Chapter 186: Bonds

"Sage Art: Yin-Yang Seal!"

The forces of opposition create all things in the universe.

Minato Namikaze and Yuto's hands simultaneously touched the Nine-Tails' fur.

In the midst of the Tailed Beast's earth-shattering screams, its massive body was forcibly split into two, transforming into two smaller, miniature Nine-Tails.

Yuto's palm emitted a strong suction force. After the Yin-Yang Seal completed its cut, his Inner Four Symbols Seal continued to function, aiming to seal one-half of the Nine-Tails within his body.

"Kushina-senpai!" The young man shouted toward a certain direction:

"Hurry and seal the Yin chakra of the Nine-Tails! Minato-senpai, you should..."

"I understand," the young Hokage replied quickly, summoning an altar and placing Naruto on top of it, using the Eight Trigrams Seal.

On the other side, countless chains shot out from Kushina, tightly binding the half of the Nine-Tails in front of Yuto Hyuga. The Adamantine Sealing Chains tightened continuously, pulling the Tailed Beast back toward her.

The couple simultaneously performed advanced sealing techniques, sealing the two halves of the Nine-Tails separately.

The Yin chakra of the Nine-Tails returned to Kushina.

The Yang chakra of the Nine-Tails was sealed within Naruto.

"You two... really are reckless..." Kushina shivered in pain all over. In less than ten minutes, she had gone through childbirth, the Nine-Tails breaking free, and then sealing it again. Each step was a life-threatening ordeal. Fortunately, the Uzumaki clan was known for their robust vitality, and Kushina was among the best, which allowed her to endure this long.

However, even for her, the release and resealing of the Nine-Tails took a great toll.

Just like when Nagato used the Rinne Rebirth technique, her hair had turned completely white.

Minato exited Sage Mode, handed Naruto to his wife, and then sat down heavily on the ground.

"Naruto..." Kushina held the baby in her arms, tears streaming down her face, "Mommy can watch you grow up now."

The young Hokage looked at his wife with a complex expression. After a long silence, he finally smiled bitterly and said, "Yuto, let's talk on the side, shall we?"

"Alright." Yuto replied.

Kushina noticed the strangeness in her husband's tone and looked over in confusion, but Minato Namikaze just shook his head at her without any explanation.

Yuto helped Minato up, and the two walked a hundred meters away.

Due to the battle with the Nine-Tails, the forest here was almost completely destroyed, with debris piercing the ground like sharp blades, creating a terrifying scene.

The silver moon still hung quietly in the sky, and the moonlight, like water, cast mottled shadows on their faces.

"Your sealing technique was well done, Yuto-kun," Minato said, his voice as gentle as ever.

"Yeah, I have a high talent in this area," the young man paused and then said softly:

"A month ago, I infiltrated your Forbidden Jutsu room and learned the Inner Four Symbols Seal. Just as I thought, the combination of two opposing sealing techniques could indeed split the Nine-Tails."

"You admit it so easily..." Minato smiled bitterly, his blue eyes filled with bitterness and sadness:

"You knew someone would release the Nine-Tails when Kushina went into labor."

"Yes."

"You knew that after the Nine-Tails was released, it would cause tremendous destruction to the village."

"Yes."

"You knew everything, yet you let it all happen."

"Yes."

"Yuto," the young Hokage stared blankly at the boy, "You are my most trusted subordinate... No, ever since you saved the half-Tailed Beast-transformed Kushina, I've regarded you as a precious bond."

"You are smart and tenacious, a reliable shinobi worthy of trust. Sometimes I wonder if I had a younger brother, he might be just like you."

"But now... Yuto, in these sixteen years, everything you've done for me, for Tsunade-sama, for the village—was it all fake?"

Yuto fell silent. The boy had to admit that for Konoha Village, where he had lived for sixteen years, he did not harbor complete resentment.

Under the bright moon, the Caged Bird spoke softly, "Since graduating from the Ninja Academy, I've completed 32 D-rank missions, 76 C-rank missions, 80 B-rank missions, 27 A-rank missions, and 6 S-rank missions. All of them were completed successfully."

"During the three years of war, I served as your vice on both the eastern and western battlefields, getting severely injured nine times. Do you remember the incident at Kikyo Mountain? I almost died that time."

"After becoming the first leader of the ANBU, my average work hours were 14 hours a day. Every approval I made was the result of careful consideration. Any harm to the village, I would preemptively deal with."

"Everything above is true."

"However..."

"Since graduating from the Ninja Academy, I trained desperately, becoming the famous 'Jewel of the Hyuga.' During missions, I used any means necessary to accumulate merits, finally breaking free from the Hyuga's constraints and entering the Third Hokage's sight. For that, I killed teammates with whom I had no enmity."

"During the three years of war, I hunted down many clansmen to gain power, hoping to escape the Caged Bird."

"After becoming the ANBU leader, as the second most powerful figure in Konoha after you, I erased all traces of my actions, leaving no more weaknesses."

"Minato-senpai, do you understand now?"

"Everything is true, and everything is false... Because from beginning to end, the Yuto Hyuga you all see is only a part of me."

Minato Namikaze understood everything.

The Yuto who fought bloodily as a Konoha shinobi, the Yuto who saved Kushina with a crystal pendant, the Yuto who ate ramen with him after work, the Yuto who remained indifferent to the tragedy tonight, the Yuto who used Sage Art to split the Nine-Tails with him... all of these were decisions Yuto made with his own will.

The world is radiant and full of wonders; ninjutsu is diverse, and the mechanisms of chakra nature transformation are complex.

But no matter how many jutsu exist, they cannot surpass the human mind; no matter how complex the mechanisms, they are not as intricate as the human heart.

The human heart is the deepest labyrinth in the world.

The young Hokage exhaled softly, his voice light, "Yuto-kun, what are you going to do next?"

"Return to the village. Destroy the Hyuga clan."

"So it really is about the Caged Bird." Minato closed his eyes and smiled bitterly, "Could you give me a chance? As the leader of the village, maybe there is another way..."

"You're too arrogant, Minato-senpai," Yuto interrupted bluntly, "The Caged Bird has existed for over a thousand years. In such a long time, there must have been many who tried to resist, and there must have been outsiders as strong as you who wanted to interfere. Unfortunately, they all failed."

"Placing hope in others is foolish; when the initiative is in your hands and you choose conservatism, it's doubly foolish."

"I'm not a bird in a cage, Minato-senpai."

"So you've made up your mind. Then, one last question," Minato stared into the boy's eyes, "If the village shinobi come to stop you when you move against the Hyuga..."

"I'll kill them!"

His response was firm and without hesitation.

As a shinobi holding a kunai, once you choose a side, you must be prepared to be killed. Those who harbor compassion and hesitation, no matter how strong, will die at the hands of the weak.

Both understood that tonight, the Caged Bird might kill more people than the Nine-Tails did.

Under the pale moonlight, Minato Namikaze stood up.

"Do you want to stop me... Don't waste your energy, Minato-senpai," Yuto shook his head, "You're the only person I'm wary of, but now your body has broken down. You have almost no chakra left, and you can't even use the Flying Thunder God."

"Do you think that just because I can't do anything, I can sit here peacefully and let the village shinobi die?" The young shinobi with blue eyes laughed softly. Unlike his gentle and handsome face, his gaze seemed to have melded with steel, firm and unwavering.

"Sorry, but I am the Hokage."

(End of Chapter)