The Truth Behind the Nine-Tails Incident (3,000-Word Mega Chapter)

Senya's single sentence directly exposed Jiraiya's purpose, making him realize just how extraordinary this young man was.

He had only returned to the village yesterday afternoon, and only after the old man entrusted him with the task last night had he decided on tonight's test. Yet Senya had seen through him at a glance.

It seemed tonight's test was destined to yield nothing. He did not even know how he would explain it to the old man afterward.

Jiraiya entered the courtyard and glanced around. The entire backyard looked newly built, except for an ancient tree rooted in the center, strangely out of place among everything else. Its leaves had withered away, its trunk was covered in the scars left by flames, and its remaining dead branches were ash-gray and badly damaged.

The two walked beneath the dead tree and sat on two stone stools.

Jiraiya spoke first.

"I didn't expect you to already know why I came. But I'm curious—how did you know? Couldn't I have simply come on a whim to see this Uchiha genius for myself?"

Senya silently shook his head.

"Lord Jiraiya, you have traveled outside the village for years. Now, at such a crucial time, you suddenly returned to the village. Other than the Hokage, your teacher, who has the authority to summon you back, I doubt anyone else is qualified."

Only then did Jiraiya realize that as long as he was the one who came, his purpose had already been exposed.

Since Senya had answered his doubts, Jiraiya no longer wished to beat around the bush and decided to speak plainly.

"Since you already know why I came to visit tonight, how do you intend to respond? Will you tell me Uchiha's true intentions, or just brush me off?"

"But if you intend to brush me off, I'm afraid your Uchiha clan won't get past the old man."

Jiraiya stared fixedly at Senya, trying to find even the slightest flaw on his face.

"Our Uchiha clan's intentions? What intentions could we possibly have? We simply want to live peacefully in the village. Are you suggesting we might betray the village?"

Senya said it with a smile.

But Jiraiya did not buy it.

"Though on the surface, your Uchiha clan does seem much improved compared to before, the old man is still concerned about your movements. After all, during the Nine-Tails Incident six years ago, the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes was clearly visible that night."

By this point, the atmosphere had gradually frozen over, and displeasure appeared on Senya's face.

"The Nine-Tails Incident was not the work of Konoha's Uchiha. You weren't in the village that night, so you may not know. We were tightly watched by Root, dispatched by the esteemed Hokage Advisor himself. We couldn't even participate in the rescue effort."

"Wait, Root?"

Jiraiya knew nothing about this. The old man had never told him about it, nor had he explained what the Uchiha had done that night. He had only said that an Uchiha had controlled the Nine-Tails.

But why had Root not joined the fight against the Nine-Tails at that time? Why had they surrounded the Uchiha clan instead?

For a moment, Jiraiya could not see the truth behind it all. He only felt himself being drawn into a massive whirlpool of mysteries.

"The old man never told me about Root. Please tell me the truth. If this matter had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan, I will certainly clear your names before him."

The air that had seemed solidified slowly thawed, and the atmosphere improved.

Senya pointed at the dead tree beside him.

"Do you see this dead tree?"

"What about it?"

Senya reached out and touched the gray-black burns on its trunk.

"Compared to this courtyard, don't you think this tree can no longer keep up with the changes? Isn't it time for it to leave this courtyard?"

Listening to Senya's words, Jiraiya began to think. Then his brows suddenly furrowed.

"You want the old man to step down? Why? Though he may be somewhat wary of your Uchiha clan, it hasn't reached the point where you Uchiha need to force him from office!"

Jiraiya was somewhat agitated. No matter what, Hiruzen Sarutobi was his teacher. Though he had not done everything well, he could still be considered a qualified Hokage.

If he were forced to step down by the Uchiha, it would mean this piece of history would be remembered by the future Ninja World. After all, ever since the balance of the Five Great Villages had formed, not a single "Kage" had ever been forced from office.

Senya pointed again at the ground beneath the tree trunk.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi may be a competent Hokage, but what about Danzo? What about Root?"

Jiraiya was growing impatient. He felt Senya was dodging the question, constantly changing the subject and speaking in riddles.

"I'm asking about the information you Uchiha knew during the Nine-Tails Incident. Stop changing the subject, Senya. My patience is limited!"

Senya looked helpless.

"I'm not passing the buck. But since you can't understand it that way, I'll say it directly. Whether you believe it will be up to your own judgment."

"That night, the Nine-Tails suddenly appeared in the village. Clan Head Fugaku led the Uchiha clan in preparing to provide aid, but Danzo suddenly brought Root and ordered the Uchiha clan to remain inside the clan compound, forbidden from leaving."

"I don't know how Danzo managed to gather nearly all of Root's shinobi and surround the Uchiha clan in such a short time. At that point, our clan head had only organized a few dozen shinobi."

"It was as if everything had been arranged in advance. The Nine-Tails and Root acted almost simultaneously."

"This was the Uchiha clan's situation that night!"

Senya's words echoed in Jiraiya's ears like a murmur.

Naruto's birth. The Tiger-Pattern Mask man controlling the rampaging Nine-Tails. The Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. Root's actions. The Uchiha clan trapped within their compound. Minato and his wife's sacrifice. The old man's severe injuries.

The message Minato had left him through a Ninja Frog, the old man's account, and what Senya had just said—these events had seemed unrelated, yet they now appeared connected one by one, everything growing increasingly logical.

So logical that it seemed like a coincidence.

As his thoughts advanced step by step, Jiraiya finally deduced an answer. But that answer was even more terrifying than the Nine-Tails Incident itself, so terrifying that Jiraiya could hardly believe it.

Seeing the trembling pupils in Jiraiya's eyes and the terror on his face, Senya's goal was gradually achieved. His earlier back-and-forth had only been meant to stir Jiraiya's emotions and make him deduce the answer bit by bit, just as Kakashi had done before.

Seeing that the time was about right, Senya decided it was time to reveal the final, most crucial piece of information. This would be the last straw that broke the camel's back, driving Jiraiya into complete collapse.

"Oh, right. A few days ago, Kakashi also paid me a visit at night, but an uninvited guest interrupted us."

Jiraiya shook his head, still immersed in his thoughts. He had already guessed the mastermind, but he still lacked decisive evidence.

He wanted to know the truth of that night, yet he was also afraid of the truth itself.

"This has nothing to do with Kakashi."

"Of course it has nothing to do with Kakashi. I'm talking about that uninvited guest."

Only then did Jiraiya begin paying attention to Senya's words again.

"Who was that uninvited guest?"

"Him? Your student Minato's student, Obito Uchiha."

"Wait? Obito Uchiha? Didn't he die during the Kannabi Bridge battle in the Third Shinobi World War? Wasn't Kakashi's Sharingan a gift from Obito?"

Senya raised a hand, signaling Jiraiya not to interrupt and to keep listening.

"Your memory is correct, but Obito did not die. He appeared that night wearing a Tiger-Pattern Mask and tried to attack Kakashi and me. We discovered his identity, but he ultimately escaped using a space-time ocular technique."

"Space-time ocular technique!"

This time, Jiraiya caught the key information, because it matched the intelligence Minato had left him back then.

The Tiger-Pattern Mask man possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and could use space-time ninjutsu. Every detail matched.

But why would Obito become the culprit behind the Nine-Tails Incident? Jiraiya could not think of a reason. This was different from the answer he had originally deduced. He did not know the exact cause, but if Obito alone was the culprit, then the situation was not as horrifying as he had initially imagined. It was still something he could accept.

Only then did Jiraiya let out a breath of relief.

"At that time, Obito not only possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan—he had also learned Wood Style."

!!!

Jiraiya's defenses shattered. Successfully replicated Mount Myoboku Sage Technique.

A nearly imperceptible curve returned to Senya's lips. Just as expected, the thing he could replicate from Jiraiya was undoubtedly Sage Technique.

Wood Style!

This keyword struck deep into Jiraiya's mind like thunder from a clear sky. His earlier fearful suspicion had become reality—and something even more terrifying.

Jiraiya later learned that Root and Orochimaru had jointly overseen the human experiments involving Wood Style. However, only one infant had survived. He was now in the Hokage's direct Anbu, codenamed "Kinoe."

"I understand now. Danzo used Wood Style's powerful vitality to save Obito, allowing him to master Wood Style and even awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Then he staged the Nine-Tails Incident himself, all to kill Minato and the old man while suppressing the Uchiha clan, so Danzo could take the Hokage's seat for himself!"

Jiraiya directly voiced the answer in his mind.

Senya was somewhat impressed by Jiraiya's imagination. Still, there was nothing wrong with understanding it that way, though some things needed clarification.

So he explained how Obito had wanted to take revenge on Konoha because of Rin's death.

Only then did Jiraiya understand the truth.

"Senya, you're right. Obito may not have been saved by Danzo, but he must have colluded with Danzo during the Nine-Tails Incident. Danzo absolutely cannot escape responsibility!"