In the dining room, Minato was having a late-night snack. Kushina, heavily pregnant, sat nearby with a warm smile, occasionally teasing him as they talked.
"Eh… who's coming to our house this late?"
"I'll get it."
"No, you're not exactly mobile right now. I'll go."
Minato rose to his feet, crossed the room, and pulled the door open. No one stood there. Then his gaze dropped, out of the darkness, a pair of red-tinged eyes gleamed faintly. A green frog stared up at him.
Puzzled, Minato bent to pick it up.
"Minato, who is it?" Kushina called.
"No one," he replied, shutting the door. Returning to the table with a frown, he set the frog down. "Just this little guy."
"Hey, what is that?"
Before he could answer, Minato noticed something odd in the frog's mouth. He reached in and pulled out a slim green scroll patterned in white, no thicker than a finger.
He placed the frog on the table, unrolled the scroll, and read. Tiny, neat characters covered the surface:
'Tomorrow night, a mysterious man resembling Uchiha Madara will attack Konoha. His goal is to release the Nine-Tails, seize it, and destroy the village.
This man wields space–time ninjutsu. He can shift himself or others into another dimension, rendering attacks useless. The limit of this ability is five minutes.
He also possesses Wood Release.
Additionally, a Jinchūriki can survive tailed beast extraction if the beast is sealed back immediately.'
Gen had deliberately avoided naming Obito.
If Minato knew the man's true identity, there was always the risk he might try to talk Obito down. And though Obito was twisted by Madara's lies, Gen suspected some part of him still clung to the past, still hoped his old teacher would recognize him, stop him, redeem him.
That was dangerous. If Obito turned back now, the entire future could unravel.
Better for Minato to see only an enemy threatening his wife, child, and village, and strike to kill without hesitation.
Minato finished reading, frowning. At first he thought it a prank. But the detail, the timing…
"Minato, what's wrong?" Kushina asked, catching his expression.
"Look at this."
He passed her the scroll, then quickly formed hand seals, casting his sensory jutsu to sweep a full kilometer around their home. Nothing. Not even a trace.
That only deepened his unease. Whoever sent this had slipped past his detection completely.
Tomorrow night… Kushina's due date. And Naruto would be born within a day at most.
The frog on the table was already empty. Gen's fragment of soul, which had been guiding it, had vanished back to its body the instant Minato touched the scroll.
No wonder Minato's senses had found nothing.
Kushina looked up from the scroll, shocked. "What do you make of this, Minato?"
He exhaled, steadying himself. "Whether prank or not, it's safer to believe. This concerns you, Konoha, and our child. We can't afford mistakes. I'll prepare extra security and consult Lord Third."
"Good!" Kushina agreed firmly.
Minato nodded, already abandoning his snack. After a quick word to her, he left at once, heading toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's residence.
He hadn't placed a Flying Thunder God mark there, so he traveled on foot; still crossing the distance in moments.
Far behind him, hidden among the trees, a pale figure watched before silently merging into the bark.
Hiruzen had just been about to rest when Minato arrived.
Recognizing the urgency, the old Hokage quickly dressed and welcomed him inside.
Minato explained, handing over the scroll. Hiruzen read it carefully, pipe smoke curling around him as his brow furrowed.
After a long silence, Minato asked, "What do you think, Lord Third?"
Hiruzen exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "No matter the source, we cannot ignore it. If the Nine-Tails escapes—or worse, falls into another's hands—the consequences for Konoha would be catastrophic. If this is a false alarm, fine. But if it isn't…"
Minato's expression hardened. "I agree. Whether for Konoha, Kushina, or Naruto, I won't allow even the smallest risk."
Hiruzen leaned forward. "Then tell me Minato, how do you intend to proceed?"