Chapter 1

"Sealing the Dead Demon…"

As the light returned to Keiko's eyes, he felt his body and limbs being bound by something, and a low shout echoed in his ears.

In the devastated forest, a red-haired woman knelt weakly on the ground, several golden chains extending from her back. Not far from the red-haired woman was a baby placed on a small platform, and a yellow-haired man in a divine robe.

Looking at the yellow-haired man standing opposite him, who was clasping his hands and shouting "Sealing the Dead Demon," the red-haired woman kneeling on the ground, and the baby on the small platform with six whisker-like marks on its face, Keiko couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

If he wasn't mistaken, this scene seemed to be from the world of *Naruto*, when Naruto Uzumaki became a jinchūriki. From his current perspective, if he hadn't guessed wrong, he must be the strongest tailed beast, the Nine-Tails, known as Kurama.

And at this moment, based on the shout from Minato Namikaze, it was clear that he had already completed the hand seals for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and was about to drag the Nine-Tails, which was now part of his body, into the belly of the Shinigami to fight.

The thought of being split in two made Keiko panic instantly.

"Stop, stop, stop, brother, don't be so impulsive. A gentleman uses words, not hands, right?"

Without thinking about why he was here, Keiko quickly called out to Minato Namikaze, who was about to act, and saw two faces full of confusion.

"Just now… was that the Nine-Tails speaking?"

Minato Namikaze looked around, seeing no one else, and the voice wasn't his. His wife was a woman, and his newborn son couldn't speak. So, the voice telling him not to be impulsive must have come from the bound Nine-Tails in front of him?

Thinking this, Minato Namikaze shook his head. It was well-known that tailed beasts were particularly cruel creatures, and they wouldn't even bother to respond to a ninja's attempts to communicate, let alone initiate communication with a ninja!

"Right, right, brother, you didn't hear wrong, it's me speaking!"

Keiko tried to nod his head and gave Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki what he thought was a warm smile.

His future, whether he would be split in two or remain whole, was in their hands. How could he not be polite?

However, Keiko had forgotten a crucial point: he was the Nine-Tails, and no matter how warm his smile, it still looked quite terrifying.

"How is that possible?"

Not only was Minato Namikaze startled by the sudden smile, but he was also shocked that the voice just now really came from the Nine-Tails in front of him.

The Nine-Tails actually spoke to him voluntarily?!

"Eh? What do you mean, brother? Are you looking down on me?"

Keiko's smile vanished, and he was very displeased with Minato Namikaze's shock. What was so hard to believe about him speaking human language?

"Toads from Mount Myōboku, snakes from Ryūchi Cave, and slugs from Shikkotsu Forest can all speak human language. I, the strongest tailed beast, speaking human language, what's the big deal? Do you believe I'll report you for tailed beast discrimination?"

"…"

Was this Nine-Tails on the wrong medication? Why was it so out of character?

Looking at the indignant Nine-Tails, Minato Namikaze felt he might have been hit by a genjutsu. The legendary, most brutal Nine-Tails couldn't possibly be like this.

It must be fake, definitely fake!

"Minato Namikaze, how about we make a deal?"

Ignoring Minato Namikaze's expression of disbelief, Keiko, after protesting indignantly about the shock of his speaking, was ready to get to the point.

"Not interested!"

However, when he heard Keiko suggest a deal, Minato Namikaze immediately rejected it without hesitation.

"Nine-Tails, give up. I will never let you go!"

In Minato Namikaze's mind, the only possible deal the Nine-Tails could offer was to let it go, and he would never let the Nine-Tails go, no matter what.

"When did I say I wanted you to let me go? The deal I'm proposing is that you don't use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal on me, and just use the Eight Trigrams Seal to seal me into your son's body!"

Keiko sneered and let out a cold laugh. He wasn't stupid. Although he desperately wanted freedom, he knew Minato Namikaze would never let him go. His goal was never to leave directly but to avoid being split in two by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

As for still being sealed? According to the original plot, he only needed to wait a few decades to return. Besides, with his intelligence, he could easily manipulate Naruto to release him once Naruto was a bit older.

After all, as the Nine-Tails, tailed beasts had long lifespans. A few decades was nothing to him!

"As part of the deal, I promise I won't cause trouble inside your son's body. How about it?"

Since it was a deal, he had to offer some benefits. Well, he never intended to cause trouble in the seal and make Naruto suffer.

"I think, whether as the former jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Kushina Uzumaki, or as the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, you both know the pain a jinchūriki has to endure. The feeling of being eroded by tailed beast chakra is not pleasant!"

Keiko's voice was soft, but his words made Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki somewhat tempted.

"As long as you, Minato Namikaze, don't use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal on me, your son won't have to endure the pain of being eroded by tailed beast chakra. If I'm in a good mood, I might even choose to cooperate with him, making him a perfect jinchūriki like the Eight-Tails jinchūriki of Kumogakure. How about it? Will you agree to this deal?"

"Minato…"

Kushina Uzumaki hesitated and looked at Minato Namikaze. She wasn't too concerned about the perfect jinchūriki. After all, Konoha had managed without one for years.

What truly moved Kushina was Keiko's promise that Naruto wouldn't be eroded by tailed beast chakra. As the former Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Kushina knew all too well the pain of being eroded by tailed beast chakra. Now, there was a chance to spare her son from this pain. How could she not be tempted?

"How do you guarantee you'll keep your promise?"

Minato Namikaze was also tempted, but he was hesitant. He didn't know if he should trust Keiko's words. Once he and Kushina were gone, who knew if the Nine-Tails would keep its promise?