Kyuubi attack (2)

The night air crackled with tension as Minato and Kushina's desperate cries for their son echoed across the battlefield. In that heart-stopping moment, as the Nine-Tails' massive claw descended upon the innocent baby Naruto, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Suddenly, a resounding splash broke through the chaos, liquid spraying in all directions. Before Minato and Kushina could fully process what had happened, an exhausted yet determined voice cut through the din:

"Water Style: Water Wall Formation Jutsu!"

A shimmering barrier of water materialized around the young family, barely deflecting the fox's deadly strike. Naoki stood at the edge of the clearing, his hands locked in the final seal of his jutsu, sweat beading on his brow as he poured every ounce of his remaining chakra into maintaining the protective wall.

The Nine-Tails, undeterred by this unexpected obstacle, pressed forward with renewed fury. Its claw scraped against the water barrier, causing it to ripple and buckle under the immense pressure. Naoki gritted his teeth, his arms shaking with the effort of holding the jutsu.

In a flash of yellow light, Minato appeared at Naoki's side, Kushina held securely in his arms. Simultaneously, Shisui materialized next to them, cradling baby Naruto protectively against his chest. The legendary Body Flicker technique had allowed him to snatch the infant from harm's way in the blink of an eye.

Kushina's violet eyes widened in a mixture of shock, relief, and concern as she took in Naoki's presence. "Naoki-kun," she gasped, her voice weak but filled with emotion, "why are you here? How did you even get past the barrier?"

Despite his exhaustion, Naoki managed a playful smirk. "Oh, you know," he panted, "just put that little trick you taught me to good use."

Kushina's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "You don't mean our clan's secret technique?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of pride and disbelief.

Naoki's smirk widened slightly. "The very same," he confirmed, a hint of mischief dancing in his tired eyes.

Minato couldn't help but chuckle at their exchange, a brief moment of levity in the face of overwhelming danger. However, his expression quickly sobered as he turned his attention back to the looming threat of the Nine-Tails.

Shisui, his usual carefree demeanour replaced by the hardened focus of a seasoned shinobi, locked eyes with the Fourth Hokage. "What's our next move, Hokage-sama?" he asked, his voice steady and resolute.

Minato's blue eyes narrowed as he assessed their dire situation. "The Nine-Tails can't be defeated through conventional means," he explained grimly. "Our only option is to seal it away once more."

Shisui's eyes widened in understanding. "You mean..."

Minato nodded solemnly. "Yes. We'll have to use the Reaper Death Seal. I'll seal half of the fox's chakra within myself, and the other half..." His gaze fell upon the sleeping form of Naruto, a mixture of love and regret etched on his face.

The gravity of Minato's words settled heavily upon the group. However, before anyone else could react, Naoki's fist connected solidly with Minato's shoulder.

"Ow!" Minato yelped, more surprised than hurt. "What was that for?"

Naoki fixed the Hokage with an exasperated glare. "Would you quit it with the self-sacrificing hero act already?" he scolded, his voice a mixture of frustration and concern. "What is it with you and your obsession with dying for the village? If you die now, Konoha will be even more vulnerable to invasion from enemy nations!"

Minato blinked, taken aback by Naoki's blunt assessment. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Do you have a better suggestion, then?"

Naoki nodded, his mind racing. "Use the Yin-Yang Spirit Chakra Division: Soul Splitting Tailed Beast Technique," he proposed. "Instead of sealing half the fox in yourself, seal the yang half in Kushina-neesan and the yin half in Naruto. We Uzumaki have incredible spiritual and vitality, but right now Kushina-neesan is lacking in physical strength – the yang aspect. This could save her life and still contain the Nine-Tails."

A stunned silence fell over the group as they processed Naoki's suggestion. Minato's eyes widened in realization. "That... that could actually work," he murmured, his mind already racing through the possibilities. "I haven't practiced the technique extensively, but I should be able to perform it. The only downside is the time required to activate it."

Kushina, her face pale but her eyes blazing with renewed determination, spoke up. "I can hold the Nine-Tails back with my chains," she declared, her voice growing stronger. "It'll give you the time you need, Minato."

Shisui nodded firmly. "I'll provide support and keep any debris away from you while you prepare the jutsu, Hokage-sama."

Naoki responded, "I can use my Adamantine chains and a sealing jutsu to help contain the Kyuubi."

Minato looked around at the determined faces surrounding him – his wife, his student, and the young Uzumaki prodigy. A surge of hope and pride welled up within him. "Alright," he said, his voice filled with renewed resolve. "Let's do this. For Naruto, for Konoha, and for the future we all believe in!"

The night air crackled with tension as Minato stood at the back of the clearing, his hands flying through an intricate series of seals. Each movement was precise, deliberate, the weight of the world resting on his shoulders as he prepared the complex jutsu that could save them all. Kushina stood by his side, her face pale and drawn, but her eyes blazing with determination as her chakra chains snaked out to restrain the raging Nine-Tails.

Shisui took up a protective stance in front of the couple, his body taut and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. His usually carefree demeanor was gone, replaced by the hardened focus of a seasoned shinobi. His eyes darted constantly, assessing threats and calculating strategies with lightning speed.

To the side, Naoki gritted his teeth as he summoned his own Adamantine Sealing Chains. The golden links burst from his back, joining Kushina's in their effort to hold back the monstrous fox. Sweat beaded on his brow as he pushed his chakra to its limits, but he wasn't done yet. His hands blurred through another set of seals before slamming into the ground.

"Beast Sealing Technique!" he called out, his voice strained but determined.

The earth beneath them lit up with an intricate seal formation, pulsing with ethereal energy. More chains erupted from the ground, racing towards the Nine-Tails and further securing its massive form. It wasn't the strongest fuinjutsu, but every second it bought them was precious.

Time seemed to stretch like molasses, each moment an eternity as Naoki and Kushina struggled to maintain their jutsu. Kushina, already weakened from childbirth and the violent extraction of the Nine-Tails, was visibly trembling with the effort. Naoki, though younger and less experienced, was nearing his limits as well, the strain of breaking through the barrier and maintaining multiple high-level techniques taking its toll.

Kushina turned to Minato, her violet eyes wide with desperation. "Minato," she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper, "how much longer? I... I don't think I can keep this up for even a few more seconds, ya know?"

Naoki nodded in agreement, his own voice tight with exertion. "Same here. Breaking through that barrier took more out of me than I thought."

Minato's brow furrowed in concentration as his hands continued their intricate dance. "Just a few more seconds," he assured them, his voice steady despite the pressure. "That's all I need. Hold on, both of you."

Shisui, sensing the growing desperation, made a split-second decision. His Sharingan eyes morphed, the tomoe swirling and merging into a complex four-point pinwheel pattern - the Mangekyo Sharingan. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes as he focused his gaze on the thrashing Nine-Tails, attempting to ensnare it in a powerful genjutsu.

"Hokage-sama," Shisui called out, his voice strained as he maintained the illusion, "I've caught the Nine-Tails in a genjutsu, but I can only hold it for about ten seconds. Make it count!"

Minato nodded sharply, his movements becoming even more precise as he neared the jutsu's completion. The air around him seemed to shimmer with barely contained power. "Almost there," he muttered, more to himself than the others. "Just a little more..."

The seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Kushina's chains began to flicker, her face ashen as she pushed herself beyond her limits. Naoki's legs trembled, threatening to give out beneath him as he poured every ounce of his remaining chakra into maintaining his techniques.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was merely moments, Minato's eyes snapped open. "I'm done," he announced, his voice filled with relief and determination. "I can activate it no-"

But fate, it seemed, had other plans. Just as hope blossomed in their hearts, a sickening crack echoed through the clearing. Naoki and Kushina's chains, pushed beyond their breaking point, began to splinter and shatter. The Nine-Tails, sensing its opportunity, broke free from Shisui's genjutsu with a deafening roar.

Before anyone could react, one massive paw lashed out, catching Minato square in the chest. The Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, was sent flying through the air like a rag doll, his body slamming into a nearby tree with a sickening thud.

"Minato!" Kushina screamed, her voice raw with terror and anguish.

"Niisan!" Naoki cried out simultaneously, his eyes wide with shock.

"Hokage-sama!" Shisui's usual composure cracked, horror evident in his voice.

As Minato's crumpled form slid to the ground, unmoving, the Nine-Tails loomed over them, its tails lashing the air in triumph. The beast's massive maw opened, chakra gathering for what could only be a devastating attack. In that moment, as hope seemed to slip away like sand through their fingers, the future of Konoha - and perhaps the entire shinobi world - hung by the thinnest of threads.