C215

As time passed, Yakushi Nono grew bolder by the day.

Kain finally breathed a sigh of relief when the due date arrived.

"Hurry up and make the preparations. Bring all these things in."

Tsunade's attitude had suddenly become stern over the past two days. She had even thrown a booklet at Kain, instructing him to prepare everything listed inside.

His and Kushina's residence was the safest place in all of Konoha, protected by both magic and enchantments. Even Kage-level ninjas would need some effort to break through the two layers of defense.

"Is this a case of a fox borrowing a tiger's might? Now they're all ordering me around."

Kain shook his head but chose to comply. After all, it was for his own child.

The full moon hung high in the sky.

Inside the house, Kushina's pained cries echoed through the night.

Meanwhile, three kilometers south of Konoha Village—

Fourth Raikage, Eight-Tails Jinchūriki Killer Bee, Tutai, and six other elite Cloud Shinobi arrived at a dark forest.

Waiting for them in the shadows were Uchiha Obito—wearing his signature Uzumaki mask—and a group of Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Obito's deep voice broke the silence.

"Fourth Raikage, you're here. Perfect timing. Our people have also arrived. Let's proceed as planned."

Fourth Raikage, however, frowned in dissatisfaction when he saw only seven swordsmen.

"So Mizukage isn't making a move? Typical Kirigakure—always sitting back and waiting to reap the benefits."

Obito's tone remained calm but firm.

"This isn't the time for such remarks, Fourth Raikage. We still have to deal with nearly a thousand Fire Nation ninjas. If Mizukage leaves his post, the battlefield could spiral out of control."

Fourth Raikage knew this wasn't the time to argue.

Still, he couldn't help but feel irritated—Cloud Shinobi had sent a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki, while Kirigakure had only sent… a few swordsmen.

"Fine. We'll follow the plan."

Without another word, Fourth Raikage led Killer Bee, Tutai, and the others away.

The timing was crucial.

They would strike during the next shift change in Konoha's defenses—the perfect window for their infiltration.

Meanwhile…

As soon as the Cloud Shinobi left, White Zetsu emerged from the ground beside Obito, a sly grin on his face.

"They really didn't notice a thing. But Obito, let's be honest—these clones aren't exactly strong. They won't be able to match the real Seven Ninja Swordsmen. You sure they'll be useful?"

Obito scoffed.

"It doesn't matter. Cloud Shinobi is just here to draw fire."

Even as he spoke, irritation flickered in his tone.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had already messed up once—despite being ordered to infiltrate near Konoha, they had been discovered by a patrol team.

And the worst part?

They were defeated by a Genin.

Four dead, three escaped. What a pathetic bunch.

Obito shook his head.

"Have your clones create chaos. Attack the civilian areas."

White Zetsu chuckled.

"No problem. Leave it to us."

Inside the Sealed Space

Nine-Tails twitched its ears in irritation.

Kushina's agonized cries had been ringing in its ears for what felt like forever.

"Humans are such a hassle. Why is childbirth so noisy?"

Despite the loosening of the seal due to Kushina's weakened state, Nine-Tails didn't take advantage of it.

At this moment, it could have easily broken free with just a flick of its tail.

But it didn't.

Not because it didn't want to—just because it wasn't in the mood.

Instead, something else caught its attention.

There was a strange chakra.

It wasn't Six Paths chakra, yet it felt… oddly familiar.

Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes in thought.

Tsunade and Yakushi Nono, both assisting in the delivery, shared a brief look of surprise.

They had prepared for the worst, expecting to summon the Sealing Corps at any moment.

Tsunade had even spent the past few days revisiting sealing techniques, just in case.

But—

Nothing happened.

Not even a single seal rune appeared on Kushina's stomach.

Nine-Tails hadn't moved at all.

It remained eerily calm.

In this situation, Tsunade and Yakushi Nono could conserve a significant amount of energy.

"Come on, Kushina!"

Tsunade hadn't expected the process to go so smoothly. Kushina's physical resilience was incredibly strong—so much so that the energy potion they had prepared in advance to replenish her stamina might not even be necessary.

However, at that moment, the Nine-Tails inside Kushina suddenly raised its head, its beast-like eyes locking onto something beyond the seal.

"Gyūki?"

It wasn't long before not only Nine-Tails but also Konoha's Guard sensed the oppressive chakra closing in.

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted in the forest near Konoha Village, shaking the ground.

A moment later, the towering form of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki—standing tens of meters tall—emerged from the smoke.

"Come out, big guy! Time to put on a show! Watch my master, the Eight-Tails, go—oh yeah~"

Killer Bee rapped as he controlled Gyūki's massive tentacle-like tails, wrapping them around himself before spinning at high speed.

In an instant, a violent gust ripped through the area, flattening the entire forest.

Even the deepest-rooted trees were uprooted and reduced to debris under the force of Killer Bee's technique.

However, before the dust settled, a furious roar rang out.

"BEE, YOU BASTARD! FOLLOW THE PLAN!"

Fourth Raikage's voice boomed as he clenched his fists.

The widespread destruction had made their planned stealth attack impossible.

Now, even sneaking in undetected was out of the question. They would have to take a detour—wasting precious time.

The commotion had already drawn Konoha's elite forces.

Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi, and other Anbu squad leaders rushed to the scene.

The location where Killer Bee appeared was dangerously close to Kain's residence.

The Anbu units stationed nearby had no choice but to bear the brunt of the attack.

"Anbu... and the Fourth Raikage?! Their target must be Kushina Jōnin!"

Shisui's sharp eyes assessed the situation instantly.

"Send an emergency signal to the village—immediately!"

Before his words even left his mouth, a series of explosions erupted throughout Konoha, one after another.

Flames soared into the sky, and even from this distance, they could hear the chaos unfolding.

Fourth Raikage's expression darkened.

"The Mist Shinobi have already started their attack! Bee, it's up to you now!"

Killer Bee grinned.

"Understood, big bro! Now watch as Uncle Killer Bee unleashes a Tailed Beast Bomb—oh yeah~"

The Yin-Yang chakra swirled into a massive high-density sphere, glowing with raw energy.

A two-to-eight chakra ratio condensed into a deadly Tailed Beast Bomb, which Gyūki quickly swallowed into its mouth.

The moment Kakashi, Shisui, and the others saw this, their expressions changed dramatically.

"No! He's aiming for Konoha—stop him!"

Kakashi immediately commanded the Anbu:

"Move in! Interrupt him with ninjutsu—NOW!"

A dozen Anbu operatives dashed toward Killer Bee, trying to close the distance.

But—

It was too late.

Killer Bee had already fired.

Boom!

The Tailed Beast Bomb shot forward, carving a deep trench in the hardened earth, its energy vaporizing everything in its path.

"BLOCK IT!"

Despite knowing the near-impossibility of stopping the attack, Kakashi and the Anbu threw everything they had at it.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow City Wall!"

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

"Water Style: Water Turbulence!"

A coordinated barrage of powerful jutsu erupted—

But it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a paper shield.

Even Kakashi's massive earth wall crumbled instantly, unable to withstand the sheer force of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

Boom!

The sheer shockwave sent Kakashi and the others flying backward, some tumbling dozens of meters before crashing into the dirt.

Several Anbu operatives suffered severe injuries from the blast alone.

But then—

Crackle!

A burst of lightning energy flickered around the Tailed Beast Bomb mid-flight.

Suddenly—its speed slowed.

Just as it was about to collide with Konoha, the massive chakra sphere froze in midair, crackling with unstable energy.

Then—

In an instant, it reversed.

The Tailed Beast Bomb shot backward—heading straight toward Eight-Tails at full force.

However, Killer Bee had no time to react—the Tailed Beast Bomb was simply too fast.

The explosion was like a miniature sun igniting on the ground.

A blinding light illuminated the entire night sky, and the resulting shockwave was felt even ten miles away.

The deafening boom echoed like a thunderclap across the battlefield.

"A few more people have sneaked into Konoha from another location. Go and stop them."

Kain's voice rang in the ears of Uchiha Shisui and the others.

The Anbu squad leaders instantly realized what had just happened—someone had stopped the Tailed Beast Bomb, and judging by the voice, it sounded eerily similar to the Lord of the Fire Nation.

Although they couldn't be sure, Shisui's expression tightened.

If enemy forces had truly breached Konoha's defenses, then their escort mission was already on the verge of failure.

"Bird!"

"I know, Captain—Byakugan!"

An Anbu from the Hyuga branch activated his Byakugan, scanning the surrounding area.

"I found them! They're planning to break into Konoha from the east!"

"Everyone, follow me! I'll leave this area to that man."

Shisui issued a swift command, and every Anbu who could still move immediately followed.

Even Hatake Kakashi had no objections—compared to the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, who was already restrained, the intruders closing in on Kushina posed a greater threat.

While Fourth Raikage and his forces had everyone's attention, Uchiha Obito silently emerged from the Kamui space.

His goal was simple—to reach the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

However—

"Halt!"

Two Anbu operatives suddenly appeared in his path, blocking his advance.

One of them spoke coldly:

"We didn't expect intruders from this direction... Looks like you came prepared. Not only did you attack the village, but you also brought a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki with you. Is Cloud Shinobi really trying to start a war with Konoha?"

Obito remained unfazed.

"Two Anbu? Seems like the defenses are weaker than I expected."

His voice was calm—almost mocking.

"I suggest you step aside."

The moment the words left his mouth, Obito rushed forward at blinding speed.

The Anbu didn't retreat.

One of them drew a Short Sword, slashing directly at Obito's head.

Seeing that the masked man wasn't dodging, the Anbu's heart leaped with excitement.

"Fool!"

He tightened his grip and increased his strength, aiming to decapitate the enemy in a single strike.

However—

His sword sliced clean through Obito's head... as if cutting through air.

There was no resistance.

No impact.

Just an empty void.

"Too naïve…"

Obito's voice was calm.

A wooden tendril extended from his palm, moving to pierce the Anbu's chest—

But—

His outstretched hand also passed through the Anbu's body.

A cold blade had just phased through Obito's skull, forcing him to enter intangible mode.

The two figures shifted positions in an instant, before Obito slowly turned around.

His gaze darkened.

"A White Chakra Short Sword… and Wind Style-enhanced strikes? You… Are you Konoha's White Fang?"

The Anbu operative calmly sheathed his blade and removed his mask.

A sharp, familiar face was revealed—one that closely resembled Kakashi's.

A smirk formed on his lips.

"I didn't expect to be recognized so quickly, especially after staying off the battlefield for years."

His voice was steady, eyes locked onto Obito.

"Your ability is… interesting."

He tapped his sword lightly against his shoulder before adding:

"It seems you can phase through attacks. Like a Hollow Form."

He took a step forward.

"But you should drop that ability when you attack—otherwise, there'd be no need for you to dodge just now."

…

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