While still within Konoha, Uchiha Sora had needed to worry about the safety of his clan. Aside from the opening Dragon Pulse, Rayquaza's subsequent attacks had all been carefully controlled by him.
Now—
There were no restraints.
ROAR!!!
Rayquaza unleashed a sky-splitting roar. A massive sphere of energy blasted from its maw, shooting straight into the heavens.
BOOM!!!!
The sphere exploded midair like a firework of annihilation. Countless beams rained down upon Uchiha Obito's position.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!
The sky trembled.
The earth wailed.
Rayquaza ascended high above, emerald scales crackling with lightning. Its elongated body writhed through the air, each sweep of its tail tearing burning scars across the atmosphere.
After the endless rain of light—
Azure energy condensed before its mouth, twisting into a warped vortex.
FWOOM!!!
A colossal beam surged outward. The cumulonimbus clouds were vaporized instantly, revealing a savage crimson sky beyond.
Where Hyper Beam passed, mountains collapsed. The ground was scorched into abyssal craters. Shockwaves ripped through the forest, uprooting trees over a hundred meters tall.
The forest became a sea of flames.
Rayquaza roared and dove. The gale from its claws sent shattered stone and splintered timber flying. Rings of energy rotated at blinding speed around its body.
The next instant—
FWOOM!!!!
Dozens of Hyper Beams poured down like torrential rain, carving intersecting ravines across the earth. Molten rock and debris erupted skyward as though the apocalypse had arrived.
…
Rayquaza's eyes burned with manic crimson light.
It was ecstatic.
In its own world, there had never been such freedom to destroy.
Among its kind, this Rayquaza was still young—overflowing with energy that had never found release.
That was why it had answered the unknown summons and crossed time and space.
As for this human who had formed a contract with it—
Unlike the timid youths of its world—
This boy…
Was a lunatic perfectly aligned with its appetite for destruction.
…
Only now did Rayquaza display the true majesty of the Sovereign of the Skies.
—
The onslaught lasted for dozens of minutes.
The distant Uchiha clan members stared in stunned silence.
Even shinobi in Konoha, far away, could see the cataclysm.
The Nine-Tails' rampage…
Was hardly more terrifying than this.
…
When the land had been reduced to scorched wasteland, life utterly extinguished, Rayquaza exhaled a plume of white vapor and ceased its assault.
It looked like a boy entering post-battle clarity—thoroughly satisfied.
Sora scanned the battlefield.
No sign of Uchiha Obito.
Dead?
Unlikely.
He must have fled.
After experiencing that, Obito would not dare provoke him again anytime soon.
Sora needed to extract maximum value from Rayquaza's remaining time.
In simple terms—
He needed to borrow the tiger's might.
He knew Rayquaza was borrowed.
No one else did.
To them, it was simply his summon.
—
By ancient survival law—
The weak must disguise themselves as strong to earn time to grow.
The strong disguise themselves as weak to approach and devour.
After tonight, Sora would need considerable time to accumulate Reputation Points before facing the next crisis.
Until then, he was merely a somewhat powerful two-tomoe Sharingan user.
He still couldn't defeat Shisui.
Others needed to overestimate him.
Only then would he have space to develop.
—
The massive evaporation gathered into storm clouds. Torrential rain fell, extinguishing the inferno.
Rayquaza's body gradually faded into drifting particles of light.
Before vanishing, it lowered a claw to Sora's head, leaving behind a small emerald sigil.
A contract mark.
Per their agreement, Sora would owe repayment to Rayquaza. If Rayquaza chose not to collect directly, the contract could be transferred through the platform.
A debt of causality.
Borrowed power must be repaid.
Standing in the downpour, Sora gave a wry smile.
He had maintained an image of unwavering trustworthiness for years.
Now, he carried an enormous debt.
…
He looked up and saw the clan running toward him—familiar faces, living, breathing people.
Ah.
It was worth it.
Within his eyes—
The third tomoe slowly emerged.
—
In his previous life, Sora had belonged nowhere.
No family. No home.
Here, his hollow heart had been filled by his parents and his clan.
If the world called him mad—
So be it.
This was where his heart found peace.
—
—
Konoha.
Outside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others could only watch as the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself, using the Reaper Death Seal to divide and seal the Nine-Tails.
Grief flooded their hearts.
…
The barrier shattered.
"Minato…"
Hiruzen's voice broke. In a single night, his temples had turned snow-white.
Like many others, he had believed Minato was the Child of Prophecy Jiraiya sought—the savior of the shinobi world.
And yet—
Minato Namikaze stood bathed in blood, holding his lifeless wife.
He forced a smile through apology and longing as he gazed at the infant in swaddling clothes—his son.
"Third Hokage-sama… Naruto… I leave him to you…"
"What happened… on the village's side?"
Hiruzen cradled Naruto and looked to Fugaku.
In the end, Fugaku did not lie.
"We… the Uchiha clan… have chosen to leave Konoha."
…
"I see…"
Minato gave a faint, bitter smile.
"The one behind tonight's incident… is not among the current Uchiha clan…"
"I suspect…"
"Uchiha Madara… he may still be alive…"
His words grew slower. His breathing faint.
Life ebbed away.
He turned his gaze to Fugaku.
"No matter what… Fugaku… we are comrades of Konoha."
"I'm sorry… I failed to erase the rift between the Uchiha and the village… I'm sorry…"
"I ask you… at least against that enemy… will the Uchiha aid the village?"
Fugaku nodded deeply.
"I promise you, Minato."
"Third Hokage… this is my final Hokage order…"
Minato's eyes blazed for a fleeting moment.
"The Uchiha clan is not defecting."
"They are not to be treated as rogue ninja!"
…
"Farewell… everyone."
…
His proud head finally lowered, resting against the shoulder of the woman he loved.
The Fourth Hokage.
Minato Namikaze.
Dead.
—
In the sudden quiet—
The baby's cries rang loud and clear.
Rain fell steadily across the village,
Washing away the blood and tears of this chaotic night.