Chapter 267 – The Nine-Tails (Part II)
"Good… Yes. March straight toward Konoha."
Uchiha Obito's voice was calm but filled with quiet malice.
His Sharingan gleamed like blood in the moonlight as he gazed at the monstrous Nine-Tailed Fox,
its fanged maw curled in fury beneath the night sky.
Satisfied, he turned away, the massive beast lumbering behind him like a living cataclysm.
Then—he paused.
From behind came the faint sound of movement.
Obito stopped and slowly turned his head.
There, against all odds, Uzumaki Kushina was struggling to rise.
Her body trembled violently, her chakra nearly gone—
but she still forced herself up from the stone ground, clutching her abdomen where the seal had burst.
For a moment, even Obito was impressed.
"As expected… of the Uzumaki clan," he said coldly, without turning fully to face her.
"Such remarkable vitality. To survive after having a Tailed Beast ripped from your body… impressive.
But…"
He stopped mid-sentence, then turned his masked face toward her.
His Sharingan burned bright red beneath the silver light.
"But since you were the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—
it's only fitting that you die by its hand."
At his command, the Nine-Tails' eyes—now burning with the same Sharingan pattern—narrowed.
With a guttural roar, the beast raised one colossal paw—
and brought it crashing down.
The ground split apart. Stone pillars crumbled into dust.
The cave shook violently as debris filled the air.
Obito glanced aside, then lifted his gaze toward a distant treetop—
where he felt another chakra signature approaching.
He tilted his head slightly, an amused smile curling under his mask.
"So… you've arrived, have you?"
He sighed. "As expected of the Yellow Flash."
---
Above the shattered trees, Minato Namikaze appeared in a flicker of golden light,
holding the weakened Kushina in his arms.
His face was pale, his expression grim.
Before him loomed the Nine-Tails, and in his arms—his dying wife.
Even as despair churned in his chest, Minato forced himself to stay calm.
He could not falter.
Not now.
"Minato…"
Kushina's voice was fragile, almost breaking.
She clutched his sleeve weakly, her eyes searching his face.
"Naruto… Is Naruto safe?"
A faint smile crossed Minato's lips.
"He's safe. Don't worry—he's somewhere secure."
That single reassurance eased the fear in her eyes,
if only a little.
"Minato, please… stop that man.
He's controlling the Nine-Tails—he's going to destroy Konoha!"
Her voice grew urgent.
Even as her strength failed, her spirit remained unbroken.
Minato's eyes hardened.
He didn't respond—just turned his gaze to the monstrous fox,
and the man commanding it from afar.
Then, in an instant, he vanished with Kushina in his arms.
---
Obito watched the flash of light fade and gave a small chuckle.
"He escaped again… It doesn't matter. The game's already begun."
His Sharingan spun once more.
The Nine-Tails roared in answer,
and with a tremor that split the night,
it began its march toward Konoha.
---
At the Namikaze residence, a golden flare illuminated the dimly lit room.
Minato appeared, still cradling Kushina, and carried her gently to the bedroom.
He laid her down beside their newborn son, who slept peacefully, oblivious to the chaos outside.
Kushina's hand trembled as she reached toward Naruto, tears glistening in her eyes.
Her lips quivered, trying—and failing—to form a smile.
Minato looked down at them both.
A pang of sorrow struck deep, but he forced it away.
There was no time for grief.
Not yet.
"Rest here," he said softly, his voice trembling despite himself.
"Stay with Naruto. When you wake up… everything will be okay."
He turned away, pulling open the closet.
A white cloak hung within—its hem embroidered with red flames.
He slipped it on.
Under the light, five bold characters gleamed: "Fourth Hokage".
"Minato…" Kushina's voice was faint, barely a whisper.
"You're leaving… aren't you?"
"Yes."
He turned to her with a calm smile.
"As your husband—and Naruto's father—it was my duty to protect you both.
Now… I have to fulfill my duty as Hokage."
He paused.
"How's the Third Hokage?"
"He fought that man… He was defeated, but not killed," Kushina said weakly.
"He said… he mustn't be allowed to die. Not yet…"
"I understand." Minato nodded.
"Rest now. I'll be back soon."
"Be careful…"
"Don't worry," he said with a faint grin. "I'm the Hokage, remember?"
---
Konoha Village – That Night
The moon hung cold and white over the sleeping village.
For most of Konoha's citizens, it was just another peaceful evening—
filled with laughter, with the sounds of family and warmth.
But beneath that calm veneer,
some shinobi with sharp instincts felt it—
a ripple in the air,
an unease creeping through their chakra.
---
In the Uchiha compound,
Itachi Uchiha held his newborn brother in his arms.
He looked up suddenly,
his heart tightening under an inexplicable chill.
The night felt too still.
Too silent.
His father had gone out hours ago,
and even the police force had been mobilized—
every capable Uchiha called away on urgent duty.
Itachi frowned.
That heavy, suffocating feeling… it couldn't be nothing.
Then the baby in his arms—Sasuke—began to cry.
Loudly, sharply, as if sensing something in the air.
Itachi's expression softened.
He gently rocked the infant in his arms.
"It's okay… Don't cry.
No matter what happens, your brother will protect you."
Sasuke's cries gradually quieted,
but the unease in Itachi's chest only grew heavier.
"Father… Mother… Where are you?
And sensei… Kei… even he's not here tonight…"
---
Elsewhere, Kakashi Hatake stirred, pressing a hand to his neck.
His entire body ached as he struggled to stand.
In front of him, Hiruzen Sarutobi was hunched over, clutching his chest, his breath ragged.
Moments ago, the Nine-Tails had appeared without warning—
a monstrous silhouette tearing through the night,
its claws leveling everything in sight.
Kakashi remembered its talons closing in on him—
and how, in that instant, the Third Hokage had appeared,
pulling him clear of death's reach.
He owed the old man his life.
But that didn't mean he trusted him.
The appearance of the Nine-Tails…
it could only mean something had gone catastrophically wrong with the jinchūriki.
And that jinchūriki—was his sensei's wife.
And the attacker earlier—the man with the Sharingan—
that thought alone twisted something cold inside him.
---
Hiruzen's voice pulled him back.
"Can you still move… Kakashi?"
"…Yes." Kakashi's tone was clipped, distant.
"Good. Return to the village," Hiruzen said, struggling for breath.
"Inform the others. The attacker… is from the Uchiha clan.
He's controlling the Nine-Tails, and its trajectory is headed straight for Konoha."
Kakashi's expression darkened.
"We can't assume it's someone from the clan.
Yes, he had the Sharingan—but that doesn't mean the Uchiha are responsible."
His voice grew firmer.
"I'll report what I've seen, and alert the medical corps.
Please… stay here and rest, Lord Third."
Hiruzen looked up at him with tired eyes.
"I know you've received kindness from the Uchiha.
And I know your connection to Uchiha Kei.
But remember one thing, Kakashi…"
He drew a shaky breath.
"You are a Leaf shinobi first."
Kakashi froze, then gave a slow nod.
"…I know. I always have been."
And with that, he vanished into the night.
---
Meanwhile – Outside Konoha
A swirling distortion in space appeared atop a cliff overlooking the village.
From it stepped a dark figure cloaked in black,
a spiral mask gleaming faintly under the moon.
Obito stood silently for a moment,
staring down at the village's glowing lights.
"Konoha…" he whispered. "Tonight, I'll give you a gift."
He formed a series of rapid seals,
then slammed his hand to the ground.
The summoning array flared red beneath him.
"Summoning Jutsu: Nine-Tails!"
The air split apart with a thunderous roar as the monstrous fox materialized in full,
its hateful chakra radiating like a second sun.
"That should be enough," Obito muttered, watching the chaos unfold below.
---
In the forest, Uchiha Kei stood over the fallen Hyūga brothers,
both unconscious, their bodies bruised and bloodied.
He glanced down at the two pieces of bloodied flesh he'd cut from them earlier—
the price for his "borrowed materials."
"Perfect. That should do."
The fight had been exhausting.
He'd deliberately avoided large-scale ninjutsu to keep attention away,
relying instead on speed, precision, and the overwhelming power of his Mangekyō.
The Hyūga's famed Gentle Fist was formidable,
but against a Sharingan at full bloom—it was not enough.
"Without the Mangekyō, I wouldn't have managed this so easily," he muttered.
Still, he couldn't deny a twinge of respect.
Even cornered, the brothers had fought with stubborn pride.
Now, however, that pride had cost them their freedom—and their blood.
A sudden tremor shook the ground.
Kei's eyes snapped toward the horizon.
A colossal roar split the air—
and from miles away, a red mountain of chakra rose above the forest canopy.
The Nine-Tails.
---
"Impossible…" Hizashi whispered hoarsely, barely conscious.
"You… or your clan… you did this, didn't you!?"
"You attacked us just to hide what was coming…
You wanted our blood for your experiments!" Hiashi shouted through clenched teeth.
Kei ignored them both.
His gaze was locked on the monstrous silhouette beneath the moon.
The ground trembled with every step the beast took.
Even from here, he could feel the taste of iron in the air—
the scent of slaughter.
"So… it's begun," he murmured.
"Everything's proceeding just as before.
Nothing's changed."
He turned back to the brothers.
"Ah well. It's time."
Without another word, he raised his hand and struck both at the neck—swift, clean, precise.
They slumped to the ground.
To be safe, Kei checked their eyes and cast another genjutsu,
ensuring they wouldn't wake—or see.
Then he turned and sprinted toward the rendezvous point.
---
There, Hyūga Ayaka and Imai Kenta were already waiting,
their faces pale as they watched the enormous red chakra in the distance.
Even for seasoned shinobi, the sight of the Nine-Tails was enough to freeze the blood.
"No time to explain," Kei said curtly as he landed, removing his mask and cloak.
"The Fourth Hokage's in trouble.
Assemble the team—we're going to support him.
Ayaka, go retrieve the Hyūga brothers. They're unconscious but alive."
"Understood," Ayaka replied, already moving.
Kenta hesitated, his voice uneasy.
"Kei… forgive me for asking, but Ayaka noticed something—
the Nine-Tails' eyes… they had the Sharingan."
Kei's tone was sharp, cutting through the chaos.
"Not us. Think, Kenta—if it were us, would we have gone through all this effort to protect the Fourth Hokage?
I'm reckless, not stupid."
Ayaka frowned slightly.
"Then… it's one of the missing Uchiha."
"Most likely," Kei said grimly, glancing toward the blazing horizon.
"Whatever the case…
tonight, we fight to keep this village standing."
---
A thunderous roar tore through the air.
The Nine-Tails loomed over Konoha, its tails slicing through buildings like paper.
A wave of crimson chakra erupted, shattering streets and throwing civilians through the air.
Screams filled the night.
"Wh-what is that thing?!"
"No… It can't be—!"
"The Nine-Tails! The Nine-Tails is loose!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
The once-peaceful village descended into chaos—
people running, stumbling, screaming for loved ones as rooftops collapsed around them.
And from the highest tower, overlooking the chaos below,
Uchiha Obito watched it all unfold.
His single red eye glowed faintly behind the mask.
"Good… That's it.
Tonight, Konoha burns."
Obito's lone visible eye glimmered coldly behind his spiral mask.
A faint, disdainful expression tugged at the corner of his lips.
This—
this chaos, this despair—
was the hell he had once witnessed.
And now, he would drag everyone into it.
"Yes… drown in it," he murmured, voice low and hollow.
In his mind, the image of that night long ago still burned—
the night when everything he loved had been reduced to ash.
If this world was destined to breed only pain,
then he would remake it in pain's image.
He raised his hand.
"Nine-Tails… destroy everything."
The order was cold and absolute.
At once, a surge of malevolent chakra burst into the heavens.
The Nine-Tailed Fox howled,
its tails coiling like crimson storms, tearing apart the land beneath its feet.
Buildings shattered.
Stones split.
The air itself quaked under its roar.
The monstrous beast thrashed like an ancient god of ruin,
annihilating everything within reach.
---
In the streets of Konoha, panic exploded.
Stones rained from the collapsing cliffs, crushing homes and scattering people in every direction.
Screams merged with the thunder of destruction—
a symphony of terror echoing through the night.
"Wh-what's happening?!"
"Run! The mountain's collapsing!"
"It's… it's the Nine-Tails!"
The once-peaceful village was engulfed in madness.
Flames spread from fallen lanterns.
Civilians trampled one another as they fled in blind fear.
Konoha—so bright only moments ago—
had become a landscape of fire and shadow.
---
At the base of the Hokage Tower, several clan heads had gathered in emergency assembly.
The first deafening roar from outside froze them in place.
Then they saw it.
From the window, through the smoke and flames, they could see the beast—
the Nine-Tails—looming over the village walls.
But what caught their attention more than its size
were the eyes.
Eyes like blood.
Eyes marked with three tomoe.
The unmistakable sign of the Sharingan.
Dozens of heads turned, all at once—
toward one man.
Uchiha Fugaku.
---
For a moment, the Uchiha patriarch said nothing.
His jaw tightened.
The air in the room turned heavy, suffocating.
No one dared speak,
but their suspicion was palpable.
Finally, Fugaku exhaled, closing his eyes.
"No…" he muttered.
"This… this wasn't us."
He knew what everyone was thinking—
but the truth was even worse.
That the Nine-Tails had been unleashed.
That it was being controlled by someone wielding the Sharingan.
And in that instant, one name flashed in his mind.
Uchiha Kei.
Could it be him?
Both of them—he and Kei—possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And Kei had been delving deep into research on the Eternal Mangekyō…
Had he gone too far?
Fugaku's face darkened.
He wanted to believe otherwise—
and deep down, he knew.
Kei wouldn't do this.
He was one of the key figures who had helped support the Fourth Hokage's rise to power.
There was no reason for him to betray the village now.
If it wasn't Kei… then it could only mean one thing—
someone else, another Uchiha, had survived outside the village.
Someone who bore a grudge strong enough to destroy Konoha.
---
Fugaku drew a deep breath, then raised his voice above the chaos.
"Everyone, listen to me!"
The other clan heads turned.
"I swear on my name—this was not the doing of the Uchiha clan.
Yes, the Nine-Tails bears the Sharingan in its eyes,
but that doesn't mean it's one of us.
Right now, arguing solves nothing!
Instead of suspicion, we need action!"
He slammed his fist against the table.
"If Konoha falls, the Uchiha will perish with it!
We fight together—or we all die together!"
For a heartbeat, the room fell silent.
Then murmurs spread among the gathered leaders.
"He's right…"
"Now's not the time to point fingers."
"If the Nine-Tails isn't stopped soon, there'll be nothing left to save."
---
At last, Nara Shikaku stepped forward, voice calm yet commanding.
"Enough. Fugaku's right."
"Our priority isn't blame—it's survival.
Every second we waste, more people die."
He turned, eyes sweeping across the room.
"We are all Konoha shinobi.
No matter what happens tonight, remember this—
we fight for the same village."
The tension slowly broke.
The leaders nodded one by one, resolve replacing doubt.
Outside, the night burned red under the Nine-Tails' fury.
But within the Hokage Tower,
the clans of Konoha finally began to move as one.
--