Gently soothing Kushina's emotions and sensing that her life force was still fading, Minato realized there was no time to lose.
The Hyūga elites wrestling with the Tailed Beast were already near exhaustion after briefly holding their own against the Nine-Tails. Seeing Minato stand up and approach it, the Nine-Tails' struggles grew stronger.
Looking at the Nine-Tails, Minato swiftly performed hand seals. Instantly, black runes appeared on the ground beneath the Nine-Tails, completely enveloping the beast and forcefully pulling it toward Kushina's abdomen. The closer the Nine-Tails got to Kushina, the smaller it shrank.
"Damn it!!"
"Are you going to seal me again!?"
The Nine-Tails roared and struggled, but its resistance was met with continuous attacks from the three great toads guarding the perimeter. Finally, the Nine-Tails transformed into a ball of dark red chakra, encapsulated by black runes and golden chains, and was sucked into Kushina's lower abdomen, vanishing from sight.
The Nine-Tails' massive chakra disappeared from the forest.
Minato, who had completed the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, rushed to Kushina's side, checking her condition while monitoring the seal. The result surprised him: under the Eight Trigrams Seal, the Tailed Beast's chakra was not leaking out.
It seemed that as long as Kushina didn't experience extreme emotional fluctuations, the seal would hold for a while. For Minato, reaching this stage was already enough. They would have time later to meticulously research a better sealing solution.
Simultaneously, the rapid dissipation of Kushina's life force chakra stopped the moment the Tailed Beast was sealed back inside her. Perhaps due to exhaustion, Kushina gently held Minato's hand, then calmly closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
"Kushina?"
Minato called out worriedly. Hiashi, standing nearby, offered timely reassurance:
"Don't worry, she has only fallen asleep. She must be utterly exhausted."
"Her chakra is slowly stabilizing now. There shouldn't be any further issues."
Hiashi's Byakugan allowed him to see the chakra flow within the human body. Normally, a ninja only truly dies after their body's chakra has completely depleted. Kushina's current state indicated that she was likely out of danger.
Hearing this, Minato nodded slightly. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back to Shinichi, gently patting his shoulder, and said with profound gratitude:
"Shinichi..."
"Thank you. Our entire family owes you our lives!"
Minato spoke those words genuinely. If it hadn't been for Shinichi, Minato would never have known that he only needed to seal the Tailed Beast back to save Kushina's life.
If Shinichi hadn't stopped him in time, he might have already used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal the Nine-Tails. If events had unfolded as Shinichi hypothesized, without Minato's protection after his death, it was questionable whether Kushina and Naruto could have survived Uchiha Obito's threat unharmed.
Furthermore, Konoha Village, having lost its young Hokage, might have been dragged back into a cruel war.
In every aspect, the intelligence and help Shinichi provided benefited their entire family. Minato would forever remember this debt of gratitude.
"Minato-sensei, you're too kind."
Seeing that Sensei Kushina's condition had stabilized, a faint smile finally appeared on Hyūga Shinichi's face.
His address to Minato also returned to its usual familiarity. From this incident, Shinichi had vaguely grasped the threads of destiny. Although the development of events had a few twists, his efforts had ultimately paid off. The change in the Minato couple's fate filled Shinichi with confidence for the future.
Although Naruto's background and experiences might undergo drastic changes due to his intervention, Shinichi believed Naruto would still grow into a strong ninja. Asura's soul would guide this child of destiny to heights unattainable by others.
Furthermore, under the guidance of Minato and Kushina, Naruto might even reach a higher ceiling. While the Tailed Beast's power was an important aid to Naruto, the Uzumaki blood meant he would never lack chakra; what he always lacked were methods for chakra application. The future Naruto likely wouldn't rely solely on the Rasengan to fight powerful enemies...
As the dust settled, Sarutobi Hiruzen and his direct Anbu finally arrived. Looking at the ravaged battlefield and the exhausted Hyūga clan members slumped on the ground, a sharp glint flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
The Hyūga... arrived on the battlefield before me?
And judging by this, the Tailed Beast seems to have been dealt with?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze quickly fell upon Minato and Kushina. Flashing to Minato's side, he glanced at the unconscious Kushina and asked urgently:
"Minato, the Nine-Tails..."
Hiruzen wanted to know the sequence and result of events, but Minato was too preoccupied at the moment to say much. He gently shook his head and replied:
"I will explain the full details to you later, Third Hokage."
"Right now, I need to take Kushina and Naruto to the hospital."
"Lady Biwako is safe, and the Anbu at the cave should report the specific situation to you soon."
"I will take my leave for now."
Minato's mind was entirely focused on his wife and son. Seeing Minato's exhausted expression, the Third Hokage nodded, not pressing him further.
But Shinichi noticed that Hiruzen's gaze kept drifting toward Kushina. It seemed he was very curious as to why Kushina was still alive. After the chaos of the Nine-Tails, Hyūga Shinichi would likely enter the spotlight of Konoha's high command.
But... it didn't matter!
He had now mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. Although not as proficient as Minato, he possessed a power for self-preservation.
Furthermore, he was Hyūga Hiashi's son. No matter what intentions the Village's high command harbored toward him, they couldn't threaten his safety. Compared to the internal strife within the Village, Shinichi was more concerned about Uchiha Obito. He wondered if Obito had noticed him.
However... this wasn't a problem he needed to worry about. Namikaze Minato had placed a Flying Thunder God marker on Uchiha Obito during their attack.
If Obito couldn't remove that seal, he likely wouldn't dare to appear in Konoha Village again. After this incident, Minato would be extremely wary of Obito. The masked man would soon become a wanted Missing-nin of Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not leave after Minato's departure. Instead, he approached Hiashi and engaged him in an earnest conversation. Through their discussion, he subtly probed for the events that had transpired.
Facing the Third Hokage, Hiashi did not hide too much but also avoided giving detailed explanations, only broadly stating that the enemy was repelled, and the Tailed Beast was sealed back into Kushina's body by the Fourth Hokage, thus resolving the crisis.
The crucial information was there, but the lack of detail meant the Third Hokage didn't pay any special attention to Shinichi.
After the Third Hokage and his Anbu departed, Hyūga Hiashi approached Shinichi, gently patted his head, and praised him:
"Shinichi, well done!"
"Now, the connection we have established with the Fourth Hokage is unbreakable!"
Hiashi was overjoyed. The clan had gained much from this incident.
Shinichi remained noncommittal. An unbreakable connection? Not quite yet. In another twenty years, their connection with the Fourth Hokage would truly be a blood oath; they would be grouped even when it came time to punish the clan...
"Shinichi, I believe you have witnessed the cruelty of the ninja world now."
"I intend to recommend you for the Special Jōnin rank. Once you mature a bit more, you will participate in combat missions."
"Although you are the Main Family heir, a ninja must ultimately grow through the tempering of blood and sweat."
"I heard Uchiha Fugaku's son was taken to the battlefield when he was just four years old. I hear the child performed very well."
"I hope you don't lose to that child!"
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