Night of the Nine-Tails (2)

Taichi Matsushita stood solemnly in the center of his equipment room.

The memories that came from the disappearing Shadow Clone told him that at the Orphanage, Nonō was on high alert; and at home, Mizuki had also gone to carry out her orders.

Now, it's time for him to prepare for the big event tonight.

His gaze swept over the various Ninja Tool hanging on the wall: Kunai, Shuriken, Short Sword, medicine, and protective gear.

He quickly selected suitable Ninja Tool and equipped them to himself.

The Ninja Tool Pouch at his waist was crammed full of specially made Flying Thunder God Kunai; hanging on his back was a newly crafted Short Sword, more durable and with smoother Chakra conduction; wrist guards, leg wraps, inner soft armor—everything was adjusted to its optimal condition.

"Let's go." Taiichi muttered to himself, his figure disappearing from the equipment room in an instant.

The next moment, he appeared in the courtyard of the Minato family. The convenience of the Flying Thunder God made it seem as if he had always been standing there.

The courtyard was deserted, but Taiichi's keen senses immediately detected the presence hidden in the shadows all around.

Sure enough, the moment he landed, the shadows around the courtyard writhed as if alive, and four figures silently emerged.

They wore identical animal masks and Anbu, their auras blending together to subtly protect the entire house at its center.

The leader, wearing a wolf-shaped mask, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and his voice, muffled by the mask, said, "Taiichi, by order of the Hokage-sama, the Third Squad is waiting here to assist you in guarding this place."

Taiichi's gaze swept over the four people, and he nodded slightly. He could sense the extraordinary nature of this team; their auras were refined, and their positioning and coordination were excellent, clearly indicating that they were elites from the Anbu.

"Good job, Wolf." Taiichi called out the other's code name from the Anbu to show his approval. "How's the situation?"

"Everything is normal, Taiichi," the wolf replied, his voice flat. "The target was moved this morning under the personal escort of the Hokage-sama and Lord Jiraiya, and their whereabouts are unknown. This place is one of the decoys, and we will guard it together with you. The Hokage-sama has strictly ordered that anyone approaching without permission may be apprehended or killed on the spot, depending on the circumstances."

"A feint—" Taiichi knew Minato's caution.

He looked up at the familiar building before him. In the past, it was filled with Kushina's cheerful laughter and Minato's gentle responses, but now it was deathly silent.

"Understood." Taiichi nodded, his gaze fixed on the roof. "I'll go up to the roof to keep watch. You all proceed with the original plan to monitor the surrounding area. If anything unusual happens, alert the authorities immediately."

"Yes!" the four members of the Anbu responded in unison, their figures disappearing once again as if blending into the shadows, reappearing in various key corners of the house, their presence perfectly concealed.

Without further hesitation, Taiichi lightly touched the ground with his toes, and leaped up as lightly as a feather, landing steadily on the gently sloping roof of the Minato family's house.

He chose a spot with a wide view, overlooking both inside and outside the village, and sat down cross-legged.

Without any unnecessary words or fancy movements, Taiichi simply closed his eyes and focused intently.

Chakra Perception, activate!

A massive amount of Chakra, mixed with spiritual power, spread out from him like a tidal wave in an instant!

It didn't scan carefully, but rather, like a gentle breeze, it silently swept over the houses beneath his feet, reflecting everything around him into Taiichi's mind.

The remaining houses were devoid of any sign of life, and a large area around them showed signs of ninja defenses. Konoha had clearly put a lot of effort into this decoy.

The perception was released and then withdrawn in less than a second. Taiichi opened his eyes, a hint of understanding flashing in his deep eyes, followed by a deeper solemnity.

"I wonder where she went?" he muttered to himself, his voice fading into the cool evening air. "Even I don't know her exact location—it seems the village is far more wary of the risk of the Nine-Tails going out of control than of external enemies."

This was both expected and deepened his anxiety.

Minato and the Third Kazekage Hokage chose to give birth far from the village in order to minimize the devastating impact of the Nine-Tails going out of control on Konoha.

However, this also means that the outer defensive perimeter has been extended, increasing the number of variables. In particular, no one else in the village besides themselves has truly witnessed Obito's Space-Time Ninjutsu, which is the biggest weakness.

Taiichi's gaze fell on the Northern Front sky of Konoha, the direction of the Valley of the End. Although his senses were strong, the vast forests and mountains outside the village, along with the multiple powerful shielding Barrier that the Barrier Team must have set up, made it impossible for even him to pinpoint Kushina's exact location.

"Obito —will you really come?" Taiichi murmured this name that could change everything.

The wheels of history have already blurred their course after he, this "butterfly," flapped his wings. He could not predict Obito's actions, so he could only make thorough preparations.

Time slipped away silently under the watchful eye.

As the sun sank completely below the horizon, night, like a vast black velvet cloth, slowly enveloped Konoha. One by one, the lights of countless homes illuminated the village, outlining its tranquil silhouette. But beneath this serenity, undercurrents surged.

7:30 PM.

Far from Northern Front hustle and bustle of Konoha, deep in the edge of a dense forest, outside a cave that had been temporarily carved out and protected by multiple powerful Barrier, the atmosphere was completely different.

This is the true eye of the storm.

The cave entrance was concealed by thick rocks and intricate Sealing Talisman, isolating it from all sounds from the inside and outside.

Outside the cave, centered on the cliff cave, the Anbu Ninja were distributed in concentric circles like a silent black forest, guarding the place tightly.

Their eyes were sharp, their aura restrained, and they vigilantly scanned every inch of shadow around them. No movement could escape their perception, and a tense and deadly atmosphere filled the air.

Two people stood in the innermost circle, right next to the cave entrance.

Hatake Kakashi, his signature silver hair gleaming coldly in the Gekko, held Short Sword and warily surveyed his surroundings, his muscles poised to explode at any moment.

Beside him Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. This usually unrestrained and bold hero had also put away his smile, his expression more serious than ever before.

He crossed his arms, his broad shoulders forming a solid barrier, his gaze fixed intently on the all-encompassing Barrier, as if trying to penetrate it and see what lay within.

"Hey, Lord Jiraiya— " Kakashi finally broke the silence, his voice low and slightly hoarse, "It's been almost twelve hours since we were moved here this morning, hasn't it? Does childbirth take that long?"

Jiraiya hearing this, Jiraiya's lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to put on his usual roguish smile to ease the tension, but in the end it just turned into a heavy sigh.

He scratched his messy white hair, lowered his voice, and said with a tone full of confusion and worry, "This—although I'm well-traveled, have visited many countries, and witnessed countless moving love stories—this is truly the first time I've experienced something like this firsthand."

He paused, his gaze returning to the motionless Barrier, his brows furrowing deeply. "Logically speaking, given Kushina's constitution—it shouldn't have taken this long. The suffering she's endured—tsk, being a mother is truly not easy."

The two unmarried men were filled with bewilderment at the unknown and deep concern for Kushina.

The long wait wore down their patience and fueled their anxiety. They could only speculate about the situation inside the cave and pray that everything would go well.

However, the reality inside the cave was far more tense and intense than the two outside had imagined.

The interior space of the cave was temporarily expanded and converted into a relatively well-equipped delivery room.

At this moment, suppressed cries of immense pain echoed through the relatively enclosed cave, crashing against the stone walls, a sound that was heart-wrenching to hear.

"Ugh... Water... Minato!"

Kushina Uzumaki lay on the delivery bed, her fiery red hair soaked with sweat and clinging to her pale cheeks. She clenched her teeth, her hands gripping the sheets tightly, her knuckles white from the effort, her body trembling violently from wave after wave of contractions.

Although it didn't last twelve hours as Kakashi and Jiraiya had guessed, it had still been a high-intensity labor that lasted for nearly two hours.

"Kushina! Hang in there! Almost there, almost there!"

Minato Namikaze stood by the bedside, his usual warm, sunny smile replaced by extreme anxiety and heartache.

He held Kushina's hand tightly, his palms sweaty, his golden hair slightly disheveled. He kept wiping the sweat from his wife's forehead with his sleeve, his voice trembling, yet he tried his best to remain calm and encouraging.

"Our child, he'll see us soon! Go for it, Kushina! You're the best!"

"It's almost time, Minato, you can go now. Kushina is about to give birth."

Tsunade then began to shoo him away. For the sake of their future happiness, and to prevent Minato from causing trouble, Minato still needed to avoid the subsequent childbirth process.

Clearly, Minato had been instructed on the ins and outs beforehand. Although extremely reluctant, he heeded Tsunade's advice and came to the outside of the delivery room.

"Come on, Kushina! Push harder! I can see the head! Just a little longer!"

Tsunade was no longer concerned about Minato's presence; she was completely focused on her duties as a midwife.

Her voice was loud and firm, constantly encouraging Kushina and pulling her back from the abyss of despair just when she was about to run out of strength. "Yes! That's it! Very good! Just a little more effort! The baby will be out soon! Think of your little one with Minato!"

Tsunade's words seemed to possess a magical power, always providing Kushina with the support she needed most precisely.

While skillfully guiding the delivery process and checking the dilation and closure of the cervix, she also had to keep an eye on the seal on Kushina's abdomen.

There, the Nine-Tails' Chakra was stirring, and the seal was becoming increasingly unstable as Kushina's pain and power waned.

"Ugh!" Kushina let out another suppressed cry of pain. With this cry, a wisp of dark red Chakra, filled with a violent aura, suddenly leaked out from the surface of her swollen abdomen like uncontrollable smoke!

Though faint, it carried a chilling pressure!

"Oh no! The seal is weakening!" Tsunade's expression changed, and she immediately freed one hand, her palm radiating Chakra, and quickly pressed it against the sealing seal on Kushina's abdomen to help stabilize the crumbling Barrier.

"Kushina! Calm down! Control your emotions! Focus on the seal! The child needs you! Minato is here too!"

Minato's heart leaped into his throat, but he forced himself not to rush over and disturb Tsunade. Instead, he encouraged Kushina from outside, "Kushina! Listen to Lady Tsunade! For our child! For Konoha! Hold on!"

Time passed slowly amidst pain and perseverance.

8:45 PM.

Just when the atmosphere became so oppressive that it was almost suffocating, and even Tsunade and Minato had beads of sweat on their foreheads.

"Wow----"

A loud, vibrant cry of a newborn baby, like the first ray of dawn breaking through the gloom, suddenly shattered the solemnity within the cave!

Everyone present, from Tsunade who was giving birth with all her might, to Minato who was anxiously waiting, to the medical nurses who were on high alert, felt a surge of joy and relief!

"It's out! It's out!" Tsunade's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and joy. With extremely skillful and gentle movements, she gently cradles the baby as it slips out, quickly cleaning it up and cutting the umbilical cord.

"The baby is safe! It's a boy! Listen to that strong cry!"

She carefully wiped the blood and vernix caseosa from the newborn's body with a warm, damp cloth, while simultaneously raising her head to loudly announce the good Minato to Kushina, who was excitedly at a loss for what to do not have nearby.

Upon hearing these words, Minato's heart, which had been taut to the limit, finally relaxed, and an indescribable joy and emotion instantly overwhelmed him.

"That's great! That's great! Kushina, did you hear that?"

The nurse assisting was also beaming with smiles and excitement as she carefully performed the newborn's most basic physical examination and cleaning.

After a series of careful steps, she gently wrapped the baby in soft, warm swaddling clothes, leaving only a rosy little face exposed.

She turned around, her face beaming with genuine joy, and carried the baby toward the eagerly awaiting Fourth Hokage.

In that very instant!

Just as everyone's minds relaxed with the safe arrival of this new life, and their nerves, which had been tense for so long, finally let loose!

A sudden change has occurred!

The space behind the nurse, less than half a meter away, suddenly and violently twisted without warning!

A hand wearing a black glove, holding a Kunai that gleamed with a cold light, shot out from the distorted spatial vortex with lightning speed without any hindrance!

Pfft!

A chilling thud as a sharp blade pierced through flesh!

The Kunai accuracy and ruthlessness!

The nurse's smile froze instantly, transforming into extreme pain and incredulous bewilderment. She didn't even have time to utter a scream before the light in her eyes flickered out like a candle in the wind.

The owner of that hand, a bizarre figure wearing an orange Spiral Mask, stepped completely out of the spatial vortex.

He ignored the nurse whose heart had been pierced, and with his other hand, very naturally, even with a hint of nonchalance, he snatched the newborn baby from the nurse's helplessly loosened arms!

This series of changes happened too suddenly and too unbelievably!

From the spatial distortion to the Kunai piercing the heart and snatching the baby, the entire process took less than half a second!

Even though Minato and Tsunade were already on guard, even though Taiichi had repeatedly warned them, and even though they were both top-tier ninjas who had experienced countless battles, their minds went blank for a moment at this moment!

"Child----"