The Nine-Tails Sealing Completed

At her words, Hatake Ziyan nodded, signaling that Mito Uzumaki could begin.

Mito Uzumaki did not hesitate. A layer of blue chakra appeared over her right hand, which she pressed against her stomach before turning it clockwise in a full circle.

The black Eight Trigrams Seal on Mito Uzumaki's stomach began to fade, and red bubbles started appearing over her body. As the seal slowly unraveled, more and more bubbles emerged, covering her entire body within moments.

Hatake Ziyan did not hesitate. He increased the flow of chakra through the hand resting on Mito Uzumaki's stomach. The Eight Trigrams Seal rapidly faded, and a gigantic fox appeared behind her.

"Roar!"

The moment the Nine-Tails emerged, he raised his head and roared furiously at the sky.

"Quiet down!" Mito Uzumaki said.

As her words fell, more than a dozen Adamantine Sealing Chains emerged from behind her and bound the Nine-Tails.

After the Nine-Tails left her body, Mito Uzumaki seemed to gain a new lease on life, her whole appearance becoming youthful again.

"Damn humans! I'll kill you all!" the Nine-Tails roared, then began gathering a Tailed Beast Bomb in his mouth.

"Kurama! Long time no see!" Hatake Ziyan slowly rose into the air, standing suspended as he looked at the Nine-Tails.

Hearing that voice, the Nine-Tails' enormous body shuddered, and the Tailed Beast Bomb he had been gathering dissipated.

The Nine-Tails looked at Hatake Ziyan floating in the air and said fearfully, "Hatake Ziyan! How are you still alive?"

"What? Were you that eager for me to die? Too bad! I'm rather attached to my life. I couldn't bear to give it up!" Hatake Ziyan teased.

"Hmph!" The Nine-Tails lowered his head and snorted, saying nothing more.

"Kurama! Inside a jinchūriki's belly is the safest place for you!" Hatake Ziyan ignored the Nine-Tails' sulking and continued speaking to him.

The Nine-Tails abruptly raised his head. "Not a single one of you humans means well! I never went out of my way to provoke you, yet you attacked me again and again! You even want to use my power for your own ends. Forget it! I'd rather have you scatter me and revive afterward! I don't want to be used by you anymore!"

"Kurama! I've never wanted to use you. Besides, that little bit of power you have doesn't interest me!" Hatake Ziyan said dismissively.

"As for whether you're willing to let me seal you, that isn't up to you. If you cooperate, I can spare you some suffering! I might even give you a little freedom from time to time! But if you refuse, I can beat you senseless and then seal you!" Hatake Ziyan continued.

"What did you say? A little freedom?" the Nine-Tails exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right! As long as you promise to cooperate with your jinchūriki in using your power and not hurt anyone, I can consider having the next jinchūriki release a clone of you when she has nothing else to do, so you can stretch your legs!" Hatake Ziyan said.

"I don't believe you! If you're willing to do that, why didn't you do it when you and Hashirama sealed me inside this woman before?" the Nine-Tails asked warily.

"Hahaha!" Hatake Ziyan laughed. "We didn't need your power back then, did we? Hashirama and Tobirama were both alive, and I was in Konoha too. Was your power really that important? If you hadn't helped Madara cause trouble, you wouldn't have been sealed. Weren't you always free in Konoha before that?"

The Nine-Tails fell silent. He had had his reasons for helping Madara rebel. For one thing, Madara had promised to free him afterward. For another, Madara's Sharingan could subdue him, so refusing had never been an option!

"Fine! I agree! But you'd better keep your promise too. Otherwise, even if it means being beaten to death by you and reviving afterward, I'll do everything I can to destroy the jinchūriki's body!" the Nine-Tails replied after his silence.

The corners of Hatake Ziyan's mouth lifted slightly. "Now that's a good boy! All right, get ready! I'm going to start the Sealing Jutsu!"

The Nine-Tails nodded his enormous head several times, reined in his aura, and waited for Hatake Ziyan's next move.

Hatake Ziyan came to Kushina's side and stroked her head. "Thank you for doing this, child. Don't worry, I'll be quick. It won't hurt too much!"

Kushina nodded, lifted her shirt to reveal her pale stomach, and closed her eyes.

Without another word, Hatake Ziyan rapidly formed hand seals.

"Eight Trigrams Seal!"

Under Hatake Ziyan's guidance, the Nine-Tails slipped into Kushina's stomach. Slowly, a black Eight Trigrams Seal formed on her belly, just like the one that had been on Mito Uzumaki's stomach!

"All done!" Hatake Ziyan clapped his hands, then patted Kushina's little head as he looked at her tightly clenched teeth.

Kushina opened her eyes and looked at the mark on her stomach, then lowered her head without saying a word.

Mito Uzumaki struggled to get up and walked over, taking Kushina's small hand. "You've had to suffer, child! But don't worry. With your Grandpa Ziyan here, this monster won't be able to hurt you!"

Kushina kept her head lowered and said nothing. Soon, she collected herself, raised her head, and smiled at Mito Uzumaki. "Don't worry, Grandma Mito. I'm fine!"

"Good girl!" Mito said, stroking Kushina's little head. She turned around, about to return to where she had been lying, only to suddenly collapse. Hatake Ziyan reacted instantly and caught her as she fell. Then he heard her speak haltingly to him. "Ku... Kushina... I'm... I'm sorry for... for the trouble, but please... look after her! I... I'm going... going to see Hashi... Hashirama!"

After she finished speaking, Mito Uzumaki closed her eyes with a smile on her lips, but her breathing ceased. Her body began changing rapidly. Wrinkles spread across her once-youthful face, and her hair turned white!

Hatake Ziyan crouched down sorrowfully and spoke to Mito Uzumaki's body. "Rest easy, Sister Mito! I'll take care of everything!"

Kushina scrambled off the bed and threw herself over Mito Uzumaki, sobbing. She shook her body, crying out for Grandma Mito over and over.

Hatake Ziyan turned around, his hand resting on his sword hilt. His expression changed instantly as he shouted toward the woods behind him, "I told you not to disturb me! What? Have I been too easygoing? Are you no longer afraid of me?"

Dozens of ninja swiftly leaped out of the woods, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi and several Hokage Advisors!

Once they emerged, before Hiruzen Sarutobi at the front could speak, Utatane Koharu said, "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki belongs to our Konoha. Why shouldn't we come here?"

As Utatane Koharu finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed. He knew blood would probably be spilled today!