"No wonder you're the Fourth Hokage… you found me."
In a corner of the Forest of Death, Minato Namikaze battled the cloaked man in black.
He had already rescued Kushina Uzumaki. But with the Nine-Tails separated from its jinchūriki for so long, Kushina's death was all but inevitable.
For the sake of everyone in the village, Minato had no time to grieve. He could only swallow the pain and keep fighting.
Someone who could ignore Konoha's barrier and enter and leave freely… someone who could slaughter Anbu directly under the Third Hokage's command… someone who could summon the Nine-Tails…
In Minato's understanding, only one person fit that impossible profile.
"You're… Madara Uchiha?"
"No—he's been dead for years!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Minato rejected the idea himself.
The mysterious man lifted his hood and replied casually, "Who knows? Maybe he's still alive."
…
"Whatever—no matter who you are… why would you do this?!"
"If I had to put it into words," the man said, voice flat, "call it a whim… and also something I've planned for a long time. It's for war—and for peace."
…
What a… twisted way of thinking.
Minato tightened his grip on his kunai. He stopped trying to talk.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the Nine-Tails rampaging in the distance.
The village… I'll have to entrust it to the Third Hokage. I need to keep this man here—no matter what.
…
"It's useless," the masked man said. "The Nine-Tails has been set free. You have no hope left."
He strolled forward—and then surged in a blur, closing the distance as their bodies overlapped for a heartbeat.
…
Minato's kunai pierced straight through the man's torso.
At the same instant, chains snapped out and wrapped around Minato.
In that razor-thin moment before disaster, Minato escaped with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
During the brief lull, Minato's mind raced.
…
Just like before—physical attacks were meaningless. The man only became tangible in the instant he attacked.
Which meant—
Victory could only be seized in the exact moment their strikes crossed.
He also seemed to possess some kind of ability that could strip a person of combat capacity on contact.
He would have to avoid being touched at all costs.
The outcome would be decided in a single breath.
Whoever struck first—won.
Flash!
Minato pivoted and threw a kunai. In his right hand, a blue Rasengan formed in an instant.
Whoosh—
The kunai passed through the masked man's head again, and the man's palm reached out—
I win!
Screee—
Space screamed.
At the instant the hand was about to touch him, Minato flickered away and appeared behind the masked man.
The Rasengan slammed down.
BOOM!
The earth erupted as the masked man was driven into the ground.
"This is… Flying Thunder God: Second Step!"
Even as he attacked, Minato had marked the masked man from behind. He flashed in close, curse-like lines extending from his palm.
"Contract Seal—Release!"
…
"That's… the Contract Seal!"
"With this, the Nine-Tails is no longer yours to command."
The battle was decided.
—
—
Unfortunately, even without control, the Nine-Tails did not stop destroying Konoha.
It became even more frenzied.
Decades of imprisonment poured out in a single, catastrophic release.
Boom!!!
Enma's staff extended at terrifying speed, forcing the Nine-Tails out of the village.
"Everyone, follow! Until the Fourth arrives—hold the Nine-Tails back!"
—
And then—
A colossal pillar of light split the night.
Within that radiance, Rayquaza descended.
Its streamlined green dragon body was wrapped in a bright golden aura, tearing through the clouds like a meteor, a brilliant tail of light blazing behind it.
The posture was regal—like order itself made flesh.
So… beautiful.
ROAR!
A roar shook the heavens and announced its arrival.
…
"What… is that?!"
"That pressure—! It's not just the Nine-Tails… what is this monster?!"
In size, Rayquaza was nowhere near one of the Nine-Tails' tails.
But the terror it inspired was identical.
It felt like standing before an irresistible natural disaster.
Rayquaza twisted through the air, as if gathering a mysterious power.
Then people noticed—
A small figure stood atop the serpent-like flying summon's head.
Wind whipped his clothes, revealing the Uchiha clan crest emblazoned upon them.
…
Another Uchiha.
—
"What an absurd summoning…"
Fugaku stared, stunned. He didn't need sensory ninjutsu to understand—Rayquaza's power was visible to the naked eye.
"When did he obtain this kind of strength…?"
"Sora… what have you done…?"
…
Uchiha Sora was surprised as well.
When he learned the Borrowing Platform would lend him Rayquaza, he had assumed it would be the legendary divine beast—the one that ended the conflict between land and sea.
After carefully reading the terms, he realized this was not that deity-bearing Rayquaza.
Which made sense.
Even with the first-time double experience, a mere 1000 points of service could never borrow something of that rank.
But even so—
This was enough.
The crowd snapped out of their shock, voices erupting all at once.
"Uchiha Sora! What are you doing?! We order you to immediately dispel the summoning!"
"Final warning! Disobey, and you will be treated as a traitor—execution on sight!"
"Think about your clan! Are you going to drag the Uchiha into irreversible ruin?!"
It wasn't just Root under Danzō's command.
Even Anbu rescuers were drawn by the disturbance and began converging.
Shisui's expression was complicated as he looked up and called out.
"Sora… you're going to help the village, right?"
"You… will, won't you?"
…
Three hours.
In three hours, Rayquaza—bound entirely to Uchiha Sora's will—would return to its original world.
Or, like any summon, if it sensed imminent death, the contract would end early.
This was a loan.
It would not die for him.
He had to solve everything within that window.
Uchiha Sora lowered his body, palm pressed to Rayquaza's head, issuing an order through their linked consciousness.
…
Against Root—led by Danzō Shimura—
Use Dragon Pulse.
ROAR!
Rayquaza let out a long cry. Emerald light surged across its body, energy flowing between its scales like liquid aurora.
In the next instant—
A brilliant blue beam wrapped in the phantom of a dragon burst forth. The air shrieked under the overload of power.
"Protect Danzō-sama!!"
"He's really attacking—! The Uchiha's treason is now fact!"
"Sora! What are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!"
To openly strike at the Hokage's advisor—
Even if the Uchiha were beloved, this would still be judged as treason.
—
BOOOOOOM!!!!!
The beam detonated with world-shaking force. A ring-shaped shockwave exploded outward, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
The ground cracked in spiderweb fractures. The ripples of power even warped the air itself.
…
Rayquaza hovered steadily in midair, its long tail swaying lazily through the aftershock, eyes filled with contemptuous dominance.
Through the feedback of their link, Sora felt it—
A thrill.
Rayquaza enjoyed destruction.
Its temperament was harsh—likely the troublemaker of its kind.
…
As the dust cleared, Danzō Shimura stood amid the ruins, staring up at Uchiha Sora.
A thin, cold smile curled at his lips.
"So you finally can't hold back anymore. Is this your secret weapon?"
…
"Who gave you permission to look up, trash?"
In this moment, Uchiha Sora and Rayquaza were one. Power roared through his veins.
The mask he had worn—his gentle pretense—tore away completely.
And his disgust for Danzō was absolute.