"That is… the Three-Tails?"
Only after staring blankly at the Tailed Beast Bomb exploding in the village did Mei Terumi finally snap back and realize what was happening.
The Three-Tails was rampaging through the village.
"Run!"
"What's happening?"
"It's the Three-Tails, damn it, why did this thing suddenly appear? We have to stop it fast!!"
RUMBLE!
The enormous Tailed Beast smashed surrounding houses with its tail and body; falling rubble and collapsing roofs crushed fleeing shinobi into pieces.
"Protect the civilians, stop it!"
As always, where there was flight there were also hot-headed people recklessly throwing themselves at the beast.
With just a glance, those shinobi were struck and flung away like kites with cut strings by the maddened Three-Tails.
"Damn it, why is this happening all of a sudden?"
"Wasn't Yagura not dead yet?"
Watching Mist shinobi fly out and the village's newly rebuilt structures become ruins again, Mei Terumi clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms.
She stomped forward, about to charge at the Three-Tails and organize shinobi for a sealing.
But Aoba pressed her down on the spot.
"Mei-nee, leave the Three-Tails to me. You go to the forest in the east, the mastermind is there!"
Before Mei could answer, he streaked toward the Three-Tails like a bolt of light.
The next moment, a breathless Kirigakure shinobi burst in.
"Mizukage-sama… Lord Yagura suddenly collapsed and died, and the Three-Tails suddenly appeared in the village…"
BOOM!
No sooner had the messenger finished speaking than another thunderous roar reached them.
The Three-Tails, which had been howling skyward, was struck by a beam of light and blown dozens of meters back, closing its mouth.
The beam hung in midair, the figure within wrapped in purple light, strikingly bright against the dark.
Even the reporting shinobi gaped.
Mei Terumi's mouth twitched; she wasn't especially shocked that Aoba had driven the Three-Tails back. She had seen him handle the Two-Tails single-handedly before.
"Aoba, immediately summon all the Jonin teams and then come with me to the eastern forest."
"Ah?"
Aoba froze for a moment, 'Isn't the priority the Three-Tails?'
Although who released the beast was unknown, to prevent the village from suffering massive new loss they must first consider resealing the Tailed Beast.
'Why head to the eastern forest?'
"Hurry and do it!"
Seeing Aoba still dazed, Mei raised her voice a few tones.
"Yes!"
Though Aoba didn't fully understand Mei's aim, she wouldn't harm the village. At a time like this, he would only obey orders.
Mei had planned to go after the mastermind herself, but she didn't fully know the opponent's strength, and her condition was a bit weak, her legs shaky. Going alone could lead to mistakes.
So to be safe, she would use the field advantage.
As for the Tailed Beast, Aoba would handle it.
Kirigakure's Jonin were few and were quickly rallied.
"The Tailed Beast will be handled. The mastermind is in the eastern woods. We go find them now!"
After saying this, Mei Terumi led the gathered Jonin toward the target.
———
"So dead so quickly? This Mizukage is lame. When Kushina used to be the mother of the Nine-Tails, she was—"
Even when stripped of a Tailed Beast, one could cling to life for a while longer.
There was even hope to take the Nine-Tails down with them.
But this Yagura's Tailed Beast was stripped and he died outright.
Perched leisurely in a large tree, a masked Uchiha sat silently watching the nearby Mist Village being ravaged by the maddened Three-Tails.
His mood had not been this good for a long time.
He had been manipulating Yagura for over ten years and had tampered with the Three-Tails.
Now Yagura's life was like a candle in the wind.
It was about time he died; the Three-Tails' seal had also loosened, so he came in person.
He used a summoning contract to call it forth.
After the village and the summoned beast weakened each other, he would come out to take advantage.
Originally Uchiha Obito hadn't planned this.
But now that he had lost both arms, relying on ninjutsu only through Deidara, and tormented constantly by bone-deep pain like parasitic maggots, his strength was far less than before.
Eye techniques were common knowledge now; practically all the Five Great Shinobi Villages knew.
Most importantly, Nagato's control.
He hadn't appeared before Nagato in a long time. When Black Zetsu last went to see Nagato, he left the Zetsu core there and slipped out.
Thus the Moon's Eye Plan couldn't proceed, and he couldn't create a world with "Rin" in it.
He didn't originally know that Nagato was a crucial part of the Moon's Eye Plan.
So he had to pacify him again. Akatsuki still didn't have a single Tailed Beast.
The Three-Tails was his card.
It could display his strength, intimidate others, and seize the initiative.
Obito slowly stood, looking at the Mist before him, just like Konoha had been over a decade ago.
"Such a pity. Tonight's moon is not as red as it was then."
It was now deep night; a pale full moon hung in the sky.
The Three-Tails' huge body roared angrily beneath that moon.
"Useless struggle."
"This world is like this, full of falsehood, without hope or light; only despair remains."
Watching those Mist shinobi swept away trying to resist the Three-Tails and ordinary people trampled by the beast, Obito let out a faint, relieved smile.
However, thinking of Konoha brought back many unpleasant memories and his brow tightened.
His rare good mood soured.
He didn't quite understand why every time he went to Konoha he encountered so many problems, as if that village was fated to bring him misfortune.
Ten-odd years ago, after gaining the Mangekyo Sharingan, he entered Konoha for the first time. How vibrant he had felt then, by chance he learned from Kakashi the time of Kushina Uzumaki's delivery; fortune seemed to favor him. Though he nearly died under Minato Namikaze's Rasengan, he still walked away.
That vigor, the world bursting into life, was still before his eyes.
A few years later, that place nearly became his grave.
He once thought three Mangekyo would be his advantage—
But then… huh?
Before he finished reminiscing, he saw the Three-Tails repelled by a purple-tinged figure.
Soon after, many Mist shinobi rushed toward him.
He had been discovered so quickly?
Obito was startled.
He tried to use Kamui to escape, but a light barrier crossed before him.
'I can't move?'
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