Nine-Tails: Don't I Care About My Reputation?

Before the Nine-Tails, which stood as tall as a thirty-story building, Genye's figure appeared incredibly minuscule.

When he threw a punch at the Nine-Tails, it looked just like a tiny gnat landing lightly upon a human.

In the eyes of the onlookers, Genye's actions were no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an egg striking a stone.

"Overestimating yourself." The Nine-Tails even revealed a mocking, ferocious grin, intending to turn its head to look at Genye.

But the next moment—

BANG!

A deafening explosion, sharp enough to rupture the eardrums of everyone present, suddenly erupted!

The Nine-Tails felt a strange, overwhelming force strike its brain, its vision went black, and its massive body plummeted straight toward the ground.

BOOM!

Dust billowed as the colossal body of the Nine-Tails crashed down, causing the surrounding earth to tremble violently.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... a deathly silence fell over the entire scene.

The sight before them was too shocking; everyone's brain had essentially crashed.

Just imagine: when the village's own nuclear bomb is about to detonate, a plain-looking boy hops onto the bomb, hums a little tune, and knocks the bomb cold with a single punch...

Brother, who wouldn't be stunned by that?

(Poor foreigners, they don't even know how to say "holy sh*t.")

Hyuga Hizashi's mouth hung open in an "O" shape. Did Genye just say... he used the Gentle Fist?

Isn't the Gentle Fist a style that overcomes hardness with softness?

A punch that rings out like metal striking stone, a punch that floors a Tailed Beast capable of uprooting mountains—you, you, you, you call this the Gentle Fist?!

"￥...#%!...&!" Hyuga Hizashi's language system had gone offline.

Recalling the Gentle Fist he had painstakingly practiced for over twenty years, Hizashi didn't know if there was something wrong with his training or with Genye's.

Either way, he felt as though his last twenty years of practice had gone to the dogs (no offense intended to dogs).

"Didn't they say this kid was a lost cause? Someone from the Medical Corps, get out here and look at this—you call this a lost cause?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had always maintained a refined demeanor, was so angry he wanted to curse.

If this kid counted as a lost cause, then what did that make an old man like him? Might as well just bury himself now.

Those little brats in the Medical Corps were truly spouting nonsense with their eyes wide open!

The more Hiruzen thought about it, the angrier he became, and he decided that upon returning, he would carry out a sweeping, drastic reform of the Medical Corps!

(Medical Corps: Genye, I really thank you so much~)

"So... so strong!"

Watching the Nine-Tails collapse before him, Yuhi Shinku's throat bobbed, and he was instantly won over by Genye.

When he got back, he would agree to let his daughter date this kid... no, he would approve this marriage!

If that old geezer Hyuga Yuansheng refused to let him go, he would go and tear down his ancestral hall!

"Brother, did you see that? That's my son-in-law."

Yuhi Shinku pointed at Genye, speaking with pride to Iruka's father, whom he held in his arms.

On the other side.

Kushina had even forgotten to cry, her small mouth agape as she looked at Minato in astonishment.

"Hey, honey, didn't you say the Nine-Tails couldn't be suppressed by physical means?"

"This..." Minato opened his mouth, not knowing how to explain it.

Theoretically speaking, perhaps... but theoretically speaking, this was also complete bullsh*t!

"AWOOO!"

Just as everyone was distracted, the Nine-Tails shook off its dizziness and roared toward the sky once more.

"Brat, I'm going to kill you, ahhhhh!"

"Oh no!"

The expressions of everyone present changed in unison. Sure enough, no matter how strong a human was, how could they possibly stand against a Tailed Beast...

"Gentle Fist—Explosion!"

BANG!

Genye threw another punch, and the Nine-Tails' vision went black as it collapsed to the ground once again.

Everyone: "..."

Nine-Tails, couldn't you hold out for a little longer? Even just howling a couple more times would have been fine!

We hadn't even worked up our emotions yet, and you've already collapsed again!

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Standing atop the Nine-Tails' head, Genye burst into wild laughter.

For some reason, he had been particularly fond of laughing lately; whenever his emotions stirred, he would break into hysterical fits of laughter.

"My special meridian training wasn't for nothing!"

After such a long period of training, he was no longer the "one-second man" he once was.

Now, he could throw as many punches as he wanted, and stay hard for as long as he wanted (allegedly)!

"Hey, Senior Minato."

Genye stood on the Nine-Tails' head and shouted down at the stunned Minato: "Ask your wife if she can take the Nine-Tails back into her body now!"

"Yes, Minato, hurry and seal the Nine-Tails before things get complicated!" the Third Hokage added from the side.

"Ah, right!" Minato snapped out of his daze and looked at Kushina beside him: "Kushina, can you seal the Nine-Tails back into your body now?"

"It's still not working." Kushina shook her head, her voice growing increasingly weak: "The Nine-Tails still has a very strong will to resist."

"What? It still dares to resist?"

Genye's interest piqued upon hearing this. He had been wondering how to build up favor with Kushina, and now the perfect opportunity had arrived!

He rolled up his sleeves and shouted with great enthusiasm: "Don't worry, Sister-in-law, I'll definitely help you stuff this big guy back in!"

Minato: "???"

Who was this kid calling "Sister-in-law," and why did that sound so strange?

"Gentle Fist—Explode! Explode! Explode! Explode!"

Genye swung his arms wide and began to punch frantically at the Nine-Tails' head, clearly having the time of his life.

"Ora ora ora! Muda muda muda!"

The Gentle Fist was designed to deal damage via chakra, and Genye's modified version was no different, making it perfectly suited for dealing with the Nine-Tails, which was essentially a creature of chakra.

Of course, other members of the Hyuga Clan might not see it that way—Hyuga Hizashi, for instance.

But then again, they didn't have his raw strength.

Genye's current physical prowess was comparable to a Kage-level ninja; when the force of seven or eight layers of Gentle Fist stacked together, it wasn't just a simple addition—the damage increased exponentially.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Hey, hey, hey, hahahahaha!"

The dull, heavy thuds of fists slamming into the Nine-Tails' head, accompanied by Genye's manic laughter, could be heard from miles away.

The surrounding Konoha ninja fell silent.

The Nine-Tails, which they had fought tooth and nail to subdue, was now being pinned to the ground by a mere child and beaten until it made a rhythmic thumping sound...

This was an absurd scene they wouldn't even dare to dream of!

Wait... did they even have a role to play anymore?

The Konoha ninja looked at the weapons in their hands, standing there in awkward silence, feeling somewhat at a loss.

What now? What were they supposed to do?

"Awoooo!"

The Nine-Tails couldn't take it anymore. It let out a sorrowful, indignant howl and, without even needing the pull of chains, voluntarily transformed into a beam of orange light and dove into Kushina's body.

Since the dawn of time, what Tailed Beast could have imagined being pinned to the ground and beaten to a pulp by a human?!

Yet, the Nine-Tails had experienced it! And twice, at that!

Senju Hashirama didn't count; he had simply claimed its power was too great and then used one hand to grind it into the dirt.

That man was the recognized God of Shinobi, after all; there was no shame in being beaten by him.

Besides, at least Senju Hashirama had used a flashy ultimate technique back then!

But now, in front of so many people, it was being beaten into submission by a nobody using nothing but ordinary punches!

What the hell was this?!

Couldn't you at least use a big move? Something with fancy special effects? At the very least, shout out a cool name for your technique!

Did the Nine-Tails have no dignity?

"How embarrassing!" The Nine-Tails felt its face had been completely lost.

Its face was burning, its head was buzzing, and it just wanted to find a place to hide—Kushina's belly seemed like a decent spot.

"The ninja world is getting more and more dangerous. I'd better just take a nap in the seal space..."

The Nine-Tails returned to the seal space, found a comfortable position, and lay down, leaving Kushina and Minato to apply the seal from the outside.

"Whew..."

With the Nine-Tails back inside, Kushina's complexion improved significantly, and she was finally out of immediate danger.

"Minato, it seems neither of us has to die after all."

Kushina smiled playfully, but as she laughed, tears began to stream down her face.

"This is truly wonderful, Kushina!"

Minato pulled Kushina and their son into a tight embrace; despite being the Hokage, he wept like a young boy.

"We can raise Naruto together, watch him grow up, and finally live a happy life as a family of three."