"Release the Nine-Tails? Impossible."
"A Tailed Beast is part of a Jinchuriki's life. If the beast is extracted, the Jinchuriki will die."
"This demand of yours shows absolutely no sincerity."
"You are toying with us, insulting our intelligence."
The Third Hokage stared at Yagyu, speaking with righteous indignation.
"Hmm~ True enough. I wasn't clear."
"I meant for you to release the Nine-Tails' chakra and let the Nine-Tails take control of your body."
"As long as you don't resist, the Nine-Tails' chakra should be able to induce Tailed Beast Transformation, right?"
"Let the Nine-Tails take the lead and give it one minute of freedom. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
"If you don't accept, Minato Namikaze's head will be crushed under my foot."
Yagyu spoke nonchalantly, slowly raising his long leg, blinding golden light flickering at his heel.
Minato spat out another mouthful of blood. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he was too heavily injured to speak.
"Yagyu, you are simply too despicable."
"Using a Konoha ninja's life to threaten other Konoha ninjas—don't you think you are too shameless?"
The Third Hokage's expression changed as he scolded Yagyu self-righteously.
"Betraying an alliance, poisoning, plotting, ambushing... Konoha has done so many despicable things to me, yet you still have the nerve to call me shameless?"
"The skin on your faces is truly thick. Truly scary!"
Yagyu curled his lips indifferently and spoke in a leisurely tone.
As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed a finger at a nearby house. A golden laser beam blossomed from his fingertip.
"Oh, ninjas of the Yamanaka clan, you'd better stop courting death."
"Nothing in Konoha Village escapes my notice, and that includes your little tricks."
Yagyu said with a smile, turning his gaze toward Kushina Uzumaki.
"Young Kushina Uzumaki! Haven't you made up your mind yet?"
"Minato is badly hurt; he doesn't have enough time for you to ponder."
"If you can't make a decision within a minute, Minato will die."
"As far as I know, you two are a couple, right?"
Yagyu spoke lazily, his expression teasing.
"Kushina..."
The Third Hokage looked at Kushina, hesitating to speak.
"Does the Third Hokage want to stop Kushina Uzumaki? Hmm~ I understand your position."
"As a free living being, the Nine-Tails has been cruelly imprisoned by Konoha, stored inside a Jinchuriki's body as a weapon."
"It must be filled with hatred for Konoha. Once it gains a minute of freedom, it will surely do everything in its power to take revenge on the village."
"I'm really looking forward to it!"
"That scene will surely be spectacular."
Yagyu looked lazy, staring at the Third Hokage with amusement.
Kushina Uzumaki touched her stomach, her expression fluctuating uncertainly.
Shimura Danzo shouted loudly, "Kushina Uzumaki, what are you hesitating for? Don't forget you are a Konoha ninja!"
"Minato Namikaze is also a Konoha ninja. Sacrificing one's life for the village is a ninja's duty."
"Minato is already critically injured; he likely can't be saved. We cannot release a calamity like the Nine-Tails just for him."
Yagyu laughed loudly. "Well said! But there's one thing I don't understand. What does 'Konoha's bonds' mean?"
"The Hidden Mist Village, where I come from, never promotes things like 'bonds', so our style is rather cruel."
"But your Konoha seems different; you love promoting things like bonds."
"Yet right now, you abandon Minato Namikaze without hesitation—abandoning the Yellow Flash who has contributed so much to Konoha..."
"Let me ask you, where are your Konoha bonds?"
"Promoting bonds on one hand, while manufacturing darkness on the other."
"Could it be... that this is Konoha's style?"
"Or perhaps, 'bonds' is just a slogan the higher-ups use to fool the lower-ranking ninjas? To you higher-ups, this slogan can be replaced at any time."
"Just one command from you, and the Konoha ninjas who once held 'bonds' as their ideal would have to switch to a new one?"
"Hmm~ This authoritarian style seems quite promising! Lord Third Hokage, want to consider it?"
"If all Konoha ninjas could become weapons in your hands, machines without their own will, then Konoha's prosperity is just around the corner!"
Yagyu's nonchalant words made the Third Hokage's face turn ugly.
Shrimp Heart, Pig Heart! (Kill the Heart!)
The Third Hokage panicked slightly and spoke with righteous indignation, "What nonsense are you spouting? Konoha would never do such a foolish thing."
"The bonds between Konoha ninjas have always existed. The will to sacrifice one's life for Konoha and for one's comrades has never disappeared."
"Kushina, do as he says! We will control the Nine-Tails and prevent it from running wild."
The Third Hokage looked serious, moving Kushina to tears.
Such a Hokage who cherished his subordinates touched her deeply.
"I understand!"
Kushina Uzumaki nodded heavily, her consciousness entering the seal space within her body.
The seal space inside Kushina was different from Naruto's. The biggest difference was the treatment of the Nine-Tails.
In Naruto, the Nine-Tails was merely kept in a cage. In Kushina, however, the Nine-Tails was staked onto a volcanic rock.
Like a specimen, the Nine-Tails had its nine tails and four limbs pinned to the rock by sharp wooden stakes, possessing absolutely no freedom.
"Hahaha! Kushina Uzumaki, you get what you deserve today!"
Seeing Kushina's consciousness enter the seal space, the Nine-Tails immediately began to mock her loudly.
Although the Nine-Tails' physical freedom was restricted, its consciousness was not sealed. It could see everything outside through Kushina Uzumaki.
"You're going to give me one minute of freedom? Then I won't hold back."
The Nine-Tails bared its teeth at Kushina Uzumaki, speaking with a ferocious expression.
"Nine-Tails, you will definitely be stopped!"
Kushina Uzumaki gave the Nine-Tails a deep look, then waved her hand to undo most of the seals on the Nine-Tails, pulling out the wooden stakes from its tails.
"Hmph!"
Hot steam snorted from the Nine-Tails' nose. Crimson chakra surged from its body, rapidly taking over Kushina Uzumaki's physical form.
"Here it comes!"
The Third Hokage looked at the Tailed Beast chakra surging from Kushina Uzumaki, his expression becoming grave.
Truth be told, he didn't agree with letting Kushina accept Yagyu's proposal at all.
Unfortunately, with so many spectators gathered at the Hokage Rock, he had no choice.
If he refused Yagyu's demand, it would be equivalent to admitting Yagyu's claim—that "bonds" were just a deceitful slogan.
If the Konoha ninjas accepted that claim, their morale would crumble.
Once morale crumbles, leading the team becomes difficult.