After Shanks, Benimaru, and Yoko left with Kushina, Minato picked Naruto up from the ground. The child was crying softly, his small fists clenched. Holding him close, Minato said, "I'll be back in a few moments," and vanished from the spot. In the next instant, he appeared just inside Konoha Hospital.
He quickly found Heiji, the chief of the hospital, and placed Naruto carefully into his care. "Take care of my son," Minato said firmly. "Make sure he receives milk and everything else he needs. He's just been born and didn't even get the chance to drink his mother's milk. It will take some time for his mother to recover." Minato paused, then added, "You understand what to do better than I do—you're the doctor, after all."
Heiji nodded immediately. "I will do my best, Lord Hokage."
Without wasting another second, Minato disappeared again and reappeared in front of Hiruzen and the other high-ranking ninjas of Konoha. His expression was calm, but resolute. "We'll discuss the details of the attack later," he said. "What you want to know right now is the state of the Nine-Tails."
He continued, "The Nine-Tails has been divided into two halves by the Uzukage. One half has been sealed inside me." He gestured toward his stomach, where a sealing mark was faintly visible. "The other half has been sealed inside my newborn son."
"Due to the damage to Kushina's body after the Nine-Tails was extracted, it wasn't possible to place the Nine-Tails back inside her," Minato went on. "I had no choice but to make this decision. As for Lord Uzukage taking Kushina with him—he's confident he can heal her, and I believe him. She'll return after some time."
As soon as everyone heard this, shock spread through the room. First, they couldn't comprehend how the Nine-Tails had been divided into two independent halves, with one sealed into Minato and the other into his child. Second, it was common knowledge among shinobi that once a tailed beast was extracted from its Jinchuriki, the host was as good as dead. No medical ninja could heal such a condition.
Was the Hokage bluffing?
They would only know the truth when they saw Kushina alive again.
At that moment, Danzo stepped forward, his expression clearly dissatisfied. "Lord Fourth," he said, "you shouldn't have made such a decision on your own without the consent of us—the advisors."
Minato looked directly at Danzo. "First of all, I didn't have any other choice," he replied evenly. "Only the Uzukage was capable of dividing the Nine-Tails into its Yin and Yang aspects. It was impossible for me to do it alone. Yes, I could divide the Nine-Tails into Yin and Yang myself—but only by using the Reaper Death Seal, which is essentially a suicide technique." His voice hardened slightly. "Second, I am the Hokage," he stressed, "and I will make decisions on matters like this as I see fit."
He continued, "I'm grateful that Lord Uzukage helped both me and Konoha—by dividing the Nine-Tails, giving one half to me and the other to my son, and stopping its rampage. Konoha should be grateful to the Uzukage for that."
Danzo, still unsatisfied, pressed on. "Even so, you shouldn't have acted alone. If what you're saying is true, then Lord Uzukage was completely in control of the Nine-Tails. You could have waited."
Minato's gaze sharpened. "I could have waited if I were someone else," he said calmly. "But I am the Hokage. Remember that. Even if you are a member of the Konoha Council Elders, I have the authority to make my own decisions—and I will."
After hearing the same sentence—the one that had irritated him for years—Danzo's anger nearly flared out of control. I am Hokage. That single line had always been used by Hiruzen to cut him off whenever an argument arose, and now it seemed the Fourth Hokage had begun walking the same path. The realization only deepened his irritation, his jaw tightening as he held himself back.
At the same time, Minato was fully aware that by sealing half of the Nine-Tails inside himself and the other half inside Naruto, he had acted both greedily and selfishly—for the sake of his family. But he had no real choice. Even as Hokage, there were still many factions within Konoha that were not completely under his control, factions that answered more to the Council Elders and the Third Hokage. Now, however, with two Jinchuriki within a single family acting as a powerful deterrent, Minato could maneuver situations more freely. He could consolidate authority, shape outcomes, and begin shifting Konoha's balance of power into his own hands.
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh. Looking at Minato's determined expression, the weight behind the words I am Hokage was unmistakable. It was more than a statement—it was a declaration. To Hiruzen and the other higher-ups, it was clear that Minato was now prepared to take full charge of Konoha on his own.
Minato could have done so earlier. With his genius, he might have already pacified the various factions within the village. But Kushina's pregnancy, the weakening of the Jinchuriki seal during that period, and the constant threat posed by the Nine-Tails had all constrained him. Every decision he made had been shaped by the need to keep Konoha safe—and to protect his unborn child. He took his duty as Hokage seriously, and those responsibilities had forced him to hold back.
Now, those constraints were gone.
His child was born and healthy. Kushina was in safe hands and, most likely, would be healed and returned. With those worries lifted, Minato could finally focus on consolidating power—and allow himself, at last, to be selfish for the sake of his family.
On the other side, Shanks did not take Kushina to his own residence. Instead, he brought her directly to the Uzushiogakure Hospital and placed her in one of the wards. He intended to begin her treatment as soon as possible, but first, he knew he had to reassure everyone. Mikoto and the other Uzumaki siblings would undoubtedly be anxious, waiting for news.
After giving clear instructions to the nurses, Shanks left the hospital. Using his astral imprint technique, he appeared directly inside the meeting hall and sent a telepathic message to everyone important—the Uzumaki siblings and Mikoto—calling them to gather there.
Shanks took the main seat. Within moments, people began entering the hall one after another. They barely had time to sit before Shanks rose and walked toward them. "Before you all ask me hundreds of questions," he said calmly, "let me explain everything."
He continued, "For now, everything is fine. Although the Nine-Tails was extracted from Kushina, I can heal her. I've placed her in a suspended animation state. After a few days of treatment, she'll be completely fine—so there's no need to worry." He paused briefly before adding, "As for the Nine-Tails, I divided it into two parts. One half has been sealed inside our newly born nephew, and the other half has been sealed inside Minato."
Shanks didn't explain his reasons in detail—but no one in the room pressed him for them.
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