At this stage, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly made his way out of the forest where Minato was stationed.
He was immediately stopped by the Adamant Sealing Chains released by Kushina, unable to move an inch.
Anger flashed across his face as he tried twice to strike the golden monkey staff, but the spell remained unaffected.
Even as the most powerful Hokage, he could not resist a technique created by the dying Kushina.
"Damn it… are they going to deal with the Nine-Tails on their own?!"
Hiruzen stared at the two before him, their faces grim.In his eyes, the Nine-Tails belonged to Konoha and was part of the Sarutobi legacy — an important asset entrusted to his son as Hokage.How could he allow a jinchūriki to handle this alone?
"Third Hokage?"
A few ANBU followed him, and the Third Hokage replaced his anger with concern.
"This is bad. The Fourth Hokage has accepted the Hunger Seal and is ready to die with the Nine-Tails!"
Hiruzen exhaled, observing Minato working the seal.
Several ANBU stared at him in awe.
Hiruzen looked calmly at one of them.
"Blame that damn Nine-Tails. If it weren't for its rage, it would have been sealed back into the child, and this matter could not have been passed on.If the villagers find out that the Nine-Tails could escape again, panic will follow."
Some ANBU were stunned:
"Lord Third, can the Nine-Tails really escape after being sealed?!"
The Nine-Tails had originally been the pet of the First Hokage, and both Uzumaki Mito and Uzumaki Kushina had controlled it carefully, as if playing with it.
Had Kushina not been pregnant, Obito would never have dared to interfere.
Jinchūriki running wild in other villages spread fear and hatred, but in Konoha, the Uzumaki Clan, with their perfect seals, never allowed the Nine-Tails to run amok.Even the relationship between jinchūriki and the Nine-Tails was never that bad.Though not perfect, Uzumaki Mito and Kushina could easily borrow its chakra at any time to activate the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Strategically, Tailed Beasts rarely enter the battlefield. Kushina herself was known as the "Red Pepper of the Battlefield."Before this night, no one could have imagined that a creature once petted by the head of a dog like the First Hokage could escape.
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow and sighed:
"Who knows… it's better to be safe than sorry."
One ANBU bowed in agreement.Hiruzen nodded in relief; it was comforting to have such a competent advisor, leaving the dirty work to others.
Meanwhile, Danzo, observing the Uchiha Clan closely, suddenly sneezed, sensing that someone was thinking of him.He looked at the Uchiha hiding in their clan and snorted coldly.
The Mangekyō Sharingan of the Nine-Tails was visible to everyone, and this time, the Uchiha would not be last.Danzo thought to himself: now that Konoha is in such chaos, shouldn't the Fourth Hokage resign like the Third?
I just ordered the jinchūriki to train under Root… and Hiruzen still disagrees? What's wrong with him?
The Hokage will be ours for sure!
The more Danzo thought about it, the better it seemed, and a smile spread across his lips. Even the Uchiha Clan began to seem more agreeable.But he had no idea the disaster that would soon unfold at home.
On the other side, Minato, having convinced Kushina, began applying the Hunger Seal.The hand of the Shinigami pierced his chest and rushed toward the Nine-Tails.
The half-transparent soul was pulled from the Nine-Tails' body and wrapped around Minato.The Nine-Tails roared in fury, but Kushina's chains bound it tightly, shrinking it before their eyes.
Hiruzen, watching from outside the seal, clenched his fists:
"Damn… if this really is the Hunger Seal, I didn't expect him to actually use it! All for the woman!"
The heir to the "Will of Fire," whom he had trained so long, now hung by a thread.Where else could he find such an obedient, innocent student, strong and loyal to his orders?
To support Minato, he had sacrificed Konoha's White Two-Tailed Ape and taken Orochimaru as a student.
And you die dragging the Nine-Tails with you? Don't you realize this is Konoha's most valuable asset?
One ninja behind him frowned at the still-existing Nine-Tails:
"Why is it still here, not fully sealed? It's just smaller now."
Minato, working the seal, summoned the sealing platform and placed Naruto upon it.
"Next… the Eight Trigrams Seal."
Though Minato wanted to save his wife, he was no fool; he would not act recklessly as Hokage.
Another reason the Nine-Tails was sealed within Naruto was that the jinchūriki's identity definitely protected Naruto's life.Neither Hiruzen nor the high-ranking villagers would allow Naruto to be harmed, as his Uzumaki blood was necessary to control the Tailed Beast.
The villagers of the Elder Council were not like Tailed Beasts from other villages that escaped every three to five minutes.Only Uzumaki blood could suppress a Tailed Beast.
Thus, one of the most important reasons Minato sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto was to guarantee Naruto's survival.
The Nine-Tails, about to be sealed into Naruto, seethed with resentment.Taking advantage of Kushina's weakening condition, it roared:
"Now!"
Its massive claws shot straight for Naruto.If it had killed the next jinchūriki, it would have been free!
But Minato and Kushina stood in front of Naruto.
After giving the frog of Mount Myōboku the key to the seal, the two of them fully sealed the remaining chakra of the Nine-Tails within Naruto.
Naruto, in the middle of it all, felt a surge of chakra so strong that his head ached.He gritted his teeth against the sharp pain and, in the end, gave Minato a single middle finger before finally relaxing.
The chakra of both parents disappeared into the seal along with the Nine-Tails.