hair...
"Minato, King, come sit down in the living room, the food will be ready soon."
Wearing an apron, Uzumaki Clan Kushina pushed Namikaze Minato towards the living room... In the small living room, beside a new tatami mat, besides Itachi who had returned from sword practice, there were two women... One was sitting casually, drinking tea being served by Itachi; one might mistake this for her home. The other was kneeling properly behind her, occasionally glancing apologetically at Itachi, who was being treated like a child laborer... It was Tsunade and Shizune!
"Oh... you're back?"
"Let me check if the new tatami mats are suitable..."
Tsunade took a sip of tea, her gaze sweeping over Namikaze Minato before she looked up at Roy with a smile. When she noticed the necklace around the Sun-Earring Boy's neck, her smile blossomed, becoming noticeably brighter.
"Tsunade..." After being ushered into the living room by Kushina, Namikaze Minato was visibly surprised to see Tsunade. He nodded to Shizune and sat cross-legged on the tatami mat with Roy.
Uzumaki Clan Kushina hadn't left the house in a long time, and on a rare visit to her best friend's house, she rolled up her sleeves, volunteered, and went into the kitchen to help Uchiha Mikoto with the cooking...
Nearby, Itachi, seeing Roy return, seemed to have found a savior and quietly breathed a sigh of relief... for someone like him...
For most people, a lively atmosphere with lots of people is not what he craves. In fact, in the Sun-Earring Boy's eyes... the living room right now is more terrifying than a battlefield filled with Shuriken Kunai!
Itachi crept up to Roy, grabbed his sleeve, and whispered in his ear, "Nii-san, Shisui- nii went with a guy wearing a cat-face mask..."
Roy remained expressionless, giving a soft "hmm," seemingly unconcerned about such matters, only concerned with his brothers' Swordsmanship and whether they had finished their daily practice of the Ten Thousand Swings.
"I've finished training," Itachi mumbled. "Shisui said he'll finish when he gets back..."
Roy's face darkened. He hadn't come back to make up for it... he came back to "double it!"
Namikaze Minato and Tsunade twitched. Pretending to sip their tea, they listened silently, a fleeting thought crossing their minds as they recalled their training days. Sadly... those people were gone, those loved ones were no more... They could no longer hear such "admonitions"...
"Yes, I'll tell Shisui -nii when I get back this afternoon..." Itachi silently mourned for Uchiha Shisui in his heart, considerately handing Roy a cup of tea. Roy took it, sipped it lightly, and then looked at Tsunade, saying softly, "Tsunade, I think you can start making some preparations in advance."
The Sun-Earring Boy looked intently at the woman. "I might need some of your younger brother's and daughter's belongings; I'll need your help with that."
The Edo Tensei itself doesn't directly summon the soul of the dead from Hell... For it to succeed, three conditions must be met: First, the DNA of the resurrected person must serve as a bridge to connect with their soul; second, a living person must be needed as a vessel to hold the resurrected person; and third, the soul of the resurrected person cannot be in a sealed state, such as being Soul Reaper and imprisoned by Tsunade. In short, the promise once made to Tsunade has come to be fulfilled now that the Edo Tensei technique is in hand.
This concerns Tsunade, herself, her great-grandfather Maha, and the lives of countless men Sael, women, and children, including Brook, Severus, and others who perished alongside him in the war, hidden within his memories... It is imperative to investigate, and absolutely cannot be lost!
In the living room, beside the tatami mats, as Roy casually uttered those words, Tsunade holding the teacup trembled, spilling tea and wetting a corner of the table... The woman trembled, her lips quivering, looking at Roy. Her expression shifted rapidly, a subtle change captured by Namikaze Minato. The young man, his blond hair standing on end like a hedgehog, silently glanced at Tsunade, then at Roy, before calmly picking up his teacup and drinking...
"Hiss..." Wisps of tea smoke rise...
Itachi, quick as a flash, grabbed a rag and wiped away the spilled tea. Just then, Tsunade seemed to finally recover from her lapse in composure. She took a deep breath, her voice hoarse, and looked solemnly at Roy, saying, "You tell me, I'll do it!"
Even if it means my death!
Grandma is gone, brother is gone, lover is gone... With no relatives or friends, all alone, Tsunade is left, wandering the world like a lost soul... Forced to turn to drinking and gambling, she can only find a pitiful meaning in life. Tsunade sits up straight, her listless state gone, and in an instant, she seems to have returned to the awe-inspiring "Sannin" she once was!
It seems that Jin's relationship with Tsunade is even closer than I imagined.
For her to willingly utter the words of death, even the Third Hokage Hokage probably couldn't do that... A glint of light flashed in Namikaze Minato's lake-blue eyes as he secretly speculated about the reason, but then...
Roy waved his hand. "It's not that serious, and Tsunade doesn't need to do anything special. I'll tell you the details later. As for now..."
The Sun-Earring Boy patted his stomach and smiled broadly, "Let's eat first!"
"Gurgle..." My stomach growled, and in the blink of an eye, the food arrived!
A shout rang out, "Dinner's ready!"
Then, the kitchen curtain was lifted, revealing a head of fiery red hair.
Uzumaki Clan Kushina came out carrying a steaming bowl of food. As she approached, she placed a plate of freshly fried tempura on the tatami mat, tilted her head, and smiled at the group...
Little Chili is true to her nature, forthright and straightforward, almost on par with Tsunade!
Roy's gaze swept past Namikaze Minato with her, and he turned his attention to the woman without making a sound. Upon closer inspection, "whoosh~" two Great Sun ignited, faintly leaping from the Sun-Earring Boy's pupils.
[The Eye of Truth], sees through illusion... First look at the skin, flesh, and bones, then the fascia and blood, and finally the Chakra, the [seal] branded on the woman's navel, the [seal] that imprisons and locks her... the Nine-Tails Fox!
"Clang, clang..." A soft exclamation escaped as the chains vibrated, and suddenly, following Roy's gaze, it exploded in his mind...
Immediately afterwards, a huge, fiery red fox, while lying in its den, Youyou opened its eyes.
[Hint: Unknown monster detected... [Monster Compendium] Expand...]