Perhaps a White Dwarf

It was probably only at this moment that Minato Namikaze truly understood what Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to teach him: what it meant to be a leader, a Kage who controlled the entire vast Hidden Konoha.

I never imagined I'd have to learn this with my life.

"Summoning Technique!"

The Tailed Beast Ball, which was transferred to the mountains, did not pose the slightest threat to Konoha. The Nine-Tails, which had released the Tailed Beast Ball, seemed to have weakened somewhat.

Even Tailed Beast Ball use techniques like the Tailed Beasts as a trump card, making it difficult to unleash continuously. At least for now, the Nine-Tails, whose beastly nature has been aroused by Obito Uchiha, Mangekyō Sharingan no intention of unleashing it again.

"I'm really lucky... Last time it was Jiraiya provoked the Eight-Tails, and this time it's Minato Namikaze, you actually summoned the Nine-Tails..."

The moment the three brothers, Gamabunta, Gamaken, Gamahiro, appeared, they went all out to suppress the Nine-Tails among the three beasts. Perhaps none of them could match the Nine-Tails in strength, but the three beasts working together could barely suppress it for a short time.

The Nine-Tails roared and engaged in a fierce battle with the three beasts. The battle between the giant beasts almost turned the entire mountain upside down.

"I'm sorry, this is probably the last time I'll trouble you..."

Minato Namikaze forced a smile, which looked somewhat strained. He disappeared for a moment, and when he reappeared, he was holding a crying baby in his arms.

"The children of Minato Namikaze...?"

Gamabunta's eyes narrowed slightly, and his strength increased. Once the Tailed Beasts was separated, the Jinchuriki would die. He roughly understood why Nine-Tails was here.

Minato Namikaze moved swiftly. He hadn't forgotten his two good disciples and subordinates who were still in the shadows. The altar he had summoned was quickly placed beneath the infant. Minato Namikaze remained silent, gently stroking Naruto's cheek before he hesitated no longer.

Minato Namikaze! You deserve to die!

"Humans! They all deserve to die!"

The three beasts understood what to do at this moment. They suddenly lifted their bodies and used their bodies to suppress the Nine-Tails to the ground.

The Nine-Tails' resistance was fierce, and Gamabunta's body was already covered in blood. Despite his enormous size, the pain of being burned by the Tailed Beast Chakra was something that even an amphibian Toad would fear more.

Minato Namikaze's hands moved rapidly, Hand Seals. He seemed to understand that he was about to be sealed again. A hint of clarity appeared in Nine-Tails's eyes, but they were filled with ruthlessness. Its claws shot out quickly, about to stab at Minato Namikaze.

"Um..."

With a sudden groan, Gamabunta gripped the Nine-Tails' claws tightly, preventing them from harming Minato Namikaze in the slightest. Blood gushed from Gamabunta's webbed claws, and large drops of blood gradually coalesced into a stream that flowed across the earth.

The mountains collapsed, the clouds were muffled, and a chilling wind seemed to blow across the entire land.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

Behind Minato Namikaze, a hideous ghostly figure suddenly appeared. Its long hair on both sides was like chains, binding Minato Namikaze's soul. It held a short blade in its mouth, like a demon from hell. An invisible pressure swept out, like a natural enemy threatening a living being.

Dead Demon Consuming Seal

"This feeling..."

Gamabunta's gaze sharpened. This was the first time he had ever seen a Shinigami, yet it seemed to remind him of something. It was as if he had felt a similar life-threatening situation when he first encountered the Eight-Tails.

"Eight Trigrams Seal!" Minato Namikaze, who was forcibly activating two powerful Sealing Jutsu, began to experience a rapid decline in Chakra.

However, this did not hinder the immense power of the Eight Trigrams Seal. The jet-black rune chains grew rapidly from around Naruto, who was still wailing, and like the natural enemy of the Tailed Beasts, they instantly wrapped around the Nine-Tails- Tails. Gamabunta immediately felt that the Nine-Tails' resistance beneath him had weakened.

"Receive!"

Chains forcibly dragged the Nine-Tails, but Nine-Tails resistance remained strong. The ground cracked inch by inch, and the Nine-Tails' body was dragged towards Naruto's side.

"Kushina Uzumaki... if only you were here..."

A flicker of sorrow crossed his eyes, Minato Namikaze, sensing the dwindling Chakra within him, hardened his resolve once more.

"It seems that the complete Nine-Tails is still far too powerful..."

Suddenly channeling his Chakra, a giant crimson hand abruptly emerged from the Shinigami's body, passing through Minato Namikaze's form.

Even someone as strong as Minato Namikaze still let out a muffled groan of pain; the agony from the depths of his soul was something no ordinary person could endure.

Success seemed within reach, but unexpected events always seemed to follow.

"It seems... I'm not too late after all..."

A crisp sound suddenly rang out from the jungle, breaking the silence and startling Minato Namikaze. He hadn't expected that even though he had used the Flying Thunder God and was so far away from Konoha, they could still find him.

"Eight Trigrams Seal!"

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"

"Seal!"

"Puff..."

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Minato Namikaze desperately squeezed every last drop of Chakra from his cells. His entire body was in excruciating pain, yet he wanted to complete both seals before Kato Osamu could arrive.

Is there any possibility...?

"I've been observing for a while now..."

"Minato Namikaze!"

The moment Shinigami appeared, Kato Osamu felt a tremor as if it were his soul, a feeling he had never experienced before, as if they were mortal enemies from birth, and even though they had never met, he could feel a kind of soul-wrenching illusion.

For ordinary people, Shinigami might just be a source of unease, but for Kato Osamu now, who can switch between spirit and body, Shinigami is like an enemy in his blood, making him tremble with fear.

"A creation of Yin–Yang Release... it's also a creation of Yin–Yang Release!"

To Kato Osamu's surprise, even this kind of Shinigami, in his current view, is full of traces of Yin–Yang Release creation. Although it is not as intelligent as Zetsu, it is like a half-finished product, acting in accordance with certain rules.

However, this made him feel a little more at ease, but he continued to observe the Shinigami until Minato Namikaze was about to completely seal the Nine-Tails before he made his move.

"Soul Blade: First Form!"

"Break!"

A jet-black longsword suddenly appeared in Kato Osamu's hand, after he had the experience of creating an object using Yin–Yang Release for the first time.

In imitation of the vanished Soul-Extinguishing Blade, his second signature sword gradually took shape. Unlike the Soul-Extinguishing Blade, which was almost entirely composed of runes and spiritual power, this 'Soul Blade' was imbued with Kato Osamu's heart and soul, existing between the physical and the illusory, much like his own body.

Infused with Yin Release Chakra, it can sever spiritual power, soul energy, and Chakra; infused with Yang Release Chakra, it can sever the physical body and any physical matter. When Yin–Yang Release- attribute chakra converge, it becomes indestructible, a power that severs from the 'essence'.

In Kato Osamu's vision, the Yin–Yang Release, when elevated to its ultimate form, could sever the power of all things in the universe...

Kato Osamu had pushed the pitch-black blade to its limit; the black edge seemed to have absorbed all the light as it suddenly shot out.

The Shinigami Reaper's crimson hand, upon touching the blade, melted away like ice and snow. To Minato Namikaze's horrified gaze, half of the Nine-Tails' Yin Release Chakra was forcibly taken by Kato Osamu.

"The Demon-Sealing Secret Technique!"

Black runes suddenly appeared in Kato Osamu's hand, and half of the Yin Release Nine-Tails Chakra, which was guided towards Kato Osamu, was completely injected into the pure white square box that appeared in Kato Osamu's hand.

As the black runes completely contracted, the white box seemed to come alive, beginning to wriggle and quickly sealing the last gap. Then it became like an inanimate object, yet not a trace of its aura was leaked out.

"White Zetsu and the Tailed Beasts must have some kind of connection. I knew I was right..."

Despite possessing only a small portion of the Eight-Tails 'Chakra, Kato Osamu discovered some secrets: White Zetsu is an excellent material for shielding the Tailed Beast Chakra, whether for storage or sealing.

"A quarter of the Nine-Tails Chakra...?"

As he murmured softly, Minato Namikaze, stimulated by the pain in his body, staggered two steps, and the Shinigami behind him began to gradually become illusory.

Time is running out for Minato Namikaze...

The sealing is complete. Most of the Yang Release Nine-Tails Chakra was sealed into Naruto's body, while the remaining Yin Release Chakra was sealed into Minato Namikaze's body and intercepted by Kato Osamu.

With a sigh of relief, seemingly relieved of a heavy burden, Minato Namikaze didn't look at Kato Osamu beside him. He forced himself to walk slowly to the side of the altar, gently touching Naruto's cheek. Naruto, lying on the altar, had stopped crying and started giggling.

Looking at Naruto, Minato Namikaze's eyes flashed with confusion, but then he looked at Kato Osamu with a hint of sorrow.

Seemingly no longer wanting to dwell on Kato Osamu's capture of a quarter of the Nine-Tails, and perhaps only now, having dedicated his life to Konoha, did Minato Namikaze have a moment to spare for reflection.

Gamabunta was covered in blood. His two brothers had been seriously injured and returned to Mount Myoboku, but he endured it, watching Kato Osamu Minato Namikaze, who didn't have much time left, with a hesitant expression.

"Naruto, Naruto..."

"This is the first time Dad has met you..."

"It's a pity we'll be parting ways soon..."

"If Kushina Uzumaki were here, she would definitely tell you a lot..."

With a hint of sadness on his face, Minato Namikaze knew that Kushina Uzumaki was also destined not to survive, but it was truly regrettable that he couldn't die with her.

"Don't be a picky eater, eat more, grow up quickly, and remember to take a bath on time every day to warm yourself up."

"Remember to make friends. You don't need many friends; a few truly trustworthy ones are enough."

"Besides..."

Minato Namikaze, like an awkward child, and gently kissed Naruto's forehead, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, this is what your mother should have told you, but your father is too stupid to think of anything else to say on your mother's behalf..."

"Next, Daddy said..."

"Naruto, you will encounter many painful and heartbreaking things ahead. You must firmly stay true to yourself, and you must have dreams. And you must also have the confidence to achieve those dreams..."

"Just like the protagonist in Jiraiya- sensei's novels..."

"I'm sorry, Naruto, Mom and Dad love you!"

The foothills were shrouded in mist, the collapsed mountains overlapped with the dim morning light, the stars in the distant sky still shone, and the golden-red sun had already begun to spread its rays.

Kato Osamu stood quietly in the morning light, his gaze meeting that of Minato Namikaze. That gentle, smiling face seemed just like the afternoon when they first met.

"Xu, I'm sorry, I couldn't take good care of you..."

After a moment of silence, Minato Namikaze sighed softly, a hint of pleading in his eyes.

"Please don't hurt him, okay?"

Kato Osamu pursed his lips, looking at this infant with the Uzumaki Constitution, who had experienced so much so soon after birth, and couldn't help but softly say, "Perhaps, staying in Konoha won't be a good place for him..."

Minato Namikaze remained silent for a moment, but still looked at Kato Osamu with a smile.

"I guess so..."

He gave Minato Namikaze a deep look, and he roughly understood Minato Namikaze's thoughts. He seemed to want to say something, but he remained silent for a moment, and his figure gradually faded away until he completely disappeared into the jungle.

No one knew what Minato Namikaze was thinking at that moment. The golden sunlight fell upon Minato Namikaze, and the little sun, as warm as the sun itself, nestled quietly beside the infant, its breath gradually fading away...