Chapter 184: A Tragic Battle

At the same time Yuto and Tsunade were entangled in a 'life-and-death' struggle, three kilometers outside of Konoha, in a secret location…

"Ahhh—damn it, it really hurts!"

Kushina Uzumaki, with her hair half white and half red, bit down in pain, lying spread-eagle on the bed with a white cloth covering her lower body. The seal on her abdomen expanded and darkened in color.

"This...this is the first time I've seen Kushina scream in pain…" Minato, drenched in sweat, said anxiously, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Don't worry. Don't underestimate women. Our tolerance for pain is quite strong…" Biwako Sarutobi paused before cautioning, "Minato, you're the Hokage. Stay calm! Have you ever heard of an Uzumaki having complications during childbirth? The most important thing now is the seal on the Nine-Tails. We absolutely cannot let it escape."

"Right." Minato took a deep breath, placing his fingers lightly on his wife's abdomen, doing everything he could to reinforce the seal.

He was a genius who could make any shinobi feel inadequate. Aside from the Flying Thunder God technique, his greatest skill was in fuinjutsu. only Kushina and Tsunade were a notch above him in this regard.

However, despite his strength, Minato was struggling to suppress the Nine-Tails' power.

As the child in her womb drew closer to birth, the Nine-Tails became more prone to breaking the seal.

Due to the intense chakra expenditure, the young Hokage trembled, saying, "Hang in there, Kushina. Hang in there, Naruto…"

"Waaaah—"

A loud cry filled the entire secret room, full of vitality, announcing his arrival into the world.

A healthy baby boy was born.

Minato's eyes were wet, and Kushina Uzumaki was in tears.

The deep love between this couple was now transferred to their child. Even though he was just born, both Minato and Kushina were willing to give their lives for Naruto.

"Stop standing around, you two. Minato, you keep controlling the seal. I'll take the baby."

Biwako Sarutobi took Naruto, quickly cutting the umbilical cord, wrapping him in a thick blanket, and cleaning Kushina's body.

"Okay." Minato wiped his tears and turned to Kushina, bragging, "Heh heh, it was dangerous just now, but I completely suppressed the Nine-Tails…"

The weak woman smiled, about to say something to her tired husband when suddenly two heavy thuds echoed.

Thump. Thump.

The medic-nin, "Datsu," and the Third Hokage's wife, Biwako Sarutobi, collapsed to the ground. Their necks were twisted, their chests bleeding, and they stopped breathing.

A man in a hooded cloak and mask had stolen the newborn Naruto.

He held the baby in one arm, his other hand gently grasping the infant's delicate neck, speaking calmly, "Minato Namikaze, leave the jinchūriki, or...this child has only one minute to live."

'How did this guy get through the barrier?' Cold sweat trickled down Minato's forehead.

"Don't be rash…" As Minato spoke, he moved his foot slightly.

"The rash one is you!" The masked man chuckled, tossing Naruto into the air and drawing a kunai to stab him.

The brutal strike missed as Minato, with incredible speed, used the Flying Thunder God technique to snatch his son back.

"Impressive...but what now?"

The masked man's taunting voice reached Minato's ears. Instinctively, he looked at Naruto, only to find explosive tags attached to the outside of his blanket!

In the blink of an eye, yellow light flashed.

No explosion occurred in the secret room.

That was fast, Obito thought to himself, grabbing Kushina Uzumaki from the bed and vanishing.

…

Roar—

The monster with nine tails howled at the moon, carving deep trenches into the ground. Buildings crumbled, and half of Konoha was destroyed.

In just a few minutes, many shinobi lost their lives, their bodies scattered everywhere. The village was engulfed in an atmosphere of sorrow and devastation.

Suddenly, the Nine-Tails became agitated, whipping its head around and letting out a roar before freezing under the moonlight.

Its previously unnatural round pupils turned into blood-red Sharingan, ultimately settling into the slit-pupil beast's eye familiar to the shinobi world.

Many Konoha shinobi witnessed this scene.

"Stop overthinking!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted in the darkness, "Move out!"

The adamantine staff in his hand expanded, and while the Nine-Tails was momentarily distracted, he struck the monstrous beast's abdomen with all his might, pushing it through Konoha's perimeter and out of the village.

"Everyone, follow me! We can't let the Nine-Tails come back!"

Hiruzen spat out a mouthful of blood, leading his forces out of the village to confront the beast.

In this critical moment, Konoha's oldest shinobi took charge once more. He knew that with the Nine-Tails released, his wife Biwako was likely in grave danger, but he had to suppress his worry. He couldn't even spare a thought for the Sharingan that had appeared in the fox's eyes.

—Even if the Uchiha were involved, this wasn't the time to hold them accountable. Absolutely not!

The brutal battle resumed, shinobi falling like straw, one after another. Yuhi Shinku, the leader of the third squad of the Anbu, Akimichi Torifu, the youngest member of the Second Hokage's elite guard...these esteemed Jonin of Konoha perished one by one.

Just as Konoha's shinobi were about to reach their breaking point, a giant toad descended from the sky, crashing down on the Nine-Tails with a tremendous thud.

The beast's movements halted for a moment.

"Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to me…" In a flash of yellow light, the Nine-Tails disappeared, and in the next instant, a mushroom cloud of chakra erupted far in the distance.

"Minato...he teleported himself and the Nine-Tails away? We need to get there and help him…" Hiruzen gazed toward the distant battlefield, deep worry in his eyes.

However, what the Third Hokage didn't know was that in the collapsed corner of the village gate, a masked Obito was clutching his bleeding arm, also looking toward the final battleground.

"Impressive, Sensei. Not only did you injure me despite my Kamui, but you also freed the Nine-Tails from my control. But it doesn't matter; this beast will belong to me eventually."

As the spiraling vortex of space appeared, Obito's figure disappeared. In the last moment before he left, his murmured words fell to the ground:

"But...Moon God...who exactly are you?"

"Yuto Hyuga and Tsunade Senju haven't shown up yet. Did you kill them?"

"You're a truly formidable opponent…"

…

In the far-off forest.

On this final battlefield, there were only the Nine-Tails, Minato Namikaze, and his family.

"I'm sorry, Kushina. I need your strength." Minato looked apologetically at his weakened wife.

The frail woman smiled reassuringly, "It's okay. As an Uzumaki, my life force is strong. I still have some energy left. Adamantine Sealing…"

"No." Minato stopped her, "It's not time for that yet. If things get out of control, you can restrain the Nine-Tails' movements. I'll use Dead Demon Consuming Seal to split its chakra—half will be sealed within me, and the other half will be sealed in our child."

"The Dead Demon Consuming Seal? No, that will…"

"If we're going to re-seal the Nine-Tails, it's the only jutsu that can do it. Don't worry, there might be a way out."

"Is there another way?"

"Yes." Minato exhaled lightly, looking at the ferocious Nine-Tails, and whispered, "If Yuto can return in time, with my strength and the Sage Art of the Shikkotsu Forest that he mastered, we might be able to recapture the Nine-Tails."

"But...he went out on a mission yesterday."

"I know." The young Hokage turned back, flashing a bright smile at his wife. "But Yuto told me that he would be there when our child is born."

"I believe in him."

(End of Chapter)