Preparations

"Tonight is the night Uzumaki Kushina gives birth. Because childbirth causes the seal to loosen, those who have been waiting in the shadows for so long are about to make their move."

"Fugaku, lead the Uchiha clan out tonight. You must minimize casualties within the village as much as possible. I will go and issue orders to Danzo shortly; he will provide you with the necessary convenience."

At this, Uchiha Chen pointed to his eyes and instructed Fugaku: "Remember, during this battle, do not expose the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. You only need to hold off the Nine-Tails with all your might; leave everything else to Namikaze Minato."

He then sighed aloud, "Tonight is the night of Namikaze Minato's death. Honestly, I quite admire him, but I need the position of Hokage. Since someone else is doing the dirty work for me, I can only silently light a candle for him."

Then, as if remembering something, he spoke again:

"Also, Fugaku, you must wait until the Nine-Tails appears before taking action. There is a mole for the Third Hokage within the clan; you must not let him sense any abnormalities before Kotoamatsukami recovers."

"Understood!"

Hearing Uchiha Chen's command, although Fugaku was puzzled as to why his master was so certain that something would happen tonight, he responded with a firm tone.

Uchiha Chen turned his head, his gaze falling on the two people beside him: "As for Mikoto and Izumi, considering safety, once the incident begins, I will tuck you both into the Kamui dimension to ensure you remain unharmed."

Both women knew they could not distract Uchiha Chen, so after hearing this, they nodded in agreement.

"Master, I shall go and prepare now."

After finishing, Fugaku bowed respectfully to me at my nod, then turned and walked out the door to begin preparing for the upcoming operation.

Seeing Fugaku leave, a strange look flashed in Mikoto's eyes, as if she had recalled something, but she hesitated to speak.

Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something, but she could never express what was in her heart. Her expression became increasingly conflicted, which Uchiha Chen, witnessing this from the side, found very strange, unable to understand what she was struggling with.

As time ticked by, Uchiha Chen finally could no longer endure the oppressive atmosphere brought about by this silence and conflict.

He reached out and pulled Mikoto over, rubbing her cheeks vigorously as if to crush all her conflicts and worries away.

After completely breaking the conflicted expression on Mikoto's face, Uchiha Chen said in a firm tone: "Mikoto, what exactly are you struggling with? We are one now; there is nothing you cannot tell me. Do you remember that?"

Hearing the dominance and firmness in Uchiha Chen's tone, Mikoto felt a glimmer of reliance and courage deep within her heart.

She gazed deeply at the man before her, feeling the strength and confidence he transmitted to her, and finally made up her mind, asking with newfound courage: "Chen, I have heard that once a Tailed Beast is extracted, its host will surely die. Then, Kushina will likely be unable to escape this fate tonight, right? Is there really no way to save her?"

Hearing the doubt and sorrow in Mikoto's voice, a strange look flashed in Uchiha Chen's eyes. He knew well that Mikoto was heartbroken over the death Kushina was destined to face.

However, he did not intend to reveal his plan to Mikoto, so he deliberately put on a troubled expression and said: "A jinchuriki stripped of their Tailed Beast is doomed to die; there is nothing I can do." He then stared at her with a helpless look.

Upon hearing Uchiha Chen's answer, a flash of disappointment crossed Mikoto's eyes, but she quickly forced a smile and replied: "It's alright. I was just holding onto a sliver of hope, wondering if you had any other way to save her.

Since there isn't, perhaps this is her fated destiny."

Uchiha Chen watched Mikoto forcing a smile and knew the time had come.

The next moment, he pulled her into his arms without hesitation and spoke in a domineering tone: "Mikoto, stop being sad. Seeing you so distressed breaks my heart.

Actually, I have already thought of a way to solve the problem." As he spoke, amidst Mikoto's surprised and confused gaze, he lowered his voice and solemnly declared: "Izanagi!"

Hearing this name, Mikoto's face changed, and she hurriedly reached out to cover Uchiha Chen's mouth, preventing him from continuing.

Through the clan's records, Mikoto knew deeply of the consequences brought by this forbidden jutsu. In the past, every Uchiha clan member who had used this technique had, without exception, fallen into blindness.

Countless cruel and bloody cases were clearly recorded in the clan's history. As these painful lessons from the past surfaced in her mind, how could she bear to let the person she loved most pay such a huge price for her?

Thus, she had cut off the words Uchiha Chen was about to speak without hesitation.

However, the moment his mouth was covered, Uchiha Chen understood the concerns and worries in Mikoto's heart. He pulled her hand down, gazed deeply into her eyes, and spoke slowly: "Don't interrupt me, let me finish. It is true that using Izanagi causes severe loss of ocular power, but it is not unrecoverable. So, for you, a little price is worth it."

Just as Uchiha Chen was pouring out his sincere feelings, Mikoto was already moved to tears, holding him tightly and offering her soft, delicate lips. Facing this deep affection, Uchiha Chen shamelessly enjoyed the warmth and softness to the fullest.

After a long while, they parted.

"Ahem... there are others here!" Izumi pouted, looking with jealousy at the two who were tightly embracing and reluctant to separate. She muttered to herself that she hadn't even kissed her senior yet!

Every time she hinted at her senior, she was always politely rejected with the excuse that she was still too young. Thinking of this, the resentment on her face grew a little more.

Mikoto, interrupted by Izumi, also came back to her senses.

Upon learning that the side effects of Izanagi could be recovered, she no longer stopped Uchiha Chen, but gently urged: "Chen, I know your love for me, but no matter what, you must act carefully. If it truly reaches a point of no return, then give it up. After all, you are the person I cherish most in this life."

Hearing these words, which sounded like a deep confession, Uchiha Chen was extremely pleased.

He comforted Mikoto for a while longer, then turned to the resentful Izumi. Under her surprised gaze, he smiled and said softly: "It's not just Mikoto; even for you, I can pay any price." Before he finished speaking, he had already left a light kiss on Izumi's blushing cheek.

"It's just that you are still a bit too young, after all, age is a factor!"

"For the sake of your physical and mental health, this is all I can do for now. As for other things, let's wait until you are grown up."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Izumi, who was already shrouded in steam and blushing furiously, a playful smile appearing on his face.

Mikoto, standing to the side, looked at Uchiha Chen with loving eyes and playfully teased the two.

She said softly: "Chen, I'll go make some necessary preparations for tonight's events. You two should make the most of this alone time."

After saying this, Mikoto didn't forget to wink at Izumi and make a few suggestive gestures before turning and leaving.

At this moment, under Mikoto's implication, Izumi's face turned even redder, and her head hung lower and lower, though she was still muttering to herself, her voice too faint to hear clearly.

"Izumi, I'm going to find Danzo. Didn't you say you wanted to settle scores with him earlier? Do you want to come with me?"