Uchiha Masaki was resting at home when she suddenly felt a violent, chilling chakra emanating from within Konoha.
Realizing that the Nine-Tails had been released, Uchiha Masaki hurried outside.
"Clan head..." Uchiha Yusuke, a member of the guard team, saw her come out and quickly went over to report.
"I saw it." Uchiha Masaki stared expressionlessly at the Nine-Tails thrashing in the distance. "Everyone in the guard team, split up and get organized. Summon the clan members registered as shinobi in the village, as well as the elders. Have everyone gather at the Uchiha Council Hall. Quickly!"
"Yes!"
Before long, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Tetsuya, Uchiha Naoya, and Uchiha Fugaku arrived at the Uchiha Council Hall ahead of the others.
"Good, you're here. Deputy Clan Head Fugaku, arrange for people to protect our clan members first, and send them to take shelter."
"Tetsuya, take the clan members assigned to the Police Force to the Police Force headquarters and gather the personnel there. Arrange for the villagers to evacuate."
"Shisui and Naoya, join the guard team and come with me to stop the Nine-Tails."
"Everyone else, follow Emergency Plan One!"
"Yes!" x4
At that moment, Uchiha Setsuna arrived with the other elders, just as Uchiha Masaki finished giving her orders and was about to leave.
He immediately stepped forward and said, "Clan head, wait. To prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation, I think we should strengthen protection for our clan members."
The others heard what Elder Setsuna said and quickly understood what he meant. Rumors had been rampant lately, and with this incident happening on top of that, they couldn't afford to let their guard down.
Uchiha Masaki considered it for a moment, then said, "I agree with Elder Setsuna. The elders can make the arrangements together with Deputy Clan Head Fugaku."
When no one objected, Uchiha Masaki swept her hand forward.
"Let's go."
The group had barely reached the entrance to the clan compound when they saw shinobi in Anbu uniforms filling the clearing and the trees before them. At their head was Shimura Danzō, the very man Uchiha Masaki had been longing to see.
"Stop! By order of the Fourth Hokage, no member of the Uchiha Clan is to leave the compound. Everyone will remain in place until the Nine-Tails has been subdued. Any resistance will be treated as treason against the village."
Shimura Danzō held up an order bearing the Hokage's official seal.
"Hmph. Are you sure this order came from the Fourth Hokage?" Uchiha Masaki asked scornfully.
Holding up the order, Shimura Danzō shouted with an air of authority that barely concealed his unease, "Look carefully! This order bears the Hokage's seal!"
Uchiha Masaki reached out and snatched the document from him, then carefully read its contents.
Uchiha Tetsuya, Uchiha Naoya, and Uchiha Shisui crowded around behind her to read it, too.
"Why would the Fourth Hokage issue an order like this?!" Uchiha Shisui cried out.
Uchiha Tetsuya and Uchiha Naoya said nothing. They only looked to Uchiha Masaki, waiting for her final orders.
Whether they were to kill Shimura Danzō on the spot and go stop the Nine-Tails, or obey an order bearing the Hokage's seal, they would follow only their clan head's command.
The standoff grew increasingly tense. Shinobi on both sides had their hands on the weapons at their backs or the ninja tools at their waists.
Shimura Danzō grew more and more uneasy, but forced himself to stay calm. He watched Uchiha Masaki expressionlessly, waiting for her response.
After receiving word that the Nine-Tails might have been controlled by the Sharingan, Shimura Danzō had immediately come up with a brilliant plan. He'd found a chance to pin the Uchiha Clan to the pillar of shame. It didn't matter whether the Uchiha had released the Nine-Tails. In the end, he would make sure everyone believed they had.
He immediately took his subordinates to find Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who were working in the Administration Department. After discussing the matter, they confirmed that the Nine-Tails' eyes bore the pattern of the Sharingan.
The two elders immediately took Shimura Danzō to the Hokage Office. After Root members subdued the Anbu guarding the office, they wrote an order requiring the Uchiha to remain where they were, then took out the Hokage's seal and stamped it on the document.
Once Shimura Danzō had the order, he rushed to the Uchiha Clan Compound with every member of Root.
And so the confrontation with Uchiha Masaki had unfolded.
Just as both sides were about to lose their patience and start fighting, Uchiha Masaki spoke.
"All right. Since it's the Hokage's order, as a member of Konoha, I'll obey it without question."
But when she saw that some of the Root members across from her had drawn their swords, Uchiha Masaki furrowed her brow. "What? You want to fight me?!"
Shimura Danzō certainly didn't want to fight her. Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't there, and Root didn't have enough people.
As long as Shimura Danzō didn't go mad, he had no choice but to swallow this insult today.
"Of course not. Root's men are only acting this way because they're worried about me." Shimura Danzō replied coolly.
Uchiha Masaki made no comment. "Let's go back and protect our clan members. If you spot any suspicious people entering the compound, kill them on the spot. There's no need to report to me." After saying that, she deliberately turned to look at Shimura Danzō.
Uchiha Masaki still gripped the order from the Hokage tightly in her hand.
Shimura Danzō wasn't angered by the provocation. On the contrary, he was overjoyed.
The plan had worked.
The plan had worked.
Both sides thought the same thing.
The Sharingan pattern in the Nine-Tails' eyes suddenly disappeared.
Looks like Minato succeeded, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought. Then he turned to Hyuga Hiashi beside him and asked, "Why haven't any members of the Uchiha Clan shown up?!"
"I... I don't know." Hyuga Hiashi was caught off guard.
If the Uchiha weren't coming, you should ask them. Why are you asking me?
As Hyuga Hiashi grumbled to himself, a Hyuga clansman dressed in the Police Force uniform ran over. When he saw Hyuga Hiashi, his eyes lit up.
"Clan head, I just got word from Uchiha Masaki, the Police Force chief. The entire Uchiha Clan has received an order from the Hokage. Until the Nine-Tails has been subdued, the whole clan is to remain in the compound and not take a single step outside. Anyone who disobeys will be treated as a traitor to the village."
After quickly passing the message to his clan head, the Hyuga shinobi imagined that the chief would give him a promotion later.
Just as he was busy daydreaming, Sarutobi Hiruzen roared, "Who issued this order? Minato wouldn't have the time to—"
Before he could finish, an Anbu suddenly appeared before him. This was the Anbu assigned to guard the Hokage Office.
So something really did go wrong.
That was Sarutobi Hiruzen's first thought.
"Lord Third, we..." The Anbu told him everything Shimura Danzō and the two elders had done.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was so furious at his own allies' actions that his vision nearly went black. Fortunately, Hyuga Hiashi was there to steady him.
At a time like this, they hadn't just failed to help; they'd stopped others from helping, too.
And the worst part was, they'd stolen the Hokage's seal.
Then they'd issued an order in the Hokage's name.
How many heads did they think they had, pulling a stunt like this?
At a time like this, and they were still fighting among themselves!
But he couldn't abandon his comrades. He'd deal with that later.
"Everyone, follow me and attack the Nine-Tails! Drive it beyond the village walls!" Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted, swinging the Adamantine Staff first.
[Ruyi Transformation]
Everyone else followed with their own ninjutsu attacks.
[Super Multi-Size Technique] [Mind Body Switch Technique] [Shadow Possession Technique] ...
A series of ninjutsu attacks drove the Nine-Tails beyond the village walls. It let out an angry roar, then began gathering a Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth.
The attack shot straight toward Kage Rock.
Just as everyone thought Kage Rock was about to be destroyed—
[Flying Thunder God Guiding Thunder]
A gigantic mushroom cloud rose in the distance.
"It's Minato." Sarutobi Hiruzen finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Nine-Tails was preparing to gather another Tailed Beast Ball when the Fourth Hokage arrived.
[Food Cart Destroyer Technique]
The Nine-Tails was pinned beneath Gamabunta, who had been summoned to the battlefield. It roared furiously, already gathering another Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth.
"It's the Fourth Hokage!"
"The Fourth Hokage is here!"
Everyone was cheering when—
In a flash,
the Nine-Tails was transported away by Minato Namikaze.
Another enormous explosion suddenly erupted in the distance.
"Did he use Flying Thunder God to transport it there?" Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely. "Come on, let's go support the Fourth Hokage!"
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, the surrounding shinobi rushed toward the explosion.
Unfortunately, they arrived a step too late. Everyone was stopped outside the barrier.
They could only watch as Minato Namikaze and his wife sacrificed themselves to seal the Nine-Tails.
Unlike in the original story, this time the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization whom Hyuga Hiashi had gathered were standing beside Sarutobi Hiruzen.
How had they assembled so quickly? The Hyuga clansmen in the Police Force had passed the message along.
The seal was complete. As soon as Uzumaki Kushina finished her final words, her presence vanished, and the barrier dissipated with her.
"Th-Lord Third... why can't I... see Masaki?" Minato Namikaze was already on the verge of exhaustion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated. "Th-that..."
Hyuga Hiashi spoke up. "The Uchiha Clan received an order from the Hokage forbidding them to leave their compound..." He quickly explained why Uchiha Masaki hadn't come.
Minato Namikaze immediately understood. There were bad people in Konoha. He had never issued such an order, so someone had impersonated the Hokage.
"I... I never issued that order." Minato Namikaze gathered his strength to explain, his life nearly spent.
He said it so that after his death, no one could use this incident as an excuse to attack the Uchiha Clan.
"Lord Third... everyone... I'm entrusting Naruto... to you." Summoning the last of his strength, Minato Namikaze said those words, then fell to the ground and drew his last breath.
Everyone's attention turned to the baby on the altar before him.
Naruto—the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.