Rumble!
In the heart of Konoha, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted.
From the shattered prison grounds, an ominous chakra surged into the sky—blue, violent, and suffocating. The Two-Tails, Matatabi, had broken free.
The prison—built to contain the village's most dangerous felons—collapsed in an instant, reduced to rubble.
Terrified prisoners scattered in every direction. Many had dreamed of escaping someday, but none imagined it would come like this. For some, there was no escape at all—the destruction claimed half their lives outright.
Of those who managed to flee, many were instantly annihilated by the searing blue flames and tailed beast bombs that erupted from Matatabi's maw.
The prison sector of Konoha became a death zone. Even the Anbu encircled the area from a distance, unwilling to engage recklessly. Against a fully released tailed beast, any ninja below Kage-level would be signing their own death warrant.
"Roar!"
Matatabi's monstrous cry echoed across the village. Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened as he raced toward the beast, staff in hand, his movements swift and decisive.
"Damn it! How could Homura's seal have been undone? Someone must have released it deliberately! Who would dare…?"
His eyes narrowed. "Was it the Uchiha?!"
Behind him, Tsunade and Uzumaki Mito followed, flanked by squads of Anbu, chūnin, and jōnin reinforcements.
Moments later, the Uchiha Police Force arrived at the scene, forming ranks but holding their distance, wary of approaching the raging bijū.
The sight of them immediately set Hiruzen on edge. His teacher's warnings about the Uchiha echoed in his mind. Without hesitation, he barked orders:
"Tsunade! Tell the Uchiha to return to their compound and remain on standby!"
Tsunade faltered for a second, startled by the command, but quickly nodded. "Yes, sensei!"
She sprinted toward the Uchiha formation, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
The announcement struck the Uchiha like a slap in the face. Shock and anger rippled through their ranks.
Did Konoha's leadership truly distrust them so much, even now, in a time of crisis?
Among them stood a young Uchiha Fugaku, his brows furrowed in confusion. He could not understand why, at such a critical moment, the village leaders chose to sideline their clan instead of uniting against the threat.
A fracture began to form in his heart—an unhealable rift.
All his life, he had sworn to protect Konoha. But what did the village truly think of him? Of his clan?
Still, there was no room to argue. Tsunade was a Senju princess, the Hokage's apprentice, and a leader in her own right. Under her stern insistence, the Uchiha reluctantly withdrew, returning to their compound with simmering resentment.
From within their walled district—still located inside Konoha at this time—they could only watch the chaos unfold from afar.
And so, the butterfly effect stirred by Ryoma's wings spread further. Danzo had not yet pushed the Uchiha out of the village, but the seeds of distrust had already been sown.
Even so, dissatisfaction continued to fester within the hearts of the Uchiha clan.
Sometimes, true evil is born not from hatred—but from mistrust.
On the battlefield where Matatabi raged, the fight was reaching its climax.
Uzumaki Mito, cloaked in the Nine-Tails' chakra and wielding the Adamantine Sealing Chains, had half-transformed into a jinchūriki state. With overwhelming force, she pinned the Two-Tails in place.
Matatabi roared furiously, but could not move.
"Hiruzen! Hurry and seal it now!" Mito commanded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression tightened. "But… who will become the jinchūriki?"
In front of him was a fully released tailed beast. Homura Mitokado, its original handler, was likely dead.
Though Hiruzen was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, his sealing techniques were rudimentary compared to those of Uzumaki Ashina, the S-rank master from Uzushiogakure. If he tried to force a sealing on his own, the chances of success were slim.
A qualified jinchūriki was essential—or the seal would fail.
"The Two-Tails' former host, Yugito… she's still alive! Bring her here, quickly!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
"Hurry! I can't hold it much longer!" Mito cried, her chakra chains straining under Matatabi's power.
Hiruzen spun to his Anbu. "Where is Nii Yugito?!"
Soon, the kunoichi appeared. Her body trembled as she stared at the raging Matatabi.
"Me… again?" Yugito muttered bitterly. The thought of once more becoming a weapon of the village filled her with dread. She had finally been freed from that cursed life, and now she was being dragged back into it.
Just as Hiruzen's lips curved with relief at her arrival, a shadow flickered behind Uzumaki Mito.
The sudden presence stunned everyone.
"Who's there?!"
Hiruzen's instincts screamed danger. His face hardened. This man is extremely dangerous.
"Mito-sama! Behind you!" Hiruzen shouted.
Startled, Mito turned—and her eyes widened in disbelief.
An aged face, bangs veiling his left eye. From his right eye shone the twisted light of a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Her breath caught. "The Uchiha…? No… it can't be…"
The features were older, harsher, but the presence was unmistakable.
Uchiha Madara.
Mito's heart lurched. She had not recognized him at first. After all, forty years had passed, and the world believed Madara long dead. But the instant his chakra eyes bore into her, the memory flooded back.
The Valley of the End. Susanoo-armored Kurama. The overwhelming strength that had once clashed with Hashirama's godlike Wood Style.
Her body trembled. Impossible… he's alive?!
"Summoning Jutsu—Enma!"
Hiruzen's seals flew, and the Monkey King manifested, transforming into the Adamantine Staff that fell from the sky like a golden pillar, aiming to crush Madara.
But Madara was faster. His Mangekyō locked with Mito's, dragging her into a genjutsu.
The world around her warped—she stood once more on the battlefield of the Valley. Before her, Madara's Susanoo loomed, its armor clad upon the Nine-Tails, its overwhelming might dwarfing even Hashirama's Thousand-Armed Kannon.
The terror of that memory shattered her composure.
It's really him… Uchiha Madara!
Agony ripped through her abdomen, snapping her back to reality. She looked down in horror—Madara's hand had pierced into her stomach, fingers tearing through the seal.
"Five Elements Unseal!"
With a thunderous bang, the sealing formula shattered.
Mito screamed as the Nine-Tails' sinister chakra erupted violently from her body.
"Mito-sama!"
Hiruzen dashed forward, but a torrent of fire forced him to halt.
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The roaring blaze surged across the battlefield, so intense that even Hiruzen was forced to defend desperately.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
He exhaled a massive stream of water, spreading it outward to counter the inferno. The torrent surged—but it was overwhelmed instantly, swallowed by Madara's firestorm.
Hiruzen's face twisted. Damn… even my strongest water technique can't hold it…
"Lord Hokage!"
Several Anbu appeared, unleashing water-style jutsu in unison. Streams crashed forward to support Hiruzen's defense.
"No! Fall back!" Hiruzen roared, panic flickering in his eyes.
The flames devoured everything in their path, and in that moment, the Professor of Ninjutsu felt a chilling weight in his chest—an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
When had such a powerful old man appeared in the shinobi world?
Since the emergence of Ryoma, the entire balance of the ninja world already felt as though it had shifted. Now, with this man standing before them, that unease deepened.
Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Body Flicker Technique, narrowly avoiding the flames he could not suppress.
Rumble!
The place where he had just stood erupted into a sea of fire. Behind him, several Anbu were caught in the inferno, their bodies reduced to blackened husks.
Landing a distance away, Hiruzen grimaced. His right arm had not escaped unscathed; searing burns marred the flesh.
"Sensei, are you alright?"
Tsunade landed beside him, her expression grim. Without hesitation, she pressed her glowing hand to his arm, healing chakra surging forth with her Mystical Palm Technique. The wounds closed rapidly, flesh knitting together before their eyes.
Even so, Hiruzen trembled. His gaze never left the mysterious, towering figure looming above them. His voice shook as he demanded:
"Who are you?!"
From his perch, the old man gazed down with pride and disdain. The sunlight stretched his shadow long across the ground.
The bangs covering his left eye shifted slightly, revealing the swirling pattern of the Rinnegan.
"I am Uchiha Madara."
Behind him, two colossal figures stirred—Matatabi and Kurama.
But the sight was not what froze the blood of those present. Both tailed beasts opened their eyes simultaneously, and within their irises shone the unmistakable pattern of the Sharingan.
The gathered shinobi felt their hearts constrict. A chill ran down their spines.
"You… you are… Uchiha Madara?!" Hiruzen's voice faltered in terror.
Madara's lips curved into a faint smile. In the next instant, his figure blurred.
A hidden Anbu attempted a surprise attack from behind, but Madara slipped through the strike effortlessly. His hand shot out, seizing the man by the throat as though he weighed nothing.
"Do you wish to dance as well?"
...
TN:
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