Namikaze Minato took Naruto from Uzumaki Miyuki's arms.
Although Miyuki was under the Paralysis Jutsu, she could still speak.
But she remained silent, her eyes bloodshot, staring at Minato with an unsettlingly strange expression.
Minato summoned the ritual tools needed for the Eight Trigrams Seal.
He placed Naruto in the center of the eight candles and began forming hand seals.
After completing the sequence, Minato pressed his five fingers against Naruto's abdomen.
The Eight Trigrams Seal pattern appeared on Naruto's stomach.
Then Minato twisted it clockwise.
A dark hole formed in the center of the Eight Trigrams Seal.
"Seal!" Minato shouted.
The Nine-Tails' chakra was pulled and drawn into the seal.
The Nine-Tails began to shrink dramatically.
When it had reduced to half its size, Minato twisted the seal counterclockwise.
He split the Nine-Tails in two, sealing its positive chakra into Naruto's body.
Now only half of the Nine-Tails remained, containing just the negative chakra.
By this point, Minato's chakra was completely depleted, making it difficult for him to perform a second Eight Trigrams Seal.
Minato initially wanted to ask Sora for help.
But seeing how she looked at him with contempt, he abandoned the idea.
In Sora's eyes, he must seem quite inhuman now, and she wouldn't want to help him.
Sora suddenly asked, "Namikaze Minato, you don't... regret your decision, do you?"
Minato was stunned for a moment, then shook his head. "I have no regrets. I am the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. This is my duty."
Sora sneered. "Really? I admire your sense of responsibility as Hokage to protect Konoha, but... why should your wife and child bear your responsibilities? As your wife, Miyuki loves you, so she's willing to share your burdens, but she clearly refuses to let her child carry this weight.
Yet you impose this responsibility not only on your wife but also on your newborn son.
This child isn't yours alone—he belongs to both you and Miyuki.
Is there no one else in Konoha who could serve as a Jinchūriki?
Are you the only one in Konoha who loves the village? Or must you sacrifice your own child to prove your devotion to Konoha?"
Minato bit his lip, trembling slightly.
He almost squeezed the words out between his teeth: "I didn't..."
Sora frowned and asked, "Didn't you? Then what was the purpose of the barrier earlier?"
Minato lowered his head, staring at the ground. "I created the barrier to prevent the Nine-Tails from escaping."
Sora retorted, "To prevent the Nine-Tails from escaping? I doubt that. Sarutobi Hiruzen and his shinobi had already arrived. They have the ability to force the Nine-Tails away from Konoha. Don't they have the capacity to control a Nine-Tails that's already restrained by Adamantine Sealing Chains?
You always told me to trust my comrades, but is this how you trust yours? Do you think this makes you great?
Indeed, in the eyes of Hiruzen and the others, you may seem heroic, and perhaps they're weeping now. Their beloved Hokage chose to sacrifice his wife and child for the sake of the village.
But look at your wife and your newborn son. The man who was supposed to protect them chose to sacrifice them instead."
Minato glanced at Naruto crying on the ground and at Miyuki with her unfocused eyes.
He clenched his fists tightly, unable to look at them any longer.
Sora shook her head. "To be honest, I find you quite pitiful. Namikaze Minato, known as the Yellow Flash, couldn't save Uchiha Obito, couldn't save Nohara Rin, couldn't save his wife, and now has to sacrifice his own child.
This is your choice. Your family matters don't concern me. But Miyuki is a dear friend of Kushina's and also my friend. It pains me to see her like this. Miyuki loves you deeply, yet you've disappointed her so profoundly."
Originally, Sora hadn't wanted to say anything more to Minato.
She only wanted to save Miyuki, not Minato.
But in the current situation, it seemed Minato would survive after all.
Therefore, Sora hoped that Minato would treat Miyuki and Naruto better in the future, balancing his responsibilities as Hokage with those of being a husband and father.
Naruto's fate as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki couldn't be changed now, but his future life still could be.
Minato painfully walked to Miyuki's side and said in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry, Miyuki. I will make it up to you and Naruto in the future. Let's just finish this now."
Miyuki remained silent, her eyes fixed on the crying Naruto.
Minato helped Miyuki to her feet, walked her to the altar, and eased her into a sitting position at its center.
He swallowed two soldier pills and placed his hand over Miyuki's abdomen.
The Eight Trigrams Seal appeared on Miyuki's stomach.
Minato twisted it clockwise, and a dark hole formed in the center of the seal.
He formed hand signs again.
"Eight Trigrams Seal! Seal!"
The remaining half of the Nine-Tails entered Miyuki's body.
Just as Minato was about to lock the seal, disaster struck.
His chakra wasn't sufficient to complete the Eight Trigrams Seal.
The Nine-Tails struggled to escape from the partially formed seal.
"Miyuki," Minato said anxiously, "use your chakra to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra!"
Miyuki made no move to help, merely glancing at Minato with vacant eyes.
Minato's heart trembled when he saw Miyuki's expression.
"M-Miyuki..."
Miyuki completely failed to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra within her body, forcing Minato to fight it back with what little strength he had left.
He pushed the struggling Nine-Tails' chakra back into Miyuki's body.
Just as Minato attempted to lock the seal again, the Nine-Tails' chakra suddenly burst out.
The force knocked Minato over, sending him rolling across the ground several times before he came to a stop.
He still tried to stand, but his chakra was almost completely spent. After taking such a blow, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Sora sighed. What a mess this had become.
She formed hand seals, concentrated chakra into her palm, and pushed the escaping Nine-Tails' chakra back into Miyuki's body. Then she twisted the seal counterclockwise to lock it properly.
"Phew."
Sora breathed a sigh of relief. The Nine-Tails crisis was finally over.
Originally, she had only wanted Miyuki to survive and remain to care for Naruto.
Sora glanced at the unconscious Minato, surprised that he too would live through this ordeal.
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