Starting Over As Minato

As the battle continued, Shukaku's mind wandered to memories of the past.

*Tch. This power... it's not something a mere ninja should have.*

He recalled a towering man with wild, spiky hair draped over his shoulders, his scarlet eyes glowing with strange, mesmerizing patterns. Just looking at him had been enough to make Shukaku lose consciousness. When he had woken up, he was already sealed away.

Then came the fate of the tailed beasts—traded like commodities, passed between nations like bargaining chips. And what about him?

He had been handed over to Sunagakure, where they used some ridiculous Iron Armor Seal to imprison him inside an old monk named Bunpuku. Just like that, he had been turned into a living weapon for their wars.

And now, this man—the one fighting him—was another monster. They had clashed for so long, yet his chakra hadn't waned in the slightest.

A wild thought crossed Shukaku's mind. *Could this guy have a tailed beast inside him too? Otherwise, how is his chakra lasting this long?!*

After all, even launching a Tailed Beast Bomb required an immense amount of chakra. Yet Minato had done it effortlessly.

What Shukaku didn't know was that what Minato had used wasn't ninjutsu at all—it hadn't consumed any chakra.

Minato studied the enormous tanuki in front of him, intrigued. He wanted to see what other tricks Shukaku had up his sleeve.

Just then, the familiar sound of the system echoed in his mind.

**"Ding! A sign-in target has been detected. Would you like to sign in?"**

Minato's brow arched slightly. *I can sign in with this guy?*

"Sign in," he instructed.

**"Ding! Congratulations! Sign-in successful. Chakra reserves increased by 50%!"**

Minato didn't feel disappointed by the reward. Almost immediately, he felt his chakra surge—a tangible increase, as if an entire new reservoir had been added to his already vast supply.

Golden energy erupted from his body, soaring into the sky in a towering column of light. The sheer force of it flattened the surrounding trees, sending a violent shockwave through the battlefield.

Shukaku was forced back, his massive feet dragging against the ground for dozens of meters.

The watching Konoha shinobi reacted instantly.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A thick, four-meter-high wall of stone rose up, shielding them from the blast. Even Rukia, who had been watching with curiosity, was momentarily taken aback.

She turned to the excited Naruto beside her. "Is this the chakra you were talking about—the one needed to use ninjutsu?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yep! And Dad's is on a whole different level!"

Rukia glanced at Minato again, visibly impressed.

Meanwhile, Shukaku was having a meltdown.

*"What the hell is this?! How does a human have more chakra than me?! This guy is a freak! I, the mighty One-Tailed Shukaku, have met my match... I admit it. He's the real monster here!"*

As Minato retracted his power, the golden energy dispersed, and the dust settled. He smiled apologetically.

"Oops, my chakra got a little out of control there."

Shukaku stared at him, his large raccoon eyes twitching in disbelief. *Liar!*

Then, without another word, his form began to fade, dissipating into streams of sand.

Minato blinked in mild surprise before realizing what had happened—Shukaku had surrendered and retreated into his host, Gaara.

Silence stretched across the battlefield.

The stunned spectators rubbed their eyes, almost refusing to believe what they had just witnessed.

Kakashi was the first to snap out of it. "Come on, let's check it out."

Meanwhile, from a distance, the Sand siblings—Temari and Kankuro—watched in shock. When they saw Shukaku vanish, they hurried to Gaara's unconscious form.

After a quick check, Temari let out a sigh of relief. "He's fine—just exhausted."

Then, she turned toward Minato, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Fourth Hokage."

Minato simply waved a hand. "No need for formalities."

Temari, however, remained wary. This man had forced Shukaku into retreat—something not even Gaara, in his most uncontrollable state, had ever done. What if he decided not to let them leave?

But instead of hostility, Minato simply gestured for them to go.

Temari glanced at him one last time before giving Kankuro a silent signal. Together, they lifted Gaara and leapt into the trees, vanishing into the distance.

At that moment, Naruto came racing over, waving his arms wildly. "Dad, that was awesome!"

Rukia also approached, her gaze locking onto Minato's. She studied him carefully before asking, "Brother Minato, are you hurt?"

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(A/N: Advance Chapters Available On My Patreon)