For a lizard, its tail is far more than just a tool for storing energy or escaping danger—it is one of its most formidable weapons.
In the natural world, a lizard's tail is often a symbol of its strength and status. And for a creature as massive and powerful as Lizardmaru, the force contained within that tail was almost beyond imagination.
Even a monster as enormous as the Nine-Tails could not remain unmoved.
When Lizardmaru's tail struck, the impact sent the beast staggering backward, its massive body forced to retreat several steps. At the point of impact, visible wounds tore open across its form.
That alone was enough to ignite its fury.
Though it lacked true self-awareness under its current control, the instincts of a beast still remained. And like any creature that had been struck, it responded with primal rage.
Throwing its head back, it roared—and once again, pitch-black chakra began to gather.
That familiar, terrifying aura of annihilation surged outward.
"…Another Tailed Beast Bomb?"
Natsuhiko immediately sensed what was coming.
But Lizardmaru had just landed—there was no time for a second leap, no way to close the distance and interrupt the attack directly.
So he made a decision without hesitation.
His hands began to form seals once more.
At the same time, without needing a word, Lizardmaru's chakra also began to surge violently.
"Sage Art: Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Earth Release: Great Earth Flow Wall!"
Their voices rang out almost simultaneously.
In an instant, a colossal wall of earth erupted from the ground before them—Natsuhiko's version infused with senjutsu chakra, crowned with five enormous lizard heads carved into its surface.
And beyond that—
Lizardmaru's technique rose as well, even larger in scale, forming an immense defensive barrier.
Though Lizardmaru did not possess senjutsu, as a giant lizard it excelled in Earth Release. In the past, as a summoned guardian of Kubisaki Castle, such large-scale defensive techniques had been essential—without them, Konoha would have long since reduced that fortress to rubble.
Now, those same techniques stood between them and destruction.
Layer upon layer of thick, towering earth walls rose, completely blocking the Nine-Tails—and the Tailed Beast Bomb it had unleashed.
Yet Natsuhiko did not relax.
His chakra continued to pour into the barrier without pause. Fortunately, with his chakra fully unleashed, he could sustain such output without restraint.
And then—
A blinding light erupted.
For a single instant, the night sky was illuminated as though it were day.
Natsuhiko felt the overwhelming force press against his defenses, so immense it was almost suffocating. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
As expected of the Nine-Tails… even a hastily formed Tailed Beast Bomb carries such terrifying power.
But despite that—
A flicker of satisfaction rose within him.
It held.
His senjutsu-enhanced defense had stopped it.
Though barely.
Both his Earth Flow Wall and Lizardmaru's massive barrier had been devastated. The upper halves of the walls were almost entirely reduced to ash, obliterated by the sheer force of the explosion.
The ground trembled violently.
The shockwave alone was enough to knock several shinobi off their feet behind him—proof of just how monstrous that power truly was.
Through the shattered remains of the earth walls, the Nine-Tails came back into view.
Its nine tails lashed wildly through the air, its gaze locked firmly onto Natsuhiko.
At the same time, the Third Hokage and the surrounding shinobi stared just as intently.
They had expected Natsuhiko might be able to hold his ground.
After all—
He was a man who had ventured alone into the Land of Wind, and one who commanded a summon as massive as Lizardmaru.
With the two combined…
Hiruzen and the others truly thought Natsuhiko had a chance.
But thinking it was one thing; witnessing it was another. They couldn't help but marvel at how terrifying such strength truly was.
The Third Hokage and those who knew Natsuhiko's identity felt this way. The shinobi outside the ANBU were completely dumbfounded.
Earlier, Minato had redirected a Tailed Beast Bomb. Even from such a distance, they could clearly feel its terrifying power.
And now, a little-known ANBU member had not only summoned a summoned beast comparable in size to the Nine-Tails right before their eyes.
He had also demonstrated his mastery of ninjutsu, cooperating with his summoned beast to block a tailed beast's attack!
Who was this guy?
Almost every Konoha shinobi present stared in stunned silence at the scene, their eyes locked on the boy standing atop the enormous lizard. From his attire, it was clear he belonged to the ANBU, but his exact identity remained a mystery.
And yet, deep down, they all felt a profound respect. The ANBU truly was a nest of hidden dragons; here was someone capable of standing against the Nine-Tails itself.
"It's him… It's really him!"
Uchiha Shin had been watching the unfolding events with keen attention. The moment the massive lizard appeared, his eyes had gone straight to Natsuhiko standing on its head.
Though he had only sparred with Natsuhiko a handful of times, each encounter left an indelible impression. Even now, masked and impassive, his posture, presence, and distinctive hair left no doubt in Shin's mind: he could not be mistaken.
He had always known Natsuhiko was an ANBU operative, and he had long suspected that the young ninja was far from ordinary. Every previous encounter, especially the first, had left him with a memory too vivid to forget.
At that time, the teahouse had already quietly fallen under ANBU control, its patrons replaced without anyone noticing. Shin knew all too well that if he had acted recklessly, he could very well have ended up trapped in an ANBU prison, with no hope of release for the rest of his life.
But just as he was lost in reflection, the scene before him shifted once again in a way that snapped him fully back to attention.
And when he saw it… Shin froze, his body trembling. He could not find a single word.
He was not alone in that reaction. Every shinobi present shivered at the sight, the entire village seeming to hold its breath in a strange, tense silence.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was struck dumb, staring at what lay before him. After a long moment, his voice trembled as he finally managed to speak.
"This… this is… Wood Release!"
...
Outside Konoha, at the small wooden house where Minato had once brought Naruto—
Thud!
A figure crashed to the ground.
But in the very next instant, he flipped to his feet, eyes sharp and alert as he scanned his surroundings with practiced caution. Only after confirming that no one had followed did he allow himself a faint breath of relief.
It was Minato Namikaze.
The suction force he had just escaped from was nothing short of terrifying—there were likely very few in the entire shinobi world who could have broken free from it. Only those who possessed space-time ninjutsu stood a chance.
And he happened to be one of them.
"More or less… I understand now how his ability works."
Remaining vigilant, Minato analyzed silently, his thoughts racing with precision.
"He must possess some kind of separate dimension… a hidden space. He uses it to phase out of reality and avoid damage."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But that ability isn't perfect. There has to be a moment—however brief—when he becomes tangible again."
A trace of regret flickered through his mind.
"If only I had been able to get more information from Natsuhiko…"
Minato's thoughts raced, each possibility forming and collapsing in rapid succession as he pieced together what little he had seen.
"If he's inside that separate dimension, then he can't attack me… and I can't attack him either," he reasoned inwardly, his gaze steady and sharp. "But the moment he tries to strike, he has to leave that space. And if he does… that's my opening."
His analytical ability in battle was nothing short of extraordinary—sharp, precise, and terrifyingly fast. It was no wonder that someone like Kakashi would one day grow into such a formidable shinobi under his guidance.
Yet just as Minato was deep in thought, something shifted in front of him.
The air began to ripple.
At first, it was subtle—like a disturbance on the surface of still water—but within seconds, those ripples spiraled into a vortex. At its center, a figure emerged, transitioning from a blurred outline into solid form with startling speed.
"Hmph… you're quick to run," the man in black said with a faint chuckle. "But let's see where you escape to this time."
It was Uchiha Obito.
His tone carried confidence, yet beneath it lay something far more complex—something tangled and difficult to name.
Minato said nothing. He simply raised his kunai and assumed a combat stance, his body poised and ready. But even as he faced his opponent, his mind continued to work relentlessly.
"There's more… this man knows the secret that a jinchūriki becomes weakest during childbirth. Not only that, he broke the Nine-Tails' seal and even managed to control it…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Taking all that into account… there's only one person I can think of."
The conclusion settled heavily in his chest.
Staring directly at the masked man, Minato finally spoke.
"…Are you Uchiha Madara?"
Obito did not answer.
Instead, he slowly reached up and lowered his hood, revealing more of himself beneath the moonlight.
Minato's guess was both accurate—and completely off the mark.
That contradiction stirred something within Obito. There was disappointment, yes… but also a strange sense of relief.
Because the truth was simple.
He was no longer Uchiha Obito.
That name… that person… had already died long ago.
What stood here now was someone else entirely—someone who walked the world to carry out what he believed to be the only true path forward.
He was Uchiha Madara.
—
"…No. That's impossible."
Suddenly, Minato's expression shifted as he shook his head, rejecting his own conclusion.
"Madara died at the Valley of the End. Even if some forbidden technique allowed him to survive… by now, he should have long since perished from age alone."
His voice grew colder as he continued.
"And when you faced the ANBU earlier, you didn't display the kind of strength Madara should possess. You were even nearly killed by Nightingale."
Obito gave a faint shrug, neither confirming nor denying the accusation.
"Who knows?" he replied casually. "Things like that aren't impossible. And besides… if I really were that old, wouldn't it make sense that I can't fight like I used to?"
"…It doesn't matter anymore," Minato said, his expression turning completely cold, his resolve solidifying. "Whoever you are, it changes nothing. I'm curious why you're targeting Konoha—but whatever your reason, you won't succeed."
Obito slowly lifted his head, his voice dropping lower.
"If I had to say… it's both a whim… and something I've been planning for a long time."
A pause.
"For war… and for peace."
As he spoke, chains slid silently from beneath his sleeves, locking into place around his arms.
The moment Minato saw them, his expression changed.
Those chains—
They were exactly the same as the ones Kushina used to restrain the Nine-Tails.
That realization struck him like a bolt of lightning, and his suspicions deepened further.
"Someone who knows how to control the Nine-Tails… who possesses space-time ninjutsu like mine and the Second Hokage… and who carries such dangerous ideals…"
Minato's grip tightened around his kunai.
"I have to stop him here."
His thoughts sharpened into a single, unwavering conclusion.
"If I don't kill him now, the consequences will be far worse than the Nine-Tails' rampage. And Kushina… she's still waiting for me."
"I have to win. For Konoha… and for Kushina."
He drew a deep breath, centering himself. His body was ready, his mind fixed on the battle ahead. The thought was extreme, reckless even, yet it was resolute and unwavering.
At this moment, Minato Namikaze had no time to worry about anything else. With Flying Thunder God at his disposal, perhaps this was the perfect opportunity.
"Enough talk. Are you ready to meet your end, Fourth Hokage?" Uchiha Obito's calm voice carried a quiet, deadly assurance as he assumed an attacking stance.
"Then let's find out," Minato replied without the slightest trace of emotion, his resolve already set in stone.
Gripping his kunai, he charged forward without hesitation. Obito reacted instantly.
The distance between them was already small, and at a ninja's speed, it closed in a heartbeat.
Minato's gaze was icy and focused. The moment he reached Obito, he thrust his kunai, while Obito reached out with his hand.
As expected, Minato's kunai penetrated Obito's body the instant they made contact.
The two separated instantly, and Minato could see clearly what Obito had attempted: he had struck and, at the same time, tried to bind him with those chains.
"So it is as I suspected… my analysis was correct," Minato thought, a faint smile playing across his lips.
Using Flying Thunder God, he had already repositioned himself safely. Observing Obito behind him, his mind was already formulating a counter.
"And he doesn't want a drawn-out duel either. He aims to destroy Konoha outright… perfect. Neither do I."
Minato's eyes narrowed, calm and cold. He was beginning to understand his opponent's weaknesses more clearly.
"It seems that whoever strikes faster… will decide everything."
Raising his kunai once more, he prepared himself mentally. Then he charged toward Obito again, who moved to meet him head-on.
Minato's expression had grown colder. As he lunged, he threw his kunai, but Obito ignored it completely. All he cared about was grabbing Minato.
The kunai pierced through the air and struck what should have been Obito's forehead—but it did no damage. It was as though it had struck empty space.
"Got you!" Obito's voice rang out low and certain as his hand shot forward, fingers brushing the edge of Minato's sleeve.
Everything happened in less than a thousandth of a second.
And yet—
The moment those words left his mouth, the figure before him vanished.
In the next instant, a crushing force slammed into his back.
It felt as though a massive, spinning weight had struck him at full speed—
Boom!
His body was driven straight into the ground, stone shattering and dust erupting in all directions. Amid the swirling debris, a brilliant sphere of spiraling chakra glowed fiercely in Minato's hand—
The Rasengan.
"…He teleported to the kunai I threw… I miscalculated!"
Even someone as stubborn as Obito couldn't deny it now—he had been outplayed.
Though part of him insisted it was merely carelessness, he had no choice but to admit the truth.
Minato Namikaze was formidable.
That reaction speed. That execution. That terrifying ability to analyze and act in the same instant…
The title "Yellow Flash" was no exaggeration.
Without hesitation, Obito phased his body and slipped away from the battlefield. A shadow flickered upward as he leapt to higher ground, clutching his arm.
A strange, white, viscous substance dripped from the wound, his damaged limb peeling away unnaturally, almost like softened rubber.
But he hadn't even had time to catch his breath—
Minato was already there.
The sound came first—a sharp, visceral slice as steel cut into flesh.
Obito didn't even feel the pain immediately, but he knew.
Minato had struck again.
"…Flying Thunder God… he marked me?"
The realization struck instantly.
"Was it just now…?"
His thoughts raced, but it was already too late.
As he glanced down, his expression beneath the mask darkened.
Across his body, intricate sealing markings had already begun to spread—cold, precise, and absolute.
And along with them, something far more terrifying—
His connection to the Nine-Tails… was being severed.
"Contract Seal?"
Obito's voice was filled with shock, and beneath it surged a deep sense of frustration, as though every step he had taken had been anticipated and calculated by his opponent, leaving him utterly powerless.
"You're trying to separate me from the Nine-Tails?"
"That way, the Nine-Tails will no longer be your possession. Rest in peace."
Minato's voice was cold—so cold that it felt like a completely different person from the man he usually was. Anyone who had ever seen him like this had undoubtedly been his enemy… and those enemies were likely already long dead.
For a brief moment, Obito was stunned.
It was the first time he had ever seen his teacher like this. A strange confusion stirred in his heart, accompanied by the faint, unsettling feeling that something important was slipping further and further away from him.
But Obito was still Obito.
Within a single breath, his body phased once more, slipping free from Minato's control.
"Truly worthy of the Fourth Hokage," he muttered as he landed atop a tree, ignoring the ruined state of his arm.
"I underestimated you—that was my mistake. But how long do you think you can protect this broken village?"
His voice lowered, carrying a dark certainty.
"You may have separated me from the Nine-Tails for now, but it will eventually become mine. And even without my control, it will continue to destroy everything in its path."
He paused, the space around him beginning to distort.
"Even if you survive this time… you won't be so lucky next time."
The air twisted unnaturally, spiraling inward as his body was pulled into that same mysterious dimension.
"I am the one who will unite this world. As for methods… I have plenty."
His figure faded completely, yet his final words lingered, echoing through the space like a curse.
"Next time, I will take what is mine."
—
"…Tch."
Minato watched the empty space where Obito had vanished and let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head slightly.
There was no sense of relief in his heart.
Yes, he had managed to sever Obito's control over the Nine-Tails—but he had failed to kill him. That alone meant trouble would come again in the future.
And as for the Nine-Tails itself… it was still far from resolved.
Without control, it was even more dangerous—pure instinct, pure destruction. It still needed to be sealed.
Minato knew all too well—
He was nowhere near finished.
—
Back in Konoha, Natsuhiko stood facing the Nine-Tails, his eyes fixed on its savage gaze as he felt the overwhelming, violent chakra pouring from its massive body.
He couldn't help but marvel.
As expected of the strongest of all tailed beasts.
It had just fired a Tailed Beast Bomb—something that would have forced most other beasts to pause and recover—but the Nine-Tails showed no such weakness. It was as if that attack had cost it nothing at all.
Sometimes, Natsuhiko couldn't help but wonder…
When the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails, did he allocate more chakra to the Nine-Tails with each division?
After all, just look at the One-Tail—if memory served, that thing could barely even fire a proper Tailed Beast Bomb.
As for the others, though it was never explicitly stated, he could sense it clearly—
They all harbored a certain degree of fear and wariness toward the Nine-Tails.
And that fear likely came from a simple truth:
Its strength far surpassed theirs.
"No wonder Hashirama Senju was willing to distribute the other tailed beasts back then…"
Natsuhiko murmured inwardly.
"Besides using them as bargaining chips for peace… it's probably because even if all the other villages combined their tailed beasts, they still wouldn't be able to match the Nine-Tails alone."
Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
Back then, Konoha had Hashirama himself.
With him around, they didn't need tailed beasts to assert dominance.
But things were different now.
With Hashirama long gone, and the growing distrust toward the Uchiha clan within Konoha's leadership, the methods available to suppress the Nine-Tails had become dangerously limited.
At this point, only the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan could truly restrain it.
And that was the biggest problem.
Kushina's condition was already critical—
And the Nine-Tails, though freed from Obito's control, was still rampaging wildly.
Under these circumstances, sealing it was nearly impossible.
"Perhaps… Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others dug up Hashirama's body to study him in hopes of finding a way to control the Nine-Tails?"
Natsuhiko allowed himself the thought. He wasn't naive—he could speculate—but in the end, it didn't matter. These were the kind of secrets too grave, too forbidden to ever be spoken aloud.
And yet, that was exactly why they could become his trump card. Right now, he didn't care about right or wrong; he only considered whether it could give him power.
"Besides, research is meaningless if I already have Wood Release," he thought. "It's time to make a statement."
As that resolve solidified, Natsuhiko's chakra surged violently through him. This time, he intended to reveal the power he had kept hidden all these years, to show everyone just how much they should remember his name.
Murashima Takumi had already been dealt with, leaving the position of Anbu Commander open. All the fame he had accumulated, all the preparation he had done, had been for this very moment—for this role.
With that thought, Natsuhiko began forming hand seals again. He remained in Sage Mode, knowing that his Wood Release alone might not be enough.
Could it rival the future Yamato? He wasn't sure. Using Wood Release alone to restrain a freed Nine-Tails would be shameful. But combined with his Sage techniques, he knew he could turn the tide.
"Even if I can't reach Hashirama's level, I'll surpass Yamato by far—especially with Yin Release in play!"
As his mind raced, Natsuhiko completed the hand seals. The overwhelming surge of chakra and senjutsu made the ground tremble violently.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
With the eruption of massive, dense chakra, the ground itself trembled. Plants erupted through the soil, growing at an unnatural, frantic pace. In mere moments, a colossal tree towered skyward, its innumerable vines lashing outward toward the Nine-Tails' location.
At that moment, the Nine-Tails grew visibly angrier. The massive tree seemed to awaken some unpleasant memory. Even under restraint, its instincts roared in protest.
Its nine tails whipped through the air like phantoms, and its body leapt back, flailing in a desperate attempt to strike at the encroaching vines.
Many of the vines snapped under the sheer force, proof of the Nine-Tails' immense power—but a few managed to entangle its body.
Natsuhiko felt his Wood Release expand further. The trees were absorbing the Nine-Tails' chakra, converting it into nourishment for themselves.
"Wood Release… or perhaps Sage Art itself, really is one of the greatest powers. Even with my half-trained Wood Release, I can wield such strength."
A thrill of satisfaction ran through him. The chakra cost was high, yes, but his regeneration offered reassurance.
The Wood Release exceeded his expectations. In this moment, he felt the strength he could unleash rivaled that of Hashirama in his youth—though he knew full well that without Sage Art, he could never achieve such power.
"Now… it's time to drive the Nine-Tails completely out of Konoha."
With that resolve, Natsuhiko formed new seals.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Chakra surged once more, and the colossal tree he had summoned sprouted countless razor-sharp branches. They lashed outward, stabbing mercilessly at the Nine-Tails' body.
"ROAR!"
The Nine-Tails let out a deafening roar, and then it moved with lightning speed, trying desperately to evade. Yet some of the tree vines clinging to its body held it back, preventing it from moving with the same fluid agility as before.
On top of that, it had endured the torment of Kushina's seal for so long that it had yet to fully regain its peak power. Now, with some of its chakra siphoned by Natsuhiko's Wood Release, its speed slowed even further.
In an instant, the razor-sharp branches drove into the Nine-Tails' flesh. It let out another roar, but this time, it sounded more like a wail of anguish than a battle cry.
"It hit! So this is Wood Release?"
"It hit! So this is Wood Release?"
"This… finally, a real way to counter the Nine-Tails!"
"Truly worthy of the art that quelled the great ninja wars...this is incredible!"
"Wait… Wood Release? That's Hashirama's kekkei genkai. Who is this ANBU operative? How does he have Wood Release?"
The Konoha shinobi who witnessed the scene couldn't contain their awe, cheering and whispering in amazement. Yet a few, particularly those with more cautious minds, silently questioned what they saw.
Among them, the members of the great clans were noticeably reserved. Yamanaka Inoichi expression was especially grim. He knew truths that few others did; he had personally tested Natsuhiko, subtly coaxing out information, and had discovered that he was indeed a member of the Senju clan.
But even he hadn't expected the young ANBU to have grown so formidable.
Wood Release… the very art of the Senju clan. And this kid, who had once dreamt of becoming Hokage, had awakened it. The truth was terrifying.
"I'll have to discuss this with Shikaku and make the necessary preparations," Yamanaka Inoichi thought silently, casting a glance at Nara Shikaku beside him before instinctively looking toward Sarutobi Hiruzen in the distance.
Hiruzen himself looked on with a mixture of astonishment and unease. He had never imagined that Natsuhiko, that audacious young Senju, had grown to such a level of power.
He had always known the ambition burning in the boy, but he hadn't truly trusted him before. Today, however, Natsuhiko's display was almost overwhelming—his previously shown power had been enough to make Hiruzen uneasy, but this… this was something entirely beyond his expectations.
Hiruzen had once thought that Natsuhiko's abilities resembled those of his teacher, with a personality closer to Hashirama. But what he saw now suggested otherwise: the boy's skill, his presence, even his sheer force of will, echoed the strength of the First Hokage himself.
And a more frightening thought struck him: if the persona Natsuhiko usually presented was merely a mask, then beneath it was a Senju capable of wielding the First Hokage's full might—a Second Hokage in terms of presence, but a First Hokage in power.
With Murashima Takumi and Owl still absent, a sense of foreboding settled deep in Hiruzen's heart.
...
"The Senju clan… it really is the Senju clan."
Uchiha Shin stared, stunned. He had never expected that the one who had ignited his own ambitions and worked alongside him could be a member of the Senju—the centuries-old rivals of the Uchiha.
What was the boy's goal? What did he truly want?
A chill ran down Shin's spine. If Natsuhiko were merely an ordinary ninja, it would be one thing; even a formidable ANBU wouldn't matter. But now, the weight of the Senju name pressed down on him like a thousand-ton burden, leaving him uncertain of what he had done—or whether it had been right.
As Konoha's shinobi wrestled with these complex emotions, another figure appeared atop the giant lizard's head...