Dead Demon Consuming Seal

"Roar!"

As the Adamantine Sealing Chains shattered, the Nine-Tails broke free once more, its eyes having reverted to vertical slits. Because Obito was injured and could no longer maintain control, the beast had chosen to break away.

With a thunderous roar from the Nine-Tails, the surrounding air rippled instantly; the beast's combat power was even greater now.

The Nine-Tails cast its blood-red, slit-pupiled gaze toward the figures on the ground, its heart filled with fury—partly for the masked man, and partly for Kushina.

"Minato," Kushina whispered, a smile touching her lips as she saw that handsome figure once again. Her consciousness, which she had been forcing to remain, began to drift away, and her body lost its balance, tipping to the side.

"Kushina," Minato murmured, reaching out to steady her. His eyes betrayed a flicker of sorrow, but it was quickly eclipsed by a sense of grim resolve.

He saw at a glance that Kushina's condition was dire. Though a sliver of life remained, it was highly probable she would never wake again.

"Kakashi, I leave Kushina and Naruto to you."

"Guy, I'm counting on you to look after Naraku."

After entrusting Kushina to Kakashi, Minato flashed away, reappearing directly before the Nine-Tails.

With his mind made up, Minato did not hesitate for a second, his hands moving in a rapid blur of seals.

Snake—Boar—Ram—Rabbit—Dog... Snake. Finally, Minato pressed his palms together and let out a sharp shout.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

As the words left his lips, a strange energy manifested behind him. It slowly coalesced until a spectral Shinigami, clutching a short blade in its mouth, stood looming at his back.

This was the pinnacle of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing arts: a technique that demanded one's life to summon the Shinigami and seal the target.

In other words, the moment Minato completed the final seal, he had signed a contract with the Shinigami, selling his own soul. Once the target was sealed, his soul would be devoured by the Shinigami, destined to remain trapped in its belly for eternity.

"What on earth is this?" The Nine-Tails, having finally broken free, had barely begun to vent its rage before it was stunned by the spectral figure behind Minato.

As the leader of the nine tailed beasts, a creature known as the Demon Fox, it had always been the one to strike fear into others. Yet today, it felt a chill run through its core at the sight of that Shinigami.

"Roar!"

"You shall all die today!" With a roar, a violent surge of energy gathered before the fox's maw. It intended to use a Tailed Beast Ball to obliterate everything before it.

"What kind of jutsu is that?" Kakashi was equally shocked by the technique Minato was using. He knew his teacher excelled in sealing arts, but he had never seen anything like this. For some reason, a sense of foreboding washed over him.

"As expected of the Fourth Hokage," Guy, being simple-minded, didn't overthink it; he simply felt the technique was incredibly powerful.

"I won't let you succeed again." Minato noticed the Nine-Tails' movement and his expression tightened. He commanded the Shinigami to close in on the beast.

The massive Shinigami was even larger than the Nine-Tails. It moved with blinding speed, reaching the beast in the blink of an eye. Under Minato's control, the phantom extended a colossal hand toward the Nine-Tails.

"How could I let you succeed?" The Nine-Tails lashed out, its nine massive tails whipping toward the Shinigami with devastating force. But the next moment, a shocking sight unfolded: the tails passed straight through the phantom's body.

At that same instant, the Shinigami placed its hand upon the Nine-Tails.

Thump! Thump!

The Nine-Tails' heart hammered wildly, its massive body frozen in place. The Tailed Beast Ball forming before its maw dissipated, starved of the energy required to sustain it.

"Come forth."

Minato pulled backward, and the Shinigami mimicked his motion.

As the Shinigami pulled, a complete spectral image of the Nine-Tails was dragged from the beast's body.

This was the soul of the Nine-Tails. As it was extracted, the beast's massive physical form dissolved into a cloud of blood-red energy.

Tailed beasts had no true bodies; they were composed entirely of chakra.

"Ka... Kakashi."

"Guy."

"Lay Naruto and Kushina on the ground," Minato said, turning to the two men.

The sweat pouring down his face made it clear that Minato was suffering greatly.

Without a word, the two men quickly laid Kushina and Naruto on the ground, then retreated a few paces to put some distance between them.

They had already guessed what Minato intended to do, though Kakashi found it strange that he wanted Naruto and Kushina placed together.

The next moment, Kakashi understood why.

"Waa! Waa!"

Naruto, unaware of what was happening, was crying incessantly.

Minato then commanded the Shinigami to slice the Nine-Tails' soul in two. Instantly, the massive soul split into two smaller entities.

The Shinigami's arms moved in unison, thrusting the two halves of the Nine-Tails' soul into the bodies of Kushina and Naruto.

This was Minato's final plan. Of course, he had a worse contingency in mind: if something truly went wrong with Kushina, he would have sealed the other half of the Nine-Tails into Naraku.

He would have made both of them Jinchuriki. Minato knew the fate that awaited a Jinchuriki, but he believed in his son and his brother; he believed that one day, they would be able to master the power of the Nine-Tails.

Fortunately, it had not come to that.

Swish!

Minato flashed to Kushina's side, blue chakra manifesting on his right hand.

"Four Symbols Seal!"

With a low shout, Minato placed his right hand on Kushina's abdomen. As he continuously channeled his chakra, a swirling seal gradually took shape, and the sealing process was complete.

Sensing this familiar space, the Yin Nine-Tails slowly opened his eyes. Although he appeared somewhat weak, his slit pupils remained filled with intimidation.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, his expression shifted abruptly. "Damn you, Minato."

He had already perceived the state of Kushina's body; it was no exaggeration to say she was at the end of her rope, and it was a miracle she had held on this long.

The Nine-Tails slowly closed his eyes and lowered himself to the ground, a dark red energy gradually radiating from his body.

The jinchuriki and the tailed beast were one; if Kushina died, he would perish as well. Although his other half still existed in the world, the Yin Nine-Tails did not wish to die just yet, so he chose to save Kushina.

Following the energy emitted by the Yin Nine-Tails, Kushina's wounds began to slowly heal.

In reality, Minato also noticed the wounds on Kushina's body slowly closing, and he let out a silent sigh of relief.