Planting the Slave Seal on Kushina

As Xuandou activated his ocular technique, the massive Nine-Tails vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Whew... thank goodness I made it in time."

Watching Kushina, who remained completely unharmed, Xuandou let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thud!"

A soft sound echoed.

Minato finally reached his limit and collapsed to the ground.

Blood gushed from the piercing wound in his chest, staining the soil beneath him red.

"Minato!"

Kushina let out a heart-wrenching cry and threw herself beside Minato.

Her hands tried to cover the bloody hole, but it was completely futile.

Minato weakly raised his eyes to look at Xuandou:

"Xuandou-kun... what about the Nine-Tails?"

"I've temporarily trapped it, don't worry."

Hearing this, Minato finally relaxed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Xuandou crouched down, looking at this dying man, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Although he had long coveted Kushina, he did not necessarily have to put Minato to death.

On the contrary, he actually admired Minato quite a bit.

If it were possible, he would even be willing to save Minato as well.

His previous disclosure of the Masked Man's invasion was an attempt to save the couple.

It was just that the arrogant and stubborn Konoha higher-ups did not trust him.

Furthermore, he had his own people to protect.

The ninja world was not peaceful these days.

With the Uchiha clan having left Konoha to station themselves outside the village, there had to be a Kage-level powerhouse to hold the fort.

By the time he received news from Shisui and rushed back using the Flying Thunder God mark he had left in the village, Minato had already exhausted the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and been pierced by the Nine-Tails' claw.

All he could do was barely manage to save Kushina.

"Minato!"

A flurry of chaotic footsteps approached from afar.

Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived late with the Anbu.

He rushed to Minato's side and lifted him up:

"Minato! You could have left... why?"

Minato looked powerlessly at the Third Hokage, his voice intermittent:

"Lord Third... this is my responsibility as Hokage... as a father..."

Afterward, he turned his head with great difficulty to look at Xuandou, his eyes filled with guilt:

"I'm sorry... Xuandou-kun... I didn't listen to you before... otherwise Konoha wouldn't have..."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly at these words.

Xuandou merely shook his head in silence.

At this moment, Kushina's body also began to fail.

Although the Uzumaki Clan possessed tenacious vitality, with the Tailed Beast forcibly extracted, death was only a matter of time.

Minato looked at her, his eyes filled with heartache and reluctance.

He mustered his last bit of strength and whispered:

"Kushina... it's time to say goodbye... if there's anything you want to say to Naruto... do it now."

Tears streamed down Kushina's face as she looked down at the infant in her arms, her voice gentle:

"Naruto... don't be a picky eater, eat well, and grow up strong..."

"Take a bath every day... don't stay up late... make good friends..."

"You must..."

She spoke more and more, as if she wanted to say everything she had for her child in this single moment.

Xuandou suddenly spoke up, interrupting her:

"Um... actually, Kushina doesn't have to die."

"Um, actually, Kushina doesn't have to die..."

What?

Everyone present froze in unison.

Hiruzen jerked his head up, his eyes filled with shock.

Even Minato, who was on the verge of death, sat bolt upright upon hearing this and looked toward Xuandou.

Meeting everyone's gaze, Xuandou slowly explained:

"As long as the extracted Tailed Beast is sealed back into the Jinchuriki's body, the Jinchuriki can survive."

"Sealing a Tailed Beast requires two conditions: first, controlling the beast. Second, mastering sealing techniques."

He paused for a moment:

"I am untalented, but I happen to meet both of these conditions."

Kushina was stunned, then lowered her head, her voice very soft:

"Minato is dead... I don't want to live anymore either."

Xuandou's heart tightened.

Xuandou knew that Kushina had already formed the intention to die for love alongside Minato.

But he certainly could not allow Kushina to die.

Beyond coveting her beauty, completing the system mission was another factor.

So, he immediately spoke up to persuade her:

"Kushina, calm down."

"Do you really wish for... Naruto to grow up without a mother's companionship?"

Kushina shuddered upon hearing this.

Minato used his final strength to tightly grip Kushina's hand:

"Kushina... you must survive."

He turned his head to look at Xuandou, his eyes filled with pleading:

"Xuandou-kun! I beg you... save Kushina!"

Xuandou looked at Kushina.

Finally, Kushina raised her head, looking at Naruto in her arms, her gaze softening.

She nodded gently.

Xuandou did not hesitate any longer.

"Yomotsu!"

Space distorted.

"Bang!"

The Nine-Tails, which had just been locked into the Yomi Space, was released once again.

"ROAR!!!"

The Nine-Tails let out a heaven-shaking roar.

It scanned the tiny humans below with violent eyes, then raised its massive claw and slammed it down fiercely!

Xuandou's hands formed seals at lightning speed.

"Yin Release: Heart-Diverging Door!"

An invisible mental force instantly surged into the Nine-Tails' mind.

The claw the Nine-Tails was about to bring down hung suspended in mid-air.

In its violent eyes, three tomoe slowly emerged within the pupils.

Xuandou glanced at Kushina, whose face was pale and whose breath was weak, and dared not delay.

He pressed one hand onto the Nine-Tails and the other onto Kushina's lower abdomen.

"Yin Seal: Slave Seal!"

The Nine-Tails' massive body shuddered violently, then transformed into streams of wild red chakra, surging madly through Xuandou's body and into Kushina.

That chakra was too manic, like countless wild beasts rampaging through Xuandou's body.

Veins bulged on his forehead, his teeth were clenched tight, and his entire body's muscles were trembling.

But he held on with all his might.

Yin-attribute chakra circulated within him, suppressing that violent power one bit at a time.

Finally, the last of the chakra surged into Kushina.

A heart-shaped pattern slowly emerged on her lower abdomen beneath her clothes.

The Nine-Tails had been successfully sealed.

Seeing Xuandou seal the Nine-Tails with such ease, a flash of deep wariness quickly crossed Hiruzen's eyes.

The moment the seal was completed, Kushina closed her eyes and collapsed directly into Xuandou's arms.

"Kushina!"

The crowd cried out in alarm.

Xuandou caught her as she fell, looking up to tell the others:

"Rest easy, she's just exhausted and has fainted."

Hiruzen turned immediately, barking an order to the Anbu behind him:

"Take her to the Konoha hospital at once! Summon the medical ninja!"

"Yes!"

Two Anbu stepped forward, carefully carrying Kushina away.

Watching her go, the last trace of worry finally vanished from Minato's eyes.

He turned his head toward Xuandou, pulling a weak smile onto his lips:

"Thank you... Xuandou."

He looked toward Hiruzen again, his voice growing fainter:

"Lord Third... please... look after Naruto and Kushina for me..."

Hiruzen gripped his hand tightly:

"Rest easy... Minato... I will certainly take good care of them..."

Minato smiled.

That smile was just as it had been in life: warm and radiant.

Then, he closed his eyes.

Hiruzen stared at Minato's body, his thoughts unreadable.

Xuandou stood to the side, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.

He glanced in the direction where Kushina had been taken, offering a silent prayer:

You must hold on...

After all, Kushina had been put through the wringer all night.

On top of that, the Nine-Tails had been repeatedly extracted from her body.

Even with the constitution of the Uzumaki Clan, Xuandou worried she might not be able to endure it.

Fortunately, the system's voice chimed in just in time.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: Nine-Tails Incident! Reward: Lottery Draw ×1]

A surge of joy filled Xuandou.

But he kept his expression neutral, turning to walk toward the outskirts of the village.

The Uchiha clansmen were still waiting for him outside.

The Nine-Tails Incident was over; it was time to bring them back.

"Xuandou."

Hiruzen's voice came coldly from behind him.

Xuandou stopped in his tracks.