Nine-Tails Incident

"Naoki, get out of the way! Move!"

A boulder came crashing down from above, hurtling toward the boy.

At his companion's warning, the boy leaped aside and avoided the danger. But after tumbling across the ground, he struck the back of his head and passed out.

"Oh no..."

Uchiha Zongye paid no mind to the chaos around them and hurried over to check on him.

"Let me!"

Just then, a kunoichi in a tactical vest rushed over and placed her hand, glowing a faint green, against the bloodied back of Naoki's head.

As the Mystical Palm Technique took effect, his wound began to heal rapidly...

Uchiha Zongye let out a sigh of relief. Only then did he have a moment to look toward the distance.

In the darkness, the Nine-Tails' ears stood erect, its nine tails lashing wildly through the air. Its entire body burned beneath the night sky, wreathed in blazing orange-red chakra.

This legendary embodiment of malice had appeared in the village. How many years had it been? This was the first time!

Uchiha Zongye murmured, "The Nine-Tails... That boulder just now was probably the fox demon's handiwork."

Uchiha Zongxin, standing beside him, asked curiously, "Brother, how did the Nine-Tails end up in the village?"

"Something terrible has happened..."

Before Uchiha Zongye could finish, Naoki, who was lying on the ground receiving emergency treatment, suddenly opened his eyes and shouted.

"No..."

Naoki's sudden movement startled the medical kunoichi treating him. But after she recovered, she asked gently, "How are you feeling?"

Naoki held his forehead and slowly sat up. A pained expression crossed his handsome face. After a long moment, he replied.

"Thanks. I'm fine, just still have a bit of a headache..."

"Fine?"

Uchiha Zongye furrowed his brow, but the medical kunoichi beside him stood and said, "His injuries aren't serious anymore. The headache is probably from the impact. It should pass after he rests a little."

The medical ninja had delivered her diagnosis, leaving Uchiha Zongye with nothing to say.

"Thank you..."

Before Uchiha Zongye could finish, the kunoichi waved a hand and jogged off into the night.

Uchiha Zongye looked at the Nine-Tails fighting Konoha Ninja in the distance, the villagers scattering in all directions like ants from a kicked nest, and Naoki leaning against a wall, looking pained as he clutched his head. "Naoki, we can't stay here much longer. The battle could spread this way at any moment!"

"I know, I know," Naoki replied.

But his head was still spinning, and he could barely move.

"Give me a hand. I can't get up."

"Zongxin!"

"Yeah!"

The Uchiha brothers hoisted Naoki up and headed for the Police Force.

The Nine-Tails had appeared without warning, catching everyone off guard. The Police Force, responsible for the village's day-to-day law enforcement, was in even greater disarray.

Seeing the chaos inside the police headquarters, Uchiha Zongye exchanged a glance with his younger brother. Together, they helped Naoki to an empty corner.

He had Naoki sit on a bench to rest, then told his younger brother to keep an eye on him before heading toward the police headquarters.

After watching his brother disappear from view, Uchiha Zongxin sat down beside Naoki and asked, "How are you feeling, Naoki? Does your head still hurt?"

"I've mostly recovered."

"Oh."

After a brief silence, Naoki suddenly asked, "Zongxin, do you think ghosts exist?"

Uchiha Zongxin, sitting beside him, curled his lip.

"Did that blow to the head make you stupid?"

With a sigh, Naoki gave a bitter smile.

He'd never expected to end up in this world, much less find himself caught up in a major incident the moment he arrived...

The dizziness caused by the merging of two souls had gradually faded. Naoki stood and silently took in this world, so familiar and yet so strange.

He'd crossed over to this world without hearing a single "ding" to give him a system, and without even a consolation prize of a Mangekyō Sharingan. He'd arrived empty-handed.

But it wasn't true that he had nothing to rely on. At least he knew the story of this world. That counted as one of the few advantages he had... Then again, didn't every otherworlder get an advantage like that?

At the thought, he sighed again, prompting Uchiha Zongxin to glance sideways at him.

"You've been sighing nonstop. Is something weighing on you? Tell me about it. Maybe it'll cheer me up."

Naoki rolled his eyes and ignored Uchiha Zongxin. He felt the mostly healed wound on the back of his head, then looked toward the entrance of the Police Force building nearby.

By the bright lights, Naoki saw a tall man emerge from the police headquarters. The disorder inside the Police Force soon vanished, and many Military Police Force members began assembling in the open space outside the entrance.

Uchiha Zongxin jumped up and pointed at the tall man. "Lord Fugaku's here."

"I'm not blind."

"He must be organizing everyone to fight the Nine-Tails. Let's go too."

As he spoke, Uchiha Zongxin tugged Naoki by the arm and started off.

"Wait..."

Naoki pointed at an Anbu Ninja who had suddenly appeared and shook his head.

"Why would an Anbu Ninja come here at a time like this? Could the Hokage have sent him?"

Naoki wasn't the only one wondering. Uchiha Fugaku looked at the Anbu Ninja in front of him and asked with a frown, "Why are you here? What are Lord Hokage's orders?"

The newcomer was Sarutobi Hiruzen's longtime subordinate, an Anbu Ninja named Zo.

"The Third Hokage has ordered the Military Police Force to assemble immediately and escort the villagers to safety in the rear!"

With that, Zo turned and left without another word, leaving the gathered Uchiha staring at one another.

"What's going on? We're not going to help suppress the Nine-Tails?"

"Then we won't go. We can just do our part here."

"..."

His clanmates behind him argued among themselves, while the light cast Uchiha Fugaku's expression in shifting shadows.

At a time when the ninja village's survival hung in the balance, the Uchiha were being deliberately confined to the rear. Was this really just a simple tactical decision?

His clanmates continued to debate.

Some were dissatisfied, some resigned, and some secretly relieved... After all, who wanted to face a monster like the Nine-Tails head-on?

After a long pause, Uchiha Fugaku finally spoke.

"Follow the order. Each squad is to organize the villagers and evacuate them at once. Establish evacuation routes. No mistakes."

Watching the Military Police Force depart in groups, Uchiha Zongxin asked in surprise, "We really aren't going?"

Just then, Uchiha Zongye walked over and said, "The Third Hokage gave an order. Isn't it only natural that we follow it?"

"Let's go."

He waved to Naoki and his younger brother, then led them into the stream of evacuees.

Firelight tore jagged crimson gashes through the night. In the distance, the Nine-Tails' roars mingled with the rumble of collapsing buildings. Heavy tremors shook the ground from time to time, and the air was thick with smoke and panic.