Chapter 181: October

"Yuto-kun, you all might have to work hard these days," Minato said with a broad smile. "Kushina's due date is approaching, and I can't afford to work late at the Hokage office."

"Congratulations, Minato-senpai," the voice of the branch family boy was soft. "You're going to be a father soon."

"You need to keep up the good work too, Yuto-kun. I noticed a certain Anbu girl always hanging around you," Minato teased.

"Is it Saki Hyuga?" Yuto responded noncommittally, handing a scroll to Minato. "As you requested, Kushina-senpai's birthing location will be outside the village. The barrier has been set up, and here's the list of shinobi responsible for guarding her."

"Thanks," Minato said, his blue eyes twinkling with gratitude. "After Naruto is born, I'd like him to become your student."

Yuto didn't agree or refuse, simply changing the topic. "Is Naruto the name? It's a good name. I've read Jiraiya-sama's Tales of a Gutsy Ninja. The protagonist also seems to be named Naruto."

"Hahaha… you're right! I got the idea from that book. No matter the adversity, I want Naruto to be someone who never gives up," Minato replied with a hearty laugh.

…

After Minato left Yuto's office, despite his words of, "You all might have to work hard," he still tried his best to finish his Hokage duties. However, it was clear that the young Hokage, soon to be a father, could hardly contain his excitement. Every few hours, he'd come down to chat with Yuto, wondering aloud about whether Naruto's hair would be blonde or red and whether he'd like the name.

After sunset, Minato returned home, while Yuto stayed in the office, working late into the night until everything on his desk was cleared.

Normally, Yuto wouldn't push himself to finish every single document. After all, work never ends, no matter the world. Leaving the unimportant things for the next day helps maintain balance.

However, since the beginning of October, Yuto, insisted on completing all his tasks the same day without any delay.

This diligent work ethic made Minato feel a bit guilty, so he promised to give Yuto a vacation after Naruto's birth, taking on all the work himself, just like during the Western Front of the Third Shinobi War.

Yuto didn't explain his sudden dedication, merely smiling in gratitude before resuming his work.

In the blink of an eye, it was October 9th.

At noon, Yuto stretched, tidied up his desk, and took out a scroll he had prepared earlier from his drawer. Composing himself, he headed to the Hokage's office upstairs.

"Minato-senpai," Yuto placed the scroll on the desk. "We've detected the presence of Kumo shinobi in the eastern region of the Land of Fire."

"Let me take a look," Minato glanced at the scroll, frowning. "They really are a war-hungry bunch. It seems the favor of saving the Third Raikage has been used up, as expected. But the timing is terrible…"

"I'll go," Yuto shrugged. "Kushina-senpai is due to give birth any day now. The village and she can't do without you. I can handle it alone. This is likely just a test by the Kumo shinobi, not something that will lead to war."

"It's good to have you, Yuto-kun," Minato breathed a sigh of relief.

The branch family boy waved dismissively, picked up the scroll, and turned to leave.

As he reached for the door handle, Minato suddenly smiled. "Yuto-kun, come back soon. As Naruto's future sensei, I want him to see you as early as possible. Haha… I've heard that newborns tend to imitate the first things they see, and you're the finest young man I know—resilient and gentle, a true inheritor of the Will of Fire."

Yuto's hand on the door handle paused slightly.

But in the end, he didn't look back.

"Minato-senpai, I promise you, I'll be there when the child is born."

…

Wearing his Anbu mask and carrying his sword, Yuto left Konoha alone, heading not east but north.

The intelligence scroll was fake.

Of course, to deceive Minato, 70% of the information in the scroll was true, with slight adjustments to the "time," "location," and "level of enemy forces."

Thus, a cautious probe had escalated into an act of provocation that required the intervention of a village elite.

In about a week, this flimsy lie would be exposed. Konoha's thorough internal checks would make it impossible to hide the truth for long.

However, Yuto no longer cared.

By then, no one would be concerned with such trivial matters.

Yuto removed his Konoha gear, donned a black cloak and the mask of the Moon God, and arrived at the agreed location.

Obito Uchiha and Zetsu were already waiting.

"Moon God," Obito began, using a respectful tone he had learned from their last meeting. "The Nine-Tails jinchūriki is due to give birth in the next couple of days. What are your plans?"

"Tell me your plan, boy."

"I will release the Nine-Tails and use my dōjutsu to control the powerful beast. However, against the Fourth Hokage, who wields the Flying Thunder God Technique, even the Mangekyō Sharingan might not guarantee success. Not to mention Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade, and then there's that Yuto Hyuga…" Obito paused before continuing, "There are rumors that he has completed his senjutsu training."

Behind the Lone Lion mask, Yuto's lips curled into a slight smile. 'As expected, Obito had ways of obtaining Konoha's classified information... But at this moment, such details didn't matter anymore.'

"We'll go with your plan," Yuto said calmly. "Don't worry about anything else."

"Thank you, Moon God," Obito exhaled in relief.

The persona of Moon God that Yuto initially established once again proved its worth.

Even the madly obsessed Obito subconsciously viewed Moon God as a powerful and arrogant figure. Though difficult to deal with, such a haughty person was expected to be reliable.

The reputation of Moon God's name saved Yuto a lot of trouble.

Without discussing many details, Obito left quickly, seemingly preparing for the upcoming battle.

Zetsu merged into the ground, giving Yuto a deep look before disappearing.

Once certain that they had both left, Yuto casually lay on a high cliff, resting his head on his hands as he pondered the events of the next day.

Obito wasn't wrong. Even if he wasn't present, with the combined efforts of his sensei, Minato, and Hiruzen Sarutobi fighting tooth and nail against the Nine-Tails, the tailed beast wouldn't cause too much havoc.

It was necessary to weaken Konoha's strength before the Nine-Tails' arrival.

'But one thing at a time…' Yuto stared directly at the sun, letting its harsh light sting his eyes.

First, he needed to deal with those tails—a prelude to the main event.

He flicked a piece of God's Mask onto his forehead.

At that moment, there were 31 hours left until Naruto's birth.

(End of Chapter)