The night still smelled of smoke and blood. The remnants of the Nine-Tails' rampage lingered in the air—splintered rooftops, broken trees, and the metallic tang of chakra-burned soil. The moon hung pale and silent above the Hidden Leaf, its light trembling upon the ruins below.
Tharion stood atop the battered Hokage Monument, his cloak fluttering in the gentle wind, the fiery glow of distant torches flickering in his eyes. He had watched the end of it all—the sealing of the beast, the sacrifice, the tearful cries. His fists clenched at his sides, feeling both awe and ache as he watched the couple cradle their newborn son before collapsing in exhaustion.
"…You did well, Minato. Kushina," he whispered, the words carried softly by the night breeze.
He had been a guardian from the shadows—never one to take glory, never one to interfere more than necessary. But tonight had tested even his restraint.
When dawn came, the village was eerily quiet, survivors moving like ghosts among the ruins. Tharion descended from the cliffs, his steps soundless, a faint shimmer of aura fading as he retracted his energy cloak. He left a folded letter on the wooden table beside Minato's bed—his handwriting steady and firm:
"I have a task to finish outside the village. I'll return in two days. Take care of her, Brother."– Tharion
He turned toward the forests, letting the canopy swallow him whole.
But peace never lasted long in worlds like these.
As he moved through the dense woodland beyond the village perimeter, he caught voices—muffled, urgent, and dripping with malice.
"The child survived… we can still retrieve him. He will be the vessel. The perfect tool."
Tharion froze mid-step. His aura pulsed violently for a second, a low hum filling the air as he turned his head toward the source.
From the shadows ahead, a single figure stood among the trees—cloaked in black, a swirling orange mask concealing his face. The pattern on the mask spiraled toward a single eyehole, from which a glint of Sharingan shone ominously in the dim light.
"Another scavenger," Tharion muttered coldly.
The masked man—Obito—seemed amused. "Not a scavenger, stranger. A visionary. You wouldn't understand."
Tharion stepped forward, his aura sharpening like a blade. "You're planning to take a baby from his mother. I don't need to understand anything else."
Obito tilted his head slightly, his tone mocking. "Do you even know whose child that is?"
Tharion's eyes hardened. "I do. And I know what you plan to do with him. That's enough reason for me to end this conversation—now."
He was gone in a blur. One instant, Obito was standing tall and arrogant—the next, Tharion's hand clamped around his collar, dragging him from his reality warping space before he could phase away. Obito's eyes widened.
How did he—?!
Tharion's expression was a storm barely contained, his voice laced with fury. "You dare touch my nephew's name with your filthy schemes?"
He slammed Obito into the nearest tree with such force that bark exploded outward, cracking the trunk. The ground quivered beneath the impact.
Obito coughed, his voice raspy. "You… who are you?!"
Tharion's aura flared—white, ethereal, tinged with crimson heat. "I'm his uncle," he said coldly. "And Minato's brother."
The air trembled.
Obito's eye narrowed behind his mask as chakra surged from his body. "Then you'll die with that pride of yours!" he spat, weaving signs at lightning speed.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"
A torrent of roaring flame erupted toward Tharion, devouring everything in its path. Trees ignited, shadows danced violently. But before the inferno could reach him, Tharion raised his hand—his aura bursting outward like a shockwave, dispersing the flames as if they were mere sparks.
Obito barely had time to process the movement before Tharion appeared in front of him again—eyes gleaming, face unreadable.
"Your jutsu means nothing to me," Tharion said, his voice low, his hand glowing faintly with restrained power. "You wanted power? Let me show you what happens when a father's fury meets divine strength."
Obito tried to phase through him again, his form distorting—but Tharion's energy crackled, bending space around him, locking Obito's technique mid-phase.
Obito's eye widened in disbelief. "Impossible!"
"Nothing's impossible when your blood is on the line," Tharion hissed, pulling him closer until their faces were inches apart.
Lightning lanced through the clearing—an aura born of two worlds colliding: one of chakra, one of divine mana. The very air screamed under the pressure.
The last thing Obito saw before darkness consumed the forest was Tharion's burning eyes—glowing like molten gold—as his fist swung toward him with the full might of a furious protector.
CRACK!
The ground shattered beneath them.
And as the dust settled, the Hidden Leaf trembled once more—not from a beast's rage this time… but from a god's wrath.
The forest trembled with each collision of their powers, the air thick with chakra and raw force. Obito's Sharingan glinted through his mask as he unleashed a volley of explosive paper bombs, each sealed with deadly chakra.
Tharion's eyes narrowed. With a single motion, his aura flared outward, and the first of the bombs froze midair. He grabbed it with his bare hand, feeling the searing heat of its energy, and with a flick of his wrist, hurled it back.
Obito's eyes widened as the bomb spiraled toward him, crashing into his chest and sending him flying backward. He skidded across the forest floor, crashing into a tree with a sickening crack. The impact sent splinters flying, leaving him disoriented and struggling to stand.
Tharion's footsteps were silent as he approached, his shadow stretching across the trembling ground. With a firm grip, he seized Obito by the collar, lifting him slightly off the earth. His eyes burned with controlled fury.
"Listen to me carefully," Tharion said, his voice low but lethal. "Do not, under any circumstances, lay a hand on Minato, Kushina, or that child. You step one toe over that line, and I will find you… no matter where you hide. I will find you, and you will regret it for the rest of your existence."
Obito's chest heaved as he swallowed his fear. The reality of Tharion's presence, his strength, and the aura that radiated an almost divine warning pressed down on him. His body trembled uncontrollably.
"…Y-you…" Obito whispered, terror lacing his words. "I… I'll… I'll leave… I'll retreat…"
Tharion tightened his grip just enough to make the warning tangible without causing permanent damage, then released him. Obito stumbled back, glaring, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. He bolted into the shadows of the forest, disappearing as quickly as he had come, leaving only the echo of his panicked breath behind.
Tharion stood silently for a moment, scanning the darkness, ensuring that Obito was truly gone. His fists unclenched, but the tension in his body remained.
A faint notification pulsed in the back of his mind—another system quest had triggered.
[System Notification]New Quest Activated: Protect the infant Naruto Uzumaki until age 12.
Location: Hidden Leaf Village.
Conditions: Ensure safety of both child and parents. No fatalities allowed.
Reward: Divine Blessing & Expanded Combat Potential.
Tharion exhaled slowly, his mind already calculating the ramifications. This wasn't just about fighting anymore—it was about vigilance, strategy, and being a shadow guardian for a child whose destiny would shape the world.
His eyes softened as he remembered the scene from earlier—Minato holding his newborn son, Kushina exhausted but alive. A flicker of warmth passed through his stern expression. He would do everything in his power to ensure their safety.
Adjusting his stance, he whispered under his breath:
"From now on… you won't be alone, Naruto. I'll protect you… even if it costs me everything."
And with that, Tharion melted back into the forest shadows, moving to establish his watch over the village and its newest heir, already preparing for years of hidden guardianship.
[Quest Objective Updated]: Full-time protection of Naruto Uzumaki initiated.
The Hidden Leaf slept unaware of the guardian shadow moving silently among the trees, a distant cousin, a god's instrument, and a father-figure determined to ensure the future of the boy who would carry the weight of the village.