Nine-Tails Appears

"Summoning Jutsu!" The Masked Man landed in the heart of Konoha and immediately used the technique to summon the Nine-Tails.

BOOM!

The Nine-Tails materialized on the ground, crushing the surrounding houses beneath its weight.

ROAR!

The Nine-Tails let out a deafening roar toward the sky and began tearing through the buildings. Konoha mobilized instantly, with all available ninja rushing out to cover the evacuation of non-combatants.

"Mom..." Yin Xiang gripped Kushina's hand, his entire body trembling. Kushina had naturally heard the commotion outside. "Don't be afraid, Yin Xiang." She turned around, reaching out with both hands to pick him up, but she lacked the strength.

Yin Xiang climbed onto the bed himself, a clumsy effort that brought a faint smile to Kushina's face. He crawled to the other side of Naruto, and Kushina pulled both Yin Xiang and Naruto into her embrace.

"Don't be afraid. With Minato here, everything will pass," Kushina comforted the two children, though despite her words, her heart was filled with panic.

Minato was already engaged in battle with the Masked Man near the small cabin where he had first brought Naruto. Minato decided he had to finish the fight here; he chose to trust the Third Hokage to suppress the Nine-Tails within the village.

However, the Masked Man's abilities were far too bizarre. Minato's attacks simply passed through him, yet the man could also materialize at will. But Minato's reputation as a genius was no mere boast; he quickly deduced the man's method and used the Flying Thunder God: Second Step, combined with a Rasengan, to slam directly into his back.

The blow smashed the Masked Man hard into the ground. When the smoke cleared, the man's arm had detached, but it looked like white paste rather than a real limb.

Minato didn't give him a chance to speak. He used the Flying Thunder God again to appear right in front of him, slapping a palm onto the Masked Man's chest to apply a Contract Seal, severing the man's connection to the Nine-Tails. With that, the beast was no longer under his control.

Yin Xiang and Kushina heard the commotion from behind. Yin Xiang stood up on the bed, jumped down, and prepared to go find Minato.

Just then, Minato appeared before them. He scooped up Kushina and Naruto, preparing to leave via the Flying Thunder God, but he hadn't intended to take Yin Xiang. Fortunately, Yin Xiang was quick-witted and grabbed onto the hem of Minato's cloak.

The family of four appeared together before the Nine-Tails, whom Minato had teleported outside the village.

"Yin Xiang! How did you follow us?" Minato was instantly panicked at the sight of him.

"I want to be with you!" Yin Xiang said firmly, though as he truly laid eyes on the Nine-Tails, his small body shook. It was a creature of such ferocity, such terrifying power.

"WHOOSH!"

Several Chakra Chains erupted from Kushina's back, binding the Nine-Tails and instantly stripping it of its ability to move.

"Waa... waa..." Naruto was startled awake by the noise.

"I woke you up," Kushina panted heavily. "I'm sorry... Naruto."

"Kushina!" Seeing her use those chains, Minato looked at her with intense anxiety.

"By restraining the Nine-Tails like this... I will die, but this way... I can delay the Nine-Tails' resurrection..." Kushina gasped, speaking one word at a time. "Using my remaining chakra to help you is the only way."

Kushina flashed a wide, bright smile. "Thank you... for everything you've done for me."

Little Naruto seemed to sense the sorrowful atmosphere, and even his crying slowed and softened.

"Kushina... you made me the Fourth Hokage, you made me your husband, and you made me this child's father... yet I..." Minato's expression turned mournful as he spoke.

Yin Xiang stepped forward and placed his hand on the back of Minato's. "Dad..."

"Minato, don't make such a sad face." Kushina was still smiling. "I am happy. I have you and Yin Xiang to love me. Besides, today is this child's birthday," she said, looking at Naruto.

"More importantly, if I were to live, aside from imagining the happy future of our family of four... what else could I possibly dream of?"

As Minato listened to Kushina, tears streamed down his face. Though he was the Fourth Hokage whose duty was to protect the village, he was also a husband and a father to two children.

"I only have one last wish. I really want to see... Yin Xiang and Naruto all grown up," Kushina said, looking at her two sons.

"Kushina, you don't have to die with the Nine-Tails," Minato wiped away his tears. "I will use your remaining chakra to let you see Naruto. I will seal all of your remaining chakra into Naruto, combined with the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. As for the Nine-Tails, I will handle it."

"Since I am not a jinchuriki, I can only use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

"But... that sealing jutsu will..." Kushina didn't finish her sentence; she knew it would cost the caster their life.

"There is another point. Only half of the Nine-Tails is sealed within me. Such immense power cannot be suppressed physically, nor is it strategically feasible. The Nine-Tails' seal requires your participation; if there is no jinchuriki before the Nine-Tails revives, the balance of the Tailed Beasts will collapse."

"By using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, I can seal away the half I possess along with the Nine-Tails. Therefore, the other half..."

Minato thought of the Child of Prophecy Jiraiya had once spoken of—it was Naruto.

"...will be sealed into Naruto, using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style."

Kushina was shocked by Minato's declaration.

"I know what you want to say, but the transformation of the world that Master Jiraiya spoke of, and the disasters that will follow—today, I have confirmed two things. The Masked Man who attacked you will undoubtedly bring a storm of blood."

"And the one who will stop him is this child," Minato said, looking at Naruto. "This child, whom Master Jiraiya values so much, will become the jinchuriki and pave the way for the future... I don't know why, but I am certain of it."

"Dad... the other half of the Nine-Tails can be sealed inside me," Yin Xiang interjected from the side.

"Yin Xiang, you possess the Prophecy Art; your life will be very difficult in the future," Minato said, looking at him. "You must study the techniques I give you well. The Nine-Tails cannot be sealed within you; it will influence you too much."

"Dad! But if you seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, the people in the village will think Naruto is the Nine-Tails! They won't treat him well!"

"Uh..." Minato and Kushina froze simultaneously.

"Is Yin Xiang trying to shoulder this burden for his younger brother? What a good boy," Kushina said, understanding his intent and stroking Yin Xiang's head.

"It will be alright, Yin Xiang. Naruto will be able to handle it. Don't you believe in him?" Minato added.

"I believe in him! He can do it!" Yin Xiang replied without hesitation.