The Master of Konoha's Legacy

He realized that he was being targeted by the masked man.

If you don't escape before the other side finds your hiding place...

With his small arms and legs, once he was caught, he would surely die.

Takeshi Yamanaka didn't have time to think, not even to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He quickly got up and stretched out his hands to grab the edge of the tree hole.

Just as Yamanaka Takeshi raised his head to leave.

His eyes suddenly widened, but his pupils contracted to their limit, and his face under the cat-face mask turned deathly pale.

"Gurgle~"

The sound of swallowing saliva filled the air, and sweat dripped from Yamanaka Takeshi's forehead down his eyelashes and into his eyes.

Even so, Yamanaka Takeshi didn't dare to blink.

His lips trembled involuntarily, but he couldn't utter a word of begging for mercy.

Suddenly, a head wearing a tiger-skin mask emerged from outside and entered the tree hole, standing directly above him, staring at him with scarlet eyes.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; Takeshi Yamanaka could even clearly hear his own heartbeat.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

The pounding of his heart was like a heavy hammer, particularly jarring in this deathly environment.

Without speaking, Masked Tu Nan reached in from outside and gently lifted the mask off Yamanaka Takeshi's face, examining him closely.

He seemed to be thinking about whether the two had met before.

The power of silence is indeed strong, especially in this kind of environment.

"Waaah..."

A few breaths later, Yamanaka Takeshi, a Jonin of Root, actually started crying, showing no intention of resisting whatsoever.

But then, the masked Tu Nan gently patted Shan Zhongwu's head, seemingly comforting him and telling him not to cry.

However, the masked Tu Nan's comforting words had no effect; instead, they made Yamanaka Takeshi cry even more miserably.

The masked Tu Nan slowly shook his head and whispered, "I'm busy. Go cry somewhere else."

"Cuckoo~"

"Cuckoo~"

Countless bird shadows fluttered up from the forest and scattered towards the Nine-Tailed Battlefield.

[Chapter 345 Sealing Ceremony: Pillar of Fiery Might]

In the Nine-Tailed Battlefield.

At this moment, the Nine-Tails was like a trapped beast, firmly locked in the Vajra Prison Wall created by Hiruzen Sarutobi by dozens of iron chains engraved with sealing runes.

Beneath the Nine-Tailed Fox was not flat ground, but a huge swamp lake.

The more it struggled, the more it sank.

Seeing this, the Konoha ninja breathed a sigh of relief and retreated behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, awaiting instructions.

After a short while, a member of the sealing squad approached Hiruzen Sarutobi, bowed, and said in a deep voice:

"Third Generation Lord, the sealing ceremony has been prepared and can be activated at any time."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded silently, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Kurama (the Nine-Tails).

Then he raised his hand and waved to the crowd.

A boy of about seven years old stepped out from the crowd and stood beside Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This boy is named Sarutobi Kyuya, and he is the only outstanding young genius of the Sarutobi clan in this generation.

Sarutobi Kumi had already heard from the clan elders about the arrangements made for him, as well as the series of advantages and disadvantages that followed.

His young face was filled with excitement.

But a deep sense of guilt and pity appeared between Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows.

He knelt down in front of everyone, gently patted Sarutobi Kyuya's thin shoulder, and said earnestly:

"Kuya, Konoha needs a suitable person to become a Jinchūriki."

"I'm sorry you had to go through this for Konoha."

Sarutobi Kyuya nodded heavily, his face serious, and said:

"Everything for Konoha."

The Konoha ninjas around them, seeing this, mostly looked on with pity.

Only a few high-ranking officials who knew the truth looked on with dissatisfaction.

In this situation, no one would step forward to compete for the position of Jinchūriki.

After all, if it were stolen, it would make others doubt whether the Jinchuriki were really as miserable as the legends say.

Moreover, the third generation still holds a certain degree of influence.

Only three people in Konoha are qualified to vie for the title of Jinchūriki.

Danzo, Minato Namikaze, and Tonan Uchiha.

Meanwhile, Minato Namikaze fought the masked man and disappeared, Tonan Uchiha was on his last breath, and Danzo did not step forward.

Although the Konoha high-ranking officials were envious, they didn't say anything.

They could only watch helplessly as Sarutobi Kumi, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's arrangement, followed the sealing team to the sealing altar and lay down.

Seeing that everything was ready, Hiruzen Sarutobi issued the order:

"Activate the seal."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of sealing squad ninjas, who were stationed at various locations on the altar, all formed hand seals and struck each other downwards.

The intricate sealing runes all lit up with a blood-red light, transforming into red chains that coiled around the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Nine-Tails was well aware of the consequences if it were entangled by these red chains.

He immediately began to struggle even more desperately.

However, the Nine-Tailed Fox's body was already bound by sealing chains, and its lower body had sunk into the mud. It could only use its nine tails to keep whipping against the Vajra Prison walls.

"Hiruzen, hurry up, it hurts a lot."

An urging voice came from the Vajra Prison, the incarnation of the Ape Demon King.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained expressionless, his gaze fixed intently on the Nine-Tails, which was about to be bound by red chains.

Soon...

Uchiha Tonan is about to die.

Judging from the sounds of battle coming from over there, that masked man also seems to be exceptionally powerful.

If Minato were killed or seriously injured...

The Sarutobi clan, with their Jinchūriki, will be a crucial asset for my return to the Hokage position.

Just recently, Hiruzen Sarutobi did this in order to discourage Danzo from competing with him for the position of Jinchuriki.

However, many costs were promised, such as the expansion of Root and several departments controlled by Uchiha Tonan.

With these powers, Danzo was essentially on par with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Danzo, knowing that his power was waning and his chances of becoming a Jinchūriki were slim, readily agreed.

The moment the red chains touched the Nine-Tails.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed sharply, and he said with a grave expression, "Something's not right!"

"Pfft~"

Suddenly, Sarutobi Kyuya, lying on the altar, coughed up a mouthful of blood and let out a piercing wail:

"Ah! Help me..."

Before anyone could understand what was happening, they saw Sarutobi Kyuya's abdomen visibly shrink.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened instantly. Looking at the lifeless Sarutobi Kyuya, he said, word by word, "Time, Space, Ninjutsu."

Sarutobi Kumi's sudden death interrupted the ritual, and the red chains dissipated on their own.

"That was close! My little pet almost got locked up by you guys."

Everyone looked over at the sound and saw a black-clad man wearing a tiger-skin mask and revealing a pair of scarlet kaleidoscopes standing on the Nine-Tails' head.

And beneath him, to his left and right, lay the corpses of Minato Namikaze and Kushina.

"Watergate..."

When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Minato Namikaze's corpse, his pupils contracted slightly.

In this situation, there is no joy at all.

The Konoha ninja were in an uproar when they saw the bodies of Minato Namikaze and Kushina.

"That's...the Yondaime-sama and Kushina-sama!"

"Damn it... They actually killed the Fourth Hokage."

"Everyone, attack together and kill him!"

"To avenge the Fourth Hokage and Lady Kushina!"

"on!"

.......

A group of ninjas who had received favors from or admired Minato Namikaze spontaneously rushed toward the Nine-Tails within the Vajra Prison Wall.

Upon seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately shouted, "Don't be impulsive!"

But at that moment, the ninjas were no longer listening to any of it.

One by one, they used the Instantaneous Movement Technique to transform into countless black streaks of light and rush into the Vajra Prison Wall.

Masked Tu Nan looked down at the Konoha ninjas charging towards him, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.