Time Flies, Konoha Year 48

Konoha Year 48, early autumn.

A breeze swirled a few withered, yellowed leaves, spinning them along the bustling commercial street.

In front of a baby supply store.

"Mikoto, look at this little outfit. Isn't it adorable?"

Kushina Uzumaki stood with her massive belly, holding a small orange onesie, her face glowing with the happy smile of an expectant mother. Although she was slightly swollen from pregnancy, her red hair remained as dazzling as fire.

"It suits him well."

Mikoto Uchiha responded with a smile, holding the hand of six-year-old Sasuke. She glanced at Kushina's belly, her eyes gentle. "That idiot Minato will definitely love it. Have you decided on a name?"

"Jiraiya-sensei picked it out. It's Naruto." Kushina rubbed her belly, her eyes curving into crescents as she laughed. "Even though it sounds like a ramen topping, the meaning behind it is a perseverance that never gives up."

This scene looked warm and beautiful.

But in corners invisible to ordinary people, the atmosphere was taut as a bowstring.

On rooftops, in alleys, and amidst the crowds... at least three elite Anbu squads were on high alert. Their gazes were locked onto the ten-meter radius around Kushina at all times; any suspicious individual attempting to approach would be instantly erased.

On the second floor of the dumpling shop across the street.

Xuan Shi sat by the window, holding a cup of hot tea, his gaze calmly observing everything below through the swirling steam.

A year had passed.

During this year, Konoha had been calm on the surface. The pain of the Third Great Ninja War was healing, and the village had ushered in a long-lost peace and prosperity.

But Xuan Shi knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

The child in that belly, Naruto Uzumaki, was not only the prophesied child of the future but also the container for the Nine-Tails. At the moment of childbirth, the seal would weaken to its limit; that was when the Nine-Tails was most prone to losing control, and also the moment when enemies would find it easiest to strike.

"Less than two months left..."

Xuan Shi set down his teacup, his fingertips tapping lightly against the tabletop.

The scene shifted back to the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Over the past year, the image of the Uchiha Clan in the eyes of Konoha's top brass had undergone a world-shaking change.

"Decadent," "lacking ambition," "indulging in pleasure"... these labels were firmly plastered onto the once-premier noble clan.

Clan Head Fugaku spent his days either drinking tea or reading novels, and the patrols of the Police Force had become "casual." Even Danzo felt that this group of red-eyed people was finished; to save on funding, he had withdrawn most of the Root personnel monitoring the Uchiha, turning his attention instead to the rogue ninja Orochimaru.

However, this was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Deep underground at the Naka River Shrine.

This place had been transformed into a massive subterranean fortress.

Hundreds of Uchiha clansmen sat cross-legged, their eyes closed, their hands forming identical seals.

Although they had not activated Susanoo, a suffocating fluctuation of chakra permeated the air. These hundreds of chakra streams did not conflict with one another; instead, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, they resonated at a strange frequency.

Standing on a high platform, Xuan Shi nodded in satisfaction.

After a year of integration, this "chakra resonance" tactic had been etched into the bones of every clansman. The Uchiha of today were no longer a scattered pile of sand, but an indestructible steel plate.

In the corner.

Twelve-year-old Itachi Uchiha had just finished a round of high-intensity genjutsu combat training.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes deeper than they had been a year ago. Although he still held the title of Genin to maintain the clan's low-profile strategy, his strength had already crossed the threshold of quasi-Kage level.

"Nii-san, time to go home and eat!"

Sasuke's voice came from the entrance.

The cold sharpness in Itachi's eyes melted instantly, replaced by a gentle smile. He walked over quickly and skillfully carried Sasuke on his back.

"Alright, we're having tomato and scrambled eggs today."

Late at night.

In a secret chamber at the Naka River Shrine, candlelight flickered.

The Great Elder, responsible for maintaining the clan's barriers, was reporting the situation.

"Clan Head, Captain Xuan Shi." The Great Elder pointed to the barrier distribution map on the table, his brow furrowed. "For the past half-month, the growth rate of plants underground outside the clan compound has been abnormal. Although very faint, the sensory barrier has indeed captured a... chakra reaction that does not belong to the natural world."

"And this reaction is moving," the Great Elder added. "Like a fish swimming underground."

Fugaku looked at Xuan Shi.

Xuan Shi stared at the red dots on the map, a cold sneer curling his lips.

"It's White Zetsu."

He was all too familiar with these methods.

Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu, that pair of conspirators, had finally been unable to resist starting their reconnaissance. They needed to confirm Konoha's defensive layout, and more importantly, they needed to confirm the specific location of Kushina's delivery.

"Should we clear them out?" Yashiro made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No."

Xuan Shi shook his head. "Clearing them out now would only startle the snake and cause Obito to switch to a more covert method. Besides, we still need to use these 'eyes' to feed Obito some false information."

Xuan Shi pointed to several key nodes on the map.

"Adjust the barrier parameters. Deliberately leave 'flaws' in these few places to lure the White Zetsu deeper."

"Let him look. But what he sees will be decided by us."

Just then.

A faint fluttering sound came from outside the window.

A ninja hawk with no markings landed on the windowsill.

Xuan Shi walked over and removed the miniature scroll from the hawk's leg. Upon unfolding it, he saw only one line of text, written in Minato's own hand:

"The due date is set for October 10th. Location: the barrier cave outside the village. I leave it to you."

The scroll then spontaneously ignited in Xuan Shi's hand, turning into a wisp of blue smoke.

"Time confirmed, location confirmed."

Xuan Shi watched the dancing ash, his eyes becoming as sharp as blades.

"The actors are in place, and the stage is set."

He turned around and looked at Shisui and Itachi behind him.

"Prepare yourselves. While we can't kill all the White Zetsu, we can't let them be too arrogant either."

"Tomorrow night, we will first clear out these underground 'bugs' and poke out half of Obito's vision within Konoha."

"Let him become half-blind, groping through the darkness as he walks into our trap."