Obito's hand was clamped firmly around the throat of an Anbu ninja.
The ninja struggled desperately, yet could produce no sound. Not far away, two corpses clad in the same uniform lay silently on the ground.
How long does it take to choke a person to death? A minute? Thirty seconds? There was no definitive answer; time simply ebbed away in that brief interval. Eventually, the Anbu operative ceased all movement, and his vital signs vanished.
Only then did Obito slowly release his grip. He turned to look toward the torii gate, his eyes filled with a mix of complexity and bewilderment.
Though he had long since resolved to destroy this world and bring pain to Konoha, he had never truly killed a citizen of the village until today. At this moment, he had personally ended the lives of three of Konoha's elite Anbu.
In that instant, Obito understood: what he had taken just now was not merely their lives, but his own last path of retreat. From this point forward, even if he faced ten thousand men, he could never look back.
Previously, he had built countless mental fortifications, rationalizing the seizure of the Nine-Tails, the revenge against Minato, and the "necessary" killing of Kushina. He had used every reason to convince himself and steel his resolve. Yet, inevitably, when the moment arrived, hesitation had still clawed at his heart.
But now, by killing these three seemingly incidental Anbu, Obito realized with startling clarity that he had finally reached the end of the road. In his heart, "Kushina-nee" and "Minato-sensei" were gone.
At this moment, he was the world's Demon King!
With no more confusion in his eyes, Obito walked toward the torii gate. The small defensive barrier proved useless; Obito simply turned intangible and phased through it, failing to trigger even the slightest alarm.
…
Inside the cave.
Kushina was lying on the bed, let out pained groans. Minato stood by her side, his hand tightly interlaced with hers.
Watching the cold sweat pour from her forehead and hearing her cries of agony, Minato was deeply shaken. This was his first time experiencing this, the first time he had ever seen the normally indomitable Kushina express such pain.
"It's... it's okay... Kushina, I'm right here," Minato said, his voice laced with tension.
The hand that had once swept across battlefields invincible, claiming countless lives without a tremor, was now shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly, Minato realized what was happening to him.
He was afraid!
"As the Fourth Hokage, try not to be so nervous! You're making me anxious," Biwako barked as she assisted with the delivery. "Focus on stabilizing the Nine-Tails' seal!"
Minato snapped back to reality and quickly pressed his other hand against Kushina's stomach. There, the intricate patterns of the sealing formula for the Nine-Tails were etched.
As if to ease Minato's tension, or perhaps her own, Biwako continued, "A man might have died from this pain by now, but don't worry. Women are strong, especially at times like this... The head is out! Kushina, give it one more push!"
Kushina, who had felt her strength failing, suddenly felt a surge of limitless energy at the words "the head is out."
"Unng…aaAAGH!" she roared with effort.
Come out quickly, Naruto. Your mother is suffering, Minato prayed silently. He increased the flow of his power, reinforcing the weakening seal. He could feel the Nine-Tails struggling violently to break free.
"Nine-Tails, just stay inside. Please," Minato muttered under his breath.
This caused Kushina to let out a short laugh despite her labor. That sudden release of tension allowed her body to relax just enough for Biwako, who was vastly experienced in midwifery, to smoothly deliver Naruto.
"It's a success!!!" The tension that had been locked on Biwako's face dissolved into a smile. The medical ninja on standby was equally professional, quickly cutting the umbilical cord and beginning to clean the blood from the infant.
Minato stood there in a daze, as if unable to process the reality of the moment. By the time he recovered, Biwako was walking past him with the baby in her arms.
He instinctively took a step forward, but before he could speak, Biwako said, "What's the rush? At a time like this, the mother should see him first..."
Minato realized his lapse and quickly turned back to Kushina. "How are you, Kushina? Are you okay?"
Kushina was incredibly weak and drenched in sweat. Even as her beloved husband offered his concern, she didn't respond. Instead, she strained to turn her head, her eyes filled with an urgent longing.
Biwako smiled and placed the newborn near her head. The tiny, naked Naruto, with those adorable whisker marks on his face, was wailing at the top of his lungs. Looking at him, Kushina broke into a radiant, maternal smile.
"Naruto... I finally get to see you..." Kushina whispered, her voice thick with love.
"I... I'm a father now?" Minato scratched his head, still feeling as though he were in a dream.
"Alright, you two rest for a moment. I'm taking Naruto out. This environment is too primitive; we need to get him to a proper hospital," Biwako said with a chuckle.
Naruto was now the son of the Fourth Hokage, but beyond that, he was just a baby. In Konoha, he should be perfectly safe. Sending him to the hospital first was the standard plan. Kushina, however, would have to stay until dawn to rest and allow Minato to fully reinforce the Nine-Tails' seal before they could lower their guard.
Minato reached out and took Kushina's hand again. "Kushina, how does your body feel?" After a pause, he added with deep sincerity, "Thank you..."
A wave of tenderness washed over Kushina's face as she softly called his name. "Minato..."
The warmth of the moment was shattered an instant later. Minato clapped his hands together, preparing to finish the sealing process. "Alright, it's been hard, but now we must—"
Before he could finish the word "seal," two agonizing screams erupted from the entrance. Biwako and the medical ninja, who had just stepped out, were sent flying back into the room, crashing into the ground.
"Biwako-sama!" Minato's expression turned cold. His eyes flashed with a terrifying light as he rushed toward them.
Biwako was still breathing, but her injuries were grave. A kunai was buried in her chest, and blood was everywhere. Yet, even in her final moments, the name on her lips was... "Naruto..."
A figure stepped into the room, holding the still-wailing Naruto. Minato looked up and said in a heavy voice, "Who are you? Give Naruto back to me."
"Naruto? So that's his name..." Obito whispered, looking down at the infant in his arms. He then looked up at Minato and raised a hand, pointing his palm toward Naruto's head. His voice was ice-cold. "Fourth Hokage... step away from the Jinchuriki. Otherwise, this child's life in this world will end in less than five minutes."
"Hey! Stay calm!" A flash of panic crossed Minato's eyes.
"I am perfectly calm. It's you who needs to be calm. Step away from the Jinchuriki," Obito replied ruthlessly.
"Naruto... Minato..." Kushina called out weakly from the bed.
"Damn it!" Minato's eyes burned with fury.
In that moment, Obito suddenly threw Naruto into the air. Simultaneously, a kunai slid from his sleeve into his hand, poised to end the child's life the moment he fell.
Minato was forced to react. In a blur of a Body Flicker, he vanished and reappeared in mid-air, catching Naruto. He flipped over Obito's head and landed steadily on the ground.
Obito let out a cold laugh. "As expected of the Yellow Flash..."
Before Minato could even look up, he realized that several lit Paper Bombs were attached to Naruto's swaddling cloth!
"Curse you!" Minato hissed. With a "shing," he used Flying Raijin to vanish with the baby.
Obito's goal had been to force Minato away. He walked toward the weakened Kushina. When he met her pained and angry gaze, Obito's eyes averted for a split second, as if flickering with guilt.
But it was only for an instant. That "weakness" vanished, replaced by cold ruthlessness. He grabbed Kushina's arm and activated Kamui, disappearing from the cave with her.
A few breaths later, Shinnosuke burst into the cave, his body tense and ready for combat. But he found the struggle was already over. Then, he saw his mother lying in a pool of blood.
"Mother!!!" Pain lanced through Shinnosuke's heart. He rushed over to cradle Biwako, checking for a pulse. It was weak, but still there. Without a moment to lose, he checked the medical ninja, but the poor girl was already dead.
"Dammit!!! Bastard!!!" Shinnosuke cursed through gritted teeth, then scooped up his mother and sprinted toward the medical camp.
…
Meanwhile, Minato reappeared in his home with an unharmed Naruto. He set the baby down and grabbed the Fourth Hokage's cloak from the wall.
"Naruto, wait for Daddy for a little bit. I'm going to save Mommy," Minato whispered gently to the child.
As he turned to leave, his warm, sun-like expression instantly transformed into one as cold as absolute zero.