The Child Who Won't Have Another Birthday

In the ninja world, those who dared to raise their blades against their teacher usually possessed a unique skill, feeling as if their cheat codes had been activated. However, once a serious fight began, without those cheats, they'd be taught a lesson by their teacher, with a high chance of failure.

Tonight's individual was clearly an embarrassment to those who'd slain their masters. He was the type who needed re-education even after cheating.

Moreover, there was a crow beside him, completely pitch black from head to toe, including its heart.

This is how the situation unfolded… No one wanted this to happen… Regardless of what was said, one thing was unavoidable: without using Kamui, the masked man wouldn't last a second against Namikaze Minato.

One second, a kunai passed through the masked man's forehead as if it were air.

One second, facing a ninja skilled in close-quarters combat, he could only hide in the Kamui dimension.

Within the Kamui dimension, the expression beneath the mask gradually froze.

A grand gift package containing the true meaning of life awaited his unsealing.

Beiyuan's shadow clone, holding a blackish-purple Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth, looked indifferently at the figure that suddenly appeared in the dimension. It knew its fate.

The masked man returned the same gaze, looking at the crow within the dimension… and the small Tailed Beast Bomb in the crow's mouth! It seemed this was the culprit behind detonating the Nine-Tails Tailed Beast Bomb.

The culprit was in his own Kamui dimension, holding a Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth… This move was truly dirty.

The masked man fell silent. With the chakra condensation level of that Tailed Beast Bomb, it was probably too late to say goodbye to this crow.

Boom!

The Kamui dimension instantly exploded!

"Cough… Ah…"

Namikaze Minato, who was nearby, could feel the pain in the roars. He guessed that the other party's dojutsu had malfunctioned.

The mysterious man's mask had long since vanished, his face contorted in pain, blood continuously spilling from the corners of his mouth. Even though the White Zetsu on his body had shielded him from direct damage, the impact of the Tailed Beast Bomb explosion had still severely wounded him.

His clothes were reduced to shreds, the White Zetsu around him shattered into pieces, and his own body was covered in wounds. One might as well check how many bones were still intact.

If not for the immense vitality brought by the First Hokage's cells on his body, the grave for the unmarried person buried at the Konoha memorial monument could have been put to use right about now.

The face revealed after the mask shattered caused Namikaze Minato to stop his kunai.

"...You're... Obito?"

Namikaze Minato looked at the person lying on the ground in disbelief. He recognized his own student at a glance. The blood on Obito's face flowed down from his forehead, bisecting his face perfectly.

His face seemed split in two: one half was still somewhat intact, faintly showing the appearance of his youth, while the other half was wrinkled and disfigured.

It was the scar left from that war…

The Third Shinobi World War… the Battle of Kannabi Bridge… the Yellow Flash, who became famous overnight, had lost his student, Uchiha Obito.

But now he was right in front of him… albeit as a mortal enemy.

Minato understood the boy's disposition. He asked, half in question and half in confirmation, "Because… Rin? Right?"

Obito's resentful gaze fell upon Namikaze Minato. If he had the upper hand, he would have definitely hurled insults. The problem was that his body was on the verge of death.

"Kamui!"

Uchiha Obito gritted his teeth and activated his dojutsu.

He didn't dare to say another word, only using the Kamui dimension to escape the scene. After only a few exchanges with Namikaze Minato, he was viciously ambushed by the spectating crow.

Besides, it wasn't like he was returning home in glory; what was there to reminisce about!

"...Roar!"

After Obito left, the Nine-Tails was freed from control, its ferocity even greater. The screams coming from the village instantly wiped the shocked expression from Namikaze Minato's face.

As the Hokage, he had more important matters to attend to.

Beiyuan watched Uchiha Obito disappear. The result of that Tailed Beast Bomb seemed good. Facing Obito, it had chosen to emulate the tactics of Kakashi and Naruto, dispatching a shadow clone carrying a Tailed Beast Bomb to infiltrate the Kamui dimension.

The memories transmitted back as the shadow clone dissipated were of shattered White Zetsu and Uchiha Obito's despairing face. Although it wasn't sure about the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb it had condensed with its chakra… it seemed to have worked well.

Beiyuan flapped its wings with satisfaction. After tonight, it would no longer be an ordinary crow. With the Flying Thunder God Technique and a Tailed Beast Bomb… in the future, it would never tolerate Sasuke spitting at it again!

Inside Konoha Village.

Due to Obito's departure, the Nine-Tails was fighting almost purely on instinct driven by anger. After many years, it was controlled by a Mangekyo again!

… This is truly humiliating…

Its anger had clearly caused its combat intelligence to drop by more than one level. It had even… The Nine-Tails, how could it possibly run away? It was the strongest existence in the world!

The chakra of the strongest tailed beast was so immense, even the Uzumaki clan, which had the most chakra in the ninja world… that clan hadn't been wiped out yet!

A head of vibrant red hair shone somewhat dazzlingly under the moonlight… This woman was still alive!

Uchiha Obito had taken advantage of Uzumaki Kushina's weakness during childbirth to release the Nine-Tails. A Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would surely die once the tailed beast was removed from their body. The life force of the Uzumaki clan allowed Kushina to barely hold on for a while.

However, no matter how strong the Uzumaki clan's life force was, it shouldn't be able to last this long, especially since she had just given birth to a son.

"Sealing Technique: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Uzumaki Kushina tightly clutched her wound, kneeling on the ground. Eight massive chakra chains extended from her back, binding the Nine-Tails in place.

The Nine-Tails intensely hated this woman… hated everything about her!

As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… getting married… having children… missing nothing! Did she consider the tailed beast's feelings when doing these things!

The Nine-Tails gritted its teeth, struggling against the chains binding it. "...Uzumaki Kushina...you damn woman...die!"

"Kushina!" Namikaze Minato arrived via the Flying Thunder God Technique, quickly supporting his weakened wife. "You should have waited for me..."

"Minato...shh..." Kushina was holding on by sheer willpower, her voice growing faint. "I am the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki...and your wife...Konoha is where I grew up..."

Even with her last breath, she felt she had to be here... However, after using the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Kushina was on the verge of death.

Flying Thunder God Technique!

With a considerable amount of chakra still within him, Namikaze Minato held his wife tightly and vanished from the spot. Disappearing with them was the Nine-Tails... Konoha was safe.

Beiyuan was still tracking Namikaze Minato's movements.

Only it knew... the Fourth Hokage's story... was still unfolding...

On the mountaintop, a crow's crimson eyes watched the scene below. It was powerless to do anything but send them off... The rest was a family matter.

The newborn baby lay on the bed, the Nine-Tails contained by Kushina's residual chakra... She could only watch helplessly as her husband calmly formed hand seals...

The ultimate forbidden jutsu from the Uzumaki clan—Reaper Death Seal!

Exchanging his soul for the power to seal, he bargained with the Shinigami... The Nine-Tails' chakra was too immense for their child to bear... half had to be sealed separately.

"I don't love the village as much as I thought, nor the honor of being Hokage... It feels like I've done enough for the village. Actually, I love you more than I realized..."

Giving the infant on the bed one last look, Namikaze Minato added, "I love you both more..."

Reaper Death Seal!

A towering Shinigami phantom appeared within the barrier behind the mountain!

"Gah... Aah!"

It was all over...

The crow watched from afar as the incessantly crying infant on the bed, a trace of the Nine-Tails' red chakra remaining on its navel... The two bodies of the couple, gradually growing cold... lay beside him.

Perhaps... this child wouldn't need to celebrate birthdays in this lifetime.

What a coincidence, it's October 10th today... Naruto's birthday... I'll update later