"ROooAAaarR!"
Half of the Nine Tails' chakra was forcibly torn away, surging outward and rapidly condensing into the physical form of the Nine Tails.
The remaining portion, which had not yet completely separated, instinctively tried to return back into Kushina's abdomen.
Hiss!
Kiyohara immediately pressed his hand against Kushina's stomach. Chakra flames ignited at the tips of all five fingers as he reinforced the seal covering her abdomen.
Just moments earlier, he had already inscribed fuinjutsu formulas onto his blade, specifically designed to deal with chakra constructs such as the Tailed Beasts.
It was much like how Minato had used the Reaper Death Seal to split the Nine Tails into Yin Kurama and Yang Kurama.
After mastering a vast number of the Uzumaki's fuinjutsu techniques, Kiyohara's attainments in fuinjutsu arts had already reached an extraordinary level.
Separating chakra itself was no longer an impossible task for him.
Rumble...
Broken rocks crashed to the ground.
The Nine Tails' enormous body instantly appeared outside the cave.
Its nine massive tails spread out behind it, gently swaying beneath the moonlight.
Its entire body was covered in crimson fur, and its enormous maw opened wide, exposing rows of terrifying fangs.
"ROOAAAR!!!"
The Nine Tails let out another deafening roar.
The violent winds created by its chakra blasted across the ground, uprooting grass and trees while sending shattered boulders soaring into the sky.
Kiyohara stood motionless where he was.
His Hokage robe fluttered violently in the raging currents, yet his body remained as steady as a mountain.
He raised his head and looked calmly at the colossal beast towering higher than the surrounding mountains.
Not the slightest change appeared on his expression.
'The operation was a success.'
Kiyohara silently evaluated the results.
Excellent.
The one standing here now was the Yin Nine Tails.
Later, all he had to do was seal this portion into Naruto.
Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura's chakra, and his physique was naturally extraordinary.
As long as another layer of sealing was added, the Nine Tails would never be able to break free.
Even in the anime, it had only been after many years, as the seal gradually weakened, that the Nine Tails found opportunities to tempt Naruto, siphon his chakra, and eventually push him into losing control.
"Kiyohara..."
Seeing Kiyohara intervene, Minato finally let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Kiyohara had arrived in time.
Otherwise, all he could have done was helplessly watch as the complete Nine Tails burst out of Kushina's body.
Once a Tailed Beast was extracted from its Jinchuriki, death was virtually guaranteed.
Now that only half of the Nine Tails had been extracted...
Even Minato had no idea whether Kushina would survive.
"Damn it!"
Obito stared darkly at Kiyohara.
Only now did he notice the Flying Thunder God kunai in Kiyohara's hand.
Clearly, a teleportation marker had already been placed here long ago, allowing Kiyohara to arrive whenever he wished.
"Fire Release: Bomb Blast Dance!"
Obito activated Kamui first.
The surrounding space twisted violently, producing a powerful whirlwind.
Immediately afterward, flames erupted from his mouth, traveling along the distorted space.
In an instant, the spiraling gale fused with the rotating inferno, creating an enormous vortex of fire.
The blazing tornado spun visibly faster and faster.
Each full rotation caused it to expand another ring outward until it nearly filled the entire cave.
"Kushina!"
Minato shouted anxiously.
Baby Naruto sensed the overwhelming danger and instinctively burst into tears.
Boom!
A golden skeletal frame of chakra instantly formed around Kiyohara.
The raging inferno slammed into it and was completely blocked.
Half Body Susanoo!
Without hesitation, Kiyohara reached toward Obito with one hand.
A gigantic golden hand made of chakra shot forward, grabbing directly at him.
However...
The hand passed straight through Obito's intangible body.
Taking advantage of Kamui's intangibility, Obito disappeared.
When he reappeared once more...
He was already standing atop the Nine Tails' head.
"Thank... you..."
Kushina said weakly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It's nothing."
Kiyohara gently shook his head.
Only then did he withdraw the hand that had remained pressed against her abdomen.
The seal there no longer leaked chakra.
The black fuinjutsu seal had stabilized once again.
"How's Naruto?"
Kiyohara asked.
"He's fine."
Minato lowered his head and looked at the infant in his arms.
Naruto was still crying, but he hadn't been injured.
"Good."
Kiyohara nodded before withdrawing his gaze.
He could faintly sense an almost imperceptible connection between himself and Naruto.
The Asura chakra residing inside Naruto seemed to be instinctively trying to leave Naruto's body and move toward his own.
'Does it think I'm the original body?'
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
What an ironic reversal.
The amount of Asura chakra within him far exceeded the tiny portion that had only recently reincarnated inside Naruto.
As a result, that fragment of Asura chakra naturally wanted to reunite with the larger portion.
Kiyohara then shifted his gaze back toward the Nine Tails.
It was obvious that the beast was no longer acting according to its own will.
Instead...
Obito was controlling it.
The Nine Tails had effectively become Obito's summoned beast.
'Even half of its chakra... is unbelievably vast.'
Kiyohara inwardly sighed.
As expected of the Nine Tails.
Although the strength of the Tailed Beasts wasn't determined strictly by the number of tails they possessed, the Eight Tails and Nine Tails undeniably possessed far more chakra than the One Tail through Seven Tails.
As for the Ten Tails...
It existed in an entirely different league.
Simply becoming the Ten Tails' Jinchuriki was enough to instantly grant someone power on the level of the Six Paths.
And that was while forcibly controlling it.
If someone could one day form a true bond with the Ten Tails, just as Naruto eventually did with Kurama...
The power they could unleash would become even more terrifying.
"Obito, it's time to leave."
Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu had been observing everything.
Now that Obito had successfully obtained the Nine Tails, Black Zetsu immediately had White Zetsu relay a message.
Several White Zetsu were currently attached to Obito's body.
Not only did they allow Black Zetsu to monitor him at all times, but they could also replenish Obito's chakra whenever necessary.
"If you stay any longer, dealing with Kiyohara will only become more troublesome."
Black Zetsu advised him to quit while he was ahead.
"Kiyohara?"
Obito let out a cold snort.
"Hmph! I'll make sure he never leaves here alive!"
Now that he controlled the Nine Tails, Obito's confidence had swelled enormously.
He had never observed the Nine Tails this closely before.
Only now did he realize just how incomprehensibly immense its chakra reserves truly were.
No wonder the arrogant Madara, who looked down upon everyone in the world, had never forgotten to bring the Nine Tails with him even when challenging Hashirama to a duel.
A monster like the Nine Tails truly was an overwhelming asset to any shinobi.
"Kiyohara..."
"Show me just how strong you've become."
Obito's figure vanished.
"It looks like he's gone to the village."
Kiyohara said calmly.
"What should we do?"
Minato's face filled with concern.
If the Nine Tails began fighting inside Konoha...
The casualties would be unimaginable.
"No need to worry."
Kiyohara shook his head.
'By now... the villagers should have been evacuated.'
That was his estimate.
'Which means...'
'The barrier should be activating.'
As long as the village remained protected by the barrier, the casualties would be kept to a minimum.
"I'll deal with the Nine Tails."
Kiyohara spoke firmly.
The barrier existed to prepare for unexpected situations.
For example...
If Obito summoned the Demonic Statue, or brought out some other hidden trump card capable of devastating the village.
After all, Madara had left Obito with countless backup plans.
Just because many of them had never appeared in the anime didn't mean they didn't exist.
"Be careful."
Minato said seriously.
"I will."
Kiyohara nodded.
...
Konoha.
The shrill sound of emergency alarms echoed throughout the village.
Lights illuminated one house after another.
The shinobi of the Konoha Military Police Force were the first to mobilize.
Dressed in uniforms bearing the Uchiha Clan's fan emblem, they poured out from the police headquarters and rapidly dispersed along the village's main roads.
Standing at the very front was Uchiha Inabi.
His hands formed seals as chakra surged through his body, amplifying the warning bells so they could be heard throughout every corner of the village.
"All civilians evacuate immediately!"
His voice, strengthened by chakra, spread across every street.
"Proceed to the shelters! Stay calm! Do not panic! Do not crowd together!"
On the eastern wall of the village, Shisui stood overlooking the darkness.
His Sharingan slowly rotated as it scanned the distant horizon.
Tonight, he wasn't wearing the standard green flak jacket.
Instead, he wore an ANBU uniform.
The black attire clung closely to his body, accentuating the increasingly mature frame of the young prodigy.
Several ANBU shinobi knelt beside him on one knee, awaiting orders.
"Lord Shisui."
"The civilians have all been evacuated."
The reporting ANBU couldn't hide his confusion.
Several days ago, everyone living in this section of the village had already been relocated, leaving behind only a handful of people.
After tonight's final evacuation...
Not a single civilian remained.
Everyone had already been moved safely to the opposite side of the village.
"I know."
The three tomoe within Shisui's Sharingan slowly rotated.
Far away, atop the mountains in the distance...
He could see countless flames of chakra.
The Sharingan possessed the ability to perceive chakra flow.
Naturally, it could also be used to estimate the number of enemy shinobi.
And the result...
Made Shisui's expression become grave.
More than...
A thousand.
"The enemy has arrived."
Shisui's voice was solemn.
No wonder Kiyohara had repeatedly ordered everyone to strengthen the village's defenses.
As expected...
The enemy had come.
"Prepare the barrier!"
Shisui commanded.
"Yes!"
Several Uchiha shinobi immediately responded.
Without hesitation, they began forming hand seals for the Uchiha Flame Formation.
This barrier technique allowed multiple shinobi to cooperate, greatly increasing its power.
And throughout this area...
Many different barrier squads were already standing by.
At the same time...
Obito arrived within Konoha.
"Tonight..."
"Everything will change."
He could hardly wait to teach Kiyohara a lesson.
His palm slammed against the ground.
"Summoning Technique... Nine Tails!"
Rumble!
In the distance, the Nine Tails was instantly summoned to his location.
Just as Obito prepared to command the beast to begin laying waste to Konoha...
He suddenly noticed a crimson barrier spreading across the sky overhead.
Then another layer appeared.
And another.
One barrier after another enclosed the entire area.
It was as though someone had specifically prepared for this exact moment, transforming this section of the village into an enormous prison.
"...There's even a barrier specifically designed to interfere with space time techniques?"
Obito frowned.
In the distance...
Large numbers of shinobi were already rushing toward his location.
"What's going on?"
Obito was puzzled.
He was certain that he hadn't leaked any information. Even if Konoha had taken precautions against someone attacking while the Jinchuriki was giving birth, there was no reason to mobilize such an overwhelming number of forces.
Were they really so certain that someone would attack tonight?
Meanwhile...
Hiruzen was jolted awake the very moment the first alarm bell rang.
He immediately threw aside his blanket and stood up.
Only then would anyone realize...
He hadn't been sleeping in nightclothes at all.
Instead, he had gone to bed fully clad in battle armor.
For the past several days, Hiruzen had slept wearing his armor.
Because Kiyohara had warned him in advance that there was a very high chance an attack would occur during Kushina's delivery.
At the time, Hiruzen hadn't asked any questions.
He had simply nodded.
He knew Kiyohara would never make such a statement without reason.
"Lord Third."
A shinobi entered through the window and knelt respectfully before him.
"Prepare to move."
Hiruzen's voice was calm and decisive.
The armor covering his body was incredibly heavy, causing his shoulders to sink slightly beneath its weight.
Yet that reassuring heaviness filled him with confidence.
Bang!
A puff of white smoke appeared.
Hiruzen summoned Enma, who immediately transformed into the Adamantine Staff.
Gripping the legendary weapon tightly, Hiruzen led the Sarutobi Clan's shinobi out to reinforce the battlefield.
The moment they stepped outside...
They saw the sky had already been dyed crimson.
At the same time, an unimaginably vast and sinister chakra spread through the air.
It was violent.
Savage.
Filled with overwhelming malice.
"The Nine Tails..."
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
Behind him, members of the Sarutobi Clan streamed out from their homes one after another.
All of them wore identical black combat uniforms.
Forehead protectors gleamed beneath the moonlight.
Kunai and shuriken were already clenched tightly in their hands.
Although traces of nervousness showed on every face...
None of them hesitated.
"Keep up!"
Hiruzen's voice echoed from the front.
"Don't fall behind!"
On the opposite side of the village...
Fugaku stared at the barrier rising ahead of him, as well as the Nine Tails imprisoned inside it.
His grip on the katana in his hand tightened unconsciously.
Several Uchiha shinobi knelt beside him on one knee, awaiting his orders.
"First squad, reinforce the eastern wall alongside the ANBU."
"Second squad, head to the shelters and maintain order."
"Third squad, follow me to the village perimeter."
"Yes, sir!"
Three groups vanished simultaneously.
Fugaku slowly lifted his head toward the crimson sky in the distance.
The Nine Tails' chakra continued growing stronger.
The suffocating pressure pressed against his chest like an enormous boulder, making even breathing feel difficult.
Within his eyes...
Three tomoe slowly revolved.
According to the contents of the Uchiha Stone Tablet, the Sharingan possessed the power to control the Nine Tails.
But the price was eventual blindness.
Now...
Fugaku couldn't help questioning whether the tablet had exaggerated, or perhaps even recorded something incorrectly.
Could anyone truly control such an immense quantity of chakra?
"Fugaku-sama!"
Uchiha Tekka's voice called from behind him.
"A massive number of enemies have been discovered around the village perimeter! They've already begun fighting our shinobi!"
"I understand."
Fugaku nodded.
But today's mission wasn't to engage recklessly.
Their responsibility was to protect the civilians who had already been evacuated.
At the same time...
It wasn't only the Uchiha Clan that had begun mobilizing.
The various shinobi clans throughout Konoha all sprang into action.
"Shikaku!"
Akimichi Choza called out loudly.
"Do you feel it too?"
"I do."
Nara Shikaku nodded heavily.
Only now did he truly understand why Konoha had always feared the Nine Tails and almost never attempted to utilize its power.
"Let's go."
"We'll help."
Shikaku spoke without hesitation.
Elsewhere...
Inuzuka Tsume rode atop her enormous black shinobi hound as she sped toward the village perimeter.
The Nine Tails had already been trapped inside Konoha's barrier.
However...
Outside the village, wave after wave of White Zetsu continued launching attacks.
Her nose twitched slightly.
Every scent carried by the wind entered her senses.
"Tsume!"
Inuzuka Gaku called from behind.
"You noticed it too?"
"I did."
Tsume's expression was icy.
"There are a lot of enemies."
"Indeed."
Gaku gently soothed his own shinobi hound as they continued forward.
Meanwhile...
The Hyuga Clan had also begun mobilizing.
Hyuga Hiashi's pale Byakugan reflected the colossal silhouette of the Nine Tails in the distance.
Even from this extraordinary distance...
The Byakugan allowed him to clearly observe the enormous flow of chakra within the Nine Tails' body.
Cold sweat slowly formed across his forehead.
He closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Then opened them once more.
"Hiashi-sama!"
Hyuga Natsu called urgently from below.
"The clan members have all assembled!"
"I know."
Hiashi leaped gracefully from the rooftop and landed upon the ground.
Tonight he wore standard combat gear instead of the Hyuga Clan's traditional robes.
"Ginka."
"Send a unit toward the Nine Tails. Be ready to reinforce at any moment."
"At the same time, remain alert for enemies attempting to invade from the village perimeter."
"Understood."
Hyuga Ginka nodded slowly.
Even she couldn't suppress the lingering fear she felt toward the Nine Tails.
There wasn't a single member of the Hyuga Clan capable of standing against such a monster.
So...
Who could resolve this crisis?
Without realizing it...
One figure surfaced in Ginka's mind.
Kiyohara.
If it were that man...
Surely nothing would happen to the village.
...
"So..."
"You already knew I was coming?"
Obito stared at Kiyohara, who had suddenly appeared inside the barrier.
"Taking precautions is only natural."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
"Hmph."
Obito didn't believe these were ordinary precautions.
This felt...
As though everything had been prepared specifically for him.
"Nine Tails."
He lightly tapped the beast's head with his foot.
"(Use) Tailed Beast Bomb."
The Nine Tails slowly opened its massive jaws.
Positive and negative chakra gathered deep within its throat.
The terrifying energy compressed continuously until it formed into a pitch-black sphere.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Shikaku, who was rushing toward the battlefield, looked up at the gathering attack.
Even he couldn't determine how many Tailed Beast Bombs the barrier would be capable of enduring.
"If that attack is fired..."
"The village is finished."
Choza's expression became solemn.
"Can... Hokage-sama really stop it?"
By now, countless shinobi had gathered outside the barrier.
All of them stared at Kiyohara, who stood alone facing Obito.
The next instant...
The Nine Tails opened its mouth.
The black sphere shot out from its throat.
Dragging a crimson trail behind it, the Tailed Beast Bomb flew directly toward Kiyohara.
"Ashihara no Kakuriyo."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Within his crimson eyes...
An extraordinary Mangekyo Sharingan pattern slowly appeared.
The dojutsu technique residing in his right eye activated.
Ever since evolving into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan...
The power of his ocular abilities had also undergone a tremendous enhancement.
Whoosh!
A tiny black point appeared precisely where Kiyohara's vision focused.
Immediately afterward...
Space itself began collapsing inward.
It resembled an incredibly small gravitational singularity.
The gravitational field surrounding the Tailed Beast Bomb instantly changed.
The overwhelming force abruptly altered the Tailed Beast Bomb's trajectory.
Instead of continuing toward Kiyohara...
It shot straight upward into the heavens.
High above the clouds...
BOOOM!!!
In truth...
Kiyohara could have used this technique to completely collapse the Tailed Beast Bomb and force it to detonate directly beside Obito.
However...
Doing so would have devastated the surrounding terrain as well.
Therefore, he chose the safer option of redirecting it into the sky.
Dozens of kilometers away...
A gigantic mushroom cloud bloomed across the horizon.
The tremendous shockwave shattered the surrounding clouds.
Even the earth beneath everyone's feet trembled violently.
Outside the barrier...
Every shinobi stared blankly at the scene before them.
None of them had expected such a horrifying Tailed Beast Bomb...
To be neutralized so effortlessly.
"...!"
Even Obito hadn't anticipated this outcome.
His eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Kiyohara.
Soon afterward...
He noticed that the Mangekyo Sharingan pattern within Kiyohara's eyes had changed.
'Kiyohara doesn't have any blood relatives... So how did he awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?'
Obito's mind fell into turmoil.
Although he himself had never truly obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan...
The Hashirama Cells within his body produced almost the same effect.
As for the Eternal Mangekyo...
He had heard Madara explain it personally.
Only by transplanting the eyes of a close blood sibling could one break the curse of the Mangekyo Sharingan and awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
'...Cloning?'
A possibility suddenly surfaced in Obito's mind.
"Leave now, Obito."
Black Zetsu continued urging him.
"Enough."
Obito coldly cut him off.
He pressed his palm against the Nine Tails' fur.
Using a ninjutsu, he extracted some of the beast's chakra to replenish his own depleted reserves.
"Confused?"
Kiyohara had naturally noticed Obito's hesitation.
But he had no intention of explaining anything.
Instead...
He activated Susanoo.
A colossal golden warrior materialized before the Nine Tails.
Its body was even larger than the Nine Tails itself.
Standing inside the forehead of the gigantic Susanoo, Kiyohara was enveloped entirely within brilliant golden chakra, overlooking the battlefield like a divine guardian descending from the heavens.
(End of Chapter)