Chapter 269 : Let Naruto Master Nine Tails

Hearing what Riku said, Choza Akimichi and Shibi Aburame both frowned.

"Even Minato died... it seems the Nine Tails really is terrifying."

In truth, even without Uchiha Obito, Namikaze Minato would have likely met the same fate when confronting the Nine Tails.

Back then, the beast was rampaging through the village, and Kushina was already on the verge of death.

Given Minato’s character, it was inevitable he would sacrifice himself to seal the Nine Tails.

Just because he knew the Flying Thunder God Jutsu didn’t mean he was invincible.

Choza and Shibi had never actually seen the Nine Tails for themselves. In their generation, the beast had never shown itself—it was more legend than reality.

Still, when they learned that Uzumaki Kushina was the Nine Tails’ jinchūriki, they were surprised.

But both hailed from prominent clans and understood discretion. The moment they heard this truth, they knew to bury it deep within their hearts and speak of it to no one.

The reason Kushina could live like a normal person in Konoha, without incident, was because very few people even knew she was the Nine Tails’ jinchūriki—mainly the village’s top brass.

Even Tsunade only learned the truth when the Nine Tails went berserk.

And that’s despite the fact that Uzumaki Mito—Kushina’s predecessor—was Tsunade’s grandmother. That alone said a lot about the level of secrecy involved. It was even more guarded than Naruto’s case.

But Namikaze Minato had no regrets. He understood that he had sacrificed himself for the village.

As Hokage, it was his duty to protect the village, even if it meant laying down his life. And Minato believed that was something he was meant to do.

Besides, he knew he had a son. A strong one at that. Knowing Naruto existed and thrived gave him peace.

As for the future—he chose not to think about it.

Riku looked at Minato and said, "I’m heading to Rōran to kill Mukade. I think with the power of the Dragon Vein, I might be able to return to my original timeline. Fourth Hokage, you’re also going to Rōran, right? Let’s go together."

Minato nodded.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the Kingdom of Rōran.

As they took in the towering buildings of the city, Riku sighed. "In a few years, this magnificent city will be nothing but ruins. What a shame."

Minato replied calmly, "That’s why peace in the ninja world is so precious. This current war isn’t even over yet, but from the era you described earlier, Riku, it sounds like the world eventually finds peace."

Riku nodded. "Yeah. From the time I was born until now, the ninja world has been at peace."

Minato chuckled. "That’s good to hear. Unlike now—there’s practically a war every few years, ten years at most."

Minato was a man who valued peace. But unlike Uchiha Itachi or Shisui, he approached it with reason and practicality.

He had only served as Hokage for a single year, but in that time, he’d earned the respect of every clan in the village—even the notoriously proud Uchiha.

Had Minato survived, perhaps the Uchiha clan would never have walked the path they did.

At the time, Minato had even begun deep discussions with the Uchiha clan, and they had accepted his proposals.

That in itself was rare.

Many within the Uchiha clan admired Minato. And given that Minato was Obito’s teacher, it only increased their willingness to trust him.

Had he lived, it’s very likely the rift between the Uchiha and the village would have been resolved.

The reason the Uchiha had always felt alienated was because both the Second and Third Hokage had kept them under strict surveillance.

To be fair, neither the Second nor Third Hokage ever intended to wipe the Uchiha out—they simply took precautions.

But Danzo... he was different. He always saw the Uchiha clan as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Minato, however, had taken a different approach. After taking office, he had opened genuine dialogue with the Uchiha and gained their trust.

Even though Hiruzen was often indecisive, he and Tobirama shared the same cautious stance toward the Uchiha—keep watch, don’t trust, but don’t push them too far either.

After all, no one wanted to discard the blade that was the Uchiha clan—it was far too effective a weapon.

Riku turned to Minato with a faint smile. "But since I arrived here, the ninja world has been thrown into chaos. There’s an organization gathering tailed beasts from every village. They’ve already captured the one from Sunagakure. If the Hokage hadn’t sent reinforcements, even the Kazekage would’ve been killed."

"But the Kazekage is good friends with Naruto. The Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure was inspired by Naruto’s influence and eventually became Kazekage."

"Despite how he looks, Naruto has a knack for inspiring people. Back then, Sunagakure and Konoha were on very good terms. The Kazekage was the One-Tail’s jinchūriki."

"For this mission, the Kazekage personally requested help from Konoha, and Lady Tsunade sent me."

Choza and Shibi were stunned. "The cooperation between villages is that strong? A powerhouse like you can just be seconded to another village?"

Riku laughed. "In my time, Konoha and Sunagakure were close allies. Because of the Kazekage’s bond with Naruto, they worked together often. Lady Tsunade sent me to help Sunagakure twice."

Choza and Shibi couldn’t imagine such unity between villages. In their era, such cooperation was simply unthinkable.

Minato laughed. "That kind of era... that’s true peace. For villages to unite in that way is nearly impossible right now. But Riku, what’s the name of the organization you mentioned?"

Riku paused for a moment, then replied, "Akatsuki. It’s a group made up of rogue ninja from all five great nations. Each one is at least as strong as an Elite Jonin—many of them have Kage-level strength."

"Their leader has power beyond even a Kage, so when they go after the tailed beasts, a single village can’t stop them."

"It’s because of them that I want to make sure Naruto becomes stronger. When he traveled with Master Jiraiya, he did grow—but it still wasn’t enough. Only by fully mastering the Nine Tails’ power can Naruto hope to stand against the Akatsuki when they come for him."

Now Minato understood the kind of danger Konoha would face in the future.

This crisis was far more terrifying than any shinobi war.

Because the enemy... was worse than war itself.

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