Chapter 129: Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki

Kushina Uzumaki earned a notorious nickname early on among the Leaf Village ninja: "Blood Red Chili Pepper." This was not only because of her fiery temper but also due to her formidable strength.

Seeing that the Nine-Tails showed no sign of cooperating or answering her questions, Kushina suddenly conjured a set of golden chains in her hands with a swift "clatter." These chains seemed alive, like spiritual serpents quietly emerging from her back and winding their way into her palms.

At the sight of the golden chains, the Nine-Tails flared the fur on its tail like a porcupine in alarm. No wonder it panicked—the golden chains were a unique sealing technique of the Uzumaki clan, known as the Vajra Seal.

The power of this seal was beyond imagination; it possessed a terrifying strength capable of suppressing tailed beasts and wielded formidable physical offensive power. Yet, very few could master this seal. Even with Uzumaki blood and a deep understanding of sealing techniques, Naruto could only manifest a faint, illusory Vajra Seal to this day. He regretted this greatly, having learned from the Nine-Tails that this sealing technique was his mother's signature move.

"I honestly don’t have the time to delve deeply into sealing techniques; there are simply too many things I need to study," Naruto often told himself to find solace.

In contrast, Karin devoted herself entirely to mastering sealing arts. This was because Naruto once told her, "I really don’t have the energy to study so many things—I'll leave the Uzumaki heritage to you."

As a result, her grasp of the Vajra Seal was extraordinarily advanced.

"Chili Bro! Let's talk this out! Don’t get rough!" the Nine-Tails urgently extended a claw to stop Kushina.

"I’ve spent a long time carefully arranging this space! If you get rough, it’ll all be ruined! Then I’ll have to bother that brat to clean it up for me!" it protested.

"Then you better answer my question honestly!" Kushina lifted the Vajra Seal with a fierce expression.

She paid no mind to the strange nickname "Chili Bro"—she had long been accustomed to the many odd nicknames she received growing up in the Leaf Village.

Nearby, Minato Namikaze shook his head helplessly, secretly smiling wryly. Sigh, this is just how his wife is—what could he do? But honestly, aside from her beautiful face, he loved this fiery, spirited nature of hers.

"Actually, it’s nothing much. Hinata Hyuga is the apprentice of that brat. Hinata Hyuga is the eldest daughter of Hinata’s clan," the Nine-Tails stopped teasing the couple and spoke truthfully.

"That brat liked Hinata Hyuga a lot before—like a teacher’s fondness for a student. Now, Hinata Hyuga has grown up; it’s probably developed into something more like romantic affection," it added.

Minato’s keen senses picked up on the hidden meaning, and he furrowed his brows. "Teacher’s fondness for a student? Growing up? What does all this mean? Has Naruto encountered something strange?"

Kushina couldn’t help but clench her fists, worry etched across her face.

The Nine-Tails pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "How should I put it... it all started nine years ago, when that brat was three years old."

Then, it recounted Naruto’s experiences from three years ago when he returned from another world up until now, narrating them in detail.

Unaware that the Nine-Tails was revealing his secrets to his parents, Naruto was fully focused on carefully investigating a battlefield site.

This battlefield ruin hidden within the forest seemed to silently recount the fierce battles that had once raged there. The scene was shocking—only a headless corpse remained, flesh torn and mangled.

Naruto crouched down and examined the corpse carefully, his mind filled with confusion and gravity. After meticulous reasoning, he determined that the headless body belonged to a Leaf Village ninja.

It was none other than the corpse of Wedo Sarutobi. In the previous fierce battle, Wedo Sarutobi’s body had been severely damaged by Anbu ninja. His battered frame, soaked in blood, resembled a weathered sculpture eroded mercilessly by time—too harrowing to behold.

The entity that had occupied his body was likely the same type of scout robot model as the SSA unit. The SOS signal mentioned in the SSA black box must have been sent by this robot. The robot’s purpose in occupying the body was probably stealth infiltration and sowing chaos.

Later, the decision to discard the corpse likely arose because the robot sensed that the body could no longer sustain its immense power. Continuing to use it would severely hinder its mobility and combat effectiveness.

Its cold logic swiftly made a decision, like a shrewd merchant weighing pros and cons: "This body is worthless and must be discarded."

The robot calculated dispassionately and carried out this judgment. Then, it decisively abandoned Sarutobi’s body, discarding it as if it were a worthless, broken tool.

Naruto had no idea what thought process the enemy went through at that moment.

But just by looking at Sarutobi’s corpse, he could infer that it had been destructively manipulated. The body seemed completely drained of all potential, utterly spent. Naruto stood silently, not disturbing the fragile remains that looked as if they were pieced together from sand.

A gentle breeze rustled through the forest, and the corpse instantly dissolved into a shapeless pool of blood that slowly merged with the earth.

"This guy is merciless," Naruto thought silently.

"What kind of decision-making mechanism do these alien forces operate under? Their thinking is purely utilitarian, devoid of any humanitarian concern."

Naruto frowned, his eyes filled with worry and vigilance.

His gaze swept over the traces left behind, and he understood. After discarding the body, the enemy must have tested its new form.

He speculated privately: "I don’t know if it reoccupied another body or restored its original one, but that robot has clearly undergone a transformation, displaying much greater speed and power."

The surrounding marks were all left from the robot’s later tests, more distinct and profound than those from the earlier battle.

Naruto stared at these traces as if envisioning the robot’s testing scene. He clenched his fist slightly, feeling a deep sense of urgency.

"Once the tests are done, that robot will continue its mission—to destroy the potential wielder of the Reincarnation Eye. I must find it quickly and stop it."