Stealing Souls from the Death God

(Chapter 39: Stealing Souls from the Death God)

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three Great Fireballs struck the Nine-Tails' right paw one after another. The more chakra he poured into the Great Fireball Jutsu, the more powerful it became, but much of that power was wasted without bringing out the full force of the flames' explosions. In his desperation, Mirai formed a hand seal, then—moving too fast to stop—formed a second, then a third, creating a new jutsu.

Compared to a single Great Fireball, it was harder for an opponent to dodge, and its focused force was greater than Phoenix Sage Fire. Mirai wanted only to knock the Nine-Tails back.

The successive explosions did no damage to the Nine-Tailed Fox, but they did knock its paw off course.

Boom! Boom! The Nine-Tailed Fox's paw struck a massive boulder nearby. More than five meters tall, it shattered like tofu.

The Nine-Tailed Fox fixed its gaze on Mirai and roared furiously. "You again, you little brat! You dare ruin my plans time and time again! I'll kill you first!"

The Nine-Tails hated Mirai almost as much as it hated the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina. That brat had used a genjutsu to control it earlier, allowing the Fourth Hokage to extract half the chakra from its body.

Being pushed to that point by a powerful enemy was one thing. But this was just a brat. It couldn't let him live, or he might become someone on Uchiha Madara's level one day.

The Nine-Tails swung its paw at Mirai. Mirai saw it coming and gave a bitter smile. Had he pushed himself too hard after all? His body had no strength left, and his chakra was completely drained. The fact that he hadn't passed out yet was only thanks to his iron will. There was no way he could dodge the Nine-Tails' attack. He hadn't even been in this world for two years, and his awesome life was already over before it had begun. Still, maybe that was for the best. It would be a lot easier this way. Mirai fell sideways to the ground and closed his eyes.

"Splurt—!" Mirai felt no pain, though a few hot droplets landed on his face. He opened his eyes and saw Uzumaki Kushina and the Fourth Hokage standing in front of him, both impaled by the Nine-Tails' claw.

Mirai stared at them, eyes wide and pupils dilated. "Why...?"

Kushina managed a strained smile. "Mirai... you just saved my child and Minato. How could we let you die here...?"

"You saved Kushina and Naruto, and you saved this village. Kushina and I were going to die sooner or later, but you're Konoha's Future Hope. I know it's a lot to ask, but I hope you'll save Naruto if his life is ever in danger. We're his parents, after all. It's hard to leave him behind..." Minato coughed up blood as he spoke. They didn't ask Mirai to look after Naruto, since he was a child himself and could barely take care of himself. But they believed in his future. He would surely become a powerful ninja.

Mirai nodded, his thoughts tangled. They had risked their lives to protect him. Trying desperately to save someone and being saved by someone who sacrificed their life for you were two completely different things. He had never experienced anything like this before. His heart felt tight, and the pain was almost too much to bear.

When Kushina and Minato saw him nod, relieved smiles appeared on their faces. The Nine-Tails tried to move again, but Kushina strengthened the barrier. The chakra chains, which had begun to slacken, tightened around the Nine-Tails once more, slowly pulling it back.

"Grrr—!" The Nine-Tails struggled furiously, but it couldn't break free.

"Minato, let's begin. We don't have much time," Kushina said. Minato nodded and began forming hand seals, preparing to seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto.

Kushina smiled at her child and began explaining to the completely clueless Naruto how to stay strong without his parents. He should eat well, make lots of friends when he started school, and listen to Brother Ye Han...

Kushina seemed to have endless things she wanted to tell her child. Listening from nearby, Mirai couldn't help but cry. So this was what a father's and mother's love felt like. It really was the greatest thing in the world.

Minato soon finished preparing and performed the sealing technique. With an unwilling roar, the Nine-Tails flew toward Naruto's body and was sealed inside. A seal appeared on Naruto's stomach.

Minato gave the key to undo the seal to a summoned Toad, telling it to guard the key and give it to his teacher, Jiraiya, later.

[ Ding! The host has completed an S-rank mission: Seal the Nine-Tails. The host is rewarded with 100 Points. ]

The system notification sounded in Mirai's ears. He had completed the S-rank mission and earned 100 Points, but he couldn't feel happy. Someone had paid for it with their life.

Once the Nine-Tails was sealed, the barrier vanished. The Third Hokage and the other ninjas quickly arrived. The Third Hokage looked at Minato and Kushina with pain in his eyes, his lips trembling. "Minato... Kushina... Konoha owes you so much..."

"Please, don't say that, Lord Third. This is what a Hokage should do. But I must ask you to take care of our child," Minato said with a smile.

The Third Hokage nodded through his tears. The other ninjas couldn't speak as they watched. When Minato and Kushina saw him nod, bright smiles spread across their faces. Gradually, their life force began to fade.

Mirai looked at Minato and Kushina, wanting desperately to help them. He would even have been glad just to let them meet Naruto again someday. But there was nothing he could do. Perhaps only the Rinnegan's Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique could save them.

[ Ding! Powerful soul energy detected. The conditions for unlocking the "Hero Pavilion" have been met. Would you like to add Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina to the Hero Pavilion? This will cost 100 Points. ]

The sudden voice in his mind stunned Mirai. He didn't know what the Hero Pavilion was, but the system had mentioned Minato and Kushina, so it had to be related to them. The cost was steep, but he would give everything he had to save the people who had saved his life.

[Yes!]

A mysterious power suddenly appeared in Mirai's eyes, and he saw the Death God behind Minato. His pupils contracted. Weren't only the caster and the target supposed to be able to see it? He watched as the Death God reached into Minato's body and pulled out his soul.

Suddenly, Minato's soul—on the verge of being taken away—broke free of the Death God's grasp and flew toward Mirai, where it was absorbed. Mirai was startled too. The Death God seemed just as surprised that a soul had vanished from its grasp. It turned its gaze toward Mirai.

Mirai jumped in fright. Damn, this system is way too overpowered. It actually stole a soul from the Death God.

But if you're going to steal it, don't do it right in front of him! At least don't get me dragged into this. Why is the Death God looking at me like that? The Death God was indeed staring at Mirai with hostility. His heart pounded with anxiety. Is it going to take me away too?

But Mirai's fears were misplaced. The Death God was ultimately an embodiment of the rules, and its figure slowly faded from sight. Mirai breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like he had good karma after all. The Death God wouldn't take the soul of someone as kind as him. Once he relaxed, his body finally gave out, and he passed out completely.