The Nine-Tails Settles Down

As Ning Qi moved through the battlefield in the Uchiha District, gathering Sharingan, the situation at the Nine-Tails battlefield outside the village was changing. Perhaps Fugaku, gradually weakening, no longer had the strength to restrain the Nine-Tails. Or perhaps, driven by the battle's urgency and wanting to crush Sarutobi sooner, Fugaku had deliberately released his hold over it.

In any case, the Nine-Tails' attacks were becoming increasingly violent and reckless. Fur was nearly covering its entire body, and Sarutobi faced unprecedented pressure against the Nine-Tails in such a state.

Boom—

The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded with a thunderous crash, its shockwaves shaking heaven and earth.

Sarutobi looked behind him. An entire mountaintop had been flattened by that overwhelming force.

His face turned livid. If that attack had been unleashed upon Konoha Village, the whole of Konoha would have been erased from this world.

"That Fugaku..."

He had already muttered that name more times today than he could count. He had been thoroughly prepared for the Uchiha Rebellion, but ever since Naruto had been kidnapped, the entire situation had fallen apart. No one had expected Uchiha Fugaku to possess such audacity.

His ambitions were boundless.

His methods were utterly unpredictable.

If you, Fugaku, had possessed such resolve long ago, why would you only be staging a coup now?

And why would you have been forced onto the path of rebellion in the first place?

For now, there was no answer to that question.

Another Tailed Beast Bomb was gathering, its terrifying power making hearts tremble.

Sarutobi had driven away every Konoha ninja and faced the nearly complete Nine-Tails alone outside the village.

The worst outcome is simply perishing together.

Drawing a deep breath and focusing his mind, Sarutobi prepared to evade at any moment as he shouted at the Nine-Tails:

"Naruto, are you still there? Wake up already!!"

"Nine-Tails, I know you're regaining consciousness, Nine-Tails! Are you really willing to be controlled by the Uchiha?"

He exhausted himself shouting until his throat was nearly hoarse, but apart from the hatred in the Nine-Tails' eyes growing more intense at the mention of "Uchiha," there was no other change.

The Tailed Beast Bomb charged forward like an unstoppable war chariot, flattening every obstacle in its path.

Sarutobi continued flashing away.

However, the Nine-Tails had apparently learned its lesson this time. The Tailed Beast Bomb detonated with a thunderous blast before it had traveled very far!

Though Sarutobi was not at the center of the explosion, the spreading shockwaves were like wind blades—impossible to evade no matter what.

The surrounding trees were practically sliced clean through.

"Earth-Style Wall!"

The earthen wall was torn apart by the blast wave, and Sarutobi beneath it was hurled through the air!

The Adamantine Staff stabbed into the ground, and only then did he barely steady himself. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.

His condition was far from good. Both his stamina and chakra reserves had reached dangerous levels.

Watching the Nine-Tails continue gathering another Tailed Beast Bomb, Sarutobi gave a helpless, bitter smile.

Though the Nine-Tails was crazed, it was not without reason. It had learned how to use Tailed Beast Bombs to truly injure Sarutobi, that annoying ant. The next Tailed Beast Bomb would definitely not be so easy to dodge!

...So this was the limit?

That Fugaku... had actually lasted longer than him, the Hokage?

Sigh.

Though unwilling to admit it, Sarutobi knew full well that now was the best time.

He could not force himself to continue.

"Sarutobi!" As if sensing his old companion's resolve, Enma could not help speaking up.

"Say no more." Sarutobi shook his head and said firmly, "We can't drag this out any longer. This is the only way."

If he delayed any longer, he might not have another chance to use the Reaper Death Seal.

Looking at the Nine-Tails, perhaps recalling something, or perhaps simply because death was drawing near, Sarutobi said wistfully:

"Actually... I should have died during the last Nine-Tails Rebellion."

"I should have been the one to use the Reaper Death Seal then."

"Minato had only just become Hokage. He was still so young, and he clearly had such a bright future ahead of him."

"If this old man had stepped forward back then, perhaps a disaster like today's would never have happened..."

Minato had possessed a disciple from the Uchiha Clan. Though that boy, Obito, had died early during a mission, it was precisely because of that that Minato, carrying guilt in his heart, had maintained a far better relationship with the Uchiha Clan than Sarutobi had.

[ ]

Sarutobi felt that if he had stepped forward to use the Reaper Death Seal back then, the Uchiha Clan would never have risked the lives of their entire clan to take such a desperate gamble today. Even if the clan members were dissatisfied, they likely would have worked to communicate with Minato rather than directly choosing rebellion.

Unlike now. Although Sarutobi had consistently played the role of a peacemaker throughout the Uchiha Rebellion, he had never received even the slightest request from the Uchiha for communication or negotiation.

Clearly, the Uchiha had been utterly disappointed in him as well. They even believed all the suppression the Uchiha had suffered had been secretly ordered by him, the Hokage. Thus, he had become one of the main targets to be eliminated in this coup.

"I'm sorry, Naruto... Minato..." Sarutobi murmured softly.

In the distance, the Nine-Tails was nearly finished charging its Tailed Beast Bomb, and Sarutobi formed hand seals.

Snake—

Boar—

Ram—

Rabbit—

Dog—

Rat—

Rooster—

A total of nine seals. Just as Sarutobi formed the eighth seal, it felt as though a pair of phantom hands covered his own, stopping him from continuing.

Then a voice, as though carried upon the wind, rang out:

"Third Hokage..."

Sarutobi knew that voice extremely well. He raised his head in confusion and saw that the Nine-Tails had stopped charging at some point. Fur now covered its entire body; it had become the complete Nine-Tails. By all reason, Naruto's consciousness should have been completely devoured by the Nine-Tails... so why?

The Nine-Tails no longer paid Sarutobi any attention. It was rampaging through the surrounding mountains and forests as if crazed.

The mountains were utterly devastated, countless towering trees uprooted, and dust filled the air. The final reflection of the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes had completely faded, leaving only a blood-red color brimming with pure malice and hatred.

"Uchiha..."

"Minato..."

The Nine-Tails spoke from deep in its throat.

These were the two names the Nine-Tails hated most.

Now that both had appeared, Sarutobi finally remembered the source of that familiar voice from moments ago.

Minato Namikaze.

But why...

Sarutobi looked puzzled, but at Enma's urging, he finally lowered his hands and abandoned the final two seals of the Reaper Death Seal. He watched the Nine-Tails from afar.

Sure enough, not long afterward, with an unwilling roar, the Nine-Tails rapidly shrank until it became a small child and fell to the ground.

Overjoyed, Sarutobi hurried over and confirmed that the Nine-Tails seal on Naruto's body was fully intact.

"Naruto?"

Naruto regained consciousness. Looking at Sarutobi before him, he asked blankly:

"Third Grandpa?"

"Was that a dream just now?"

"I saw a blond-haired man who looked a lot like the Fourth on Hokage Rock. He said he was my dad, and I was hugging him and crying in there..."

As if suddenly coming to his senses, Naruto froze for a moment before grabbing Sarutobi's hand and asking directly:

"Third Grandpa, was what he said true?"

"That Fourth... was he really my dad?"

Sarutobi did not dwell on how Naruto addressed him. His emotions were simply too complicated at that moment. Looking into Naruto's expectant eyes, the guilt he felt over not taking Minato's place to use the Reaper Death Seal grew even deeper.

He nodded. "It's true. Your father was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

Naruto stood stunned for a long time. Then tears fell onto his hands, one drop after another. He tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand, but no matter what he did, he could not stop them.

After a long while, Naruto finally calmed down and said:

"He... he also told me to tell you after I came out, 'It's okay. I will always respect you, Third Hokage.'"

This time, Sarutobi was the one left stunned. He recalled that voice in the wind, those faintly present hands that had pressed upon his while he formed seals, and his thoughts became tangled.

He let out a deep sigh.

"Naruto..."

Sarutobi grabbed Naruto, intending to say something.

However, an ANBU appeared at the most inopportune moment.

He reported:

"Hokage-sama... the Hyuga... something has happened to the Hyuga clan!"