In the ninja world, those who dare to wave a knife at their teacher often have a unique skill up their sleeve, and they consciously rely on their own "cheats" to gain the upper hand… But once a serious fight begins, if they don't rely on those tricks, they will be taught a lesson by their teacher, with a very real chance of being completely overwhelmed.
The one tonight clearly embarrassed those who have killed their master… He belongs to the open and needs to be re-educated.
And to make things worse for him, there's a crow beside him—pitch black from feathers to heart.
The situation is like this… Nobody wants this to happen… But no matter how you look at it, there is one unavoidable fact: If the masked man doesn't use Kamui, he wouldn't last a second against Minato Namikaze.
For a second, Minato's kunai slashed across the masked man's forehead, cutting through nothing but air.
For a second, against an opponent skilled in close combat, the masked man could only retreat into the Kamui dimension.
Inside the Kamui space, the expression under the mask gradually froze.
A true lesson in life was waiting for him to open it.
Beiyuan's shadow clone, its beak glowing with a black-purple Tailed Beast Bomb, looked indifferently at the figure that had suddenly appeared in the space. It knew its own fate.
With the same expression, the masked man stared at the crow inside Kamui's dimension… and at the small Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth!
It was the same crow that had detonated the Nine Tails' Bijūdama earlier…
And now, it was here. In his Kamui space. With another Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth.
This move… was absolutely disgusting.
The masked man remained silent. Judging by the density of the chakra in that Bijūdama, it was far too late to say his goodbyes.
Boom!
Kamui space exploded instantly!
"Cough—ahhh… ah…"
The agonized screams echoed loud enough for even Namikaze Minato to hear. He guessed that his opponent's dojutsu had encountered some kind of major problem.
The masked man's mask had long since shattered. His expression was twisted in pain, blood continuously spilling from the corners of his mouth… Even though the White Zetsu body armor had shielded him from direct damage, the sheer impact of the explosion had left him barely holding on.
His clothes were in tatters, the fragments of White Zetsu armor had been blown to pieces, and his entire body was covered in wounds. At this point, it was questionable how many of his bones were still intact.
If it weren't for the immense vitality granted by the cells of the First Hokage, he'd already have a spot reserved for him in Konoha's Memorial Stone… as a martyr.
But the face revealed beneath the shattered mask made Minato Namikaze stop his kunai in midair.
"…You are… Obito?"
Minato stared at the man lying on the ground in disbelief. He had recognized his former student at a glance.
Blood flowed down Obito's forehead, cutting straight through the middle of his face.
Half of his face still bore traces of his youth, vaguely resembling the boy Minato once knew. The other half, however, was wrinkled and deformed—scarred from the wounds he suffered long ago.
The Third Great Ninja War… The Battle of Kannabi Bridge… The very battle that made the Yellow Flash a legend had also taken his student's life.
And yet, here he was…
Not as a comrade.
But as an enemy.
Minato knew exactly what kind of person Obito had once been. That kid had always been a passionate, straightforward soul. The fact that he was standing here like this could only mean one thing…
"…Is it because of Rin?"
Obito's hate-filled gaze locked onto Minato Namikaze. If he were in a better position, he would have mocked him to his face.
But his current state didn't allow for that.
His body was one step away from death.
"Kamui!"
Uchiha Obito gritted his teeth and activated his dojutsu.
He didn't dare to say another word. He could only retreat into Kamui space and escape—leaving behind a fight where he was completely humiliated by crows.
And what's worse than returning home after such a failure?
The saying goes…
"…Roar!"
The moment Obito disappeared, the Nine Tails' eyes lost their control, and its rage surged even further. The desperate cries from the burning village wiped the shock from Minato's face.
Because now…
He had something more important to do.
Beiyuan watched as Uchiha Obito disappeared. The results of that Tailed Beast Bomb seemed pretty solid.
Against Obito, it had borrowed Kakashi and Naruto's strategy—using a shadow clone to carry the Bijūdama and sneak it into Kamui space at the perfect moment.
The final memory from the dissipating clone was Obito and the White Zetsus' despairing faces.
Even though Beiyuan couldn't be sure just how strong the Bijūdama created from its chakra was… judging from the absolute misery on Obito's face, it was more than enough.
Beiyuan flapped its wings in satisfaction.
After tonight, it would no longer be an ordinary crow.
A Flying Thunder God technique combined with a Tailed Beast Bomb…?
From now on, it would never tolerate Sasuke spitting on it again!
Inside Konoha Village.
With Obito gone, the Nine Tails was fighting purely on instinct—its intelligence completely overridden by its rage.
And then, after so many years…
It was bound again by a Mangekyō Sharingan.
…This was getting too humiliating.
Its fury had dropped its combat intelligence by more than one level… Maybe even two.
But running away?
The Nine Tails does not run away.
It is the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts!
Its chakra is so immense that even the Uzumaki Clan, the most chakra-abundant clan in the ninja world… could barely handle it.
And speaking of that clan…
A flash of bright red hair.
Under the moonlight, it was blindingly vivid.
…That woman is still alive?!
Uchiha Obito had exploited Uzumaki Kushina's weakness during childbirth, shattering the seal and setting the Nine Tails free… A Jinchūriki always dies once their Tailed Beast is extracted. But Kushina, with the immense vitality of the Uzumaki bloodline, had managed to survive longer than expected.
Still, no matter how powerful the Uzumaki were…
No one could endure this much suffering.
Especially after giving birth.
"Sealing Technique—Adamantine Chains!"
Eight massive chakra chains shot out from behind Uzumaki Kushina's back, wrapping around the Nine Tails and locking it in place.
The Nine Tails hated this woman.
Hated her more than anything.
As its Jinchūriki… she got married… she had a child… she lived a life as if everything was fine…
Had she ever once considered how the Tailed Beast felt?!
Its fangs gnashed together as it struggled against the chains.
"…Uzumaki Kushina… you bastard… Damn you!"
"Kushina!"
Namikaze Minato flashed to her side in an instant, catching his weakening wife.
Beiyuan is still following the trail of Namikaze Minato.
It's the only one present who knows... the story of the Fourth Hokageis still going on...
On the top of the mountain, the crow's crimson eyes stared at the bottom, everything in front of him made it powerless, he could only send them a ride... The rest was all family matters.
The newborn baby was lying on the bed, and Nine Tails was trapped by Kushina's remaining chakra... She could only helplessly watch her husband's indifferent seal...
The ultimate forbidden technique from the Uzumaki Clan—the Reaper Death Seal!
Exchange one's own soul, and exchange the power of the seal from the Shinigami... The chakra of the Nine Tails is too large for their child to bear... It must be sealed in half.
"I don't love the village as much as I imagined, nor the reputation of Hokage as I imagined... It seems that I have done enough for the village. In fact, I love you more than I imagined..."
Finally, taking a look at the baby on the bed, Namikaze Minato added, "I love you more..."
Reaper Death Seal!
The tall shadow of the Shinigami appeared in the barrier behind the mountain!
"Gah...ah!"
It's all over...
The crow watched from a distance as the crying baby lay on the bed. A faint trace of red Nine Tails chakra shimmered on his belly button… The two figures beside him, their bodies growing colder with every passing second.
Perhaps… this child will never celebrate his birthday in this life.