The Four Violet Flames Formation, which Hiruzen Sarutobi thought would be enough to contain the Nine-Tails, shattered the instant the beast appeared—with a sharp, echoing crack.
"ROAR!!"
A Tailed Beast bows to no one!
In that moment, the Nine-Tails declared its return to dominion—roaring its resurgence over Konohagakure.
The villagers who had been watching scattered like panicked birds, cursing their parents for not giving them extra legs as they fled in blind terror.
Screams, cries, and wails filled the air.
Konoha was plunged into chaos and despair.
The same villagers who had been praising Danzo moments earlier were now devastated, broken by what they had witnessed.
Some of them refused to accept it.
"No… this can't be real!"
"Lord Danzo… how could he be this kind of person?!"
Their worldview, their faith—everything they believed in—crumbled before their eyes.
And the shame of having supported him just moments ago made them want to dig a hole and disappear.
"DANZO!!"
"You bastard!!"
"You played with our trust!"
"Felt good, didn't it?!"
"Pah! Scumbag! Beast! Worse than a dog!"
"Sob… how could this happen?!"
"I hate this treacherous world!!"
"ROOOAAARR!!"
The newly freed Nine-Tails raised its head to the heavens and bellowed:
"KONOHA!"
"ALL MUST DIE!!"
Lowering its gaze, it lifted its massive paw, ready to crush the people still trapped within the Four Violet Flames Formation.
But just then, Danzo tore the bandages from his right eye—revealing a Sharingan.
"Kotoamatsukami!"
My eyes confirm it—this is the right target.
The newly freed Nine-Tails hadn't even had time to take its revenge before Danzo took control.
Its face froze mid-roar, and its slit pupils spun into three tomoe. The massive fox went completely still.
"You… what do you think you're doing?"
The Orochimaru on the field—Itachi's physical clone—turned grim.
"Nothing more than what's necessary," Danzo replied coldly. "The Nine-Tails is mine now. First, we wipe out Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Uchiha. Then we talk."
He knew that the moment his right eye and right arm had been exposed, any hope of becoming Hokage was gone for good.
Unless he could crush every clan in Konoha by force.
But that was no longer possible.
The Shimura clan was finished.
No one would obey him now.
Even if they did, it would be nothing but hollow obedience—going through the motions.
He had to admit—Hiruzen's plan had worked. He had successfully shattered Danzo's authority.
Now, under the gaze of the entire village, Danzo turned toward Hiruzen with a look of burning hatred.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen!! Why did you force me to this?! You could've just lived quietly… Why did you push me this far?! WHY?!"
Hiruzen: "?"
What the hell did I do?
"DIE! DIE!!" Danzo screamed, ordering the Nine-Tails to strike.
To the heavens above or the depths below—he was killing Hiruzen today. No one in Konoha could stop him. That was his promise.
Victory had been within his grasp.
The Hokage's seat had been just one step away.
But then—the Hyuga clan had intervened.
And exposed everything.
Everything Danzo had worked for unraveled in an instant.
He now hated the Hyuga with a passion—but he hated Hiruzen even more.
Only now did he realize: the Four Violet Flames Formation wasn't meant to trap him.
It was meant to expose him—in front of everyone.
His emotions plunged like a rollercoaster, spiraling into freefall.
He felt like he'd been cast into a bottomless abyss.
Everything he had built, all his prestige—gone.
Danzo knew he would never recover from this.
Those who are destined to fall must first be driven to madness.
Seeing the disgust, hatred, and cold rejection in the villagers' eyes, Danzo's heart turned to ash.
Sarutobi Hiruzen… you win. You didn't just beat me. You destroyed me.
"DIE!!" Danzo roared again.
The ANBU attempting to protect Hiruzen were swatted aside by the Nine-Tails—smashed into blood mist with a single blow.
Hiruzen, already heavily wounded, watched helplessly as his eldest son and daughter-in-law were killed trying to shield him.
His eyes burned red with rage. "DANZO!!"
"Hurry!" Fugaku Uchiha activated his Susanoo, blocking in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, engaging the Nine-Tails in battle.
"Lord Hokage, fall back!"
Itachi and Kakashi appeared beside Hiruzen. One grabbed each of his arms, ready to get him out of there.
"No. I'm the Hokage. I won't run."
Hiruzen pushed them away and stood tall, rejecting their help.
"I stepped down once before. I will not retreat again."
"You're going to use the Reaper Death Seal, aren't you?" Itachi asked, his expression tense.
"...Yes." Hiruzen nodded grimly. "Before the Nine-Tails causes too much destruction—it must be sealed again."
"But too bad for you, old man," came Orochimaru's voice. "You won't get the chance."
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive water dragon surged forward from Orochimaru's direction, crashing toward Itachi and Kakashi—followed by a tsunami of roaring water.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kakashi quickly formed seals and slammed his hand to the ground—raising a protective wall, complete with a familiar dog's head.
The flood was blocked—
—but the area around them was still swamped by water.
"You're not Orochimaru. Who are you?!" Hiruzen demanded, standing atop the water's surface.
He'd been fighting this "Orochimaru" for some time now—and something didn't add up.
Not once had the man used a snake-based technique.
Only close combat and Water Style.
That wasn't Orochimaru.
"Does it matter?" the imposter said, licking his lips before commanding Minato to attack again.
"Flying Thunder God!"
"Rasengan!"
Minato suddenly shot out from beneath the water's surface, aiming straight for Hiruzen.
"Lord Third, look out!"
Itachi and Kakashi couldn't intercept in time—they could only watch as the Rasengan closed in.
BOOM!
At the last moment, the Adamantine Staff appeared—blocking the blow.
BANG!
An explosion of force sent Hiruzen flying, slamming him into the ground.
Enma the Monkey King took the hit in his place—his chest torn open, a gaping hole where his heart had been.
"ENMA!!"
Hiruzen knelt beside his companion, tears streaming down his face as Enma gasped his last breath.
Looking out across the wreckage of the Leaf, filled with flames, water, and screams—Hiruzen's heart sank into despair.
Is Konoha… truly going to fall by my hands tonight?
What else can I do?
Even if he wanted to use the Reaper Death Seal, the reanimated Minato—with his lightning-fast Flying Thunder God—would never give him the opportunity.
And with his body this battered, what could he even accomplish?
Was this how it all ended?
"Lord Hokage, don't give up!"
Itachi and Kakashi stood in front of him.
"If only we had someone who could fight Minato," Kakashi muttered.
"I have a way," Itachi said suddenly.
"What way?" Hiruzen asked.
"Reanimation Jutsu." Itachi answered, solemn.
"You want to reanimate the Second Hokage?" Hiruzen guessed. Tobirama had the Flying Thunder God; he might stand a chance.
"No, it's Sensei's wife—Lady Kushina," Itachi said seriously.
"Sensei's wife?" Kakashi was stunned. Since when was Kushina your sensei's wife?
"Wait—did you finish developing the Edo Tensei technique this afternoon?" Hiruzen asked, shocked.
"Not completely. But I did try it once earlier—it should be enough." Itachi said confidently.
"Alright. Do it. Kakashi and I will cover you."
Hiruzen clenched his jaw.
Earlier that day, he'd handed the Edo Tensei scroll to Itachi and Kakashi, hoping for a miracle.
He never imagined Itachi would actually make it work.
So this… is what it means to be a genius.
Itachi pulled out the scroll, and with practiced precision, began weaving the necessary hand signs.