Hiruzen Sarutobi moved across Konoha's rooftops with the speed of a striking hawk, his robes snapping in the wind. Though his aged face betrayed little emotion, his mind was a storm of calculations and worries.
As Hokage, he bore the weight of every life in the village. Now the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki, had been taken. If he failed to act decisively, the consequences could spiral into war—something the Leaf could ill afford.
The recent departure of the Uchiha Clan had already left the village weakened. Konoha needed time to recover, not to be thrust into another conflict. I must tread carefully, Hiruzen thought, but I cannot hesitate.
His eyes narrowed as he sensed the chakra signature ahead. "Lightning Release Chakra Mode…? Is that masked man a ninja from Kumogakure? Who could possess such speed and power to abduct Naruto under heavy guard?" Doubt gnawed at him. "I pray the Uchiha exodus has nothing to do with the Hidden Cloud."
He glanced toward the fleeing figure—Neji Hyuga, of all people—carrying Naruto like a precious package. The sight chilled him.
The old Hokage thought briefly of the Uchiha. Though their departure pained him, he had accepted it as inevitable. If they merely settled in some minor country, the danger to Konoha would be limited. Other forces coveting the Sharingan would surely keep them in check. But if they allied with a major village like Iwa or Kumo, Konoha's position as the foremost Hidden Village might crumble.
Behind Hiruzen, only a handful of elites kept pace—Hyuga specialists and members of the Ino–Shika–Chō formation, most already in their thirties. If Minato were alive, or if my students had remained… would Kumogakure dare such boldness? The thought tightened his chest with regret. Since the Nine-Tails' attack, the village's pillars had fallen one by one. Fresh talent was scarce, and the lack of a worthy successor weighed heavily on him.
Resolute, Hiruzen's eyes hardened. The Hokage must lead by example. Fear and hesitation had no place here.
"He's almost at the village perimeter. I'll stop him myself."
He bit his thumb, hands flashing through practiced seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff of white smoke, the mighty Monkey King Enma landed beside him in a crouch.
"Hiruzen," Enma rumbled, golden eyes sharp, "who is our opponent?"
"A master of Lightning Release Chakra Mode," Hiruzen replied grimly, pointing toward the streak of light ahead. "Transform into the Adamantine Staff. We must intercept him."
"Understood."
In a swirl of smoke, Enma elongated into the legendary staff. Hiruzen leapt aboard as the weapon shot forward, telescoping across the rooftops with astonishing speed. In an instant, they closed the distance.
Neji's eyes widened as the Third Hokage suddenly appeared behind him. He had been moving at a blistering pace, far outstripping even Yugito, yet Hiruzen had caught up with terrifying ease.
The Hokage inhaled deeply, chest swelling. "Fire Release: Multiple Great Fireball Technique!"
A barrage of searing fireballs roared toward Neji, turning the night sky crimson.
Neji's reflexes saved him. In the blink of an eye he split into a Lightning Shadow Clone, his real body veering aside as the inferno consumed the clone. He landed lightly on a nearby roof, Naruto still secured under his arm, his brow furrowing at the Hokage's overwhelming display.
So this is the strength of one called the Professor of Ninjutsu, Neji thought. Even at his age, his chakra reserves remain formidable. No wonder the world fears him.
Hiruzen stood tall on the opposite rooftop, Adamantine Staff in hand, eyes cold and unwavering.
"I didn't expect to draw out Hokage-sama himself," Neji said quietly.
"You dared abduct the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki," Hiruzen's voice cut like steel. "No matter who you are, Konoha will not forgive this."
Beneath his mask, Neji's expression tightened. He considered Yugito and the Two-Tails sealed within her. Could he somehow channel its chakra? Unlikely. Even Killer Bee, a perfect Jinchūriki, could not share his beast's power so freely.
Hiruzen's killing intent swelled like a storm. Neji knew he had only one advantage: the Hokage knew nothing of the Tenseigan's mysterious abilities. If he could strike before the old man adapted, there might be hope.
Drawing a steady breath, Neji extended his right hand, gravity bending subtly around him. "Wind Release: Vacuum Palm!"
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. He prided himself on mastering nearly every mainstream Wind technique, but this one was unfamiliar.
Invisible force clamped onto him like a giant unseen hand, yanking him forward. His eyes widened as his body was dragged uncontrollably toward Neji.
"Godly Air Palm!"
A sharp whine split the air as a pale-blue sphere of compressed wind shot from Neji's palm.
Unable to regain footing midair, Hiruzen swung the Adamantine Staff in defense.
Boom!
The collision sent a thunderous crack across the rooftops. The Hokage was hurled backward, smashing through a wall and disappearing into a civilian house.
"Did I get him?" Neji muttered, skeptical. An unguarded strike of that magnitude should at least incapacitate the old man. Yet something felt off.
A sudden tremor shook the ground.
"Earth Release Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!"
Massive walls of packed earth surged upward, enclosing Neji in a stone sphere. From below, Hiruzen emerged unscathed, staff in hand and eyes glinting.
Neji's lips thinned. A Shadow Clone… of course. The Hokage's decoy had taken the hit while his real body set a trap. As expected of the man who once ruled the battlefield.
Hiruzen studied him with keen interest. "That technique of yours… fascinating. Show me again."
Neji offered no reply. He rapidly formed new seals. "Lightning Style: Black Panther!"
A jagged orb of pitch-black lightning crackled to life in his palm, screeching like an angry beast.
Recognition flickered in Hiruzen's gaze. "Black Lightning? Are you a successor of the Third Raikage?"
The panther of living lightning coalesced and leapt, but not toward Hiruzen—it slammed into the earthen barrier, seeking escape.
Hiruzen smiled thinly and pressed his palm to the wall, feeding it chakra. The dome strengthened, regenerating as fast as the panther could tear.
Neji's heart sank. I won't break through at this rate…
---
Uchiha Clan Grounds
Far across the village, a different confrontation ignited.
"Is it you? Were you the one behind it all?!" Fugaku Uchiha's eyes blazed scarlet, bleeding tears of fury as he faced the masked man before him.
He believed he finally understood. The Nine-Tails' attack, Itachi's death—this man was the puppeteer behind it all. The chakra, the Sharingan… this had to be a lost Uchiha, perhaps one who vanished during the great wars.
Obito tilted his head slightly, surprised by the sheer hatred in Fugaku's gaze, but said nothing. His resolve was already set.
Danzo stood nearby, eyes narrowing with cold calculation. To him, every Uchiha was a threat to Konoha's stability. This mysterious intruder was no exception. Different motives, perhaps, but for now Danzo and Obito found themselves uneasy allies.
Fugaku sensed the danger closing in and struck first.
"Susanoo: Yasaka Magatama!"
His ethereal warrior loomed behind him, hurling a storm of luminous magatama like thunderbolts toward Obito and Danzo.
Obito merely chuckled. With Kamui, physical attacks passed harmlessly through him. Danzo, less fortunate, barely leapt aside in time. The ground where he'd stood erupted in a maelstrom of force.
The massive summon Baku bellowed but was too slow, a lightning-bright magatama piercing its flank. Before Danzo could recall it, Susanoo's colossal hand seized the creature.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted across Baku's body. The beast howled in anguish, thrashing violently. Fugaku showed no mercy, raising his lightning-infused Susanoo katana and bringing it down in a blinding arc.
With a single stroke, Baku was cleaved in two. Blood and smoke filled the air.
"Baku!" Danzo's face twisted in rage and grief. The summon had been his partner for decades, their synergy unique. Yet even in his shock, ambition burned behind his eyes.
Fugaku's Mangekyo… with it, I could surpass every rival.
Danzo leapt, kunai flashing as he aimed a deadly strike at the towering Susanoo.
---
The night over Konoha burned with fire, lightning, and the fierce will of shinobi. Neji's desperate bid to escape, Hiruzen's relentless pursuit, and the deadly clash of Uchiha power wove together into a single, ominous storm—one that would shape the fate of the village for years to come.
patreon (Obito_uchiha)