Looking at the vast surge of life force in Diarmuid's hand, Minato looked back at himself, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up. "Diarmuid-sama... do you think there's any chance I could still be resuscitated?"
Diarmuid: ???
He really hadn't expected it. This Namikaze Minato looked so upright and serious, how could he be such a closet joker?
Then again, Minato truly did have a bit of a quirky streak. You could tell just by the flashy, long-winded names he gave his techniques. For example... Spiralling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Stage Three. Was that the kind of name a normal person would come up with? Even Tobirama would get a headache just hearing it.
"Decided you don't want to die after all?" Diarmuid glanced at Minato and asked with a smirk.
Minato was incredibly weak now; his Chakra was almost completely depleted. Once it ran out, the Reaper Death Seal would conclude automatically. At that point, he'd be heading into the belly of the Reaper to have a pleasant "playdate" with the Yin half of the Nine-Tails.
Despite his weakness, a sunny smile remained on his face. He understood that even if he died, Diarmuid would look after his wife and child... wait. Wait, why does thinking about that make me want to stay alive even more? I want to look after them myself!
"If staying alive is an option, of course I don't want to go. I haven't even had the chance to truly be a father yet..." Minato's gaze drifted toward the nearby, peacefully sleeping Naruto. His voice was soft, laced with a lingering attachment that anyone could hear.
Diarmuid fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Better stay dead for a while. For now, even I don't have the power to snatch someone back from the Reaper."
Minato: ???
What do you mean 'stay dead for a while'? Are there different ways to be dead?
However, hearing Diarmuid's admission of powerlessness didn't leave Minato too disappointed. He knew exactly what the Reaper Death Seal entailed; asking just now had simply been a long shot. Every time Diarmuid appeared, he seemed so omnipotent and resourceful that Minato couldn't help but hope. What if there's a way? But it seemed there really wasn't.
"Well, that's a real shame," Minato said with a light chuckle.
"What about the Nine-Tails?" Diarmuid asked.
Sealing the beast back into Kushina wasn't an option right now. Her body couldn't handle it; she would need a long period of recovery before she could serve as a 'vessel' for a Jinchuriki again. But the Nine-Tails couldn't wait that long.
Minato fell silent, looking at his son. "It has to be this way, doesn't it?"
Diarmuid glanced at him and added, "Being a Jinchuriki isn't exactly a glamorous career. Besides, the Nine-Tails caused a lot of suffering tonight. Many in Konoha lost loved ones because of it... Hatred has a way of sprouting. Once the news of the next Jinchuriki gets out, life won't be easy for him in this village. Am I right?"
Minato hadn't considered that before. He hadn't had the time. In his mind, not many people knew Kushina was a Jinchuriki, though it wasn't a total secret either. Kushina had always gotten along well with everyone. But considering Diarmuid's words, he realized the man had a point. Naruto was his son; how could he not worry?
Seeing the hesitation on Minato's face, Diarmuid said with an air of "righteousness," "How about this? I think this Nine-Tails is nothing but trouble. Why don't I just take it away? I'll find somewhere to bury it so everyone can stop worrying."
Minato: ??? Are you being serious right now?
"Ahem... well, while there might be some obstacles and difficulties, Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage. I believe he can handle it..." Minato said quickly.
He had already caused the village to lose half of the Nine-Tails. If Diarmuid took the remaining half, good heavens, Konoha would lose its Tailed Beast entirely. From his perspective, it was clear that no one in Konoha, not even the Hokage, knew that Danzo possessed the Three-Tails.
"You won't reconsider?" Diarmuid rubbed his chin.
"No need, but thank you." Minato shook his head quickly. Then, with slow, heavy steps, he walked over to Naruto.
He reached out and stroked Naruto's face, smiling gently. "Naruto... listen to your mother. Grow up to be a man of integrity, and a fine ninja. I really wish... I could see the day you grow up."
The day you grow up... Minato looked at his remaining Chakra, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes. Then, he began to weave hand signs once more.
It was the Eight Trigrams Seal.
In an instant, the signs were complete. His last traces of Chakra surged as he slammed his palm onto Naruto's stomach.
In the distance, the Nine-Tails began to struggle again. Although Diarmuid was suppressing it with darkness and gravity, the ultimate control over the beast lay within Minato's Reaper Death Seal. Diarmuid didn't interfere; he relaxed his suppression.
The Nine-Tails glared furiously at Diarmuid and Minato, its expression one of pure unwilling rage. It struggled and roared, but in the end, it was sealed into Naruto's body. Along with it, Minato sealed a portion of his own Chakra. Perhaps this way, I'll have one more chance to see my son in the future.
As the process finished, Minato's aura weakened to the absolute limit. Behind him, the Reaper swung its blade, severing its connection to him. Minato's soul was swallowed into the Reaper's stomach.
"Minato!!!" Kushina cried out in agony.
Minato used the last of his strength to turn his head toward her. A bright, sunny smile graced his weary face. "It's so good... that you can live on, Kushina..."
With those final words, as if all strength had left him, he slumped forward. With a dull thud, he hit the ground and fell silent.
Diarmuid didn't look back, letting out a heavy, contemplative sigh. Kushina, still receiving his life force, could not stop the tears from streaming down her face.
With Minato's death, the surrounding barrier jutsu collapsed. Hiruzen and the others had been waiting nearby; if Minato had failed, Hiruzen would have had to step in and handle the situation. When the massive barrier dissolved, Hiruzen's expression turned somber. This wasn't the look of a barrier being deactivated, it was the look of a seal failing due to a loss of sustaining Chakra.
Does this mean...
Hiruzen led his team and rushed inside. They were met with the scene before them. Diarmuid sat cross-legged beside Kushina, his hand on her stomach as visible, dense life force flowed into her. The Nine-Tails' aura remained, but the beast itself was gone.
And their Fourth Hokage, the hero of Konoha who always wore a sunny smile, now lay motionless on the ground.
"Diarmuid!?" Hiruzen stepped forward, his expression wary and uncertain. What on earth is going on? Why are you here?
To be honest, if he hadn't seen from a distance that Diarmuid was saving Kushina, Hiruzen might have suspected him of being the killer, perhaps having taken an assassination contract on the Hokage. Given this bastard's personality and track record, it wasn't impossible!
"Oh, Hiruzen..." Diarmuid glanced at him and gave a small smile.
Hiruzen ignored the flippant way he was addressed and asked urgently, "What happened?" He didn't wait for an answer, rushing to Minato's side. He lifted the Fourth Hokage, checking for a pulse. His face fell into a mask of grief as his fears were confirmed.
Diarmuid didn't speak. He continued to funnel life force into Kushina. Looking slightly bored, he gestured with his hand, and the sleeping little Naruto was lifted by an invisible force, floating steadily before him. Diarmuid looked at the sleeping infant, a faint smile touching his eyes.
He actually quite liked Naruto. Compared to that other "Child of Destiny" from the Pirate world... Dragon's dimwitted son, Luffy... Diarmuid preferred Naruto.
"Never go back on your word... that's your ninja way... right, Naruto?" Diarmuid murmured softly.
Whether it was because he was the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra or for some other reason, in this dark and loathsome world, there was always one light that refused to go out, a light that illuminated the world. That light was Uzumaki Naruto. To Diarmuid, Naruto's birth marked the dividing line of an era. His growth would represent the change of this world.
Before Naruto, the world was nothing but darkness, exploitation, and misery. But after his birth... the world seemed to have fewer conspiracies, less darkness, and even the old bastards seemed to have a few more endearing qualities about them.
Perhaps that is the reason a 'Child of Destiny' exists, Diarmuid thought.
As he pondered this, the life force in his hand gradually dissipated. He knew the treatment for Kushina was mostly complete. While she hadn't perfectly recovered, she was no longer in any mortal danger; she just needed rest. With her constitution, Diarmuid knew she would be fine.
Diarmuid stood up, placed Naruto beside Kushina, and looked at her. "Life only has meaning because it is finite... Interesting words, aren't they?"
Without waiting for Kushina to respond, Diarmuid vanished in a Lightning Body Flicker.
This left Hiruzen, still holding Minato's body, somewhat bewildered. He had intended to question Diarmuid once Kushina was treated. Everything that had happened tonight left even the Third Hokage's head spinning. Diarmuid's sudden appearance added a layer of mystery to the Nine-Tails tragedy. And then there was what Minato had said about "Uchiha Madara"...
What was the truth behind it all? But before he could ask a single thing, Diarmuid had simply left without a second glance.
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