However, no one answered.
There was only the crackling of flames around him and distant screams he could not make out.
The Nine-Tails' tail swept toward him.
"No!!!"
Boom!
Everything fell silent.
In the distance, Inabi, who was rescuing people, paused when he heard that scream.
He did not look back.
He hoisted another injured child onto his back and kept running toward safety.
Suddenly, the Nine-Tails stopped moving.
He opened his mouth, and a massive black sphere formed before him.
Black and purple mingled, violent chakra churning across its surface.
Every ninja present felt the terrifying energy contained within that sphere.
It was power enough to destroy everything.
"That's... a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Someone shouted in terror.
"Run! Run!"
But where could they run?
Once that Tailed Beast Bomb landed, all of Konoha would cease to exist.
The Tailed Beast Bomb finished forming.
The Nine-Tails jerked his head, hurling it straight toward the center of the village!
The black sphere tore through the night sky, hurtling toward Konoha with the force to destroy everything.
Countless people looked up in despair.
It's over!
Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to land.
A yellow flash streaked past.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, appeared directly in front of the Tailed Beast Bomb.
He formed hand seals, and a massive fold in space opened behind him.
"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!"
The Tailed Beast Bomb fell into that great net of folded space and vanished without a trace in an instant, as though something had swallowed it.
The next second.
An earth-shattering explosion rang out from the direction of the Forest of Death outside the village.
An enormous blaze shot into the sky, lighting up the entire night.
Everyone froze.
Then they saw the figure standing high above them.
Golden hair, a white Hokage robe, and the large words "Fourth Hokage" across his back.
Minato Namikaze stood there, looking down at the Nine-Tails. His voice was quiet, yet it reached every person's ears clearly:
"On my name as Hokage, I will protect my family in this village."
"That is my duty."
He raised his head and stared into the Nine-Tails' scarlet eyes.
"I have to seal the Nine-Tails as quickly as possible!"
As soon as he finished speaking, space rippled behind him.
The Masked Man slowly emerged from the distorted space.
"Your opponent is me."
"Kamui."
Space began to twist, enveloping them both.
Just before the phasing was complete, Minato activated Flying Thunder God.
Yellow light flashed, and he vanished from the distorted space.
Immediately afterward, the Masked Man's figure slowly disappeared as well.
A little more time passed.
The Nine-Tails' scarlet eyes suddenly changed.
The tomoe in his pupils slowly faded.
The Nine-Tails let out a sky-shaking roar, but the madness of being controlled was gone from it, leaving only pure fury and rage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood atop the rubble, his pupils narrowing slightly:
"The control over the Nine-Tails... has been broken?"
He had no time to think further.
"Minato did it!"
He roared.
"Everyone, now!"
Before he finished speaking, he bit his finger and formed hand seals.
"Summoning Technique! Come out, Enma!"
White smoke burst forth, and a huge ape appeared beside him.
The moment Enma landed, he took in the situation:
"Hiruzen!"
"Use the Adamantine Staff!"
Enma nodded, flipped over, and transformed into an enormous iron staff that landed in Hiruzen's hands.
Hiruzen held the iron staff at his waist, planted his feet, and drew a deep breath.
"Extend!!!"
The iron staff abruptly lengthened, slamming into the Nine-Tails' abdomen.
The tremendous impact made the Nine-Tails roar in fury, and his massive body was actually driven backward step after step.
The Nine-Tails was forcibly pushed out of Konoha, leaving only a deep furrow in the ground.
Veins bulged on Hiruzen's forehead as he clung tightly to the iron staff and shouted his orders:
"I've driven the Nine-Tails out of the village! Anbu, don't let up! Keep attacking!"
"Yes!!!"
Countless dark figures darted out of the rubble and lunged at the Nine-Tails.
Elsewhere, the battle between Minato and the Masked Man finally came to an end.
Using the Flying Thunder God Mark he had placed on his opponent during the battle, Minato seized an opening and struck the Masked Man with his palm.
"Contract Seal!"
The Nine-Tails chakra on the Masked Man was instantly stripped away, completely severing his connection with the Nine-Tails.
The Masked Man grunted and looked down at his injuries, knowing he could no longer succeed today.
"Fourth Hokage... you really are formidable."
His body began to phase out, his voice gradually drifting away:
"But this is only the beginning."
With that, his figure disappeared completely into the distorted space.
Minato did not pursue him.
He drew a deep breath, formed hand seals, and sensed the Flying Thunder God Mark he had left in the village.
The next second, yellow light flashed, and he appeared above Konoha.
Outside the village, the Nine-Tails was roaring wildly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi led the Anbu in a desperate resistance.
Ninjutsu rained down on the Nine-Tails, but it could not stop the raging tailed beast at all.
Every sweep of his tails struck dozens of ninja, making them cough up blood.
"Damn it! Where is Minato?"
Hiruzen gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
"If this keeps up..."
Before he could finish, the Nine-Tails opened his mouth.
Black and purple chakra gathered wildly, and a massive Tailed Beast Bomb rapidly took shape in his mouth.
The terrifying fluctuations of energy sent a shudder through everyone present.
It's over.
If that Tailed Beast Bomb lands...
"Summoning Technique!"
An enormous burst of white smoke erupted, and a mountain-sized toad fell from the sky, slamming down onto the Nine-Tails!
Boom!!!
The Nine-Tails was pinned flat against the ground.
With a pipe clenched in his mouth, Gamabunta held the Nine-Tails down firmly.
Minato looked at the Tailed Beast Bomb still forming in the Nine-Tails' mouth, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes.
"Sorry, I can't let you run wild."
He formed hand seals.
"Flying Thunder God!"
Yellow light flashed.
The Nine-Tails' massive body vanished from the spot, along with the Tailed Beast Bomb in his mouth.
The next second.
An earth-shattering explosion rang out even farther from the village.
An enormous blaze shot into the sky, and the shock wave swept across all of Konoha like a gale, leaving countless people struggling to stay on their feet.
Once the aftermath of the explosion had subsided, Minato appeared again.
Holding Kushina and Naruto, he landed not far from the Nine-Tails.
With his Tailed Beast Bomb missing its target once again, the Nine-Tails immediately roared in anger.
But before he could move, a golden chain wound tightly around him.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Kushina lay on the ground, so weak she could barely lift her head.
Golden chains extended from her body, binding the Nine-Tails firmly.
"I... can still do this, Minato."
She panted, her voice faltering.
Minato looked at her, his eyes reddening.
He knew Kushina had reached her limit.
With the Nine-Tails extracted from her and her forcing herself to use Adamantine Sealing Chains, her life could end at any moment.
Kushina raised her head and looked at Minato, forcing a weak smile:
"I'll drag the Nine-Tails... back inside me and die with him."
"That will delay the Nine-Tails' revival."
She paused, her gaze shifting to Naruto in Minato's arms, her eyes full of tenderness:
"With what little chakra I have left, this is... all I can do to help you."
"Minato, thank you for everything."
Her voice grew softer and softer, tears glimmering in her eyes:
"If there's anything I regret... it's that I really wanted to... see Naruto all grown up."
Tears spilled from Minato's eyes.
"Kushina... you don't have to die with the Nine-Tails."
"I'll combine your remaining chakra with the Eight Trigrams Seal and seal it all inside Naruto."
"That way, at some point in the future, you'll be able to meet Naruto when he's grown up."
He drew a deep breath, his gaze turning resolute:
"After that, leave... the Nine-Tails to me."
He swiftly formed hand seals.
"Reaper Death Seal!"
An enormous spectral Shinigami slowly appeared behind him.
A pale body, a hideous face, a short blade clenched in his mouth, and a deathly white hand that passed through Minato's body.
Minato's face instantly turned pale.
The Shinigami's other hand plunged into the Nine-Tails and tore viciously.
Half of the Nine-Tails chakra was forcibly ripped out and sealed inside Minato.
The Nine-Tails let out a roar of defiance:
"Bastard... Fourth Hokage!!!"
Minato endured the excruciating pain and formed hand seals again.
The Seal Ritual's dais appeared, bearing the formula used to seal tailed beasts.
The Nine-Tails' pupils contracted as it instantly understood his intent.
"Bastard! You want to seal me again... inside that brat, no less!"
It struggled wildly, but the Adamantine Sealing Chains bound it tight, leaving it unable to move.
Just then.
Kushina's body finally gave out.
The chakra within her faltered for a moment, and the golden chains loosened slightly.
The Nine-Tails seized that fleeting chance!
"Now!!!"
It raised its enormous claw and slammed it down at Naruto!
That strike carried all its fury.
Minato's expression changed drastically.
With no time to think, he lunged toward Naruto.
"Squelch!!!"
The Nine-Tails' claw pierced his chest.
Blood gushed out, dripping down the enormous claw's tip.
But the Nine-Tails did not stop.
Its claw kept moving forward.
Kushina immediately shielded Naruto as well!
The massive, blood-drenched claw was about to pierce her too.
Just then, a figure appeared beside the Nine-Tails like a phantom.
It was Xuandou!
At the sight before him, his pupils involuntarily contracted.
With no time to think, he poured chakra madly into his left eye.
"Yomotsu!"