"Very well."
Just as the Nine-Tails was about to break free from its restraints and raise its claw to attack, Isamu immediately activated his Rinnegan.
"Time Stop!"
With a slight wave of his hand, time in the surrounding area instantly froze, leaving only Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki able to move.
Minato, who had been preparing to shield Kushina and Naruto with his own body, suddenly realized that the Nine-Tails and Hiruzen Sarutobi, outside the barrier, had frozen in place.
He was completely bewildered.
"What is going on? Why has everyone suddenly stopped moving?"
Kushina was equally confused.
Then she saw two figures walking toward her, one of whom she recognized immediately.
"Uncle Isamu!"
"Kushina… you silly girl."
Watching everything unfold from the sidelines, Isamu ultimately couldn't bring himself to do nothing.
"You've suffered enough."
He gently patted Kushina's head with a look of affection.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Isamu. I failed as a Jinchūriki. The Nine-Tails still escaped, and I…"
"You've already done everything you could."
"I saw everything. None of this is your fault."
Isamu then turned toward Minato.
"Minato."
"I'm here. Please speak."
"My appearance here means I intend to save both of you."
"Unfortunately, you've already used the Reaper Death Seal. Your soul now belongs to the Shinigami."
"I cannot save you."
"But Kushina can still be saved."
"What do you think?"
"So that's how it is…"
Minato smiled faintly.
"That's enough."
"Please save Kushina."
"The moment I chose to use the Reaper Death Seal, I had already accepted my own death."
"Minato…"
Kushina looked at him with unwillingness in her eyes.
"Kushina."
"Don't say anything more."
"Live on… for Naruto."
"Raise him in my place."
"He is our hope."
Looking at the newborn Naruto, Minato's expression remained resolute.
"Minato…"
"There isn't much time left."
Seeing the couple about to continue speaking while Kushina's life force continued fading, Isamu interrupted them.
He immediately extracted a portion of the Ten-Tails' chakra and infused it into Kushina.
Supported by the Ten-Tails' immense vitality, Kushina's fading life force instantly stabilized, and her body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What incredible power…"
Kushina slowly stood up, looking at herself in astonishment.
"I've done everything I can."
"Farewell, Minato."
After finishing everything, Isamu left with the silent Garuda.
"Thank you… Lord Isamu."
The events afterward remained largely unchanged.
Minato Namikaze used the Reaper Death Seal to seal the Yin Half of the Nine-Tails within himself.
The Yang Half, along with Minato's remaining chakra, was sealed into the newborn Naruto.
Everything seemed unchanged.
Yet because of Isamu's intervention, Naruto would no longer grow up completely alone.
He would have his mother by his side.
As Isamu returned to the Northern Uchiha Clan Grounds, countless thoughts filled his mind.
I wonder whether saving Kushina will completely change Naruto's future…
Still, I'm a living person.
I could never stand by and watch a child I helped raise lose his mother before my eyes.
Besides… whatever changes Naruto undergoes afterward are Konoha's concern, not mine.
After thinking it through, Isamu felt relieved.
Whatever happened to the original storyline no longer mattered.
Now he had children, grandchildren, and his clan.
What more did he need to worry about?
"Isamu, you seem to know that red-haired woman very well?"
"You mean Kushina?"
"I watched that girl grow up."
"When she first came to Konoha from the Land of Whirlpool, she lived in my house."
"Strictly speaking, she's half family."
Remembering the little girl who had first arrived in Konoha years ago, Isamu couldn't help but sigh.
Time truly passed too quickly.
"No wonder you stepped in the moment I suggested it."
"So she really was family."
"Actually, even if you hadn't said anything, I still would've helped."
"I simply couldn't watch that girl die."
"After all… everyone has a heart."
Garuda smiled warmly.
"Now this is the flesh-and-blood Isamu I know."
She had long grown accustomed to Isamu's cold, ruthless demeanor.
But this compassionate side of him…
This was the Isamu she liked best.
Looking at Garuda, Isamu understood exactly what she was thinking.
He had no interest in discussing Konoha's current state.
As long as that black-hearted old man remained at the center of Konoha's politics, saving a few more people would never truly solve the village's problems.
Upon returning to the northern border, Senba and Mikoto, who had been inside the secret base, saw the chaos engulfing Konoha and were completely stunned.
"What happened?"
"Was Konoha attacked?"
"Oh no!"
"Little Sasuke!"
The two immediately rushed home.
When they discovered that their house had suffered no damage and that little Sasuke was sleeping peacefully in his crib, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
What they never knew was that one of the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bombs had once been headed straight for their home.
It had simply been intercepted by one of Isamu's Xuanyuan Clan puppets.
The following day, news of Minato Namikaze's sacrifice spread throughout Konoha.
Danzo, who had already learned of Minato's death beforehand, immediately began maneuvering to seize the position of the Fifth Hokage.
Unfortunately for him, reality rarely followed one's wishes.
Although Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado no longer stood in his way, more than half of Konoha's major clan heads opposed Danzo becoming Hokage.
Senba also voted against him.
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi once again resumed the position of Hokage, while Danzo could only vent his frustration within the darkness of Root.
None of this had anything to do with Isamu.
He devoted himself entirely to training the younger members of the clan.
Living among his clansmen every day, he had no worries whatsoever.
Being surrounded by these energetic children and talented youths brought him genuine happiness.
To further strengthen the clan, Isamu opened passages leading outside the hidden world, allowing the clan's shinobi to venture into the Ninja World for training.
Naturally, entering or leaving the hidden world required a special secret technique.
Without it, no outsider could ever find or enter the clan.
Time passed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, five years had gone by since Isamu brought Itachi to the hidden clan.
Now ten years old, Itachi stood nearly 1.6 meters tall and had already grown into an exceptionally handsome young man.
His strength had advanced tremendously as well.
After five years of relentless training, he had officially reached Jōnin-level combat ability.
Today was the clan's annual ranking tournament.
The Clan Head, the elders, and countless clan members had gathered to watch.
Young shinobi fought one another fiercely, each hoping to improve their ranking.
Relying on his exceptional strength and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Itachi steadily defeated every opponent before finally advancing to the championship match.
"Itachi truly is an extraordinary child."
"To possess Jōnin-level strength at only ten years old…"
"His future is absolutely limitless."
Zhan praised him repeatedly as he watched the young prodigy fighting below.
Isamu remained silent.
He simply watched the battle calmly.
At only ten years old, Itachi's natural talent had already been pushed close to its limit.
Further improvement through ordinary training would become increasingly difficult.
If he wanted to achieve another major leap in power…
The only path left…
…was the Mangekyō Sharingan.