The last traces of sunset quickly sank beneath the horizon, and darkness spread across the world like a silent tide.
A pale moon hung in the sky, its dim glow barely enough to illuminate the night, allowing only the vaguest outlines to be seen.
Natsuhiko stood with a group of ANBU, concealed near the entrance of a hidden cave outside Konoha. Beside him stood a familiar figure—his old acquaintance, Weasel.
Back then, Weasel had been a fellow member of the first division and had even been his first opponent during the selection for the Third Division's commander.
It had been quite some time since they last met, and now they found themselves reunited on the same mission. The coincidence alone was enough to make the situation feel strangely amusing.
"Division Commander Nightingale, it's surprisingly quiet tonight," Weasel said with a faint smile, his tone calm and courteous. "No trouble, no fighting… it's nice."
"True enough," Natsuhiko nodded in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips. "For those of us assigned to guard duty, boredom is the best outcome. Trouble is the last thing we want."
That might have been what he said—but deep down, Natsuhiko knew very well that tonight would be anything but peaceful.
He hadn't interfered when Kakashi Hatake went to visit the grave, nor had he warned him to keep silent. And once Kakashi left for that, there was no way Natsuhiko could follow him constantly. The chance that Kakashi might unknowingly set events in motion had never been small.
Besides, back then, Natsuhiko hadn't made any firm decisions, nor had he possessed the strength he now wielded.
But no matter how he looked at it, things had already reached this point. There was no turning back—only forward.
Over the past month, he had refined his condition to its peak. At the same time, Tsutani Hiro had nearly mastered the method to undo the Reaper Death Seal.
With these preparations in place, Natsuhiko couldn't claim complete peace of mind—but he had done everything within his power.
The only real uncertainty was Tsutani Hiro himself.
If that man chose to betray him now, then the fact that he couldn't be killed would undoubtedly become Natsuhiko's greatest nightmare in the future.
After all, Natsuhiko was someone who pursued tangible benefits. Anyone who threatened his interests… he would send them to hell without hesitation.
"Agh... AHH! It hurts...!"
Suddenly, a piercing, anguished scream echoed from deep within the cave.
The ANBU guarding the entrance all heard it clearly. Natsuhiko's gaze instinctively flicked inward, but only for a moment before he looked away.
He had heard it said that childbirth was like passing through the gates of hell. Though he could not truly comprehend that pain, the sheer intensity of Kushina's cries made it clear just how terrifying it must be.
A shinobi's endurance was far beyond that of ordinary people—yet even so, her voice trembled with unbearable agony.
Taking a slow breath, Natsuhiko forced himself to stop thinking about what was happening inside. His focus needed to remain on the surroundings.
The other ANBU did the same, none daring to lose concentration as they vigilantly watched for any sign of disturbance.
—
Inside the cave, the flickering glow of candles and firelight illuminated the space.
Kushina Uzumaki lay on a stone bed, her face pale with pain. Thick blankets cushioned her beneath, while a sheet covered her body as wave after wave of agony tore through her, forcing cries from her lips.
The cave was dry, clearly prepared in advance for this very moment.
Beside her, Minato Namikaze held his hands steady above her abdomen, maintaining a precise seal. Sweat had already formed on his forehead as he focused on stabilizing the Nine-Tails' seal.
Yet despite his efforts, hearing Kushina's cries shook him deeply.
As her screams grew louder, he could no longer hold back his worry. Turning his head, he asked urgently, "Lady Biwako… is everything really alright? I've never seen Kushina in this much pain. Could it be—"
"Stay focused on maintaining the Nine-Tails' seal," Biwako Sarutobi interrupted, still crouched beside Kushina as she carefully monitored the situation. She looked up at him, her expression firm yet reassuring.
"A woman's strength… especially when she's about to become a mother, is beyond what you can imagine."
A mother…
Minato Namikaze glanced at Kushina Uzumaki. Though her face was twisted in pain, she still endured it with unwavering determination. Seeing that, he slowly nodded.
There was nothing more he could do now.
All he could do… was hope that everything would go smoothly.
—
Outside the barrier, Natsuhiko's sensory perception remained fully extended, quietly observing every subtle change in the surroundings.
Suddenly, his brows furrowed—and in the next instant, he drew his blade.
The sharp motion immediately triggered a reaction. The surrounding ANBU followed suit without hesitation, unsheathing their swords and tightening their formation, their attention snapping to full alert despite not knowing what had been detected.
"What is it, Division Commander Nightingale?" Weasel asked in a low voice as he scanned the area carefully. "Is there something?"
Natsuhiko didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze locked onto an empty patch of ground ahead as he shouted sharply, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
In truth, he hadn't seen anyone.
But his senses were spread wide, far beyond what ordinary shinobi could perceive. He could feel things others couldn't—faint, almost imperceptible fluctuations of chakra… and something else, something even more subtle.
And then—
Under the cold glow of the moon, within a shallow pool of water, a figure clad in black appeared soundlessly, as if emerging from nothingness itself.
No orders were needed.
In an instant, the ANBU moved, their bodies blurring as they surrounded the mysterious intruder from all sides.
The black-cloaked figure remained completely still.
And that stillness… only made the pressure he exuded all the more suffocating.
Natsuhiko focused, carefully sensing the man before him.
The chakra he felt was strange—immense, yet oddly distorted. Within it, there was a portion that felt eerily similar to his own power. At the same time, there was something else… something dark and destructive, emanating from the single exposed eye behind the mask.
Yin Release… and Yang Release intertwined… though not fully fused. Even so, it's already terrifying.
His chakra reserves are massive, his body is resilient… and with the power of the Mangekyō—this guy is not going to be easy to deal with.
Natsuhiko's thoughts sharpened instantly.
Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha paid no attention to the surrounding ANBU at all. He simply lifted his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward the cave above.
Only then did the others notice the mask he wore—a strange, orange spiral mask, with a single opening over the right eye.
Within that opening, a crimson eye spun slowly, marked by three tomoe.
"The Sharingan?" several ANBU recognized it immediately, one of them blurting out, "An Uchiha?"
"An Uchiha, yes—but not necessarily one from Konoha," Natsuhiko said calmly. His voice was steady, decisive. "Prepare to engage. Strip off his mask, and we'll know exactly who he is."
"How composed," Obito said indifferently, his gaze sweeping over them as he gave a faint shake of his head. "But if you think you're qualified to remove my mask… you're far too naive."
"Attack."
Natsuhiko issued the command without hesitation, with no intention of wasting words.
As the highest-ranking ANBU present, the decision fell naturally to him.
The moment the intruder crossed into this area, he had already been marked as an enemy—one to be eliminated without question.
At his command, the ANBU surged forward almost simultaneously.
The distance between them was so short that, in less than a second, they had already closed in on Obito, their blades flashing as they struck.
And yet—
Obito did not move.
He didn't dodge. He didn't block.
The blades passed straight through his body.
No resistance. No impact.
It was as if they had cut through empty air.
For a brief moment, confusion flashed through everyone's minds.
A genjutsu? A projection?
But the next instant shattered that assumption completely.
One of the ANBU, who hadn't even had time to understand what was happening, suddenly felt his throat tighten. Just as he was about to react, his breathing became labored, his body locking up in shock.
That strange spiral mask loomed before him—and before he could react, strong hands clamped around his neck. His life force began to drain rapidly.
"It's not an illusion. Be careful!"
Natsuhiko's senses had been locked onto Obito Uchiha the entire time. In that instant, he grasped what was happening and vanished forward in a flash.
He hadn't acted earlier because he had been waiting—for Obito to make the first move. At the same time, he had been quietly laying out his "seeds" across the area.
With his growing mastery over Wood Release, he could now deploy them faster, in greater numbers, and across a much wider range.
In a single step, he appeared beside Obito. His blade, glowing with a sharp blue light, drove straight toward Obito's chest without hesitation.
But the next moment, Natsuhiko's brow tightened slightly.
Obito… had stopped.
Or rather—he had phased.
Natsuhiko's blade passed straight through his chest as if through mist. Obito had already slipped back into that intangible state, and the ANBU he had been holding collapsed to the ground, freed at last.
The man gasped for air, clutching his throat, his entire body trembling as though he had just escaped death itself. But he didn't even have time to recover—
Natsuhiko had already grabbed him and shifted away from that spot.
"Are you alright?" Natsuhiko asked quickly, though his gaze never left Obito.
"I… I'm fine…" the ANBU replied, his voice shaky. The sudden displacement from the Flying Thunder God Technique left him dizzy, and the lingering suffocation made his condition far from stable—but he still forced out an answer.
"Withdraw," Natsuhiko said firmly, his eyes fixed on Obito. "He's using a space–time technique. You have no way to deal with him."
His voice grew colder.
"There's no point dying here. Fall back and report to the Third Hokage—tell him we've encountered a high-level threat."
"You think they can just leave?" Obito's voice cut in calmly, almost lazily.
"And you… that's the Flying Thunder God Technique, isn't it? Impressive speed. But are you sure you can handle me?"
The moment his words fell, Obito moved again—without the slightest hesitation. Natsuhiko followed immediately.
Yet what made Natsuhiko frown was that Obito had no intention of targeting him directly. His attacks were erratic, unpredictable, making it impossible to tell where—or who—he would strike next.
"Buzz—!"
Natsuhiko's blade slashed down, but Obito's body blurred into intangibility at the last moment. Then, with a slight distortion, he reappeared beside another ANBU.
His fist shot forward—and this time, wooden spikes sprouted from his arm.
Wood Release?!
Natsuhiko's eyes sharpened instantly. Without hesitation, he activated the Flying Thunder God again and closed the distance.
The moment Obito struck, Natsuhiko's blade came down from above—
But once again, it cut through nothing but empty air.
Obito glanced at him briefly, a trace of cold mockery flickering in that single visible eye. Then his figure warped again, rushing toward yet another ANBU.
Every time Obito attacked, Natsuhiko was forced to follow.
Because he couldn't tell—
Was it a real attack?
Or just another feint under the cover of intangibility?
For a fleeting moment, a bitter thought crossed his mind.
Sometimes… having teammates isn't such a good thing.
Especially when there was a gap in strength—and no coordination to speak of.
But he had no choice.
The role he had built for himself didn't allow him to abandon them.
If this were an ordinary mission, perhaps he could have acted differently—after all, no one would know. But this time was different.
Behind him… were Minato Namikaze and the others.
Because of that, he could only continue this relentless game of cat and mouse, again and again.
And the ANBU nearby seemed to realize it as well.
They had become the burden holding him back.
They understood it just as well—leaving now was not an option. In fact, their presence was the best bait to draw in that man who toyed with space itself.
"Waa… waa…"
Then, at that moment, a loud baby's cry came from inside the cave. Natsuhiko frowned slightly, and Obito's gaze also turned toward the cave.
"It seems the Nine-Tails jinchuriki has finished giving birth," Obito murmured, pausing for a moment, his gaze fixed on the cave. The crimson Sharingan glowed ominously in the dim light, almost hypnotic in its intensity.
"So your target really is the Nine-Tails?," Natsuhiko's voice was calm, but sharp, though he already knew the answer. "Who are you, really? You're not one of the Uchiha from this village. If you were, someone like you would have already tried to assassinate the Hokage long ago."
"Does it matter who I am?" Obito let out a faint chuckle. "Fine, you're right—I'm not one of those Uchiha in the village. I wouldn't associate myself with that bunch of trash. Still… your strength is quite surprising. Unfortunately, I don't have time to play with you any longer."
"What do you mean?" Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow, then suddenly seemed to realize something. His expression changed as he shouted, "He's going inside—inform the Hokage, now!"
But Obito gave him no chance to act. His body began to twist and distort, slipping into that strange, intangible state once more.
What he didn't see, however, was the faint smile that quietly formed beneath Natsuhiko's mask.
...
Inside the cave, the sound of the baby's cries continued to echo.
Kushina, who had been tense for so long, finally went limp the moment it was over, collapsing onto the stone bed like a body drained of all strength.
Biwako swiftly took the child into her arms, sweat still clinging to her forehead as she called out urgently to the kunoichi beside her, "Quick—hot water!"
The female ninja nodded, but her eyes couldn't help drifting toward the cave's entrance.
She wasn't the only one.
Minato Namikaze was the same.
Long before this, the sounds and tremors of battle had already reached them from outside.
They didn't know how the enemy had breached the barrier, nor did they know who—or how many—were out there. But one thing was certain: the situation beyond the cave was anything but calm.
And yet, they couldn't act freely.
Especially Minato.
He was responsible for maintaining Kushina's seal. If he moved recklessly now, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Biwako clearly understood this as well. She turned immediately to him and said firmly, "Fourth Hokage, this is the most critical moment. You must focus on repairing the seal—under no circumstances can the Nine-Tails be allowed to escape. The ANBU outside will handle the situation."
"I… I know," Minato clenched his teeth and nodded.
Sweat trickled down his face. Just moments ago, he had felt it—that terrifying, immense surge of the Nine-Tails' chakra, rising violently like a demon struggling to break free.
He was deeply worried about what was happening outside.
But he also knew that every ounce of his attention had to remain here.
He had to trust Natsuhiko.
From the very beginning, he had believed that Natsuhiko was no less capable than himself.
Taking a deep breath, Minato's chakra surged wildly. His hands moved in a blur as he formed a rapid sequence of seals—within an instant, a new sealing formula was completed.
With Kushina's seal already exceptionally strong to begin with, the most violent surge of the Nine-Tails was forcibly suppressed.
After completing this, Minato wiped the cold sweat from his forehead before turning to Kushina, his voice soft and gentle. "The hardest part is over. All that's left now is to restore the seal on the Nine-Tails. You've done well, Kushina."
"Thank you, Minato." Though her face was still pale, Kushina managed a faint yet radiant smile, filled with quiet happiness.
But their exchange ended there.
Both of them were acutely aware that the situation outside the cave was far from stable. There was no time to linger—they had to finish what was in front of them as quickly as possible.
Minato didn't even have the chance to glance at the newborn Naruto before forming hand seals again, preparing to continue repairing the seal.
And then—
The sound of bodies collapsing suddenly echoed through the cave.
Minato's eyes sharpened instantly as he spun around.
What greeted him was the sight of two fallen figures—Biwako and the female ninja beside her.
And standing next to them, as if he had always been there, was a figure cloaked in darkness.
The crying Naruto was already in his arms.
A mask with strange, swirling patterns covered his face, and in his left hand, a kunai was pressed firmly against the infant's back.
In that very instant, Natsuhiko appeared inside the cave as well—his blade already cutting toward the shadowed figure without hesitation.
Minato's heart leapt into his throat.
He saw it clearly—
If Natsuhiko killed that man, the kunai pressed against Naruto's back would, in the very moment of release, plunge straight through the child.
Yet Minato also understood something else just as clearly.
In such a situation, Natsuhiko likely didn't have the luxury to think that far ahead. The Flying Thunder God Technique left almost no room for hesitation or layered judgment—it was speed, pure and absolute.
The blade drew ever closer to Obito.
At that same moment, Minato's chakra erupted once more.
In the instant Natsuhiko's strike was about to land, Minato moved with a speed that defied belief.
He didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique—there had been no opportunity to set a spatial marker. What he used now was simply the Body Flicker Technique.
And yet, that "simple" movement was so fast it bordered on the impossible, as though he had crossed space itself.
In a flash, he appeared before Obito and snatched Naruto into his arms.
The truth was, from the moment he attacked, Natsuhiko had already grasped the entire situation. He had been confident—completely certain—that he could seize Naruto before Obito could activate his Kamui.
But in the next second, he froze.
Minato had appeared right in front of him.
Forced into a split-second decision, Natsuhiko had no choice but to twist his blade away.
And in that fleeting instant—
Obito vanished.
Minato steadied himself, holding Naruto securely, while Natsuhiko stood in an awkward posture, his blade forcibly diverted mid-strike. The two exchanged a glance, momentarily speechless.
"What excellent teamwork," Obito's voice echoed suddenly, laced with a strange, mocking amusement.
Both of them turned sharply.
At some point, he had already reappeared—
And now, his hand was wrapped around Kushina's throat.
It was clear.
His plan had worked.
Minato's expression hardened instantly.
The target had never been Naruto. The child had merely been bait—to draw his attention away. The moment Minato moved, Kushina had been left exposed… and that was all the opening Obito needed.
Realization struck like lightning.
If Kushina was the target, then there was only one conclusion—
He had come for the Nine-Tails.
"By the way…" Obito's voice sounded again, almost casually, cutting through Minato's racing thoughts. "What do you plan to do next?"
"What do you—"
Minato's words cut off abruptly.
In that instant, he noticed it.
The explosive tag hidden beneath the swaddling cloth had already ignited—
And in the next moment, it would detonate.
The explosive tag ignited, and in that instant, the situation teetered on the brink of disaster.
There was no time to think.
Minato Namikaze moved almost on instinct. With his left hand, he lifted Naruto; with his right, he tore away the swaddling cloth in a single, fluid motion. At the same time, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated.
Natsuhiko vanished as well.
Just as the explosion erupted, both of them had already disappeared from the spot.
A thunderous blast roared behind them. Flames surged skyward as a nearby wooden house was torn apart, shattered into fragments. To protect Kushina Uzumaki, Minato had brought the cloth containing the explosive tag along with him.
The shockwave hit hard. He rolled across the ground, shielding Naruto tightly in his arms, doing everything in his power to ensure the child remained unharmed.
When the aftermath finally settled, Minato pushed himself to his feet, his gaze landing on the kunai embedded in the ground nearby—
And then, suddenly, a figure appeared beside him.
It was Natsuhiko.
"Hokage-sama, I'll keep this brief," Natsuhiko said quickly, not even waiting for Minato to speak.
"That man is an Uchiha—but not one from Konoha. He specializes in space–time ninjutsu. He can move instantly and render his body intangible. I've already exchanged blows with him and learned a few things… honestly, you shouldn't have intervened just now."
"I see…" Minato let out a quiet sigh as he looked down at Naruto in his arms. "Perhaps you're right. But… I couldn't stop myself. He's my son."
"I understand," Natsuhiko replied with a small nod, not pressing the matter further. "But if I'm correct, his real target is Lady Kushina. So… what should we do next?"
In truth, whether Minato had intervened or not, Natsuhiko would likely have allowed things to unfold—just enough—for Obito Uchiha to take Kushina.
If Konoha didn't fall into chaos, if Minato wasn't pushed to his limits…
How could Natsuhiko obtain what he sought?
It was a ruthless calculation, one he understood all too well. Perhaps even despicable.
But Natsuhiko had never considered himself a good person.
Compared to Obito, though… he could still call himself merciful.
And if his plan succeeded, the rewards would be immense—enough to reshape far more than just his own fate.
"…Next?" Minato echoed, unaware of Natsuhiko's inner thoughts. After a brief moment of consideration, his expression turned resolute.
"Since you already understand the enemy's objective, then we must act accordingly. Take Naruto back to the village immediately. Find the Third Hokage and have him bring Naruto to my home."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"As for the rest… no need for excessive interference. The Third Hokage will know what to do."
"Understood." Natsuhiko nodded, stepping forward to take Naruto into his arms. "Please be careful, Hokage-sama. I will complete the mission."
With that, his figure flickered—
And vanished.
Minato took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. Relying solely on his own senses, he located Kushina's position.
The next moment—
He disappeared as well.
—
Not far from the cave where the birth had taken place, Kushina lay weakly atop a massive stone. Dark sealing formulas spread across her body like chains, extending outward and binding to surrounding stone pillars.
Her teeth clenched as she struggled to suppress the violently rampaging Nine-Tails within her.
Standing before her was the same black-cloaked figure who had driven her husband away.
That eerie mask, those strange swirling patterns—and that single crimson Sharingan—radiated a chilling, sinister presence.
"What… what do you want?" Kushina asked weakly, sweat streaming down her face.
"Isn't it obvious?" Obito looked at her, no longer the radiant woman she once was. Something flickered in his gaze—something complicated—but his tone remained cold and indifferent. "I'm going to tear the Nine-Tails out of you… and destroy Konoha."
"What… did you say?" Kushina's pupils shrank, disbelief written all over her face.
"I have to admit," Obito continued calmly, closing his eyes briefly as if to suppress whatever emotions stirred within him, "your protection was quite thorough. Not only did you have Minato Namikaze… but also that so-called 'Nightingale' of Konoha."
His voice remained flat.
Whether out of boredom… or a desire to demonstrate his superiority, he began to speak further, revealing more than he needed to.
"Unfortunately for you," Obito Uchiha said calmly, "both Minato Namikaze and your so-called 'Nightingale of Konoha' have already been drawn away."
His voice remained steady as he continued, almost as if explaining something trivial.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique works by marking a location with a formula or seal, allowing instantaneous spatial movement. Yes, Minato left such a mark on you… but right now, he won't be able to reach you in time."
He paused slightly before adding,
"As for Natsuhiko… he's troublesome. In fact, he was already close to discovering my weakness. But unfortunately, he never had the chance to place a mark on me—so he can't come either."
His gaze sharpened.
"The two people who could have saved you are both unable to reach you… and you are at your weakest. I've been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this."
As he spoke, Obito slowly raised his head, looking up at the moon.
Its pale, silvery light filtered through layers of clouds, falling softly across his mask. For a long moment, he simply stood there, bathed in that cold glow—before finally turning back toward Kushina Uzumaki.
"That's enough talk. It's time to get to work."
His voice dropped to a murmur.
The three tomoe in his right eye began to spin, locking onto Kushina's gaze. In an instant, his consciousness invaded her inner world.
Within her mind, he saw it clearly—
A massive fox, bound in chains.
The Nine-Tails.
The moment the beast noticed the black-cloaked figure before it, its ferocious eyes snapped toward him, brimming with violent intent.
"Who are you?" the Nine-Tails growled. But in the next instant, its pupils shrank. "Those eyes… how vile. You're an Uchiha!"
Obito gave no reply.
His Sharingan spun faster, locking onto the fox's gaze.
In an instant, the Nine-Tails' eyes began to lose focus. It roared, struggling violently, but against the power of the Sharingan—especially wielded with the methods left behind by Madara Uchiha—it was powerless to resist.
Slowly, the three-tomoe pattern appeared within the beast's pupils.
Its furious roars faded… replaced by a hollow stillness.
At that moment, the seal suffered a devastating blow.
And with Obito's power reinforcing it, the once nearly unbreakable seal binding Kushina shattered completely.
"Come forth… Nine-Tails!"
Back in reality, Obito's eyes snapped open.
His chakra surged violently, resonating with that of the Nine-Tails.
"Ahhh—!"
A scream tore from Kushina's throat as a dense, crimson chakra began to seep from her body.
Then—
It burst free.
A dark, overwhelming mass of red chakra erupted from her abdomen, filled with malice, hatred, and every negative emotion imaginable, surging skyward like a raging storm.
Moments later, that immense chakra descended to the ground.
Under the cold moonlight, a colossal form began to take shape within the swirling dust—
A giant fox, towering and terrifying.
"ROOOAR!"
The beast threw its head back and howled, its nine tails sweeping outward, scattering the dust in all directions.
Its chakra spread wildly, so violent and immense that the very earth seemed to tremble beneath it.
Obito stood before it, gazing up at the enormous Nine-Tails. Beneath his mask, a faint smile formed.
The Nine-Tails was now his.
And all that remained… was to destroy Konoha.
Even if it was the place where he had been born.
Even if it was where he had grown up.
Even if it held countless memories—connections he once cherished.
All of that had lost meaning the moment Rin Nohara died.
Everything had changed.
He would destroy it.
He would reduce it all to ruin.
He would tear apart this false world and watch it burn—
Turn everything before him into hell.
"…Because I've already been living in hell."