Sora formed hand seals, quickly activating the sealing technique formula within the Sea Dragon Jade shell.
The shell instantly burst with dazzling blue light, and a powerful suction force surged out from within, directly enveloping that half of the Nine-Tails chakra!
"ROAR——!!!"
The Nine-Tails chakra let out an unwilling roar, struggling wildly.
But the power of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was pulling it, and the sealing power of the Sea Dragon Jade was attracting it; under the influence of these two forces, this half of the chakra began to split——
Most of it was still being dragged by the Shinigami, but about forty percent was forcibly absorbed by the Sea Dragon Jade!
"You... who are you?!"
Namikaze Minato spoke with difficulty, blood already spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Maintaining the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was already an extreme drain on his life force, and now having to contend with this mysterious person's seizure, his body had reached its limit.
Sora did not answer.
He poured all his power into the Sea Dragon Jade, and finally——
"Seal!"
With a low shout, approximately forty percent of the Nine-Tails chakra was successfully drawn into the Sea Dragon Jade shell!
Sora didn't hesitate; he turned and left immediately!
"Stop!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen roared, charging forward with the Anbu.
But Sora's left eye spun once more——
"Divine Expulsion: Maximum Repulsion!"
Boom——!!!
The space within a fifty-meter radius of Sora erupted with a terrifying, invisible shockwave!
All the ninjas charging forward were violently sent flying, and even Sarutobi Hiruzen was blasted back!
By the time they regained their footing, that black-robed figure had already vanished into the night, leaving only one sentence drifting on the night breeze:
"This half of the Nine-Tails, I'll take it."
...
In the distance, within the shadow of a large tree.
Obito, wearing his swirling mask, watched everything silently, his expression shifting from the initial coldness of a plan proceeding smoothly to shock and bewilderment.
'That man with the crescent moon mask... who is he?'
Tumultuous waves surged in Obito's heart.
Everything tonight should have gone according to plan—release the Nine-Tails, create chaos, kill Namikaze Minato, plunge Konoha into weakness, and simultaneously frame the Uchiha clan.
All parts of the process were under control.
Until this man with the crescent moon mask appeared.
'He also has a Mangekyō... and his seems to be some kind of spatial expulsion type?'
Obito recalled the ability that had just repelled all the ninjutsu, his brow furrowed tightly.
'A hidden expert from the Uchiha clan? No... impossible, the only existing Mangekyō in Uchiha are Shisui and that Takumi.'
'Could it be... that Madra had another contingency?'
Thinking this, Obito's gaze darkened a few shades.
He didn't like surprises.
Especially one completely outside the plan.
But soon, Obito calmed down again.
No matter who the man with the crescent moon mask was, at least his actions had helped him.
To seal the remaining sixty percent of the Nine-Tails, Namikaze Minato had to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which would also offer his own soul to the Shinigami; he was definitely dead.
Moreover, only forty percent was taken, the remaining sixty percent was enough to cripple Konoha, and the suspicion on the Uchiha wouldn't be cleared either.
Obito's gaze shifted to the center of the battlefield.
Just as he thought, after losing forty percent of the Nine-Tails chakra, Namikaze Minato's face was already pale as paper.
Yet he still gritted his teeth and sealed the remaining sixty percent of the Nine-Tails chakra, along with his own soul, into the Shinigami's belly.
And the newborn Uzumaki Naruto had the other half of the Nine-Tails sealed within his body.
After doing all this, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina smiled at each other, then both collapsed.
The Fourth Hokage had fallen.
'The objective is achieved.'
A flicker of complex emotion passed through Obito's heart.
He thought of the teacher who had once warmly taught him, but soon, this emotion was replaced by an icy resolve.
'This false world must be reshaped.'
'As for that man with the crescent moon mask...'
Obito's eyes flickered.
'I will find out who you are.'
'If necessary, I'll eliminate you myself.'
...
Meanwhile.
Outside Konoha village, Sora's figure appeared, landing steadily in front of Kōjinja.
"Master!"
Kōjinja immediately bowed.
Sora said nothing, simply handing her the Sea Dragon Jade shell.
Inside the shell, orange-red Nine-Tails chakra flowed slowly, and a faint, closed-eye phantom of the Nine-Tails could be seen.
"Twenty percent of the complete Nine-Tails' chakra, it's enough."
Sora's voice was somewhat weak—using "Divine Expulsion" twice in a row was a heavy burden on this Yin Release, especially since Uchiha Kenta's Mangekyō was already on the verge of exhaustion.
"Immediately take it back to Ascension Island, give it to Kabuto, and have him reinforce it with the strictest seals."
"Yes!"
Kōjinja took the Sea Dragon Jade shell with both hands, carefully storing it into a special sealing scroll.
"Master, what about you?"
"I'm going to retrieve the White Tiger clone."
Sora closed his eyes, his soul departing.
...
Uchiha clan grounds, inside Takumi's home.
The White Tiger clone, lying on the ground, suddenly moved a finger.
Uchiha Ryota, who had been keeping watch, immediately became alert:
"Big brother, he moved!"
Uchiha Takumi also stood up, his Sharingan fixed on the figure on the ground.
A few seconds later, "Sora" slowly opened his eyes and sat up from the ground.
"You're back." Takumi said flatly.
"Mm."
Sora stretched his neck, feeling the coordination between his soul and this body.
"Business finished?" Takumi asked.
"Finished."
Sora stood up, dusting off his clothes:
"Senior Takumi, thank you both for looking after this clone."
"No need."
Takumi paused, then asked:
"That commotion outside just now... the Nine-Tails was sealed?"
"Mm, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself, sealing the remaining Nine-Tails with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, and twenty percent... I took it."
Sora spoke lightly, but Takumi and Ryota both sensed the heart-stopping drama within.
To seize part of the Nine-Tails from right under the Fourth and Third Hokage and still escape unscathed...
One could only say it lived up to Sora, the one with the name 'God.'
"You..." Takumi hesitated.
"I know what you want to ask, Senior Takumi."
Sora looked at him: "But knowing too much about some things isn't good for you or Ryota."
Takumi was silent for a moment, then nodded.
He wasn't a curious person by nature; as long as Ryota was safe, he didn't care much about anything else.
"I have to go."
Sora re-adjusted his White Tiger mask:
"After tonight, Konoha will enter a period of upheaval, and things will get even harder for the Uchiha. Take care of yourselves."
"If... you can't stay here anymore, you can come to Ryūgakure."
He wouldn't mind Ryūgakure gaining one more Uchiha clan member. After speaking, he looked at Takumi and added:
"Oh, and, Senior Takumi, if you ever encounter someone wearing a swirling mask one day... his ability is called 'Kamui,' an extremely troublesome space-time ocular jutsu. It allows him to become intangible, passing through any attack, and even suck targets into another dimension."
"If you ever run into him, remember not to be fooled by the illusion of his intangibility. That ability isn't invincible, but if you don't understand it... many people die without ever seeing through it."
"Kamui, huh? I understand."
Takumi nodded, indicating he understood.
Seeing this, Sora didn't linger any longer; his figure flickered and vanished into the night.
Takumi stood there, and only after a long time did he speak quietly:
"Ryota."
"Yeah, big brother?"
"Work hard to get stronger."
Takumi looked out the window at the gradually calming battlefield, his voice low:
"This world, it's about to get turbulent."