Chapter 89: Nine-Tails (II) (Ten-Thousand Word Chapter)

Roar!

With an earth-shaking howl suddenly erupting from within Leaf Village, a violent chakra storm instantly swept everything around.

The nearest houses instantly shattered into wood chips, and the villagers living nearby were swept up by this storm.

Many people didn't even have time to react before being crushed to death by the suddenly appearing Nine-Tails!

In the smoke and dust, the massive Nine-Tails raised its head to the moon and let out a long howl, its scarlet eyes releasing a terrifying, bloodthirsty light.

What... what is that?

Surely it can't be, right?

Nine-Tails! It's the Nine-Tails!

At this moment, Leaf Village, already uneasy due to the appearance of the giant snake, fell into extreme panic.

These villagers fled backward as if gone mad, and their fear and anxiety quickly spread.

Damn it!

Shisui was leading a patrol nearby when they also noticed the appearance of the giant snake in the village.

But without a signal from the police force, even if they wanted to go, they couldn't use chakra at this moment.

Now they're somewhat relieved they didn't go over, otherwise things would have been bad here.

Captain, what should we do?

Looking at the violent Nine-Tails, a Nara clan member of the police force asked softly, his voice trembling at this moment.

Other police force members also turned their gaze to Shisui; although he was young, his strength and pragmatic attitude had already earned everyone's recognition.

Immediately send someone back to request reinforcements, while the rest immediately evacuate the nearby residents.

Shisui's eyes had already turned scarlet, his gaze locked firmly on the massive Nine-Tails.

Also, organize the nearby ninja; we'll first form a first line of defense to try to stall the Nine-Tails' advance!

Having been through battle, Shisui's arrangements at this moment were also orderly.

Yes, captain!

All squad members immediately nodded, then quickly dispersed to carry out Shisui's orders, while Shisui stared fixedly at the roaring Nine-Tails.

The Sharingan in his eyes spun rapidly; at this moment he seemed to have made up his mind as well.

Absolutely not allow you to run wild, even if.

With all my power!

——

Damn, how did such a huge mess happen?

In Leaf Village, Uchiha Xin and Uchiha Xiu looked at the roaring Nine-Tails, their faces at this moment also turning particularly grim.

Even though they had never encountered the Nine-Tails before, they had still heard its legends.

Now they understood just how terrifying the Nine-Tails was; even merely feeling its aura from afar gave them a sensation of suffocation.

Fortunately, Yuzhi's arrangements.

Suddenly, they recalled the orders Yuzhi had previously given them.

Although they initially thought it might be overly strict, even though the giant snake's commotion was huge, it didn't warrant such action.

But now they dare not think that way, because they realized Yuzhi truly had foresight!

Perhaps Yuzhi knew something about the situation, which is why he made such a rigorous judgment in the face of any risk.

Although they thought Yuzhi might have just gotten lucky, regardless, the facts have already made everything clear.

They also more strongly believed that Yuzhi had known about the Nine-Tails in advance, which is why he took such strict precautions; otherwise, they wouldn't have started night patrols in October!

Let's act faster; at least we can't hold back.

Uchiha Xin spoke softly, while Uchiha Xiu nodded.

Indeed we can't hold back; I have a feeling that after tonight the Uchiha will likely undergo new changes.

The Nine-Tails is indeed terrifying, but they've also heard legends that the Mangekyou Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails!

Yuzhi possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, which they have already witnessed; and now this is an excellent opportunity to display its power.

Although this might prevent Yuzhi from staying hidden, after over a year of deep groundwork they no longer feel he needs to hide anything.

Perhaps tonight will be a night that changes the fate of the Uchiha.

Perhaps after tonight we'll really have to change our address.

Actually we could have changed our address long ago, but let's take action first.

Let's compare, who's faster?

Then you'll lose, you bastard, you go first and launch the signal flare?

Under the moonlight, as two signal flares rose one after another, the police force also began a full-scale operation——

Third Hokage, the Nine-Tails… the Nine-Tails has suddenly appeared in the village.

In the Hokage building, a ninja wearing an ANBU mask appeared in the Hokage's office, his voice sounding slightly panicked.

However, the Third Sarutobi Hiruzen had already donned his old armor, tightened the last straps, and then spoke with a solemn expression.

I understand, I'll deal with the Nine-Tails; you all immediately organize personnel to evacuate non-combatants.

Yes!

Also, the younger generation of ninja should also evacuate; they are not allowed to approach the Nine-Tails.

Yes!

Seeing the Third Hokage, though aged, seemed to have returned to his former mighty state, which made this ANBU feel as if they had found their backbone.

He immediately accepted the order loudly, then quickly departed.

Has the seal been undone? What exactly happened? First it was Orochimaru's side, and now the Nine-Tails.

The Third's expression wasn't good, but he didn't have time to think about it; he immediately jumped up and left the Hokage building, then rushed quickly toward the Nine-Tails.

At the same time he acted, a large number of ANBU elites appeared beside him, working together.

"Huh?"

But after he came out, he found that although Leaf Village had fallen into great chaos.

However, someone was quickly organizing and comforting civilians, and detaining those senior young ninjas to swiftly handle their evacuation.

Moreover, he noticed that these people all bore the Police Department's insignia.

"Police Department people, reacting that fast?"

"Sir, the Police Department has been conducting night patrols this whole time, maintaining a high operational state."

As the Third wondered, an ANBU beside him quickly spoke up.

"Is that so? It seems Yuzhi noticed something different about Kushina and sensed her condition."

The Third nodded, though he was a bit gloomy that an Uchiha had discovered the Nine-Tails' secret.

But now it seems fortunate that Yuzhi noticed and secretly made some deployments; otherwise the Police Department couldn't have reacted so quickly.

"Good thing it's this little guy."

The Third secretly thought, with no rear worries, he felt much more at ease; at least this way he could focus more on dealing with the Nine-Tails.

Their group moved fast; a few kilometers meant nothing to these ninjas, and in just a moment they had reached the front line.

But only when they drew near did they notice that battle had already erupted here!

Although their numbers weren't large and their firepower wasn't fierce, they had indeed formed a temporary combat team, which made the Third glance askance.

Moreover, ninjas around were handling evacuation, so organized and disciplined, which also made him feel relieved.

But now wasn't the time to think about these things; he immediately stepped forward and, together with the ANBU who had come with him, plunged into the battle!

"It's the Third Hokage!"

"The Third Hokage has come to support!"

"Great!"

The Third's appearance immediately made the ninjas who had stayed behind to build the first line of defense cheer wildly; they had stayed behind prepared to die.

The Nine-Tails is truly terrifying; whoever faces such a colossal beast feels how insignificant they are.

But for the village's sake, they ultimately stayed; seeing this scene now, their hearts naturally rose.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Third launched a Fire Release at the Nine-Tails, but seeing the fire strike the Nine-Tails and its wounds instantly heal, he couldn't help shaking his head.

"Quickly evacuate the surrounding residents, and have combat personnel rush over immediately to find a chance to control the Nine-Tails!"

He knew the Nine-Tails' intelligence; relying on current attacks could only delay its steps, not inflict any harm on this monster.

We must control this Nine-Tails to seal it; moreover, he now worries inwardly, as the Fourth hasn't appeared yet—this might truly become a major problem!

"No, it shouldn't be; he has Flying Thunder God, so stopping the Nine-Tails from heading into the village is still key!"

The Third shook his head, not daring to think further; he formed seals with both hands, wanting to summon the 'Enra' to further restrain the Nine-Tails.

"Huh?"

But just then, the Third suddenly saw a young figure beside him, his brows slightly furrowed.

"That kid is, Shisui Uchiha?"

The Third naturally knew Shisui; this brat had fought in the war and had also taken the Jonin exam of previous years.

After all, he now serves in the Police Department, his performance can be described as excellent, and he has even become a captain.

But he just doesn't understand how this kid ended up here.

"Could it be that this kid organized the defenses here?"

The Third suddenly had this thought, and upon glancing at the surrounding ninjas, not one was a Jonin.

He now increasingly believed that this must be Shisui patrolling nearby, thus carrying out a rapid response plan.

"Police Department, indeed more important than imagined."

The Third secretly sighed, but he quickly gestured to the ANBU beside him, urging them to take Shisui away.

Shisui is also a young-generation ninja; he naturally doesn't want these young people to stay here.

Although he had indeed agreed earlier to let children go to the battlefield, now times are different; whether hypocritical or pretentious, he must do this.

"Roar!"

As he pondered, the Nine-Tails suddenly let out a roar, its massive tail sweeping fiercely around.

In an instant, that wind like a Wind Release ninja technique swept outward in all directions!

"Watch out!"

Seeing this, the Third immediately shouted, and the seal in his hand instantly shifted from 'Summoning Technique' to 'Earth Release'.

With his chakra fully unleashed, a towering earth wall rose instantly, barely managing to block that violent gale.

All the ninjas remaining on the front line felt lingering fear; the Nine-Tails' terror was truly shocking.

"Quick, look—what is that?"

However, as the smoke and dust cleared, a sharp-eyed ninja pointed at the shattered earthen wall and shouted loudly.

Everyone involuntarily lifted their heads to look upward, even the Third did the same.

For at that moment, they all noticed two figures appearing atop the earthen wall—

"It really is terrifying; if such a colossal beast had existed back then, many things would have become much simpler."

Having changed into battle attire, Hikari gazed distantly at the Nine-Tails and spoke softly, but soon she shook her head and turned to look at Yuzhi.

"Shall we set out now, or are you planning to wait a bit longer?"

"Of course we go straight ahead; give me your hand."

Yuzhi reached out his hand to Hikari, and only then did he slowly speak.

"However, since you brought up the past, I think your chances of controlling the Nine-Tails are also low, after all, only the Uzumaki Clan can seal them better."

"The Uchiha Clan can control it with eye techniques, but in terms of duration, they're probably not as good as the Uzumaki Clan."

"Is now the time to worry about that?"

Hikari rolled her eyes, then she directly took Yuzhi's hand and asked in a low voice.

"Are you planning to use that Flying Thunder God Technique to go over? Did you leave a mark there?"

"No, I don't, but someone else does."

Yuzhi chuckled casually, and his chakra surged rapidly at this moment.

"That guy Minato has a habit; he likes to place Flying Thunder God marks at every corner of the village, which makes it convenient for him to handle any problem at any time."

"Although the mark was set by him, this technique has a problem: as long as you are familiar with the mark, it can be used universally."

In the midst of speaking, space shifted, and in an instant he and Hikari had already disappeared within the Uchiha Clan's territory!

Upon reappearing, the Nine-Tails' roar already echoed in their ears.

"Although I haven't studied the Flying Thunder God Technique deeply, it just so happens my Spatial Talent is decent; I learned this technique quickly, so I can also use his mark."

Amid the Nine-Tails' roar, Yuzhi's voice clearly reached Hikari's ears.

Obito's Spatial Talent, is it also Yuzhi's talent?

However, upon hearing this, Hikari almost rolled her eyes; looking at her hand still tightly held by Yuzhi, she gave a slight tug, found she couldn't break free, and then reluctantly spoke.

"Stop bragging, get ready for battle; I still want to see just how strong this so-called Nine-Tails really is."

Yuzhi lightly nodded, then released Hikari's hand, looked at the towering wall ahead, and he and Hikari leapt onto it in an instant.

"Whoa!"

The Nine-Tails' roar remained piercing, its nine tails swayed slightly, kicking up the surrounding dust and smoke.

"It's been controlled."

Hikari suddenly frowned, then spoke in a low voice.

"Yeah, I sensed it; if nothing unexpected, it's probably that guy from last time."

Yuzhi nodded, then slightly turned his head; he already felt more and more ninjas rushing toward this side.

"But the urgent priority is still not to let this guy enter the village; he's too troublesome."

"Well then."

"Hmm, the best way to deal with him is only Susanoo!"

As soon as his words fell, the Nine-Tails also seemed to notice them; the next moment, its massive claw fiercely swung at the wall where they stood.

"Watch out!"

The Third and the ninjas below naturally noticed this scene; they all involuntarily shouted loudly.

Boom—

Accompanied by the tremendous roar, the towering earthen wall suddenly collapsed, shattered into pieces, turning into rubble that floated and scattered downward.

The massive shockwave made all the ninjas below instinctively retreat backward, and many were brutally blown away for being too slow.

However, at this moment, a strange aura filled with destruction and chill appeared in the air.

This aura made the Third and others instantly feel a chill in their hearts, and the Nine-Tails also suddenly retreated at this moment.

Even though it was controlled, it still emitted low, rumbling roars, with its fur standing on end.

Amidst the huge dust and the wild wind stirred by the Nine-Tails' tails, two massive Susanoo, one black and one red, appeared before the Nine-Tails' eyes!

Both Susanoo were fully encased in massive armor, with a tengu mask covering their faces.

They stared straight at the Nine-Tails like asuras, the aura of destruction constantly swirling around them, wildly surging!

Third-stage Susanoo; Yuzhi spent so much time, and without pupil power limitation and with Hikari's constant beating, he finally brought his Susanoo to this stage.

"It's just that Hikari's Susanoo is bigger..."

Yuzhi glanced at Hikari beside him, and he secretly felt regret.

Hikari's Susanoo is at least fifty meters tall, while Yuzhi's looks to be just over forty meters; this gap leaves Yuzhi rather speechless.

Of course, he could enhance Susanoo's size if he wanted, after all his eye techniques can fully work on Susanoo!

But for now there's no need, and he knows that normal Susanoo power relies on proficiency.

It is through continual use and forging, and the mutual resonance of this power, that its strength can be fully exerted.

In the original work, Madara is obviously the one who honed it best; he has turned Susanoo into his instinct, and even without eyes he can easily unleash the fourth stage!

However, the fourth-stage Susanoo requires the Eternal Eye as a foundation for the power to undergo transformation.

After all, third-stage Susanoo, while integrating offense and defense, also has a major flaw—mobility.

A Susanoo lacking mobility can only be considered a representative of strong positional warfare; when the enemy runs away, it truly has no recourse.

But the fourth stage under the Eternal Eye makes up for this; although defense is lowered, mobility is compensated.

Moreover, the fifth stage is terrifying to the extreme, integrating offense and defense, and also possessing terrifying mobility.

Even when strong enough, it can even fly!

"Although my current Susanoo pales in comparison to future ones that easily exceed a hundred meters, it's still something I earned through my own effort."

Yuzhi clenched his fists, his Mangekyou Sharingan in both eyes fixed firmly on the Nine-Tails.

"I don't have any cheat powers granted by the Six Paths, and I still have time."

"Let's move; our mobility may be lacking, but intercepting this beast is enough."

Hikari looked at the distant Nine-Tails and spoke again; she seemed to have activated the Uchiha's passive, her tone almost identical to Madara's.

"Find an opportunity to deal heavy damage to it, then strip away its control."

"Let's move."

Yuzhi also gave a slight nod, and his gaze changed instantly.

Almost at the same moment, Yuzhi and Hikari's Susanoo drew a gigantic Ninja Sword, and amid a whistling sound the black and red Ninja Swords hurled fiercely at the Nine-Tails.

"Awo!"

The Nine-Tails let out a sharp, whistling howl, and instinctively raised its two claws in response to the attacks of the two Susanoo.

The claws swung straight down, the red-tailed beast's chakra condensed, the sharp claws flashed with a cold gleam, and a piercing sound filled the air.

Boom—

At the moment the two massive Ninja Swords collided with the Nine-Tails' claws, a massive surge of chakra erupted.

The air was compressed by this overwhelming force into a visibly indented layer, and the ensuing huge boom caused everyone nearby to be plagued by ringing in their ears!

"What is this, exactly?"

In the distance, the elite Leaf Village ninjas rushing in were knocked off balance by the sudden shockwave and booming sound.

They brazenly stared at the three massive figures battling in the distance, and at that moment their minds were also a muddle—

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

The tremendous boom rattled eardrums, made the ground tremble in waves, and sent everyone's hearts racing with fear!

At this moment, perhaps only the ninjas reinforcing Orochimaru have the leisure for this; almost all the participating ninjas stared blankly at everything.

Staring at the two colossal Susanoo before them, godlike or demonic as they seemed, and the Nine-Tails that kept screaming yet continued fighting.

Although they involuntarily moved closer, they all stopped at a relatively safe distance.

In such a situation, not only is intervening impossible, even watching the battle requires extreme caution to avoid accidental injury.

Under the rampage of the two Susanoo and the Nine-Tails, that area seemed completely overrun.

Countless houses turned to ash, and countless boulders were shattered.

The flying shards of stone, together with billowing dust and whistling wind, shot outward rapidly, forcing the Third Hokage, Shisui, and the newly arrived ninjas to step back.

They were the closest, and thus the most able to grasp just how extraordinary this battle was.

Among them, many began to cast subtle glances toward the Uchiha members of the Police Department and Shisui, who were also staring blankly at the scene.

"Is this the true power of the Uchiha Clan?"

Many among them had already recognized that the ones standing on the Earth Release high wall were Yuzhi and Ying, but they had never imagined the two could be so terrifying.

Even the Third Hokage was momentarily stunned.

"This kid, and that Uchiha Ying, have already reached this level?"

Watching the two Susanoo batter the Nine-Tails into continuous wails, he took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.

Having witnessed a century-defining battle in his youth, he knew that although these two's Susanoo were formidable, they were far from matching Madara Uchiha of old.

But that alone was enough to frighten him, because as it stood, the Nine-Tails didn't seem to be a match?

However, he didn't care about that; instead, he couldn't help pondering inside.

Can these two be relied upon?

Because of the Second Hokage, even though he's far better than Danzo, he still remains wary of the Uchiha.

"Come on, Lord Yuzhi, and..."

"Ying, that's Uchiha Ying, the person Lord Yuzhi trusts most!"

"So awesome, they're so awesome!"

"Great, with them here, Leaf Village is finally safe!"

But just as he couldn't stop pondering, he suddenly heard waves of cheers from the ninjas who had been diligently guarding the area.

Not only them, but even those behind them erupted in loud cheers, clearly the reinforcements.

The cheers made him pause, and he then lifted his head to look ahead.

The battle continued, with booms and wails rising and falling; after a while, he suddenly shook his head.

"What am I thinking? They have such power, they even sensed the Nine-Tails' secrecy, yet what they do is protect Leaf Village."

Turning his head, his gaze fell on the cheering crowd, especially the Police Department personnel among them, and he closed his eyes.

"Facing the threat of the Nine-Tails, they rushed forward without hesitation, blocking the Nine-Tails to prevent it from ravaging the village.

And Minato had said that Yuzhi's goal is the Hokage, it seems."

But as the Second Hokage, I need to consider things from the village's perspective.

The Uchiha Clan's power is great, but their strength can protect this village.

For some reason, memories of words the Second Hokage told him decades ago resurfaced, making him bite his lip.

"Teacher, it seems my capacity is never as great as yours."

The Third Hokage appeared calm and relaxed, yet his mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts.

At this moment, Shisui stared blankly at the scene, and after a while he, like the other excited Uchiha, broke into a smile.

"So this is your power, senior,"

Shisui had originally wanted to give it his all, but now it seemed unnecessary, because Yuzhi and his team could already resolve the issue!

"However, Senior Uchiha Ying was so deeply hidden, yet being so close to Senior Yuzhi suggests he's no ordinary person."

Shisui touched his chin, recalling their standing within the clan, and his smile grew even brighter.

But soon, Shisui's expression softened considerably, and he made a decision in his heart.

"Senior Yuzhi and Senior Ying protect Leaf Village so fiercely; I cannot stay hidden. I promised them I'd also contribute."

While pondering, his gaze fell on the Third Hokage beside him, and he already knew what he would do.

"When everything ends, I will confess my abilities to Senior Yuzhi; I also want to do more for the clan and the village!"

Shishui, while pondering, had already walked toward the Third Hokage, then bowed slightly: "Lord Third Hokage."

"Hmm?"

The Third Hokage was startled for a moment, then instantly regained his composure upon seeing Shishui before him.

"Shishui, why are you still here? Go secure the area quickly; this is not your battlefield."

He had just been shocked by the Nine‑Tails and Yuzhi, and for a moment the Third Hokage truly forgot about Shishui.

"Lord Hokage, I've already been on the battlefield; I can handle all this."

Shishui shook his head and said firmly.

His words made the Third Hokage's old face turn red, and for a moment he also felt somewhat awkward.

"Lord Hokage, I hope to obtain permission to support Lord Orochimaru's side."

Shishui didn't know what the Third Hokage was thinking; he continued speaking with his head lowered.

"You?"

To be Hokage, his nerve was still thick; he suppressed a puzzled expression and looked at Shishui.

"Hmm, although I'm not on par with senior Yuzhi and senior Ying, I also possess their power."

As he spoke, Shishui slightly closed his eyes; the next moment, when he opened them again, a strange Mangekyou Sharingan had already appeared in his eyes.

In an instant, his aura changed, and his eyes seemed magical, causing others to involuntarily fall into a daze.

"You"

For that brief instant, the Third Hokage almost had his teeth grind to pieces.

The two ahead had hidden so deeply, already possessed Mangekyou Sharingan power and were brutally beating the Nine‑Tails.

Now this seemingly smaller guy, a tiny squad captain in the Police Department, actually—damn—activated the Mangekyou Sharingan?

Is this generation of the Uchiha Clan insane, or have they mutated?

"Lord Hokage, like senior Yuzhi and senior Ying, I am also a Leaf Village ninja."

Shishui looked at the Third Hokage and spoke with utmost seriousness.

"Leaf Village is now in crisis; even though I'm young, I can still contribute!"

"You"

The Third Hokage listened to Shishui's words and was stunned for a while; suddenly he nodded.

"Fine, but remember, you must not cause any trouble. Understood?"

"Right, we're all Leaf Village ninjas!"

The Third Hokage watched Shishui's swift departure, a complex smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

But at that moment, he suddenly sensed a powerful chakra.

Looking up, he saw the Nine‑Tails, wailing in pain, already pulling away.

Its mouth opened, terrifying chakra wildly converging.

"Damn! Get out of the way!"

Seeing this, his complexion changed instantly and he shouted loudly.

"That's a Tailed Beast Orb!"

——

"What on earth is happening?"

Minato stood on the Hokage Rock, watching the distant, immobile, beaten Nine‑Tails wailing, and for a moment he felt dazed.

He had already prepared to fight to the death, even entertained extreme thoughts, but at this moment he realized perhaps none of that was needed.

Especially seeing below, the Police Department personnel were swiftly evacuating civilians, and he suddenly felt he had nothing left to do.

"This is a bit different from what I expected."

Minato was stunned for a while, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; after all, Leaf Village was safe, and once the Nine‑Tails is controlled it can be sealed better.

"Then that means Kushina will be fine too!"

"Yuzhi, and also Ying?"

It was actually the Fourth Hokage; Minato could consult far more records, so he naturally knew what those two colossal beings were.

Moreover, he had come into contact with Yuzhi's and Hikari's chakra; even though their chakra auras had changed because of Susanoo, he could still discern them.

"I never expected them to hide so deeply, but I really have to thank them!"

Compared to the Third Hokage's somewhat complicated feelings, Minato seemed more exhilarated, perhaps because his subjective factors made him trust Yuzhi.

But seeing the current situation and recalling Yuzhi's and Ying's relationship with Kushina, his trust in the two grew even more.

"But I'm not idle either; that hidden guy is the root of all the trouble, and to seal the Nine‑Tails we still need to deal with him."

After a brief moment of confusion, Minato instantly knew what he had to do; his gaze and perception spread rapidly outward.

In an instant, he seized some hidden chakra fluctuations; his body spun quickly, and at the same time a Kunai appeared in his hand!

Buzz—

The Kunai whistled with wind; his gaze was cold, and the Kunai in his hand instantly pierced Obito's body.

"Illusion?"

Previously, because he was trying to rescue Naruto and Kushina, he hadn't directly fought Obito; now the encounter caught him off guard.

But the next moment, he instantly changed his mind, for the illusory feeling suddenly vanished and his wrist was seized.

"You're definitely losing, Minato Namikaze!"

Obito's voice sounded especially cold, for seeing the Nine‑Tails still at the spot he summoned it made him far from pleased.

But the matter wasn't over; he still had to continue, at least eliminate the so‑called Fourth Hokage!

Obito quickly surged his own chakra, a reversed spatial vortex appearing, as if to swallow Minato directly.

"Spatial power?"

Minato Namikaze keenly sensed the anomaly, and the next moment his figure suddenly vanished from the spot.

"Flying away again?"

Obito watched Minato Namikaze disappear suddenly; he was also angry inside, wondering why you didn't come to rescue so quickly before.

Seeing the continuous wails and the Nine-Tails growing more ferocious, Obito clenched his fist.

"Temporarily ignore the Nine-Tails, deal with Minato Namikaze first; tonight must be settled!"

While pondering, space rippled, and his figure gradually faded.

On a cliff in the Leaf Village, Minato Namikaze focused intently on the surrounding wind and rustling grass, while quickly analyzing everything from the recent battle in his mind.

At this moment, a vague idea already formed in his mind; though immature, it seemed the most reliable for now.

"Hmph, you escaped pretty fast, but this time I'll see where you run."

Just as he was pondering, Obito's figure reappeared.

"Who are you?"

Minato Namikaze stared coldly at Obito; his voice sounded gentle yet carried a hint of murderous intent.

"Having the Sharingan and wearing a mask, you look just like the mysterious person Yuzhi mentioned; I suppose you also have Wood Release, right?"

Obito silently stared at Minato Namikaze, and after a while he hoarsely spoke.

"You don't need to guess who I am; whatever that junior Uchiha Haori said, I don't care.

This illusory world has long lost hope; what I intend to do is shatter this world!"

Crazy.

Minato Namikaze, upon hearing this, seemed to grasp the unique Uchiha spirit described by the Third Hokage.

The Uchiha he interacted with most were Obito, Yuzhi, and the relatively quiet Ying.

Obito was a bit weak back then but performed decently, while Yuzhi's performance exceeded his expectations; Ying, though not talkative, also seemed fine.

He once thought the Third Hokage might have been mistaken; now it seems he simply encountered too few Uchiha.

"Enough idle talk, are you ready to meet your death, Fourth Hokage?"

Obito didn't know what Minato Namikaze was thinking; the iron chain in his hand was already secured, and he stared at Minato with a grim look.

Minato Namikaze quickly assumed a combat stance, and also made a decision in his mind.

"A swift battle and quick resolution! Although the Nine-Tails is intercepted by Yuzhi and others, sealing it back into Kushina's body still requires me; I can't be held back by this guy."

"Die!"

While pondering, Obito was already charging at him.

There were no flashy ninjutsu, only the clanking of the iron chain, clearly Obito intended to use his phasing ability together with the chain to trap him.

At that moment, Minato Namikaze also moved; his gaze remained calm, and as he surged forward he threw the Kunai in his hand.

Buzz—

In an instant, the Kunai sliced through the night sky, pierced Obito's forehead, yet caused no damage, emerging straight from the back of Obito's head.

"Got you!"

Obito twisted his wrist and seized Minato Namikaze's sleeve.

But in that instant, Obito suddenly realized that his former teacher's gaze remained calm, and his eyes were now filled with genuine murderous intent!

Boom!

In the next instant, the figure before him vanished abruptly, and a searing pain ripped through his back!

In a flash, his whole body was slammed to the ground; the massive impact shattered stones everywhere, and amid the smoke only a white Rasengan flickered with dazzling light.

"Why is it like this again? Why does it always happen?"

Obito was pinned hard to the ground by the massive impact, yet at that moment his heart burned with particular bitterness.

The third time.

His eye technique was broken for the third time, and he was beaten so miserably a third time!

"I will never admit it!"

Obito shouted hoarsely from his heart, and his body turned into a phantom again.

Amid the smoke, he swiftly leapt onto a branch, clutching his arm as a viscous white fluid dripped continuously.

Immediately his entire arm snapped off, falling onto the ground.

It was like a cycle; he lost his arm once again!

"Damn it, why is this happening?"

Obito clutched his arm, thinking fiercely inside.

"But, no matter how you struggle, as long as the Nine-Tails is still in my hand, then... huh?!"

Splash!

Accompanied by the sound of metal slicing flesh, Obito's thoughts fell silent.

Because Minato Namikaze's figure had already appeared before him, the Kunai steadily pierced his body.

Fresh blood uncontrollably gushed from his mouth, and Obito stared at the scene in disbelief.

"Did the Flying Thunder God Technique leave a mark on me?"

In an instant, he understood everything, but it was far too late.

"Contract Seal, release!"

Minato Namikaze's chakra surged; before he could phase, the Seal Technique's pattern appeared on his body surface, and his link with the Nine-Tails was abruptly severed!

Under the mask, Obito's face was flooded with endless frustration; such a failure left him feeling completely powerless.

This way, the Nine-Tails will no longer be under your control.

Minato's voice sounded especially cold; this was no longer the gentle voice Obito remembered.

Are you ready to meet your own end?

However, at this very moment, the violent explosion produced a light as bright as day, instantly blooming in the pitch‑black night sky—

This is indeed a tailed beast, and it's really tough to beat.

On the frontline battlefield, Hikari watched the still‑roaring Nine‑Tails, then turned her head to look at Yuzhi.

Indeed, unexpectedly tough to beat, and our moves were too slow.

Yuzhi nodded, but he couldn't help furrowing his brow.

He had long known that the mobility of the third stage was a huge liability, but he didn't expect this liability to be so great.

Fortunately, the Susanoo of the third stage has strong defense and terrifying attack power; otherwise, they would truly become living targets.

Huh?

Suddenly, just as the two were waiting for the Nine‑Tails to unleash power again, the Nine‑Tails raised its head, and violent chakra began to frenziedly condense.

Visible to the naked eye, a huge black chakra ball appeared beside its mouth; that destructive force made even Yuzhi and Hikari furrow their brows.

Is this beast going all out?

Probably.

Yuzhi lightly nodded, his gaze turning somewhat grim.

Although the Nine‑Tails had been beaten badly, it kept moving, which also annoyed Yuzhi and Hikari quite a bit.

Even if Yuzhi wanted to use Kamui and Hikari wanted to wield the Eight Thousand Spears, this guy's agility didn't give them much chance.

Now it voluntarily launches such an attack, which for them is an excellent opportunity!

Roar!

Accompanied by the Nine‑Tails' roar, the two exchanged a glance, and in the next instant two huge Ninja Swords slashed out.

In an instant, the violent power frenziedly gathered, and the spectators around felt as if there was only one sensation—

Heaven collapses! Earth sinks!

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