The Death of Minato

Yet, no one responded.

The surroundings were filled only with the crackling of flames and the distant, indistinct screams of the dying.

The tail of the Nine-Tails swept toward him.

"No!!!"

Everything fell silent.

In the distance, Inabi, who was busy rescuing people, paused at the sound of that scream.

He did not look back.

He continued to carry an injured child on his back, running toward the safety zone.

Suddenly, the Nine-Tails ceased its movements.

It opened its mouth, and a massive black sphere began to condense before it.

Black and purple, its surface churned with violent chakra.

Every ninja present felt the terrifying energy contained within that sphere.

It was a power capable of destroying everything.

"That is... the Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Someone screamed in terror.

"Run! Everyone, run!"

Yet, where could they possibly go?

Once that Tailed Beast Bomb landed, the entirety of Konoha would cease to exist.

The Tailed Beast Bomb finished condensing.

The Nine-Tails whipped its head, hurling the sphere fiercely toward the center of the village!

The black sphere tore through the night sky, carrying the momentum of total destruction as it plummeted toward Konoha.

Countless people looked up in despair.

It's over!

Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to strike.

A Yellow Flash streaked across the sky.

The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, appeared directly in front of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

He formed hand seals, and a massive spatial fold opened behind him.

"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!"

The Tailed Beast Bomb fell into that web of folds, as if swallowed by something, and vanished without a trace in an instant.

The next second.

Outside the village, in the direction of the Forest of Death, a heaven-shaking explosion erupted.

A massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, illuminating the entire night.

Everyone was stunned.

Then, they saw the figure standing on high.

Golden hair, a white Hokage cloak, with the large characters for "Fourth Hokage" emblazoned on the back.

Namikaze Minato stood there, looking down at the Nine-Tails below. His voice was not loud, yet it reached every person's ears clearly:

"Betting on the name of the Hokage, I will protect the families of this village."

"This is my duty."

He raised his head, staring into the scarlet eyes of the Nine-Tails.

"I must seal the Nine-Tails as quickly as possible!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a spatial ripple emerged behind him.

The Masked Man slowly surfaced from the distorted space.

"Your opponent is me."

"Kamui."

Space began to twist, enveloping them both.

Just as the intangibility was about to complete, Namikaze Minato activated the Flying Thunder God.

With a flash of yellow light, he vanished from the distorted space.

Immediately after, the figure of the Masked Man slowly faded away as well.

A moment later.

The scarlet eyes of the Nine-Tails suddenly changed.

The tomoe in his pupils slowly dissipated.

The Nine-Tails let out a heaven-shaking roar, but the madness of being controlled was gone, leaving only pure fury and rage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood upon the ruins, his pupils constricting:

"The control over the Nine-Tails... has been broken?"

He had no time to overthink it.

"It was Minato!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Everyone, now is our chance!"

Before his voice had even faded, he bit his finger and formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu, come forth, Enma!"

White smoke exploded, and a massive monkey appeared by his side.

The moment Enma landed, he took in the situation:

"Hiruzen!"

"Use the Adamantine Staff!"

Enma nodded, flipped his body, transformed into a giant iron staff, and landed in Hiruzen's hands.

Hiruzen braced the staff against his waist, planted his feet firmly, and took a deep breath.

"Extend!!!"

The iron staff surged forward, slamming hard into the Nine-Tails' midsection.

The immense impact forced a roar from the Nine-Tails, its massive body actually being pushed back step after step.

The Nine-Tails was forcibly shoved out of Konoha, leaving a deep trench in the ground in its wake.

Veins bulged on Hiruzen's forehead as he gripped the staff tightly and shouted his command:

"I have driven the Nine-Tails out of the village! Anbu, do not let up, continue the attack!"

"Yes!!!"

Countless black shadows darted from the ruins, pouncing toward the Nine-Tails.

On the other side, the battle between Minato and the Masked Man finally drew to a close.

Utilizing the Flying Thunder God mark he had placed on his opponent during the fight, Minato seized an opening and slammed his palm onto the Masked Man.

"Contract Seal!"

The Nine-Tails chakra on the Masked Man was instantly stripped away, and his connection to the Nine-Tails was severed completely.

The Masked Man let out a muffled grunt, looking down at his injuries, knowing he could not succeed today.

"Fourth Hokage... you are indeed formidable."

His body began to turn intangible, his voice drifting away:

"However, this is only the beginning."

With that, his figure vanished completely into the distorted space.

Minato did not pursue.

He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and sensed the Flying Thunder God marks he had left within the village.

The next second, a flash of yellow light appeared, and he materialized high above Konoha.

Outside the village, the Nine-Tails was roaring madly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Anbu were fighting desperately to hold it back.

Ninjutsu rained down upon the Nine-Tails like a downpour, but it could not stop the rampaging Tailed Beast.

Every time its tail swept through, dozens of ninja were sent flying, coughing up blood.

"Damn it! Where is Minato?"

Hiruzen gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

"If this continues..."

Before he could finish, the Nine-Tails opened its mouth.

Black and purple chakra gathered frantically, and a massive Tailed Beast Bomb rapidly took shape within its maw.

The terrifying energy fluctuations made everyone present tremble.

It's over.

If that Tailed Beast Bomb lands...

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive cloud of white smoke exploded, and a toad the size of a mountain descended from the sky, slamming heavily onto the Nine-Tails!

"BOOM!!!"

The Nine-Tails was pinned flat against the ground.

Gamabunta held his pipe, pinning the Nine-Tails down with all his might.

Minato watched the Tailed Beast Bomb still condensing in the Nine-Tails' mouth, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

"Sorry, I can't let you run wild."

He formed hand seals.

"Flying Thunder God!"

A flash of yellow light.

The massive body of the Nine-Tails, along with the Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth, vanished from the spot.

The next second.

A heaven-shaking explosion erupted in the distance, further away from the village.

A massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, and the shockwave swept across all of Konoha like a gale, blowing countless people off their feet.

When the aftermath of the explosion dissipated, Minato's figure appeared once more.

He held Kushina and Naruto, landing not far from the Nine-Tails.

With the Tailed Beast Bomb missing its mark again, the Nine-Tails let out a roar of fury.

But before it could move, it was tightly bound by golden chains.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Kushina lay on the ground, so weak she could barely lift her head.

Golden chains extended from her body, binding the Nine-Tails firmly.

"I... I can still do it, Minato."

She gasped for air, her voice intermittent.

Minato looked at her, his eyes turning red.

He knew that Kushina had reached her limit.

With the Nine-Tails extracted and the forced use of Adamantine Sealing Chains, her life could fade at any moment.

Kushina looked up at Minato, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her mouth:

"I'm going to drag the Nine-Tails... back into my body and die with it."

"That way, the time it takes for the Nine-Tails to revive will be delayed."

She paused, her gaze shifting to Naruto in Minato's arms, her eyes filled with tenderness:

"With the little chakra I have left, this is the only way... I can help you."

"Minato, thank you for everything, all this time."

Her voice grew softer, tears shimmering in her eyes:

"If I have any regrets... it's that I really wanted to... see Naruto all grown up."

Minato's tears burst forth.

"Kushina... you don't have to die with the Nine-Tails."

"I will combine your remaining chakra into the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style and seal it all inside Naruto."

"That way, at some point in the future, you will be able to meet Naruto when he is grown."

He took a deep breath, his gaze turning firm:

"As for what comes after, leave the Nine-Tails... to me."

He quickly formed hand seals.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

A massive, spectral figure of the Shinigami slowly emerged behind him.

With a pale body, a hideous face, and a short blade held in its mouth, a ghastly hand pierced through Minato's body.

Minato's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

The Shinigami's other hand plunged into the Nine-Tails, tearing fiercely.

Half of the Nine-Tails' chakra was forcibly ripped out and sealed into Minato's body.

The Nine-Tails let out a roar of resentment:

"Damn you... Fourth Hokage!!!"

Minato endured the excruciating pain and formed hand seals once more.

The pedestal for the sealing ritual appeared, the technique used to seal a Tailed Beast.

The Nine-Tails' pupils constricted as it instantly understood his intent.

"Bastard! You actually intend to seal me away again... and inside that brat, no less!"

It struggled frantically, but the Adamantine Sealing Chains bound it tight, leaving it unable to move.

Just then.

Kushina's body finally reached its limit.

A flicker of hesitation appeared in her chakra, and the golden chains loosened ever so slightly.

The Nine-Tails seized this momentary opportunity!

"Now!!!"

It raised a massive claw and swiped viciously toward Naruto!

That strike carried all of its fury.

Minato's expression changed drastically.

Without a second thought, he lunged toward Naruto.

"Squelch!!!"

The Nine-Tails' claw pierced through his chest.

Fresh blood gushed out, dripping down the tip of the massive claw.

But the Nine-Tails did not stop.

The claw continued to push forward.

Kushina also immediately threw herself in front of Naruto!

The blood-stained giant claw was on the verge of impaling her as well.

Just then, a figure appeared beside the Nine-Tails like a ghost.

It was Xuandou!

Seeing the scene before him, his pupils constricted.

With no time to think, he poured his chakra frantically into his left eye.

"Yomotsu!"