"You must believe that the sacrifices you've made will one day be rewarded. Asking you to conceal your identities does not mean restricting your freedom. You are shinobi—so I wish to entrust you with a mission."
The Sage of Six Paths spoke solemnly. The seriousness of his tone made both Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina swallow nervously.
"The entire shinobi world is being manipulated by an invisible hand. Even I cannot perceive its true form. I want you to investigate who is behind all of this."
"Could Uchiha Madara really still be alive? Someone capable of opposing the whole world… he's the only one I can think of." Minato guessed, disbelief in his voice.
The Sage of Six Paths shook his head. "If it were only Uchiha Madara, I wouldn't need to personally entrust this task to you. At the moment, there are almost no clues. You will have to start investigating from scratch."
Minato was silent for a moment, then said, "We'll take the mission. I also want to find out who that masked man was—the one who attacked us. He felt familiar… not like an enemy, but like a comrade."
"I will no longer interfere in what follows. I have already removed as many unforeseen variables as possible. Whether the Child of Prophecy grows into a true savior will now depend on fate. And if anything goes wrong… then we will have to start over before the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
As a mother, Kushina could not tolerate anyone doubting her child. She immediately refuted him with firm resolve:
"I believe in Naruto. He will definitely become a worthy savior!"
"I believe it as well. After all, he is the Child of Prophecy… Very well, it's time for you to leave. I hope everything goes smoothly for you."
The Sage of Six Paths' figure gradually faded into nothingness, and Yōsuke, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina departed from the pure-white void.
Back on the battlefield, Yōsuke looked toward Minato. Minato nodded to him, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away. When he returned, he was holding Naruto, who was crying nonstop.
Minato gently placed Naruto into Kushina's arms.
The couple spoke to Naruto, guilt weighing heavily in their voices.
"We're sorry, Naruto. As your parents, we truly failed you… letting you shoulder such a heavy burden the moment you were born."
Minato said softly, "Kushina, it's almost time to perform the Eight Trigrams Seal. Say whatever you want to Naruto now."
Tears welled in Kushina's eyes as she choked out her final words to her son:
"Naruto… don't be picky about food. Eat well every day and grow up strong. Remember to take a hot bath every day, and don't stay up too late—make sure you get enough sleep. And make friends. You don't need many… just a few trustworthy partners is enough.
Naruto… in the future, you'll face many hardships and much pain. Walk your own path. Always hold on to your dreams—and put them into action. Believe in yourself… I still have so much… so much more I want to tell you. I want to live with you longer… I love you…
Sorry, Minato… I ended up saying so much…"
Kushina could no longer hold back her sobs.
"No… it's fine. Naruto, what your talkative mom said… is exactly what I wanted to tell you too… When you become an excellent shinobi, your mom and dad will meet you again. So… goodbye, Naruto."
Just as Minato was about to perform the Eight Trigrams Seal—splitting the Nine-Tails into Yin and Yang and sealing them into Naruto and Kushina—suddenly, a disruption struck.
"Secret Technique: Insect Dragon Tornado!"
A Root shinobi, Aburame Ryōma, suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Countless kikaichū swirled into a tornado, surging toward Yōsuke, who was focused entirely on restraining the Nine-Tails.
The moment the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, saw Ryōma and the swarm, he immediately shouted into the darkness behind him:
"Danzō?! What are you trying to do?!"
Danzō stepped slowly out of the shadows, eyes cold and venomous as he looked at Yōsuke.
"Yōsuke is an invader who infiltrated Konoha—the one who orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack. For the sake of the village, he must be eliminated immediately!"
"Old man! That's nonsense! Yōsuke has been helping Konoha fight the Nine-Tails from the very beginning! How could he be an invader?!" Asuma roared angrily at Danzō.
"Hiruzen, you'd better discipline your son. If you can't, then hand him over to Root. We'll teach him the meaning of respecting his elders."
Hiruzen, however, could not spare attention for any of this.
"Even if he must be taken in, it must wait until the sealing is complete!"
Danzō laughed coldly.
"Hiruzen, you're still as naïve as ever. Yōsuke's goal is the Nine-Tails. Once the sealing is complete, he'll take the jinchūriki and leave the village. Who among you can stop him?!"
Thinking about the overwhelming strength Yōsuke had shown, Hiruzen fell silent. If Yōsuke's target really was the jinchūriki, no one here could stop him.
"But Minato and Kushina are in the crucial phase of the sealing. If anything goes wrong, they'll both die."
"As Hokage, you should already be prepared to sacrifice yourself for the village. A jinchūriki can be replaced—but losing the Nine-Tails is permanent. You know how vital the Nine-Tails is to Konoha. If we lose it, the other villages will attack immediately. The Fourth Great Ninja War will erupt. You've always sought peace, haven't you, Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Hiruzen hesitated, torn. Danzō sneered.
"Since you can't do it, I will. As the Root of Konoha, isn't this exactly what I'm here for?"
With a wave of his hand, the Root operatives behind him charged toward Yōsuke.
Asuma shouted furiously, "Old man, are you insane?! You just believed Danzō's nonsense without thinking?!"
"Hush, Asuma! Yōsuke is an outsider. Danzō may be extreme, but he is a Konoha shinobi. Everything he does is for the village."
"Then what about the Fourth Hokage?! Is he an outsider too?! You're abandoning them!"
Hiruzen sighed.
"I believe… Minato will understand."
Asuma felt his strength drain from his body. He stared at his father—the man who had always preached the Will of Fire—now appearing like a complete stranger.
Minato and Kushina, hearing the exchange between Hiruzen and Danzō, could not hide the disappointment on their faces.
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