Scaring Minato

"Ahem, there's really no need for that."

Minato spoke with a serious expression.

"How about I save my question for later, and we talk business first?"

"Up to you."

Seiichi had no objection.

Since he had chosen to give Minato this opportunity, he didn't care whether Minato used it now or later.

"Have some tea."

Seiichi poured Minato another cup of tea and opened the fruit platter on the table, which held snacks like melon seeds and peanuts.

"Although I did have another purpose in saying that earlier, I wasn't lying. My target really is the Nine-Tails."

Seiichi watched Minato clench his fists tightly, veins bulging on his arms, before finally relaxing them.

"I know you think I'm threatening you right now. After all, the Mangekyō Sharingan poses far too great a threat to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"But what I want to say is that not only am I not threatening you and Kushina, I'm actually doing this for your own good.

"As for the effects extracting a tailed beast has on its jinchūriki, I have a way to keep Kushina alive after the tailed beast inside her is released, allowing her to live as a normal person afterward."

Although Minato didn't know what method Seiichi had, from what Seiichi said, he seemed to have everything planned out already.

"It's common knowledge throughout the Shinobi World that once a tailed beast is extracted from a jinchūriki, the jinchūriki's life force drains away at an extremely rapid rate. Even if you can replenish Kushina's life force, you can't possibly keep her life out of danger as you claim."

Having regained his composure, Minato could now think normally again.

"What if I can solve the problem of that rapid loss of life force?"

That simple sentence from Seiichi left Minato stunned.

No one in the Shinobi World had managed to solve the problem of a jinchūriki losing life force after releasing their tailed beast in all these years.

So, after Seiichi spoke, Minato's first thought had also been to replenish the jinchūriki's life force. It hadn't occurred to him that Seiichi could address the problem at its very source.

"I'm sure you understand that if we can successfully solve the rapid loss of life force after releasing the tailed beast, then with Kushina's exceptionally strong Uzumaki Clan physique, she'd only feel unwell for a short while. It wouldn't even count as a minor injury."

"And most importantly, Kushina is pregnant."

Seiichi's words puzzled Minato a little. He didn't know what Seiichi meant.

"Hm? You don't know?"

"What?"

"When a jinchūriki gives birth, the seal inside her weakens drastically, leaving the tailed beast's seal in its most vulnerable state ever.

"I don't think the Nine-Tails would ever let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by.

"So when that time comes, it will be both Kushina's happiest moment and her most dangerous one."

Once he realized Minato didn't know the details, he smiled.

What Seiichi said wasn't false, but he hadn't told the whole story.

If Kushina gave birth, the seal's strength would indeed decrease drastically.

But as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina not only possessed extraordinarily abundant life force, she had also mastered Adamantine Sealing Chains, a Sealing Jutsu that was doubly effective against tailed beasts.

In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Kushina would indeed face danger during childbirth, but not nearly as much as Minato imagined.

But Minato didn't know that, and even Kushina herself didn't know how much she could do.

After all, neither of them had experienced anything like this.

Even if Minato went home and asked Kushina, he would only learn what Seiichi had told him.

From his analysis of the available information, Seiichi had concluded that childbirth for an Uzumaki Clan jinchūriki was like walking a tightrope.

If taken seriously, it would be frightening but ultimately safe.

If treated carelessly, it would be life-threatening!

So, taking everything into consideration, Seiichi believed that Mito Uzumaki probably hadn't told Kushina the details of her own childbirth back then, and had even emphasized the severity of the consequences.

Because of Kushina's flighty nature, Mito Uzumaki had worried that unless she made the consequences sound more serious, Kushina wouldn't take them seriously.

Heh heh, easy to handle!

"Wait here for me!" After a long silence, Minato suddenly blurted out that remark without any context, then vanished in an instant.

Only a specially made three-pronged kunai remained on the chair.

Seiichi's expression didn't change. Instead, he leisurely drank his tea and cracked melon seeds.

Minato didn't keep Seiichi waiting too long, either.

Only about two pots of tea's worth of time passed.

With a swish-

Minato reappeared in the reception room.

"Are you really confident you can do it?" Minato's gaze had become exceptionally serious.

Seiichi nodded confidently and said, "Since I dared to say it, I have a certain degree of confidence. But the specific details of carrying it out still need further research and preparation. It's not as though you two need it done right this instant, anyway."

Minato fell silent, but finally made up his mind. "All right, then we'll work with you.

"But you have to promise me that you will never use the Nine-Tails to threaten the village's safety.

"And I also need to know more about your plan. You can tell me everything you're able to share right now."

After turning it over in his mind, Minato still couldn't stand by and watch Kushina hover on the brink of danger.

He had just gone home and confirmed Seiichi's words with Kushina. In fact, the situation Kushina described was even more serious than what Seiichi had told him.

This was something Grandma Mito had impressed upon her over and over when she was little, and she remembered it very clearly!

Minato had also considered that, for Kushina's safety, if nothing else worked, the two of them could simply forgo having children.

But Kushina had firmly refused.

Not only was Kushina determined to give birth to this child, she even planned to have a second.

This was something she had planned long ago, an idea born the moment she truly fell in love with Minato.

She wanted two children, one with Minato's surname, Namikaze, and one with hers, Uzumaki.

Minato would go to work to support the family, while she took care of things at home.

There would also be two little troublemakers running all over the house.

The family of four would live together in happiness and harmony.

That was Kushina's ultimate goal!

The idea was deeply rooted in Kushina's mind, and Minato couldn't dissuade her no matter how hard he tried.

After learning what Kushina had in mind, Minato felt utterly hopeless, too.

Once wasn't enough-she wanted to do it again?!

He could already feel his heart aching!

With no other choice, Minato told Kushina about his conversation with Seiichi.

To his surprise, Kushina became exceptionally excited.

Kushina didn't want to be a jinchūriki at all.

Ever since becoming one, she had been under a great deal of pressure she couldn't put into words.

When she was little, she hadn't understood what being a jinchūriki meant.

By the time she later understood its meaning, it was already too late. There was no chance to change her mind.

Many times before, the pressure had been so great that she wanted to die, but she couldn't bear to leave Minato.

Later, after she began dating Minato, his gentleness kept her from thinking about those things anymore.

But now, Minato had given her an opportunity to stop being a jinchūriki without preventing her from spending her life together with him.

It wouldn't even have any negative effects on her. She would still be able to run and jump as usual afterward.

She was just a bit oblivious, not actually out of her mind!

How could she possibly refuse!

The word "refuse" had never left even the slightest trace in her mind.