Chapter 135: Chapter 135
Orochimaru's body had completely dissolved into the earth, making his escape. Sarutobi Hiruzen weakened and battered, slammed his fist against the nearby Rashomon gate. Without Chakra to shield him, his knuckles bled from the impact.
"Calm down, Lord Third..."
None of the surrounding Sarutobi and Shimura ninjas dared to step forward to stop him, seeing the hatred and pain on Hiruzen's face.
"I will make you pay. Must... must pay the price! Orochimaruu!" Hiruzen shouted through gritted teeth, his voice heavy with determination.
..
..
Under the full moon, the Nine-Tails continued to roar defiantly. The beast's instinct was to lash out at its long-time prison, Kushina, who had restrained it for decades. Suddenly, a golden flash appeared out of nowhere near Kushina.
Boom!
The Nine Tails' massive paw struck the ground, causing a violent tremor akin to a minor earthquake.
Minato had arrived.
"Minato... Naruto..." she murmured weakly, her face ashen and pained.
Seeing the Nine Tails before him, Minato quickly grasped the situation. The beast had broken free from the seal just moments ago, and Kushina, a new mother, and Jinchūriki were suffering immensely.
"Kushina, don't speak! I'll get you to Lady Tsunade!" Minato urged, his voice steady despite his inner turmoil.
He knew that once the sealed tail beast was released from the Jinchūriki's would face grave danger. Yet, he clung to the hope that Tsunade might find a way to save her. Minato resolved to get Kushina to her with unwavering determination.
Minato's focus shifted entirely away from the Nine-Tails and the mysterious shinobi using time-space ninjutsu who threatened his wife's and child's life. The urgency of their health situation made him disregard everything else. He activated the Flying Thunder God technique once more, vanishing in a flash of light.
His expression changed dramatically as he reappeared and saw the Nine Tails' eyes.
"How could this be? This should have been impossible."
...
...
Minato utilized the speed of the Flying Thunder God technique and swiftly bypassed the Nine Tails. He reached Tsunade and handed Kushina over to her.
"The Nine-Tails broke its seal?!" Tsunade's expression changed dramatically as she grasped the situation. The survival rate for a Jinchūriki from whom the beast has been extracted or transferred is virtually zero—something universally acknowledged in the ninja world.
Tsunade was well aware of this due to her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, the first Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. Mito had died the day Kushina became the new Jinchūriki.
Tsunade, overwhelmed by the grim reality, could only place Naruto at her side and use her medical chakra to extend Kushina's life, however barely.
"Nine Tails has breached inside Konoha!" Kakashi shouted in horror.
The others turned to witness the devastation. Konoha's walls were utterly powerless against the giant Nine Tails. The beast smashed through the gate with ease, each of its nine tails wreaking havoc far beyond Sarutobi Hiruzen's capabilities. The surrounding houses were obliterated, and the screams of terrified villagers echoed throughout the village.
"Minato, you handle the unknown shinobi who released the Nine tails," Sakumo ordered decisively. "The rest of us will focus on stopping the Nine Tails!"
"Wood Style: Wood Cutting Jutsu!" Shisui announced as he took action.
Noticing the increasing devastation caused by the Nine-Tails, Shisui decided to act first. Although his Jutsu couldn't match the power of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, a large number of wooden roots with B-rank power wrapped around the Nine Tails' right front paw, momentarily restraining it.
"Roar!" The Nine Tails seemed to sense its nemesis, the Wood Style, and its crimson eyes narrowed as it turned toward the White Fang's team.
"What!?" The spectators gasped in shock. The immense eyes of the Nine Tails were whirling with Sharingan patterns!
Konoha SHinobi clans and civilians were stunned and alarmed. The appearance of Sharingan in a non-Uchiha's eyes meant one thing—remote control.
"What's going on? The Nine Tails is being controlled by Sharingan?!" Shisui was frozen in disbelief, oblivious to the fact that the Nine Tails' paw was already attacking him.
A blue flash erupted as Sakumo moved in to protect Shisui at the last possible moment. "You idiot! How can you be so distracted during a battle?" Sakumo scolded as he slapped Shisui on the forehead.
"Yes, I'm sorry!" Shisui apologized, his eyes still glazed over with shock.
The impact of this incident was staggering. If this scene was witnessed by other Konoha residents, the panic would be overwhelming.
Given the Nine Tails' enormous destructive power, it was only natural for other Konoha shinobi to rush to the scene. The fastest to arrive was the Hyuga clan, led by twin brothers Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi. However, upon seeing the Sharingan pattern swirling in the Nine Tails' eyes, they were left stunned.
Soon after, members of the Inuzuka, Gekko, Shiranui, and Ino–Shika––Chō clans arrived as well.
Hyuga Hizashi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that… Sharingan in the Nine Tails' eyes?!"
Inuzuka Tsume's voice trembled with shock. "This has to be Sharingan's illusion control. Is the Uchiha clan controlling the Nine Tails?!"
Yamanaka Inoichi stared in stunned confusion. "Is this a nightmare? The Nine Tails is being controlled by the Uchiha?"
Nara Shikaku took a deep breath, his expression tense but focused. "Everyone, stay calm. Our top priority is to suppress the Nine Tails and protect the village!"
Sakumo, his frustration boiling over, roared, "Where is Tatsuya?!"
In the face of the desperate situation, Sakumo drew his short blade, charging it with lightning chakra. He shouted, "Forget it! Until he arrives, we'll block the Nine Tails ourselves! We cannot let it advance further into the village!"
"Yes!!!" The Konoha shinobi behind him responded in unison, rallying to his command.
At this moment, the Uchiha clan, the furthest from the scene, finally arrived under the command of Uchiha Fugaku. However, the wary glances from the other Konoha shinobi made the Uchiha police force uneasy. They were met with looks usually reserved for criminals.
It soon became clear why— the Nine-Tails was under the control of the Sharingan.
Uchiha Fugaku and his clan were stunned. The sight of the Nine Tails' eyes, swirling with Sharingan, left them bewildered. Given the same situation, they would have felt the same way.
"You don't have time to worry about that now, Patriarch Fugaku," Sakumo called out urgently. "We need to stop the Nine Tails first!"
"Understood!" Uchiha Fugaku responded, his fear evident as he tried to steady himself, breaking out in a cold sweat.
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