Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

The sound of breaking windows rang out, and Izumi Kawa led Momona straight into the Fourth Generation's house, stepping through the shattered glass and looking at the rather cozy furnishings.

"What a pity!"

"who!?"

Kushina managed to utter a sound. The natural birth of Naruto and the cesarean section of Kurama had left her utterly exhausted, like a candle flickering in the wind.

As the Hokage, Minato had his responsibilities, while Kushina simply wanted to stay by Naruto's side in the final moments of her life.

Naruto's cries rang out again. Kushina looked at the intruding enemy and gave a bitter smile. Wouldn't they even leave their last bit of tenderness for her and her son?

"optimization!"

Izumikawa raised his hand, a glow of medical ninjutsu emanating from it, and pressed it against Kushina, who was preparing to fight to the death.

But once the gentle chakra entered her body, it continuously healed and attempted to repair her body.

"Like chakra, life force is constantly draining away, like a bucket with a huge, irreparable hole that can't be repaired no matter how much water is poured in?"

Izumi murmured to himself, but even with his "optimization," Kushina's huge hole only showed a slight healing ability, temporarily restoring Kushina to a certain state.

Kushina, who was prepared to fight to the death, originally intended to fight back if the other party planned to harm Naruto, but unexpectedly chose to heal him instead.

Although somewhat surprised, he understood that the other party had ulterior motives, so he gave a wry smile and said.

"Don't bother, I can't possibly survive."

"Who are you people? You shouldn't be Konoha ninjas!"

Kushina, having recovered some of her strength from the treatment, gently comforted Naruto while glancing at the two uninvited guests who had barged in.

One was a white-haired boy with red eyeshadow and one white eye; the other was a girl with long red hair and chakra fluctuations that she found somewhat familiar.

"Are you also a member of the Uzumaki clan?"

"Um!"

Momona responded and, looking at her older sister from the same clan, couldn't help but step forward and extend her arm.

"Sister, bite me. Absorbing my chakra can heal you, and you should feel better. However, even Izumi-sama couldn't heal you, so my constitution probably won't be of much use."

"Thank you, but no need."

Looking at the girl's fair wrist, Kushina politely declined her offer. Thanks to the boy's treatment, she was already able to move around a little.

She slowly got up, holding Naruto in her arms. A few strands of her red hair were stuck to her forehead with sweat, but she was still incredibly strong.

"What do you want from here?"

"Give her the sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan!"

Izumi was very straightforward and demanded it directly, using Momona's Uzumaki clan bloodline as a bargaining chip.

"good!"

Kushina looked at Momona, but she didn't see any threat in the other's eyes.

Moreover, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, she herself has been able to sense a certain degree of goodwill and malice over time.

"I hope you can treat her well. There are not many of us left in the Uzumaki clan."

Kushina handed the scroll she had taken out to Momona, and looked at Izumikawa, who hadn't moved at all, with a look of approval on her face.

Even if it's just for show, this is enough. It increases the child's importance in the other person's eyes, and that should make life easier for him/her!

Swish!

A yellow flash appeared, and in a single glance, the situation inside the room was cleared. The pupils contracted, and the figure had already appeared behind Izumi.

The specially made Flying God Thunder Kunai was already held against Izumi's neck.

But a bone blade was already pressed against Minato's waist; if either side took a step forward, both would be severely injured.

"Minato, they mean no harm!" Kushina exclaimed, and Minato appeared in front of them the next moment, staring at Izumi and Momona.

White hair, white eyes, bone blade—it's Izumi Taketori, the traitor from Kirigakure mentioned in the report. And the other one... red hair, a member of the Uzumaki clan?

"Fourth Hokage, I know you have more important things to do. My goal has been achieved, and I will not stay in Konoha for long."

"As for the person who attacked your Konoha, I have been investigating them, because someone once used genjutsu to control the Third Mizukage and manipulate Kirigakure."

Izumi spoke first, revealing some information, which shocked Minato: I didn't expect there to be such a thing?

The Third Mizukage was once controlled by that person using genjutsu. Could it really be Madara Uchiha?

Minato's thoughts raced, and he asked, "So, you're not with that masked man?"

Izumi nodded slightly. Having obtained the item, he had no intention of lingering. He reached out and pulled Momona into his arms, then leaped backward.

His lips moved slightly, leaving behind a few words. Then, a dark shadow swept past and disappeared, leaving only a large skeletal bird in the shadows.

"What did they do?" Minato asked anxiously, concerned for Kushina and Naruto.

Kushina slowly shook her head and said, "They tried to treat me, but it didn't help much, though it did help me recover a bit."

"They came for the Uzumaki clan's sealing technique scroll, and I didn't refuse; I handed it over to them."

Minato gave a light "hmm," unconcerned, and said in a deep voice, "It's good that they didn't attack you. Let's go do what we need to do!"

Kushina looked at Naruto in her arms and understood what her husband wanted to do. She gently leaned against his chest and responded with a soft sound.

The Flying Thunder Technique was activated again, leaving the cozy little house empty and desolate, never to see its daily routines again.

……

The Nine-Tails roared, and Minato brought Kushina back to the area. The Third Hokage, who had been responsible for stalling, breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that he's old and frail, he can't hold off the Nine-Tails for long, so the only person he can rely on is Minato.

The two of them worked together to delay the chaos in the village until the barrier team was ready, so they could reseal the Nine-Tails.

When Kushina's Adamantine Sealing Barrier wrapped around the Nine-Tails, Minato had already made his decision by the time the conversation ended.

"Wait, Minato, this seal is..." The Third Hokage looked at the familiar seal, which was none other than the [Dead Demon Seal], and couldn't help but shout it out.

Minato gave a carefree smile and said, "Sorry, old man, please allow me to be selfish this once!"

"I want Kushina to see what Naruto will look like when he grows up, so I'm entrusting Naruto to you. Please help him grow up well!"

"Dead Demon Sealing!"

With Minato's resolute action, the phantom of the Grim Reaper was summoned, sealing half of the Nine-Tails' body within himself.

They began setting up the Eight Trigrams Seal, but Kurama, unwilling to be sealed again, struggled to break free and attacked Kushina and Naruto.

Blood dripped from Kurama's fingertips onto Naruto, but Minato and Kushina, his parents, blocked the attack.

The sealing is about to begin...

……

Above, a giant skeletal bird soared, while Izumi Kawa silently gazed down, holding a jar covered in sealing patterns—the very chakra he had collected from the Nine-Tails.

I sighed deeply. Throughout history, countless people have died for love.

Having achieved his goal, he took Momona and flew away into the distance.