Generally speaking, Masashi didn't care much fonists burdened with bitterness and grudges, so he avoided such dramas during his initial run-through.

  When faced with problems, shouldn't one simply find a way to solve them?

  That exaggerated sense of self-importance was really detrimental to the viewing experience.

  The couple didly fall into that category—after all, Minato's as were usually decisive. His sharp mind and quick thinking had earned him the title of Hokage food reason.

  No matter the situation.

  His long hours after being Hokage were purely due to his inexperienot because he scked off during work.

  It's just that whenever something involved his wife, his behavior became a bit awkward.

  Naruto had already been carried out by Minato. The kid was sleeping so soundly...

  You're busy with your family moment right now, that's fine. But shouldn't you at least pay attention to the ails? Are you really this rexed?

  Masashi tilted his head to look at the ails.

  The massive fox was utterly livid, thrashing with all its might. That expression, that killing i, that ferocity—it was intense.

  If it weren't trapped by the Uzumaki 's Adamantine Sealing s, it would've long sinleashed a Tailed Beast Bomb.

  In the pursuit of freedom, humans were never alohey had tailed beasts alongside them.

  "You should stop struggling," Masashi said. "It's not your time yet."

  You might not like it now, but iure, you might find it tolerable.

  "Damn you! Damn Uchiha!" roared the ails furiously.

  "Hey, hey, hey, be reasonable. I'm not the one who used these s on you." Masashi frowned, maintaining eye tact with the beast. "Do you believe I won't just add another seal on you?"

  Go ahead, vent at me. This fox will definitely snap at me.

  Masashi was on point. More accurate than the Great Toad Sage's prophecies.

  "e on! I won't yield!" the ails roared furiously, its chakra fring wildly against its bonds. "Damn Uchiha!"

  "Alright!" Masashi responded promptly, immediately creating three shadow es.

  His inal body stayed in pce, while the three es positiohemselves in different dires, f seals simultaneously.

  It looked like a barrier, but it was actually a sealing teique called the Four Red Yang Formation, instantly activated. Red light ected the es in a perfect square, f walls of pure chakra.

  Of course, the strength couldn't pare to the version used by the four Edo Tensei Hokage iure.

  That one could even reflect a fully charged Tailed Beast Bomb from the Ten-Tails.

  This teique was one of the Senju 's trump cards. Operating as a barrier, it could weaken any opporapped inside.

  With an A-rank difficulty level, most ninja with suffit skill could learn it.

  It could serve as both a fi barrier and a weakening tool—a very practical jutsu.

  The downside was that it didn't differentiate between friend and foe; anyone caught inside would be weakened. But for the Senju, who excelled in physical strength, this wasn't a .

  After all, when it came down to physical bat, the Senju had the upper hand.

  Like most jutsu, its power depended entirely on the user. With his current level, using shadow es limited the teique's effectiveo a passable level.

  He used it as a precaution to prevent the ails from actually breaking free of the Adamantine Sealing s.

  Although this also weakehe s themselves, the weakening effect was synized. If the ails could break free, it wouldn't matter whether this teique was there or not; with it, at least it could buy some time.

  Wheurned back, the the couple was finally looking at him.

  "Who are you…?" Kushina, f herself through her physical weakness, croaked, her red hair matted with sweat, "Masashi?"

  "Kushina-nee." Masashi approached her, noting how pale she'd bee. "Do you still have strength left?"

  "It doesn't matter anymore at this point." Kushina g the ails, further subdued by the Four Red Yang Formation. "You've e at the right time. Help me—I want to…"

  Please don't "I want" me anymore. I've been listening to your whole versation, and you two just keep getting weirder.

  One of yrets not being able to watch your son grow up, and the other immediately says, "Save your chakra—let me do it!"

  Do what? The Reaper Death Seal, of course!

  we please not?!

  "Why not just seal the ails baside? Wouldn't that solve everything?" Masashi interrupted.

  Kushina was stunned.

  Minato, whose hands were already f seals, was also stuhe half-formed hand signs for the Reaper Death Seal fell apart.

  After a while, Kushina weakly asked, "Is that… possible? No one's ever mentioned such a method."

  "Has anyone ever tried to seal it back?" Masashi retorted, ahe solution seemed so obvious to him. "How would you know if you don't try? And how you as parents even sider leaving your child an orphan?"

  This was something he couldn't uand.

  If it weren't for Minato being the current key mediator between the Uchiha d the Hokage administration, he wouldn't even care about this couple.

  After all, their deaths would only weaken the Hokage fa.

  But this advantage was trivial and wouldn't ge the rger situation. Them staying alive had greater potential bes.

  "You're right, Kushina, think about it!" Minato's eyes lit up with hope. "Has this ever been done before?"

  "No," Kushina said. "Oailed beast is extracted, the jinchūriki immediately…"

  She paused.

  There had never been a pret because previous jinchūriki weren't Uzumaki—they all died instantly.

  If they all died, no one could seal the beast back. There was no way to know what would happen if someoried.

  In that case… it could work.

  "It's worth a shot!" she excimed.

  Kushina, beiraightforward self, immediately began trying once she felt it ossible.

  And Masashi's Four Crimson Ray Formatioly eased the pressure ohe barrier's suppressing effect made the ails' chakra more manageable.

  Her life was in danger because the ails had beeracted, causing her life force to drain. If sealing it back could stop this trend, the lost vitality could potentially be recovered.

  It would just mean being weaker iure, but not excessively so. After all, with advanced mediinjutsu, lost vitality could be somewhat replenished.

  Rehabilitation was key.

  Kushied her strength, pulling the ails closer.

  If the Uchiha 's power suppressed a tailed beast's mind, the Uzumaki 's power restrais body.

  As distaives of the Senju, this had carved their own path, excelling in the development of physical energy.

  The ails looked furious. This all-too-familiar sensation told it that it was about to be sealed again.

  The entire process went smoothly, chakra flowing like water betwee and vessel.

  When it came to sealing tailed beasts, Kushina was an expert, and Minato, having learned from his wife, was no slouch with sealing teiques either. Their chakra signatures synized perfectly as they worked.

  With the couple w together, the ails, who hadn't even enjoyed a full night of freedom, was sealed away once more.

  The massive form of chakra densed and flowed into Kushina's seal.

  After everything was dohe utterly exhausted Kushina clutched her stomad leaned into Minato's arms, carefully assessing her body's dition.

  "How are you?" Minato asked anxiously, supp her weight.

  Masashi also observed her closely, notig that her plexion seemed to improve.

  Though still pale, she no longer looked like someone on the brink of death.

  Sure enough, he soon heard Kushina's joyful voice.

  "I'm fine! My vitality isn't being drained anymore!"

  And that's how you solve a problem without unnecessary drama. A midnight snack would be nice..., Masashi thought, finally letting his barrier teique drop.

  ---

  As the sun rose the m, every resident of the southern district felt as though they had narrowly escaped death.

  "Did you see how he stopped that thing?" a shopkeeper whispered to his neighbor as they cleared frost from their storefront. "With that thing, right there on our walls!"

  "I heard about it. My daughter says the Uchiha saved us all," the neighbor replied, gng at the police station's emblem. "Maybe we've been too quick to judge them."

  Whehey recalled the i, two images came to mind: the massive frost giant and Masashi.

  And then, the Uchiha Id Snow Festival and the Uchiha .

  ht, the Uchiha 's standing in the hearts of the southern district vilgers skyrocketed.

  The ninjas of Konoha had their opinions too. Those whose families lived in the southern distrid who had personally witnessed Masashi blog the ails on the walls were grateful for his help.

  Among them were even members of the elite jonin corps.

  However, ninjas—at least the jonin—weren't about to extend their gratitude indiscrimio the entire Uchiha . Still, their perceptions of the had signifitly shifted.

  This did not hiheir enthusiasm for Masashi.

  When Minato, along with Kushina and Masashi, returo the southern district walls and loudly decred that the ails had been resealed, cheers erupted.

  "The ails has been successfully tained!" Minato's voice rang clear across the crowd. "Thanks to our bined efforts, Konoha stands strong!"

  They were hailed as heroes throughout the vilge.

  Minato was the Hokage, and Kushina was his wife. While people wao celebrate them, they couldn't help but feel somewhat reserved.

  But Masashi was different—a young hero, a bashful teenager.

  Thus, the eted Konoha ninjas surged forward and hoisted him high, tossing him repeatedly into the air.

  Minato and Kushina walked back, but Masashi was carried along by the jubint crowd, lifted and tossed the whole way.

  Even the Uchiha injas decided to join in.

  "e on, might as well make it a proper celebration!" one of them called out, joining the tossing.

  It was too awkward just standing there; might as well joiossing!

  Hiruzen observed this se with mixed feelings.

  He was forted that Masashi, despite his exceptional talent and strength, embodied the Will of Fire. His , however, was that Masashi might be led astray by his .

  He sidered himself to have many fws, but he swore he had never deliberately targeted the Uchiha .

  During his tenure, he had never iionally singled out any .

  It was just that the game had rules.

  The Uchiha monopolized one-sixth of Konoha's departmental bes. Shouldn't there be cessions in other areas?

  One couldn't just take without giving back. Everyone was eating from the same pot, and when it came down to it, no one's tributions were insignifit.

  Hiruzen decided to discuss with Minato the possibility of inviting Masashi to join the ANBU.

  Joining Root was out of the question. Root dealt with the dirty work, and Masashi was now a hero of the vilge. It wasn't possible—or appropriate—for him to do dirty work.

  He should serve as a bridge between the Uchiha d the Hokage's office.

  If joining the ANBU proved unfeasible, then Masashi should be removed from the Police Ford ied into the regur army.

  Since Minato became Hokage, the pletion rate of S-rank missions had noticeably slowed.

  Hiruzen's three disciples no loook on missions.

  Orochimaru was always hanging out with Danzō, rarely seen. Jiraiya cimed he was searg for the Child of Prophed was also rarely seen.

  Tsunade? She was at the gambling dens. Thanks for asking.

  This meant that the Hokage's office's former mainstays for S-rank missions were effectively out of ission.

  This was intolerable.

  "I've made up my mind," Hiruzen said to Danzō, his expression serious. "I will ehis boy is removed from the Police Force."

  "Oh?" Danzō's eyes lit up. "The him join Root. We could use someone like him."

  "No. He must not dwell in darkness."

  "Given his bat prowess, serving in the shadows would be the vilge most." In Danzō's mind, a dozen pns instantly took shape.

  There were several anizations he believed could be dealt with ahead of schedule this year.

  Those that threatened Konoha, opposed it, feigned plianisused Konoha's funds...

  All of them could be eliminated with someone of his caliber, he thought, already mapping out operations.

  "Your vision is too narrow, Danzō," Hiruzen said with a shake of his head. "This child must walk in the light."

  Serving in darkness? Absolutely not. I'm already worried his might lead him astray, and you want him serving in darkness?

  As cheers rang out, the two old men followed the flow of people back to the vilge.

  Staying up all night was tough at their age.

  ---

  In the following days, Konoha was as lively as if it were celebrating a festival.

  Without the catastrophic losses of the inal timelihe vilgers' attitudes toward the ails jinchūriki remained unged. The only difference was a clearer uanding of what a jinchūriki was.

  The Hokage's office did, however, refle its previous overly optimistic outlook.

  During this period, the office even anized a modest award ceremony for Masashi.

  "Your as have brought great honor to both your d vilge," the official announced during the ceremony.

  "I merely did what any shinobi would do," Masashi replied with perfect humility.

  Thanks to the firm staninato and Kushina, the elders kept their political maneuvering to a minimum. The ceremony was held at the Hokage's office, and the prize money was handed over on the spot.

  Masashi's reputation was firmly ted.

  A rge crowd of southern district vilgers showed up, fervently cheering from below. His popurity skyrocketed.

  Riding this wave of enthusiasm, Hiruzen, in the role of a benevolent elderly man, formally invited Masashi to join the ANBU.

  "Your talents could serve the vilge in more... specialized ways," Hiruzen suggested warmly.

  "Sandaime-sama, you honor me with such trust..." Masashi deed politely. "I fear I ck the experience for ANBU. Perhaps S-rank missions would better serve both my growth and the vilge's needs."

  He just wao broaden his horizons, bee a more useful asset to the vilge, and make a modest tribution to Konoha's revenue.

  Hiruzen was deeply gratified and praised the young man's initiative. After all, their eion's thinking was more servative, not as flexible as the youth.

  He also invited Masashi to take on a role at the Ninja Academy, encing him to tribute to the geion's growth.

  Masashi readily agreed.

  The cooperative effort between the younger and eio a sting impression oaff, filling them with fiden the vilge's future.

  Where the leaves danced, fire burernally.

  The Will of Fire had its successor.

  This year's S-rank mission pletion rate was sure to reaew heights. Everyone khat Masashi could use the Flying Thunder God.

  When it came to delivering cssified dots, his speed was unmatched. What took others a month, he could finish in a day.

  Since Minato became Hokage, Konoha's effi such tasks had plummeted to the same level as other vilges.

  Now, everything was ba track.