"That is..."
"It's Tsunade-sama!!!"
"Tsunade-sama has returned!!!"
"The Sannin! One of Konoha's Three Sannin, the Slug Princess! Princess Tsunade, granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage!"
Elsewhere in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally saw a glimmer of hope in this desperate struggle when he witnessed the massive slug summoned by his disciple, who had been absent from the village for years.
This world's Minato Namikaze also noticed the slug, shock written all over his face.
Who could have expected Tsunade-sama to return to the village at a time like this? What an unexpected blessing.
["Then I'll go deal with the Nine-Tails."]
"It's the Fourth Hokage!"
"Minato-sama!"
The shinobi from both villages standing outside the parallel world watched the scene unfold. In Konohagakure, some couldn't hold back their tears. How long had it been since they last saw Minato-sama?
Because Minato Namikaze had been wearing ANBU attire and using the Transformation Technique to disguise both his voice and appearance, most of Konoha's ninja never realized that the real Minato was actually right there with them. Like everyone else, he was unable to move, only able to watch the events of another world as though observing a distant projection.
The slug, as large as a Tailed Beast, split apart like melting ice cream, dividing into tens of thousands of smaller slugs. They actively crawled onto the wounded, administering rapid medical treatment.
It was nothing short of a miracle, pulling comrades back from the brink of death.
Iruka's eyes went wide.
He saw two slugs crawl onto his parents.
If…
If someone had truly been confirmed dead, the slugs would not remain on the body. They would choose to heal the living instead.
Which meant that, at least in that parallel world, his father and mother were still alive.
This had always been the deepest wound in his heart. He never imagined he would witness a miracle like this.
Iruka watched as, in that world, his mother, Kohari Umino, let out a faint groan under the treatment of the Katsuyu. Right after that, his father, Ikkaku Umino, stirred and slowly regained consciousness.
A young girl's voice echoed from the slug, though no one could tell which part of it the sound came from.
"That's wonderful. Their injuries are severe, but they can still be saved."
But at that very moment, the Nine-Tails, completely enraged, began gathering crimson and blue chakra in its mouth. The energies fused together, forming a massive purplish-black orb of power.
"It's a Tailed Beast Ball!"
In the minds of many Konoha ninja, this was the very same attack Shukaku and the Nine-Tails had used before. The collision of such energy spheres had shattered reality into countless parallel worlds, forcing them to traverse between them again and again.
"An attack like that… if it's aimed at Konoha…"
"Even Tsunade-sama wouldn't be able to stop it!"
Just as those outside the parallel world grew frantic...
"Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram!"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as the ground shook violently. Gamabunta crashed down squarely onto the Nine-Tails.
Inside the parallel world, those still receiving treatment from the slugs widened their eyes.
"It's Minato-sama! The Fourth Hokage-sama has finally arrived!"
Gamabunta roared, "I can't hold this guy back! Minato!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Minato activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, carrying the Nine-Tails away from the area and into a more distant battlefield.
At last, the people of this parallel world could relax enough to continue receiving treatment from Katsuyu, though their hearts remained heavy with worry over the battle between the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails.
...
Meanwhile...
The Konoha ninja who had been suddenly summoned here to witness all of this, those who had already lived through these events once before, showed not a single hint of joy on their faces.
Because they knew.
On this very day, twelve years ago…
For the sake of the village, the Fourth Hokage had stood alone against the Nine-Tails and ultimately…made the ultimate sacrifice.
…
"Didn't you ask why we bullied a kid?"
A Konoha ninja lowered his head and spoke quietly to the Sunagakure ninja beside him, as if talking to himself.
"Huh?"
The Sunagakure ninja was completely taken aback.
"Why?"
"Because that monster killed the Fourth Hokage-sama! Because the Nine-Tails Fox is sealed inside that monster!!"
"!!!"
Shikamaru, Hinata, Ino, Chōji, Kiba, Shino, Neji, Lee, and Tenten were almost all struck dumb with shock.
Based on everything they had seen before, the "monster" that man was talking about was—
Naruto?!
Then they looked again at the Nine-Tails, the beast that could wipe out the entire village with a single blow.
So that thing had been sealed inside Naruto Uzumaki's body all along?!
"Hey!! That's S-rank village intel!! You bastard!!"
"How is this any different from betraying the village?!"
The word "betrayal" hit like a hammer. Even that middle-aged man, who was still nothing more than a genin, went pale with fear.
"W-what does that have to do with me?!" he shouted. "Even if I didn't say anything, everyone would see it sooner or later anyway, right?!"
Just as he said, a tremendously destructive explosion erupted in the far distance of another parallel world.
"It's over there! The Fourth Hokage took the Nine-Tails in that direction!!"
Sakura and Rin, who were treating the wounded alongside the other medical-nin, stared toward that direction, their brows tightly furrowed.
They both knew it was the Fourth Hokage—Minato-sensei—who had led the Nine-Tails away from here.
Tsunade and Shizune realized the same thing.
"Katsuyu, stay here. I'll be gone for a while," Tsunade ordered.
Sakura said anxiously, "But that distance… we don't have the Fourth Hokage-sama's Flying Thunder God Technique…"
Rin held her breath and focused, trying to break free from this parallel world.
To her surprise, it was far easier than she had imagined. A transparent membrane suddenly formed around her, bouncing both her and Sakura beside her outward.
Tsunade and Shizune quickly caught on as well, using the same method to return to the fissure between the original parallel worlds.
When all of them arrived together, the scenery around them had completely changed.
They had reached the main battlefield where the Nine-Tails and the Fourth Hokage were fighting.
And there, they saw the Fourth Hokage bringing a woman and an infant onto the battlefield?!
The woman had blood-red long hair. She was dressed in maternity clothes, her face gaunt, blood staining the corner of her mouth.
"This is… what is going on?!!"
"Why would the Fourth Hokage bring a woman who's just given birth and a baby onto the battlefield?"
"Wait! That woman looks like—"
Genma Shiranui swallowed hard. He, along with Raido Namiashi and Aoba Yamashiro, were the Fourth Hokage-sama's personal guards. There was no way they wouldn't recognize her.
"That's the woman who could make even the Fourth Hokage-sama give in," Genma said.
"Exactly," Aoba Yamashiro agreed. "If there's anyone who could completely keep the Fourth Hokage in check, it would definitely be Kushina-sama."
Raido Namiashi frowned. "Before the Nine-Tails incident, Kushina-sama hadn't gone to the Hokage Tower to see the Fourth Hokage for a long time. Looking at how she was dressed back then, could it be…"
"Pregnant!!!"
The word burst out of all three of them almost at the same time.
"Then…" Genma stared at the swaddled infant in the Fourth Hokage's arms in that parallel world. "Could that child be the Fourth Hokage-sama's own son?!!"
As the Fourth Hokage's guards, and knowing that he would give his life in this battle, the three of them were in agony. Like everyone else, their bodies were gray and pale, flat like two-dimensional paper figures. No matter how anxious they felt, they couldn't rush in to help the Fourth Hokage.
And to be blunt, with their level of strength, even if they could get there, they would only get in the way.
Others felt the same way, including several of Minato Namikaze's disciples.
Obito was both furious and panicked. Staring at Kushina in that world, he was overwhelmed with guilt.
"If I weren't so weak, maybe I could've safely brought Kakashi and Rin back to Konoha in that parallel world," he said bitterly. "If I were still alive in that world, maybe I could help Minato-sensei in this fight!"
Naruto had already tried every possible way earlier. He couldn't use chakra, and he couldn't move at all.
He looked at his family in that parallel world, his eyes full of pain and sorrow, completely powerless to help.
["I have to deploy the barrier as soon as possible, but my chakra is already…"]
Young Kakashi said quietly, "Minato-sensei already used up a huge amount of chakra fighting that masked man. Just like he said, that guy's abilities are strange, and his methods are filthy."
Both Obito and Rin had seen it that night of the Nine-Tails incident. The masked man had used explosive tags on the newborn Naruto to lure Minato-sensei away.
Such tactics were truly despicable. He had to be a cruel and vicious person.
["I can still hold on a little longer…"]
Looking utterly exhausted, Kushina forced out the very last of her chakra and unleashed the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Dozens of thick golden chains erupted from her back with overwhelming force, spreading across the sky and forming an unbreakable seal. They slammed the Nine-Tails' head, neck, limbs, body, and all nine of its tails firmly into the ground.
It was an incredibly powerful and magnificent sight. Yet because it was the red-haired woman risking her life for her family, the spectacle carried an unspoken sense of tragedy beneath its awe.
"Mom—!!!" Naruto cried out in anguish.
Nearby, Minato Namikaze's throat tightened, his eyes burning.
Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Aoba Yamashiro were stunned when they heard Naruto's cry.
What did that Nine-Tails kid just call the Fourth Hokage-sama's wife, Kushina-sama?
…Mom?!!!
"!!!!"
...