The Tailed Beast Bomb detonated in the mountains, and a howling storm swept out in every direction.
In distant Aoba Town, the people heard the thunderous boom at almost the same time. They looked toward the horizon and saw the clouds in the distance already stained crimson.
The explosion caused some panic among the townsfolk. As soon as the mayor noticed it, he gathered the able-bodied residents and sealed off the town.
Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, and the others had clearly sensed the battle in the distance, and as shinobi, they could detect far more than most. They were all familiar with the Chakra coming from the explosion. It was a technique used by Uzumaki Kuming.
Realizing this, they all grew anxious. Uchiha Itachi even wanted to leave town and investigate, but Kakashi stopped him.
"Itachi, don't panic. All we can do now is wait."
"You know Lord Kuming's strength. Very few people in the Shinobi World can threaten him."
"And from the explosion alone, we can tell the enemy must be very strong. If you go, you won't be able to help Lord Kuming. You'll only distract him."
Itachi was still young, but he was clever enough to know Kakashi was right. He didn't argue and followed Kakashi's advice, settling in at the inn they had found and quietly waiting for Uzumaki Kuming to return.
Still, Itachi was young and deeply worried about Uzumaki Kuming. He couldn't wait in the room, so he went to the inn's entrance and gazed anxiously down the road.
Because Aoba Town was under lockdown, there were far fewer people on the streets. Young Uchiha Itachi stood quietly at the entrance, watching as the sky slowly darkened.
In the dim sky, a few scattered stars began to shine, and lights came on in the houses