At that moment, an enormous black staff appeared out of nowhere, infinitely extending forward, pressing against the Nine-Tails' abdomen, forcefully pushing the beast far beyond the borders of Konohagakure.
The short yet sturdy figure of Sarutobi Hiruzen also appeared atop the roof beam.
He took one glance at the Nine-Tails, which had already been pushed to a safe distance from the village, his sharp eyes briefly flickered toward Amamiya Rei before his body darted swiftly in pursuit of the beast.
From the sky, countless massive boulders plummeted down.
In its struggle while being driven out of Konoha by the black rod, the Nine-Tails stirred up wave after wave of violent air currents.
Innumerable houses, fragile as though crafted of paper, collapsed amidst thunderous roars that shook heaven and earth.
Shattered stone, broken tiles, and twisted beams of steel rained down like a storm of unrelenting fury, scattering in every direction across Konoha.
Out of the corner of his eye, Amamiya Rei caught sight of a trembling child cowering deep within an alley.
After a brief pause to catch his breath and steady himself, the chakra within his body finally regained a faint measure of recovery.
With a sudden sweep of both hands, innumerable sharp wooden spikes burst forth like arrows loosed from a taut bowstring.
The spikes pierced into the massive falling stones with unerring precision and, as though granted life, immediately began to grow and spread frenziedly.
In the blink of an eye, the once-impenetrable boulders were torn apart like fabric ripped asunder, shattering into countless tiny fragments that scattered to the ground in showers.
Their destructive force was thus drastically weakened, no longer posing a fatal threat to the villagers frantically fleeing around them.
In a flash, Rei's figure blurred—he leapt from the high rooftop, descending like a bird in flight, rushing straight toward the child hidden within the alley.
At the same time, from beneath the flowing hem of his robe, a slender whip-like tendril suddenly lashed outward, carving a vicious arc through the air, striking down the falling stones one after another and sending them hurtling away.
The air reverberated with deafening detonations, fragments flying in every direction. Amid the chaos, Amamiya Rei grasped the small, trembling hand of the child, carefully shielding him while weaving through the rain of falling stone, guiding him toward safety.
On his way toward the Hokage Rock shelter, Rei heard a voice call out behind him.
It was none other than Uchiha Itachi, carrying Sasuke in his arms.
Several other children trailed behind him.
Despite his young age, Itachi's expression bore no trace of panic; his small face remained composed and unnervingly calm.
"I'll take you all to the shelter!"
Yet Amamiya Rei could not bring himself to abandon a group of children to make their way alone.
And more importantly, among them were his future precious sustenance—Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.
He would not rest easy unless he personally delivered them to safety.
Every danger encountered along the way was swiftly handled by Rei.
He knew it clearly—tonight, everything would change.
And tonight, his plan would finally come to fruition.
The shelter was noisy and crowded, with many shinobi maintaining order inside.
When Rei entered with the group of children, the gazes of the shinobi present lingered upon him, subtle yet sharp.
Many had witnessed the earlier events firsthand.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes, it would have been impossible to believe.
Konoha harbored a shinobi with the Wood Release kekkei genkai.
After delivering the group of children safely, Amamiya Rei turned to leave the shelter.
Behind him, urgent footsteps quickly followed.
Rei glanced back to see Uchiha Itachi hurrying after him, Sasuke still asleep in his arms.
For once, upon that always composed face of Itachi, a trace of rare anxiety surfaced. He asked, "You are not staying?"
Amamiya Rei's lips curved faintly as his eyes softened; bending down, he brushed his hand gently over Itachi's hair, his expression one of quiet reassurance. "I am very worried for Kushina-sama. I must go and find her. You stay here and protect your little brother, will you?"
Itachi was not used to being spoken to in such a coaxing, almost child-soothing tone.
But he could see the unwavering resolve in Rei's eyes. He nodded quietly and stood watching as Amamiya Rei walked away, the figure growing ever more distant with each step.
Once outside the shelter, Rei's pace quickened more and more.
He feared that if he arrived too late, he would not even taste a morsel of Minato and Kushina's fresh flesh.
Amamiya Rei sped toward the cavern where Kushina had gone into labor.
When he arrived, the cave contained only two lifeless corpses lying sprawled upon the ground. Expanding his sensory perception at once, he searched desperately for Kushina's presence.
At last, he found it—the chakra of Kushina.
Not far from the cavern.
And not hers alone—there were Minato and the Kyūbi as well.
Rei immediately rushed toward that direction.
With every stride, the figures of the couple came clearer into his sight—alongside the looming claws of the Nine-Tails closing ever nearer to the infant Naruto swaddled in cloth.
Naruto was still only a newborn.
Just the faintest hook of that claw, and his small body would be torn to pieces.
In a flash of desperation—
Minato and Kushina's figures blurred, moving so swiftly they left behind only fading afterimages.
It was too late to stop the Kyūbi.
So they could only choose to shield Naruto with their own bodies.
At that very moment, a thick vine erupted from the ground, coiling tightly about the Kyūbi's hand.
But with his chakra nearly depleted, Rei managed to restrain the beast for only a fleeting instant.
Splurt!
A torrent of blood burst forth, filling the night.
The claws of the Kyūbi pierced through the chests of Minato and Kushina together.
Blood, thick and crimson, streamed down those talons—longer than a man's body—and dripped slowly onto Naruto's tiny stomach.
Amamiya Rei immediately dashed forward, seizing the fragile bundle of Naruto into his arms, carrying him beyond the Nine-Tails' reach.
Seeing this, Kushina and Minato each let out a faint sigh of relief.
Kushina turned her pale face toward Rei, forcing a smile even as blood gushed from her lips.
From deep within her body, countless Adamantine Chains erupted forth, wrapping and binding the Kyūbi with desperate strength.
"Kushina!!"
The Kyūbi's roar thundered like a quake, near enough to shatter the very eardrums.
Kushina gasped violently for breath, blood endlessly spilling from her mouth.
The Nine-Tails thrashed madly, and with her body already at its limit, it was clear she could endure no longer.
Placing Naruto gently down, Rei strode to stand beside Minato and Kushina.
There was no time left for words.
Beneath the moonlight—
His pupils burned crimson.
A pair of fangs gleamed, bared fully before Minato and Kushina.
"Rei…"
Kushina's pupils contracted as she stared at him, her breath caught.
Beneath the pale moonlight, Rei had already cast aside all semblance of humanity.
Primitive feral instinct blazed in the depths of his eyes.
"If fortune is with us, I can save you both!"
If he gained the ability of the cursed blood, then Minato and Kushina might continue their existence as demons.
But it was uncertain, a gamble left to chance.
Moreover, Rei could not be sure if Minato and Kushina would even wish to survive as demons.
Even so—he had no choice but to try.
Kushina stared at the fangs gleaming in Rei's mouth, wordless for a long time.
"Stay away! Rei! It's dangerous!"
Minato, unable to see clearly, shouted the warning aloud.
The very next instant—
He saw Rei sink her fangs deep into Kushina's arm.
Minato's pupils widened in horror.
Before his eyes, a great piece of flesh from Kushina's arm was torn away, swallowed whole by Amamiya Rei.
***