"The Nine-Tails?!"
Outside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others instantly felt the oppressive, evil chakra saturating the air. Everyone's heart skipped a beat—an ominous premonition rising inside them.
A second later, an earth-shaking roar exploded across the land.
A violent storm of chakra ripped through the terrain—trees uprooted, mountains crumbled, clouds of dust swept the skies.
Through the haze, a massive beast the size of a mountain emerged. Its crimson eyes glowed with bloodthirsty savagery, howling up at the moon.
"Wh-What is that?!"
"No way…"
"It's the Nine-Tails! It's the damn Nine-Tails!"
Even though Kushina's birthing location had been deliberately placed on the outskirts of Konoha, the appearance of the colossal Nine-Tails still did not go unnoticed.
Terror spread like wildfire. Villagers ran in panic, screaming, as the terrifying beast came into view. But even more shocked were the Konoha elders and elite shinobi.
The tension that had coiled within their hearts finally snapped—snapped and shattered into despair.
The Nine-Tails had broken free.
It wasn't just an attack from the most powerful Tailed Beast—it also meant the death of Kushina Uzumaki, the bearer of the Nine-Tails and wife of the Fourth Hokage.
"So… it's happened after all."
The Third Hokage clenched his fists. Despite all their careful preparations, they still hadn't been enough.
But there was no time for regret.
With the Fourth Hokage absent, the responsibility of leading Konoha now fell to him!
Hiruzen took a deep breath and barked out orders.
"Shikaku! Gather every available unit and start evacuating the civilians and genin-level shinobi into the shelters!"
"Yes!"
"Danzo! Mobilize Root to assist the Barrier Team—fortify the perimeter and make sure no outside enemy takes advantage of this chaos to invade Konoha."
"Understood."
"Hiashi, Shibi, Shinku—summon the jōnin! All of them. We must face the Nine-Tails together!"
"Yes!"
Even in this crisis, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed the composure of an experienced leader.
All those present snapped to action with grim focus. Hiruzen's gaze turned toward the small figure beside him—the elder toad sage, Fukasaku.
"Master Fukasaku."
"Hmm? Speak freely, boy."
The old toad turned, frowning, as he stared at the rampaging Nine-Tails.
Hiruzen didn't waste time correcting the nickname. He spoke quickly:
"Please, use Reverse Summoning. Inform Minato of the situation—Kushina is critically injured, and the Nine-Tails is loose. Tell him to return to Konoha as fast as possible."
"We can handle the beast. We may even be able to seal it again. But Kushina and Naruto... at such a critical moment, they cannot be without a husband and father!"
"...Got it."
Fukasaku nodded solemnly. With a few quick hand seals, he vanished in a puff of smoke.
BOOM!
Another quake rippled through the ground. Hiruzen didn't have time to think further. Grabbing his staff, he and the other elite ninja charged toward the beast.
The Nine-Tails may be powerful—
—but as Hokage, he would not back down!
...
To Uchiha Obito, Kushina Uzumaki held no small place in his heart.
In some ways, their relationship had long since evolved from "disciple and sensei's wife" to something akin to "adopted son and foster mother."
And to Kushina, Obito had embodied her ideals. She had once told Minato that she hoped her child would grow up to be just like Obito—warm, open-hearted, full of energy and unwavering in his will.
Even if he wasn't the brightest, even if he could be proud or impulsive… it didn't matter.
As long as he valued his comrades, held firm in his beliefs, and never betrayed them—that was enough.
And Obito… understood how much she cared.
That's why—even with all the seething hatred he held for Minato—he still kept a glimmer of light in his heart for Kushina Uzumaki.
But...
She was the woman Minato loved most.
"No… No, please…!"
Obito walked past the bloodied, agonized, and barely conscious Kushina, her voice trembling, her mind half-mad with grief and desperation.
He stood before the newborn Naruto.
"I beg you… please…"
Sorry.
The hatred within Uchiha Obito surged like a tidal wave. At this moment, he had only one goal:
Minato Namikaze… When you lose the person you love most… when you lose your child… will your pain match mine? Will you understand my agony? My despair?!
I'll make you… I'll make Konoha… I'll make this entire world taste the pain I've felt!
Obito raised his kunai—and brought it down toward Naruto!
"NO!!!"
CLANG!
Kushina's scream pierced the air as the sharp ring of metal clashing echoed through the cave.
A figure shrouded in a white haori caught Naruto with one hand, while the other hand blocked the kunai in Obito's hand!
"…Huh?"
"Striking down a newborn child? That's a bit excessive, wouldn't you say… mister?"
Obito's gaze snapped upward. Before him stood a man in a pure white mask, golden hair slicked back, and a voice that sounded aloof… even mocking.
Obito's expression darkened.
That uniform—he recognized it instantly.
"Soul Society…"
"So Yoru lets you Shinigami run around the entire ninja world now? Even right into Konoha's most sacred ground?"
"You think we, the Soul Society, answer to you?"
The candlelight flickered, and a cold flash of a blade caused Obito's single eye behind his spiral mask to narrow slightly. Unbeknownst to him, a Zanpakutō had already been placed at his neck!
So fast… When did he draw it?
And this presence…
Obito narrowed his eye. There was something oddly familiar about this man's chakra—or rather, his energy.
It made Obito's instincts twitch.
He shifted his stance slightly—but that single movement triggered a slash!
Of course, his head wasn't severed. With Kamui, Obito was nearly untouchable.
But that raised the real problem.
He couldn't lose.
But how was he supposed to win?
Obito's lone Sharingan scanned between the Shinigami and Kushina, focusing inward. His connection with the Nine-Tails surged in clarity.
"…So you're going to protect his child too? You want to meddle?"
"Fine. Then let's see how far you'll go."
"Kurama—destroy everything!"
Obito unleashed his dōjutsu, and the Nine-Tails—still battling Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Konoha shinobi—suddenly reared up and raised a clawed forelimb.
It slammed down in the direction of the hidden cavern where Kushina had just given birth.
BOOM!!!
The barrier shattered like glass.
The ground split apart.
The entire cavern collapsed into rubble and dust.
"What?!"
"Shit—where was that?!"
"Biwako!!"
Countless shinobi cried out in shock.
Sarutobi's eyes widened in horror as he recognized the direction the attack had come from. His voice cracked with fury.
"You bastard… Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, Enma the Monkey King appeared and transformed into the Adamantine Staff. Sarutobi gritted his teeth, gripped the staff, and charged directly at the Nine-Tails.
All around him, other Konoha shinobi began to unleash jutsu, doing their best to support the aging Third Hokage.
On the branches of a giant tree nearby, Uchiha Shisui and Kirigakure's Second Mizukage—Hōzuki Gengetsu—appeared.
One carried the fainted Kushina, the other cradled the crying Naruto.
"T-Thank you…"
Kushina's voice trembled, lips pale as her eyes never left the infant in Gengetsu's arms.
"Don't worry, this kid's doing great."
Gengetsu poked Naruto gently in the cheek and chuckled.
"Still crying like a healthy little boy. Not bad."
"…Thank you. Truly."
Kushina managed a faint smile, but her gaze shifted toward the distance—where the Nine-Tails had begun to rampage in earnest, laying waste to the heart of Konoha.
Even so, she understood she was in no state to help. Right now, the only thing that mattered to her… was Naruto's safety.
This child—born from her body after ten long months—was her legacy. Her future.
He must not come to harm… under any circumstance.
"What now?" Gengetsu asked, glancing sideways at Shisui. "Did Yoru give you any further orders?"
Shisui shook his head.
Yoru's orders had been simple: monitor the childbirth of the Fourth Hokage's wife, ensure nothing went wrong, and guarantee the safe birth of Minato's child.
Beyond that—nothing.
"…I see."
Gengetsu clicked his tongue and looked toward the distance.
The battle between the Nine-Tails and Konoha's defenders was intense. Even from this far away, the earth shook with every impact.
"From the look of it," he muttered, "even if Konoha survives this, the cost will be steep…"
He glanced sidelong at Shisui again.
"What do you think, Second Squad Captain? Does seeing all this stir your heart? Make you want to rush in and help?"
Shisui said nothing.
He simply vanished.
"…Tch. Edgy little punk."
Gengetsu scratched his head and grumbled. He had only come to watch the show, but now it felt like everything was being dumped on him.
Babysitting the kid… comforting the dying woman… this isn't my gig…
He placed a hand gently on Kushina's abdomen. His palm turned into a stream of liquid that flowed into her torn stomach.
The injury began to knit together visibly—but her chakra was fading fast.
"…Tailed Beasts being extracted is a death sentence," Gengetsu muttered, shaking his head. "Your Uzumaki body buys you some time, but not much. The only way you'll live is if the Nine-Tails is sealed back into you—but in your current state, even if we did that, you couldn't hold it."
"At most, a few hours left. Maybe less."
"You'll be saying goodbye to this world soon, 'Wife of the Fourth Hokage.'"
"…I know."
Kushina clutched Naruto tightly to her chest, her arms trembling. A moment later, she looked up at Gengetsu and asked softly:
"You… you're one of Yoru's men, aren't you?"
"Obviously," Gengetsu replied, settling beside her. "That shouldn't be a secret anymore. The information that we Shinigami serve under Mizukage Yuki Yoru has probably been sitting in your Hokage's war room for a while."
"…You really don't care about exposure, huh? Aren't you worried the other nations will unite against you?"
"A lion doesn't fear the snarling of mice."
Gengetsu snorted. "We're chasing something higher than power or politics. Not some 'take over the world' cliché—we're after something much more advanced."
"…Can you tell me what that is?"
"Of course not. You're still a Konoha shinobi, even if you're dying. You think I'd just blurt out our secrets?"
"…But then you immediately started talking about 'outsiders'? And how you alone could wipe out Konoha?" Kushina muttered.
Isn't that exactly what he said he wouldn't say?!
Gengetsu didn't seem to notice.
"Outsiders, as the name implies, aren't from this world. They're beings beyond the scope of this realm. As for why you can't sense chakra in me—that's easy. I don't have any."
"…No chakra?"
"I'm a Shinigami, not a shinobi. I use spirit energy, not chakra."
While the Nine-Tails rampaged through Konoha, Hōzuki Gengetsu sat atop a massive tree branch, casually chatting with a dying Kushina Uzumaki.
And at that same moment…
Uchiha Shisui had not gone far.
He'd returned to the Uchiha compound.
The district hadn't changed much—not since he'd gone to the Land of Rain. Compared to the chaos in Konoha, the Uchiha district was oddly quiet.
He'd passed several clan members on his way in.
None of them had rushed to the Nine-Tails' location. Instead, they'd headed for the civilian zones, helping evacuate villagers under orders from Akimichi Torifu and other leaders.
The Uchiha clan were renowned for their battle prowess, so he'd overheard plenty of complaints.
"Dammit, what's going on out there? Has the Nine-Tails been stopped yet?!"
"Why won't the elders let us help?! This is so frustrating!"
"I heard it was the Hokage Council's decision…"
"So unfair!"
"Silence! We're here to protect non-combatants. Don't say anything that weakens our unity!"
"…Yes, sir."
Shisui didn't speak. But as he passed, his eyes landed on a young boy—perhaps five years old.
Short black hair, dark eyes, and long lashes that framed a solemn, angelic face.
Shisui was instantly reminded of Mikoto.
The boy was carrying a baby—no older than one—running toward the shelter as fast as he could.
"Itachi..."
A complicated emotion flickered in Shisui's eyes.
He'd seen this child's birth. He'd always treated him like a younger brother.
He had once imagined guiding the boy's growth, helping him walk a noble path.
But fate had changed that path long ago.
Shisui didn't call out to the child. He didn't interrupt. He simply implanted a piece of his ocular power quietly into the boy as he passed… and kept walking.
Not long after, Shisui stood inside the Naka Shrine—the spiritual heart of the Uchiha clan.
Due to the chaos outside, the shrine was completely empty. Only two candles flickered in the darkness, casting faint light over the solemn hall.
At its center stood a stone tablet—ancient and weathered.
Its writing was indecipherable, its meaning lost to all but the most gifted.
The tablet had stood as long as the Uchiha clan had existed.
It was said to contain the truth of the world—but its script was too arcane. Generations of Uchiha had worshipped it without ever understanding it.
Only those who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan could glimpse its secrets.
Shisui reached up and removed his white mask, revealing his face. His blood-red Sharingan spun rapidly—and in just a few breaths, it transformed into the Eternal Mangekyō.
And with it, the tablet's inscription began to shift… clarifying.
But that wasn't enough.
His Eternal Mangekyō spun faster, and a moment later—his eye evolved into the ripple-patterned Rinnegan.
And before him, the stone tablet finally revealed its true secrets.