Chapter 94: Seal Release, Nine-Tails Appears
Three days passed quietly. The excitement in Konoha surrounding the return of the Third Hokage and the others gradually faded, and the villagers slowly returned to their normal daily lives.
On the surface, Konoha looked no different from usual, but beneath it, the entire village had been completely locked down and monitored by Anbu ninja. They prevented any outside ninja from infiltrating while simultaneously keeping watch over every corner and movement within Konoha.
The most heavily monitored area was the Uchiha clan compound. On this particular day, every member of the Uchiha clan had been ordered to remain confined inside their compound—no matter what happened, no one was allowed to act rashly.
After all, transferring a tailed beast between jinchūriki was an extremely critical matter. The slightest mistake could cause the transfer to fail, putting Konoha at risk of being attacked by a rampaging Nine-Tails.
Night quietly fell. A pale red moon hung high in the Konoha sky. The atmosphere was gloomy and eerie, filled with an ominous feeling.
Several kilometers outside Konoha, a group of powerful ninja had completely surrounded a cave in the center. Every face wore a solemn expression.
Inside the cave, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood together with Ling Yu and Tsunade. Lying on the stone bed in front of them were two female figures.
One was the frail, elderly current Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito. The other was the next Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Uzumaki Rinne, whose eyes were tightly closed and body trembled slightly.
After three days of protection and being taught extensive knowledge about jinchūriki, Uzumaki Rinne now appeared for the Nine-Tails transfer ceremony.
"Ling Yu—if the Nine-Tails breaks free, how confident are you that you can suppress it?"
As the time drew near, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Ling Yu once again with a grave expression.
"I've already told you how many times—if you don't trust me, I'll leave right now. You can fight the Nine-Tails yourself."
Ling Yu gave a sidelong glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was staring at him, and spoke with clear impatience.
Hiruzen had asked him this question no fewer than ten times already. Seriously—if he was so afraid, why didn't he bring more powerful ninja?
"Alright, Sensei is just nervous about the possibility of an accident."
Tsunade stepped forward to explain when she saw Hiruzen's face stiffen.
After several days of adjustment, Tsunade had gradually regained her composure. She knew today was an extremely special occasion and that she absolutely could not let emotions take over.
Otherwise, she would fail Uzumaki Mito's trust and put the villagers of Konoha in danger.
She—Senju Tsunade—did not want to personally witness the village her grandfather had built with his own hands be destroyed under her watch.
"Who told him to keep asking how confident I am? Asking over and over like that—it's making me irritated. If I can't use Wood Release properly later and fail to control the Nine-Tails, causing it to go berserk, don't blame me."
Ling Yu ignored Tsunade's explanation and continued to jab at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Ahem… then I won't ask anymore. The time is almost here. Let's begin."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face became even more awkward. Not wanting the situation to drag on, he cleared his throat and walked toward Uzumaki Mito. When he reached the stone bed, he bowed deeply and said:
"Lady Mito, the time has come. From here on, we must trouble you."
"Very well. I'm ready."
Uzumaki Mito nodded solemnly toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. In the final second before closing her eyes, she looked once more at Tsunade and Ling Yu standing together with loving affection.
It was as though she wanted to etch their images firmly into her mind.
"Grandma…"
Seeing this scene, Tsunade's body began to tremble slightly. When the death of a loved one finally arrived, even this strong woman could not face it. Tears welled in her eyes as she silently turned her head away.
"Big Sis, don't worry. I'll always be by your side."
Noticing her abnormality, Ling Yu tightly grasped Tsunade's hand and spoke softly to comfort her.
"Mm."
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Tsunade gave a gentle smile. The sadness in her heart gradually dissipated.
Indeed—in this world, she still had one last family member, one who would always stay by her side.
"Four Symbols Seal – Release!"
At the same moment, chakra began to gather inside Hiruzen Sarutobi. He formed hand seals and pressed them against Uzumaki Mito's abdomen.
An evil, dense scarlet chakra immediately erupted from Uzumaki Mito's body, creating a suffocating pressure felt by every ninja within several kilometers.
In just a few breaths, the cave was filled with the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"Ahhh—Uzumaki Mito! You will never seal me away forever!"
The red chakra gradually emerged from Uzumaki Mito's abdomen. Guided by her, the Nine-Tails chakra struggled and surged toward Rinne.
As the Nine-Tails chakra poured out, Uzumaki Mito's life force slowly began to fade. Her strength grew weaker and weaker.
"Nine-Tails, your power is far too evil. Too many people in the ninja world covet your strength. Sealing you away is for your own good."
While separating the Nine-Tails, Uzumaki Mito spoke to it breathlessly, trying to persuade it.
"Nonsense! This great Nine-Tails fears no petty weaklings. You just want to keep me chained to your Konoha forever—use me as your weapon!"
Having been imprisoned for so long, how could the Nine-Tails possibly believe Mito's words? It snorted coldly and spoke with fury.
"Ahhh! Once I'm free, I will flatten your Konoha!"
Immediately afterward, furious roars echoed from within the cave. The Nine-Tails struggled harder and harder.
"Pfft—"
At that moment, the Nine-Tails chakra surged violently once more. Uzumaki Mito—already extremely weakened—couldn't react in time. She coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and fainted.
Seizing this perfect opportunity, the Nine-Tails chakra exploded outward. The Four Symbols Seal shattered instantly. In the next moment, the Nine-Tails chakra surged forth like a tsunami.
"Quick—everyone, evacuate the cave! Non-combatants, fall back three kilometers! We'll contain the Nine-Tails—"
The sudden outburst of the Nine-Tails chakra caught everyone off guard. Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately realized things had gone wrong. He rushed out of the cave and shouted urgently to the surrounding ninja.
"Big Sis, take Rinne and get far away from here. Leave the rest to us."
Seeing the Nine-Tails about to break free, Ling Yu quickly used Space Power to send both girls out of the cave and to a safe location.
"Mm. Be careful."
Tsunade tightly held Uzumaki Rinne—who was trembling all over with fear from the Nine-Tails' violent chakra—and nodded worriedly toward Ling Yu.
"Don't worry. A mere Nine-Tails can't harm me."
Ling Yu gave a confident smile, then swiftly turned around. His slender figure floated into the air and slowly flew toward the battlefield.
At that moment, a furious roar that shook heaven and earth rang out. The Nine-Tails—sealed for decades—had finally broken free.
"ROAR—Uzumaki Mito! In the end, you still couldn't trap me forever! Today, I will make the Konoha you love so dearly be completely destroyed by my hand!"
Over fifty meters tall and hundreds of meters long, the Nine-Tails burst through the cave. Its massive form appeared before the eyes of every Konoha ninja. Its nine fifty-meter-long tails swayed casually, completely blocking the giant moon above Konoha.
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