At the same time, Uzumaki Kushina had already arrived at the Senju compound. Without hesitation, she walked straight to Uzumaki Mito's door.
Just moments ago, Kaien had said something that seemed like a joke—but it stirred something deep inside her. She wanted to share that feeling with Uzumaki Mito.
If only one person is special, they're considered a monster. But what if there are two?
Being alone is always painful. The strong might be able to endure a solitude that others can't understand, but Kushina clearly wasn't one of them.
She was still just a thirteen-year-old girl, after all.
A girl that age would normally still be under her parents' care, maybe just starting out as a ninja, still unsure of what it even meant to carry the title—like Haruno Sakura, for example.
And girls tended to be more emotional by nature.
Kaien's words may have been spoken in jest, but they were more than enough to get Kushina's imagination running wild. She didn't need him to elaborate—her mind had already constructed an entire chain of possibilities.
That was why she'd rushed over to see Mito without even saying goodbye properly.
But now, standing in front of Mito's door, she began to hesitate.
Wasn't it far too selfish of her to make such a request of Grandma Mito, just to fulfill her own desire?
There was only one technique Kushina could think of that might be able to split the Nine-Tails in two—and it was an S-rank forbidden soul technique.
The only one that might even stand a chance.
After all, Tailed Beasts were masses of chakra, and the Nine-Tails was said to be the embodiment of hatred itself. Just becoming a Jinchūriki was a task that disqualified 99% of all shinobi from the start.
The Nine-Tails' chakra was corrosive by nature.
Once it seeped into a Jinchūriki's body, a battle of wills would begin between host and beast. If the two couldn't reconcile, the result was an endless internal war.
Fortunately, the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan were strong enough to suppress the Tailed Beast's chakra and, in some cases, even block it entirely.
As long as the host didn't have a hole in their heart.
The hallway was silent. With every passing moment, Kushina's inner turmoil grew. Just as she was about to be consumed by doubt, a voice as gentle as a mountain spring called out to her.
"Kushina? Come in."
It was Uzumaki Mito's voice, speaking from within.
With her Kagura Mind's Eye, Mito had already sensed Kushina's presence—and her emotional state, too.
"Grandma Mito..."
Kushina stood there in silence, unsure of what to say.
She was starting to regret coming. Maybe she'd been too impulsive.
Looking at Mito's kind face only made her guilt weigh heavier.
"Whatever it is you want to say, you can tell me, child. I am your family, after all."
Mito's voice was gentle, like that of a kind, elderly woman—but her presence radiated warmth and reassurance.
"It's... about the Nine-Tails..."
Kushina's voice was barely above a whisper. But Mito's patient encouragement had cracked open the dam she'd built around her thoughts.
"If we could split the Nine-Tails in two and give Minato half... wouldn't that help him, and lighten my burden at the same time?"
"Grandma Mito, just ignore me... I'm being ridiculous. I only came because I took Kaien's joke too seriously..."
Kushina shook her head again and again. There was no way she could ask Mito to give up her soul just for her selfish dream. Her regret was written all over her face.
"This can be done, Kushina. And... perhaps surrendering my soul to the Shinigami would be the most fitting end for me."
As one of the greatest sealing masters in the shinobi world, Mito immediately thought of the one technique capable of splitting the Nine-Tails—
Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
Offering her soul in exchange, she could have the Shinigami divide another soul—and in this case, that of the Nine-Tails.
Most wouldn't be able to survive such a feat, let alone release both halves of the beast afterward. But Mito could.
She knew about that boy—Uchiha Kaien.
He used to train often with Nawaki when they were kids.
And with her Kagura Mind's Eye—and the sinister chakra she'd extracted from the Nine-Tails—Mito had developed a sense for people's intent.
She could tell: Kaien had a pure heart.
No malice. No hidden motives. Just a sincere, innocent soul.
The same was true of Namikaze Minato.
She had chosen Minato, and Kushina's affection for him was clear. There was no doubt in her heart.
Now that she'd confirmed Minato carried the blood of the Senju, he was all the more suitable.
"If Minato agrees, I'll help you."
Even without the Nine-Tails inside her, Mito was confident she could live a little longer.
The chakra she had previously taken from the beast wouldn't disappear even after transferring it to Kushina and Minato.
Pure Nine-Tails chakra would be enough to sustain her life for a few more days.
And if it was chakra from the Nine-Tails' true essence, then maybe, even with the beast gone, she could remain vigorous—just like how the Eight-Tails could survive by sacrificing an octopus tentacle.
But asking the Nine-Tails to part with a tail was too cruel. Too inhumane.
Kushina, overwhelmed by emotion, blurted out, "Then why not split the Nine-Tails into three? That way, no one would have to die!"
If it could be divided in two, why not three?
"Oh, little Kushina," Mito said gently. "Have you forgotten the price of using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal? My soul would still go to the Shinigami. I wouldn't be able to remain in this world."
At most... I could delay death for half a day, Mito thought.
And truly, surrendering her soul might not be such a bad thing.
She knew what kind of forbidden jutsu Tobirama had created after death. It was no secret to her.
To prevent being manipulated by such techniques, Mito had always planned to seal her soul after death.
She had lived long enough. What she desired now was peace—eternal rest, without interference.
If she could use her end to help the next generation... then so be it.
"Grandma..."
Kushina's eyes were brimming with tears, threatening to spill at any moment.
"Don't be sad, Kushina. From here on out, it'll be up to you. Taming the Nine-Tails... will require love. But if you and Minato work together, I believe it's possible."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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