Cold sweat poured down Kushina's face. She tried to restore the seal, but her body no longer obeyed her.
Minato was trembling with anxiety. He quickly looked at Wen Lan.
"Wen Lan… could it be that the Nine-Tails—"
"No!" Wen Lan immediately understood what Minato meant.
Minato was worried that the Nine-Tails was trying to forcibly break the seal.
But the genjutsu trap Wen Lan had planted in Kurama's mind had not been triggered.
Which meant—
Kurama wasn't rebelling.
This was an unexpected accident.
A stream of red chakra connected Kushina's abdomen to Naruto's.
Wen Lan stared at the scene helplessly.
When it came to sealing techniques, he was completely out of his depth.
"Got it! I can control it again—Seal!"
Kushina suddenly cried out in relief.
She quickly formed hand seals and pressed them against her abdomen.
The Nine-Tails' chakra stream was instantly cut off.
Kushina was safe—
But Naruto was in terrible condition.
Wen Lan could already see Naruto's fifth tail beginning to form.
"There's no other choice."
Wen Lan turned to Minato.
"Naruto can't withstand this much Nine-Tails chakra. Half of it must be diverted."
"Minato-senpai, get ready!"
"Understood!"
Minato didn't hesitate. He removed his clothes, revealing his toned upper body.
"Aunt Kushina!"
Wen Lan shouted.
Kushina immediately understood.
She formed seals again and redirected half of the Nine-Tails' chakra from Naruto into Minato.
Minato gritted his teeth as the overwhelming chakra surged into his body.
This time the transfer was quick.
Within just a few minutes—
The Nine-Tails was split into two halves.
Veins bulged across Minato's forehead as sweat poured down his face.
But gradually, he relaxed.
Everything seemed stable now.
Naruto's tailed-beast cloak disappeared.
His skin slowly regenerated as the chakra stabilized within his body.
His breathing finally became calm.
Wen Lan exhaled in relief.
Then he opened his Rinnegan and examined the seals on Kushina, Minato, and Naruto.
His expression turned strange.
All three still possessed Nine-Tails chakra—
But the distribution was unusual.
Kushina had the smallest portion, just enough to prevent her death after the extraction.
She was no longer a true jinchūriki—only someone carrying Nine-Tails chakra, similar to the Gold and Silver Brothers.
Minato and Naruto, however, held nearly equal halves of the Nine-Tails.
Wen Lan sighed inwardly.
So this is the world correcting itself…
Even though he had changed many events—
Minato still ended up becoming a Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Kurama Calls
Minato suddenly looked slightly awkward.
"The Nine-Tails wants to talk to you."
"…Alright. I'll go see."
Wen Lan looked into Minato's eyes and entered his mental world.
Minato's Mindscape
The scene was completely different.
Kushina and Naruto's mindscape resembled a dark sewer.
But Minato's mind?
Blue skies.
White clouds.
Sunlight shining over endless green grass.
The only unpleasant sight was the giant cage in the middle.
Kurama sat inside it, glaring coldly at Wen Lan.
"Wen Lan," Kurama growled.
"This isn't what we agreed on."
Wen Lan rubbed his temples.
"I tried my best."
"In the original timeline, you were split in half between Minato and Naruto."
"I wanted you to exist completely inside Naruto."
"But the world interfered. Things returned to the same outcome."
Kurama snorted angrily, slamming his tail against the ground.
"Now even my consciousness has been split in two!"
"What do you expect me to do?!"
Wen Lan shrugged.
"Deal with it."
"What's done is done."
"But Minato is a good person. You could try getting along with him."
"In the original timeline, you two worked together perfectly."
"You, Minato, and Naruto even developed a unique Nine-Tails Mode."
"And look around."
He gestured at the bright sky.
"This place is better than a dark sewer, isn't it?"
Kurama glanced around.
Blue sky.
Fresh air.
Bright sunlight.
He snorted but didn't argue further.
Finally, the fox lowered his tail.
"…Fine."
Wen Lan exhaled softly and left the mindscape.
When he opened his eyes again, Minato was smiling gently.
"I'm willing to try getting along with it," Minato said firmly.
Wen Lan paused.
Then smiled.
Perhaps—
This really was the best outcome.
Time Passes
Life soon returned to normal.
One day, good news arrived from the Hyūga clan.
Hiashi's wife had given birth to a baby girl.
Her name was Hinata.
Her birth was quiet like morning dew—
Yet it sent subtle ripples through the currents of fate.
The Hyūga clan sent invitations across the village for her one-month celebration.
Wen Lan accepted the invitation, gently brushing his fingers over the golden edges of the card.
That night, the Hyūga compound was brightly lit.
Laughter echoed through the courtyards.
Guests raised cups in celebration as music mixed with the cries of the newborn.
When Wen Lan arrived, Hyūga clan members immediately escorted him to the inner courtyard.
He was treated as the guest of honor.
Even Minato didn't receive this level of treatment.
The branch family respected him for abolishing the Caged Bird Seal.
The main family elders were grateful because he had once saved their lives.
Everyone surrounded him with greetings and compliments.
Meanwhile, Inuzuka Hana had hoped to spend some time with him.
She had been training constantly and rarely saw him anymore.
She was a competitive girl.
Seeing the person she liked grow stronger and stronger only pushed her to work harder.
But tonight—
She couldn't even get close.
Wen Lan was surrounded by Hyūga members on all sides.
Finally, he escaped by saying:
"I'd like to see Hinata."
Meeting Hinata
A servant led him into a quiet room.
Hiashi's wife, Hyūga Yuki, sat there holding the sleeping baby.
Hinata's tiny face was soft and peaceful.
Her skin was pale like fresh snow.
When Yuki saw Wen Lan, she smiled.
"Lord Advisor."
She tried to stand, but Wen Lan quickly stopped her.
"Please don't move. I just came to see Hinata."
Yuki gently moved the swaddled baby closer.
"It would be her honor."
Wen Lan carefully picked Hinata up.
She was incredibly light.
Her tiny breaths brushed against his palm like falling snow.
Looking at the girl who would become the princess of the Hyūga clan in the future—
Wen Lan couldn't help smiling.
He had always liked this gentle character in the original story.
Seeing her sleeping peacefully now—
His smile grew even wider.
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