The sky, which only moments earlier had been clear and serene, was suddenly swallowed by dense black clouds.
Blinding lightning tore through the heavens, followed by deafening thunder that made the earth tremble.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The frenzied roar of a beast exploded in everyone's ears. Blood-red chakra condensed, forming a colossal body as massive as a mountain.
Amid clouds of dust and debris, nine tails lashed wildly, blotting out the sky, splitting the earth apart, and plunging the world into chaos.
"W-What is that…?"
"A monster… a monster…"
Cries of despair rang out from the heart of Konoha. People stared in horror at that figure, both godlike and demonic, frozen in fear—so stunned they even forgot to flee.
"Run! Get out of the way!" a desperate shout came from nearby.
BOOM!
A massive building was hurled through the air and crashed into the crowd like a boulder thrown into a pile of tomatoes, splattering blood everywhere.
"The Nine-Tails! The Nine-Tails has gone berserk!"
Cold, overwhelming chakra filled the heavens and the land. That calamity-like figure was seared into everyone's memory, becoming a recurring nightmare that would haunt them for many years to come.
"Such terrifying chakra…" Yuzuru murmured as he stared at the enormous crimson silhouette, deeply shaken. "The First Hokage… just what kind of monster did he have to be to suppress something like this?"
Only by witnessing it firsthand could one truly grasp the Nine-Tails' overwhelming power.
The ninjas' attacks were laughably insignificant—like tossing pebbles into the ocean, unable to raise even a ripple.
ROAR!
The Nine-Tails vented its hatred and fury without restraint. Its enormous claws swept through the village, flinging entire blocks into the air before smashing them back down upon the ground—and the people below.
The nine tails rose high and slammed down again and again, carving deep trenches into the earth with every impact.
In only a few short moments, through just a handful of simple movements, the number of casualties had already reached the thousands.
"Nine-Tails, over here!"
"Look this way, damn it!"
"I'll never forgive you!"
One group of ninjas after another leapt into the air, launching their strongest attacks.
Shuriken, kunai, countless ninjutsu techniques—
BANG!
With a casual swipe, the Nine-Tails swatted them aside like flies, slaughtering them instantly. Even elite jōnin were utterly powerless.
"How can this be…?"
"Why does something like this exist in the world…?"
"Damn it… damn it…"
"Dad! Mom!" a child's anguished cries rang out beside the corpse of a fallen ninja.
"Even Jōnin Umino has been killed…"
"Take the wounded away! Protect the civilians!"
"Follow me! We have to stall the Nine-Tails and buy time for the evacuation!"
Orders and shouts echoed throughout the village.
In the face of a monster that size, numbers no longer mattered.
And yet, squads of ninjas continued to charge forward, one after another, like moths flying into a flame.
They knew their efforts were futile. Still, they were willing to give their lives—to draw the Nine-Tails' attention and buy precious seconds for the civilians to escape.
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"
From high above the village, an aged yet powerful roar resounded.
A puff of white smoke appeared, revealing a massive monkey with white fur and beard, arms crossed, his expression grave as he stared at the Nine-Tails.
"The seal has been broken? What happened, Hiruzen?"
"There's no time to explain! We must drive it out of the village! Transform into the Adamantine Staff!" Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted.
"Understood! Leave it to me!"
Enma leapt into the air and transformed into an enormous golden staff, landing firmly in Hiruzen's hands.
"Let's go, Enma! Extend!"
The staff rapidly lengthened and slammed into the Nine-Tails' abdomen.
In the next instant, a terrifying force erupted.
BOOOOM!
The Nine-Tails' colossal body was blasted backward, carving a massive trench across the ground.
The staff continued to extend, pushing the beast all the way to the edge of Konoha, smashing through the village wall and finally stopping in the vast forest beyond.
"It's the Third!"
"The Third Hokage has taken action!"
"We did it! The Nine-Tails has been driven out!"
The villagers couldn't help but cheer in relief.
The staff shrank back. Hiruzen bent over, bracing himself on the ground with one hand, breathing heavily.
"You're getting weaker, Hiruzen," Enma's deep voice rumbled.
"I'm already old, Enma…"
At that moment, several figures appeared around him.
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh of relief when he recognized them: members of the ANBU, along with his old comrades—Mito Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Akimichi Torifu.
Homura held a massive scroll in his arms. Shock was written clearly across Koharu's and Torifu's faces.
"What happened, Hiruzen? How did the Nine-Tails escape?" Torifu asked gravely, staring at the distant silhouette.
"Something went wrong on Kushina's side. There's no time to investigate now. Our top priority is resealing the Nine-Tails. Homura, prepare the sealing formula. Koharu, Torifu, help me suppress it."
"It was the Uchiha."
A cold voice suddenly cut through the air.
Danzō emerged from the shadows, leaning on his cane, surrounded by Root operatives.
"Have you all grown so old you can't see clearly anymore? Can't you see the Mangekyō Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes?"
"Danzō… what are you implying?" Hiruzen turned toward him. He had seen the Sharingan as well, but he refused to believe the Uchiha were responsible.
"This is a rebellion! Just like Madara in the past, the Uchiha are controlling the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha! Immediate action must be taken!"
The two advisors exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines.
It wasn't an impossible scenario…
Knowledge of Kushina's pregnancy…
Access through Uchiha Mikoto…
A hidden Mangekyō…
A perfectly timed strike…
The Uchiha had a long history of rebellion: Madara during the First Hokage's era, Setsuna during the Second's, unrest during the Third's ascension, and even coup rumors after Fugaku's defeat in the competition for Fourth Hokage.
"Hiruzen!" Koharu cried out anxiously.
"We cannot yet conclude that this was the Uchiha's doing," Hiruzen said firmly.
"How long will you hesitate?! If we don't act now, this will become a catastrophe!" Danzō pressed harshly.
Hiruzen pointed toward the ruins behind him.
"Look at the state of the village. Look at the wounded and the dead. Whoever controlled the Nine-Tails will be hated by everyone."
"Yes, the Uchiha covet the Hokage's seat. But can someone despised by the entire village ever become Hokage?"
"They don't have that kind of resolve… nor that kind of power."
Danzō snorted coldly.
"That clan has always been arrogant and unstable. You can't judge them by common logic."
"Enough, Danzō. I am—" Hiruzen stopped himself, suddenly remembering that he was no longer the acting Hokage.
He cleared his throat and turned to a nearby ANBU operative.
"Elephant. Go to the Uchiha clan and order them to dispatch forces to deal with the Nine-Tails."
"Yes, Third Hokage!"
The ANBU vanished in a flash.
"If they obey the order," Hiruzen said gravely, "then this incident has nothing to do with them."
Without wasting another second, he led the group toward the Nine-Tails.
Danzō watched his retreating back, eyes cold and sharp.
"You're growing soft, Hiruzen… Just wait. I'll show you proof of the Uchiha's rebellion."
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