Qian Renxue: Is This Motherly Love?!

Beneath the Sky Screen, discussions across the continent instantly erupted into a noisy uproar.

"From what the Fourth Hokage's wife said, he clearly didn't 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 roundabout way of dying for love?"

"So moving! Such devotion through life and death— the Fourth Hokage is simply the most perfect man in the world!"

"What's beautiful about it?! He turned his newborn child into an orphan. You call that beautiful?"

"You people don't understand at all. This is love that lasts until death!"

"Love my ass!"

Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City Imperial Palace

Xue Ye gazed at Minato Namikaze on the Sky Screen, his eyes filled with sincere admiration as he slowly sighed. "Truly perfect."

Seeing Minato uphold righteousness, willing to sacrifice himself for his nation and people, he could not help but feel heartfelt respect.

"Responsible, decisive, loyal, and self-sacrificing. As a strong man, he protected his land; as a husband, he cherished his beloved. With such breadth of heart, such character and integrity, he was worthy of being called a wise ruler of his generation!"

Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, stood quietly to one side. Her expression was cold and calm, yet she held not the slightest admiration for Minato Namikaze.

Her gaze darkened slightly, and her voice carried a trace of subtle melancholy and wistfulness. "This Fourth Hokage did right by his country, his village, and the wife who stood by him throughout his life. Only... he failed his own child."

Having lost her father from a young age and never experienced even a hint of fatherly love, she watched Minato Namikaze resolutely die for the greater good, placing both fate and a savage beast upon the infant Naruto. She could not help but think of her own circumstances.

She too had lost her father at a young age. She too had carried Spirit Hall's future on her shoulders since childhood, sent to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire while still so young!

Her tone unconsciously grew heavier, filled with desolation and sorrow.

Xue Ye pondered for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement.

"What the Crown Prince says is reasonable. If he were merely the Hokage's orphan, then given his status, he should have lived a stable and worry-free life!"

"But the Fourth Hokage chose to seal a terrifying beast like the Nine-Tails inside the child's body. From the very beginning, Naruto was destined to become a pawn in the games of every major force. His childhood was destined to be bleak and difficult, and he would struggle to find happiness."

Marshal Ge Long of the military paid no attention to romantic attachments or a father and son's parting grief. With a solemn expression, he stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, have you noticed something even more terrifying? They could actually seal a supreme beast capable of destroying heaven and earth, like the Nine-Tails, directly into a child's body!"

His gaze was sharp as he calmly analyzed the matter from a military strategic perspective. "Setting aside just how terrifying that child might become with the Nine-Tails' power, this Sealing Technique alone is already an unsolvable strategic weapon!"

"If such a beast were unsealed and released deep within enemy territory, then tell me—across the entire Douluo Continent, who could stop it? Who could restrain it?"

Xue Ye's expression became increasingly grave. He rose and paced back and forth through the hall, his brows tightly furrowed.

"With the Flying Thunder God, which could cross the battlefield in an instant and remain unstoppable even against ten thousand troops, and such a strange Sealing Technique that could seal beasts and place their power within human bodies... could it be that the Naruto Continent had been plagued by war all year round? Otherwise, how could it have produced so many Ninjutsu created specifically for military conflict and slaughter?"

The civil and military officials looked at one another, but none could answer.

[The phantom Death God on the Sky Screen slowly extended an intangible giant arm, piercing straight through Minato Namikaze's chest while reaching across the distance for the Nine-Tails' enormous body.]

["Damn you, Fourth Hokage!"]

[The Nine-Tails roared furiously.]

["Seal!"]

[With Minato's low cry, the Nine-Tails' soul seemed to be forcibly torn away and firmly seized by the Death God. Its massive body visibly shrank by more than half, and its imposing aura plummeted.]

[Minato Namikaze gently set down the swaddled Naruto, preparing to complete the final seal.]

[But an unexpected change suddenly occurred!]

[The Nine-Tails' body had been suppressed and reduced in size, causing the sealing formation to loosen. Murderous light flashed in its eyes as it furiously thrust out its claws, lunging straight at Naruto in the swaddling clothes!]

["You dare seal me inside this brat's body? This is too much!"]

[Its sharp claws instantly pierced through the chests of both Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Scarlet blood continuously dripped from the claw tips, a horrifying sight.]

[Enduring the agonizing pain of death, Minato Namikaze barely managed to summon Gamatora. He solemnly entrusted it with the key to unseal the Nine-Tails' seal and instructed it to give it to Jiraiya in the future.]

[After doing all this, he turned to look at his wife, whose breath was fading, his voice carrying endless sorrow. "Kushina, we don't have much time left. If there's anything you want to tell Naruto, say it to him now."]

[Kushina's eyes brimmed with tears. Enduring the searing pain in her chest, she gently gave her still ignorant and innocent Naruto these instructions, one word at a time:]

["Naruto, don't be a picky eater. Eat well, grow up healthy and strong...]

[Don't stay up late playing around. Make sure you sleep well and keep up your energy...]

[Even though your mother wasn't very good at it, you still need to study hard. But everyone has things they're good and bad at! Even if your studies don't go well, 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. Be humble and polite...]

[Be especially careful when borrowing or lending money...]

[Naruto, in the life ahead, you will encounter countless hardships, heartbreaks, and grievances. No matter how difficult things become, you must hold on to your true heart and never lose yourself.]

[You must have dreams, and even more importantly, the courage and confidence to believe in yourself and make those dreams come true..."]

Beneath the Sky Screen, the entire Douluo Continent fell silent. Sorrow spread through everyone's hearts as countless people watched this parting between the living and the dead, all deeply moved and full of sighs.

Within the great hall of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Kushina's gentle, lingering words drifted from the Sky Screen. Every sentence was filled with a mother's concern and love.

Qian Renxue stood quietly to one side, her expression calm and unruffled, as though the parting of life and death on the screen had not moved her in the slightest.

Once the words ended, she calmly bowed and softly said to Xue Ye, "Father, if there are no further instructions, your son will take his leave."

Xue Ye kept his gaze fixed on the Sky Screen and nodded casually. "The Sky Screen has no new changes for now. You may withdraw and attend to your own affairs."

Qian Renxue gave a slight bow, then turned and slowly left the hall.

After walking all the way to a secluded, quiet corridor in the palace, she could no longer suppress the emotions surging within her heart. Crystal tears finally slid down soundlessly, streaming down her cheeks.

Just moments ago, before the civil and military officials and Xue Ye, she had desperately held herself back, not daring to reveal even the slightest trace of sadness.

Because that did not fit the persona she had always maintained!

She leaned against a corridor pillar, letting the tears flow as her heart filled with bitterness and envy.

"So... this is motherly love?"