The moment Uchiha Obito vanished from the cave with Kushina, Hyūga Shinichi, far away in the Hyūga compound, clearly sensed one of his Flying Thunder God seals instantly disappear from his sensory range.
Shinichi suddenly stood up and looked in the direction where Kushina had vanished, a look of solemnity on his face. Pushing open the door, Hyūga Hiashi's back appeared in Shinichi's view. Hiashi was sitting on the veranda, looking up at the slightly reddish moon. Hearing the movement behind him, Hiashi subtly tilted his head:
"What is it? I rarely see such an anxious expression on your face."
Hiashi looked at his son, a rare, gentle smile on his face.
"Something has likely happened to my uncle [Hizashi]."
Hyūga Shinichi did not hide anything from Hiashi. Hiashi had always been aware of some of Shinichi's arrangements from the beginning. Hiashi never questioned anything; his trust in Shinichi was unconditional. It was precisely because of Hiashi's help that Shinichi was able to gain Hiashi's trust so easily.
"The Jinchūriki, huh..."
"What can we do at this time?"
Hearing that something had gone wrong on Hizashi's side, Hyūga Hiashi's expression immediately became stern. From a personal perspective, Hyūga Hizashi, who was guarding Kushina, was his own brother.
Although the relationship between the Main Family and Branch Family meant they rarely had deep, personal conversations anymore, the blood bond between them could never be erased. Moreover, Hiashi was a traditional patriarch who valued kinship far more than outsiders could imagine.
However, he always kept this feeling buried deep inside, presenting the cold, businesslike face of the Hyūga Clan Head to the outside world. That hint of tenderness in Hiashi's heart would likely only fully emerge after he stepped down from the burden of the Hyūga Main Family inheritance.
From a communal perspective, the Hyūga Clan was assisting the Fourth Hokage in guarding the Jinchūriki, and the family had even leveraged this opportunity to strengthen its ties with the Hokage's faction and secure the Forbidden Scroll of Seals.
The Hyūga Clan had to remember and repay this favor. Furthermore, Kushina, as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, had safety that concerned the entire Village and the Hyūga Clan's survival.
Additionally, Kushina was Hyūga Shinichi's teacher and had guided him to master the Flying Thunder God Technique; the Hyūga Clan held this debt of gratitude in their hearts. If an accident occurred there, the Hyūga Clan could not stand idly by.
The conversation between Hiashi and Shinichi was not like that between an adult and a child. The ninja world is often very pragmatic.
Hyūga Shinichi, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, already had considerable influence within the Hyūga Clan, and Shinichi, who was viewed by Hiashi as the heir, was long treated as an adult.
"Sensei Kushina is carrying the Flying Thunder God kunai I gave her."
"Not only me, but the Fourth Hokage should also have corresponding arrangements for Sensei Kushina."
"Although I can't currently sense the coordinates, I don't think that person would simply leave."
"Father, notify the Third Hokage in your name to prepare quickly."
"And have the ordinary clan members take refuge first."
Shinichi, sensing the impending storm, also wanted to act, but until he sensed his missing Flying Thunder God mark again, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was arrange for the clan members to take shelter and ensure the Third Hokage was prepared.
He didn't know what exactly happened on Kushina's side, but with the disappearance of the Flying Thunder God mark, Shinichi was certain that something had occurred. He had no intention of using the Flying Thunder God to jump to Hizashi and ask for details. Going there would be pointless; conversely, he had the power he needed right here in the Hyūga compound!
"Kazutaka!" Hiashi shouted clearly.
As his voice fell, a Hyūga clan member flashed into the courtyard, knelt on one knee toward Hiashi and Shinichi, and answered: "Yes! What are your orders, Hiashi-sama?"
"You heard what Shinichi said, correct? Go report to the Third Hokage that there is a problem with the Jinchūriki and that he should put the Anbu on high alert."
Speaking, Hiashi continued to call out:
"Mio!"
As he spoke, a female Hyūga ninja flashed out and bowed before him.
"Just in case, gather the clan members first and have them take shelter immediately if anything happens."
"We must prepare for the worst."
Hyūga Mio nodded, then instantly vanished from the courtyard.
"Hyūga Keisuke."
With Hiashi's call, another Hyūga clan member with a powerful aura flashed into the courtyard.
"Gather the Hyūga Clan's elite of Special Jōnin rank and above. Have them wait at the Main Temple courtyard. I will be there shortly."
Saying this, Hiashi suddenly remembered something. He turned back to Shinichi and asked:
"How many ninjas can your Flying Thunder God Technique transfer at once!?"
Shinichi had only recently mastered the Flying Thunder God, so even Hiashi was unsure of his son's exact capabilities.
"A few thousand to a few hundred is no problem."
Shinichi thought for a moment and replied. While he couldn't achieve the mass transfer of thousands of people like the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode Minato, transferring a few hundred or a couple of thousand was not an issue with his current ability.
"Good!"
"Keisuke, carry out the orders!"
"Since we Hyūga accepted the Fourth Hokage's protection mission and have already benefited from it."
"We absolutely will not allow failure!"
Hiashi's eyes sharpened, and he spoke in a low, fierce tone.
Listening to Hiashi's arrangements, Shinichi couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion looking at his father's back. Although everything Hiashi did was for the Hyūga Clan, it was also, in a way, for him, his son. Based only on Shinichi's hard-to-verify intelligence, Hiashi was willing to take such drastic action, which spoke volumes about Hiashi's trust in Shinichi.
"Thank you, Father," Shinichi whispered sincerely.
Hiashi, standing on the veranda, smiled faintly and shook his head:
"Everything is for the Hyūga!"
...
Over a large lake outside Konoha Village.
Obito's figure manifested from the void. Immediately after, Kushina's figure was also released by Obito, tossed onto a reef on the lake's surface.
Black seals bound Kushina's body, and under Obito's control, Kushina was entirely suspended in the air. Having just given birth, Kushina was already weak, and due to the Nine-Tails' frantic struggle, she couldn't afford to be distracted.
She could only focus on reinforcing the seal in her body. However, without Minato's assistance, Kushina alone found it difficult to completely suppress the Nine-Tails' power. Moreover, Obito was standing by, observing intensely.
"Come out..."
"Nine-Tails!!!"
Uchiha Obito approached Kushina and performed a single hand seal. An abnormal chakra invaded the seal. In just an instant, Kushina's body was enveloped in the chakra leaking from the Nine-Tails. The seal broke, and intense pain caused Kushina to let out a painful roar.
Terrifying chakra surged from Kushina's seal, condensing over the lake's surface. In just a moment, the Nine-Tails' massive body appeared in the center of the lake.
"ROAR—"
The Nine-Tails' roar turned into a terrifying sonic wave that spread outward. Uchiha Obito looked at the raging Nine-Tails, a delighted smile blooming on his masked face.
"Finally..."
"Finally, I succeeded!!!"
Looking up, Obito's gaze met the Nine-Tails' eyes. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan beneath Obito's mask instantly transformed into a pinwheel shape. The power of the Mangekyō immediately controlled the Nine-Tails. The newly freed Nine-Tails hadn't even had time to fully rampage before the image of the Sharingan was reflected in its eyes.
"Die!"
Obito's eye flashed with a ferocious, hateful light. He manipulated the Nine-Tails' massive claw and violently swung it down toward Kushina in the center of the lake.
It was at this moment that a white silhouette suddenly flashed past the reef in the middle of the lake. The next instant, that figure carried Kushina and rapidly vanished from the center of the lake.
"Namikaze Minato, huh..."
Obito murmured, not feeling regretful. He instantly blurred and vanished from his spot.
...
In Konoha Village, in front of the Hyūga Clan's Main Temple.
Shinichi had just sensed one of his Flying Thunder God kunai appear outside Konoha Village. He was connecting his chakra to the Hyūga elites, preparing for a mass transfer, when he suddenly sensed the location of the Flying Thunder God kunai shift.
Hesitating for a moment, Shinichi no longer held back and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique toward Kushina's location.
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