As Kushina's due date approached, the atmosphere in the village grew increasingly tense.
Jiraiya and Pakura had already departed for the frontlines.
The Foreign Affairs Department, led by Shisui, continuously issued condemnations and warnings to Kirigakure and Kumogakure.
The defensive forces within the village had also noticeably increased, creating a sense of impending storm.
In the Hokage's office, the three most powerful figures in the village—Minato Namikaze, Danzo Shimura, and Hiruzen Sarutobi—gathered together.
Additionally, there was one more important figure: Tsunade, whom Danzo had brought in to oversee Kushina's delivery.
Of course, due to her hemophobia, she primarily served as a technical advisor.
The actual delivery would be handled by Hiruzen's wife, Biwako Sarutobi.
"I've examined Kushina. The due date is tonight," Tsunade announced, instantly shifting the mood in the room.
Although they had prepared for this moment, the reality of it still caused a ripple of tension among those present.
Even Hiruzen, who had previously been dismissive, had grown serious under Danzo's repeated emphasis.
"In that case, let's proceed according to the plan," Danzo said.
"First, the Root squad will escort Kushina to the production base at the edge of the village. Everyone else, take your positions and stand by!"
As Danzo issued one command after another, Konoha began to operate like a well-oiled machine.
Every ninja and villager became a cog in this machine, working together to keep it running smoothly.
After arranging everything, Danzo stood on the rooftop of the Hokage building, overlooking the village.
Under the continuous warnings issued by the higher-ups, the streets were nearly empty of villagers.
They had all obediently stayed home, packed their belongings, and were ready to evacuate to the shelters beneath the Hokage Monument at a moment's notice.
Danzo had already conducted several drills for this purpose, aiming to avoid the heavy casualties seen in the original timeline.
Suddenly, Danzo's gaze shifted to a distant direction, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Obito, let's see what surprises you've prepared for me."
---
"No matter how prosperous and thriving it appears on the surface, it can never hide the falsehood and filth within."
As the sky darkened, a spatial distortion occurred, and several figures appeared on the outskirts of Konoha.
Obito, wearing his tiger-striped mask, gazed coldly at the bustling village under the night sky. "I didn't expect to return here so soon..."
Orochimaru, standing beside Obito, sighed with a hint of nostalgia.
However, this time, he was not here as one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. Instead, he was here as a rogue ninja!
At this thought, Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips. "The rotting windmill of Konoha is due for a fierce storm to set it spinning again!"
Hearing Obito and Orochimaru's shared sentiment, Black Zetsu, who had just emerged from the ground, couldn't help but ask, "Is that thing of yours ready?"
In response to Black Zetsu's question, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with a cold light, and a icy smile appeared on his lips.
"Of course. I'm sure the 'three' will give Konoha quite the surprise."
Hearing this, Obito also couldn't help but smile. "Using the Second Hokage's techniques to destroy Konoha... That should be quite interesting, don't you think?"
On the other side, Hanzo let out a cold laugh. Recalling his defeat in the Land of Rain, his hatred for Danzo burned fiercely.
"Tonight, I will make Danzo feel true pain!"
Watching the three of them fully embrace their dark sides, Black Zetsu secretly scoffed.
Although he didn't want to expose their strength too early, the arrow was already on the bowstring, and there was no turning back.
Besides, with the four of them, the captured Seven-Tails jinchūriki, and Orochimaru's forbidden techniques, even the strongest village in the ninja world would pay a heavy price.
Black Zetsu was quite confident in this.
Unknowingly, their goal had shifted from simply breaking the Nine-Tails' seal to... destroying Konoha entirely!
As the sky completely darkened, a crimson light flashed in Obito's eyes. "It's about time... The Konoha Crush Plan... begins now!"
---
In the heavily protected base, Minato gently held Kushina's hand, offering her final words of comfort.
"Don't worry, I will definitely protect you."
Seeing Minato's smile, Kushina's nervousness eased considerably.
She squeezed his hand in return and whispered, "I believe in you!"
"Alright, it's about time. Minato, you should step out now," Biwako Sarutobi said, glancing at the affectionate couple before shooing Minato out of the delivery room.
After Minato left, the room was soon filled with Kushina's painful groans.
Listening to these sounds, Minato, the fearless "Yellow Flash" who had dominated battlefields without hesitation, now nervously clenched the hem of his shirt like a child.
To ease his tension, he shifted his attention elsewhere.
"Senior Danzo, have you noticed anything?" Minato asked, turning to Danzo, who was using the Byakugan on his forehead to scan every inch of the surroundings, guarding against Obito's sudden attack.
In response to Minato's question, Danzo simply smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll inform you immediately if I find anything. However, the most likely time for the enemy to strike is after Kushina's delivery. That's when the Nine-Tails' seal will be at its weakest, and the jinchūriki will be most vulnerable."
Minato nodded solemnly. "I understand. I—"
Before Minato could finish, Danzo's aura suddenly shifted. "They're here."
Just moments ago, Konoha's barrier had been breached again. This meant the enemy had made their move!
Under Danzo's surveillance, the enemy's trail was quickly discovered.
At the center of Konoha, above the Hokage Monument, the air began to swirl violently.
Obito Uchiha appeared first, followed closely by Orochimaru and Hanzo, who flanked him on either side.
Obito looked down at the village, known as the strongest in the ninja world, and softly said, "The war... has begun."
The news of their appearance was quickly relayed by Danzo to everyone.
Hiruzen, who had stayed behind in the village, began evacuating villagers while leading a large group of ninjas to the scene.
Seeing this, Obito tilted his head slightly, his figure gradually becoming intangible. "I'll leave this to you, Orochimaru, Hanzo."
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