If an ordinary person had said those words, Fugaku would've just treated it as a threat—but the one speaking was Yuki Yoru.
That man wasn't just incredibly powerful and uniquely positioned—he was a master of souls.
The deceased feeling despair...
Could it be that the Fourth Hokage and his wife had been watching Konoha from the Pure Land this whole time?
Fugaku felt a twinge in his chest. No matter how focused he had been on gaining political power recently, he knew what kind of life Naruto had lived over the years. Compared to that, even the life of a war refugee would've been better.
Minato had died in battle. The Nine-Tails attack had devastated Konoha, and before the village had even had time to heal, war broke out with Kumogakure, plunging everything into a state of intense pressure.
Back then, temporary Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, along with Danzō, had deliberately spread rumors—painting Naruto as the very embodiment of the Nine-Tails. That way, the villagers could unleash their hatred, grief, and trauma onto a single scapegoat: a defenseless child.
At first, Sarutobi had at least maintained the appearance of oversight. But later, he stopped caring entirely—just hired a caretaker to look after Naruto.
If not for the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, and Naruto's incredible Uzumaki constitution, the Fourth Hokage's only son would've died countless times by now.
If everything that had happened during that time—what the villagers and the high-ranking officials did to Naruto—had truly been seen by Minato and Kushina from the other side...
"Mizukage-sama… Can the dead… come back to life?" Fugaku's throat tightened, his voice laced with tension. "And… didn't the Fourth use the Reaper Death Seal? His soul…"
"Ah, yes. Minato's soul is indeed sealed inside the Shinigami's stomach. Even I can't reach him for now."
Yoru shrugged casually. Fugaku breathed a faint sigh of relief.
But then Yoru continued—and his next words made Fugaku's blood run cold.
"But if she finds out… I can't say what she might do."
"K-Kushina is in Kirigakure?!"
Fugaku's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's impossible… Wait—was it that night?! The night of the Nine-Tails attack?!"
Fugaku had been in the Land of Iron during that event. He'd never witnessed what actually happened—only heard that the Nine-Tails destroyed much of Konoha, that the Fourth and his wife died fighting it, and that Yoru had battled a mysterious enemy that night.
But now it seemed—while the Shinigami took Minato's soul, Yoru had taken Kushina's soul to Kirigakure?!
Fugaku's wife, Mikoto, had been Kushina's best friend. He knew exactly what kind of person she was.
The nickname 'Red-Hot Habanero' was never just for show. If she knew Naruto's current situation...
"I—I'll take custody of Naruto immediately!" Fugaku said hurriedly, lowering his voice slightly. "And… Kushina now, she's…"
"Ah—she's the Captain of the 7th Division of the Gotei 13."
Captain… of the Seventh Division…
Fugaku's heart sank.
He knew a fair bit about Soul Society. After becoming Hokage, he had taken over much of the intelligence work Danzō and Sarutobi had done—Shisui's situation, Tsunade's actions on the Kumogakure front, and more.
Captain-class Shinigami were currently the strongest known entities in Soul Society.
Shisui, whose Mangekyō overwhelmed even Fugaku's own, was the Captain of the Second Division.
Tsunade, who could overpower even a perfect Jinchūriki in single combat, was Captain of the Fourth Division.
And now… Kushina was the Seventh Division's Captain.
Someone of her caliber would be a natural disaster to present-day Konoha.
But what terrified Fugaku more was—if she were to take action, would the other Captains move as well?
Fugaku's scalp tingled.
"Relax. No need to look so terrified," Yoru said calmly. "Due to certain… circumstances, Kushina can't meet Naruto yet. And neither I nor Kirigakure will interfere in Naruto's life too directly."
"But if you don't want the future of this village to turn into the nightmare you're currently imagining—then after today, do what needs to be done."
"Absolutely! I'll bring Naruto into the Uchiha compound immediately!" Fugaku wiped sweat from his brow and said with conviction.
"Mikoto was Kushina's best friend, and my youngest son is about the same age as Naruto—I believe they'll get along well."
"Good. I'm a peace-loving man," Yoru smiled. "I'd hate to see this village reduced to rubble."
"Your words are absolutely right, Mizukage-sama."
"Then focus on governing the village properly—and don't let Shisui down."
Yoru gave him a playful pat on the shoulder and walked off toward the end of the street.
Fugaku stood frozen, eyes wide.
It was Shisui?!
All of Kirigakure's support—all the moves that helped him ascend to Hokage—it had all started with Uchiha Shisui.
Fugaku had speculated about many people and suspected Kirigakure had deeper motives.
But he had never imagined that the root of it all was Shisui—the very man who, during the war, had become so disappointed with him he had walked away entirely.
But in a way… it made sense.
Shisui was the only Uchiha with connections to Kirigakure at such high levels.
And now that he thought about it… back when Shisui had returned from disappearance, he hadn't just delivered a long speech. He had shown Fugaku the power of the Shinigami, and told him to prepare for the arrival of a new era.
Now, Fugaku understood what that new era meant—and what Shisui had hoped for.
His mind swirled with chaos.
What has he gone through? What price did he pay for this? What did he sacrifice for Kirigakure to make such an investment?
He almost wanted to call Yoru back—but the man had already vanished around the corner.
Emotions welled up in his chest, but eventually they dissipated like smoke.
"I see. For you, Konoha was just a gilded cage. Only Kirigakure could serve as the springboard to your true brilliance."
Fugaku let out a bitter laugh, shook his head, and calmed his thoughts.
Shisui has placed me here.
Then it's my duty not to disappoint him—or the Uchiha clan.
The festival in Konoha lasted three full days.
Not just a time of celebration for the villagers—it was also a chance for the Kumogakure envoys to act like tourists, roaming all over the village.
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's enthusiastic guidance, the Kumo delegation toured nearly every inch of Konoha—aside from restricted military zones.
Some Konoha shinobi were uneasy, but given the guests' diplomatic status—and Sarutobi's leadership—they didn't press the matter.
After the festival ended, the Kumo group didn't leave right away. They stayed an extra two days to rest.
As the sun set, the night deepened.
Yuki Yoru had returned to Kirigakure. Only Hinata remained in the Hyūga compound courtyard, practicing her Gentle Fist.
Her small figure moved with grace and force—her forms crisp and powerful.
Hiashi, watching from nearby, occasionally offered pointers, his eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.
This was his daughter. This was the hope for the Hyūga clan's future!
Thank goodness Yoru stepped in. If such talent had gone to waste in my hands… I'd never forgive myself.
"…?!"
Suddenly, Hiashi's gaze sharpened.
His figure vanished—and reappeared instantly inside the Hyūga clan's ancestral shrine, a forbidden area.
The door creaked open.
A dark-robed figure stood inside, flipping through scrolls. The moment Hiashi entered, the figure froze.
"So I've been discovered. As expected of Clan Head Hiashi. Even after I concealed my chakra this much, your Byakugan still caught me."
"Who are you?!" Hiashi's tone was cold, deadly. His hands formed the Eight Trigrams stance, chakra surging into his palms as he launched forward like a cannonball.
But—
His Gentle Fist strike missed entirely.
As his hands passed through the intruder's form—it phased right through.
"Intangibility… a space-time jutsu?!"
"You… are the experimental ninja from Higashimatsuyama?!"
As they passed each other, a memory flashed through Hiashi's mind—and his expression changed drastically.
"That's a very unpleasant name," said the masked man—Obito, with a scoff. "But I suppose it doesn't matter."
"So this is the so-called eye rivaling the Sharingan… and this is all it amounts to?"
"You bastard!"
Hiashi looked furious.
Konoha had very limited intel on this subject—just that he possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan, used Wood Release, and was incredibly dangerous.
Many suspected that he was the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails attack, since only space-time ninjutsu could have bypassed Konoha's barriers and attacked the pregnant Kushina unnoticed.
But that wasn't the key issue.
The real danger was—he was here, inside the Hyūga compound.
He must be after the Byakugan!
"Correct."
Obito seemed to read his mind, speaking calmly.
"I've already acquired the power of Wood Release and the Sharingan. Now, this other eye—said to rival the Sharingan—has caught my interest."
"You dare covet the Byakugan?!"
"Oh, angry now, are we?" Obito's voice dripped with sarcasm as he picked up the scroll he'd been reading.
"But anger is all you can offer. With the power of the Mangekyō, this kind of outcome is inevitable."
"That's why the current Hokage is Uchiha Fugaku, not Hiashi Hyūga."
"Now, let's see… The top performer in the recent aptitude tests—Hyūga Hikari, the Eldest elder's grandson, correct?"
As Hiashi's murderous glare intensified, Obito spoke as if browsing a catalog, casually choosing his target.
With a nod, Obito tossed the scroll aside. Space ripples swirled around him—and in a moment, his body was swallowed into a vortex and vanished eerily.
"Clan Head-sama!"
Hyūga elites finally arrived—too late.
"Alert the Elder! Protect Hikaru! Be on guard against the space-time jutsu user!"
"Yes, sir!"
The shinobi scattered. Hiashi picked up the discarded scroll.
It was a recent internal report on Byakugan aptitude. Hyūga Hikari had been rated highest—an elite talent from the Main Family.
Hinata, meanwhile, had been rated average due to malnutrition. So Obito had overlooked her.
What a stroke of luck.
But there was no room for complacency. Everyone knew Hinata was the Mizukage's disciple. If Obito learned that, he might change his mind.
And space-time jutsu…
"We'll need to set up specialized sealing barriers that can restrict space-time techniques!"
The fact that someone had infiltrated their sacred grounds like this—it was a slap in the face to the Hyūga clan.
Hiashi stored the scroll and rushed out toward the elder's compound.
Even before he arrived, his Byakugan spotted the elder—bursting out of the house, fury radiating from his very being.
"Elder!"
"Clan Head! HIKARI HAS BEEN TAKEN! HE'S BEEN TAKEN!"
The old man grabbed Hiashi's arms like a drowning man.
"He just vanished! That space-time freak snatched Hikari right in front of me! He disappeared before I could even react!"
"I know. I know. Calm down…" Hiashi tried to steady him, though rage boiled in his own heart.
Infiltrating the village. Invading the Hyūga compound. Abducting their heir.
Did that bastard think the Hyūga clan was his backyard playground?!
Such arrogance. Such humiliation.
"Please, Elder. Calm yourself. Emotion clouds judgment. I'll go to the Fifth Hokage now. That man is beyond us."
"Take all our people to the ancestral shrine. It's protected by barriers—even space-time ninjutsu can't breach it."
"Understood, Clan Head!"
The elder nodded hard, and the two moved quickly.
But at that very moment, a panicked figure burst into the courtyard.
"Clan Head! Something terrible—the young lady has been taken!!"
"W-What?!"