At the moment the seal weakened, the oppressive chakra of the Nine-Tails surged out violently, shaking the air with its sheer intensity.
"Hahahaha… You really broke the seal!"
"Roooaaar!"
The Nine-Tails, released from its confinement, let out a thunderous roar that echoed across the space. Its massive frame stretched as the chakra suppressed for years burst forth.
Kyuubi had initially assumed Byakuya was bluffing—that no human would dare release him willingly.
But to its surprise, Byakuya actually broke the seal.
"Kyuubi, don't forget the promise you made," Byakuya said, his tone calm as he stood protectively in front of Kushina.
The massive beast turned its burning eyes toward him, its lips curling into a sneer.
"Hmph, promise? What promise?"
"You two pests will die here!"
Without hesitation, the Nine-Tails raised a claw and swung it toward them.
Byakuya reacted instantly, grabbing Kushina and flickering to the side with swift agility, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"You damn fox! You broke your word!" he growled, holding Kushina tightly.
"Don't make me laugh. You humans are the ones who sealed me like a beast! Why should I honor a deal with you!?"
With a snarl, the Nine-Tails lunged again.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "So be it. I gave you a chance."
"You think you can fight me?" the Nine-Tails bellowed with scorn. "I'll tear you apart!"
Byakuya stepped forward confidently, forming a series of seals with practiced speed.
"Sealing Jutsu – Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
From the ground, golden chakra chains—identical to those once used by Kushina—erupted and shot toward the Nine-Tails.
"What—!?"
The chains wrapped tightly around Kyuubi's limbs and tails, suppressing its movement and chakra with incredible force.
"Tch… Uzumaki sealing techniques!? You—you're not just some Uchiha..."
The Nine-Tails struggled, thrashing violently, but the more it moved, the tighter the chains became. In moments, the beast was restrained and pinned to the ground, unable to move.
"You damn fox," Byakuya said, walking up to its snout. "I kept my word. You didn't."
He tapped the beast's head with a smirk. "You wasted your chance."
"You... cursed human...!"
The Nine-Tails' eyes glowed red with hatred, chakra bubbling around its body—but it was helpless.
[You have provoked the Nine-Tails' rage: +6000 Negative Energy | Chakra +100]
[You have provoked the Nine-Tails' rage: +7000 Negative Energy | Chakra +120]
[You have provoked the Nine-Tails' rage: +8000 Negative Energy | Chakra +130]
Byakuya's smile widened as the system notifications appeared.
"Kushina," he said casually, "the Nine-Tails has been subdued. Want to touch him?"
"He's kind of fluffy."
"Eh!? Really!? I mean... is it safe now?" Kushina asked, blinking in surprise as she looked at the sealed beast.
After hearing Byakuya's words, Kushina cautiously approached the Nine-Tails.
Sensing her presence, the Nine-Tails instinctively tried to struggle, but its massive body was tightly bound by thick, glowing chakra chains—the Adamantine Sealing Chains, unique to the Uzumaki Clan. Trapped like a bound beast, it could only growl lowly, unable to resist.
"Wow… it's so fluffy…"
Kushina whispered in amazement. Seeing the Nine-Tails unable to move, her fear faded, replaced by childish curiosity. She reached out and ran her hands through the thick, crimson fur, inching closer with growing boldness.
The mighty Nine-Tails, the incarnation of pure chakra and hatred, was now reduced to a grumbling, immobilized creature—humiliated as Kushina and Byakuya treated it like a giant plush toy.
As the interaction continued, Byakuya's system absorbed a tremendous amount of negative chakra from the Nine-Tails' wrath.
"Sealing Technique: Crimson Prison!"
With a shout, Byakuya formed a string of hand seals, and a massive seal formation descended from above like a cage made of glowing kanji. It slammed down around the Nine-Tails, creating a reinforced chakra prison within Kushina's mindscape.
"You had your chance, Nine-Tails," Byakuya said coldly. "Now you can rot here until you learn obedience."
He turned and walked away with Kushina, leaving only the echo of the Nine-Tails' furious roar reverberating within the sealed dimension.
…
At the gates of Konohagakure, two figures coated in travel dust approached swiftly.
"Lord Jiraiya! Minato-sama! You've returned!"
The guards immediately stood at attention upon recognizing the legendary pair—Jiraiya of the Sannin, and his student, Minato Namikaze.
"Hah… finally back," Jiraiya groaned, stretching his limbs. "As much as I love Myoboku Mountain, I'll take real beds and human food over insect paste any day…"
The Toad Mountain's ascetic lifestyle clearly hadn't suited him.
Over the past few weeks, Jiraiya had taken Minato to Mount Myōboku to train him in Sage Mode under the guidance of Fukasaku and Shima. Though Minato had shown promise, results were mixed.
"Sensei… I'm sorry," Minato said solemnly, eyes downcast. "I still can't maintain Sage Mode for more than a few seconds in battle. I couldn't meet your expectations."
Jiraiya clapped him on the shoulder, smiling with pride rather than disappointment.
"Don't be ridiculous, Minato. You've done better than I ever expected. Even drawing in nature energy without turning into a toad is impressive. You're almost there."
Though Minato couldn't fully master Sage Mode like Naruto or Jiraiya, he had achieved a level where he could enter the mode briefly, making it useful in combination with his high-speed techniques.
The two of them continued into the village unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface.
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