Night fell.
Lights gradually came on in every home in Konoha.
Children along the roadside visited one another's homes, carefree and content.
Everything seemed very peaceful.
Kakashi walked down the street, his shadow stretching endlessly in the sunset's fading glow.
His six-month escort mission had finally come to an end.
Dragging his weary feet, he opened his front door and collapsed onto the sofa.
He stared expressionlessly at the ceiling.
The escort mission is over, and tonight is the night his wife gives birth. Looks like Minato-sensei won't have any peace for a while.
Over the six months of his mission, with Kushina and Minato's support, Kakashi had gradually begun to emerge from the shadows.
Though he had not fully emerged yet, he could already see hope.
Recalling the Anbu who had been coming and going so frequently at Minato-sensei's home earlier, Kakashi suddenly found himself missing Obito and Rin, for some reason.
Beneath Mountain's Grave.
A brand-new altar stood in the center of the clearing, with an Anbu from Konoha's Root bound at its center.
Nearby, Black Zetsu was possessing a ninja.
"The time has come," Black Zetsu murmured. He raised his hands and formed complex hand seals. The Anbu at the center of the altar seemed to sense something and began to writhe.
Impure World Reincarnation!
With a low shout, Black Zetsu slammed both hands onto the ground. The Anbu serving as the sacrifice let out a chilling scream as the formula on the ground drained his life force from his writhing body.
Pale dust gradually enveloped the sacrifice with the flow of chakra, muffling his screams.
A coffin rose from the ground and abruptly enclosed the dust-wrapped sacrifice.
An oppressive aura surged up from underground. As the coffin trembled, its slowly opening lid released a startling presence.
Clang.
The coffin lid fell to the ground, and a man clad in red armor, with long, wild hair, stepped out.
His eyes were tightly shut, and his powerful presence cowed the entire graveyard.
"Lord Madara, welcome back." Black Zetsu's voice was laced with flattery.
Madara Uchiha beckoned to Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu hurriedly took two eyeballs from inside his clothes, one red and one white.
When the two eyes were implanted back into Madara's sockets, terrifying ocular power erupted instantly, rampaging through the graveyard like an invisible shock wave.
Madara Uchiha rolled his neck, producing crisp cracks from his bones. The sleeping giant seemed to have awakened.
"How long has it been?" Madara's low voice was rich and resonant. As he felt his reincarnated body, a hint of satisfaction flashed through his eyes.
Finally, I no longer have to endure that rusty, decrepit old shell.
Understanding, Black Zetsu bowed slightly and reported, "As you instructed, I summoned you on the day the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki, gave birth."
A sharp gleam flashed through Madara Uchiha's eyes as he moved them. On the day a jinchūriki gave birth, the seal would weaken accordingly.
This was the best opportunity to summon the Nine-Tails, and a crucial part of his plan to collect the tailed beasts under the guise of the Akatsuki.
"Very good." A cold smile curled Madara's lips. "The time has come."
Without the slightest hesitation, his figure flickered and vanished.
He became a blur in the forest, racing toward Konoha.
The Third Shinobi World War had only just ended. Konoha had repelled many attacks from other villages with its formidable barrier, but even such a powerful barrier...
Was as good as nonexistent to Madara.
He knew every inch of its chakra pathways and every key junction. As casually as if he were taking a stroll, he slipped deep into the village.
Madara Uchiha stood on a rooftop, sniffing the air that permeated Konoha.
A wind carrying the scent of blood swept past. Madara Uchiha abruptly turned his head, excitement shining in his eyes.
"Found you."
Following the fluctuations of chakra, Madara quickly pinpointed the secret location where Kushina was giving birth.
Hearing a newborn's cries from inside, Madara's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
He looked at the ninja posted all around the cabin.
"In the way." Madara Uchiha snorted coldly.
His ocular power erupted instantly. The Anbu ninja on guard saw their vision blur before an irresistible force struck them.
In an instant, their bodies flew backward like rag dolls and slammed heavily into the ground. Before they died, they dimly saw a figure walking slowly toward the cabin.
He pushed the door open. Inside, everything was in disarray. Kushina lay on the bed in agony. The Nine-Tails' seal had loosened during childbirth, and vast amounts of chakra surged out like a tide, washing through the cabin.
Beside her stood the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, tightly gripping Kushina's hand as he anxiously watched over her.
Two guards stood nearby as well.
Hearing the sound at the door, everyone turned. Before the two guards could react, a blade flashed, and they fell to the ground clutching their necks, dying instantly.
"Madara Uchiha!" Minato's pupils contracted sharply when he saw who had arrived. Madara Uchiha looked travel-worn, his appearance somewhat resembling the description of Impure World Reincarnation he had seen in the forbidden technique room.
Madara wasted no words. He raised his hand and threw a vicious straight punch directly at Kushina.
Minato reacted extremely quickly. With a flash of blue light, he appeared in front of Kushina, shielding her behind him. At the same time, he threw the specially made kunai in his hand, attempting to hold Madara Uchiha back.
"Oh? That brat Tobirama's technique?"
Minato darted between the kunai, every reappearance accompanied by a fierce attack.
But Madara's strength far exceeded Minato's expectations. Although his reincarnated body was somewhat weakened and could not compare to when he was alive...
He was still the man who had once stood at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World.
His Sharingan tracked every one of Minato's movements.
"Cheap tricks." He snorted coldly. Though he was powerful, Minato's Flying Thunder God was even faster than Tobirama's. To end the fight quickly...
Madara Uchiha focused his Rinnegan, and the space around his body rippled.
Limbo: Border Jail
Before Minato could detect what had happened...
"Naruto!"
Kushina's scream drew Minato's attention. Turning around, he discovered that Naruto, who had just been in Kushina's arms...
Had actually been snatched from her embrace by what seemed to be a pair of invisible hands, hovering in midair and floating toward Madara Uchiha.
Madara smiled as his scheme succeeded. The next moment, he tossed Naruto high into the air, flinging him into the distance.
"Naruto!" Minato's eyes nearly split with fury. He hurriedly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, flashing toward where Naruto was falling.
Madara Uchiha anticipated Minato's movement and took a deep breath. The moment Minato caught Naruto, a searing blaze spewed from Madara's mouth.
Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!
The flames instantly engulfed the spot where Minato and Naruto were.
On the mountain behind the village, blue light flashed.
At the last possible moment, Minato had used Flying Thunder God to move Naruto somewhere safe.
The smell of scorched flesh rose from his arm. Minato looked down. The Majestic Destroyer Flame had grazed his right arm, sending fierce pain through it.
Madara Uchiha gazed in the direction where Minato had vanished.
"It worked." His icy eyes turned toward Kushina, who had just given birth and was glaring at him with hatred as she painfully struggled to rise.
Without Minato in his way, Madara flickered and appeared before Kushina.
He extended his hand, forming seals with one hand as chakra condensed into blue flames.
Tailed Beast Release Seal.
His hand, glowing blue, pressed against the seal on Kushina's belly.
Kushina let out a heart-wrenching scream as an enormous mass of red chakra was forcibly dragged from her body.
The chakra roared in the air, gradually taking the shape of a fox with nine tails.
"Roar...!"
The Nine-Tails let out a deafening roar. Before he could unleash his chakra and raze his surroundings, his rage was suppressed by Madara Uchiha's scarlet Sharingan.
The Nine-Tails' pupils instantly lost focus, the frenzied color gradually giving way to the Sharingan.
It was controlled by Madara's Sharingan.
Madara recalled how he had once controlled the Nine-Tails in the same way to duel Hashirama.
He snorted coldly, lowered his head for an indifferent glance at Kushina as she clung to life in the ruins, and left without looking back.
Madara appeared in the center of Konoha in an instant. Before the people around him could understand what was happening...
Summoning Technique!
Madara Uchiha slapped one hand against the ground. A wave of despair-inducing chakra surged upward as he summoned the Nine-Tails under his control.
Its enormous body obscured the great full moon, radiating a terrifying pressure.
Madara Uchiha stood atop the Nine-Tails' head, looking down at the villagers fleeing in all directions below.
A cold gleam flashed through his eyes.
"Despair."