"...Thank you."
Itachi bowed his head deeply, then hoisted his exhausted mother onto his back and grabbed Sasuke and Uchiha Izumi. "Let's go!"
The four staggered eastward, soon disappearing into the night.
Hiashi watched them leave in silence for a moment. He knew where Uchiha Itachi and the others were headed-
The Land of Whirlpools, Dragon Release Village.
Azure Dragon... what will you do?
The thought flashed through Hiashi's mind, but he shook his head.
This was no time to think about that.
He turned toward the Forest of Death-there, the orange Susanoo and the crimson Nine-Tails were still locked in fierce combat.
Nothing could be allowed to happen to the Nine-Tails.
Hiashi became a streak of green light and shot into the sky.
Konoha, the edge of the Forest of Death.
Boom-!!!
Susanoo's enormous blade clashed with the Nine-Tails' claws once again. The shock wave snapped every tree within a hundred meters in half.
Uchiha Fugaku knelt on one knee inside Susanoo's crystal, gasping for breath, the Mangekyō patterns in his eyes already beginning to blur.
After maintaining Perfect Susanoo for so long, both his ocular power and chakra had reached their limits.
Yet the Nine-Tails... was still full of vigor.
"Damn it... at this rate..."
Fugaku gritted his teeth.
Just then-
A streak of green light fell from the sky, slamming into the Nine-Tails' side!
Boom-!!!
The sudden impact sent the Nine-Tails staggering, its massive body tipping sideways.
"What?!"
Fugaku froze.
He focused his gaze and saw a figure wrapped in a pale green chakra cloak hovering in midair, three black spheres slowly revolving behind him.
Was that... the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan?
"Hiashi?!"
Fugaku recognized that chakra signature.
Hyuga Hiashi did not turn to answer. He merely stared at Obito atop the Nine-Tails' head and said evenly: