"Tonight is the night Uzumaki Kushina is due to give birth. Since childbirth will weaken the seal, those who have been waiting in the shadows for a long time are about to make their move."
"Fugaku, tonight you will lead the Uchiha Clan into action. Do your best to minimize casualties in the village. I'll issue orders to Danzo shortly, and he'll make things easier for you."
As he spoke, Uchiha Chen pointed to his eyes and instructed Fugaku, "Remember, do not reveal the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan during this battle. Just do everything you can to hold off the Nine-Tails. Leave the rest to Namikaze Minato."
Then he sighed. "Tonight will be Namikaze Minato's last. What a shame. I actually admire him quite a bit, but I need the Hokage seat too. As it happens, someone else is willing to do the dirty work for me, so all I can do is silently wish him well."
Then, as if he'd thought of something, he spoke again:
"Also, Fugaku, you must wait until the Nine-Tails appears before you act. There's a Third Hokage informant within the clan. Until Kotoamatsukami recovers, you absolutely cannot let him notice anything unusual."
"Yes!"
Hearing Uchiha Chen's command, Fugaku was puzzled by how certain his master was that something would happen tonight, but he still answered firmly.
Uchiha Chen turned his head, his gaze falling on the two people beside him. "As for Mikoto and Izumi, for your safety, once this starts, I'll put you in the Kamui Dimension so you won't get hurt."
The two knew they couldn't let Uchiha Chen worry about them, so they both nodded in agreement.
"Master, I'll go make the necessary preparations."
After speaking, Fugaku bowed respectfully at my nod, then turned and left the room to begin preparing for what was to come.
After Fugaku left, a flicker of something unusual passed through Mikoto's eyes, as if she had remembered something. She seemed to want to say something, but stopped herself.
Her lips parted slightly, as though she wanted to speak, yet she couldn't bring herself to say what was on her mind. Her expression grew increasingly conflicted. Watching her, Uchiha Chen found it strange and couldn't understand what was troubling her.
As the seconds ticked by, Uchiha Chen finally couldn't bear the oppressive silence and tension any longer.
He reached out, pulled Mikoto toward him, and kneaded her cheeks, as though he could rub away all her worries and indecision.
After thoroughly ruining the conflicted look on Mikoto's face, Uchiha Chen said in a firm tone, "Mikoto, what are you so conflicted about? We're one now. There's nothing you can't tell me. Remember that, okay?"
Hearing the confidence and resolve in Uchiha Chen's voice, Mikoto felt as if she had found something to lean on, along with the courage to speak.
She gazed deeply at the man before her, feeling the strength and confidence he gave her. At last, she made up her mind and asked, "Chen, I heard that once a Tailed Beast is extracted, its Jinchūriki is sure to die. That means Kushina probably won't survive this, right? Is there really no way to save her?"
At the sadness and uncertainty in Mikoto's voice, a strange look flashed through Uchiha Chen's eyes. He knew she was grieving for Kushina, who was destined to die.
However, he had no intention of revealing his plans to Mikoto, so he deliberately put on a troubled expression. "A Jinchūriki who has had their Tailed Beast taken from them is bound to die. There's nothing I can do." He gazed at her helplessly.
Disappointment flashed in Mikoto's eyes at Uchiha Chen's answer, but she quickly forced a smile. "It's all right. I was just holding on to a little hope and wanted to ask if you knew another way to save her.
"If there isn't one, perhaps this is simply her fate."
Uchiha Chen watched Mikoto force a smile, knowing the moment had come.
The next instant, he pulled her into his arms without hesitation and said in a commanding tone, "Mikoto, don't be sad anymore. Seeing you like this breaks my heart.
"Actually, I've already thought of a way to solve the problem." As Mikoto stared at him in a mixture of surprise and confusion, he lowered his voice and declared solemnly, "Izanagi!"
At the name, Mikoto's expression changed. She hurriedly reached out and covered Uchiha Chen's mouth, stopping him from saying more.
Mikoto had studied the forbidden technique's consequences in the clan's records. Every Uchiha Clan member who had ever used it had, without exception, gone blind.
Countless cruel and bloody cases were clearly recorded in the clan's history. Their predecessors' tragic lessons came rushing back to her, and how could she bear to let the man she loved pay such a terrible price for her sake?
So she had cut Uchiha Chen off without hesitation before he could finish speaking.
However, the moment Mikoto covered his mouth, Uchiha Chen understood the worry and concern in her heart. He pulled her hand away and gazed deeply into her eyes before speaking slowly. "Don't interrupt me. Let me finish. It's true that using Izanagi will severely deplete my ocular power, but it can recover. So for you, a small price is worth paying."
As Uchiha Chen spoke from the heart, Mikoto was already overcome with emotion, her eyes brimming with tears. She clung tightly to him and pressed her soft, tender lips against his. Faced with such affection, Uchiha Chen shamelessly savored their warmth and softness.
At long last, they parted.
"Ahem... There are other people here!" Izumi pouted, looking a little jealous as she watched the two cling to each other, reluctant to part. I haven't even kissed senpai yet!
Every time she hinted at it, senpai politely turned her down with the excuse that she was still too young. At the thought, the resentment on her face grew stronger.
Mikoto came back to herself when Izumi interrupted them.
Now that she knew Izanagi's side effects could be reversed, she no longer tried to stop Uchiha Chen. She simply reminded him gently, "Chen, I know how much you love me, but please be careful no matter what. If things really become impossible to fix, then give up. After all, you're the person I treasure most in this life."
Hearing what sounded like a heartfelt confession, Uchiha Chen was overjoyed.
He reassured Mikoto for a while longer, then turned to Izumi, whose face was full of resentment. Under her astonished gaze, he smiled and said softly, "It's not just for Mikoto. I'd give up everything for you too." Before he'd even finished speaking, he planted a light kiss on her gradually reddening cheek.
But you're still too young, after all. Your age is what it is!
For your physical and mental well-being, this is as far as I can go for now. As for anything else, we'll talk about it when you're all grown up.
As he finished, he looked at Izumi, who was blushing furiously and seemed wreathed in steam, and couldn't help letting a teasing smile appear on his face.
Mikoto stood nearby, gazing at Uchiha Chen with affection as she cheerfully teased the two of them.
She said softly, "Chen, I'm going to make the necessary preparations for tonight. You two should make the most of your time alone together."
Before leaving, Mikoto even winked at Izumi and made a few suggestive gestures.
With Mikoto's hints, Izumi's face grew even redder, and her head sank lower and lower. She kept muttering under her breath, but her voice was too faint for anyone to make out.
"Izumi, I'm going to see Danzo. Didn't you say you wanted to settle a score with him? Do you want to come with me?"