"Has Tsunade or Nawaki already died?"
Kushina was startled. To avoid affecting Mito's seal, the village and the clan had kept many pieces of information from her.
She never expected that Mito would still have guessed something.
From Kushina's expression, Uzumaki Mito deduced that she had guessed correctly.
"Was it Tsunade or Nawaki? It's alright, tell me. I'm about to die anyway."
"Great Aunt... it was Cousin Nawaki."
Uzumaki Mito nodded and looked towards her daughter-in-law, Rinoki's wife, who had tears streaming down her face.
"Don't be sad. Don't be sad over my death, or anyone else's.
The village was Hashirama's dream. It's a difficult and long road; I can only go this far.
The village still has you all. You must continue, uphold Hashirama's dream, and make all these sacrifices worthwhile."
The Adamantine Sealing Chains behind Uzumaki Mito suddenly lashed out, grabbing at the Nine-Tails in mid-air.
The Nine-Tails had now fully manifested its nine tails, forming a translucent figure in the air.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains pierced through the Nine-Tails' nine tails, then curved in the air and flew towards Kushina.
Uzumaki Mito's powerful chakra prevented the Nine-Tails from going on a full rampage and from fully materializing; it remained in a translucent state.
Uzumaki Mito walked towards Kushina. She used her left hand to guide Kushina's right hand as they formed seals together.
Adamantine Sealing Chains flew out from Kushina's back, connecting with Mito's chains.
The Nine-Tails' nine tails were pulled along the connected Adamantine Sealing Chains into Kushina's body.
"Uzumaki Mito! You still won't let me go?!"
Pierced by the Adamantine Sealing Chains, the Nine-Tails' howls echoed through the night sky.
As the seal transferred, more and more Nine-Tails chakra surged out from Uzumaki Mito's body, and the Nine-Tails' form became increasingly solid.
Senju Rinoki shouted:
"The Nine-Tails is starting to struggle! Senju shinobi! Use the Combined Sealing Technique!"
Over nine hundred Senju shinobi simultaneously formed hand seals and pressed them onto the long scrolls on the ground.
A script similar to that of the Self-Cursing Body Binding Seal appeared on the scrolls.
The script flew out like chains towards the Nine-Tails, crawling onto its body.
The Nine-Tails' torso and joints were all bound by the Combined Sealing Technique, immobilizing it.
Yōkō thought to himself, this Combined Sealing Technique of the Senju clan was truly powerful, actually able to pool the power of several hundred people to restrain the Nine-Tails.
With the assistance of the Senju clan, the Nine-Tails' chakra continued to slowly enter Kushina's body.
The nine tails completely entered Kushina's body.
The Nine-Tails' two hind legs also entered Kushina's body.
Just as everything was proceeding very smoothly, Yōkō saw several people rushing over from a distance.
It was Danzo and his two assistants!
More crucially! Danzo's right eye was bandaged!
Yōkō suddenly remembered the corpse of the Shimura clan youth, whose eyeballs had been gouged out by Orochimaru, his eyelids stitched to his brow bones, leaving two bloody holes.
Had Danzo been absent all this time to have an eye transplanted by Orochimaru?
Danzo stood behind Sarutobi Hiruzen, using the Hokage's ceremonial robe and hat to conceal his figure.
The Senju clan members couldn't see Danzo, but Yōkō, positioned to the side, could see him.
Danzo raised his hand and pointed a finger at the eyepatch over his right eye.
Sealing formulae appeared on the eyepatch; it could block detection, preventing others from seeing what was beneath it.
Quickly lifting the bandaged eyepatch, Danzo took advantage of the cover provided by Sarutobi Hiruzen's Hokage hat to briefly glance at the Nine-Tails.
His former teammate, Uchiha Kagami, had once said he wanted to help the village resolve the threat of the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails was like a sword hanging over Konoha Village, ready to fall at any moment.
The Sharingan was the eye that reflected the heart. The thing Uchiha Kagami desired most deeply in his heart became the ability of his Mangekyō.
Armored Susano'o was the core ability of Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan.
In Lord Tobirama's notes, he highly praised the Armored Susano'o as the second-best method for controlling the Nine-Tails, second only to Wood Release.
Of course, such a method for controlling the Nine-Tails couldn't be left in the hands of a Uchiha.
Danzo had possessed Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan for many years but never dared to transplant it lightly.
With Orochimaru's help, Danzo could finally use this eye with confidence.
The Nine-Tails, originally restrained by Uzumaki Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Senju Combined Sealing Technique, paused its movements.
It slowly moved its eyes, looking towards the Valley of the End, at the tall stone statue of Uchiha Madara.
An abnormally powerful ocular technique made the Nine-Tails remember something.
It was as if it were back in the battle at the Valley of the End.
Uchiha Madara used his Sharingan genjutsu to control it, clad it in the Armored Susano'o, and clashed fiercely with Senju Hashirama standing atop the Wood Release Buddha.
The Nine-Tails was originally controlled by the Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Senju Combined Sealing Technique. However, another chakra appeared on the Nine-Tails' body.
This chakra instantly transformed into the Armored Susano'o, as if putting armor on the Nine-Tails.
Senju Rinoki cried out in despair: "No! Why is there a Uchiha clan's Susano'o?!"
Senju Rinoki looked around, but aside from the ANBU on the periphery, there was no one else.
The Armored Susano'o only appeared for a second or two before disappearing. However, the Senju Combined Sealing Technique and Uzumaki Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains instantly collapsed.
The Nine-Tails regained its ability to move.
Without hesitation, it opened its mouth and began forming a Tailed Beast Ball.
"Interrupt it, quickly!"
All the Senju shinobi increased their chakra extraction, desperately pouring chakra into the sealing technique.
Yet, the Tailed Beast Ball grew larger and larger.
Uzumaki Mito raised her head, her cloudy eyes instantly clearing.
She first glanced towards the periphery.
A plume of thick white smoke was particularly noticeable in the night – it was the smoke from Sarutobi Hiruzen summoning Enma.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already discarded his Hokage robe and hat. He held the Adamantine Staff, smashing the surrounding forest as if some terrifying enemy had appeared there.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted, "We must find the culprit who disrupted the seal!"
The ANBU shinobi scurried about in the woods.
Yōkō thought, Your acting is truly superb.
Isn't Danzo right there in the white smoke behind you?
Uzumaki Mito said:
"I will restrain the Nine-Tails. But completing the subsequent seal... will be up to you."
Two more Adamantine Sealing Chains shot out from Uzumaki Mito's body. These two chains bound the Nine-Tails' neck and head, forcibly turning its head.
The Nine-Tails struggled frantically, causing Uzumaki Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains to clatter loudly.
Blood flowed from Uzumaki Mito's mouth. At the last possible moment, she successfully twisted the Nine-Tails' head.
The Tailed Beast Ball shot out, not downwards, but diagonally upwards into the distance.
The Tailed Beast Ball hadn't struck the Senju shinobi; every Senju member breathed a sigh of relief.
The Nine-Tails' struggle also tore the two Adamantine Sealing Chains directly from Uzumaki Mito's body.
A large piece of flesh was ripped clean from her body.
Blood gushed out. On Uzumaki Mito's back, a terrifying, gaping wound like a bloody mouth was exposed.
Uzumaki Mito spat out a large mouthful of blood and fell forward onto her knees.
With great difficulty, she straightened her waist and formed one final hand seal with immense effort.
"Kushina, I must go now. Don't be afraid. You will find someone who fills your heart..."
Only the upper half of the Nine-Tails remained suspended in mid-air, struggling.
If not for the Armored Susano'o, this sealing would likely have been completed successfully.
However, Uzumaki Mito fell first.
This eldest matriarch of Konoha Village, her body withered like dry branches, collapsed to the ground, dead.
An era had ended. The last of the village's founding generation, Uzumaki Mito, had sacrificed herself for the village.
(End of Chapter)