Kushina Uzumaki was about to give birth, and the seemingly peaceful and stable Konoha was on the verge of being dragged into chaos. At the same time, Yosuke had also learned from Itachi that Kushina's delivery was imminent.
"So it really was her?!"
Hearing the surprise in Yosuke's tone, Itachi asked curiously, "Master, is something wrong?"
"It's nothing…"
Yosuke fell into deep thought. His preconceived assumptions had always led him to believe that Kushina Uzumaki wasn't the mother of the future Child of Destiny—Naruto Uzumaki. But with news arriving at such a critical time, Yosuke was now forced to admit that Kushina was almost certainly the one who would give birth to the Child of Destiny.
"Why didn't I notice Kushina was pregnant during our first meeting?"
Yosuke couldn't understand it. Normally, when a woman was pregnant, he could sense the strong aura of life within her. Yet back when he had met Kushina, he hadn't sensed anything like that.
There were only two possible explanations:
Either she hadn't been pregnant at the time, or something else had been concealing the unborn child's life force.
"That's it—the Nine-Tails."
Realizing his oversight, Yosuke felt frustrated with himself. The overwhelming life energy of the Nine-Tails—sealed or not—was powerful enough that even the slight leakage of chakra would completely overshadow a baby's life force.
Thinking back now, the missions Asuma and Hayate had been running for months were most likely connected to Kushina's pregnancy.
"For the next while, the entire village will be on lockdown. Master, would you like to stay with the Uchiha clan for a while?"
But with the Child of Destiny about to be born, Yosuke had too much to do. Living in the Uchiha compound wasn't an option.
Just as Yosuke was about to refuse, Itachi continued, "But honestly, I don't want you to stay with the Uchiha."
Yosuke asked with interest, "Oh? Why not?"
Itachi explained, "There's always been a rumor that the Sharingan can control Tailed Beasts. Right now, every one of our clan members has returned to the compound so the Hokage and the village elders can feel reassured. But if anything happens with the Nine-Tails, our Uchiha clan will be put in a very awkward position—and you might get dragged into it as well."
Yosuke couldn't help but laugh. He didn't expect Itachi to see things so clearly.
"Don't worry, I'm not concerned about that. But I really can't relocate to the Uchiha compound. I have my own tasks to handle in the coming days."
At the Root base, Danzo questioned Torune Aburame:
"Has Orochimaru received the message?"
"We've already sent word, and Orochimaru has replied."
Danzo opened his eyes slightly. "What did he say?"
"Orochimaru said… he wants to meet his former teacher."
"Heh. How enviable—such 'master–disciple affection.' What are the Uchiha doing now?"
"No particular movements. All Uchiha assigned to the Konoha Police Force have returned to the clan grounds. Large numbers of ANBU are monitoring their every move."
Danzo's face remained full of disdain.
"Hmph. They think hiding together means they're innocent? Pathetic. Good thing I prepared a backup plan. Once the Nine-Tails' seal breaks, even under ANBU surveillance, someone will have to take responsibility for the disaster."
It was clear that Danzo's "backup plan" referred to Yosuke.
"When this is all over, I'll make sure that even if they keep their hands clean, it won't matter. The Uchiha clan… it's better if they disappear into history."
Elsewhere in Konoha, inside a sealed chamber, Minato Namikaze gazed at Kushina with deep affection.
"Kushina, thank you for enduring all this."
Kushina's face was pale, but seeing Minato's gentle expression, she forced a smile. "I'm fine. As long as our child is born safely… it will all be worth it."
"Minato, have you decided on the baby's name?"
Minato nodded. "I have. I want to name him after the protagonist of Jiraiya-sensei's novel—Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."
"Naruto, huh? It's a wonderful name."
Kushina was genuinely pleased with his choice.
Both she and Minato deeply admired the never-give-up spirit of the protagonist "Naruto" in Jiraiya's debut novel The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped forward and said, "Kushina, since you're close to delivering, there's something you must understand clearly. During her childbirth, Lady Mito's seal almost broke. To avoid any risk, we've arranged for you to give birth at a location slightly outside the village."
Minato reassured her, "I'll be by your side the whole time to protect the seal."
Hearing this, Kushina finally showed a relieved smile.
"There will be a strong barrier around the delivery site, along with elite ANBU under direct Hokage command. My wife, Biwako, and another ANBU kunoichi will act as your midwives," Hiruzen added.
Biwako then said, "I'll take Kushina to the delivery room now."
Under tight escort, Kushina left the village for the designated birthing location.
But none of this escaped Danzo's spies.
"So, Kushina has departed? Choosing to give birth outside the village—what a foolish decision. Only someone like Hiruzen would come up with such overly cautious nonsense."
Danzo sneered.
"Torune, notify Yosuke. Tell him to come to Root."
Everything seemed to be unfolding exactly as Danzo planned.
Torune arrived at Yosuke's inn and said bluntly, " Danzō-sama wants to see you."
Yosuke thought to himself, So, it begins…
At Root, Yosuke soon stood before Danzo.
Danzo spoke directly: "I have concealed your identity for you. Now it's time for you to repay me."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Simple. Outside the village, there is a building protected by a powerful barrier. Your mission is to eliminate all the ANBU guarding it. With your strength, this shouldn't be difficult."
"…Understood."
Yosuke replied casually and left without looking back. He had never intended to help Danzo in the first place—he only needed the information.
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