A thousand fists came crashing down at once.
The Nine-Tails froze in place, rooted to the spot, not even thinking about resisting.
The difference in strength was far too vast—an impossible gap. They weren't even on the same level.
This was… another God of Shinobi.
A being close to the Sage of Six Paths himself!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each fist of the colossal Thousand-Armed Buddha slammed into the Nine-Tails, blow after blow, driving its massive body back relentlessly.
The fox didn't even fight back. It had simply chosen to give up.
And even if it had unleashed every ounce of its strength, it wouldn't have been able to defend itself.
"Th-this…"
Namikaze Minato's scalp tingled as he stared at the sight before him.
Back then, to stop the Nine-Tails from destroying Konoha, he had been forced to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, sacrificing his life.
And even then… all he had managed to do was seal the beast away.
Yet now, this very same Nine-Tails—this force of nature, the most powerful of all the Tailed Beasts—could do nothing but tremble before Senju Haruto.
This so-called "strongest Tailed Beast"…
Was it even dangerous at all?
Minato wasn't the only one stunned.
Beside him, Uzumaki Kushina's eyes were wide with disbelief.
For the first time, she felt almost… unlucky to have been born when she was.
Or perhaps… it was simply that Haruto had been born too late.
If, on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, Senju Haruto had been there—
Would there ever have been a reason to fear the beast?
With a single True Several Thousand Hands, it would have been crushed into the ground and subdued.
"So this… is Big Brother Haruto's true power?"
Naruto stood frozen, staring at the towering Thousand-Armed Buddha, his heart pounding in shock.
When he had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, learned Sage Mode, and even unleashed the Giant Rasengan, he had truly believed he was catching up to Haruto.
At Mount Myoboku, even Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima had told him his Sage Mode surpassed Jiraiya's.
In his heart, Naruto had thought—maybe, just maybe—he had overtaken Haruto.
But this moment shattered that illusion into dust.
Catch up? Surpass?
The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Even with his parents helping, Naruto couldn't forcefully seize the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Yet in front of Haruto, the beast didn't dare to move.
It could only tremble, helpless, while Haruto's Thousand-Armed Buddha pressed it into the ground and beat it mercilessly.
And just as that thought crossed Naruto's mind—
One of the Buddha's enormous hands reached out, wrapped around the Nine-Tails' throat, and with raw, primal force, slammed it into the ground.
Then it dragged the fox forward, scraping it mercilessly across the earth.
A literal "rubbing into the dirt."
What kind of terrifying power was this?
"If Haruto had been around… I doubt we'd ever need to worry about Uchiha Madara again," Minato whispered, drawing in a sharp breath.
"Mm…"
Kushina nodded firmly. She couldn't find a single argument to refute him.
"Naruto…"
From atop the Buddha's head, Haruto's voice drifted down, calm but pointed.
"What are you standing around for?"
He couldn't help but complain.
His original plan had been to launch a feint, force an opening in the Nine-Tails' defenses, and give Naruto the chance to steal its chakra.
But what happened instead?
The moment he unleashed the True Several Thousand Hands, Minato, Kushina, and Naruto—all three of them—just froze in place, watching the show.
Did they not understand?
The Nine-Tails was supposed to be the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts!
Haruto sighed as one of the Buddha's massive arms shattered under the strain. Without hesitation, he swapped it for another, grabbed the Nine-Tails by the scruff, and slammed it back into the ground again, dragging it forward once more.
Scrape. Grind. Crush.
Minato: "???"
Kushina: "???"
Naruto: "???"
Nine-Tails: "???"
You're telling me this thing is the strongest Tailed Beast?!
The sheer absurdity of the scene left even Minato and Kushina speechless.
And the Nine-Tails…
The Nine-Tails wanted to cry.
At this point, it almost wished Haruto would just kill it outright.
Staying locked away in its cage didn't seem so bad after all. At least there, it wouldn't have to suffer like this.
But Haruto's words jolted Naruto awake.
That's right…
Why was he even here?
Not just to meet his parents.
He had come to gain the Nine-Tails' chakra!
Not to sit back and watch Haruto beat the life out of the fox!
Naruto snapped back to his senses, immediately focusing his chakra and pulling hard at the Nine-Tails' energy.
The beast, pinned helplessly and overwhelmed by Haruto, had no way to resist.
All it could do was watch as Naruto forcefully drew its chakra away.
Strangely enough, as its power was stolen, the Nine-Tails actually felt… a little relieved.
Once Naruto succeeded, Haruto finally released his hold.
With a casual motion, he directed the Buddha's giant hand to grab the fox and toss it straight back into its cage.
Naruto, understanding instantly, pressed his palm forward.
The sealing key appeared once again on his arm—Minato's secret safeguard.
As Naruto twisted the seal in reverse, the two colossal iron doors slammed shut.
The swirling vortex lock at their center spun rapidly and closed tight.
The Nine-Tails… was sealed once more!
Minato and Kushina both exhaled deeply in relief.
They had feared, when Naruto grew weak earlier, that he might fail to control the fox—and end up consumed by it instead.
Boom!
The Thousand-Armed Buddha crumbled beneath Haruto's feet, collapsing into fragments as he descended slowly to the ground.
By then, Naruto had completed his transformation.
Golden chakra cloaked his body, burning like an eternal flame.
The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
In the original timeline, this was supposed to happen years later, on Turtle Island, with Killer Bee's help.
But because of Haruto's intervention, Naruto now wielded this power far ahead of schedule.
"I wonder…" Haruto muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"What kind of face would Zabuza make if he saw this form?
Would he call Naruto a once-in-a-generation genius?
Or would he just grumble that Naruto was cheating with some hidden power-up?
There's always someone secretly breaking the rules…"
His thoughts drifted in amusement, but he knew the battle was done.
Since Minato and Kushina's chakra hadn't been consumed, they could stay with Naruto a while longer.
If Haruto lingered here too, it would only feel awkward—like an outsider intruding on a family's reunion.
He decided it was time to leave.
But before he could go, Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance.
Together, they turned toward Haruto, bowed deeply, and spoke in unison.
"Thank you. Truly."
"…Thank me?" Haruto blinked.
"Yes," Minato said with sincerity. "Not only did you choose to be Naruto's friend… you told him the truth, helped him grow stronger, and stood by his side when it mattered most. Without you here today… I can't even imagine what might have happened."
His voice carried the weight of a father's gratitude.