A Changed Night

"Snap!"

"Secret Scroll Clone."

Yun clapped his hands together, and a puff of smoke appeared at the bottom of the river beside him, though the figure flickering within it refused to fully manifest.

Yun's lips curled into a smile. As expected, the Secret Scroll evolved by the rules had many uses; it wasn't just about gaining an extra life as the prompt suggested.

Of course, the extra life was the most important function. From today on, as long as the clone and his true self didn't die on the same day, the clone would be able to resurrect once it refreshed after midnight.

And now...

Within the smoke at the riverbed, a youth standing 1.8 meters tall gradually emerged. Beneath a mop of red hair, a slightly distorted, three-dimensional Yahiko appeared at the bottom of the river.

Red-haired Yahiko? Uzumaki Yahiko?

No, the clone's name... Sora!

As if two souls shared the ability to multitask, the clone darted from the riverbed the next moment and headed into the distance.

Yun surfaced and climbed onto the bank. As a nobody, no one should be putting much effort into monitoring him. Releasing the clone at the bottom of the river was merely a "better safe than sorry" measure.

With White Zetsu everywhere and the Third Hokage lurking about to spy on people whenever he was bored, he hoped there wouldn't be any coincidences.

He had already left Flying Thunder God markings in hidden corners of the Nara clan grounds and the Tatsumi Shelter. If the Nine Tails were released tonight—though the probability was low—it was necessary to be prepared.

By the time he returned home from the Back Mountain, it was already noon. His mother and Izumi had returned, and the family went to the market together in high spirits.

Night fell, and Konoha remained boisterous under the lights.

On the Hokage Rock, the clone Sora narrowed his eyes. A figure flashed by in the distance; the barrier he had set up earlier seemed to have no effect on this person whatsoever.

Because they were worried about the Nine Tails going berserk, Kushina was giving birth in a cave outside Konoha, surrounded by barriers to prevent any accidents.

Even so, the aura of the Nine Tails' Chakra still managed to penetrate the barrier slightly, permeating the air.

"Extracting the Nine Tails' Chakra to seal it beforehand, then slowly releasing it with Sealing Jutsu? So, have they reinforced the seals at Kushina's actual birthing location? Not a single trace of Nine Tails' Chakra is leaking out—that's truly impressive..."

The clone Sora sat down cross-legged. Now, all he could do was wait. If things got rowdy, he would go stir up some trouble; if not, he would just leave a few markings and go back to sleep.

"Ah!!!"

"It hurts so much!"

"Minato! Minato..."

Kushina's pained cries echoed through the cave. Minato stood beside her, holding her hand, his face etched with worry.

Kakashi, hiding in the shadows nearby, was completely bewildered. Why were these two serious men acting out this husband-and-wife routine so naturally?

They were both master actors!

Ten minutes later, Shisui, who had transformed into Kushina and was lying on the bed, felt his throat going hoarse, but the "baby" simply wouldn't come out.

Time was running out. If the baby were born at the real location, the Nine Tails' aura would be impossible to mask no matter what.

At that point, the enemy would surely realize this place was a trap.

Wait!

In an instant, Shisui realized that because Kushina's seal would weaken when the baby was born, causing the Nine Tails' Chakra to erupt, the enemy must be waiting for this exact moment!

So...

Thinking this, Shisui exchanged a glance with the worried-looking Minato. Both were clever men and understood each other's intentions instantly.

Meanwhile... Obito, who had entered using his intangibility, was growing impatient. The Nine Tails' Chakra had been leaking for a while now; why wasn't the brat coming out yet?

The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu was renowned throughout the Shinobi World, and their unique bloodline made them the best vessels for sealing Tailed Beasts. Furthermore, the birth of a baby would add another constraint on the Yellow Flash: a defenseless infant.

"It's born! It's born!"

Fugaku, transformed into Biwako, and two female medical ninjas exclaimed, but there was an eerie lack of a baby's cry in the cave.

Minato immediately shouted, "Why is there no sound? What's wrong with Naruto?"

Fugaku immediately caught on: "He needs a couple of slaps, don't worry."

As he spoke, he held the child upside down and flicked the soles of the infant's feet with his fingers. "Don't worry, this will help him spit out any amniotic fluid in his mouth."

Minato looked grateful. Shisui, lying on the bed, knew his mission was nearly complete; if he kept screaming, his throat would be ruined.

Here it comes!

In an instant, a figure appeared silently beside Fugaku, a kunai thrusting directly toward his neck.

"Swish!"

Fugaku dodged with a Body Flicker Technique and looked nervously at the enemy before him, but the infant in his hands was snatched away during the evasion.

"I didn't expect the Third Hokage's wife to have such a fast Body Flicker. But now..."

The masked man, Obito, held the bundled infant in one hand and thrust his kunai straight toward it.

In an instant, he stared at his former teacher before him, his Mangekyō Sharingan filled with ferocity.

Experience the pain of losing love, Teacher. This time, you are late once again!

"Poof!"

A cloud of smoke rose up, and the infant in the bundle transformed into a kunai. The reflection of Masked Obito appeared on the pitch-black blade, as if mocking him.

A trap?

How could it be?

In a flash, Masked Obito looked toward Namikaze Minato: "How did you find out?"

Minato gazed solemnly at his former student. Although he avoided eye contact out of wariness for the Sharingan, his expression remained regretful as he looked at the bandaged arm.

"Although there are many things I want to ask you, I'm sure you wouldn't answer honestly right now. Some things are my responsibility, so... I will just have to capture you and ask!"

The Flying Thunder God activated in an instant; the seals already placed within the cave made Minato seem omnipresent.

"Swish!"

The kunai pierced through empty air. Masked Obito, composed and at ease, wore a mocking expression: "What makes you think... you can catch me?"

Just as Minato's arm passed through him, Obito materialized in an instant, turned, and thrust his kunai down without mercy.

"Swish!"

The Flying Thunder God flashed again, and Minato reappeared to the side, his heart confirming the intelligence provided by the Black Shadow.

At this moment, Obito tilted his head and looked at Shisui, who was still lying on the bed: "Since the infant was a fake, then I suppose the Nine Tails Jinchuriki is a fake as well? Are you still playing dead there because you think I'm stupid enough to touch you?"

Shisui stood up awkwardly on the bed, scratched his head, and said: "I certainly didn't take you for a fool! It's just that the performance a moment ago was too embarrassing; I only just recovered from it."

Masked Obito sneered: "That was very realistic just now! If you were placed here by the Fourth, your strength must be quite good, right? The Third Hokage?"

"Sorry, Uchiha senior, you guessed wrong!"

"Poof!"

As soon as Shisui's voice fell, a pair of Sharingan resembling crosshairs shone through the smoke after he released his Transformation Technique.

Kotoamatsukami!

Caught completely off guard, the seed of Kotoamatsukami had already been planted.