Konoha Drunkard

"It's alright, the mysterious man has already escaped. How's the situation in the village?" Minato asked.

"The Nine-Tails is under a genjutsu, and Lord Shanks couldn't wake it up. The Third Hokage sent me to check on the situation here. The village... I'm afraid it will have to be rebuilt after tonight..." Kakashi said.

"I'll take Kushina there right away." After hearing Kakashi's words, Minato flashed into the delivery room.

"Minato, are you alright?" Kushina asked quickly as she saw Minato enter with only a little sweat on his forehead and no other injuries.

"Ah, the mysterious man has already escaped. Now we'll return to the village to seal the Nine-Tails. Lady Tsunade, Naruto is in your care now," Minato said, looking at Tsunade.

.........

"Lord Hokage!"

"Lord Hokage!"

"...Is this Konoha?"

Kushina, carried back to the village by Minato using the Flying Thunder God Technique, was stunned by the ruins. The Nine-Tails had only left her stomach for less than half an hour, and the village had already become like this. The Nine-Tails' destructive power was too strong.

"...It's not entirely the Nine-Tails' fault; it's mostly caused by Lord Shanks tossing the Nine-Tails around." There are honest people in the Anbu, like this Anbu member who dared to speak the truth, who received a gratifying look from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"...Uncle is really..." Kushina weakly looked up at the sky, speechless. She had initially felt guilty that the village was in such a state because of her, but upon hearing that the culprit seemed to be that lewd uncle, she instantly felt utterly exasperated. Compared to Kurama (the Nine-Tails), her uncle was the biggest troublemaker...

"boom!"

"Hey! Cousin Kurama, you're awake? Do you know I used all the strength I'd saved up over decades to save you? Look at me now, my arms and legs are all worn out. Is this how you thank me? You start hitting me as soon as you wake up." Just as Minato and Kushina were speechlessly looking up at the sky, a huge object landed and an exaggerated sound came from afar.

"Ah! Thank you, you son of a bitch! Go to hell!"

"boom!"

The Nine-Tails' angry voice followed, followed by another loud bang.

Those who heard the sound were already picturing a red-haired drunkard beating up an angry fox.

Actually, Kurama woke up when Obito ran away. Just as it was confused, it saw the person it hated the most. Although its appearance had changed a lot, its annoying aura remained the same. It recognized the bastard who had been harassing it all these years at a glance. So Kurama continued to attack, relentlessly attacking Shanks. It was blasted away again and again, but it seemed not to feel any pain. It would get up immediately after lying down and continue to fight, even more relentlessly than when it was under a genjutsu.

"Hey, hey, hey! Now is not the time to fight. Do you know how long you've been away from Kushina's stomach? If this drags on any longer, Kushina will be in danger. You are, after all, Kushina's elder. How can you bear to let a white-haired fox send off a black-haired person?" Shanks said after knocking Kurama to the ground.

Compared to the Nine-Tails' enormous body, Shanks' relatively tall body looked like a molecule in front of the Nine-Tails. People in the distance felt a sense of incongruity watching the confrontation between the two objects; a giant was actually defeated by an ant.

"Damn it! That damned Uchiha Madara, where is he? Get out here!" Kurama's brain had probably been locked up for too long, and its reaction was a bit slow. It hadn't yet grasped the key point in Shanks' words. It was still holding a grudge against Madara, the man who had kidnapped it.

"boom!"

"Are you out of your mind from being locked up? Didn't you get the point I was making? I said you've been out for too long, Kushina can't take it anymore, hurry up and go back into your belly." Shanks couldn't help but jump onto Kurama's head again and give him a good punch.

"Ouch, ouch! You damn red-haired brat, you're asking for it!" Nine-Tails snapped out of its daze after being hit, stood up on its two hind legs, and clenched its front paws into fists to smash towards Shanks.

"boom!"

"Not very strong, huh? Have you been locked up for too long? Even your fists are weak." Shanks, having withstood a punch from Kurama, said disdainfully. He really was taking advantage of a little bit of his power, just like Enma. He even wondered if all non-human beings in the ninja world were this arrogant.

"Ah! I'll eat you!"

It was one thing when it was still in his belly, but now that it's out, this annoying red-haired brat still dares to look down on him. Does he think his reputation from all those years was just for show? The Nine-Tails opened its mouth and was about to go over to Shanks.

"boom!"

"Damn, how long has it been since you brushed your teeth? Your breath stinks so bad." Shanks looked at the Nine-Tails opening its mouth to approach, especially the smell coming from its mouth. He felt a wave of stomach acid and almost threw up his dinner from the night before. If he really went into its mouth, he would probably have to wash for a year to get rid of that smell. Without thinking, he dodged to the side and punched that fox face with an iron fist.

"...Ku-Tails, stop hitting it! Kushina is about to die!" When Minato arrived carrying the semi-conscious Kushina, he saw Shanks beating up the giant Nine-Tails. This was the first time he had ever seen the Nine-Tails in its true form. The aura emanating from it was far more powerful than the Eight-Tails octopus he had seen before. If Shanks hadn't been there tonight, Konoha would probably be in serious trouble.

"Hmph! Why should I go back? Back then, I only agreed to accept Kushina's seal from Mito Uzumaki. It's your fault that I can come out now." Kurama said arrogantly, raising its fox head.

"..." Kurama's words left Minato speechless. This guy really did learn a lot while he was in Kushina's belly. He would have Kushina read books and newspapers to him all the time. Now, he had just finished spouting a bunch of profound principles, leaving Minato speechless.

"Heh! Looks like all those years really didn't go to waste. You've learned something new, haven't you? You haven't been beaten up by me yet, have you?" Shanks rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was about to go up and beat it up again.

"Come on! Do you think I'm afraid of you? If I hadn't been under a genjutsu and hadn't lost my senses, you wouldn't have been able to hit me." Kurama was equally unfazed. This was only the second time in its many years of life that it had been beaten by a human. Hashirama Senju could absorb its chakra, so what if it backed down? This bastard didn't have any special skills that could make it admit defeat. Anyway, it wouldn't die until its chakra was gone. Even if it died, it could start over in a few years. Besides, even if this red-haired bastard exhausted himself, he couldn't possibly disperse its chakra. Did he think that it, the leader of the tailed beasts, was just playing around?

401. Give more to the children.

"Heh! You've got some nerve, haven't you? You think no one can handle you now that Hashirama Senju isn't around? Say that again if you dare!"

"Come and try me if you dare!"

"Say it again if you dare."

"Come and try me if you dare!"

"Say it again if you dare."

"........."

Everyone stared blankly at the two, one big and one small, arguing like children in the middle of a fight, while Minato looked up at the sky speechlessly.

Grandpa, you're a legendary figure in the ninja world, can't you be a little more reliable? Your niece's life is hanging by a thread right now. But he didn't dare say these things out loud, because he was of a lower generation.

Shanks didn't dare to push the Nine-Tails too hard. He didn't even know if Kushina's current life force was enough to completely seal the Nine-Tails, let alone violently seal it. The Nine-Tails' chakra was quite astonishing, even more so than Shanks's walking chakra. After all, it was a product of the Six Paths' uneven distribution. Even if the other eight tailed beasts united as one family, they couldn't defeat it. If he violently sealed his beloved niece and something happened to her, he would become the protagonist of the story of a white-haired man burying his black-haired son.

"Kurama, are you really just going to watch Kushina, whom you've watched grow up, die so young and beautiful right after giving birth? Think about how you lived in her womb all these years. Did she ever mistreat you? She fed you, slept for you, read to you, and taught you to read. Are you just going to watch her die so young? Doesn't your conscience hurt? Is this how the Six Paths taught you?" Since force didn't work, he tried a softer approach. When it came to acting, Shanks never hesitated. His heart-wrenching voice perfectly portrayed the despair of an elder watching their loved one about to leave. Even the emotionless, straight-laced Kakashi was moved to tears by his performance.

"...Right now, Kushina's chakra is simply insufficient to support her sealing my chakra. You need to find another Jinchuriki to share my other half of my chakra. That way, we can save Kushina's life." Kurama felt incredibly ashamed after hearing this. Thinking about it carefully, it did seem to have let Kushina down. For years, it had lived like a king inside Kushina's belly. Aside from lacking a tiny bit of freedom, Kushina had tried her best to fulfill its every request. Even reading to it every day, something she hated most, was done without complaint. Besides, it was practically Kushina's elder. Thinking about it this way, it really did seem a bit unfair...

"Alright, that's enough. You're the noble and great Kurama, so you can't just take your words for granted. Tsunade! Bring the savior... ptooey! Bring Naruto over here and seal half of Kurama's chakra inside him." Shanks was afraid it would go back on its word, so he immediately shouted at Tsunade as soon as it finished speaking.

"Hmph! I always keep my word." The Nine-Tailed Fox arrogantly raised its head, too lazy to pay attention to this bastard. Although this bastard was annoying, he was touched by his younger relatives and nephews. For that reason alone, the Nine-Tailed Fox did not intend to argue with him.

"Teacher, Naruto is still so young. Even if it's half of Kurama's chakra, can he withstand it?" Although Minato agreed to let his son become a Jinchūriki, if his son didn't do it, then someone else would. He grew up with Kushina and naturally knew what life was like for a Jinchūriki, so he would rather his son suffer than let other villagers suffer. However, he was still a little worried, after all, he had just been born.

"You don't know anything! It's because he's still young that we're letting him get used to Kurama's chakra from a young age. Besides, Kurama's chakra is also nurturing his body. When he grows up, he'll definitely be more powerful than you. And he's a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, how could he not even handle half of Kurama's chakra? Don't worry." Shanks was spouting nonsense to Minato. He was actually trying to save Minato. He had planned everything perfectly, but he never expected Obito to be so weak. Just replacing Biwako's character with the violent medical saint Tsunade wouldn't work. In the original story, he could still communicate with Minato, but now Minato was fine except for a bit of cold sweat on his forehead. Moreover, Kurama didn't give the couple a heart attack because of his presence.

The story ended there, and Minato passed the day unscathed. Who knows if Kishimoto will create another plot twist because his eldest son didn't die? To appease Kishimoto, Shanks had no choice but to continue having the savior act as a jinchūriki, at least making Kishimoto owe him a favor for future favors.

"Prepare the sealing team, try to allocate as many slots as possible to the children, Kushina has lost too much life force," Tsunade said, placing Naruto with the Uzumaki clan members who were Kushina.

"........"

Kurama sounds so awkward. What does "get a bigger share" mean? Does he think he's a cake? If it weren't for his absolute authority, he would have already gone berserk and killed someone. Hashirama Senju's granddaughter really doesn't know how to talk.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's years of nurturing the Uzumaki clan finally paid off. When it comes to sealing techniques, the Uzumaki clan isn't boasting; they claim to be second to none in the ninja world. Even something as difficult as separating the Nine-Tails' chakra is a piece of cake for them. In a village like Sunagakure, where even a fat cat could create a loophole in sealing techniques, they wouldn't dare accept the Nine-Tails even if given one—they simply couldn't seal it.

"Lord Shanks, Kushina has reached her limit and we can't seal too many more, but the child has also reached her limit. There's still a quarter of her chakra that we can't seal." Just as the sealing was going very smoothly, the leader of the sealing team said to his boss.

"puff!"

Shanks sprayed a mouthful of strong liquor onto the face of the sealing squad leader. Even at this point, Kishimoto still had to pull some tricks. Was he worried because his eldest son wasn't pregnant? Well, now the whole family of three has become Jinchūriki, all loving and devoted to each other.

"Wait until it's on me, I can handle this chakra." Sure enough! Shanks had just finished spitting out the wine when his eldest son immediately spoke up.

“Minato, you are the Hokage, how can you become a Jinchūriki?” Hiruzen Sarutobi advised.

"Third Hokage, it is precisely because I am the Hokage that I should become a Jinchūriki. I do not want my villagers to live their entire lives under the strange gazes of others," Minato said with a serious expression.

At that moment, Shanks seemed to see holy light emanating from Minato. No wonder Kishimoto wanted to kill him off; otherwise, even he wouldn't know how to continue the plot. But now... he can't die... Kishimoto's head is spinning.

402. It's truly thanks to my grandparents' blessings.

After the seal ended, Shanks looked at the loving Minato family and felt a pang of confusion. Now the "Crown Prince" was truly the "Crown Prince," and how Kishimoto would continue the story was in jeopardy. Kushina wasn't dead; who in Konoha would dare call the savior the "Demon Fox"? They probably hadn't been beaten up before. Minato wasn't dead, Tsunade hadn't left the village, and the White Fang's short sword hadn't rusted yet. Add to that Shanks's incredibly imposing and tough personality, and Konoha's lineup was strong enough to easily defeat even the future Akatsuki. As for Hiruzen Sarutobi... he was just a minor character, and his title of "Hero of the Ninja" was somewhat recognizable. Right now, he didn't even dare claim to be the strongest Hokage in history; he was afraid Shanks would summon his second uncle to beat him up.

That means most of the storylines he still remembers probably won't happen. Orochimaru is currently filming Infernal Affairs, and Minato is continuing as the Fourth Hokage. Orochimaru probably won't try to trick Rasa into attacking Konoha.

As for the Uchiha clan massacre... unless those three elders were out of their minds, they wouldn't have staged a coup. Even the village idiot knew how big the gap was. Even with Shisui and Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan, Shanks could confidently declare he could take on five opponents at once.

Unless all three are possessed by Madara at his peak, and Madara didn't just rely on the Mangekyou Sharingan; his swordsmanship and fire release techniques were incredibly powerful, completely different from the current Uchiha clan's technical style. Madara was a brute force type. Therefore, history tells us that only brute force leads to success. Technical methods, unless you reach the pinnacle, like Tobirama Senju who could earn the title of "Water God" even among two great masters, will only lead to mediocrity.

"Uncle? You seem a bit down. You're alright now, aren't you?" Nawaki suddenly appeared and whispered to Shanks. He had just watched Shanks beat up the Nine-Tails from a distance. It was incredibly violent! He'd always thought his older sister was the most violent one, and his uncle was just good at brute force and swordsmanship. Tonight, he finally witnessed his uncle's fists—he could even blast the Nine-Tails away! His sister could never do that. Thinking back on all those years he'd been beaten up, he was amazed he was still alive. It was truly a blessing from his grandparents.

"Which eye of yours saw that I was in a bad mood? I was just reflecting on life. You haven't reached that level of understanding, so you wouldn't understand... By the way, is our warehouse alright?" Shanks was about to brag for a bit, but then he suddenly remembered that when he was beating up Kurama, he had thrown Kurama towards the Senju clan's territory a few times. The Uzumaki clan's barrier was powerful, but with Kurama's size, it probably wouldn't withstand that many times. What he was most worried about were those valuable vases in the warehouse. He planned to go to the daimyo after retirement and persuade them to buy them for his retirement fund.

"...The barrier over the clan's territory is mostly broken. Uncle Ichiji arranged for more people to set up the barrier over the warehouse, so there wasn't much loss because of the warehouse," Rope Tree said helplessly. In the eyes of outsiders, his family was almost like freaks. Greed, gambling, and lust had become synonymous with their family.

Especially during the Nine-Tails' rampage in the village, Ichinozuki, the head of the Uzumaki clan, actually moved all the clan members to a warehouse. The elite members of the Uzumaki clan were responsible for setting up a barrier around the warehouse, while a dozen or so inexperienced clan members were sent to deal with the people outside. His argument was that with resources, even if the village was destroyed, it could be rebuilt. Ichinozuki, a veteran who had experienced the war that destroyed a country, certainly knew what the foundation of a clan was. When they moved to Konoha, they wouldn't have been able to survive in the village without the Senju clan and Hiruzen Sarutobi's financial and manpower contributions. Moreover, in recent years, due to the rapid population growth, Konoha might not have been able to support them if it weren't for Shanks's rampant wealth accumulation. The cost of learning sealing techniques is much higher than that of ninjutsu. Sealing scrolls alone are consumed in huge quantities every day. After Mito Uzumaki's death, the Senju clan was almost completely wiped out by Tsunade. Konoha had plenty of money, but Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't go too far to avoid incurring the dissatisfaction of the other clans.

"It's good that everything's alright. It's good that the house is damaged. We've lived here for so many years, it's time for a change of style. Look at the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, they renovate every year. Our Senju clan's land has been around for decades. Even with a barrier, so much damage still happened because it's been neglected for so long. You've been such a bad clan leader. You should have discovered and resolved this kind of thing earlier. Look at how many people are now homeless because of your mistakes." To avoid bringing up the culprit, Shanks forcibly changed the subject and shifted the blame to Nawaki.

"........"

Nawaki could only put up with it. After all, he was the youngest and had the lowest status. How could he blame me for not renovating all these years? My older sister had already squandered it all. How was I supposed to afford renovations? I don't know Wood Release!

"Sakumo, keep the news of Minato becoming a Jinchūriki a secret. Don't let a word of it leak out." Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his perfect grand-disciple was fine after the seal ended. He had been extremely nervous. Although his perfect grand-disciple was very talented, his commoner birth meant that his innate conditions were incomparable to those of the clan ninjas. Even the Hatake clan, known for their short duration and powerful bursts of energy, had more chakra than Minato. Yet, this ordinary body was going to become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Although it was only a small part, it almost killed him. Although it was only a small part, judging from the amount of chakra, it was already comparable to the Four- or Five-Tails.

Being a Jinchūriki is never a good thing for a Hokage, especially given tonight's situation. If the villagers find out it was caused by the Nine-Tails inside Kushina's belly, his reputation as a perfect grand-disciple will suffer, and his good friend will cause trouble again.

"Minato, how does it feel to have a little fox living inside you?" Shanks teased Minato.

"Something's a bit strange, but I feel like I have a lot more chakra." Minato said, holding the Savior and looking at the ruins of Konoha. Tonight was a major disaster for Konoha and his family, but thankfully they survived it safely. His son and wife were both unharmed, and he became a Jinchūriki to make up for his innate lack of chakra.

However... looking at the ruins of Konoha, his head started to ache again. How much would it cost to rebuild? He was naturally bad at speaking and didn't know how to persuade the daimyo to pay for the reconstruction.

"Calm down, out with the old, in with the new. Let my son-in-law and Nawaki handle things with the Daimyo. Nawaki is his nephew, after all, he'll give him that much face." Shanks patted Minato on the shoulder, comforting the carefree man as if he had no part in the house-demolition.

403. What the heck is a red sunset?

"Lord Tsuchikage! Breaking news! Last night, the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, causing heavy casualties among the Konoha ninja. In the end, Shanks and the Nine-Tails fought a great battle in the village, and Konoha was reduced to ruins." News travels fast in the ninja world, especially since Konoha is the strongest ninja village in the world, with countless eyes watching it every day. The morning after the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, Onoki brought his newborn granddaughter to the Tsuchikage's office, and an ANBU rushed in to report to him.

"What?! That's great! Is that red-haired bastard dead?" Onoki was so excited upon hearing the news that he almost slammed his precious granddaughter onto the table. Luckily, he realized it was his granddaughter and pulled his hand back in time. However, his first thought was of the red-haired bastard who had given him a thousand-year curse years ago, leaving him bedridden for over half a month. In his mind, that red-haired bastard should be dead this time. Although he had a record of defeating the Eight-Tails, the Nine-Tails was something only Hashirama Senju and Madara could subdue. This red-haired bastard, while powerful, shouldn't be as strong as those two, right? He and... The peak-level teacher had been beaten by Madara before, so he knew very well how terrifying peak-level Madara was. In his impression, Konoha's Shanks was just a bit tougher and had a bit of weird swordsmanship. He was nothing compared to peak-level Madara, who could dominate everything. Shanks' weird abilities couldn't compare to traditional ninjutsu. Moreover, he suspected that Shanks had ambushed him several times before, since he had also fought the Third Raikage. With his ability to fly and Dust Release, they were evenly matched. Shanks and the Third Raikage were also evenly matched, so everyone should be evenly matched.

"Uh... The news says that Kurama was sealed after its battle with Shanks of Konoha. As for Shanks, he should still be alive." The ANBU member said cautiously. He had been so excited that he forgot that the name Shanks of Konoha was now a taboo in the village, just like Onoki's stepmother. Every time they heard the name Shanks, their Tsuchikage, Kurenai, would turn black-nosed. He was really afraid that his boss would be unhappy and give him a Dust Release attack, which would be a huge injustice to him.

"That bastard, he's still alive, so what about Minato Namikaze? Is he dead?" Onoki said disappointedly. He didn't expect the red-haired bastard to be so lucky, surviving a fight with the Nine-Tails. But even if the red-haired bastard wasn't dead, then that flamboyant Fourth Hokage should be dead, right?

"...Although I don't know the exact details, it seems the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, is still alive." The Anbu felt even more uneasy.

"Then what about Hiruzen Sarutobi? Surely he can survive something so serious, even with his old bones?" Onoki's voice turned cold.

"The news... didn't mention Hiruzen Sarutobi, so I think Hiruzen Sarutobi should still be... still alive." The ANBU member stammered, his legs trembling.

"Damn it! Even that old bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't dead, yet you're telling me Konoha suffered heavy casualties? Tell me, how heavy? Was it Konoha's White Fang or Tsunade? Who died?" Onoki's red nose started turning black again. How did the Anbu chief even choose his people? How could he let such a pig-brain into the Anbu? He desperately wanted to find the ultimate reason why they hadn't been able to defeat Konoha for so many years. God-like opponents weren't the problem; the fact that they hadn't been wiped out for so many years with such incompetent teammates was already a testament to Onoki's excellent leadership. Several of Konoha's top-ranking ninja were all unharmed—what kind of heavy casualties was that?

"The news says that Konoha suffered heavy casualties, including the death of Chunin Squad Instructor Red Sunset and serious injuries to Anbu Vice-Commander Mitarashi Shishou..."

"What the heck is Red Sunset? When did Konoha produce a Red Sunset? I don't know anything about it." Onoki was completely bewildered. Was he really getting old? When did Konoha produce a Red Sunset? You know, which of the famous ninjas in the ninja world doesn't have the ability of a double-flower red stick? The Legendary Sannin of Konoha, White Fang of Konoha, Shanks, and the Yellow Flash—these people are all incredibly powerful. How come he's never even heard of this Red Sunset?

"This red-haired man is the head of the Yuhi clan. It's said that even the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan can't deflect his genjutsu. He's also the head instructor of the Konoha Chunin Team," the Anbu member said tremblingly.

"I...! Who is the spy who sent the message back?" Onoki's anger surged, and he was about to swear, but he remembered that his granddaughter was still in his arms, and he held back to avoid setting a bad example for the next generation.

"The...spy is...my cousin, Toi...Toi Ishigami," the operative stammered. His legs were already weak; he might not see the sunrise tomorrow.

"...Get out of here! Tell your cousin he doesn't need to come back. Let him stay in Konoha and guard this red sunset's grave for the rest of his life!" Onoki finally couldn't hold back anymore and clenched his fists tightly. If it weren't for the fact that his granddaughter was still young and it would have a bad influence on her, he really wanted to give this pig a Dust Release. No, he wanted to give his whole family a Dust Release. This damn nepotism recruit got into his Anbu, and he even sent such a useless nepotism recruit.