Chapter 265 – The Assault
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
It was the evening of October 10th, Year 48 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar.
The sun was sinking, casting a red-gold glow across Konoha's rooftops.
Standing silently beneath the Namikaze residence, Uchiha Kei adjusted his dark combat uniform.
The faint wind tugged at the edges of his cloak as his Sharingan eyes reflected the dying light.
With him were only Uchiha Kouta, Uchiha Ryu, and Uchiha Jun—the captains of the Police Force's active divisions.
That afternoon, Kei had received a message from Minato Namikaze.
He didn't need to ask why. He knew exactly what was happening tonight.
At Minato's request, Kei hadn't mobilized too many men.
The barrier surrounding the birthing site would not allow outsiders to enter anyway,
so he'd brought only the three captains—enough to coordinate patrols and manage internal deployment.
Minato hadn't forbidden Kei from joining the operation,
but this time was different—
because the Third Hokage himself would be present inside the barrier.
Both men understood the risk.
After all, Kei was the one who had personally executed Danzō Shimura.
Hiruzen's presence meant inevitable friction.
And Minato, ever diplomatic, chose to avoid it by asking Kei to remain outside.
When the Hokage came downstairs, his face carried a trace of apology.
Kei caught the look and simply smirked.
"No problem. Less work for me," he said calmly.
Minato chuckled softly, relief showing in his eyes.
"Then I'll leave the village in your care tonight, Kei-kun."
"Go on, Hokage-sama. You have more important things to do," Kei replied with a faint smile.
Behind Minato, Hiruzen Sarutobi descended the stairs with Biwako and Kushina.
The old man's eyes hardened when they met Kei's.
A curt huff. No words. He walked past in silence.
The air thickened awkwardly, but Kei remained indifferent.
I'll never understand what went on between Hiruzen and Danzō, he mused.
They weren't lovers or brothers, but their obsession with each other was… unnatural.
Shaking his head, he turned away.
He was only here because Minato had asked—and because it was his duty as Police Head.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered.
Not when Uchiha Obito could appear at any moment.
Losing trained operatives tonight was not part of his plan.
---
"Captain, what are your orders?"
Uchiha Jun's voice broke his thoughts as he watched Minato's team depart into the distance.
"Proceed as planned," Kei said without looking back.
"All units on assignment—maintain full combat readiness.
Off-duty members—stand by for rapid response."
"Understood, Captain!"
All captains saluted and dispersed.
Uchiha Ryu, however, lingered a moment, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Do you… really think something will happen tonight?"
"If nothing happens, that's the best outcome," Kei replied quietly.
"But we prepare anyway—because sometimes, peace is the illusion that comes before the storm."
He watched as the last of Minato's escort vanished into the forest trail,
then turned his gaze toward the night sky.
Tonight will not be peaceful.
With that thought, Kei disappeared into the shadows.
---
At the Secluded Cavern
By the time the sun had fully set, darkness swallowed the land.
A pale moon hung in the sky, casting its weak glow across the misty valley.
Inside the mountain cave, candlelight flickered against stone walls.
The air was heavy with the cries of labor and the scent of burning wax.
"Ahh—ahhhh—it hurts!"
Kushina's screams echoed through the cavern,
but the surrounding ANBU guards at the entrance didn't flinch.
Their eyes remained fixed on the forest beyond,
vigilant and unmoving.
The sound never reached outside—the barrier absorbed every vibration.
Within the cave, Minato Namikaze knelt beside his wife, sweat beading on his brow.
His hands were pressed over her abdomen, maintaining the stability of the Nine-Tails' seal.
He'd faced S-rank missions, wars, and death itself—
but nothing had prepared him for this.
"Lady Biwako," he said anxiously, "is she… is she going to be alright?
I've never seen Kushina in such pain."
The older woman, crouched beside the bed, didn't even look up.
"Focus on the seal, Hokage-sama.
A woman's strength can surpass your imagination."
Minato gritted his teeth and nodded. There was nothing else he could do but trust her.
---
Outside the barrier, the masked Kakashi Hatake stiffened.
His single Sharingan glowed faintly as he scanned the treeline.
"Something's coming."
In a blur, his squad drew weapons and took formation.
Unlike in the history that might have been, this Kakashi was not absent tonight.
He was here—leading an ANBU defense unit, handpicked by Minato himself.
The youngest squad leader in ANBU history… and his teacher's most trusted subordinate.
"Who goes there?" he called, his tone sharp and icy.
From the moonlit mist, a figure emerged—a man in a black cloak,
his presence cold and silent as death itself.
The ANBU surrounded him instantly.
He didn't move. Didn't even look at them.
That stillness only made the air heavier,
until Kakashi's skin prickled with unease.
"Identify yourself!" he ordered, lightning chakra sparking faintly along his blade.
No answer.
The cloaked man slowly tilted his head upward.
Moonlight glinted off the orange mask covering his face—
a mask carved with spiraling grooves, leaving only a single opening for his right eye.
And within that hollow—
a familiar crimson Sharingan spun slowly.
Kakashi's breath caught.
"An… Uchiha?"
For an instant, his mind reeled.
But training overtook instinct.
"Capture him—alive if possible!"
He lunged forward, blade flashing blue, striking for the intruder's ribs.
But his blade passed through empty air.
His body slipped clean through the man's form—
as if the figure weren't even real.
"A genjutsu?" Kakashi muttered, frowning.
He'd been trapped by Uchiha Kei's illusions before.
For a moment, he even wondered if this was another of Kei's tricks.
Then the man moved.
A simple turn—
and his fist slammed into the back of Kakashi's neck.
Pain exploded. The world tilted.
Kakashi hit the ground, struggling to stay conscious.
"Captain!" one of the ANBU shouted. "Protect the Captain!"
Shuriken flew. Jutsu lit the night in bursts of fire and lightning—
but none found their mark.
The black-cloaked intruder walked through their attacks like mist.
One by one, the ANBU fell.
In less than a minute, silence returned to the clearing.
The masked man stood alone, moonlight glinting off his cloak.
Around him, bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Only Kakashi still stirred, half-conscious, his Sharingan flickering weakly.
The intruder didn't even glance at him.
His gaze rose toward the cave above, where faint candlelight flickered behind the barrier.
So, sensei… we meet again.
Kakashi forced his trembling hand to lift, his voice hoarse:
"W… who are you? What do you want?"
The masked man's voice was low, guttural—
devoid of emotion.
"Me? I'm here to deliver… a gift."
Then he walked forward—
and vanished into the stone wall itself.
---
Inside the Cave
The air was thick with heat and tension.
A cry broke through the stillness—
the sharp, pure wail of a newborn child.
The moment she heard it, Kushina Uzumaki collapsed onto the bedding, utterly spent.
Biwako exhaled in relief, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Quickly—hot water!"
"I—I've got it!" Minato stammered, voice shaking as sweat dripped down his face.
For a split second, he'd felt the Nine-Tails' chakra surge—
a monstrous presence clawing at the edges of its seal.
He'd barely managed to suppress it.
It's over, he told himself, steadying his breath.
Outside the birthing chamber, Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his pipe and spoke quietly.
"I'll handle the perimeter. Watch over Kushina."
"Thank you, Lord Third," Minato said gratefully.
He turned back to his wife, his expression softening.
"It's done, Kushina. The worst is over. You did it."
"Thank you… Minato," she whispered weakly, a smile breaking through her exhaustion.
At that moment, Biwako returned—
holding a tiny, squirming bundle wrapped in cloth.
Naruto.
Minato's breath caught as he looked down at the infant.
A wave of emotion struck him like lightning.
So this is him… my son.
He reached out instinctively—
but Biwako stepped aside, smiling kindly.
"Not yet. A newborn should see their mother first."
Hiruzen nodded solemnly beside her.
"She's right. Let the child meet his mother before the Hokage."
Minato hesitated, then smiled warmly.
"Of course, Lord Third."
Biwako laid the crying baby beside Kushina.
Her pale eyes softened as she touched the child's cheek.
"Naruto… we finally meet."
"Rest now," Biwako said gently. "Leave the rest to us, Kushina.
Lord Fourth, repair the seal while you can."
"Understood."
Minato smiled at his wife, then turned and began forming seals.
Chakra flowed through his hands—
but before he could release it, a scream tore through the cavern.
Thud—clang!
The sound of a body hitting the floor. Metal clattering.
Minato spun instantly.
Biwako's body lay crumpled on the ground—motionless.
Hiruzen stood pale, eyes wide with disbelief.
And between them—
a black-cloaked figure, an orange mask gleaming under torchlight.
In his left hand, he held baby Naruto,
his small head clutched like a fragile fruit.
A single wrong move—and the infant's skull could shatter.
"Biwako…!" Hiruzen choked, rage twisting his features.
"Lord Third—please, calm yourself!" Minato barked, though his voice was tight with panic.
His son was in that man's hands.
The masked intruder spoke at last, voice scraping like metal.
"Minato Namikaze… Step away from the jinchūriki.
If you want your child to live."
His tone was cold. Almost amused.
---
Outside the village, under the same moon, Uchiha Kei tilted his head toward the silver sky.
"What a lovely moon for chaos," he murmured.
Sliding an orange, spiral-patterned mask over his face,
he adjusted the black cloak on his shoulders.
Through the eyehole, his Sharingan gleamed scarlet.
Beside him, Hyūga Ayaka folded her arms, unimpressed.
"Since when did you get so poetic? And honestly, that mask is hideous.
Are we really doing this tonight? I thought you said you had plans."
"Oh, I do," Kei replied lazily. "Just… a different version."
"So it's true then," she said quietly. "Tonight's the night the Fourth's wife gives birth."
"Exactly," Kei said, his tone darkly amused. "And when new life begins…
death isn't far behind."
Hyūga Ayaka nodded slowly, her pale eyes narrowing.
"So your plan… is to strike while Konoha's defenses are spread thin?"
---
Kushina Uzumaki was never the kind of woman who could sit still.
In that, she was much like her future son—
bright, impulsive, and restless.
But unlike Naruto, Kushina's heart was sharp, her instincts finely tuned.
Still, even she had never truly considered what it meant to be the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
During her pregnancy, she continued to wander the village as if nothing had changed.
One might see her walking through the bustling streets of Konoha—
or even strolling casually through the Uchiha compound, chatting with villagers and shinobi alike.
In short, her pregnancy was hardly a secret.
Only her true identity as the vessel of the Nine-Tails remained hidden from the general public.
So even Ayaka, who didn't pay particular attention to the Hokage's household,
knew that Kushina's due date was near.
Still, the scale of the security operation tonight left her puzzled.
"All this… just for a childbirth?" she muttered. "Isn't that a bit excessive?"
---
Kei caught her expression and smiled faintly behind his mask.
"You're wondering why they need such a grand display for the Hokage's wife giving birth, aren't you?"
"Something like that," Ayaka admitted. "Would you care to enlighten me, Kei-kun?"
"It's simple," Kei replied, his voice low. "If you knew what Konoha's greatest weapon truly was… you'd understand why."
At this point, he saw no reason to hide the truth.
His eyes drifted toward the distant treeline, where faint chakra signatures stirred.
"Anyway," he murmured, "they should be arriving soon—assuming the Hyūga brothers are punctual."
---
Tonight's security detail was no small matter.
Every clan aware of the jinchūriki's condition had been mobilized.
The Hyūga clan, in particular, was tasked with guarding the approach from the eastern forest.
And leading them were none other than Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi—the proud twin heirs of their house.
This route, their designated patrol zone, was precisely where Kei had chosen to strike.
Thanks to Ayaka's quiet assistance—his spy on the inside—he knew their exact route and timing.
Ayaka frowned, her brows knitting as she pieced together the implications.
There wasn't much time left to deliberate.
"They're close," she said at last, activating her Byakugan.
Her pupils dilated, veins rising around her eyes as her gaze swept across the forest.
After a few seconds, she released the technique and exhaled softly.
"Three minutes, at most."
"Three minutes?" Kei's crimson eyes flickered. "That's enough time for you to withdraw."
"It's enough," Ayaka said evenly.
"I'll wait for you at the rendezvous point. But… are you sure you can fight at full strength without your blade?"
Kei turned slightly, glancing at the short sword hanging from her hip.
He gave a small, dismissive shrug.
"I'll manage. The sword's useful, sure—but I've only trained with it for a short time.
I keep meaning to give it a name… but I always forget."
Ayaka's lips curved in a rare, faint smile.
"Then allow me. Someone has to name it properly.
When you return—if you return—I'll tell you what it's called."
"Heh. That's fine by me," Kei said lightly.
But even as he spoke, his voice began to change—
deepening, roughening, as though something darker was surfacing within him.
The chakra flowing from his body grew cold, heavy, and oppressive—
a suffocating aura of killing intent that made even Ayaka tense instinctively.
She frowned slightly.
The boy before her—barely fifteen—felt nothing like a child now.
"Just make sure," Kei said quietly, "that you give it a good name."
"Go. I'll get you what you came for."
"Then I'll await your success, Kei-kun," she replied softly.
And with a flicker of motion, she vanished into the trees—her pale eyes fading into the dark.
---
When she was gone, Kei stood alone in the clearing, breathing steadily.
He could already feel the faint tremor of approaching footsteps—
disciplined, deliberate, synchronized.
He opened his eyes.
Twin scarlet tomoe bloomed in the moonlight, glowing with quiet menace.
His black cloak rippled in the cold wind,
and for a moment, the night itself seemed to hold its breath.
Three minutes, he thought. That's all I'll need.
And in the next instant—
his shadow blurred—
and Uchiha Kei vanished into the darkness.
---
The Nine-Tails Incident begins.
---