Imprisonment! Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki!

"Nine-Tails!"

"Run! The Nine-Tails has appeared!"

"Orders from the Police Force: non-combatants must evacuate to the Tatsumi Shelter immediately!"

At this moment, a clamor erupted throughout the clan grounds.

Nine-Tails?

Only five years old and not yet enrolled in the Ninja Academy, Itachi Uchiha clearly did not know what the Nine-Tails was.

He tightened his grip on his swaddling clothes, steadied Sasuke in his arms with one hand, and then pushed off with his feet. With a few simple leaps, he reached the main road of the clan grounds and caught up to a clansman wearing a Konoha flak jacket.

"What is happening?"

"What is the Nine-Tails?"

"Why would such a monster appear inside Konoha?"

"Is it an enemy invasion?"

After firing off a series of questions, the clansman looked back at Itachi and the Sasuke in his arms, saying, "Oh, it's you, Itachi. This isn't something you need to worry about right now. I still have to notify the other clansmen to leave. Take your brother to the Tatsumi Shelter quickly. Remember, do not try to get close to the Nine-Tails, and certainly don't give the Clan Head any reason to worry!"

"Understood." Seeing that he wouldn't get any more answers, Itachi nodded. After casting one last deep look at the distant Nine-Tails, he turned and sprinted toward the shelter.

On the way.

Noticing that Sasuke in his arms was staring fixedly at the distant Nine-Tails, Itachi patted his back gently while running, comforting him, "Don't worry, Sasuke. No matter what happens, big brother will definitely protect you."

I'll pass on the thanks.

Sasuke chuckled inwardly, continuing to stare at the Nine-Tails in the distance.

Having just transmigrated and acquired the Soul Space Prison System, and discovering that tonight was the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, how could he possibly let this opportunity slip by?

Did he really think he was scared stiff?

Staring at the Nine-Tails was simply to confirm a specific point in time!

Seeing Sasuke remain silent and fixated on the Nine-Tails, Itachi felt a bit strange, but didn't dwell on it.

At the very least, a quiet Sasuke was more reassuring than a crying one.

Especially at a time when the village was suffering such a catastrophe, he didn't need to be distracted by trying to comfort him.

At this time, the Uchiha clan grounds had not yet been relocated to the edge of the village, so the distance to the so-called Tatsumi Shelter was not very far.

However, to avoid the Nine-Tails, Itachi had to take a detour.

"Can so many ninjas really not deal with the Nine-Tails?"

Looking toward the Nine-Tails from time to time, seeing ninjas throwing themselves into the fray one after another, the village suffering massive destruction, and villagers fleeing in panic, a heavy look could not help but appear on Itachi's youthful face.

Sasuke in his arms chuckled again.

That was the Nine-Tails!

Without sealing techniques or abilities like the Mangekyou to suppress it, even if all of Konoha attacked at once, they wouldn't be able to handle it!

Suddenly.

"Waaah~ Daddy, Mommy!" The sound of a little girl crying came from not far away.

It was her... A thought stirred in Itachi's heart. He decisively made a sharp turn and arrived behind the little girl: "Quick, come here to me."

The little girl, who had been leaning against a wall crying, turned her head at the sound and froze: "Itachi?"

Noticing that a claw from the Nine-Tails in the distance had smashed a house, sending a massive section of the wall hurtling toward them, Itachi immediately reached out his hand and urged, "Quick, come over here!"

"Okay!" The little girl wiped her tears and ran toward Itachi.

Seeing the wall about to collapse, Itachi quickly grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled with all his might!

BOOM!

As the wall crashed down and the house collapsed, he pulled the little girl out in the nick of time, sparing her from being buried alive.

"Th-thank you, Itachi." Looking at the collapsed house behind her, the little girl looked visibly shaken.

"Follow me, we're going to the shelter." Itachi didn't say much, taking the lead to clear the way.

"Okay." The little girl replied, clutching the corner of Itachi's clothes and following closely behind.

At this moment, Sasuke in Itachi's arms shifted his gaze away from the Nine-Tails and looked curiously at the little girl behind them.

So this is Uchiha Izumi?

She's still young, but she's already quite the little beauty.

Gentle and quiet, and that tear mole at the corner of her eye makes one want to cherish her.

And in the future, Itachi was actually willing to...

Since he doesn't cherish her...

Seeing Sasuke staring straight at her, Uchiha Izumi looked curious: "Itachi, is this... your little sister?"

"Little sister?"

Sasuke's face darkened. You're the little sister!

Itachi said, "This is my younger brother."

"Ah~" Izumi said awkwardly, "My apologies."

Before long, the two arrived near the Tatsumi Shelter. Many villagers had already rushed there, and several Uchiha ninja were already directing the crowd.

Suddenly, Itachi noticed a figure ahead... Father?

He turned to Izumi and said, "You go on ahead."

"Itachi?"

"Everyone is here, so you don't need to worry. I have something to attend to, so I'm leaving." With that, Itachi ran toward his father.

"Father."

Seeing who it was, Fugaku Uchiha nodded. "I knew you would be fine, but this is no place for you. You should take Sasuke into the shelter."

"Understood." Seeing his father's stern expression, Itachi dared not say more and followed the crowd toward the shelter.

Ten-odd minutes later.

Two members of the Police Force approached Fugaku Uchiha.

"The villagers have been evacuated, and the shelter barrier has been activated," one member reported briefly.

The other member suggested, "Captain, let us go deal with the Nine-Tails as well!"

Fugaku Uchiha shook his head. "The duty of the Police Force is to protect non-combatants."

"But, Captain!"

"This is an order from the village!"

Inside the Tatsumi Shelter.

"Itachi-kun." Seeing Itachi walk in, Uchiha Izumi leaned in again, asking curiously, "What is your brother's name?"

"His name is Sasuke."

"Can I hold him?"

"No, he doesn't like being held by others."

"What does it matter if I hold him for a bit?" As she spoke, she picked Sasuke up directly.

Seeing this, Itachi, who had already anticipated that Sasuke would be angry, prepared to take him back. However, after waiting for a while, the scene he expected did not happen.

"See, Itachi-kun, little Sasuke is actually quite well-behaved. Aren't you being a bit too overprotective of him?"

Uchiha Izumi pressed her cheek against Sasuke's, and Sasuke showed no signs of anger. Itachi couldn't help but freeze, looking at Uchiha Izumi in disbelief.

How could he know that the Sasuke of now was no longer the Sasuke of before!

Having a pretty girl nuzzle him—wasn't that more comfortable than being held by a man?

Wasn't it much more pleasing to the eye?

Besides, the current Sasuke wasn't even focusing on this.

Shortly after entering the shelter, he had already seen Hiruzen Sarutobi use the Adamantine Staff to shove the Nine-Tails out of Konoha.

At this moment, his consciousness was connected to his soul space, and he was incessantly chanting, "Contain Minato Namikaze, contain Minato Namikaze..."

Even though the system prompts kept reminding him that Minato Namikaze was not yet dead, he remained tireless in his efforts.

He didn't know if the soul space could snatch Minato Namikaze's soul from the hands of the Shinigami, but even if there was only a sliver of a chance, he was unwilling to let it go!

On the other side.

A dozen kilometers away from the village.

Life was rapidly fading away. Minato Namikaze and Kushina were seizing their final moments to bid a last farewell to Naruto, who lay sleeping on the sealing altar.

As the final words were spoken, Minato Namikaze formed the hand seals.

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!"

"Waa~ waaaah~"

As the powerful Nine-Tails chakra entered his body, black runes emerged on the abdomen of the sleeping Naruto, causing him to cry out loudly.

Immediately, the contract for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was completed. The Shinigami opened its terrifying maw, about to swallow Minato Namikaze's soul—the sacrifice for the contract—into its belly, when suddenly!

Under the influence of an invisible force, Minato Namikaze's soul vanished into thin air!

!!!

The Shinigami, having its prey snatched from its jaws, was instantly enraged. It let out a roar of frustration, and finally, bound by the rules, it was forced to depart from the mortal world.

At this moment, the barrier that had been containing the Nine-Tails also vanished due to the death of Minato Namikaze.

"Lord Fourth Hokage!"

"Lady Kushina!"

The ninjas and Anbu members who had previously been blocked by the barrier rushed to the side of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward and picked up Naruto from the altar.

At this moment, Kushina opened her eyes, her breath as thin as a thread: "Third Hokage..."

"Kushina!" Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived before her, cradling Naruto in his arms.

"This child... I leave him in your care... Naruto, this is the name Minato and I... chose based on Master Jiraiya's novel."

"Naruto, is it? I understand. I will certainly take responsibility for looking after him, Kushina, I promise!"

Having received that assurance, Kushina, whose life had reached its absolute end, felt a sense of relief and slowly lowered her eyelids...

Ding!

Soul of Minato Namikaze successfully contained!

Inside the shelter.

As the sound echoed in his mind, Sasuke, who was currently being smothered by Uchiha Izumi's cheeks, felt his spirits soar!

Success!

At that moment, struck by a sudden inspiration, he quickly recited silently: Contain the soul of Kushina Uzumaki!

Ding!

Soul of Kushina Uzumaki successfully contained!

Excellent!

Hearing the feedback from his soul space, Sasuke pumped his fist in triumph.

With Kushina Uzumaki in his grasp, did he really need to worry about Minato Namikaze refusing to cooperate?