In Evan's eyes, Konoha was overflowing with far too many clans.
The major families stood like towering trees, monopolizing most of the village's resources.
Where, then, were civilian shinobi supposed to find a future?
It wasn't that Evan had suddenly developed the heart of a saint.
He had simply lived an entire previous life in a world that valued equality—this archaic clan system was something he naturally found distasteful.
His instincts told him it was rotten.
So he intended to cut it down.
Not because he expected a mere hundred or so escaped prisoners to make any real difference.
Their strength was ultimately limited. They could never truly shake Konoha.
But…
While those criminals were controlled by his Life-Death Seal, they could still disgust Konoha quite nicely.
And once the waters of Konoha were muddied enough, chaos thick enough…
He could slip in unnoticed and harvest experience.
After sending the criminals away, Evan remained standing in silence for a long time.
He was adjusting his state, again and again.
Tonight, he might have to expose some of his trump cards.
But he still had plenty left.
Revealing a little wouldn't kill him.
Only when his breathing finally steadied did he slowly open his eyes.
Under the cold moonlight, his deep pupils looked strangely unfathomable.
His black cloak fluttered in the wind.
A heartbeat later, Evan vanished.
Outside Konoha — The Cave Where Kushina Gave Birth
At the mouth of the cavern, black sealing script spread like iron chains, extending toward the surrounding pillars.
A weakened, exhausted Kushina was bound at the center.
Right now, she was clenching her teeth, desperately suppressing the Nine-Tails raging inside her.
Before her stood a man shrouded entirely in a dark cloak.
Under the moonlight, the swirling mask on his face looked icy and sinister.
Kushina endured the burning pain spreading through her body and glared at her enemy.
Moments ago—right after she had given birth—this masked man had appeared out of thin air and stolen baby Naruto.
His eerie ability had left everyone helpless.
Fortunately, Minato had managed to rescue Naruto and teleport him away with Flying Thunder God.
Everything that happened…
Was exactly the same as the illusion Evan had shown her.
Her heart turned cold.
So next… he would release the Nine-Tails?
Evan hadn't lied to her.
But—
That bastard said he would handle everything.
Where was he now?
Had he only touched her just for fun?
Did he never intend to help her at all?
Kushina's heart trembled with doubt.
If the Nine-Tails was extracted, she would die.
Thankfully Minato had already escaped with Naruto.
Minato must be safe.
Naruto must be safe.
But then she remembered the later scenes she had seen in the illusion—
Minato would use the Reaper Death Seal and die as well.
Naruto would become the next jinchūriki.
Her heart twisted with unwillingness.
"Huff… Huff…
Who are you…? What do you want?" she asked weakly, sweat dripping down her pale cheeks.
She needed information—anything that might help change Minato's fate.
For shinobi, strength mattered.
But intelligence mattered just as much.
"What do I want?"
The masked man—Uchiha Obito—spoke calmly.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to rip the Nine-Tails out of you… and destroy Konoha."
"You… what kind of hatred do you have with Konoha!?"
Kushina spat furiously.
But Obito ignored the question.
He spoke instead as if in idle conversation:
"Flying Thunder God… the ability to leap through space as long as a marker is placed somewhere."
"The seal on your body surely contains Minato's formula. In a way, he is protecting you at all times."
"Unfortunately, he was lured away. And you are at your weakest."
"I have waited far too long for this moment."
As his voice fell, the Sharingan in Obito's right eye began to rotate.
His gaze met Kushina's.
Instantly, he dove into her consciousness.
Inside Kushina's Mind
"Who are you!?"
Within her inner world, the massive fox chained inside a cage roared the moment it sensed an unfamiliar man.
Obito didn't bother responding.
He had no interest in speaking to a beast.
He locked eyes with the Nine-Tails.
"You… that eye—!"
The Fox bristled in alarm at the sight of the Sharingan.
But within a breath, hatred faded from its pupils.
Its eyes glazed over.
Chains shattered.
The cage collapsed.
"Come out, Nine-Tails."
Reality
Obito's Mangekyō spun violently as his chakra surged.
"Aaah—!"
Kushina screamed, her body wrapped in a dense red chakra.
From her abdomen, a mass of hateful, corrosive chakra surged outward.
Resentment, rage, terror, malice, destruction—
All of it condensed into that crimson tide.
Fox-shaped chakra rapidly took form.
Obito watched, a grin twisting across his face.
"At last… the day has come."
Kushina's heart collapsed.
Nothing could stop this?
It was still happening…
She thought bitterly of the man who had touched her and threatened her, Evan—
and let out a miserable laugh.
"Evan… you lied to me…"
"Evan?"
Obito gave a derisive snort.
Of course he knew Evan.
How could he not?
They had once shared the title of bottom-rank students at the Academy.
"That useless fool who couldn't even use ninjutsu? What do you expect him to—"
"I didn't lie."
The gentle voice cut him off.
Kushina froze—was she hallucinating?
Obito stiffened in shock.
Someone had approached without him noticing?
Whsssh—
A razor-sharp sword aura tore through the night.
The blade lashed out like a white serpent, hissing, splitting the air like lightning.
The world itself seemed to fall silent beneath that single strike.
BOOM!
Obito stared in disbelief.
He immediately phased his body to evade.
A slicing noise echoed—
followed by the agonized roars of a beast.
He looked down.
"What… what kind of joke is this…"
A massive trench—hundreds of meters long and seemingly bottomless—scarred the earth.
More terrifying was that the Nine-Tails chakra, which had nearly completed extraction…
Had been cut in half.
One half re-formed into a rampaging half-Nine-Tails on the ground.
The other half was forced back into Kushina, disappearing entirely.
A sword that could cleave the Nine-Tails' chakra itself—
Impossible.
Obito questioned reality.
"Come on, I can't use ninjutsu, but I'm not useless."
A lightly teasing voice drifted over.
Obito looked toward the sound.
Kushina—moments ago in mortal agony—was now held gently in someone's arms.
A face he vaguely recognized.
The "useless" Evan.
Kushina stared blankly upward.
The face she had resented…
Now made her feel strangely safe.
"You… you're late…" she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
She hadn't cried even when the Nine-Tails was ripping her apart.
But seeing him, she did.
"Why are you crying? I'm here, aren't I?"
Evan smiled softly, brushing tears from her cheeks.
His voice was warm enough to melt ice.
Obito frowned deeply.
Regardless of the moment, their posture—and their tone—seemed far too intimate.
Wasn't Kushina the wife of his teacher?
He shook his head.
Now wasn't the time.
A blade that could cut through the Nine-Tails…
This guy, once his equal at the Academy, now possessed such power?
But even so—
Against his Mangekyō, it was meaningless.
Just as he prepared to act—
The half-Nine-Tails roared, maddened by the injury.
Obito nodded, satisfied.
"Half is enough. Prepare to die under the Nine-Tails' wrath."
He landed atop the Fox's head.
Their Sharingan synchronized instantly.
The beast raised its massive paw—
and slammed it down at Evan and Kushina.
KRAK-KOOM!
The ground quaked.
Stone pillars shattered.
But Obito frowned.
"They dodged?"
Evan had vanished at the last moment—
and reappeared on a distant tree, still carrying Kushina.
"Annoying," Obito muttered.
"But you're not my goal."
His head turned sharply toward Konoha.
"They've arrived."
A mocking smile curled across his mask.
"The Yellow Flash… as expected."
Minato materialized beside Evan, face pale.
Not only because the Nine-Tails was loose, and Kushina nearly drained dry—
but because, upon returning Naruto home…
He found Konoha under attack.
Clan compounds burned.
Many injured.
The Sarutobi clan was hit especially hard.
But he had no time to investigate.
He rushed to his wife immediately.
Kushina met Minato's gaze—
and her heart trembled with guilt.
Being held by Evan…
Being seen by her husband…
Would Minato misunderstand?
"Evan—what happened to Konoha?" Minato demanded.
In his eyes, Evan must have been the one who saved Kushina.
Evan put on a furious expression.
"A masked man released the prisoners from Konoha's jail. He led them to attack the clan compounds."
"After putting down the chaos, I tracked him here—
and saw him extracting the Nine-Tails."
Internally, he added:
Yes. Everything is Obito's fault.
Obito: "…"
Huh?
Since when did I do all that?
Minato's face darkened.
"That masked man again…!"
And the Nine-Tails was already out.
Kushina should be dead.
Sorrow crept into Minato's eyes.
Even the thought of dying with her crossed his mind.
"Put me down," Kushina whispered, flustered.
Being held by another man in front of her husband—
she wanted to disappear.
Evan released her without resistance.
She stumbled, catching Minato's arm anxiously.
"Minato—Naruto? Is Naruto safe?"
Minato's expression softened.
"Naruto is fine. But you…"
Kushina exhaled in relief.
"Good… Naruto is safe…"
Her legs gave out, and Minato caught her.
"Forgive me, Kushina… I was too late…"
"Eh?"
Ahem.
Evan coughed lightly.
"Lord Fourth. Kushina-senpai is fine. Only half of the Nine-Tails was extracted."
Minato froze—
then joy erupted across his features.
"Truly!?"
Kushina nodded weakly.
"Evan split the Nine-Tails in two…"
Her feelings were conflicted.
He had saved her.
Yet he had also touched her in ways she still couldn't process.
Well…
If Minato survives this…
Then maybe… maybe she'd repay Evan properly…
"Evan, thank you!" Minato bowed deeply.
Evan waved him off.
"Now's not the time."
Minato nodded grimly.
Kushina warned urgently:
"Minato—his target is Konoha! He wants to use the Nine-Tails to destroy the village!"
Minato's face hardened.
"As expected…!"
ROAR!!
The half-Nine-Tails swept its tails toward them.
"Evan, hold off the Nine-Tails! I'll take Kushina back first!"
"Sure."
Minato vanished with Flying Thunder God.
Evan's lips curled.
Hold off the Nine-Tails?
Why would he?
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