Fugaku's Roar

The air was burning.

The supermassive Tailed Beast Bomb in the Nine-Tails' mouth had already swollen to dozens of meters in diameter. Purple arcs danced over the surface of the black chakra sphere, and every flicker made the surrounding space warp visibly.

That was not ninjutsu.

That was a pure, high-density mass of chakra.

That was destructive power capable of vaporizing a mountain in an instant.

"We can't block it..."

Yashiro Uchiha knelt on the ground, his hands still holding the seal, but his nails had already dug deep into the dirt.

As an elite jonin of the Police Force, his perception of chakra was extremely keen. He knew very well that the energy density of the Tailed Beast Bomb before them had already far exceeded the endurance limit of the "Uchiha Flame Formation."

Once it exploded, not only would the barrier shatter, the shelter behind them and half of the Hidden Leaf Village would be turned into one massive crater.

"Retreat! Hurry, retreat!"

A young clansman cried out in terror.

But in the face of such a devastating strike, where could they retreat to?

"Shut your mouths!"

An angry shout drowned out all the panic.

Uchiha Fugaku pushed aside the two clansmen blocking his path and strode out of the barrier.

His steps were not fast. They were even somewhat heavy.

But with every step he took, the force around him climbed higher.

"Clan head! What are you doing?!" Yashiro turned pale with shock. "That's suicide!"

Fugaku did not look back.

His back was to his clansmen, to those terrified villagers, while he faced the black sun that was about to fire.

"Yashiro, take everyone and fall back."

Fugaku's voice was very calm, so calm it was as if he were at home telling his wife to pour tea.

"Go activate the Resonance Array. That is the trump card Xuanshi gave us, and the Uchiha's last hope."

"But..."

"That is an order!"

Fugaku abruptly turned his head. Those eyes that were usually half-squinted and looked a little greasy were now wide open.

In his scarlet pupils, three tomoe spun wildly, then finally linked into a complex triangular pattern.

The Mangekyo Sharingan.

This was the secret he had hidden for many years, and also his final dignity as clan head.

"Leave this to me."

Fugaku turned around and faced the Nine-Tails again.

"Roar—!!!"

The Nine-Tails seemed to sense the threat and let out a roar. The Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth suddenly shot out.

A black pillar of light tore through the night sky, carrying a force that could destroy heaven and earth as it rushed straight toward the Uchiha defensive line.

"Susanoo!"

Blood tears streamed from Fugaku's eyes as he threw his head back and roared.

Boom!

A golden chakra storm erupted with him at its center.

That was not ordinary chakra. That was materialized Yin Release power.

A golden skeleton grew at extreme speed within the storm, instantly covered by meridians, muscle, and armor.

A golden half-body giant dozens of meters tall rose from the ground.

It had no weapon, only an enormous golden shield.

The giant held the shield in both hands and slammed it heavily into the ground, blocking the Tailed Beast Bomb's path.

Rumble—!!!

The instant they collided, heaven and earth fell silent.

Blinding white light swallowed everything. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes; only the buzzing by their ears reminded them that the world was collapsing.

The golden Susanoo was trembling.

The supposedly indestructible shield was instantly covered in cracks.

The terrifying impact traveled along the chakra connection and acted directly on Fugaku's body.

"Pfft!"

Fugaku suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his lapel red.

His skin began to split, and his bones groaned under the unbearable burden.

But he did not retreat.

Not even half a step.

At that moment, many scenes flashed through his mind.

Mikoto's gentle smile, Itachi's back as he carried Sasuke to school, Xuanshi's eyes full of ambition.

And also in his previous life, the tragic sight of the Uchiha clan's annihilation that he had seen in the Tsukuyomi world.

That despair of being abandoned by the village, resented by his clansmen, and finally dying under his son's blade.

"No..."

Fugaku crushed his teeth, blood flowing down the corner of his mouth.

"This time... never!"

"The Uchiha's eyes are meant to see through the darkness, not become the darkness!"

He burned all the chakra in his body, even overdrafting his life force.

The golden Susanoo let out a soundless roar, and the cracked shield actually erupted with dazzling light once more.

"Get... back!!"

Veins bulged on Fugaku's arms as he controlled the Susanoo and shoved forward with all his might.

A miracle happened.

That unstoppable Tailed Beast Bomb was forcibly pushed off course.

It scraped past the Susanoo's shield and flew into the sky, exploding among the clouds several thousand meters away.

Boom—!!!

A massive fireball bloomed in the sky, more dazzling than the sun. The shock wave swept across the entire sky above the Hidden Leaf, scattering all the dark clouds.

The Hidden Leaf was saved.

But the price was heavy.

"Crack."

The golden Susanoo finally exhausted its last shred of strength and turned into countless specks of light, scattering into the air.

Fugaku's body fell from midair like a kite with its string cut.

"Father!"

A black shadow rushed out from the crowd.

The young Itachi Uchiha caught the falling Fugaku.

At this moment, Fugaku's eyes were tightly shut, bloodstains hanging from their corners, and his breath was so faint it had nearly reached its limit. But those hands of his, covered in blood, were still clenched tightly into fists.

"Roar—!!!"

The Nine-Tails gave them no chance to catch their breath.

Although the Tailed Beast Bomb had been knocked off course, it had also been completely enraged.

It swung its enormous claws, carrying wind pressure that tore through the air, and slapped viciously toward the Uchiha position that had already lost its defenses.

This time, there was no Susanoo.

No barrier.

Only a group of Uchiha clansmen with their chakra exhausted and despair written across their faces, and Itachi, who held his father and could not move.

The shadow of death enveloped everyone.

Just as that claw, powerful enough to smash the earth, was about to fall.

A black shadow appeared out of thin air beneath the Nine-Tails' fingertips.

He did not use Susanoo.

He did not even form hand seals.

He merely raised one hand, palm upward, as if lifting a fallen leaf.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out.

The Nine-Tails' claw, larger than a house, actually stopped.

It stopped above the palm of that tiny figure.

A ring of transparent ripples spread through the air.

Those were the waves produced by the collision between ultimate repulsive force and chakra.

That black shadow slowly raised his head.

His black combat uniform snapped in the fierce wind, and the Asura mask on his face had already been removed, revealing a young and coldly stern face.

In those eyes, the pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan was spinning eerily.

Uchiha Xuanshi.

He looked at the enormous beast pupils above his head, filled with brutality and hatred, and there was not the slightest fear in his gaze, only a coldness that looked down from above.

"Had enough of your tantrum, beast?"

Xuanshi's voice was not loud, but it clearly bored into the Nine-Tails' ears, making this strongest of the Tailed Beasts feel a long-lost shiver.

That was fear born from the depths of its bloodline.

That was fear of these eyes.

Xuanshi's five fingers suddenly clenched, as if crushing the air.

"Since you don't want to leave, then don't leave."

"Next..."

The corner of Xuanshi's mouth curled into a cruel arc.

"It's our Uchiha's turn... to teach you the rules."