"Are you all right?" Uchiha Akira asked in a low voice, looking at Uchiha Fugaku, who was gasping for breath.
Uchiha Fugaku looked extremely battered. Blood ran from his eyes, and his body was covered in scorched marks.
"I'm fine. It won't stop me from fighting," Uchiha Fugaku replied gravely.
Just then, a rushing whoosh rang out. A figure wrapped in a green glow raced over and arrived beside them in an instant.
Might Duy looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said gravely, "I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. I disobeyed your orders!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders had been that all Chunin and Genin were noncombatants, responsible for evacuating and protecting civilians, and were not to join the front-line battle.
"Duy, I'll let it go since it was you." Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. This wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"Lord Hokage," Uchiha Akira said, turning to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "I think we should reconsider how to deal with the Nine-Tails and Nagato."
At Uchiha Akira's words, everyone present turned their attention to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
There was no helping it. Although Sarutobi Hiruzen was no longer Hokage, having stepped down, he was still the one who made the decisions when it mattered.
Holding the Black Adamantine Staff, Sarutobi Hiruzen surveyed the Nine-Tails and Nagato with a grave expression. After a brief moment of thought, he said, "Nagato's Rinnegan can absorb ninjutsu, so ordinary ninjutsu won't work. Senjutsu might be effective, and taijutsu definitely will be."
As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward the Nine-Tails.
"The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan can restrain the Nine-Tails to some extent, and the Rinnegan is even more powerful than the Sharingan. My suggestion is that Jonin Fugaku and Jonin Akira hold off the Nine-Tails for now, while the three of us concentrate our strength on taking down Nagato!"
Uchiha