276-280

Chapter 276: The Flaws of Teleportation 

Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Setsuna had already clashed multiple times. They blinked in and out of existence through the forest, a dizzying spectacle punctuated by the "clink, clink" of Flying Raijin kunai meeting ninja blades. 

After another exchange, both combatants pulled back simultaneously. Minato looked at Setsuna with a grim expression. Setsuna's space-time movement was similar to his own, but even more fluid. It had to be a Mangekyo Sharingan ability. 

He'd also somehow undone the Nine-Tails' seal and tamed it. And... he could freely enter and exit Konoha's barrier without being blocked. In all of Minato's knowledge, there was only one person capable of that. 

"You are... Uchiha Madara? No, that's not right, he died a long time ago." 

Setsuna scoffed, "Hmph, I die? I am an immortal being!" 

Minato's voice was firm. "At this point, who you are doesn't matter. But why are you targeting Konoha?" 

"Because, I want to. Everything, it's all for my dream!" Setsuna raised his ninja blade, pointing it at Minato. Minato, too, raised his Flying Raijin kunai, ready for battle. 

Minato kept his eyes locked on Setsuna, deep in thought. This opponent was incredibly strong, possessed the ability to control the Nine-Tails, and his space-time ninjutsu surpassed even Minato's and the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's. He had to end this here, otherwise, it could become even more problematic than the Nine-Tails' rampage. If he were to teleport back to Konoha now, this guy would follow, only making an already chaotic battlefield even worse. For now, he could only trust his comrades in the village. 

And he had just discovered the weakness of his opponent's teleportation. 

"You have no hope left. After tonight..." Setsuna instantly appeared to Minato's left, his ninja blade thrusting towards Minato. "Konoha will be history!" 

Setsuna's ninja blade struck Minato. Before the smile could fully form on Setsuna's face, Minato suddenly dissolved into a puff of smoke. 

"What?! A Shadow Clone?!" 

Meanwhile, Minato appeared behind Setsuna. "Rasengan!" 

A swirling ball of chakra formed in Minato's right hand, which he slammed forcefully into Setsuna's back. Setsuna coughed up a mouthful of blood, sent flying backward, breaking a tree before finally stopping. 

"Your space-time teleportation only works within your line of sight. You can't teleport into your blind spots!" 

Setsuna struggled to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "You used a Shadow Clone during our earlier exchange? Impressive, indeed." Setsuna now found Minato incredibly troublesome. He couldn't believe Minato had discovered the weakness of his eye technique in such a short time. Minato's analysis was spot-on; his eye technique only allowed him to teleport within his line of sight, not to locations outside of it. 

Minato suddenly vanished from his spot. Just as Setsuna was about to teleport, Minato suddenly appeared directly in front of him, pressing his right hand heavily onto Setsuna's body. Setsuna's pupils constricted. "Did that last attack leave a Flying Raijin Jutsu formula mark on me?!" 

A sealing jutsu formula appeared on Setsuna's body. "The Contract Seal?! You plan to separate the Nine-Tails from me?!" 

"This way, the Nine-Tails won't be your property anymore! Rasengan!" Minato used the Rasengan again, pushing it towards Setsuna. Setsuna raised his left arm to block the Rasengan, letting the force push him backward, creating distance from Minato. 

At the same time, Pain (Deva Path), Konan, and Sasori appeared beside Setsuna. Setsuna's left arm, where the Rasengan had hit, looked as if it had melted, dripping onto the ground. This left arm was a White Zetsu arm, and blood was flowing from the connecting point. 

Minato looked at Pain and his two allies with a troubled expression. Great, more troublesome guys. 

Pain (Deva Path) spoke to Setsuna. "It failed. Let's retreat." 

Setsuna was unwilling, but there was no choice. Staying longer would be useless. Setsuna looked at Minato and sneered, "Minato Namikaze, this time you got lucky. Next time, you won't be so fortunate. The Nine-Tails will be ours eventually. I have plenty of other tricks up my sleeve." 

Setsuna swung his ninja blade, creating a space-time rift. Setsuna, Pain (Deva Path), Konan, and Sasori entered the space-time rift. After they entered, the rift vanished from mid-air. Minato's expression was incredibly grim because he felt Setsuna wasn't lying. 

Meanwhile, back in Konoha. 

The Nine-Tails, now free from mind control and having regained its senses, was rampaging even more violently. After all, the Nine-Tails also harbored deep hatred for Konoha. Previously, with the Nine-Tails under Uchiha Setsuna's Sharingan control, Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo could barely keep pace, and with the help of Hiruzen and others, they were slowly pushing the Nine-Tails out of Konoha. 

But now the Nine-Tails was even more aggressive, and Fugaku's long-term use of Susanoo was draining too much chakra; he was close to his limit. As the Nine-Tails landed another punch on Fugaku's Susanoo, Fugaku's Susanoo was shattered and vanished, and the situation once again became unfavorable. 

Obito, carrying Rin Nohara, found Shisui Uchiha. Obito and Shisui had become good friends, and upon seeing Shisui get impaled in the abdomen and sent flying, Obito had rushed with Rin to find him. Shisui lay in the rubble, a black rod impaled in his abdomen, unable to muster any strength. 

"Shisui!" Obito and Rin rushed to Shisui's side. Obito pulled the black rod from Shisui's abdomen, and Rin began to heal him. 

But Shisui stopped Rin. "This isn't the time for treatment. I still need to fight." Shisui struggled to stand. 

Obito anxiously asked, "How can you fight in your condition?" 

Shisui clutched his bleeding abdomen and stood up. "Lord Clan Head's Susanoo has been defeated, and things are looking bad. I have to step in! Next, I'll use Susanoo—" 

Obito put a hand on Shisui's shoulder. "Shisui, let me handle this! Rin, keep treating Shisui!" 

Shisui frowned. "Obito!" 

Obito's voice was firm. "Trust me, I can use Susanoo too! Besides, I want to be a hero just once, and show off a bit in front of the person I like!" As he mentioned the person he liked, Obito looked towards Rin. 

Rin suddenly hugged Obito. "Obito, I'll be waiting for you to come back!" 

Obito froze for a moment, then broke into a wide, happy grin. "Yeah! Wait for me!" 

Obito then rushed towards the Nine-Tails. 

That was an intense exchange! It seems Minato's quick thinking might have given Konoha a fighting chance, even with Setsuna's dangerous space-time jutsu. And Obito stepping up... things are definitely heating up! 

What do you think will happen next, now that Obito is heading into the fray with his own Susanoo? 

Chapter 277: Obito's Susanoo 

Since Fugaku Uchiha's Susanoo was overwhelmed by the enraged Nine-Tails, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were now desperately trying to hold the beast back, preventing it from pushing further into the Hidden Leaf Village. 

Obito looked at the rampaging Nine-Tails with determination and shouted, "Susanoo!" 

A blue Third Stage Susanoo instantly enveloped Obito's body. 

Seeing a second Susanoo appear, everyone in the Hidden Leaf turned their heads in astonishment. 

Obito maneuvered his Susanoo, executing an "Uchiha body slam" that sent the Nine-Tails crashing to the ground. 

With the appearance of yet another Susanoo, morale immediately soared. Everyone worked together with Obito to fight the Nine-Tails. 

"Even that idiot Obito's using Susanoo now, huh?" 

Shindai mumbled to himself, then stood up and said to Pakura and Uchiha Hikari, "Asuka, Pakura, lend me your chakra in a bit. I'm going to team up with Obito and get the Nine-Tails out of the village!" 

Shindai launched himself into the air, flying towards the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf. 

Once outside the village, Shindai pulled several devices from his backpack and threw them onto the ground. 

The devices landed and firmly affixed themselves to the earth. 

Shindai stood in the center of the devices, formed hand signs, and pressed his hands to the ground. 

"Magnet Release! Gravitational Magnetic Field!" 

The ninja tools in Shindai's waist pouch instantly stuck to the ground. 

Through these devices, combined with the Earth's magnetic field, Shindai greatly amplified the magnetic pull within the devices' area. 

Then, Shindai flew towards the Nine-Tails, speaking into his headset to Obito, "Obito! Can you manage to send the Nine-Tails flying?!" 

At this moment, Obito was controlling his Susanoo, grappling with the Nine-Tails in a power struggle, working with the Hidden Leaf ninja to slowly push it out of the village. 

Obito struggled to speak. "It's tough, but if I go into Fourth Stage Susanoo, I think I can. But I can only maintain the Fourth Stage Susanoo for a short time because it drains too much chakra. It might disappear after just one attack." 

Shindai said seriously, "Do it, Obito! As long as you send it flying, I can get it outside the village!" 

"Alright!" 

Obito trusted Shindai a hundred percent. If Shindai said it could be done, then it could be done. 

Obito took a deep breath, his Mangekyo Sharingan wide open, as his Susanoo began to evolve into its Fourth Stage. 

The Fourth Stage Susanoo added a lower body and legs to the original Second Stage, significantly increasing its size. The user would be located in the Susanoo's head. 

From within the Susanoo's head, Obito maneuvered it to deliver a direct knee strike to the Nine-Tails' jaw. 

The Nine-Tails was knocked upright by the impact. 

The Susanoo's fist then landed heavily on the Nine-Tails' abdomen, sending the beast directly flying into the air with a single punch. 

Obito roared, "Go, Shindai!" 

"Leave it to me! Asuka! Lend me your chakra, and Pakura's too!" 

Shindai's body was instantly filled with dense chakra. 

Shindai placed his hands on the Nine-Tails' body. 

"Magnet Release! Magnetization Jutsu!" 

Shindai maximized the Nine-Tails' magnetization. Unable to gain purchase in the air, the Nine-Tails was successfully pulled away by the strong gravitational field outside the village. 

Seeing the Nine-Tails pulled out of the village, the Hidden Leaf ninja erupted in cheers. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped the sweat from his forehead. They had finally managed to drive the Nine-Tails out of the Hidden Leaf. 

Shindai, once again completely out of chakra, and Obito, also drained, fell from the sky. 

"Shindai, fly! We're going to hit the ground!" 

"I can't use any strength right now!" 

"So we're just going to get splattered like this? No way! I finally got to look cool in front of Rin; I want to hear her praise me! Come on, think of something!" 

"Do you think I'm omnipotent?! I can't do anything right now either!" 

Just as they were about to hit the ground, Kakashi appeared between them, grabbing one with each hand. "Judging by how loud you two are, I guess I don't need to worry about you." 

Kakashi landed them safely on the ground. 

Uchiha Hikari and Pakura rushed to Shindai's side, touching him all over. "Shindai, are you hurt?" 

Shindai curled into a ball. "Stop touching me! I think you're taking advantage of me!" 

"Phew." 

Uchiha Hikari and Pakura both sighed in relief. If he could still crack jokes, it meant he was probably fine. 

"Obito!" 

Obito, who was feeling a bit sour watching Shindai get attention, heard a voice that sounded like heaven's music. 

Rin Nohara ran up to Obito, asking worriedly, "Obito, are you hurt?" 

Obito instantly stopped feeling sour and proudly declared, "Not at all, Rin! Was I cool?" 

Rin was relieved that Obito wasn't hurt and smiled. "Very cool." 

Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Ebisu, Aoba Yamashiro, Hayate Gekko, and about a dozen others ran over, praising Shindai and Obito. 

Shindai and Obito looked quite pleased with the compliments. 

Keep praising us! Praise us more! 

Might Guy, full of hot-blooded enthusiasm, declared, "Let Shindai and Obito rest here. We need to go provide backup. The Nine-Tails was only stopped outside the village; it's not over yet!" 

"Alright!" 

Just as everyone was fired up and ready to go, they were stopped by Hiruzen Sarutobi and others who were rushing out of the Hidden Leaf. 

"You all stay in the village!" 

Kurenai was puzzled. "Huh? Why?" 

"The village is already in ruins. You all stay in the village and assist the other ninja in treating the injured. You are the younger generation, the future pillars of the Hidden Leaf. Your lives are precious. We will handle the Nine-Tails from here!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi led the others out of the Hidden Leaf Village, continuing to confront the Nine-Tails. 

Outside the village, the Nine-Tails, trapped by the gravitational field, destroyed one of the magnetic devices with its tail. This caused the concentrated magnetic field to disperse, making it unable to hold the Nine-Tails. 

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others, working together, once again pushed the Nine-Tails a short distance out of the Hidden Leaf. 

Yet, the Nine-Tails began to gather a Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth again, intending to fire it into the Hidden Leaf. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose chakra was also almost depleted, looked at the Tailed Beast Bomb forming in the Nine-Tails' mouth. "This creature just won't give up!" he said, finding the situation tricky. 

"Summoning Jutsu!" 

Gamabunta descended from the sky, landing on top of the Nine-Tails. Minato Namikaze stood on Gamabunta's head. 

Minato requested of Gamabunta, "Please, suppress the Nine-Tails for a moment!" 

Seeing the Nine-Tails still gathering its Tailed Beast Bomb, Gamabunta's skin bristled. "Even I can't hold this thing back!" 

Minato was greatly troubled. 

To teleport an attack of this magnitude would require an enormous amount of chakra. He had already teleported it once, and Minato didn't have much chakra left. 

But there was no other way. Even if it cost him everything, he had to teleport it. 

Gamabunta's body felt light; the Nine-Tails and Minato were gone. 

Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured in shock, "He flew away with the Nine-Tails?!" 

Chapter 278: I Can Definitely Do It! 

Minato Namikaze had used the Flying Raijin Jutsu to teleport away with the Nine-Tails. In the distance from Konoha, there was a deafening explosion and a blinding flash of light—the result of a Tailed Beast Bomb detonating. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others immediately rushed towards the commotion. 

Back in Konoha, Shindai had gone from feeling triumphant to being utterly stumped. The crisis wasn't over yet; the true danger still lay with Minato and Kushina. But he had prepared all he could. His biggest trump card was supposed to be controlling the Nine-Tails with a Mangekyo Sharingan, but that hadn't worked. And the gravity field he'd created was based on his imagined strength of the Nine-Tails, but that device was already used up too. 

While he'd successfully gotten the Nine-Tails out of Konoha, Shindai was now at his wit's end. Minato was surely going to seal the Nine-Tails. After teleporting the Tailed Beast Bomb twice and then the massive Nine-Tails itself, Minato's chakra definitely wouldn't be plentiful. Kushina's life force was also draining away, so it might end up being the same outcome. If he had enough chakra, he could still help Minato and Kushina control the Nine-Tails and assist with the sealing. 

"The Third Hokage said so, so let's go treat the wounded right away." "Alright, there's nothing else we can do." "I actually wanted to go toe-to-toe with the Nine-Tails myself!" 

Shindai looked at Might Guy and the others, then at Akiha Uchiha, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly. Wait... maybe there's still a way. 

Shindai stood up and addressed Might Guy's group, "Everyone! I need your help!" 

"What kind of help?" 

Shindai said seriously, "I need all of you to transfer your chakra to me!" 

Kurenai Yuhi looked confused. "Transfer chakra? How?" 

"I have a way. I'm begging you all. The chakra you give me... it'll be like you fought the Nine-Tails yourselves. Please!" Shindai bowed deeply, pleading with everyone. 

Obito and Kakashi understood what Shindai intended to do, and like him, they bowed in request. "Please!" 

"Well, if you can... then take all the chakra you need, Shindai!" 

Shindai straightened up and said, "Alright, thank you all! Akia, I'm counting on you too! I'm heading out now. Just send me your chakra when the time comes!" 

Shindai used his magnetic ability to take flight, soaring towards Minato's location. Akiha Uchiha sighed. She understood Shindai's limits very well now. Shindai's jutsu had a clear upper limit; even with more chakra, it would only prolong the technique. Even Shindai's most powerful technique, the Supernova Wheel, had only caused limited damage to the Nine-Tails. 

Akiha pulled her gaze back from Shindai, who was rapidly disappearing from view. She activated her Mangekyo Sharingan and began placing marks on Might Guy and the others. 

Minato had already brought Kushina and Naruto to the sealing location. Minato was breathing heavily. "I need to put up the barrier quickly..." His chakra was almost completely depleted. 

Minato had originally intended to split the Nine-Tails in half, sealing one half inside Kushina and the other half inside himself. But now, with his chakra almost gone, simultaneously suppressing the Nine-Tails' struggles and completing the seal was impossible. So now, he could only seal half of the Nine-Tails inside Naruto to complete the sealing. 

Kushina, now extremely weak, spoke to Minato. "I can hold on for a little longer, Minato..." Kushina squeezed out her remaining chakra, using the Adamantine Chains, five chains emerging from her back to bind the Nine-Tails. 

"Kushina!" Naruto, in Minato's arms, began to cry. 

Kushina looked at Naruto apologetically. "I woke you up, I'm sorry... Naruto... If I just hold the Nine-Tails here, I'll die. That way, we can delay the Nine-Tails' revival for a bit longer..." When a jinchuriki dies, the Tailed Beast dies with them. Kushina intended to buy time this way. 

"Using my remaining chakra to help you both, this is the only way." Kushina smiled at Minato. "Thank you... for everything you've done for me." 

Minato was filled with self-reproach. "Kushina, you let me become the Fourth Hokage, you made me your husband, and now you've made me this child's father. Yet I..." 

"Minato, don't make that face. I'm so happy. I have your love. And today is Naruto's birthday. I just have one last wish... I really wanted to see Naruto grow up..." Kushina looked at Naruto with profound affection. "But I think Naruto's future will be very happy. With you, and Shindai, Pakura, Akiha, and Obito by his side, Naruto will definitely grow up happy." 

Minato wiped away his tears and said seriously to Kushina, "Kushina, you don't have to die. I will use the Reaper Death Seal to control the Nine-Tails, then split it in two, sealing it inside you and Naruto." 

Kushina was shocked. "But that sealing jutsu will kill the user..." 

Minato said apologetically, "I'm so sorry to make Naruto a jinchuriki, but I believe in Naruto, and I believe that with all of you, Naruto will never feel alone because of being a jinchuriki. What you can teach Naruto is beyond anything I can. Naruto will be very happy with your companionship." 

"Master Jiraiya once said that the world would change, and that change would bring disaster. Today, I've confirmed two things: the masked man who attacked you, he will definitely bring bloodshed. And the one to stop him will be Naruto. This child, named by Master Jiraiya, will open up the future as a jinchuriki! I don't know why, but I truly believe it!" 

Minato began to perform hand seals to cast the Reaper Death Seal. 

"Wait! Don't use the Reaper Death Seal!" 

Shindai finally arrived, landing directly in front of Minato. 

"Lord Minato, I'll suppress the Nine-Tails! You just seal the Nine-Tails into Sister Kushina and Naruto! Don't ask me if I can do it, I absolutely can!" Shindai stared intently at Minato, his expression serious. 

"Lord Minato, you and Sister Kushina don't have to die! Trust me this time! I'll suppress the Nine-Tails right now! Akiha! Give me chakra!" 

As chakra flooded his body, Shindai didn't give Minato a chance to refuse. He formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. 

"Magnet Release! Super Magnetic Gravity!" 

Shindai used the massive influx of chakra to interact with the Earth's magnetic field and the magnetized Nine-Tails. The Nine-Tails, once again, was slammed to the ground by the powerful attraction. 

Maintaining the jutsu, Shindai urged, "Hurry, Lord Minato! I've already committed myself, so it's too much if you don't trust me now!" 

"Shindai..." Minato and Kushina exchanged glances, then looked at the suppressed Nine-Tails. If there was even a sliver of hope, they wouldn't give up. 

Chapter 279: I Am the Child of Prophecy! 

Since Shindai had already directly moved to suppress the Nine-Tails, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki chose to trust him. After all, if there's a chance to live, who would want to die? Naruto had just been born; they both wanted to be there for him, to watch him grow up. 

"We're counting on you, Shindai! If you can't hold on, get out of there fast!" Minato urged Shindai. Then, he turned to Kushina. "Release your Adamantine Sealing Chains. You'll need all your strength to suppress the Nine-Tails now." 

Kushina retracted the chains binding the Nine-Tails. The Nine-Tails tried to stand, but Shindai's Super Magnetic Gravity still held it firmly to the ground. 

"Stay still! I'm telling you, this is helping you, Nine-Tails!" Shindai's neck veins bulged prominently, showing the immense pressure he was under. 

Minato temporarily placed Naruto on the ground, then supported Kushina and lifted the clothing from her abdomen. Minato formed hand signs, then pressed his hands onto Kushina's stomach, repairing the seal within her body. 

"Seal!" 

The seal on Kushina's abdomen began to function again. The Nine-Tails' massive body started to distort, its chakra being forcibly pulled back into the dark, gaping hole in Kushina's abdomen. 

Minato, Kushina, and Shindai were all pushing their limits. Shindai exerted every ounce of strength to suppress the struggling Nine-Tails, even a nosebleed started. Minato and Kushina were also pouring all their effort into pulling the Nine-Tails' chakra back into the seal. 

A Tailed Beast cloak began to reappear on Kushina's body. 

"Blast it! I don't want to go back!" The more Nine-Tails chakra Kushina absorbed, the more furiously the Nine-Tails struggled. 

Shindai clenched his teeth so hard they were bleeding; he was on the verge of collapsing. The Nine-Tails had managed to push its body up, and Shindai desperately tried to push it back down, but he couldn't get it to return to the ground. At the same time, the Nine-Tails opened its mouth and began to gather another Tailed Beast Bomb. 

Shindai's scalp tingled with dread. This is it. We're done for. 

Shindai closed his eyes, hardened his resolve, and shouted, "Kurama! I am the one you Tailed Beasts have been waiting for! I am the Child of Prophecy!" 

The unformed Tailed Beast Bomb in the Nine-Tails' mouth immediately dispersed, and its red, vertical pupils stared at Shindai in disbelief. 

This kid... he clearly called out my name before. 

The Nine-Tails scrutinized Shindai's eyes. "No! You're lying! You can't possibly be the one we've been waiting for! You have black eyes! Your eyes aren't blue!" 

Seeing that the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb had vanished, a sign that his words had a huge effect, Shindai instantly perked up. 

"You're not human, so you don't know that 'blue eyes' refers to symbolic meaning, not just color!" 

"Symbolic meaning?" 

"That's right! 'Blue eyes' also refers to someone with a pure heart, who is selfless, has a righteous spirit, and is unyielding in their integrity! And I! I am that person!" 

"You?" 

The Nine-Tails' tone was full of disbelief. 

Through Kushina, it had seen Shindai's usual demeanor before. It had even paid special attention to Shindai because he had called it 'Kurama.' In its eyes, Shindai was a conniving, shameless guy. Did any of those qualities like "pure heart" that Shindai just mentioned even apply to him? 

Being stared at with such disbelief by the Nine-Tails, a slight blush appeared on Shindai's usually pale face, making him feel a little embarrassed. Even Shindai himself didn't believe those words truly described him. 

But, who cared right now?! 

Minato and Kushina were also a bit confused. How could Shindai be chatting with the Nine-Tails? And about something they couldn't even understand! Still, it was a good distraction! It meant less pressure on them. 

Shindai continued to sweet-talk. "Then how else would I know 'Kurama,' how would I know you're waiting for someone, or how would I know the meaning of 'blue eyes'? Because I am the Child of Prophecy! So, no matter how unbelievable you find it, it's the truth!" 

The Nine-Tails' foxy face showed a complex expression. 

Meanwhile, on the side... 

Kushina's sealing was complete. Minato had successfully sealed the Nine-Tails' Yin chakra back into Kushina's abdomen. 

Feeling its power drain away, the Nine-Tails instantly exploded. "So what if you are?! I don't want to go back into that cage!" 

The Nine-Tails struggled even more furiously, its movements incredibly violent. 

"Oh no!" 

With such a sudden struggle, Shindai's Super Magnetic Gravity was about to give out. Even chugging military rations pills did nothing. 

Minato, who had already summoned the altar for the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, saw that Shindai was about to collapse and that Kushina had fallen unconscious. His heart immediately pounded with anxiety. 

Do I have to use the Reaper Death Seal after all? 

Just as Minato was making up his mind once again, a red figure descended from the sky, landing heavily on top of the Nine-Tails. 

Shindai and Minato stared blankly at the figure. 

It was a Susanoo, a dark crimson Susanoo. And this Susanoo was in its Perfect Form, complete with a pair of wings! 

Shindai looked towards the Susanoo's head and saw Uchiha Hikari, arms crossed, looking down with an arrogant, disdainful expression at the pinned Nine-Tails. 

"Asuka?!" 

Uchiha Hikari said to Minato, "Seal it quickly. I don't have much chakra either; I can't maintain this form for long." 

"Alright!" 

Minato immediately began. He placed Naruto on the altar, then started forming hand signs. 

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style!" 

On Naruto's abdomen, the sealing formula of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style appeared, followed by a long series of hand signs. 

And Shindai, using his last bit of chakra, flew to the Susanoo's head and excitedly said to Uchiha Hikari, "Quick, let me in! I've never been inside a Susanoo before!" 

Uchiha Hikari rolled her eyes. In this situation, he's thinking about sightseeing? 

But Uchiha Hikari still allowed Shindai inside the Susanoo, where he stood beside her. 

Shindai exclaimed, "Wow, it's like looking down on all the mountains! Asuka, just who in the world are you? You have the Eight Thousand Spears, Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi... didn't they say a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan only has two unique jutsu? You have three!" 

Uchiha Hikari replied, "You missed one. There's another jutsu: Tsukuyomi." 

Shindai stared at Uchiha Hikari blankly. "Huh?" 

Just then, the Nine-Tails, pinned by the Susanoo, struggled even more fiercely. It even extended a sharp claw towards Minato, trying to stop him from using the sealing jutsu. 

Uchiha Hikari controlled the Susanoo, using the giant katana in its hand to pierce through the Nine-Tails' outstretched arm, pinning it to the ground. 

"We can talk about this later! Right now, I need to focus on controlling the Susanoo!" 

Minato's preparations were complete. 

"Eight Trigrams Sealing Style! Seal!" 

With a whoosh, the Nine-Tails was pulled and sucked into the Eight Trigrams Seal on Naruto's abdomen. 

The Nine-Tails let out a resentful roar, before finally being successfully sealed within Naruto's body. 

Chapter 280: When the Sky Falls, Naruto Will Hold It Up 

With Shindai and Akiha Uchiha's help, Minato Namikaze finally succeeded in splitting the Nine-Tails into its Yin and Yang halves, sealing them separately into Kushina Uzumaki and Naruto's bodies. 

Minato slumped to the ground, looking at Kushina and Naruto with a relieved smile. "That's great." 

"Minato!" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others finally arrived. Hiruzen anxiously asked, "Minato, where's the Nine-Tails?" 

"The Nine-Tails has been sealed..." 

Minato, utterly spent, collapsed midway through his sentence. Hearing that the Nine-Tails had been sealed, Hiruzen and the others, whose physical and mental limits had been reached, also slumped to the ground. Hiruzen's eyes were slightly red. "That's wonderful." 

It was dawn now, and sunlight streamed through the dim sky onto the earth below, a symbol of hope. Last night had been truly agonizing. 

Akiha Uchiha carried the equally unconscious Shindai, heading towards Konoha. 

The Nine-Tails incident was over, but the damage to Konoha was immense. Now, clean-up operations were underway, directed by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Minato and Kushina were both recovering in the ninja hospital, while Naruto was temporarily being looked after by Biwako Sarutobi. 

The atmosphere in Konoha was heavy. After all, their home had been ravaged like this, and many had lost loved ones the previous night. 

And the angriest person right now was Danzo. He had thought the Akatsuki members would kill Minato, but Minato was alive and well, and his money had been wasted. However, no matter how furious Danzo was, he couldn't make a move right now. Konoha would surely investigate how top-secret information was leaked, and it wouldn't look good if they traced it back to him. 

Two days later, Shindai finally woke up from his coma. The night before last, Shindai had repeatedly overexerted himself, replenished chakra, and then overexerted again. This process had repeated several times, a grueling cycle that would break even an iron body. 

"Shindai! You're finally awake!" 

Pakura and Akiha Uchiha leaned close to Shindai, their eyes filled with worry. Two days without water left Shindai's voice hoarse. "Can I have some water? My throat feels like it's glued shut." 

Akiha helped Shindai sit up in the hospital bed, and Pakura poured a glass of water, helping him drink. After chugging the entire glass, Shindai felt significantly better. 

Shindai asked, "What's the situation?" 

Pakura smiled. "Lord Minato and Sister Kushina are doing well, also recovering in the hospital. Naruto is being temporarily looked after by Lady Biwako." 

"That's good. Just as expected of me!" Shindai was brimming with pride. Obito, Minato, and Kushina were all fine, and he was the number one hero. 

However... this difficulty level had certainly escalated to hellish. Pain (Deva Path), Konan, and Sasori had made their direct appearance. That bastard Sasori! If Pain (Deva Path) hadn't been protecting him, I would've beaten the crap out of him! Right now, Sasori was still a human, so he could still be beaten into a pulp. Later, there might not be a chance. 

Shindai's current development of the Magnet Release kekkei genkai far surpassed that of other Magnet Release users. Even if Shindai didn't specifically target puppets, most of his jutsu could effectively counter them. Even if Sasori used his One Hundred Puppets Performance, a mere magnetic field from Shindai could deal with hundreds of puppets. 

But this incident also served as a wake-up call for Shindai. Obito's change had led to the emergence of someone replacing him. And because of that, Pain (Deva Path), Konan, and Sasori had appeared when they shouldn't have. Thankfully, only Pain (Deva Path) had shown up. If all six Paths of Pain had appeared alongside the rampaging Nine-Tails, Shindai didn't even know how he would have fought them. 

Shindai couldn't predict what would happen in the future anymore. But... who cares? Naruto was born. From now on, if the sky falls, Naruto will hold it up. It won't be his job anymore. 

"Shindai, are you awake?!" 

At the door of the hospital room, Obito, Rin Nohara, Kakashi, and Yakushi Kabuto appeared. Shindai's mouth twitched. "Obito, you and your loud voice! Even if I were asleep, you'd wake me up!" 

"I was hoping to wake you up! You've been sleeping like a log for two days, I was worried you wouldn't wake up at all... cough!" 

Kakashi and Rin each elbowed Obito in the stomach. "Shut up!" 

Shindai immediately gloated, "That's what you get for running your mouth!" 

Rin Nohara and Yakushi Kabuto each placed the flowers they brought into the vase on the table beside Shindai's bed. Rin asked, "Shindai, how are you feeling?" 

Shindai replied, "Feeling? My head's still a bit fuzzy, and I'm out of strength, but otherwise, I'm okay." 

Rin smiled. "Based on the symptoms, it's just the aftermath of chakra exhaustion. A few days of rest should fix you right up." 

Kabuto looked at Shindai with admiration. "Big Brother Shindai, you're a hero now!" 

Shindai puffed out his chest proudly. "That's right, Kabuto! Do you know what I was thinking then? As a hero, I absolutely couldn't let the Nine-Tails destroy our home! With that conviction, I fought the Nine-Tails tooth and nail, practically a stalemate! I grabbed its tail and gave it an over-the-shoulder throw! You know the Tailed Beast Bomb, right? It was gathering a Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth, and I just covered its mouth directly, stopping it from firing! The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded inside its belly! I've been standing at the pinnacle of ninjas for too long, so long that I've been lonely. The Nine-Tails' appearance rekindled my will to fight! It was truly an exhilarating battle! But, of course, your Big Brother Shindai here was still more skilled, defeating the Nine-Tails and successfully winning this victory, saving Konoha Village! How about that, aren't I amazing?" 

A sudden silence fell over the hospital room. Kabuto's admiring gaze had shifted to a deadpan, fish-eyed stare. You can't just make up stories like that! 

"Pakura, where should we go for dinner later?" "Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen. What about you guys, Obito?" "Rin, Kakashi, and Kabuto, you all come too. Let's go eat at Ichiraku Ramen with Sister Pakura and them. Ichiraku Ramen is providing free meals for everyone now. After we eat, we can go help out." "Okay, sure, it's settled then." 

Seeing that Pakura and the others weren't responding to his boasts, Shindai indignantly said, "Hey, hey, hey, you guys, at least answer me after I've finished talking! And, bring me a bowl later, I want tonkotsu ramen!" 

After a noisy back-and-forth, Obito and the others went to fetch the ramen. 

Now, only Shindai, Pakura, and Akiha Uchiha remained in the hospital room. Akiha Uchiha took a deep breath and said, "Shindai, Pakura, there's something I want to tell you two. Shindai, weren't you curious about my Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi, and Tsukuyomi? These three genjutsu were indeed not originally my own. Next, I will tell you about my past." 

Shindai immediately sat up straight, because he was genuinely incredibly curious. 

Well, that was quite the recovery for Shindai, even if he's a bit delusional about his fight with the Nine-Tails! And now, it seems like Akiha Uchiha is finally going to reveal some major secrets about her past and her mysterious Mangekyo Sharingan abilities. This is going to be big! 

What do you think Akiha's past entails, and how do you think Shindai and Pakura will react to her revelations?