Only one person could clear up his confusion, and that person was Hiruzen. Without wasting any more time, Minato appeared in front of him. Hiruzen was still maintaining the Four Violet Flames Formation, standing firmly in the same location while keeping his hand seal intact. Inside the barrier, the Nine-Tails was in a furious struggle. Its massive tails lashed violently against the barrier, while its claws repeatedly slammed into the violet flames in an attempt to break through and escape. Yet no matter how violently it attacked, the barrier held.
Hiruzen sensed Minato appearing behind him. Without breaking his concentration or releasing his hand seal, he turned his head to look at him, his feet remaining firmly planted in the same spot. Minato, looking directly at Hiruzen, immediately asked, "Lord Third, what exactly happened here?"
Hiruzen replied, "Well, it is all thanks to Ryuma Hatake. He was able to cut the Nine-Tails in half, and after that, we were able to contain this beast within two barriers. We will talk about everything in detail after everything is sorted out. How are Kushina and your newborn? Are they fine?"
After listening to Hiruzen's words, Minato had many questions, but he knew what was important and realized it was not the right time to ask, as Hiruzen had said they would discuss it later. Minato's already solemn expression grew even more serious. He paused for a moment before answering, "Well, for the time being, Kushina is fine. However, since the Nine-Tails was extracted from her, she doesn't have long. I will have to take the Nine-Tails and seal it back inside her. If I don't, the consequences will be dire."
Hearing Minato's words, Hiruzen nodded solemnly. At the same time, a faint sense of relief appeared on Minato's face, and that relief could also be heard in his tone as he looked toward the Nine-Tails. Its strength had already diminished by half, with half of its chakra having been separated from its body.
Looking at the weakened Nine-Tails, Minato said, "Now, thankfully, the Nine-Tails has weakened by a lot. In this state, with Kushina's cooperation, I am confident that I will be able to seal the Nine-Tails completely within her. I will take this Nine-Tails with me. Till then, Lord Third, you seal away that other half of the Nine-Tails. It is very important."
After hearing Minato's words, Hiruzen nodded and said, "Well, let's do it that way." As soon as Hiruzen said this, Minato gave a nod and instantly held one of his signature kunai in each hand. His expression became focused as he said to Hiruzen, "Ready whenever you are."
Hiruzen nodded in response. Then, without wasting another moment, he released his hand seal. The instant he did so, the Four Violet Flames Formation surrounding the Nine-Tails began to slowly recede. The violet barrier weakened before disappearing completely, leaving the Nine-Tails without anything directly restraining it.
As soon as the Nine-Tails saw this, its eyes widened slightly, thinking its chance had finally come to escape. But before it could even make a move, a kunai that Minato had thrown appeared directly above its head. In the next fraction of a second, Minato was already there. His figure appeared beside the massive head of the Nine-Tails, and before the beast could properly react, Minato placed his hand firmly against its forehead. The Nine-Tails barely had time to realize what was happening before Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take the Nine-Tails away with him.
After the Nine-Tails was gone, Hiruzen finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tension that had been weighing heavily on him for so long began to ease, if only slightly. However, the moment the immediate crisis was over, he became aware of the aching in his bones and his heavy breathing. Well, it seems that I am really old now. Hiruzen shook his head lightly after thinking this. There was no point dwelling on his age when there was still work to be done. Without hesitation, he moved toward the other Four Violet Flames Formation so that he could seal away the remaining chakra mass of the Nine-Tails and keep it protected.
…
I looked toward the Fourth Hokage, Minato, who had appeared here moments ago, spoken with Hiruzen, and then disappeared just as quickly. He had barely been here for a minute before leaving again, taking the Nine-Tails with him. Looking at the location where Minato had vanished, I thought, I hope you stay alive this time. At the very least, this outcome would be more favorable for me rather than Hiruzen becoming the Hokage again.
Just as I was thinking this, Hiruzen came in front of me and said, "Thank you very much for your assistance. Due to your help, we have suffered far fewer casualties than we would have otherwise. I can take things from here. It seems that you have exerted yourself quite a lot, so go and get some well deserved rest."
What Hiruzen said was not wrong. I was definitely tired after everything that had happened, and there was no reason for me to deny it. So, I nodded and replied, "Well, I am planning to do the exact same thing."
Hiruzen gave me a final nod before turning away to instruct the Anbu ninjas. From his words and actions, it was clear to me that he wanted to seal away the chakra lump, which was honestly the best course of action.
As they got busy with their work, I left the ruined area and jumped onto the roof of a nearby house that was still in relatively good condition. Sitting down on the roof, I drew a slow breath before sheathing my swords. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out slowly to regulate my breathing and calm myself after the battle.
As I was regulating my breathing, Shinku came over and stood beside me. I opened my eyes and looked towards him.
Looking toward me, he said, "Well, it seems it was for the best that I couldn't stop you, and that you didn't stop yourself. Otherwise, the scene here could have been far worse, and many more of my fellow shinobi could have suffered a terrible fate."
After hearing Shinku's words, I simply shrugged and replied, "Yeah, you are right, but my primary objective for coming here was not to save the shinobi; it was to save my parents."
By saying this, I made it clear to him that I was no hero of the village. I was simply a normal family man who had done all of this for one reason alone: to protect his family, and nothing more.
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