"Captain Guy, we've got movement!"
One Anbu ninja suddenly stopped and pointed toward the forest on the left.
Might Guy looked in the direction he was pointing.
At the edge of the forest, several white figures were moving quickly.
They were fast, but they didn't move like ninja. It was more like they were growing out of the ground.
White Zetsu.
"Enemies?"
Before he could finish, a figure rushed out of the darkness.
It was a red-haired boy, his face so delicate he barely looked real.
He raised his hand, and chakra threads as fine as hair sprang from the tips of his five fingers.
Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!
Dozens of puppets surged out of the darkness, surrounding Might Guy and the others.
The puppets came in all shapes—some human, some beastlike—and every one of them held a gleaming blade.
"Careful!"
Might Guy shouted.
"He's a puppeteer!"
The moment his words fell, the puppets lunged.
Blades flashed, and the sound of metal clashing rang through the night.
Guy kicked one puppet away and smashed another apart with his fist.
But there were too many of them.
They poured in from every direction, seemingly endless no matter how many he destroyed.
"Damn it…"
Guy gritted his teeth.
"Third Gate… Gate of Life, open!"
Guy's skin flushed red, veins bulging as his muscles swelled beneath his skin, stretching the Anbu uniform tight.
His figure vanished from where he stood.
The next instant, he was already in front of the leading puppet.
Leaf Great Whirlwind!
His right leg swept out, so fast only an afterimage could be seen, and his instep slammed viciously into the puppet's waist.
Bang!
The puppet exploded instantly.
Just then, a figure descended from above.
Kisame Hoshigaki carried a bandage-wrapped sword over his shoulder, a bloodthirsty grin on his sharklike face.
"Konoha Anbu?"
He bared his teeth in a grin.
"Perfect. I can test my new blade."
Kisame raised the sword and brought it smashing down toward Might Guy.
Guy dodged sideways.
The sword struck the ground, splitting open a huge crater.
"Captain Guy, careful!"
An Anbu ninja rushed forward, forming hand seals.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
After Kiyohara became Hokage, Uchiha ninja were no longer limited to the Konoha Military Police. They could also choose to join the Anbu.
At present, Might Guy had two Uchiha subordinates.
In an instant, flames surged.
Kisame formed hand seals and used Water Release ninjutsu to scatter the fireball.
Immediately after, a large number of White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
Those white monsters bared their claws and teeth, charging toward the Anbu ninja.
For a time, the entire eastern side of the village fell into chaotic battle.
The roar of ninjutsu, the clash of metal, screams, and angry shouts all tangled together.
...
At the same time, Kiyohara was holding Nohara Rin in his arms.
But his sensory ability had spread like an invisible net, covering all of Konoha, including its outskirts.
At that moment, Kiyohara sensed chakra fluctuations from the direction of Kushina's delivery room.
"So they're here?"
Kiyohara opened his eyes.
Then he strengthened his sensing and confirmed roughly how many chakra signatures there were.
"Most of them are White Zetsu, I suppose."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
Many White Zetsu were humans who had been transformed by the Infinite Tsukuyomi a thousand years ago.
But a considerable portion of them were actually clones.
Madara had created them by mixing in Hashirama cells, selecting one White Zetsu as a base, and having the Demonic Statue continuously produce more.
Because of that, the chakra natures of this batch were similar, so Kiyohara could distinguish them immediately.
"And Sasori is here too."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
At the same time, he could also sense an existence with a very large amount of chakra. Though not comparable to him, that chakra's owner was still outstanding among ninja.
"Kisame Hoshigaki?"
Kiyohara raised his head and looked out the window.
In the databook, Kisame Hoshigaki's chakra score was also a perfect ten, and he was called the Tailed Beast Without a Tail.
A moment later, Kiyohara withdrew his sensing and lowered his head, looking at Rin in his arms.
"Rin, something's happened."
Kiyohara slowly got up.
"What is it?"
Rin immediately propped herself up too. The blanket slid from her shoulders, revealing her fair shoulder and the straps of her nightgown.
"I need to go out."
Kiyohara said.
"What happened?"
Rin asked.
"Kushina is giving birth, right? Did something happen over there?"
"More or less."
Kiyohara nodded.
He patted Rin's shoulder.
"The place where Kushina is giving birth is being attacked."
"Attacked?"
Rin cried out in shock.
"Who's attacking Konoha?"
"A few old acquaintances."
Kiyohara stood and walked to the bedside, picking up the clothes draped over the chair and putting them on one by one.
The black fitted shirt clung to his body, outlining the muscles of his back.
Rin looked at Kiyohara's back.
"I'll go help too."
Rin said, about to get out of bed.
Kiyohara turned and looked at her.
"You go organize people and prepare treatment."
"Okay."
Rin nodded.
"I'll go right away."
Kiyohara released her hand and straightened.
He walked to the window and pushed it open.
The next moment, his figure disappeared from the window.
...…
On the Hokage Rock.
Kiyohara stood atop his own stone likeness, arms crossed, the night wind blowing through his hair and tugging at the corners of his clothes.
From here, all of Konoha could be seen below.
The streets beneath the moonlight looked like silver rivers, and the rooftops spread out densely like scales.
In the distance, at the edge of the village, in the direction of Kushina's delivery room, chakra fluctuations were growing increasingly obvious.
The Anbu ninja were already fighting.
Kakashi's Purple Lightning carved streak after streak of violet light through the night.
"Let half of the Nine-Tails come out."
Kiyohara folded his arms.
He had placed a Flying Thunder God kunai near the cave in advance, so he could arrive in an instant.
However, Kiyohara planned to release half of the Nine-Tails and then seal that portion of chakra inside Naruto.
If Naruto didn't have the Nine-Tails, then compared to the original story, his strength would actually be weakened.
As for Naruto and Sasuke, Kiyohara intended to train them both and bring them into the Anbu as his subordinates.
Then the gourd at Kiyohara's waist trembled.
A stream of golden gold dust flew out like a ribbon, coiling around Kiyohara.
Kiyohara raised his hand, and above his palm, the gold dust condensed into a bullet.
The gold dust bullet was only the size of a thumb, entirely golden.
But its density was extremely high, and its weight was astonishing. That tiny bullet weighed dozens of jin.
Kiyohara infused chakra into the bullet, attaching a thin electromagnetic field to its surface.
Electromagnetic force leaped across the bullet, producing faint crackling sounds.
He closed his eyes and sensed the distant battlefield.
Then he flicked his finger.
Whoosh!
The instant the bullet shot from his fingertip, the air was torn open, producing a sharp whistle.
The bullet's speed was astonishing, so fast the naked eye could not track it.
Kiyohara had known techniques that used electromagnetic force for a long time.
By now, Kiyohara could even easily surpass… a hundred times the speed of sound.
Trailing a golden tail of light, the gold dust bullet drew an arc from the Hokage Rock like a meteor flying in reverse, hurtling toward the distant battlefield.
Boom!
The instant the bullet struck the ground, the earth shook.
The White Zetsu were torn apart by the gold dust's impact. Broken limbs flew into the air, then were shredded into smaller pieces by the following shockwave.
That one attack destroyed at least over a hundred White Zetsu.
The ninja on the battlefield all raised their heads and looked toward the direction the bullet had come from.
On the Hokage Rock, that white figure was clearly visible beneath the moonlight.
"It's Hokage-sama!"
"Hokage-sama has made a move!"
"The Fourth!"
The voices rose one after another, full of excitement.
Kiyohara's strength in the Third Great Ninja War was something everyone had witnessed.
His action was like a stabilizing pillar planted in their hearts, and the morale of every ninja surged.
Kakashi raised his head and looked at that figure atop the Hokage Rock.
"He's finally here."
Kakashi's uneasy heart finally steadied somewhat.
If Kiyohara had made a move, things should be fine.
Might Guy kicked away the puppet in front of him, then raised his head as well, grinning and showing his signature white teeth.
"The scent of youth!"
He shouted, then charged toward Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Kiyohara's youth burns even hotter than mine!"
Sasori kept retreating.
He had nearly had half his body shattered by the impact just now.
Sasori lowered his head and glanced at the severed end of his right arm.
Transparent liquid flowed from the broken pipes. It was a special oil he used to lubricate his joints.
"That guy again."
Sasori frowned deeply.
A long time ago, he had suffered a loss under Kiyohara's hands.
Then Sasori opened a sealing scroll, took out a replacement arm, and installed it onto himself.
That was the advantage of modifying one's body into a puppet. Even if the body was damaged, one only needed to replace the parts in time to keep fighting.
Click.
Gears meshed, pipes connected, joints reset.
Sasori moved his fingers, confirming that every joint was functioning normally, then raised his head and looked toward the Hokage Rock.
Beneath the moonlight, that white figure was clearly visible.
Sasori's brow furrowed slightly, then quickly relaxed.
"Troublesome."
Sasori said.
That was the highest evaluation he could give.
"So that's the Fourth Hokage?"
Kisame asked Sasori while dealing with Might Guy.
"Yes."
Sasori replied coldly.
Kiyohara had stirred up unpleasant memories.
"Don't get distracted while fighting me!"
Steam erupted from Might Guy's body once more.
Fourth Gate… Fifth Gate… Sixth Gate!
His momentum kept rising.
"Interesting."
Kisame looked at Might Guy.
He had never dealt with taijutsu this powerful before.
…
Obito, who was fighting Kakashi, also sensed the disturbance immediately.
His fist slowly clenched.
He could feel his heartbeat accelerating.
After all, he had already lost to Kiyohara many times.
Why did Kiyohara always get to win, always wearing that superior attitude?
Why did Rin smile at him, treat him gently, and leave a light on for him late at night?
Why?
All the things that should have belonged to Obito had been stolen by Kiyohara.
"Why is the masked man getting stronger?"
Kakashi, who was fighting Obito, suddenly noticed the other man had grown stronger.
Kakashi didn't know what was happening to the person in front of him. He only thought the enemy was starting to go all out, which was why he had become so difficult to handle.
Obito took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions inside him.
But stimulated by those feelings, his ocular power was slowly rising.
In a place even Obito himself did not notice, his skin was becoming even paler.
If one looked closely, they would discover that his skin color was approaching White Zetsu's.
"Now is the best chance."
Obito thought.
If he could seize the Nine-Tails tonight, he would have enough bargaining power.
The nine tailed beasts, the Rinnegan, the Gedo Statue—as long as he gathered all of them, he could activate the Eye of the Moon Plan and create a world with Rin.
In that world, there would be no Kiyohara, no Kakashi, no war, no pain.
Only him and Rin.
Obito unclenched his fist, then clenched it again.
That Sharingan reflected the figure atop the Hokage Rock.
Pfft!
Kakashi seized the moment when Obito was distracted and swung Yamaru, its blade wrapped in lightning.
But Obito was like a drifting ghost, directly avoiding the strike.
Then Obito stopped entangling himself with Kakashi and began constantly switching between intangibility and solid form.
Each flicker brought him one step closer to the cave.
Kunai, shuriken, and ninjutsu alike could not stop Obito in this state.
Kakashi was frantic, but he had already been left far behind.
By now, Obito had reached the cave entrance. His Sharingan swept over the surrounding Anbu, who were on high alert.
But before they could act, Obito's figure had already passed by them like an untouchable gust of wind.
"Fire Release—!"
One Anbu only had time to form a single hand seal before Obito's palm pressed against the back of his neck.
Crack.
His neck snapped.
That person's body collapsed limply. Another Anbu had just begun to draw his blade when Obito's kunai was already lodged in his throat.
The deeper part of the cave was much wider than the entrance.
The air carried the smell of blood, medicine, the milky scent unique to an infant, and another aura Obito could not quite describe.
It was the Nine-Tails' chakra, so dense it almost seemed about to become physical.
Minato Namikaze stood at the innermost area.
In one arm, he held a baby wrapped in white swaddling clothes. His other hand was pressed against Kushina's abdomen, pale blue chakra flowing from his palm to maintain the stability of the seal.
Kushina lay on a simple bed beside his feet. Her face was as pale as paper, her red hair plastered to her skin with sweat, and her lips were bloodless. She looked as if she had just been pulled out of water.
Sarutobi Biwako let out a breath.
The commotion outside had reached them, so they had raced against time to finish delivering Kushina's child.
"Who are you?"
Kushina asked weakly.
Before she could finish speaking, Obito raised his hand, and a kunai flew from his palm.
At the same time, Minato threw a kunai of his own, knocking Obito's aside and pinning it to the wall.
"Don't move."
Minato warned.
"Heh. Fast reflexes."
Obito spoke in an odd, mocking tone.
Unfortunately, that speed hadn't protected him.
It had left him crushed beneath a giant boulder, where he had eventually met Uchiha Madara.
When he needed protection, or when Rin needed protection, this so-called Yellow Flash always failed to arrive in time.
But now that it was his own wife and child, he was quite proactive.
Obito's gaze left Minato and landed on the swaddle. White cloth wrapped around a tiny infant, revealing only a wrinkled little face.
The baby's eyes were closed, his small mouth slightly open, completely unaware of everything happening around him.
Minato heard the hatred in Obito's words.
But he did not understand when he had offended this masked man enough to make such an enemy.
"I don't know what grudge there is between us, but if you leave now, I won't attack."
Minato was also quite wary of Obito.
Kushina's seal had already begun loosening. Sealing formulas surfaced on her abdomen, black markings winding over her pale skin.
Because of that, Minato did not dare act recklessly. He was afraid the Nine-Tails would take the chance to rampage.
Obito stepped forward.
Minato's figure flashed and blocked Kushina.
The next second, Obito was already at Minato's side, his right hand reaching straight for the swaddle.
Minato reacted faster than Obito had expected and dodged instantly.
Obito's fingers brushed the edge of the swaddle, touching only a corner of cloth before Minato had already retreated several meters with the baby.
"!"
At that moment, Minato realized Obito's move had been only a feint.
His true target was Kushina.
Obito's crimson Sharingan turned directly toward Kushina's eyes.
…
Kushina's mental world.
When Kushina opened her eyes, she found herself in her mental world.
A layer of water covered the ground beneath her feet, rising to her ankles.
Kushina raised her head.
Ahead stood the Nine-Tails, its body bound by numerous chains.
"This disgusting chakra."
The Nine-Tails looked at Kushina and at Obito, who had intruded into this space.
It had no fondness for either of them.
"Long time no see, Nine-Tails."
Obito spoke in Uchiha Madara's tone.
Hearing Obito's voice and sensing that cold chakra, the Nine-Tails' vertical pupils narrowed into thin slits, as if something had stabbed into it.
Its body leaned backward, making the iron gate crash loudly. Chains rattled through the darkness.
"You… you are…"
For the first time, vigilance entered the Nine-Tails' voice.
"Uchiha… Madara…!"
Obito did not deny it.
He only raised his head and looked into those crimson eyes. Then the Sharingan in his eye socket began to rotate.
The three tomoe connected and transformed into the pattern of the Mangekyō.
Ocular power surged from that eye like an invisible net, covering the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails' body suddenly stiffened.
Those crimson eyes began to change. The vertical pupils slowly spread outward, turning into ringlike ripple patterns.
The pattern of the Sharingan flashed through the Nine-Tails' pupils.
"Nine-Tails, come out!"
Obito shouted.
At the same time, in reality, Kushina began changing.
Crimson Nine-Tails chakra was pulled out of Kushina's body, continuously spreading outward.
The form of a crimson fox gradually condensed.
Rumble!
The enormous chakra directly smashed the cave apart, exposing the night sky outside.
Obito's consciousness also returned to reality.
All of this had happened in only an instant.
The Nine-Tails was about to come out.
Minato also realized this, but he was holding the fragile Naruto in his arms and could not get there in time.
If he used Flying Thunder God, Obito might instead seize the chance to harm Naruto.
"Hahaha!"
As Obito laughed wildly, Kiyohara's figure appeared inside the cave.
Sssht!
Kiyohara drew his ninja blade and directly cut down half of the Nine-Tails that had not yet fully taken shape.