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When Qianyu explained that Minato Namikaze had sealed half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto because of Jiraiya's words, Kushina Uzumaki couldn't wrap her head around it.
Qianyu paused for a moment before asking, "Kushina, do you believe in fate?"
Kushina blinked, surprised. "Fate? Of course not. Do you? But back when you were talking with Hizashi, you seemed pretty against the whole idea of destiny."
Qianyu's expression turned serious. "I am against it. But you can't deny some things just… happen."
"Like what?"
"Like the Nine-Tails breaking free. It was always going to happen. It was always going to be sealed into Naruto." His voice was low, heavy. "That old toad from Mount Myōboku wasn't wrong. Naruto… is the Child of Prophecy. The savior of the shinobi world."
He let out a short breath. "Sounds insane, I know. If you don't believe me, just—"
"I believe you." Kushina cut him off, her voice firm. "You've never lied to me. So if you say it's true, it is." She met his gaze. "Can fate be changed?"
Her unconditional trust made him smile faintly, but the serious look quickly returned. "It can. But it's incredibly difficult."
It had taken him over a decade to change Kushina's fate. The conditions were ridiculously strict. He'd scoured the land for a replacement—Miyuki Uzumaki—and struck a deal with Danzō just to barely shift the thinking of Hiruzen and Mito.
Back then, if he'd failed to change their minds about making Kushina the jinchūriki, his plan was simple: take her and run.
But looking back now… could he really have pulled it off?
Probably not.
He didn't have the raw power to flip the table back then. No guarantee he could protect Kushina from a full-scale pursuit. And Mito likely knew his intentions all along. She was probably tracking Kushina with her Sensory Perception every second, ready to stop them.
To Mito, Konoha came first. Even this changed Konoha. And Kushina was her chosen vessel. The perfect candidate.
Taking Kushina away would have been next to impossible.
So, changing Naruto's fate? It should be possible. Find someone else to take his place as the Child of Prophecy, seal the Nine-Tails into them, make them the jinchūriki.
But how?
The conditions for altering the fate of the world's main character, the future protagonist, would only be ten times more brutal.
Kushina sighed, her shoulders slumping. "No wonder Miyuki looked so heartbroken earlier. So drained… She's really hurting this time. What Minato did was just… too…"
She trailed off, shaking her head, unable to find the words.
"Kushina," Qianyu said quietly. "I think Miyuki might choose to leave Konoha."
"Leave?" Kushina's head snapped up. "Why?"
His guess was based on Minato's situation. It felt like some force was out there, correcting deviations.
Like with the Nine-Tails. He'd made a deal with the beast beforehand, but in the end, it amounted to nothing.
He'd sealed part of its chakra into Miyuki to save her life, yet she still ended up having to use the Reaper Death Seal in Minato's place.
And Minato himself—alive, but maybe comatose forever.
In the original timeline, Naruto had no parents. Here, if Minato was comatose, then a living Miyuki probably wouldn't stay in Konoha long either.
To maintain the "orphaned protagonist" setting.
But that sounded too mystical, so he laid out the practical reasons for Kushina instead. "Miyuki loves Naruto. She never wanted him to be a jinchūriki. Minato forced that on him. She's definitely disappointed in him right now. And let's be honest, Miyuki doesn't have any great love for Konoha. You know how villages treat jinchūriki. She's been lucky—the ignorant villagers don't know she's a vessel. If they did, even as the Hokage's wife, she'd be feared. Suspected. Hated."
He leaned forward slightly. "Maybe they'll get lucky again. Maybe no one will find out she and Naruto are jinchūriki. But like I said, she loves him. She won't want to gamble with that. If their secret gets out, Naruto's childhood in Konoha would be nothing but discrimination. That shadow could follow him for life."
He paused, letting that sink in. "And honestly? I don't think Hiruzen will be able to keep Naruto's status a secret this time."
Kushina frowned. "Why not?"
"Start with the day Naruto was born. Look at what happened with Lord Sakumo. The people of Konoha are ignorant. They hear a whisper and believe it's a shout. Naruto was born on the very night the Nine-Tails attacked. He was the only child born that day. It's natural—no, it's inevitable—that some fools will start making the connection. Rumors will spread. It might even turn into 'Naruto is the Nine-Tails incarnate.'"
He held up a second finger. "Then there's his identity. The Fourth Hokage's son. Certain people in the village have been salty about Minato getting the hat for a long time. Minato's out cold. Hiruzen's back in the big chair for now, but if Minato wakes up, Hiruzen has to step down. Leaking this secret would be a massive blow to Minato if he ever returns as Hokage."
"A Hokage's child as a jinchūriki… At first, the sheep might call Minato noble. Call Naruto a hero. But it always comes back to the same fear. They'll worry: what if Naruto loses control? What if the Nine-Tails comes back? Last time, the Hokage just fell into a coma. What if next time, he dies?"
Qianyu's analysis was complete. He summarized, his voice final. "So, as a mother who loves her son more than anything, Miyuki has to ask herself: is staying in Konoha really best for Naruto? If his secret gets out, she can't protect him. Just like when Minato took Naruto from her arms, she'll be powerless. Utterly powerless."
Kushina listened, her heart sinking. Her whole face scrunched up in distress. A deep sense of helplessness washed over her.
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