"One-Tail… Konoha is in serious trouble."
Yagura watched Shukaku rampaging in the arena and muttered under his breath.
As a jinchuriki himself, he understood better than anyone what a tailed beast going out of control meant.
Unless Konoha had a suppressor on the level of Killer Bee, someone who could restrain a tailed beast in a very short time, the moment a Tailed Beast Bomb was fired, Konoha would suffer catastrophic damage.
More importantly, dignitaries from all five great nations were present. If even one of them died in Konoha, the political fallout would be far more terrifying than physical destruction.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Onoki said quietly, his eyes flickering.
"Should we make a move?"
He had brought many jonin under the guise of guards. They were all scattered through the audience. With a single order, they could deal Konoha a devastating blow.
"Send the signal. Let them attack."
Raikage A spoke softly to the jonin beside him, barely hiding the excitement on his face.
All the humiliation Cloud Village had suffered during the Hyuga Incident, all the pressure Konoha's rapid rise had put on them—at this moment, it all felt wiped away.
The next step was simple: attack Konoha, cripple it completely, and seize the fertile land of the Land of Fire.
"Yes, Raikage-sama!"
The Cloud jonin didn't hesitate. He raised a flare and fired it into the sky.
High above, another signal bloomed—dark smoke forming a strange, eye-catching pattern even under the bright sun.
"The signal's up. Move!"
Outside Konoha, in the forests, countless Cloud shinobi lit up with excitement and surged forward like a tidal wave toward the village.
"Raikage, what do you think you're doing?!" Jiraiya shouted.
"Jiraiya, you still have time to question me?" Raikage laughed wildly.
"If you don't stop that thing, the civilians in the arena will be slaughtered!"
Rasa smiled brightly as well.
At last, Cloud Village had entered the battlefield. Sunagakure was no longer alone.
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya said grimly.
"Get to the stands. Evacuate the unconscious civilians at all costs. I'll stop Shukaku!"
Tsunade and the Konoha jonin looked grim, but nodded immediately.
In the arena, Shukaku was running rampant.
Originally, it had no intention of following Sunagakure's plan. It only wanted to come out briefly, give them a taste of hope, then retreat—crushing that hope completely.
But once fully manifested, that overwhelming sense of freedom intoxicated it.
The feeling was irresistible.
It danced wildly across the arena.
Yellow sand filled the air. Dust roared upward. The entire stadium shook violently.
Genma grabbed Rock Lee and retreated to the edge of the arena.
Baki did the same with Temari and Kankuro.
Even without attacking, Shukaku's sheer presence felt like a mountain pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.
A tailed beast was terrifying.
"What is that thing…?"
"How did Gaara turn into a monster like this?"
"I fought that thing earlier—and lived? That's insane!"
Panic spread through the genin.
"Kakashi-sensei, what do we do?!" Sakura cried.
The situation had changed far too drastically.
Jonin from other villages also tensed up. This was no longer about exploiting Konoha's chaos—it was about whether they could protect their own students from the tailed beast's aftermath.
"All Konoha shinobi," Tsunade shouted, appearing in the stands,
"follow my orders! Evacuate the audience immediately!"
Her voice steadied everyone.
Konoha shinobi sprang into action, ignoring the other villages entirely.
Tsunade secured the civilians. Jiraiya faced Shukaku head-on.
No one dared to act recklessly.
Shukaku hadn't completely lost control yet. It was still playing, not attacking civilians. All they could do was wait.
"Teacher Sarutobi," a voice said calmly,
"don't you think this is a beautiful sight?"
On the highest rooftop, the Four Violet Flame Formation had sealed the Third Hokage inside.
Across from him stood a Sand jonin—now revealed as Orochimaru.
They weren't rushing. They were calmly watching Konoha burn.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was dark, his fists clenched.
He never imagined the upheaval would reach this scale.
He thought it was only Orochimaru and Danzo. Even if the other villages stirred trouble, he believed they wouldn't openly tear Konoha apart.
Konoha could endure internal chaos.
But he was wrong.
Sunagakure had fully invaded. Cloud Village had followed. A tailed beast was rampaging in the arena.
Once this exploded completely, it would surpass even the Nine-Tails incident.
That time, Konoha faced only one tailed beast.
Today, it faced a tailed beast—and countless hostile shinobi.
"Orochimaru," Hiruzen said quietly, sorrow in his eyes,
"is this what you wanted? To destroy the village that raised you?"
"I hate things that stagnate," Orochimaru replied calmly.
"But I admit… Konoha has started to change. A new wind is blowing. The old windmill has begun to turn."
"Still, something is blocking that wind."
"Sarutobi-sensei, I never expected the Hokage's faith in Konoha to be weaker than my rebellion."
Hiruzen froze.
"A new wind…"
His eyes lit up.
Uzumaki Naruto.
The most dazzling genius Konoha had ever produced hadn't shown himself yet—but Hiruzen knew.
Naruto was already moving, suppressing chaos throughout the village.
Hiruzen knew Naruto and the clans had altered Konoha's defenses behind his back.
He allowed it.
Just as he allowed Danzo.
Indecision had always been his greatest flaw.
But now, he let it go.
"Yes… the new storm has already begun," Hiruzen said softly.
"It's time for this old man to step aside."
"Where leaves dance, the fire will live on. It will light the village and nurture new growth."
"Believe in Jiraiya. Believe in Tsunade. Believe in Naruto."
"That… is the Will of Fire I leave behind."
He raised his eyes, sharp and resolute.
"And now, the only thing left for me to do—
is to kill you here, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with delight.
"Excellent… truly excellent, Sensei."
"How could the final battle of a generation end quietly?"
"This is the ending worthy of everything I planned."
His smile vanished.
Killing intent exploded from his body.
The final battle had begun.
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