Kaito Akaden (Kaito)

Kaito Chapter 32 : Bonds of sacrifice

Meanwhile, Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, desperately attempted to breach the barrier erected to contain the Nine-Tailed Fox. Two Konoha shinobi approached him, their faces etched with concern. "Lord Third, what's wrong?" one of them inquired.

Hiruzen pounded against the barrier, his efforts proving futile. "It's no use... I cannot break through this barrier. It prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox from escaping," he explained, his voice laced with urgency. "Those two... they're planning to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox themselves!"

….

After Minato had managed to calm Kushina down, he turned towards the Nine-Tails. The Nine-Tails, pinned by Kushina's chakra chains, struggled against the restraints but to no avail.

Minato nodded, and then the transparent figure of the Shinigami behind Minato reached out its hand towards Minato's spiritual form. The hand passed right through Minato, and it burst out from Minato's front, ripping through his jonin vest. The hand extended toward the Nine-Tails.

The hand, exuding an aura of otherworldly power, burst forth from Minato's chest, piercing through his Hokage vest and reaching out towards the Nine-Tails. The monstrous beast, sensing its impending doom, roared in defiance, cursing Minato's audacity.

"Seal!" Minato commanded, his voice resolute despite the immense strain he was under.

The Shinigami's hand, imbued with a power beyond mortal comprehension, grasped the Nine-Tails with an unyielding grip. The agonizing cries of the tailed beast filled the air as half of its chakra was forcibly extracted and sealed within Minato.

"My body... it's going numb...I never expected such a massive amount of chakra," Minato gasped, struggling to contain the Nine-Tails' immense chakra. The strain was immense, testing the limits of his physical and spiritual fortitude.

While Minato was catching his breath, the Nine-Tails had shrunk to half its original size, its body trembling from the ordeal. "Damn you!" the Nine-Tails cursed, its voice filled with venom.

…

Outside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, watched the unfolding events with a mixture of shock and awe. As he witnessed the Nine-Tails shrinking in size, he realized that Minato had indeed employed the Shiki Fūjin, the Reaper Death Seal, a forbidden jutsu of immense power.

"It's the Reaper Death Seal after all," Hiruzen muttered, his voice laced with both admiration and concern. "He actually used it."

The surrounding shinobi, too, were astonished by Minato's actions. "But the Nine-Tails is still... Wasn't the Fourth able to complete the seal?" one of them questioned, his voice filled with disbelief. The Nine-Tails, though diminished in size, still radiated a menacing aura, raising doubts about the effectiveness of Minato's sealing technique.

…

After regaining his strength, Minato gently cradled baby Naruto in his arms and turned to Kushina. "I'll first seal the remaining half of the Nine-Tails within Naruto," he explained, his voice laced with determination. "Then, I'll transfer the half sealed within me to you, Kushina."

With a swiftness that belied his exhaustion, Minato performed a one-handed seal. A surge of chakra erupted from his palm, etching a complex seal matrix onto the ground. As the matrix glowed with an ethereal light, a sealing altar materialized.

"Now, for the Eight Trigrams Seal," Minato declared, his voice resolute. He strode towards the altar, gently placing Naruto upon its center.

The Nine-Tails, still reeling from the ordeal of being split, glared at the imposing altar, a low growl rumbling in its throat. "A sealing altar?" it questioned, its voice dripping with venom. "Does he intend to imprison me once more? And within that... that infant?"

Kushina, weakened from the childbirth and the intense chakra drain, gasped and began to cough violently, spitting out blood. Minato, alarmed by her condition, rushed back to her side, his heart pounding with worry. "Kushina! Are you alright?" he inquired anxiously.

The Nine-Tails, sensing the opportunity presented by Minato and Kushina's distraction, seized the moment to strike. With a ferocious roar, it raised its massive claws and lunged towards baby Naruto, its eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

"Right now!" the Nine-Tails bellowed, its voice echoing through the surrounding, shattering the tense silence.

…

Kaito slowly stirred his mind a haze of confusion. His head was throbbing, and he was disoriented. He could hear a woman shouting something, but he couldn't make out the words. He could also hear a man saying something, but it was all a garbled mess to his ears. The roar of agony only worsened his headache.

He heard the woman coughing, and her voice sounded familiar. Kaito opened his eyes, but his senses were immediately assaulted. His mind struggled to catch up to the events that had transpired. He remembered that it was Naruto's birth, and his mother had been kidnapped. He was about to be killed by that masked man.

He jolted awake, looking at his surroundings. His head throbbed, making it difficult to comprehend the situation. Just then, he saw it. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out both his mother, Kushina, and his father, Minato, jumping in front of a sealing altar. A massive claw was bearing down on them.

Just then, everything slowed down as Kaito desperately tried to do something. He shouted "NO!" as he watched his parents about to be impaled by the Nine-Tails' claw. Just then, four chakra chains burst out of his back, rushing towards his parents to stop them from being impaled.

Time seemed to stand still as the Nine-Tails' claw reached Naruto. It stopped just a few inches away from the sleeping infant. Tears streaming down his face, Kaito watched in horror as both his parents were impaled by the Nine-Tails. The chakra chains restrained the Nine-Tails' claw, but it was too late. Kaito repeatedly said "no...no...no" over and over again.

"Kushina, you didn't have to do that... Like I said, this was the father's duty," said Minato, looking at Kushina, who was panting. "You could have stayed with them."

"Then all the more, since I'm his mother," Kushina said, panting from the exertion. "This is the first time I lost an argument. I'm sorry."

"Why you..." the Nine-Tails growled as it saw that its plan was thwarted.

"It's okay, Kushina... I'll seal your remaining chakra using the Eight Trigram Seal so you can meet Naruto," said Minato as he ran through the summoning jutsu hand sign: Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram.

Kaito's heart-wrenching cries of "Mom! Dad!" pierced the silence of their surrounding, jolting Minato and Kushina from their somber contemplation. They turned towards their son, their eyes filled with a mix of love, sorrow, and pride.

Kushina, her voice laced with emotion, managed a weak smile and said, "Kaito-kun, hehe, you seem to have inherited my ability." Tears trickled down her cheeks as she continued, "I'm so proud of you, Kaito-kun. But... I'm so sorry, Kaito-kun. Mom and Dad won't be able to stay with you and your little brother, Naruto. He's going to have to bear the same burden as me... Can I count on you to look after your brother?"

Amidst Kushina's heartfelt words to Kaito, Minato turned his attention to the toad he had summoned. The toad, upon seeing Minato and the Nine-Tails, exclaimed in disbelief, "The Nine-Tails! What?! Lord Fourth too! What does this mean?"

Minato, with a resolute expression, replied, "Gerotora, I'm entrusting you with the sealing formula's key. Deliver it immediately to Master Jiraiya and keep it safely guarded."

After accepting the key with utmost responsibility, Gerotora affirmed , "You have my word. I confirm the key is in my possession. And now, I depart!"

As Gerotora disappeared in a puff of smoke, Minato turned back to Kushina, his eyes filled with love and determination. "Kushina, my time is running out. I'm going to initiate the Eight Trigrams Seal. I also want to leave some of my chakra within Naruto. It will be a long while before we can see him again. Therefore, we should impart our final words to them."

Minato's gaze lingered on Naruto, his sleeping infant son, as he spoke these poignant words.

Kushina's voice, laced with love and concern, filled the surrounding as she spoke her final words to her sons, Naruto and Kaito. Her words echoed with the wisdom and guidance of a mother who had dedicated her life to their well-being.

"Naruto, Kaito," she began, her voice trembling with emotion, "don't be picky eaters. Eat plenty of food so you can grow big and strong. And make sure you bathe every day and stay warm. Kaito-kun, I know you like to stay up late, but as the older brother, you need to set a good example for your little brother. Make sure you both get enough sleep."

Her words were simple yet profound, reflecting the deep love she had for her sons. She wanted them to grow into strong, healthy individuals, capable of facing the challenges that life would inevitably throw their way.

"And make friends," she continued, her voice softening. "You don't need a lot of friends, just a few that you can truly trust. I wasn't very good at making friends, but I know you both can do better than I did."

Kushina's words resonated with the truth that friendship was one of life's most precious treasures. She wanted her sons to find solace and support in the company of true companions who would stand by them through thick and thin.

"Keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard," she advised, her voice laced with pride. "I'm sure Kaito-kun won't mind teaching you. He's really good at it, just like his father ya know. And remember, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well."

Kushina's words instilled in her sons the importance of perseverance and self-belief. She encouraged them to embrace their strengths while acknowledging their weaknesses, understanding that setbacks were merely stepping stones to success.

"Oh, and this is important," she added, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "It's about the three prohibitions for a shinobi."

"Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money," she advised, her voice laced with caution. "Put your mission wages into your savings account. No alcohol until you're twenty. Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation."

"Another prohibition is women," she continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I'm a woman, so I don't know too much about this, but all you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women. So it's only natural to take an interest in girls... but just don't get hooked on bad women. Find someone just like me."

"Speaking of the three prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya sensei, you know," she added, a hint of mischief in her voice. "He's a great ninja, but he has a habit of getting into trouble."

Kushina's words were a playful warning, reflecting her understanding of Jiraiya's penchant for unconventional methods and his tendency to attract attention.

"Naruto, from now on, you're going to face a lot of pain and hardships. But always be true to yourself. Have a dream, and have the confidence to make that dream come true!"

"Kaito-kun," she said, her voice filled with love and tenderness, "I know it's going to be the hardest for you. We may not be there to watch you both grow, but always know that you carry the essence of our love within you. You are a beacon of hope, my little hero. Be the amazing person I know you will become."

"Oh, so much more that I want to pass on to you both," she lamented, her voice heavy with emotion. "I wish I could stay with you longer."

Her words were a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of life, the precious moments that could never be regained. She longed to spend more time with her sons, to nurture their growth and guide them through their childhood.

"I love you both," she confessed, her voice choked with tears. "Minato, I'm sorry I used up your time."

"Oh, it's okay, Kaito, Naruto," Minato muttered, his voice laced with a mix of sorrow and resignation. "My message to both of you is... The necklace I gave you, Kaito, holds everything you both need. You just need to unseal it. I guess, other than that, it's the same as your nagging mother's. Eight-Trigrams Seal."

With a final surge of strength, Minato pushed the last vestiges of his chakra towards Naruto, completing the sealing process. The Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra was now bound within Naruto's body, a formidable power both a blessing and a curse.

Exhausted and succumbing to his injuries, Minato's body slumped to the ground, his eyes closing for the last time. Kushina, her own life force waning, could only watch as her beloved husband slipped away.

"Mom, Dad!" Kaito cried out, his voice filled with anguish. He stumbled towards his parents, his young heart shattered by their impending loss.

As the barrier surrounding the hideout crumbled, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, along with two other shinobi, rushed to the scene. They found Kaito cradling his mother's head in his lap, tears streaming down his face.

"No, no, no, please don't leave me," Kaito sobbed, his voice trembling with despair. "It's all my fault!"

Kushina, her voice weak and fading, managed to muster a faint smile. "It's okay, Kaito-kun," she said gently. "It's not your fault."

Kaito, despite his grief, felt an instinctive urge to do something, anything, to save his mother. He felt a strange pull, a primal instinct guiding his actions.

Confused and conflicted, Kaito realized what this could be. He had inherited his The Uzumaki clan's unique ability, the Healing Bite. Without hesitation, he offered his wrist to his mother's mouth.

"Mom, bite me quickly!" Kaito exclaimed urgently.

Kushina, her own consciousness fading, weekly sank her teeth into Kaito's wrist. She felt a surge of warmth and vitality coursing through her veins.

As Kaito focused his energy on healing his mother, he became oblivious to his surroundings, the world around him fading into a blur. Hiruzen, having given the dying mother and son a moment of privacy, had been gently holding Naruto, trying to soothe his cries.

When they noticed what was happening, one of the shinobi turned to Hiruzen, his voice laced with confusion. "Lord Third, what is he doing?"

Another shinobi exclaimed in astonishment, "Look, her wound! It's healing!"

Hiruzen, his brow furrowed in contemplation, wondered aloud, "What is this? Is it one of the Uzumaki clan's kekkei genkai?"

Observing the hole where the Nine-Tailed Fox's nail had pierced his mother's body, Kaito instinctively increased the amount of chakra he was channeling. Although he felt the strain of the healing bite, he ignored the discomfort and continued to pump more chakra into his mother's body.

After a while, he noticed that the wound had fully healed. However, a nagging feeling told him that he needed to give his mother a little more. Determined to ensure her survival, he pushed himself even further, unaware that his hair had begun to turn white.

One of the Jonin, noticing the change in Kaito's appearance, exclaimed, "Lord Third, his hair is turning white!"

Hiruzen, his heart pounding with concern, realized that Kaito was using his own life force to heal his mother. "He's using his life force to heal her! I have to stop him before it's too late," he thought to himself.

Just as Hiruzen was about to intervene, Kaito's hair had nearly turned half white. He looked at his mother, her breathing steady and her eyes closed. With a sigh of relief, Kaito collapsed, fainting from exhaustion.

Hiruzen and the other shinobi rushed towards them and quickly checked their vital signs. Hiruzen, a wave of relief washing over him, declared, "They're both alive! Quick, we have to get them to the hospital!" With that, they carefully carried Kushina and Kaito back to the village.

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