Today was the day Kushina was going into labour — a top-level secret known only to a few in Konoha.
A small, handpicked team of midwives gathered under Biwako's leadership at a secure location outside the village. Among them were Enya and Taji, both dressed in standard medical gear. Their location is well hidden to ensure the villagers' safety, in case Nine-Tails went berserk during Kushina's weakest moment.
Enso knew exactly what this day meant. It was the day Obito would unseal the Nine Tails.
He was tense. Uneasy. In the original timeline, all the midwives were slaughtered during the incident — and that fear clawed at his mind. He'd begged to go with his mother, but the Fourth Hokage had turned him down.
Even though Enso had shown great skill in medical ninjutsu, his status as a boy made it inappropriate for him to witness a childbirth. More than that, he wasn't strong enough yet to face the Nine Tails.
Even with his new jutsu, the odds were against him. His only chance would be to run.
To keep from overthinking, Enso threw himself into training. He dug deep into the memories of the awakening soul within him — searching for anything to help him survive the upcoming night.
From Licht's memories, he learned a powerful reinforcement magic — and adapted it.
Replacing mana with chakra, he created a new technique: Chakra Reinforcement.
It enhanced his strength without damaging his muscles, allowing him to safely release up to 25% of his full physical power.
He also studied Licht's unnamed footwork, a technique built for explosive speed. Licht could dual-wield two massive swords with ease — a feat that only someone like Asta had ever accomplished with sheer physical training.
Enso realised this footwork could complement Achilles' Comet Form (Dromeus Komētēs) — which had a fatal flaw: it only moved in straight lines.
His previous attempt to refine it using Ashigaru reduced the strain on his legs, but it still lacked control in tight spaces.
By combining the three methods, he created an evolved movement technique — one that allowed him to vanish and reappear, even in confined areas.
He upgraded the 'Void Step'.
Enso trained relentlessly from sunrise to sunset. If he couldn't win… he would escape.
With these two techniques — Chakra Reinforcement and Void Step — his true combat ability had reached Jonin, maybe even ANBU level. He couldn't defeat top-tier enemies head-on yet, but escaping them? That was now within his power.
Chakra Reinforcement worked like chakra flow techniques, but deeper — it fortified the muscles internally, invisible to the naked eye.
Even the Sharingan couldn't mimic it. Without the Byakugan, it was nearly impossible to read.
Enso believed that once he unlocked his full potential, he could surpass Heracles in raw strength. He carried both Heracles' power and Itezora's strength within him — and he hadn't even scratched the surface.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, darkness swept across the village.
The quiet of the night did nothing to calm his nerves.
He skipped lunch, having trained straight through the day. With a grumbling stomach and a heavy heart, he made his way to Ichiraku Ramen.
He ended up eating ten bowls.
He didn't speak much, and Teuchi didn't ask questions. A veteran of the trade, Teuchi had learned to read people through the way people held their chopsticks.
On the fifth bowl, he smiled and quietly added free toppings — eggs and seaweed.
"All on the house," he said, just once.
Before leaving, Enso bowed politely and introduced himself to Teuchi and his daughter.
He was grateful — not just for the food, but for the quiet understanding.
Outside, the moon was radiant — unnaturally bright — but Enso didn't have the heart to admire it.
He sprinted toward the outskirts of the village, where he found a tall tree and climbed it with ease. High in the branches, he used his innate ability of invisibility, gained from absorbing the Tyrant Dragon.
There, shrouded in the shadows of the leaves, he waited. Watching.
Praying.
If the Nine Tails did appear — he would be ready.
Inside the secret labour room, Kushina screamed in pain. Minato worked quickly, reinforcing the seal as his wife screamed at the top of her lungs. Despite her pain, the delivery was a success.
Biwako carefully cradled the newborn Naruto and placed him next to Kushina, believing that the mother, who had endured the pain of childbirth, should be the first to meet her child. When Minato moved to meet his son, Biwako gently stopped him.
Looking at Naruto, Kushina smiled, her exhausted but relieved face glowing with joy. "We finally meet," she whispered. But just before Minato could reinforce the seal, the door slammed open, and a masked man stepped into the room, his presence like a sudden chill in the air.
He was fast—too fast. Biwako and Taji were struck down instantly, their bodies collapsing with barely a sound.
Enya didn't panic. With precision honed by years of training, she drew a scalpel and slashed at the intruder. Her timing was flawless, but the blade passed right through him, as if he were an illusion.
Before she could react, the masked man swiftly thrust a black rod through her chest. Enya's body collapsed to the ground, her wide eyes staring into nothingness as life slipped away slowly.
Obito's attention was entirely on Kushina, unaware of Enya's Uzumaki heritage. Her outfit, designed to assist with the delivery, hid her hair and distinctive features, keeping her true identity concealed.
The masked man grabbed Naruto, holding him up in the air like a prize. "Step away from the Jinchuriki," he commanded, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
Minato's eyes widened in horror, but before he could move, the masked man tossed Naruto high into the air, as though he were nothing more than a doll. In an instant, he seized Kushina, his form blurring with speed, and teleported away.
Minato reacted immediately, his body flickering as he teleported to Naruto, removing the paper bomb with practised precision. He made a hasty escape, ensuring that his son would be safe.
Meanwhile, Enso felt a heart-wrenching pain course through him, his body seizing with fear and urgency. His mind raced. No. Not now. Not her. Without a second thought, he activated his "Void Step" and infused it with "Chakra Reinforcement," propelling himself toward Kushina's location with a speed that seemed to defy the laws of nature.
His heart pounded as he sprinted through the village, his body a blur. The sensation of the ground beneath him seemed to vanish as his feet barely touched the earth. The world around him felt distorted, like he was passing through an unseen void, moving at a pace that threatened to tear the fabric of time itself.
Within moments, Enso arrived at the labour room. His breath caught in his throat as he saw his mother lying lifeless on the ground, her eyes wide open in shock, the black rod still embedded in her chest.
He dropped to his knees, quickly checking her pulse. Still alive? he thought, disbelief washing over him. Her heart was barely beating, but there was a faint pulse. He couldn't waste a second.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a medical needle and wire from his pocket, performing surgery right there, in the middle of the chaotic room. His hands were steady, moving with the precision of a trained surgeon, as he stitched up her heart with an expert's touch.
The knowledge he'd absorbed from the "Doctor" soul came flooding back to him as he used the chakra scalpel to carefully work on the injury. Stay with me, Mom, he thought desperately.
He used Mystical Palm, focusing all his chakra into her chest, gently squeezing her heart to get the blood pumping again. His eyes never left her face, watching, praying for a sign. After what felt like an eternity, he saw the faintest flutter of life.
With one final stitch, he closed the external wound and performed chest compressions, the rhythmic motion forcing life back into her body. Slowly, her chest rose, and her eyes fluttered open, filled with confusion and relief.
Enya embraced her son, knowing that he had just saved her life. As she held him tightly, she couldn't help but marvel at how far he had come.
What no one knew, however, was that in the moments before Enso had reached his mother, he had unlocked the Mind Eyes of Kagura—a powerful sensory ability that allowed him to track the flow of chakra and sense the emotions of those around him. He had sensed Kushina's life force fading and acted without hesitation.
He quickly grabbed two swords from the fallen Anbu, their bodies cold and lifeless, and tucked them into his belt. His senses, sharpened by his new ability, guided him through the village with ease. With his mother on his back Enso rush toward Kushina house, knowing that Minato would undoubted bring Kushina and the new born over. This is also his mother's wish, as she said that Kushina's safety is her responsibility, and she also promised to oversee her labour to completion.
On their way, Enya was stunned by his speed, especially since she noticed that he wasn't using any chakra at all. His movement surpassed even the famed "Body Flicker" technique used by Shinobi. It was as if Enso was moving in a space outside of time, his body a blur, a shadow in the night.
Enso had carefully conserved his chakra, saving it for the life-and-death moments he might face ahead. He wasn't just fast—he was precise, controlled, and terrifyingly efficient.
Enso's speed was so incredible that, despite carrying his mother, he reached Minato's house in less than ten seconds. The world around him seemed to slow down as he entered the house, finding Naruto lying safely on the bed.
As Enso surveyed the room, he heard the unmistakable roar of the Nine Tails in the distance, its deafening cry reverberating through the village. The beast had been unleashed. Enso's grip on his mother tightened as he scanned the room. He would protect her. No matter the cost.
Enso moved with such blinding speed that he reached Minato's house in just ten seconds—even while carrying his mother. They rushed inside and immediately saw Naruto lying peacefully on the bed.
As they traveled, a deep, thunderous roar echoed from the edges of the village. Enso knew instantly—the Nine Tails had been released.
Inside the house, Enya quickly grabbed a clean towel and gently wrapped it around newborn Naruto. Just as she finished, Minato appeared, carrying Kushina in his arms. Without pause, he handed her over and said urgently, "Please take care of her," before vanishing again in a flash.
Enya gently laid Kushina beside Naruto and began assessing her condition. Meanwhile, Enso picked up one of Minato's special kunai, its chakra-marked surface pulsing faintly. He studied it carefully. Though he didn't yet understand how to create the Flying Thunder God seal himself, he realized he could still use the kunai to locate Minato—and teleport to him if necessary.
But Enya's face grew grim. As she finished examining Kushina, a heavy silence fell over the room. She looked at Enso with sorrow in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Mother?" Enso asked, dread creeping into his voice. "Can she still be saved?"
Enya didn't answer right away. Instead, her next words hit him like a hammer.
"Enso… I'm going to do something very selfish now. Please, take care of yourself. Grow up to be the great shinobi you're meant to be."
A chill ran through his spine.
"No… Wait—Mother, what are you saying?!"
Without hesitation, Enya began weaving hand signs, her movements swift and precise. She pressed her palm against Kushina's chest, whispering a forbidden word: "Life Sacrifice."
Kushina's eyes widened in horror. She recognised the technique—one of the lost jutsu of the Uzumaki Clan. A Reincarnation technique that transfers not just vitality, but burns the user's soul to heal even fatal injuries.
"No! You don't have to do this!" Kushina screamed, tears falling as her voice broke.
Enso clung to his mother, sobbing. "Stop! Please stop!"
Enya pressed her hand to Kushina's chest, channelling her remaining chakra into a forbidden resurrection technique — one passed down in secret, meant to restore life at the cost of the user's own.
"Don't!" Enso shouted, lunging forward, but it was too late.
Enya didn't flinch. She focused all her remaining strength on the jutsu, smiling softly through the pain from burning her soul.
Her chakra flared, soft and blue, wrapping Kushina in a gentle glow. The wound in her stomach began to seal. Her breath steadied. The damage done by the Nine Tails' extraction faded — slowly, painfully, but surely.
Kushina gasped awake, her eyes wide, unfocused. Enya smiled through tears, cupping the red-haired woman's cheek. "You still have so much to live for. A son who needs you. A husband who loves you." Her hand trembled. "I promised to see your labour through. I keep my promises."
"Mother!" Enso screamed, chakra surging as he grabbed her shoulders. He could feel her slipping, her life force dwindling like the final flickers of a candle. "There has to be another way. I can heal you! I can—!"
"You can't," she whispered. "Not this time. But I'm proud, Enso… So proud of who you've become."
She turned her head toward Kushina and said, "Take care of my son… You promised me."
With those final words, the light in her eyes faded. Her body went limp.
Her final smile was soft — serene — as if she had already made peace with the world. Then her body slumped forward.
Gone.
Enso froze. For a moment, the world stopped moving.
No Nine Tails. No screams. No fire or death.
Just silence.
The air was thick, suffocating — his breath shallow, eyes wide in disbelief. His fingers dug into her shoulders, refusing to let go. "No. No, no, no…"
A scream built in his throat but never came. Instead, something inside him snapped — not broken, but unlocked.
Enso felt her soul vanish—he knew what had just happened. This wasn't just death. It was the irreversible kind. Her soul had been offered as fuel to save another.
Rage consumed him.
A scream stayed trapped in his throat, but his clenched fists shook as his fingernails pierced his palms. Blood dripped. His breath grew heavy. His heart, shattered.
"One day…" he growled through gritted teeth, "I'll chop you to pieces…"
His voice was quiet, but every syllable carried killing intent.
His vision blurred as blood dripped from his eyes. Then, with a sudden shock of power, golden chains burst from his back, lashing outward with raw fury.
Kushina gasped, stunned. She knew this power—Uzumaki chakra chains. But this was different. These weren't spiked or barbed like hers. They were elegant, streamlined, and shimmered like sacred gold.
She could feel it—an unshakable strength, a force that could even bind the strongest beings.
Enso took a moment, breathing heavily as he stared at the chains now floating around him. They glowed with a faint golden hue, elegant and divine in their presence.
Somehow, deep within his mind, he knew their name—Vajra Chains.
Their form reminded him of something—Enkidu's chains from the Fate series. Binding. Absolute. Made to hold even gods.
But Enso felt no awe—only pain.
He looked down at his trembling hands, then at the chains as they hovered silently, pulsing with grief.
"…Mother," he whispered, voice cracking under the weight of his sorrow.
Minato appeared in a flicker of golden light, landing silently beside Kushina. His eyes scanned the room in a single breath—sharp, efficient. The sight of Enso's glowing Vajra Chains, still pulsing faintly, and the still body of Enya lying beneath a gently drawn blanket told him everything he needed to know. His jaw clenched, and a shadow passed over his face.
"We have to go," Minato said gently, eyes locking with Kushina's. "The Nine Tails is attacking the village."
Kushina's breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as she brushed them over Naruto's cheek, drawing in his warmth one more time. She closed her eyes and nodded, silent tears slipping down her cheek. The air between them was heavy—an invisible pressure, like time itself was mourning.
Without a word, the two disappeared, leaving Enso alone.
The room felt colder now. Still. Enso stood there for a moment, surrounded by silence. He turned and gently lifted his mother's body in his arms, cradling her like something sacred. Every step he took toward the bed felt slower, weighted, as though the grief itself was pulling at his limbs. He laid her down with care, brushing a stray hair from her forehead.
"Rest now," he whispered, pulling the blanket up to her chin.
He stood still for a moment longer, the world narrowing down to his heartbeat—calm but hollow. Then he looked down at the special kunai glinting in his hand. The Flying Thunder God mark burned faintly along its metal—like a beacon.
He gritted his teeth, gripped it tightly, and vanished.
—
Enso reappeared in a flash, the world around him warped by sudden presence. The air tasted of ozone and iron. In front of him, Kushina and Minato froze, shocked to see him materialize right next to Naruto.
The landscape was bathed in crimson moonlight, eerie and surreal. Around them, the barrier Kushina had erected pulsed with raw, red energy, humming with a furious tempo like a beating war drum. The Nine Tails roared at the edges—its fury shaking the earth like a primal heartbeat. The sheer force of its chakra made the skin crawl.
Enso's eyes locked onto the grim altar behind Minato.
The Reaper loomed.
He didn't need an explanation. He already knew.
Kushina's voice cracked through the chaos, choked with sorrow and rage. "You're going to make Naruto a Jinchūriki?! And… die?! You can't—!"
Before Minato could answer, the Nine Tails lunged forward, its massive claw streaking down like divine punishment.
But in a blur, Enso was airborne—his body slicing through space with the clean, eerie silence of Void Step.
Time seemed to stutter.
He stomped down with all the weight of his momentum, chakra compressed into a single, focused point on his heel.
Boom!
The ground cratered as Nine Tails' claw slammed down—and stopped. The shockwave flattened the earth, sending dust and debris spiraling outward. The beast's claw was embedded into the dirt, bound tight.
A golden chain shot from Enso's back, piercing the ground and wrapping around Kurama's wrist like a silken shackle. It glowed with divine radiance—elegant yet terrifying. No spikes. Just perfect, seamless restraint.
Enso stood, panting lightly, eyes glowing crimson.
"Enough life has been lost," he said, voice low, but carrying through the roar of the barrier. "I won't tolerate another death in front of me."
Chakra swirled to his palm, and from it formed the Soul Cutter—a blade that hummed not with sound, but with the whisper of memories. The air around it warped, as if reality recoiled.
Normally, only the caster could see the Death God.
But Enso wasn't normal.
To him, it was not a deity. It was a soul—fragmented, conscious, tethered.
He moved.
With precision born of countless absorbed lives, he struck—not at Minato, but at the link that bound him to the Death God. The blade passed clean through the spectral bond, severing it like silk thread. The Death God reeled, its connection broken.
And then—Enso absorbed it.
The Death God's soul screamed silently as it vanished into him. His body seized. Cursed markings crawled across his skin like venom before vanishing into his veins. The ground beneath him cracked. His breathing grew ragged.
Kushina's hand flew to her mouth in shock. Minato stepped forward, but Enso had already dropped to his knees, unconscious—his body falling forward into shadow.
Despite the chaos, Minato's hands moved with practised calm, completing the final hand seals.
The Eight Trigrams Seal lit up the night.
Half of Kurama's chakra was sealed within Naruto, his small chest rising and falling beside the mark that would shape his destiny.
Enso lay still nearby—breathing, but barely. Immersed in a place between life and death, learning the true origin of the Death Gods.
The battlefield quieted—but the world would never be the same.