Roasted Fox

Shock.

This was the collective thought of everyone perched upon the treetops.

Eyes widened, they stared with rapt attention as nine orange tails emerged from the dense forest, sweeping through the air with arrogant, unrestrained force.

The Nine-Tails lashed its tails against the earth, generating a gale akin to a tornado that flattened the surrounding giant trees, thoroughly exposing its form to the sunlight.

Its massive limbs gripped the ground tightly, its orange fur gleaming under the sun. It lowered its head, baring sharp teeth as it let out a low, rumbling growl, its scarlet eyes locked onto the two figures standing on the treetops, who remained entirely unperturbed.

The scarlet eyes clearly reflected their silhouettes. The Nine-Tails felt a distinct threat to its life, its tails swaying restlessly beneath the sky.

Transparent purple flames rose from the ground like a curtain, flowing and converging to form a translucent barrier suspended in the air, completely sealing off the area where they stood.

The moment the barrier formed, the Nine-Tails swung its massive palm toward the two figures in the trees. The trees were shredded like paper, and its sharp claws carved deep furrows into the ground.

After the strike, taking advantage of the swirling dust, the Nine-Tails lunged across the earth, stood up, and slammed its arms against the transparent barrier, attempting to shatter this cage.

A burning sensation surged from its palms; its orange fur was ignited by the transparent purple flames. The surface of the barrier merely rippled, and as the waves subsided, the barrier returned to its original state.

"Are you alright?"

Seeing the ninja maintaining the barrier sway slightly, a nearby reserve ninja asked in a low voice.

"The Nine-Tails' casual strike is indeed astonishing, but this is nothing," the Uzumaki Clan ninja replied with a cough, his hands still locked in a seal.

He steadied his mind, thinking to himself that a situation like the one just now must not happen again. The clan leader and Kaimi, who were maintaining the barrier on the other side, would surely sense the situation here, and he could not afford to disgrace the Uzumaki Clan.

As his resolve hardened, a vast amount of chakra began to pour continuously into the barrier.

"Very well. If you can't hold on, notify me immediately so we can rotate."

The nearby Uzumaki ninja sensed his stable condition and felt relieved. He looked up at the Nine-Tails, which was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws inside the barrier. Even from this distance, he could feel the Nine-Tails' terrifying aura; it was impossible to imagine what the scene inside the barrier was like.

Rikusei, with his Sharingan activated, could clearly see the situation inside. Madara and Hashirama were warming up. His Double Tomoe eyes could barely track their afterimages. Their exquisite taijutsu was on full display, their seamless coordination forcing the Nine-Tails into a retreat until it was pressed against the corner of the barrier.

However, many on the scene could only see the Nine-Tails being beaten through the transparent barrier, unable to see the magnificent prowess of the Hokage and Madara. Under the scorching sun, many began to grow anxious, their eyes darting about restlessly.

"Secret Technique: Kikaichū!"

The Aburame Clan ninja, wearing dark sunglasses, extended his arms. Tiny black insects gathered from his sleeves and flew toward the sky. The dark, dense swarm formed a black canopy that completely blocked the scorching sun, solving their immediate problem.

"Phew, nice work, Taiichi!" Torifu Akimichi loosened his collar, panting as he raised a hand in praise.

"Small matter," the boy in sunglasses replied nonchalantly, feeling no pressure at all. These were only a fraction of the Kikaichū within his body.

Torifu Akimichi asked the white-haired man in blue ninja armor ahead: "We can't see anything like this! Master Tobirama."

"Keep it down, Torifu. It's dangerous to get any closer than this," Sarutobi Hiruzen scolded in a low voice. Their current distance was exactly at the limit of the Byakugan's range, allowing time to react to any incoming jutsu.

Danzo nodded in agreement, fully supportive.

Tobirama, hand on his chin, looked at them thoughtfully. It was indeed frustrating not to be able to see the situation inside the barrier.

He pondered a solution in his mind.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a girl with a golden ponytail chatting with Naori in the crowd and asked loudly: "Does anyone from the Yamanaka Clan know how to use the Mind Transfer Jutsu?"

"I do! Master Tobirama!" The girl raised her small hand and answered crisply.

"Then I have a way for you all to see what's happening inside the barrier." Tobirama smiled mysteriously and beckoned for Taiichi and Nao Yamanaka to come forward to the side of the Hyuga Clan ninja.

Rikusei, enjoying the shade in the crowd, seemed to know what he was about to do.

"Taiichi, use the Kikaichū to connect Kagami Hyuga's chakra to everyone, and then Nao, use the Mind Transfer Jutsu to transmit the images he observes through the chakra link to everyone's minds," Tobirama said, squinting as he voiced his plan. He seemed to think of something and added: "The Byakugan sees a black-and-white world; you should be aware of that."

Live broadcasting a black-and-white movie, are we?

It was exactly as Rikusei had anticipated.

Facing the Kikaichū crawling from the branches, Rikusei smiled at Taiichi and pointed to the Sharingan spinning in his eye sockets. A connection was impossible; he harbored earth-shattering secrets in his mind.

Now, every ninja on the treetops could clearly see what was happening within the barrier.

The battle inside continued. The Nine-Tails glared, its scarlet pupils overflowing with tangible hatred. Everything on the surrounding earth had been utterly destroyed.

Through the intense exchange, it had also learned their names.

Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama.

The cracked earth was covered in shattered debris, sinking like a dense spiderweb.

Part of this was caused by the lashing of its tails, but more was due to the man named Hashirama, who smashed the ground with every punch. Meanwhile, the man carrying the Gunbai attacked the points supporting its body with precision, causing it to stumble and fall time and again, its proud fur stained with dust.

Dodging a punch of staggering momentum, the Nine-Tails swung its tail to repel Madara, shaking its body to clear the dust. With the violent thrashing, yellow dust and mist formed by tangible red chakra began to fill the barrier, blurring everyone's vision.

The Nine-Tails' efforts were in vain; the Byakugan and Sharingan could see through it clearly. The only ones confused were the Uzumaki Clan outside the barrier.

In the mist, a calm Hashirama relied on his senses and mouthed a few words to Madara. The Sharingan could discern lip-reading, and both men simultaneously formed seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"

Under their combined efforts, the two ordinary jutsu transformed. The massive, crimson fireball, bolstered by the Wind Release and the Gunbai, descended like a sun upon the earth, surging and rolling toward the Nine-Tails.

Oh no.

Rikusei witnessed everything inside the barrier. The Nine-Tails was about to become a roasted fox.

The Nine-Tails lay prone on the ground, its front claws restlessly scratching at the scarred earth. Its fur began to curl under the intense heat, and the nine tails swaying behind it gathered into a cluster as chakra converged at its maw, forming a black energy sphere that hurtled toward the scorching sun of the mortal realm.

The pitch-black sphere of chakra pierced straight through the fireball, shattering it instantly. The resulting crimson sphere burst, sending waves of fire surging higher and higher into the sky.

A gale whipped Uchiha Madara's long hair, his lamellar armor clattering incessantly. Within his crimson Sharingan, the black tomoe began to spin, his Eternal Mangekyo taking in every detail at the center of the explosion.

"Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique."

Hashirama pressed his palms together, pouring chakra into the ground. Green trees erupted from the earth, their rapidly growing trunks intertwining and fusing until a towering Wood Golem rose from beneath their feet. Madara and Hashirama stood steadily on the nose of the massive construct, watching the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb.

The Wood Golem took a few steps forward and caught the hurtling Tailed Beast Bomb in its grip. Hashirama smiled, controlling the golem's fingers to curl inward, squeezing with all his might in an attempt to crush it to pieces within the palm.

"The chakra volume was miscalculated."

With his Eternal Mangekyo active, Madara gripped his fan, clearly perceiving the internal details of the Tailed Beast Bomb and how much power it still retained. He shook his head, pointing out the flaw in the Wood Golem.

The words had barely left his lips when the Tailed Beast Bomb pierced through the golem's palm, rolling toward them.

Uchiha Madara glanced at Hashirama, signaling him not to intervene, then leaped from the golem. He raised his Gunbai to intercept the attack; the fan's surface, marked with tomoe, collided violently with the now-diminished Tailed Beast Bomb. He whispered, "Uchiha Reflection."

The Tailed Beast Bomb began to fly back along its original trajectory. The Nine-Tails, unhurried, coated its palm in chakra and swatted the projectile away. A violent explosion detonated within the barrier, and the transparent purple dome, unable to withstand the shockwave, dissipated into the air.

"Clan Leader, are you alright!"

The ninjas of the Uzumaki Clan who had been maintaining the barrier rushed toward the spot where the white-haired elder had fallen, ignoring the dust as they helped him up.

"I am fine—cough!" Uzumaki Ashina replied to his clansmen's worried expressions. He slowly stood up and looked toward the battlefield, feeling only a dull ache in his back where the box had pressed against him. "Quickly, check if the ninja tools needed for the sealing are still intact!"

The group scrambled to inspect the contents of the box, responding, "Everything is intact, but Clan Leader, your health..."

"It is nothing."

Uzumaki Ashina waved his hand, but his gaze never left the Wood Golem running across the earth.

Heavy footsteps stirred up a thunderous din, and intense tremors radiated from the center of the battlefield toward them, causing small pebbles to dance upon the ground.

"Is this the Wood Release of the Hokage?" The younger generation of Uzumaki ninjas watched the verdant Wood Golem with rapt attention, their voices filled with awe.

"This is the power that defeated the Uchiha," Uzumaki Ashina said, his aged, low voice tinged with emotion. "No, one more thing must be added."

"What is it, Clan Leader?"

"The power to completely overcome the Tailed Beasts."