When Kushina opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dim, shadowy space. In front of her stood a massive iron gate, towering high with water pooled all over the floor, giving the place a cold, oppressive atmosphere. A sealing tag with the kanji for "Seal" (封) was affixed to the center of the gate.
"Kushina… long time no see!" A giant fox face pressed against the bars of the cage, barely contained behind the iron gate. Its fierce eyes, gaping maw, and razor-sharp teeth made it appear all the more menacing.
"Nine-Tails… long time no see," Kushina replied coolly.
The Nine-Tails said nothing.
Back in her prime, Kushina had possessed Kage-level strength. With the Uzumaki Clan's secret sealing technique—Adamantine Sealing Chains—she used to bind the Nine-Tails like a prisoner, forcing him into submission.
Now, trapped behind the bars, the Nine-Tails had no choice but to lower its head. Even threats would be useless. Kushina could easily drag him into a rope bondage sealing session and beat him senseless.
Through its senses, the Nine-Tails knew Kushina had spent the entire day with Naruto. After witnessing the boy's tragic circumstances, her current mood was clearly far from pleasant—a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. Provoking her now? Not a good idea.
Ever since the day it had been extracted from Uzumaki Mito and sealed into Kushina, the Nine-Tails had come to know:If Kushina had a bad day… he'd suffer a worse night.
Whether it was sealing techniques, Adamantine Chains, or any other torturous methods, Kushina wielded them all with cruel precision. The Nine-Tails had contributed plenty—unwillingly—to her combat mastery.
Worst of all, when Kushina was upset, it wasn't just a matter of being "locked in a cage." No, she'd pin him to a giant molten fireball, forcing him to endure constant burning agony.
The Nine-Tails would never forget the fear of being dominated by this fiery red-haired demon.
"The brat you're looking for is in that room." The Nine-Tails, desperate to survive, pointed a claw at a chamber deeper inside, eager to send this goddess of fury away as fast as possible.
"Hm… Nine-Tails," Kushina said calmly. "I remember the night I gave birth to Naruto… You used this very claw to pierce straight through me and Minato. Right?"
"It's all a misunderstanding!" the Nine-Tails stammered in panic. "I was being controlled by the Sharingan! You've got to believe me—let me explain!"
But Kushina wasn't interested in explanations.
With a furious snap, several chakra chains erupted from her back. Her vibrant red hair stood on end like fire, and without another word, she pounded the Nine-Tails inside the cage.
"Taking advantage of me while I was in labor, huh?!"
"Thought you could break loose while I was weak, huh?!"
"Killed me and Minato with just one claw—you feel real proud of that, don't you?!"
"Huh?! Answer me!"
"Why so quiet all of a sudden?!"
That day, the Nine-Tails was reminded of the terror of being dominated by Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Chains.
That day, the Nine-Tails deeply regretted ever raising its claw. Stupid claw!
"Raaaagh! Kushina, don't think I'm scared of you!" the fox roared from behind the bars. "If you've got the guts, let me out and we'll settle this one-on-one!"
Kushina's response?More chains.Adamantine Sealing Chains, triple strength.
"Oh? Still got some fight in you?" she sneered."You're feeling bold now, huh?""If Danzo hadn't summoned you with the Mangekyō Sharingan that night, do you think I'd ever be afraid of you?""The sealing arts of the Uzumaki Clan could teach you to act like a proper fox in minutes!"
Indeed, at her full strength, Kushina could unleash the full power of the Adamantine Sealing Chains, and beating the Nine-Tails was like a parent disciplining a child. He didn't even have the strength to complain.
Even during the Nine-Tails incident, just after giving birth, severely weakened and bleeding out, she still held the Nine-Tails in place long enough for Minato to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to reseal it.
Now? In her prime?
Forget it—he had zero chance.
Half an hour later, Kushina let out a relaxed sigh. The pent-up anger she had accumulated throughout the day had been thoroughly vented—with the Nine-Tails as the perfect punching bag.
Pinned upside down by thirteen sealing chains, the Nine-Tails wept silently. It didn't just hate the Uzumaki Clan now—it especially hated the masked man who had broken the seal that night.
"Minato, come out," Kushina said to the air.
A gentle glow flickered as Minato Namikaze appeared from the shadows, looking surprised.
"Kushina… your chakra—why is it so full?" he asked in shock. "Wait, you're not just a chakra imprint—this is… your real body?!"
"That's right. I was revived by Itachi with Impure World Reincarnation," she said flatly.
"Impure World Reincarnation…?" Minato's expression darkened. "That's the Second Hokage's forbidden jutsu."
She nodded.
"What did you call me out for? My chakra's limited in this form. I still need to save some for Naruto in case he needs help with the Nine-Tails later—"
"Don't worry about chakra." Kushina extended her hand.
Minato blinked, then smiled. "Oh, right… I forgot. You have a real body now."
He took her hand, and her chakra began flowing into his chakra imprint, restoring him.
Sitting beside him, Kushina said seriously, "Minato… I've figured out who the masked man from that night was."
"Who?" Minato asked, his expression grave.
"Shimura Danzo," she growled.
"Danzo?" Minato blinked in surprise.
"Yes. Shimura Danzo's right eye is a Sharingan—no, a Mangekyō Sharingan. And his arm is made from cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!" Kushina said, trembling with rage. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
Minato's face darkened.
"Only someone with intimate knowledge of the village," he said slowly, "could have known exactly when to strike—To wipe out the Third's personal guards, bypass Konoha's highest security seals, target the moment the Nine-Tails' seal was weakest during labor, and use Mangekyō Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails…
Aside from Uchiha Madara—long dead—the only one who fits that profile…is Danzo, the Hokage's advisor!"
"I used to wonder why he would come after us," Minato continued."But now I remember—That masked man said he wanted to start a war… to reclaim the Tailed Beasts… to unite the shinobi world.That's exactly what Danzo believes! He never agreed with the First Hokage splitting up the Tailed Beasts and always wanted to centralize power."
"Then when I became Hokage and started trying to remove his influence, that gave him the motive he needed to strike first!" Minato's voice sharpened.
The more he analyzed, the clearer it became.
"Damn it! If the masked man really was Danzo… that means our son Naruto has been left in his hands all this time…" Minato's face changed drastically.
"Exactly!" Kushina's eyes burned with fury. "Naruto's life in Konoha… it's been inhuman. Under Danzo's manipulation and persecution, he's lived worse than a stray dog!
"This was all revenge!Danzo retaliated against us by destroying Naruto's future!"
Tears began flowing from her eyes.
Even the battered Nine-Tails blinked in shock.
Danzo?He was the one who used the Sharingan to control me? That bastard… If I ever get free again, I'm going to tear him to pieces!If not for him, I wouldn't have had to endure this insane woman's beatdown!
"What about the Third Hokage? Kakashi? Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato asked.
"After your death, the Third resumed the Hokage role. Kakashi joined the ANBU. As for Jiraiya-sensei—he was traveling and gathering information.Naruto was sent to an orphanage, and all our property was confiscated," Kushina said coldly."This… is the Konoha you died protecting."
"…I see." Minato's face turned pale with regret.
He'd calculated for everything—except that the real enemy came from within the village.His death had given the traitors a perfect opportunity.Even worse, it gave them time to ruin his son's life.
Maybe… dying with Kushina that night was too hasty after all.
"…Kushina, I'm sorry," Minato murmured.