The situation spiraled out of control.
Yes—completely out of control.
If it were ordinary shinobi attacking Konoha, most people wouldn't panic too badly. After all, Konoha was the strongest village in the shinobi world.
But this wasn't ordinary.
The Nine-Tails had appeared.
That alone shattered what most civilians could mentally endure—and even many shinobi started to lose their composure.
"Quick—report to the Hokage!"
"The Nine-Tails is out! Move the civilians somewhere safe!"
"Damn it! We have to stop it!"
"…"
At that moment, Konoha's ANBU were the first to snap out of their shock.
They split into three squads:
One squad to stall the Nine-Tails
One squad to evacuate civilians
And the last squad… headed straight for Hiruzen Sarutobi
Needless to say, that last group were Hiruzen's personal loyalists.
In a crisis like this, they stopped pretending. They went to their real master.
As for the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato?
Most of them had never truly sworn their hearts to him.
But the truth was, Hiruzen already knew.
He wasn't blind.
Standing atop a rooftop in the Sarutobi compound, he only needed a single look to see the Nine-Tails rampaging through the village.
"Damn it… how did the Nine-Tails get out?"
Hiruzen's face was grim.
He remembered clearly: tonight was the day Kushina Uzumaki was giving birth. Minato had made thorough preparations.
So this meant only one thing—
something had gone wrong.
Then Hiruzen's eyes narrowed sharply, as if he'd noticed something that made his blood run cold.
"Wait… that chakra…"
"The Nine-Tails is being controlled by… Sharingan."
Sharingan.
Uchiha.
For an instant, Hiruzen's thoughts roared like a storm.
What are they trying to do?
But only a few seconds later—
his expression shifted again.
"…Hold on. The Uchiha don't actually gain anything by unleashing the Nine-Tails like this."
And in that hesitation, a thought slid into place—quiet, sharp, and ugly.
Whether it truly was the Uchiha or not…
this could still become an opportunity.
Minato's influence had been growing too quickly. His "wings" had hardened.
Tonight would be a test.
A test of whether Minato's so-called Will of Fire was real—or merely convenient.
Hiruzen stared at the beast tearing Konoha apart.
And strangely… he wasn't furious.
In his eyes, something like anticipation surfaced.
"Minato…"
"I'll be watching your performance."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
A series of rapid movements landed behind him.
More than twenty Elite ANBU appeared at once.
Hiruzen didn't turn. His voice was calm—coldly practical.
"Do not act yet."
"Let Minato's people throw themselves in first."
Then he continued, issuing orders like pieces on a board:
"Send word—evacuate civilians and the younger generation immediately."
"And have Danzō lead Root to the Konoha Military Police Force."
"Do not allow the Police Force to mobilize."
"Understood."
The ANBU captain gave a crisp nod.
In an instant, the squad vanished to carry out the commands.
Hiruzen watched the burning horizon.
"Uchiha…"
"Don't blame me."
"Even if you didn't do this… you'll wear the blame all the same."
Whoosh.
Hiruzen launched toward the disaster zone.
Time to "lead from the front."
After all, the Third Hokage was supposed to be the one who stood first.
At the same moment—
the first wave of ANBU had already reached the Nine-Tails.
They faced the beast head-on.
Their hearts were shaking. Their bodies wanted to run.
But they attacked anyway.
Ninjutsu. Kunai. Explosive tags.
Everything they had.
And it did nothing.
The Nine-Tails swung a claw—
and dozens of Konoha shinobi were sent flying like scraps of paper, smashed into the ground with bone-breaking force. The impact made the earth tremble.
Their attacks?
They were less than scratches—barely enough to irritate it.
The aftermath was brutal.
Dead.
Broken.
Coughing blood.
A scattered field of despair.
The gap was too wide.
Against the Nine-Tails, they were simply too small.
The beast roared again and continued its destruction, tearing through Konoha with wild joy.
Then—
Crack… crack…
The sound of air shattering echoed.
Before everyone's eyes, the Nine-Tails abruptly stopped.
Centered on its massive body—
the air itself looked like it was breaking apart…
forming visible fractures, spiderwebbing outward through the space around it.
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