Reaper Death Seal

"Uchiha brat! I have marked you! I will never let you go!" The Nine-Tails' voice resonated in Uchiha Mirai's ears, seemingly attempting to shatter his resolve. Its will was roaring in fury, yet under Uchiha Mirai's control, the strength of its physical struggle was waning, much like how one's body refuses to obey in a dream no matter how much one struggles or curses.

Uchiha Mirai could sense the Nine-Tails' rage—an incomparable fury. To be controlled by these weak creatures was a supreme humiliation. Having been sealed for years, stripped of freedom, and subjected to agony, it was naturally unwilling to submit. Every Tailed Beast possessed its own pride, and the Nine-Tails was the most powerful among them. It hated! It hated with every fiber of its being!

[Ding--! Nine-Tails chakra detected. Extraction initiated! Extraction progress 1/100]

Uchiha Mirai heard the system prompt. He had almost forgotten about this mission given the critical nature of the situation.

"Roar--!" The Nine-Tails continued to bellow. Although its physical struggle had weakened, Uchiha Mirai's Sharingan was rapidly overdrawing its power. Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes, and the chakra within his body was being consumed at an alarming rate. If not for the Nine-Tails being restrained by Uzumaki Kushina's barrier, a Sharingan of Uchiha Mirai's level would have no right to control the Nine-Tails; he wouldn't even last a second. To control the Nine-Tails, one needed at least a Mangekyou-level Sharingan.

"This is bad! I can only hold on for one minute!" Uchiha Mirai said anxiously to the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina. Using his two-tomoe Sharingan against the Nine-Tails was simply too much of a stretch.

"I will pull it back with all my might and perish with it. That will significantly delay the time until its next resurrection," Uzumaki Kushina said weakly.

"Kushina... you have sacrificed too much for me... becoming the Fourth Hokage... your husband... letting me become the child's father..." The Fourth Hokage's voice choked with emotion, tears already welling in his eyes.

Uzumaki Kushina smiled at Namikaze Minato and said, "Don't say that. I am very happy. My only regret is that we won't be able to live as a family of three, and that I won't see what Naruto looks like when he grows up."

Listening to their conversation, Uchiha Mirai felt deeply moved. He had no way to help them. He had originally thought he could seal the Nine-Tails back into Uzumaki Kushina, but now, fate seemed to be correcting the trajectory of history.

"No, I will let you see the child one last time," the Fourth Hokage said, his hands moving rapidly through seals.

Seeing the Fourth Hokage's hand signs, Uzumaki Kushina was shocked and cried out, "What are you doing? Minato, why are you performing the Reaper Death Seal!"

"I will seal your chakra and the Nine-Tails' chakra into Naruto's body. That way, you can stay by Naruto's side and accompany him as he grows up."

"You would sacrifice your own life just so I can see Naruto grown up? And Naruto is our son!" Uzumaki Kushina shouted at Namikaze Minato in disbelief. She knew all too well the pain of being a jinchuriki. For all these years, her existence had been a secret known only to a few high-ranking officials in the Leaf; even the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—did not know that Uzumaki Kushina was a jinchuriki.

It was precisely because no one knew that Uzumaki Kushina's life in the Leaf had been relatively peaceful. But if others found out, they would surely treat her as a monster. She had thought the same thing when she first heard she was to become a jinchuriki. If Naruto were known to be a jinchuriki, one could only imagine his life and how the villagers would treat him. As Naruto's mother, how could she want her child to endure the same suffering as her?

"But before that, we are ninjas! As it stands, Naruto is the only one in the Leaf capable of becoming a jinchuriki. It is clear that what that man said before leaving was not mere fear-mongering; the future ninja world may undergo earth-shattering changes. The power of the Nine-Tails is indispensable to the Leaf. If the Leaf falls, the child will lose his future. You know the pain of a destroyed home all too well. I hope Naruto can grow up to be a hero who saves the Leaf, just like Uchiha Mirai. Furthermore, this incident can be traced back to us. As the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf and your husband, I cannot shirk my responsibilities and duties!"

Hearing the Fourth Hokage's words, Uchiha Mirai felt profound admiration. It was no wonder every ninja paled in comparison to the Fourth Hokage; whether in wisdom, talent, or that sense of responsibility, he was the very embodiment of a perfect ninja. Yet, Uchiha Mirai knew he was no hero of the Leaf; he was just an ordinary person. Standing before the Nine-Tails, he was not even worth an ant.

Uzumaki Kushina was also persuaded by the Fourth Hokage's words. She could drag the Nine-Tails to the grave with her, but after the Nine-Tails resurrected, it might still be controlled by that Masked Man to attack the Leaf, leaving the village in even greater peril. Her homeland, the Land of Whirlpools, had been destroyed in war; she understood the situation Minato described. If the Leaf were destroyed, Naruto would have nowhere to go and would live an even more painful life.

"Let us believe in this child. He is our son, after all! Reaper Death Seal!" the Fourth Hokage shouted.

"Whoosh--!"

A mysterious, pale-white Shinigami appeared behind Namikaze Minato. It resembled a vengeful spirit, holding a dagger in its mouth capable of severing the target's soul. For a Tailed Beast like the Nine-Tails, which was condensed from chakra, this was its entire essence.

At this moment, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived using the Body Flicker Technique. Seeing the trapped Nine-Tails, the Third Hokage, holding the staff transformed from Enma, spoke up: "Could that seal be..."

The Third Hokage voiced Enma's suspicion: "It is the Reaper Death Seal."

"Swish, swish--!" Several other ninjas who had arrived from behind landed beside the Third Hokage and asked, "What is the situation, Lord Third?"

"It's no use. There is a barrier ahead set up to keep the Nine-Tails from escaping. We cannot enter. They intend to deal with the Nine-Tails on their own."

"Ah! Why is there a child over there? What is he doing? Is that a kid from the Uchiha Clan?" The newcomers noticed Uchiha Mirai standing there.

The Third Hokage paused, then looked closely and said in astonishment, "Uchiha Mirai? That seal is... is he using Sharingan genjutsu to suppress the Nine-Tails? How reckless!"