The Tailed Beast Bomb Kurama unleashed was no ordinary Tailed Beast Bomb.
Or rather—
That Kurama was no ordinary Kurama.
From the moment its chakra surged outward, it was already completely different from the arrogant, savage Nine-Tails recorded in history—one that knew nothing but slaughter.
This was a higher, more ordered, more will-driven "power of destruction."
Because this Nine-Tails was born from Ryota himself.
It was a terrifying beast that carried all the "hacks" hidden within Ryota's body.
Now, it stood at the edge of the Uchiha Clan Grounds, nine tails swaying irregularly in the air.
Its eyes held no rage, no madness—only suffocating, ice-cold reason.
The shockwave from the Tailed Beast Bomb sent rolling waves of heat and pressure crashing outward.
In mere moments, the ground was torn apart, stones turned to dust, flesh mingled with scorched soil, and blood rained down across the battlefield.
This wasn't simply destruction.
This was crushing.
The elite formation of Konoha stationed at the perimeter was obliterated in an instant—no ranks left intact, no shinobi left standing.
And yet, a handful of iron-willed, quick-reacting shinobi still clawed their way out of the "hell."
Ryota strode forward slowly, his gaze fixed on the smoking rubble that crumbled without end.
A moment later, a broken figure crawled out from the ruins with agonizing effort.
—Hyūga Hiashi.
His right arm had been obliterated in the blast, only his left still barely able to mold chakra.
Half his face was blown into mangled flesh, but his Byakugan remained open wide, bloodshot veins spreading like cracks.
Ryota raised a brow.
"Oh? You're… still alive?"
"I underestimated you. That Byakugan of yours is still—"
Before he could finish, Hiashi roared, chakra surging into his left palm.
"You cursed Uchiha!!"
Blue light burst forth, fueled by the rage of a dying man, and he drove it straight for Ryota's face.
Unfortunately—
That furious strike had only just begun to rise when—
Shhhk!
A flash of gold streaked past.
The next instant, Hiashi froze in place.
His pupils dilated, his mind unable to process what had happened.
Splurt—
His head soared skyward, carving a grotesque arc before landing with a dull roll across the shattered stones.
On the ground, a long smear of blood stretched bright and obscene.
His ruined body still held its attacking stance, arm raised high, chakra blazing—
But it would never fall.
Standing at Ryota's side, Ais flicked the blood from Feather's Echo, her golden eyes filled with faint disgust as she glanced at the headless corpse.
That was… unexpected.
Ryota tilted his head toward her.
Those clear golden eyes carried no emotion. She lowered them slightly, calmly wiping her blade clean.
Ryota clearly remembered: in Orario, whether Ais or any adventurer, no matter how cold or taciturn, they all abided by one unbreakable law—
Adventurers must not kill each other.
It was the Guild's iron rule, the very bottom line of Dungeon order.
And Ais, the Sword Princess herself, though she had cut down countless monsters in the Dungeon, had never once raised her blade against a human.
Yet today, she severed the head of a man—
Not a monster. Not a beast. But a leader of Konoha. The head of the Hyūga Clan, Hyūga Hiashi.
Sensing Ryota's eyes on her, Ais tilted her head.
"They're… monsters."
"Since they're monsters, they should be cut down."
Her tone carried no anger, no hatred—just a calm statement of fact.
The same way she once spoke of slaying beasts in the Dungeon.
Ryota blinked. He had wondered if Ais, facing human blood for the first time in this world, might waver.
Clearly, he had worried for nothing.
At the side, Lefiya puffed her cheeks in protest at the two exchanging such obvious glances.
"That's not fair, Ais! You were too fast!"
"I was going to chant… but you didn't even leave me a target!"
"Next time you have to save one for me, or I'm seriously going to complain!"
Ryota almost facepalmed.
He thought Ais' indifference was bad enough, but Lefiya was even worse.
These two…
Were they seriously treating the shinobi world like it was just another Dungeon floor?
Did they really see these Konoha elites as nothing but "upper-tier mobs"?
Though he thought so, Ryota's gaze lingered on the two of them.
The more he looked, the more they resembled beautiful, lethal weapons—slaughter machines wrapped in the skin of pretty girls.
Beautiful killing machines. He supposed he could live with that.
Soon, several figures emerged from the scorched battlefield's edge—Uchiha Fugaku, followed by his clansmen.
Their faces were painted with shock and disbelief.
"That just now…"
"A Tailed Beast Bomb?!"
"And from the Nine-Tails itself?!"
As Uchiha, they all remembered the Nine-Tails' attack years ago. Even though their clan had been pushed to the outskirts during that night, the shadow of that disaster had carved itself into Konoha's history.
But the destructive power just now… was even greater than their memories.
Fugaku swallowed hard as he looked at Hiashi's decapitated body.
Then his eyes turned to Ryota, filled with awe.
"Clan Head… what now—"
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
The ground quaked violently as a massive figure emerged from the smoke.
Each step of its colossal claws sent tremors through the earth.
"It's coming back! The Nine-Tails is coming again!"
"Defensive formation!"
"Protect the Clan Head!!"
Fugaku's pupils shrank. He spread his arms wide, shouting:
"All of you! Protect the Clan Head!!"
Several Uchiha rushed forward, shielding Ryota, Ais, and Lefiya.
But Ryota only waved them off with a smile.
"No need."
The Uchiha froze.
The massive Nine-Tails loomed before them like a mountain.
Roooar—
It raised its head and let out a low growl, then—before their stunned eyes—bowed down, rubbing its head against Ryota's cheek.
Gentle. Affectionate. Like an oversized cat.
"..."
The battlefield fell into silence.
Even Ais and Lefiya blinked in surprise. Fugaku and his clansmen nearly popped their eyes out.
"Th-this…"
Before they could cry out—
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke burst forth.
And the Nine-Tails vanished.
Gone as if it had never existed.
The shinobi stood frozen—not at its disappearance, but at what they had just witnessed.
That was the Nine-Tails. The apex of Tailed Beasts.
A beast whose Tailed Beast Bomb had erased both shinobi and battlefield alike.
A living apocalypse.
And it had just… nuzzled its master's cheek before quietly leaving?
What kind of joke was this?!
Fugaku stood dumbfounded. His clansmen had forgotten to breathe.
"Was… was that really the Nine-Tails?"
"Somebody—please tell me I'm not insane…"
"I just saw it lick our Clan Head's face… I'm not hallucinating, right?"
"That wasn't licking. That was… cuddling, wasn't it?"
"..."
The whole scene was unbearably surreal.
The Uchiha who moments ago had sworn to die protecting Ryota now exchanged bewildered glances, as if convinced they were trapped in genjutsu.
Ryota waved his hand.
"Disperse. Don't just stand there."
With a thought, the air behind him warped and twisted.
Two figures appeared: the Animal Path and the Asura Path of the Six Paths of Pain.
The moment they materialized, Fugaku and the others instinctively stepped back.
Too strong.
Even the smallest movement radiated enough pressure to crush them into blood mist.
Ryota looked at them and spoke calmly:
"These two will assist you."
"Purge the ones in the village who are in the way."
Fugaku was about to nod, almost eager—until Ryota's next words froze him.
"Konoha will be our base from now on."
"You should know what that means."
Fugaku blinked. Then it clicked.
Ryota didn't mean blind slaughter. Not petty revenge. Not reducing Konoha to rubble.
He meant control.
Cut down those loyal to the Third Hokage, to Danzō, those stubborn relics who clung to the "Will of Fire."
Then stabilize the clans, soothe the citizens, and embed Uchiha's authority into Konoha's bones.
Transform Konoha not into ruins… but into Ryota's possession.
Fugaku lowered his head in thought. When he raised it again, his expression was solemn.
"…Understood."
Ryota watched them disappear into the smoke and ruins. Only when their figures faded completely did he stretch and let his sharp aura ease.
"Haah—"
"If only everything could be as easy as crushing the Third."
His tone carried rare weariness, yet also mocking lightness.
Ryota knew well—he was destruction incarnate, the pivot upon which worlds could fall and rise.
But ruling and killing were not the same.
Leaving Fugaku alive had been a strategic decision.
For all his compromises and survival amidst the Third, Danzō, and the Will of Fire zealots, Fugaku had proven he knew balance, stability, and sacrifice far better than most fools.
Ryota would never underestimate those "old foxes."
Killing the Third was easy.
Claiming his authority, making Konoha truly obey—
That required more than raw power.
The Will of Fire, that brainwashed faith of blind loyalty, couldn't be erased in a day.
His eyes swept the battlefield: scorched earth, shattered headbands, lingering chakra.
All signs of an era's end.
Konoha's old age was dead.
And Ryota's "Familia Era" was only just beginning.
…
Meanwhile—
Amegakure.
The village of endless rain.
Dark clouds smothered the skies, silver sheets pounding down without end.
High above the tallest black spire, the sound of fluttering paper filled the air.
Clatter, clatter—
Sheets of white paper converged midair, swirling into the form of a woman.
Konan frowned as she stepped onto the highest walkway, gazing at the figure standing at the edge of the tower, letting the rain soak through him.
Yahiko's body—now the Deva Path of Pain.
"He… hasn't returned."
At her words, the Deva Path turned his head slightly, Rinnegan gleaming in the rain.
Konan's "he" referred, of course, to Uchiha Obito.
"And?"
After a long pause, Konan spoke:
"Konoha… seems to have changed."
"Changed?"
The Deva Path's gaze sharpened, his aura shifting slightly.
"What change?"
"…It's connected to the Nine-Tails."
"The intel isn't clear. It seems the Nine-Tails went berserk and launched a massive attack in the heart of Konoha."
The Deva Path fell silent for several seconds.
"The Nine-Tails… went berserk?"
For the first time, a strange expression flickered across his usually impassive face.
He slowly closed his eyes, running through the timeline of the Akatsuki's grand plan in his mind.
Then he spoke:
"Our plan—move it forward."
"But…"
Konan began, but the Deva Path cut her off.
"Call them. All of them."
"This time, we mobilize in full."
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