Beneath the Sky Screen, discussions across the continent instantly erupted into an uproar.
"From what the Fourth Hokage's wife said, he clearly had no need to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal at all."
"Did he know his wife was bound to die, so he decided to die with her? A sort of tragic lovers' suicide?"
"How moving. Such devotion through life and death— the Fourth Hokage is practically the most perfect man in the world!"
"What's beautiful about it? He forcibly turned his newborn child into an orphan, and you call that beautiful?"
"You don't understand at all. This is love that never wavers even in death!"
"Love my ass!"
Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City Imperial Palace
Xue Ye gazed at Minato Namikaze within the Sky Screen, his eyes filled with heartfelt admiration as he slowly sighed, "Truly perfect."
Watching Minato embrace righteousness and willingly sacrifice himself for his country and people, Xue Ye could not help but feel deep respect.
"He has responsibility, courage, loyalty, and the willingness to sacrifice. As a strong man, he protects one side; as a husband, he cherishes his beloved. With such breadth of mind, vision, character, and integrity, he is worthy of being called a wise ruler of his generation!"
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, stood quietly to the side. Her expression was cool and detached, yet she held not the slightest admiration for Minato Namikaze.
Her gaze darkened slightly, and her voice carried a trace of barely perceptible melancholy and wistfulness. "This Fourth Hokage did right by his nation, his village, and the wife who stayed by his side throughout his life. Yet only... to his own child did he fail."
Having lost her father at a young age and never felt even the slightest bit of fatherly love, she could not help thinking of her own past as she watched Minato Namikaze resolutely die for the greater good, placing both fate and a Ferocious Beast upon the swaddled Naruto.
She too had lost her father early in life. She too had borne Spirit Hall's future from childhood, infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire at such a young age!
Her tone unconsciously grew heavier, filled with desolation and sorrow.
Xue Ye pondered for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement.
"The Crown Prince is right. If he were merely the Hokage's orphan, then given his status, he should have lived a stable and carefree life!"
"Yet the Fourth Hokage sealed the terrifying Nine-Tails inside the child's body. From the very beginning, Naruto was destined to become a pawn in the struggle between various factions. His childhood was destined to be bleak and difficult, and happiness would be hard to find."
Marshal Ge Long of the military paid no heed to matters of romance or father-son parting. With a grave expression, he stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, have you noticed an even more terrifying point? They were actually able to directly seal a top-tier Ferocious Beast like the Nine-Tails, one capable of destroying heaven and earth, into a child's body!"
His gaze was sharp as he calmly analyzed the matter from a military strategic perspective. "Setting aside how terrifying that child may become by relying on the Nine-Tails, this Sealing Technique alone is already an unsolvable strategic force!"
"If such a Ferocious Beast were unsealed and released in the heart of enemy territory, then tell me—who on the entire Douluo Continent could stop it or restrain it?"
Xue Ye's expression grew even more solemn upon hearing this. He rose and paced back and forth through the hall, his brows tightly furrowed.
"First, there is the Flying Thunder God, which can traverse the battlefield in an instant and remain unstoppable even against ten thousand troops. Then there is this strange Sealing Technique that can seal Ferocious Beasts and place their power within human bodies... Could it be that the Naruto Continent has been ravaged by war year after year? Otherwise, how could it have produced so many Ninjutsu designed specifically for warfare and slaughter?"
The civil and military officials exchanged glances, but no one had an answer!
[The phantom of the Death God within the Sky Screen slowly extended its intangible giant arm, passing directly through Minato Namikaze's chest as it reached through the air toward the Nine-Tails' enormous body.]
["Damn you, Fourth Hokage!"]
[The Nine-Tails roared in fury.]
["Seal!"]
[With Minato's low shout, the Nine-Tails' soul seemed to be forcibly torn away and firmly seized by the Death God. Its enormous body rapidly shrank by more than half at a visible rate, and its imposing aura plummeted.]
[Minato Namikaze gently set down the swaddled Naruto, preparing to complete the final seal.]
[But a sudden change occurred!]
[The Nine-Tails' body had been suppressed and shrunk, causing the seal markings to loosen. A savage gleam flashed in its eyes as, in a furious rage, it thrust out its sharp claw and lunged straight at the swaddled Naruto!]
["You dare seal me inside this little brat? This is too much!"]
[The sharp claw instantly pierced the chests of both Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Scarlet blood continuously dripped from the claw tips, a horrifying sight to behold.]
[Enduring the excruciating pain of death, Minato Namikaze barely managed to summon Gamatora. He solemnly entrusted it with the key to unsealing the Nine-Tails' seal and instructed it to give it to Jiraiya in the future.]
[After doing all this, he turned toward his dying wife. His voice was filled with endless grief. "Kushina, we don't have much time left. If there's anything you want to tell Naruto, say it to him now."]
[With tears filling her eyes, Kushina endured the agonizing pain in her chest and gently gave her instructions, word by word, to the still-innocent Naruto:]
["Naruto, don't be picky with your food. Eat properly, stay healthy, and grow up quickly...]
[Don't stay up late playing around. Make sure you sleep well and keep up your energy...]
[Even though your mother isn't very good at it, you still need to study hard. But everyone has things they are good at and things they aren't! Even if your studies don't go smoothly, there's no need to feel discouraged...]
[When you grow up, make good friends. You don't need many—just a few true confidants you can trust with your life will be enough...]
[At school, respect your teachers and elders, and be humble and polite...]
[Especially when it comes to borrowing or lending money, you must be careful...]
[Naruto, in the life ahead, you will encounter countless hardships, heartbreaks, and grievances. No matter how difficult things become, you must protect your true heart and never lose yourself.]
[You must hold dreams in your heart, and you must also have the confidence and conviction to believe that you can make those dreams come true..."]
Beneath the Sky Screen, the entire Douluo Continent fell deathly silent. A sorrowful mood spread through everyone's hearts as countless people watched this scene of life and death parting, all deeply moved.
Within the grand hall of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Kushina's tender, lingering instructions slowly carried through the Sky Screen. Every word contained a loving mother's concern and affection.
Qian Renxue stood quietly to one side, her expression calm and undisturbed, as though she had not been moved in the slightest by the life-and-death separation before her.
Once the voice faded, she calmly bowed and softly said to Xue Ye, "Father Emperor, if there are no further instructions, this son will take his leave."
Xue Ye continued gazing at the Sky Screen and casually nodded. "The Sky Screen has shown no new movements for now. You may withdraw and attend to your own affairs."
Qian Renxue gave a slight bow in salute, then turned and slowly left the hall.
When she reached a secluded, quiet corridor deep within the palace, she could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her heart. Crystal tears finally slipped down soundlessly, streaming down her cheeks.
Earlier, before the full court of civil and military officials and Xue Ye, she had forced herself to endure it, not daring to reveal even the slightest hint of sadness.
Because that did not fit the persona she had always maintained!
Leaning against a corridor pillar, she let her tears flow, her heart filled with bitterness and envy.
"So... this is maternal love?"
Before you continue