Reaper Death Seal!

The ninjas hurriedly scattered, because this kind of attack was impossible to defend against.

Just as they had escaped the Two Red Sun Formation, the ninjutsu that had originally been aimed at them suddenly flew toward the Nine-Tails' back instead!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed drastically at once!

Minato was there.

"Not good! He's seen through our plan! Minato, run!" he immediately shouted a warning.

Hearing the Third Hokage's voice, Minato immediately noticed the attack above him.

His expression hardened.

His entire body vanished from the spot in an instant, while the chaotic barrage of ninjutsu crashed down behind the Nine-Tails!

"Roar!"

With a furious roar!

The Nine-Tails howled in pain again and again.

"Hmph! Space Ninjutsu?" The Masked Man glanced at Minato and had already figured it out.

"Are you all right, Minato?" the Third Hokage asked Minato beside him.

He carried a shuriken Minato had given him beforehand, engraved with the Flying Thunder God's formula. That was why Minato had been able to escape in time when danger arose.

"I'm fine. I didn't expect him to be hiding one of the Sage of Six Paths' divine artifacts too. But fortunately, he's already left the Two Red Sun Formation. We can seal the Nine-Tails now!"

"Mm. We'll hold him back."

Upon hearing Minato's words, the Third Hokage immediately led all the jonin in a charge toward the Masked Man.

At that moment, Minato looked at the woman left behind and let out a heavy breath.

"You're here."

She was a red-haired woman holding a child.

"Minato, is this really the only way? I don't want you to die!"

"Kushina, I am Konoha's Hokage. This is what I must do!" Minato walked to her side, stroked her hair, then took the child into his arms.

"If I could, I'd want to live with you forever too. But I have to make a choice. The greater good comes before the family." He lowered his head rather than look at her expression, then returned to the position of the Two Red Sun Formation.

"Sealing Jutsu—Reaper Death Seal!"

An enormous phantom of the Reaper instantly appeared behind Minato.

Its face was hideous, and it held a short dagger in its hand!

"Roar!"

The Nine-Tails fox before him immediately let out a low growl. Its body trembled, and it faintly showed signs of breaking free from control.

"Damn humans! I refuse! No!"

It spoke in human words as an enormous white fox phantom was slowly pulled from its body.

Minato remained still as the Reaper's arm passed through his chest and tugged at the Nine-Tails' soul!

This was the Reaper Death Seal!

The Uzumaki Clan's strongest Sealing Jutsu. By sacrificing one's own soul, it summoned the Reaper's phantom, which would seal the opponent's soul—but the user would die as well.

It was a move of mutual destruction!

"M-Minato!"

Behind him, Kushina's heart had already been torn apart.

Tears streamed down her face, but she did not stop Minato, because she knew this was Minato's will!

"Hmph! So that was your goal!"

The Masked Man snorted from afar and immediately tried to attack Minato, but Hiruzen Sarutobi blocked him.

"Don't even think about interfering with them. I'll stop you!"

"Get out of my way!"

The Masked Man shouted, yet he was unable to break through the Third Hokage's blockade for the moment. He was even beginning to fall into a disadvantage!

"Damn it, has my Chakra become insufficient in my old age?" He grew anxious, but the more frantic his movements became, the more firmly the ninja alliance suppressed him!

"That's your Hokage! Are you just going to watch him die?"

"This is his own choice, and his judgment as Hokage. I cannot oppose him!"

"Hmph! Stubborn, just like that Tobirama!"

"You know the Second Hokage?!"

"None of your business!"

The two sides became entangled in battle once more.

At this point, the Nine-Tails had already been completely dragged out of its original body. Its towering soul was being forcibly stuffed into the infant's body bit by bit.

Minato frowned deeply. He did not know whether this was right either. After all, this was his own child. But with Minato's upright character, he could never choose to use someone else's child in place of a Jinchuriki!

At that moment, someone slowly walked over from behind Kushina.

"Are you guys done fighting?"

Minato was greatly startled and immediately turned his gaze over, but when he saw who had arrived, his expression dimmed with disappointment.

"You're Ye Liang? Weren't you missing?"

That was right. The person who had arrived late was Ye Liang, who had been missing for three years.

"Who are you?" Kushina was startled as well.

Ye Liang gave an awkward laugh.

After learning from Anko that the battle had begun, he had immediately rushed to the battlefield. But because he had lingered in tenderness for too long, he had still arrived very late.

"I went home to visit relatives, and now I'm back to see everyone," he said with a laugh.

However, Ye Liang found it strange that Minato recognized him. It seemed like they had never even spoken before.

"The Third Hokage is fighting the Masked Man. I can't hold on much longer. Go help him right away."

"Can't hold on?"

Ye Liang looked curiously at the scene before him.

Minato was kneeling on the ground, looking utterly exhausted, while Kushina supported him.

In the distance was the motionless body of the Nine-Tails, and an infant crying loudly in a basket.

All of it looked extremely familiar. Ye Liang understood in an instant!

"Fuck, I came too late!"

My Nine-Tails!

He was filled with regret!

Back when he had been training at Ryūchi Cave, he had already been estimating the timing. There had been three years left until the Naruto: Shippuden storyline, so he had hidden in Ryūchi Cave and trained for three years!

Who would have thought the plot would unfold so quickly?

"What do I do? What do I do? My Nine-Tails is gone!" He was becoming anxious.

But when he looked at the crying infant, his face instantly lit up with joy.

"The Nine-Tails' soul hasn't been completely sealed yet!"

A massive figure was being stuffed into the basket, but only halfway; it had not been fully forced inside yet!

Ye Liang's attention had been drawn to the distant battle just now, so he had not noticed.

"You're harming the child!" Ye Liang immediately shouted.

"How can you stuff the Nine-Tails into a child's body? When he grows up, he'll be rejected by everyone, understand?!"

"We had no choice. We couldn't possibly harm someone else's child."

"Then let me do it!"

"You?"

Minato and Kushina exchanged a look, instantly stunned.

Jinchuriki were despised by everyone, because tailed beasts were symbols of disaster. Naturally, those who sealed tailed beasts within themselves were also considered ominous!

That was why Minato had ultimately been able to choose only his own child as the vessel. He did not want to bring disaster upon anyone else!

"You're really willing to bear the tailed beast in Naruto's place?" Kushina immediately lit up with joy.

She was a mother. If not for Minato's insistence, she absolutely would not have wanted Naruto to become a Jinchuriki.

"Of course. I, Ye Liang, never lie—especially not to women!" Ye Liang declared solemnly.