"Why would the Nine-Tails' seal break? What happened at the Root headquarters?" Tsunade, the Third Hokage, and Jiraiya rushed to the scene, their expressions grim.
Naruto's strength had already reached Kage-level. And for the past decade, aside from one rampage during his childhood, the seal had been incredibly stable. With Naruto's own power growing, the Nine-Tails within him should have had no chance of breaking free.
Because of this, everyone had grown accustomed to a stable Jinchuriki. After more than ten years of peace on that front, not just the Konoha leadership, but even the shinobi who knew the truth had let their guard down.
And now, the Nine-Tails was completely unsealed. The chakra it was unleashing was even more terrifying than on the night of its original attack.
Naruto was nowhere to be found.
It wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
Naruto was likely dead.
Only the death of the Jinchuriki could allow the Nine-Tails to break its seal completely.
Looking at the dark red chakra swirling above the Root headquarters, the entire sky seemed to have been stained with blood. The air was thick with negative emotions. From a distance, one could almost see the phantom of a fiery red, mountain-sized fox, its demonic eyes wide with fury.
The hellish scene reawakened the deepest fears in everyone's hearts.
More than a decade ago, the Nine-Tails had appeared in Konoha, bringing with it destruction and terror. The Fourth Hokage and countless other ninja had fallen in that battle. In the face of the Nine-Tails, even Jonin were nothing but cannon fodder. A single Tailed Beast Bomb could wipe out hundreds, even thousands, of Chunin and Genin.
Back then, the Fourth Hokage had stepped forward. Who did they have now?
"We have Lady Fifth Hokage and Lord Jiraiya!" someone shouted. The words sent a ripple of hope through the stagnant dread of the villagers.
That ripple swelled into a wave of fervent expectation.
"That's right! We still have the Fifth Hokage and Lord Jiraiya!!"
"Lord Jiraiya was the Fourth's teacher! He can definitely defeat the Nine-Tails."
"And this time, Lady Hokage has his help! It'll be fine. This Nine-Tails won't be able to cause any trouble." As if comforting others, and also encouraging themselves, many villagers clasped their hands together, murmuring prayers.
"What's going on over there?" At a training ground, Sasuke and Sakura looked toward the red chakra above the Root base, their faces paling slightly.
A suffocating sense of unease grew in their chests, as if they could feel someone important slipping away from them.
Sasuke felt it most intensely. Having endured the pain of his clan's massacre, he was exceptionally sensitive to loss.
"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered. For some reason, he felt like he already knew.
"It's started. I should get ready, too." Rock Lee stopped his training, staring at the red chakra and letting out a long sigh. His heart felt a pang of sorrow, but also a sense of relief and resolve. He knew he was about to begin a new life.
He looked at Sasuke and Sakura, his eyes filled with pity and sympathy.
Because he knew.
They were about to face a scene straight from hell. Their hearts would break. They would suffer.
When Jiraiya and the others arrived, they were stunned by the sight before them.
The Root headquarters had been reduced to rubble. A fiery red figure stood atop the ruins, a violent red energy constantly pulsing from its body. The figure was toying with a sword in its hand as if it were a beloved toy, looking thoroughly entertained.
Seeing Jiraiya and the others arrive, he looked up, revealing a handsome young face. There were tufts of red fur at his temples, and his eyelids were shaped just like those of a cunning, cute little fox boy.
"Nine… Tails?" the Third Hokage asked, his voice uncertain.
He couldn't believe that this boy, who stood no taller than 1.6 meters, was the Nine-Tails. But the violent chakra flowing from him was undeniably the Nine-Tails' power.
This was the first time the Nine-Tails had appeared before anyone in human form. He looked harmless. But the Third Hokage felt a sense of crisis far greater than anything he had ever experienced before.
This Nine-Tails was extremely dangerous.
"Hey, brat, you're the Nine-Tails? Why are you so cute?" Tsunade was the first to speak, her eyes filled with suspicion. She had seen the Tailed Beasts of many other villages, and all of them were giant, monstrous beasts, completely devoid of any aesthetic appeal. None were like this little fox boy, who was so cute you couldn't help but want to scoop him up in your arms and cuddle him.
"Oh? You must be the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju. Hmph, your grandfather and I have a long-standing grudge. This time, I'm going to punch you so hard your chest swells," the Nine-Tails said, shaking his fist with an adorably fierce expression.
"It really is the Nine-Tails?!" The Third Hokage and the others exchanged shocked glances.
Tsunade, however, flared up. She took a step forward, and the ground instantly cracked like a spiderweb. "You disrespectful little brat!!"
"Nine-Tails, where's Naruto?" Jiraiya stepped forward, his voice urgent.
If this little guy was the Nine-Tails… then Naruto…
"Naruto? Oh, he's dead," the Nine-Tails said, shrugging nonchalantly. He flashed a wicked smile at their disbelieving faces.
"Anyway, I just got out, and I'm in a pretty good mood. How about we have a little chat?"
Under the wary gazes of the shinobi, the Nine-Tails casually leaned against a rock and sat down. Though the violent energy still pulsed from his body, his expression was one of complete ease. He even gestured to the Third Hokage and the others. "Aren't you here for the gossip? Have a seat."
His warm and hospitable manner made them feel strangely welcome.
The Third Hokage and the others exchanged a look. Half-believing, they found rocks to sit on, their muscles still tense, ready to attack at any moment. The grudge between Konoha and the Nine-Tails ran deep. They didn't believe for a second that the fox had broken its seal just to chat. And this version of the Nine-Tails was far more dangerous than the last. If they weren't careful, many of them could lose their lives.
Once everyone was seated, the Nine-Tails cleared his throat and said in his high-pitched voice:
"Breaking the seal this time was really something I was forced into. To be honest, Naruto and I got along pretty well. I didn't have any plans to leave anytime soon."
Hearing this, the Konoha leaders rolled their eyes. Everyone knew the Nine-Tails had been trying to break its seal for years. He was clearly full of it.
The Nine-Tails paid them no mind and continued, "That Naruto fellow was a pretty decent Jinchuriki. His looks and his strength were both fitting for someone of my station."
"I'm sure you all saw Naruto's feelings for Konoha. You wanted to raise him to be the next Hokage, an inheritor of the Will of Fire!"
"But~~~ someone obviously wasn't happy about that. During the night of my attack and the Chunin Exams, he hid in the shadows, holding back his forces, hoping your strength would be weakened."
At this point, Jiraiya and the others already understood who the Nine-Tails was talking about. It was obviously Konoha's darkness, Danzo.
The other ninja looked on in shock and confusion. They couldn't believe that a Konoha ninja had held back and hidden their strength during two of the village's most critical moments. Many of them clenched their fists, their faces filled with indignation. The few who knew the inside story just sighed, their expressions helpless.
"Looks like you've all guessed who it is."
The Nine-Tails said bluntly, "That's right. Naruto was killed by that old bastard, Danzo."
"Danzo? How could it be Lord Danzo??" countless ninja cried out in disbelief.
Danzo Shimura was a member of the Konoha Council, an elder who had protected the village and earned great renown!
The Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, however, frowned, their minds racing.
"But… Danzo has no reason to kill Naruto," they voiced.
Although Danzo was treacherous and coveted the title of Hokage, he would never make a move against Naruto. Naruto's safety was tied to the safety of Konoha. No matter how twisted Danzo's personality was, his love for Konoha was genuine. He knew that Konoha could not be without its Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.
"What do you mean, no reason? That old coot isn't as simple as you think." Being questioned, the Nine-Tails crossed his arms and huffed. "That old bastard is far filthier than you can imagine."
"He's been conducting human experiments, you know~~"
"Oh, my bad. I forgot. You all knew he was conducting human experiments," the Nine-Tails said with a wicked grin, looking at Jiraiya and the others.
The ninja below heard this and looked at Tsunade and the others in disbelief. Human experimentation was forbidden in every village, a violation of ethics and morality. The human body was taboo.
The Third Hokage's face was extremely grim. He stood up and said, "That's right. Out of brotherly affection, I turned a blind eye. But after Tsunade took office, Danzo wouldn't have dared to act so recklessly."
At this critical juncture, to prevent the shinobi's morale from being affected, the Third Hokage resolutely decided to take all the blame. The Hokage was the soul of the village. He absolutely could not let the ninja or the villagers develop negative feelings toward the Hokage. Once they began to doubt their leader, the people's hearts would scatter. Understanding this, the Third stood up. He was already retired, after all. For the sake of Konoha, what did it matter if he tarnished his legacy?
"Lord Third is still too kind," the ninja said with understanding expressions. To be honest, while human experimentation was officially forbidden, every village conducted it in secret. The Third had already done a good enough job; a small mistake could be forgiven.
The Nine-Tails grinned wickedly and continued, "Then did you know that one of Danzo's arms is covered in the eyes of the Uchiha?"
"Sharingan?!" The Third Hokage's eyes widened. After the Uchiha were massacred, their Sharingan had all been taken. From that moment on, the Third had suspected Danzo. But in the end, he had chosen to turn a blind eye.
"Old man… sigh…" Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at the Third with complex expressions, which finally dissolved into a sigh.
The Third Hokage's face was ashen. Danzo had betrayed his trust. Now that this was all out in the open, he was essentially being publicly executed.
"Oh, right. That guy also injected himself with that guy's cells. His Wood Release is pretty decent," the Nine-Tails added, dropping another bombshell.
"What? Danzo injected himself with Wood Release cells?"
"He dared to defile the body of the First Hokage?"
"How dare he!!!"
The crowd erupted in chaos. The ninja who had been listening to the gossip were all completely shocked. Although the era of the First Hokage had long passed, the stories of his invincibility still circulated. To Konoha, the First Hokage was not just the village's founder, but a symbol of faith for countless people.
But now, Danzo had trampled on the First Hokage, trampled on the dignity of Konoha!
And the Third Hokage!!
He had condoned it all.
He was an accomplice!!
"Danzo!!!" Tsunade clenched her fists, her eyes boiling with killing intent. She had long been dissatisfied with Danzo's shady dealings. The once-prosperous Senju clan had also withered under the various policies of Danzo and the Third. For a large, thriving clan to decline during wartime… no one would believe it. There had to have been some force pushing it from behind. After a series of investigations, Tsunade had long since set her sights on Root. But helpless and without power, she had left Konoha in despair. After becoming Hokage, she had wanted to make a move against Danzo. But his power was too deeply entrenched in Konoha to be uprooted all at once, so she had temporarily held back.
They all understood Danzo's ambition.
Therefore, Danzo, who had not yet become Hokage, would have no reason to kill Naruto and betray the village.
"Naruto was killed by Danzo. That old coot coveted Naruto's Kekkei Genkai, but Naruto sensed it, so they had a little fight. Turns out, Naruto was killed in an instant. Now it seems Danzo knows he's in deep trouble, so he's run off," the Nine-Tails said with a shrug.
"Naruto's body is in the rubble. If you're interested in taking a look, I can give you ten minutes."
"After ten minutes, you all have to entertain me. Otherwise, I might just destroy Konoha."
The Nine-Tails flashed a wicked smile.