"The effect isn't bad for a first use."
Kiyohara thought to himself.
Although this was his first time formally using Wood Release, he had almost completely suppressed the Nine-Tails.
If Obito's Kamui were not a space-time ninjutsu, he would never have been able to break free from those branches.
"Why do these trees look more and more like the Divine Tree the longer I look at them?"
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
After all, all tailed beasts could essentially be traced back to the Divine Tree.
And the Divine Tree also had the ability to absorb chakra, even life force.
"Looks like Senju Hashirama really did undergo ancestral regression. I've walked the same path."
Kiyohara looked at his own hand.
"Even one percent Ōtsutsuki bloodline means you're no longer mortal."
Mangekyō Kiyohara floated out from Kiyohara's body.
He glanced around.
He inferred that Kiyohara was basically using the Nine-Tails as a sandbag to test ninjutsu.
He had experienced that feeling before too.
After all, it was hard to find anyone nearby suitable for testing ninjutsu. Only the tailed beasts had thick enough hides, and even if they were killed, they could still revive.
Otherwise, with just Kiyohara's Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees, whether it was Kakashi or Hiruzen Sarutobi, who would dare take it head-on?
"Then my cells should be able to work like Hashirama cells too, right?"
Kiyohara said.
If Sasuke imitated Uchiha Madara and transplanted some of Kiyohara's cells into his body, then waited a few decades, wouldn't there also be a possibility of awakening the Rinnegan?
"You should say they'll be even stronger."
Mangekyō Kiyohara corrected him.
"You inherited my Ōtsutsuki bloodline. Even if it's only half, your body still has many kekkei genkai that I never had."
Mangekyō Kiyohara shook his head.
With so many kekkei genkai fused together, Kiyohara's cells had extremely high chakra tolerance, and his life force was abundant.
"Makes sense."
Kiyohara said.
He also felt that he could not be viewed as an ordinary Ōtsutsuki.
"It's time to end this."
Kiyohara looked back at Obito.
Compared to his own calmness, Obito was drenched in sweat.
Kiyohara controlled the golden Perfect Susanoo to step forward.
With every step, the ground and forest trembled, and leaves scattered everywhere.
Then the Perfect Susanoo extended its right hand.
That massive golden chakra hand spread its five fingers, each thicker than a person, palm facing downward as it reached for the Nine-Tails' neck.
The Nine-Tails' pupils contracted violently.
It wanted to dodge, but the tree trunks and vines bursting from the ground were wrapped too tightly around it. It could not even twist its body.
Boom.
The golden fingers closed.
The Nine-Tails' neck was seized by that giant hand, as if a mountain had pressed down on its throat.
"Ugh…!"
The Nine-Tails let out a muffled groan.
Its breathing became difficult. Every inhalation required it to force its throat open.
Its four legs struggled among the tree trunks, claws carving deep grooves into the wood and sending splinters flying everywhere.
Standing on top of the Nine-Tails' head, Obito felt the beast beneath his feet shake violently.
He gritted his teeth. The Mangekyō pattern in his Sharingan spun rapidly, pouring ocular power into the Nine-Tails as if it cost nothing.
"Move!"
Obito growled.
A moment of clarity flashed in the Nine-Tails' eyes, only to be suppressed again by the genjutsu.
Crack.
Using that instant of loosened control, the Nine-Tails leaned forward, trying to break free from the hand gripping its neck.
But Kiyohara's hand was steadier.
Susanoo's five fingers tightened further, golden chakra condensing into thicker armor at the fingertips.
"And you dared attack the village like this?"
Kiyohara's voice came from the forehead of the Perfect Susanoo.
"How long do you plan to keep struggling?"
Kiyohara shook his head.
Even when given an opportunity, Obito was useless. He had no idea how to use the Nine-Tails' true power.
After all, Naruto only truly gathered the complete Nine-Tails inside himself after the final battle at the Valley of the End.
Before that, it had always been half of the Nine-Tails, plus fragments of chakra from the other tailed beasts.
"Arrogant."
Hearing Kiyohara's voice, Obito's anger flared.
Kamui!
Obito activated his dōjutsu again.
Space twisted beside him, like a drop of water falling into a pond and sending ripples outward.
Obito intended to repeat his earlier trick and move the entire Nine-Tails away.
Even if he could only move it a few meters, as long as he could free the Nine-Tails from that golden giant hand and the Wood Release bindings, it would be enough.
Seeing this, Kiyohara raised his other hand and formed a seal with one hand.
Chidori Current!
Blue arcs of lightning spread from the palm of the golden giant hand.
A dense, overwhelming electric net directly covered the entire body of the Perfect Susanoo.
A faint layer of black sealing formulas could also be seen coiling through it.
The Nine-Tails, which had been caught, was immediately affected.
Sizzle!
The arcs of electricity touched the Nine-Tails' fur, crackling loudly. Its crimson fur instantly blackened in patches.
Seeing this, Obito had no choice but to jump back one step, and Kamui was interrupted in that instant.
"Nine-Tails!"
Obito shouted, but the Nine-Tails beneath him did not respond.
Kiyohara's Chidori Current was not only an attack. It was also interfering with the chakra flow inside the Nine-Tails.
The Lightning Release chakra contained within those arcs severed the ocular power Obito had left inside the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails' pupils began to focus, and the hollow layer covering its eyes gradually faded.
"Damn it…"
Obito could feel the connection between himself and the Nine-Tails breaking.
"It's a Contract Seal…"
Obito realized what was happening.
But he did not understand how Kiyohara had combined sealing power with Lightning Release.
After thinking for a moment, Obito raised his right hand, bending his five fingers like claws, and pressed them toward the top of the Nine-Tails' head, trying to reinfuse the ocular power being driven out.
But Kiyohara did not give him the chance.
The Perfect Susanoo tightened the hand gripping the Nine-Tails' neck and lifted upward.
The Nine-Tails' enormous body was hoisted entirely into the air, its four limbs leaving the ground and swaying.
Obito's body shook along with the Nine-Tails and nearly slipped off its head.
He steadied himself, raised his head, and met Kiyohara's gaze.
Those crimson Mangekyō Sharingan shone dazzlingly beneath the moonlight.
Obito took a deep breath.
He knew that the Nine-Tails could no longer be recovered.
"Kiyohara, this time… you win."
Obito spoke unwillingly, then his figure vanished.
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze.
He did not give chase.
Obito's Kamui was one of the most troublesome space-time ninjutsu. Even if Kiyohara caught up, it would be meaningless. As long as Obito wanted to flee, he would always find an opening.
Besides, tonight's target had never been Obito.
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at the Nine-Tails being choked by the Perfect Susanoo.
The Nine-Tails' eyes had completely regained clarity.
"Human!"
The Nine-Tails struggled, but the Wood Release trunks wrapped tighter and tighter.
"Nine-Tails."
Kiyohara spoke.
"Your power is too great. It must be sealed."
Kiyohara said calmly.
For someone at his level, the Nine-Tails could be used as a power bank.
But in the eyes of other ninja, it was a walking natural disaster.
And if the Nine-Tails wandered free, it would only cause other hidden villages to fight over it.
"You're as annoying as Senju Hashirama."
The Nine-Tails bared its fangs.
Senju Hashirama had once said the same thing to it.
But the Nine-Tails also understood that Kiyohara truly had the ability to seal it away.
If not for Kiyohara, it would still be controlled like a chained dog.
But that did not mean it would obediently let itself be sealed.
"Dream on."
The Nine-Tails snarled.
"Even if you kill me, it's useless. Tailed beasts don't die. I'll simply be reborn somewhere else."
"Now that you've fallen into my hands, whether you live or die is not up to you."
Kiyohara shook his head.
The Nine-Tails was thinking too much.
"Let's make a deal. I'll choose a new jinchūriki for you. You stay inside that new jinchūriki for twenty years, and then I'll give you your freedom."
Kiyohara said.
On the surface, it sounded like a fixed-term sentence. In reality, it was still life imprisonment.
In twenty years, Kiyohara felt there would be more than enough time for Naruto to activate the power of Talk-no-Jutsu.
Hearing Kiyohara's words, the Nine-Tails frowned.
It had thought Kiyohara would be more forceful, like when it had been forcibly sealed inside Uzumaki Mito.
But now Kiyohara was actually willing to make a deal with it?
"Twenty years?"
The Nine-Tails found it hard to believe.
"Of course. Twenty years. After that, whether you want to leave or stay will be your own choice."
Kiyohara said.
"Hmph. How could this old man possibly want to stay?"
The Nine-Tails felt that was completely absurd.
It spent every day yearning for freedom. Why would it ever want to remain inside a jinchūriki?
"How do I make sure you'll let me out?"
The Nine-Tails asked back.
"You have no choice."
Kiyohara continued:
"Before these eyes of mine, there is no second option."
Kiyohara made it clear that, before the Sharingan, tailed beasts were no different from little girls—utterly incapable of resistance.
"And I'm not so low as to deceive you. During these twenty years, you can choose to keep sleeping, or you can choose to communicate with your jinchūriki."
The Nine-Tails was silent for a while.
Only when the Wood Release stabbing into its body caused another flare of pain did it return to its senses.
"Then I'll make this deal with you."
After weighing the pros and cons, the Nine-Tails realized that it truly had no bargaining chips.
It was either gentle imprisonment or violent imprisonment.
…
Outside the barrier, Minato Namikaze had been standing on the roof of a building, holding Naruto in his arms, his eyes fixed on the battlefield inside the barrier without blinking.
Only when Obito's figure vanished from the Nine-Tails' head did he finally let out a breath of relief.
When he saw Kiyohara begin talking with the Nine-Tails, his brows furrowed slightly.
Minato did not know what they were saying, but he could feel that the killing intent around the Nine-Tails was fading.
"Minato."
A voice came from beside him.
Minato turned his head.
Kushina, supported by Sarutobi Biwako, stood beside him.
Her face was still pale, and there was no color in her lips, but her eyes were much clearer than before.
The seal on Kushina's abdomen had stabilized.
"Are you all right, Kushina?"
Minato asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
Kushina shook her head and lowered her gaze to Naruto in Minato's arms.
The tiny baby was curled up in the white swaddle, fists clenched near his ears. His little mouth was slightly open, and his breathing was steady.
"Naruto…"
She softly murmured the name, reached out, and gently poked the baby's cheek.
Naruto's brows wrinkled, and his little mouth puckered.
"Kiyohara, he…"
Kushina raised her head and looked toward the figure inside the barrier.
"He's probably negotiating terms with the Nine-Tails."
Minato followed her gaze.
The golden giant still stood tall beneath the moonlight, and the Nine-Tails remained in its pathetic posture, held by the throat.
"Negotiating what?"
Kushina asked.
Minato was silent for a while.
"I'm guessing… the seal."
He paused and lowered his head to look at Naruto in his arms.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra can't be put back into your body. Your chakra pathways are damaged. Sealing it back into you would be too risky."
"Then what about the Nine-Tails?"
Kushina could also feel that her current condition could not be called good.
If Kiyohara had not helped, the entire Nine-Tails would probably have been extracted from her body.
Even with only half extracted, she had still suffered great losses.
It was the most severe injury Kushina had suffered since becoming a ninja.
In this state, if she continued sealing the Nine-Tails, even she was not sure how long she could keep it stable.
"Let's go over and see."
Minato said.
…
Inside the barrier, Kiyohara released the hand of the Perfect Susanoo.
The Nine-Tails' feet landed back on the ground, leaving four deep pits beneath them.
The tree trunks and vines wrapped around the Nine-Tails' limbs did not loosen, but they no longer tightened either.
"We'll talk about the sealing in a moment."
Kiyohara dispersed the Perfect Susanoo. Golden chakra drifted from around him into the air and slowly disappeared.
He landed back on the ground and stood before the Nine-Tails.
He saw that the battle inside the village had ended, though the crimson barrier still covered the sky.
Several entrances had been opened in the barrier, and some ninja were cautiously entering.
Minato Namikaze stood before Kiyohara holding Naruto, while Sarutobi Biwako supported Kushina as she walked over.
"You worked hard, Biwako."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his wife.
"Kushina's body isn't in serious danger, is it?"
Hiruzen asked.
"She'll still need further examination afterward."
Sarutobi Biwako said.
This was also her first time seeing half a tailed beast extracted.
There had never been such a case before, so she could not judge whether Kushina would suffer any aftereffects.
Hearing this, Hiruzen comforted Kushina with a few words.
Kushina quickly waved her hand and said she was fine for now, and the most important thing was dealing with the Nine-Tails.
"Yes, the Nine-Tails."
Hiruzen looked toward Kiyohara.
Minato had already walked over.
"We need a jinchūriki to seal it in?"
Minato had already guessed something.
"Yes."
Kiyohara spoke frankly.
"The best candidate to become a jinchūriki is a ninja of the Uzumaki clan, but Karin and Honoka are both not in Konoha."
Kiyohara said.
Minato fell silent for a long while.
What Kiyohara said was true. That was why Kushina, as an orphan of the Uzumaki clan, had been deliberately sent to Konoha back then.
Not just anyone could become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
"The only one with Uzumaki blood here now is this child."
Minato lowered his head and looked at Naruto in his arms.
The baby knew nothing. His little mouth opened and closed as he made nursing motions in his sleep.
"If there's no other way, then we can only seal it inside Naruto."
As a father, this was a very difficult choice for Minato.
But right now, it was the best option. The desire to protect the village gained the upper hand in Minato's heart.
Perhaps this was unfair to Naruto, but it was also Minato's last option.
"It's fine. In the future, no one will gossip about this child. Under your guidance, he will definitely become an excellent ninja."
Kiyohara said.
He was also curious whether Naruto, raised carefully by Minato, would become like Uzumaki Menma from the Road to Ninja world.
"I'll do it personally. I'll use the Eight Trigrams Seal you mentioned before."
Kiyohara said.
He had also learned the Uzumaki clan's Four Symbols Seal. Inspired by Minato, he naturally knew that he could stack two layers of Four Symbols Seal together to form the Eight Trigrams Seal.
Then golden chakra flames burned at Kiyohara's fingertips.
He pressed them against Naruto's stomach.
Chains formed one after another, reaching toward the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails lay on the ground, its limbs wrapped in chains, but it did not break free.
The Nine-Tails could feel an enormous pulling force coming from inside the baby.
Its chakra was being extracted from its body, following that pull as it surged toward the infant.
Crimson chakra condensed in the air, turning into a long, thin ribbon of light. The Nine-Tails' physical form began to destabilize, finally becoming a mass of crimson chakra that sank into Naruto's navel.
A small spiral-shaped mark appeared on Naruto's stomach.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and let out a breath.
"It's done."
Kiyohara said.
He had configured it the same way Minato had in the original story, leaving a small opening in the seal.
That way, the Nine-Tails' chakra would seep out and intertwine with Naruto's own chakra, increasing Naruto's maximum chakra capacity over time.
Seeing Naruto safe and sound, Minato's shoulders finally relaxed completely.
The surrounding ninja looked at one another.
"It's over."
"It really is over."
"Long live Hokage-sama."
Those voices came from every direction, rising and falling, gradually merging into one.
"There are still enemies outside. Minato, take a squad of ninja over."
Kiyohara said.
"Yes."
Minato handed Naruto to a medical ninja who had come over, then led some of the ninja toward the village outskirts.
The Akatsuki members and White Zetsu were still fighting Konoha's ninja there.
Now that the Nine-Tails had been sealed again, the greatest crisis had been resolved.
The White Zetsu were only average in strength. Their main advantage was numbers.
...…
The Uchiha clan district.
"The battle is over, Sasuke."
The paper sliding door had been left open. Uchiha Itachi held Sasuke in his arms, sitting on the corridor overlooking the back garden.
The moonlight tonight was extremely bright, almost dazzling.
The full moon radiated brilliant light, nearly outshining the surrounding stars.
It looked as if the full moon might fall from the sky at any moment.
A gentle breeze brushed across Itachi's cheeks.
Perhaps sensing that the commotion outside had gradually died down, Sasuke, who had been crying all this time, finally quieted.
"So this is Kiyohara-sensei's power?"
Uchiha Itachi murmured.
A single tomoe had appeared in each of his eyes, slowly rotating.
This was because Itachi had awakened his eyes out of fear—or rather, out of the desire to protect Sasuke.
The Nine-Tails' enormous chakra had immediately made Itachi, even from a distance, feel despair.
If the Nine-Tails attacked here, there would be absolutely nothing he could do.
He was called a genius, but before such power, he was no different from ordinary people who knew no ninjutsu.
But now, that disaster had been stopped.
Perhaps he would never forget everything that had happened tonight.
Kiyohara had suppressed that savage beast so easily, and aside from the area inside the barrier, the village had suffered almost no losses.