"Buzz!"
In an instant, the world spun… Hyuga Arima instinctively activated his ocular power, projecting his Chakra into Kushina's body.
"This is…"
Just like Sasuke would do in the future, he entered Kushina's sealing space, which resembled Naruto's.
But the Nine-Tailed didn't have it as easy as it would in the future; it was sealed here, belly-up and completely bound.
The ground rose from the water like a small island, and the Nine-Tailed's four limbs and nine tails were separately bound to the ground by Chakra chains; aside from its head, which could still twist a few times, its other parts were immobile.
At this moment, Uzumaki Mito and Kushina were both standing behind the Nine-Tailed's giant head, and Hyuga Arima also appeared here.
"These cursed eyes!"
The Nine-Tailed roared in fury, "I'll tear you apart!"
Perhaps it recalled the fear of being dominated by Uchiha Madara… its roar contained a hint of imperceptible fright.
"It's Arima!"
The Nine-Tailed Chakra on Kushina's body melted away like snow, and she instantly broke free from her predicament.
Uzumaki Mito couldn't help but glance at them; by then, Hyuga Arima had already rushed over and helped up Kushina's soft body.
Had this child's influence on Kushina reached such a degree… The moment he appeared, Kushina's heart became perfectly harmonious.
"Arima…"
Kushina tightly hugged Hyuga Arima's waist, her small head rubbing against his chest, a soft, endearing gesture.
Arima gently stroked her fiery red hair, but his gaze couldn't help but look upwards.
The enormous presence of the Nine-Tailed filled his vision, exerting immense pressure.
"Let's hurry."
Uzumaki Mito reminded helplessly, "Once the Nine-Tailed is sealed, you'll have plenty of time to be intimate."
The Nine-Tailed had already left her body, and as her life force drained, she could feel her power continuously weakening.
Even as a member of the Whirlpool Clan, she was almost unable to hold on.
"Ah… right."
Kushina finally remembered the important task, quickly released Hyuga Arima, and knelt down again, placing her hands on the water's surface.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
The Adamantine Sealing Chains extended, connecting with Uzumaki Mito's, then wrapped around the Nine-Tailed's neck, locking it tightly.
"Roar! —"
The Nine-Tailed naturally wouldn't surrender; under its fierce struggle, Kushina's Chakra chain snapped with a "bang."
"It's not enough! My strength is declining, one chain isn't enough now, I need at least three!" Uzumaki Mito said.
Kushina's face was pale, "But with my current Chakra reserves, I can only manage one."
"Tsk!"
The Nine-Tailed seemed to snort disdainfully.
Uzumaki Mito, however, spoke quickly, "Kushina, the key to splitting the Adamantine Sealing Chains into multiple strands isn't the amount of Chakra, but your control. Imagine it as a part of you…"
As she explained, regardless of how Kushina felt, the strangest thing was Hyuga Arima.
He repeatedly replayed the process of performing the Adamantine Sealing Chains in his mind, and his understanding grew deeper and deeper.
"Could it be that 'analysis' not only allows me to replicate this secret technique but also to comprehend its essence?" he mused.
"I'll try again!"
Kushina lifted her pretty face, placing her hands on the lake surface once more.
"That's not right."
In Hyuga Arima's eyes, Kushina's execution of the Adamantine Sealing Chains was perfectly clear, and he could instantly see where the problem lay.
Sure enough, only one Chakra chain still extended from behind her.
"Tsk!"
The Nine-Tailed, which had been closely monitoring Kushina's movements, quietly let out a sigh of relief, then raised its head and snorted, "Is that all?"
Kushina's face was pale.
Hyuga Arima hesitated, then stepped forward and said, "Kushina, Grandma Mito doesn't mean for you to just think about it out of thin air, but to split the Chakra into the desired number at the very instant of output. It's at this position…"
His hand gently pressed on Kushina's smooth back, tapping a certain Chakra point.
Kushina was still a bit confused, but Uzumaki Mito looked at him in surprise… Without the Byakugan, how could he see the Chakra flow? And he even accurately pointed out Kushina's mistake.
"Like this?"
Kushina performed it again.
"No, you split it too early. It's here, decide the Chakra quantity in an instant," Hyuga Arima touched her back again.
"I understand!"
Kushina's eyes brightened, and she slapped her hands on the lake surface: "Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
"Crack, crack, crack…"
Finally, three Chakra chains extended, each 20 meters long, connecting with Uzumaki Mito's.
Hyuga Arima breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt a bit depressed… Was this all of Kushina's full Chakra output?
So, Kushina = 100 Kakashi, Kushina = 120 Arima, Arima < 1 Kakashi… What a monster, what a monster.
"No, Kakashi's Chakra reserves at seven years old shouldn't be less than mine," Hyuga Arima mused, "but he was already a Chunin at six… that monster!"
Graduated at five, Chunin at six, Jonin at twelve… Kakashi's record before his decline was unbeatable.
"Roar! —"
While he was thinking about random things, Kushina's Chakra chains were already wrestling with the Nine-Tailed.
"Kushina, lock its neck, and form a closed loop with my chains, then the sealing will be complete!" Uzumaki Mito said.
"Roar!!!"
However, at this moment, the Nine-Tailed bent its right arm, forming a fist with its right claw, and with a rumble, it unleashed a Chakra storm in the sealing space.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, the Chakra chain binding its right claw shattered.
"It's been building up power!"
Seeing the sharp claw unhesitatingly grab towards Kushina's slender body, Uzumaki Mito's expression tightened.
"Plop."
Hyuga Arima suddenly lunged forward, rolling several times with Kushina on the water's surface.
"Boom!"
The Nine-Tailed's claw stirred up thousands of waves.
"Phew…"
Uzumaki Mito breathed a sigh of relief; the prepared chains once again trapped the Nine-Tailed's right claw.
"Kushina, can you continue?" she asked.
"I…" Kushina flipped over and stood up, her face pale, "My Chakra is more than half depleted; I can't complete the final sealing."
Uzumaki Mito was silent for a moment, then gave her a comforting smile: "It's alright, I'll just seal it completely."
"Wait a moment."
Hyuga Arima suddenly interjected, "Grandma Mito, if Kushina can't complete it herself, what will be the consequence?"
"Then she will lose the key to unlocking the seal, and will never be able to utilize the Nine-Tailed Chakra," Uzumaki Mito said softly, "which means the Village can only protect Kushina and no longer let her leave the Village. At the same time, if a situation arises where the Tailed Beast must be used, then…"
Arima understood her meaning.
"Originally, we were supposed to wait until Kushina reached adulthood to transfer the Nine-Tailed, but contacting a Tailed Beast after it grows and its values are formed is different. Because of your appearance, I had intended…" Uzumaki Mito sighed helplessly.
"You two, step back."
Three more chains extended from behind her, aiming directly at the Nine-Tailed.
But Hyuga Arima's figure suddenly blocked her path: "Grandma Mito, let me try."