Minato Dies

At the border of Konoha Village, Under the interception of Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, the Three-Tails ultimately failed to break through the defensive line and enter the village.

After Obito was severely wounded by Minato, Yagura also received word from White Zetsu and subsequently retreated.

Even in retreat, however, he maintained his Tailed Beast transformation.

Upon confirming the Three-Tails had withdrawn, Jiraiya rushed off in a certain direction, his brow furrowed as the unease in his heart grew increasingly intense.

"Minato."

The Third Hokage's expression was weary, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

Swish! Swish!

Several figures dressed as Anbu appeared around him, their masked faces hiding whatever they were saying.

The Third Hokage's expression shifted violently; without a second thought, he issued a few brief orders and led the group in pursuit of Jiraiya.

A few others were left behind by the Third Hokage to handle the logistics.

Although the Three-Tails had not breached Konoha's defenses, the shockwaves of the battle had still reached nearby houses. Fortunately, the civilians in the area had been evacuated in advance, preventing any massive casualties.

In the Senju clan grounds, "Oh, is it over already?" The black-robed figures surrounding Tsunade received the same news and began to withdraw.

All the black-robed figures slowly sank into the ground until they vanished completely, leaving Tsunade alone, crouching powerlessly on the spot, her body still trembling uncontrollably.

Poof!

A cloud of white smoke appeared.

Inside Orochimaru's laboratory, Danzo, his head wrapped in bandages, slowly stood up and walked outside without a word.

"Oh, has the wind died down?" Orochimaru's lips curled into a cold sneer.

He then rose to continue his experiments.

"Ugh," Kushina, who had fallen into a deep sleep, let out a pained moan. Although her body had recovered, she had not yet regained consciousness.

After experiencing this series of events, not only had her body suffered severe trauma, but her spirit had also been damaged; it would be difficult for her to wake up anytime soon.

Minato's eyes flashed with disappointment as he watched this. He had wanted to say a proper goodbye to Kushina, but it seemed that was no longer possible.

"Thump." Suddenly, his body took a step backward, and the Shinigami's arm, still maintained at Naruto's abdomen, shifted along with him.

"Waa!" "Waa!"

Perhaps sensing pain, or something else entirely, Naruto began to cry loudly.

"It seems my time is up," Minato said with a wry smile. He did not hesitate, and blue chakra appeared on his hands once more.

"Four Symbols Seal."

Just as before, the same spiral pattern appeared on Naruto's body. Once this was finished, Minato had completely exhausted the chakra within him.

In truth, his original plan had been to use the Eight Trigrams Seal, but due to his lack of remaining chakra, it was no longer possible.

"Naruto, Daddy is leaving. You must listen to Mommy and your uncle in the future!"

Thump! Thump!

Suddenly, his body began to retreat uncontrollably.

A figure flashed by at high speed, appearing before him. Kakashi reached out to grab Minato, but ultimately failed. He did not give up, however; he had already lost too much, and he lunged forward, running with all his might.

His eyes were moist; Kakashi had already sensed what was happening.

Behind him, Guy remained silent, standing guard over Kushina and Naruto with Naraku on his back, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

"Kakashi, your teacher is going to find Obito and Rin. Don't be sad—live on, carrying our will."

"Also, don't forget your training. Next time, it will be your turn to protect everyone."

"And..."

"Ugh!"

Minato, wanting to say more, instantly lost consciousness. The next moment, his body stopped moving and collapsed into Kakashi's arms.

Minato's soul stood above, while Kakashi looked up, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Teacher, I will do everything you said," Kakashi whispered. His scarlet left eye spun incessantly, and a trail of blood-tinged tears flowed from the corner of his eye.

The three black tomoe within his scarlet pupil spun rapidly, gradually forming a black, three-pointed shuriken pattern.

The Mangekyo Sharingan, which had already been awakened, manifested once more under the stimulus of losing his beloved teacher.

In truth, Kakashi's Sharingan had already awakened the Mangekyo when Rin died, but because he did not possess the bloodline of the Uchiha clan, neither his ocular power nor his chakra reserves had been sufficient to meet the requirements for its activation.

This was also the reason why he had not yet awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

The Mangekyo was an immense burden for him, far beyond what he could currently sustain, so in just an instant, the Mangekyo reverted to its three-tomoe state.

Kakashi stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground.

That ocular power, was it an illusion? Minato's soul, possessing powerful sensory abilities, had felt a chakra signature similar to that of the masked man for just a fleeting moment.

Swish!

Just then, a tall figure appeared on the scene, his flowing hair matted with grime, his weary face etched with profound sorrow.

"Minato, you..."

Seeing the newcomer, Minato offered a smile and waved his hand, saying, "Goodbye, Master Jiraiya."

However, he likely did not realize that Jiraiya could not hear his voice, yet Minato continued to speak.

Shortly after, his soul was swallowed into the belly of the Shinigami.

"Naraku, I leave this family to you."

"Kushina, I love you."

After these final words flashed through his mind, Minato completely lost consciousness.

The phantom of the Shinigami also vanished from the spot, receding into an alternate dimension.

Swish! Swish!

At that moment, several more figures arrived: the Third Hokage and a few Anbu.

Upon seeing Minato in Kakashi's arms, the Third Hokage's pupils constricted sharply; with his sensory prowess, he could tell at a glance that Minato had already ceased to breathe, becoming nothing more than a corpse.

"Fourth..."

"Lord Fourth..."

Not only he, but the Anbu were equally shocked. The reputation of Konoha's Yellow Flash had been known to all since the Third Shinobi World War.

They could never have imagined that the Fourth would die here.

"Waa!" "Waa!"

For a time, aside from Naruto's wailing, everyone on the scene remained silent.

After a long while, Jiraiya broke the stillness. "That child is the son of Minato and Kushina, and also the Nine-Tails jinchuriki."

Jiraiya pointed toward Naruto on the ground.

"A child, a jinchuriki?" The Third Hokage's expression shifted as he turned to see the sealing formula on Naruto's stomach.

"Kushina is severely wounded and unconscious. I must take her to find Tsunade for treatment. I am leaving now." Jiraiya dragged his exhausted body up and lifted Kushina from the ground; she was draped in a white haori, the very one Minato had been wearing.