Tsunade's daughter (A Naruto original fanfiction)

Chapter Forty-Eight: Naruto's departure

Mai was currently with Jiraiya. She had told him about what Akira had told her a few days earlier. She hadn't been able to sleep ever since. She preferred to remain alert at any time now. 

And now the man had wished to meet her to tell her something as well. 

"I'm going to leave with Naruto so that we can train. I don't know how long this will last, but it will take what it takes."

"Yeah, I know. Naruto mentioned this to me." Mai replied calmly. 

She could perfectly remember his words.

"I'm going to go train with pervy-Sage so I can become stronger. This way I'll be able to bring Sasuke back next time dattebayo!" 

"Also, before I forget, there's one thing I need to tell you. While training Naruto and Akira we'll need to help them control the Kyūbi as you already know. As for you, you'll be able to use your mokuton, and I hope this will work without the necklace." 

"The necklace?"

Jiraiya nodded.

"The Shodai's necklace."

Mai froze as she remembered it. 

That cursed necklace...

"The Shodai used it to control the beast during his fights with Madara, but once the demon was sealed into his wife Mito he didn't need it anymore, hence his giving it to your mother." 

"...."

Maybe he should have kept it in the end....

Mai wasn't the kind of superstitious person, but the deaths of their loved ones were more than disturbing...

"It could have helped us but since it's lost I guess we'll have to manage without it, plus there was only one necklace and now we have two Jinchūriki so we would have had to manage without it for one of them if you had still had it." 

Yes, maybe if she had kept it, Obito wouldn't have died... Or maybe he would just have died anyway... 

No... That had nothing with the necklace, that was just life's fault. Cruel life....

"Anyway, there's something you need to see first."

Jiraiya bit his finger before summoning something. It was a frog.

"You summoned me Jiraiya."

"Yes, Mai this is Gerotora. Mai is the Godaime Hokage and she used to be Minato's disciple." 

"Oh, yes, right..." 

"I just wanted to show her the scroll since she doesn't know about it. She will help Akira control the demon while I'll be helping Naruto. And it will be probably harder for her." 

Gerotora nodded. "Yes, indeed." 

"What kind of scroll is it?" Mai inquired. 

"Right before his death, Minato summoned Gerotora and inscribed the key to the Eight Trigrams Seal on his stomach so it would remain safe."

"Oh..." 

"Gerotora, please." 

"Fine." The toad said, but seemed to be reluctant. 

He did as he was told. 

Mai was rather impressed. Never had she thought that it could possible for a toad to extend their stomach in such a manner. That sounded crazy. 

Yes, it was this seal. 

She remembered seeing it when Naruto and Akira were still new borns.