Outside the tent, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui stood on either side of the entrance.
Fugaku had already activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, every trace of chakra fluctuations in the surroundings reflected in his crimson eyes.
Standing beside him, Shisui had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan as well, his gaze vigilantly sweeping across the mist-shrouded Shikkotsu Forest.
Neither spoke, but their chakra flowed steadily, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
Farther away, Tianyi stood atop a protruding boulder, his hands pressed together as Sage Mode had long since been activated.
Black markings stretched from the corners of his eyes to his cheeks, while his white eyes glimmered faintly through the mist.
The fluctuations of natural energy allowed him to detect any abnormal chakra that did not belong to this place. So far, there had been nothing.
Time passed second by second.
The screams inside the tent grew increasingly urgent. Minato's Sealing Technique glowed over Kushina's abdomen, golden light flowing across her pale skin.
The Nine-Tails struggled madly within the seal. Each time that wild chakra tried to break through, Minato's chakra forcefully suppressed it.
"Waaah—!"
A baby's cry, clear and loud, pierced through the tent and the mist, echoing over Shikkotsu Forest.
That cry was filled with life, with hope, with a proclamation to the world.
Tsunade held a wrinkled, blood-covered infant in her hands, her eyes full of tenderness. She skillfully cleared the baby's mouth and nose, cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped him in clean cloth.
The baby's cries gradually softened, replaced by quiet whimpers as his tiny fists flailed aimlessly in the air.
"It's a boy." Tsunade's voice carried a trace of a smile as she gently placed the baby beside Kushina.
Tears instantly welled up in Kushina's eyes. She turned her head to look at that tiny