Naruto: Zanka No Tachi

Chapter 23: NZNT: Chapter 23

”As expected of the Fourth Hokage. You managed to seriously injure me and even break my control over the Nine-Tailed Fox.”

Minato was still facing off against Obito, but Obito was now heavily injured. If not for the fact that most of his body was replaced by White Zetsu’s tissue, a normal person who had been hit by Minato’s Rasengan and had a kunai pierced through their chest would have already died.

”But the Nine-Tailed Fox will eventually be mine!”

”I am the one who will unify the world. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve!”

Obito knew that he, in his current injured state, couldn’t do anything. He needed to go back and recover as soon as possible. Therefore, he left two threatening words, activated the Kamui ability in his right eye, and slowly sucked himself into it, disappearing from the spot.

Minato was filled with worry about Obito’s parting words. He was concerned that the ninja world, which had just calmed down after the Third Great Ninja War, would be thrown into turmoil again.

Looking at the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was still rampaging in the distance, Minato didn’t think any more about it. He immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and rushed to the location of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

”Summoning Jutsu!”

A giant, deep red toad descended from the sky, pressing down heavily on the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was gathering chakra for a Tailed Beast Ball. This toad was wearing a purple robe with a ”Shrimp” character written on the back. It had a ferocious scar over its left eye, a pipe in its mouth, and a giant short sword hanging from its waist. It looked stylish and fierce. It was one of the top dogs of Mount Myōboku, Gamabunta.

At this time, Gamabunta was standing on the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Minato, who had arrived in time, was standing on its head!

Seeing the Fourth Hokage, with his ceremonial robe billowing, appear, the Konoha ninjas who were still struggling to survive were immediately invigorated. The Third Hokage, who was kneeling and gasping for breath, also looked relieved.

Looking at the powerful Nine-Tailed Fox, Minato couldn’t think of a way to deal with it. In just a moment of thought, Minato, who embodied the ”Will of Fire,” decided to sacrifice himself and his family to save the village.

He ordered Gamabunta to hold the Nine-Tailed Fox down firmly. Minato channeled the chakra in his body, used the Flying Thunder God Technique, and teleported the Nine-Tailed Fox to a deserted area outside the village.

A few seconds later, a bright light erupted in the distance. It was clear that the Nine-Tailed Fox, which had just been suppressed, had gathered enough chakra for a Tailed Beast Ball and was about to unleash it.

”Now’s the time!” Seeing Minato teleport the Nine-Tailed Fox away, Yusuke knew that Minato was about to use his final move to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Following the bright light in the distance, Yusuke immediately used the Body Flicker Technique continuously, rushing to the location of the Nine-Tailed Fox. That was also the place where the Fourth Hokage couple would meet their end in the original story!

According to his plan, Yusuke had to arrive before Minato sacrificed himself. Otherwise, the Nine-Tailed Fox’s Yin Release chakra would be sucked into the Death God’s stomach along with Minato.

”Kushina, I’m sorry,” Minato said, panting heavily.

At this time, Minato was supporting the weakened Kushina with his right hand and holding Naruto with his left hand. He had used a lot of chakra to teleport the Nine-Tailed Fox, and he had also used a lot of stamina fighting Obito. Minato, who didn’t have a lot of chakra, was now severely depleted.

”Don’t say it. I support you,” Kushina smiled and shook her head. She then struggled to stand up and used the Uzumaki clan’s secret jutsu, ”Adamantine Sealing Chains.”

Eight golden chains extended from Kushina’s back, firmly controlling the giant Nine-Tailed Fox. At the same time, a barrier opened, enveloping them and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Under the control of the eight Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Nine-Tailed Fox couldn’t move at all, no matter how hard it struggled.

This showed that Kushina’s strength was definitely extraordinary. She was able to control the complete Nine-Tailed Fox so firmly, even in her depleted state.

Gently placing Naruto on the ground, Minato immediately formed hand seals and used the sealing jutsu that Kushina had taught him.

”Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!”

To prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox’s power from being too strong for young Naruto to withstand, Minato used the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to separate the Nine-Tailed Fox’s Yang Release chakra from its body and seal it on Naruto’s stomach.

Two layers of Four Symbols Sealing Style inscriptions appeared on Naruto’s stomach, forming an Eight Trigrams Seal. Then, they gradually disappeared.

Because half of its Yang Release chakra had been extracted, the Nine-Tailed Fox’s size immediately shrank by half, and large gaps appeared in the golden chains that had been firmly holding it.

”Die!” The enraged Nine-Tailed Fox seized the opportunity. Its giant, sharp claws immediately grabbed at Naruto, attempting to kill Naruto and release the other half of its Yang Release chakra that had been sealed.

At this time, Yusuke, who had been rushing towards them using the Body Flicker Technique, finally arrived. He saw a scene that shocked him from afar. Minato and Kushina used their bodies to block the Nine-Tailed Fox’s claws to protect Naruto. The giant claws pierced through their bodies, but they managed to save Naruto’s life at the last moment.

Kushina let out a loud cry, blood spurting from her mouth. The eight loose Adamantine Sealing Chains immediately tightened, firmly locking the Nine-Tailed Fox again.

At this time, Minato and Kushina were not only depleted of chakra, but they had also suffered fatal wounds. They were clearly at their wit’s end.

Their eyes met, and they looked at each other. Naruto, who was nearby, seemed to sense something and began to cry loudly.

”I wish I could see Naruto when he grows up,” Kushina said, looking at the crying Naruto with a gentle and sorrowful expression.

Minato was behind Kushina. He gently hugged his beloved wife one last time and said softly, ”Soon, I’ll use the Shiki Fujin to seal a sliver of your chakra within Naruto. When he grows up, you’ll be able to see him.”

”What? Why use the Shiki Fujin? Your soul will be swallowed by the Death God, and you’ll never be able to rest!” Kushina exclaimed in shock, resolutely stopping him.

At this time, both of them had suffered fatal wounds and were doomed to die. She had thought that Minato would just use an ordinary sealing jutsu to seal the other half of the Nine-Tailed Fox’s Yin Release chakra. She hadn’t expected him to use the Shiki Fujin.

”Only the Shiki Fujin can seal a sliver of your and my chakra within Naruto,” Minato said with a smile.

”No, the cost is too high!” Kushina tightly grasped Minato’s hand and tried to persuade him.

”Fourth Hokage, it’s not over yet!” At this moment, a figure wearing a white cloak and a ghost mask appeared outside the barrier.

It was Yusuke, who had just arrived.

Seeing another ninja of unknown identity, Minato coughed and asked, ”Who are you? What’s your purpose in appearing at this time?”

Kushina also looked at Yusuke warily, filled with anxiety.

If she couldn’t hold the barrier, she and Minato would have no power to resist. More importantly, Naruto would fall into the other party’s hands.

”I just want to help you seal the Nine-Tailed Fox. At this time, I have no need to deceive you. You two probably can’t even hold on for five minutes.” Yusuke said slowly.

”Then why are you being so sneaky and hiding your identity? I won’t open the barrier unless you reveal your identity,” Kushina said.

Looking at the couple who had sacrificed everything for Konoha, Yusuke thought for a few seconds and decided to take off his mask, letting them know his identity.

”Uchiha Yusuke!” Seeing that the person behind the mask was Yusuke, they exchanged surprised glances. Yusuke was a genius Jonin who had already gained considerable fame in Konoha. Minato and Kushina naturally knew him.

Yusuke said, ”When the Nine-Tailed Fox caused chaos in the village tonight, the clan leader wanted to lead the Uchiha clan ninjas to help the Third Hokage resist it.”

As he said this, Yusuke sighed, ”But the Third Hokage agreed to Danzō’s lockdown of the Uchiha clan, forbidding the Uchiha clan from leaving their territory tonight. That’s why I hid my identity and secretly rushed here.”

Minato and Kushina exchanged glances. Minato’s eyes were still filled with doubt, while Kushina’s eyes held a glimmer of hope.

”Even if you’re here, what can you do?” Minato asked.

”Although my nickname is ’Flame Sword,’ I’m actually very skilled in sealing jutsu. I believe sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox, which only has Yin Release chakra now, shouldn’t be difficult.”

Hearing Yusuke’s words, Minato frowned. He couldn’t make a decision for a moment.

Although Yusuke was a ninja in the village, since Danzō had locked down the Uchiha clan’s territory at this time and the Third Hokage had agreed, there must be some reason he didn’t know.

”To be safe, we can’t let him into the barrier!” After thinking for a moment, Minato made a decision.

Seeing Minato’s gaze shift from doubt to determination, Yusuke knew that Minato wouldn’t take any risks and let him into the barrier. Since he couldn’t find a breakthrough there, Yusuke turned to Kushina and said sincerely, ”You don’t have much time left. Your vitality is still draining. If you wait a little longer, you won’t even have a sliver of a chance to live.”

”Kushina-sama, you make the decision.”

”Kushina, we can’t trust him yet. If we hold on a little longer, the Third Hokage will arrive. Then, I’ll use the Shiki Fujin to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox, and that will be foolproof!” Minato urged, then couldn’t help but cough again. Blood gushed out of his mouth in large quantities.

”But by then, you two will be dead for sure!” Yusuke reminded him, his gaze fixed on Kushina.

At this moment, the decision was in Kushina’s hands!

Kushina lowered her head and remained silent for a few seconds. Then, she gently lifted Minato’s face with her hand and stroked it, ”Forgive me for being selfish this once. I want to make this choice for you.”

”Kushina, you...” Before Minato could finish, Kushina’s slender hand had already moved from his cheek to his neck.

She gently squeezed, and Minato lost consciousness.

Seeing this, Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief and said, ”Kushina-sama, you made the right choice.”

”I hope so,” Kushina said, simultaneously releasing the barrier.

Time was of the essence. Yusuke didn’t waste any time. He took two syringes from his pocket and injected them into Minato and Kushina’s necks.

”Life Seal!”

Yusuke quickly formed hand seals, then pressed his fingers on the injection sites on Minato and Kushina’s necks, forming a circular cursed seal on each of them.

After completing the cursed seal, Kushina immediately felt much better, and Minato’s pale face flushed slightly.

This ”Life Seal” was a by-product of Yusuke and Orochimaru’s development of the ”Two-Yi Seal.” Combined with the Hashirama Cell Fusion Liquid, it could activate the powerful vitality of Hashirama’s cells and simultaneously suppress their invasiveness.

”Thank you. I didn’t know that the Uchiha clan had someone like you who was skilled in sealing jutsu,” Kushina said.

However, Yusuke frowned, ”We still wasted too much time. It didn’t achieve the effect I was hoping for. Your injuries are too severe. Especially you, Kushina-sama. If you were an ordinary person, you would have lost ten lives.”

Kushina, as if she hadn’t heard Yusuke’s words, simply turned her head and stared blankly at Minato. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

A few seconds later, Kushina suddenly smiled, ”It’s not too late. It’s not too late. You should seal the Nine-Tailed Fox as soon as possible.”

But as she spoke, tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes.

Seeing Kushina crying and laughing, Yusuke couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. But he didn’t have much time left. He had to complete the Nine-Tailed Fox’s seal before the Third Hokage arrived.

Turning around, Yusuke looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox, which was firmly controlled by the Adamantine Sealing Chains. The Nine-Tailed Fox glared at Yusuke with a ferocious gaze, as if warning him not to play any tricks.

”Nine-Tailed Fox, it’s over for you!”

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