Naruto: The Primal Hyuga Pierces the Shinobi World.

As per the established plan of the higher-ups, Kushina Uzumaki, whose due date was approaching, was transferred to a pre-prepared secret base to prepare for childbirth.

From that day onward, Shinichi Hyuga, who had already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, no longer needed to go to Minato's house to train every day.

To support Kushina during her childbirth, Minato Namikaze, as Hokage, will be temporarily absent, and the Third Hokage will take over the Hokage's daily affairs.

Meanwhile, Kakashi, who was in charge of protecting Kushina during childbirth, also successfully completed his mission.

Early in the morning, Kakashi appeared in the Konoha Cemetery, carrying a bucket in one hand and two bunches of brightly blooming flowers in the other.

As Kakashi strolled along the paths between the cemetery, his mood, like the gloomy weather of the day, became somewhat heavy.

Today is not the anniversary of the death of his relatives and friends, but as Kushina is about to give birth, he wants to share this good news with his two deceased friends.

Minato Namikaze and Kushina did not inform Kakashi about the information regarding the man in the tiger-striped mask.

Prior to this, Kakashi had already fallen into depression due to his father's suicide and the deaths of his comrades, and his overall condition had become very poor.

During his years working in the Anbu, Kakashi's condition deteriorated rapidly. His best friend Guy even discovered that Kakashi was reading books with obvious suicidal tendencies.

In order to help Kakashi get out of this state, Minato Namikaze, on the advice of the Third Hokage, had Kakashi serve as Kushina's prenatal bodyguard.

According to the Third Hokage, letting Kakashi witness the birth of life might improve his condition.

And just as the Third Hokage predicted, during his time as Kushina's bodyguard, his life was illuminated by Kushina's tranquil and warm prenatal life.

Kakashi, who usually doesn't show much emotion when carrying out missions, was genuinely happy for Minato and Kushina and wanted to share the good news with his friends.

"Rin, Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei's baby is about to be born."

"I can't wait to share this great news with you."

"Rin... what kind of gift should I prepare for Minato-sensei's child?"

"If it were you... what would you give as a gift?"

Kakashi knelt before Rin Nohara's grave, placed the bouquet he had brought into a small bottle in front of the grave, then dipped a brush in water and gently washed the dirt off the tombstone while muttering something.

A gentle morning breeze swept through the cemetery as Kakashi carefully tended to Rin Nohara's grave, clearing away all the weeds and wiping the tombstone clean before slowly rising to his feet.

His question was destined to receive no response from Nohara Rin, or perhaps... the gentle breeze that had just brushed past was Nohara Rin whispering in his ear, but Kakashi, being a stranger, simply couldn't understand it...

Picking up the bucket again and another bouquet of flowers, Kakashi walked only four or five meters along the path before arriving at Obito Uchiha's grave.

Unlike the rambling conversation at Rin's grave, the meeting between the men was surprisingly uneventful, though the longing and sadness in Kakashi's eyes were even more intense than when he was at Rin's grave.

His relationship with Obito Uchiha was actually quite strange. Undoubtedly, the two were comrades-in-arms who shared life and death, but for Kakashi, Obito Uchiha was more like his salvation.

Everyone was questioning his father's ninja way, and even Kakashi himself completely rejected White Fang's ninja way because of his father's death.

However, only Obito Uchiha consistently and firmly acknowledged Kakashi's father and tried to change Kakashi's mind.

Compared to Minato's maturity and reserve, Obito Uchiha's impact on Kakashi's outlook on life and values ​​was undoubtedly extremely strong, and this impact was completely sublimated after Obito sacrificed his life to save Kakashi.

Obito's death proved that he wasn't just a smooth talker; he would give everything for what he believed in.

However... for Kakashi, that glimmer of light in his dark life also disappeared with the passing of Obito and Rin.

Although there is a new glimmer of hope now, Obito's position in Kakashi's heart remains irreplaceable.

Kakashi slowly squatted down without saying a word. After offering flowers, he washed and wiped the tombstone with soil again and again until the water in the bucket was gone.

Kakashi was completely unaware of the passage of time at that moment. Perhaps because he had been squatting for too long, even with Kakashi's constitution, he felt a sudden darkness before his eyes when he stood up. It took a few moments for the darkness to subside.

"I'll come see you again in a while, Obito..."

After saying that, Kakashi picked up the bucket, turned around, and walked towards the gate of the cemetery.

His silhouette was lonely and desolate. It was hard to imagine why a child of Kakashi's age would be shrouded in such a dense aura of death.

After a long, long time, a pitch-black void suddenly appeared in the air in front of Lin's tomb. As the space rotated and twisted, a figure wearing a tiger-striped mask and a black robe suddenly appeared in front of the tombstone.

After staring for a moment in the direction Kakashi had left, the man squatted down, grabbed the flowers in front of Rin's grave, and threw them aside with all his might.

"What right does someone who failed to fulfill my request and protect Lin have to come see Lin?!"

A deep, guttural roar rose from beneath the mask; the words seemed to be blaming Kakashi, but also to berate himself...

"Minato-sensei..."

"Even the Hokage couldn't protect Rin!"

A crimson light shone from the single eye on the mask, and Obito Uchiha's emotions surged, causing his control over his own chakra to weaken.

When members of the Uchiha clan experience intense emotional fluctuations, a different kind of chakra is generated in their brains, and the power of their Sharingan also increases accordingly.

However, at that very moment, a complex rune-like seal suddenly appeared on the ground beneath the masked man's feet. As Obito Uchiha's chakra appeared, the seal rapidly expanded.

"This is...."

Sensing something amiss, Obito Uchiha quickly looked down. In the next instant, the light bursting from the cursed seal enveloped him, and Obito Uchiha vanished from the cemetery.

...

In a cave within Konoha's territory, Minato, who was preparing for Kushina's childbirth, seemed to sense something. His expression turned solemn, and he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In the next instant, Minato disappeared into the cave.

...

The moment the cursed seal in the Konoha Cemetery was activated, Shinichi Hyuga, who was training at the Hyuga clan's territory, seemed to sense it as well.

Having trained in sensory ninjutsu, he would not suppress his sensory field as long as his chakra was plentiful, in order to hone his abilities. Shinichi Hyuga had obviously noticed the chakra fluctuations in the direction of the cemetery.

And that technique... Shinichi Hyuga is actually quite familiar with it...

"Flying Thunder God Technique... Has the Fourth Hokage's trap been activated?"

...................