Seven Tails
Naruto, cloaked in bubbling red chakra and now bearing six feral, flickering tails, charged like an unstoppable force. His cloak twisted violently, radiating malevolence. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the retired Third Hokage, had no choice but to abandon his Adamantine Staff defense and raise both hands into a defensive posture.
Nearby, several Anbu operatives rushed in, attempting to relieve the pressure bearing down on Hiruzen.
But the transformed Naruto—driven by the Kyuubi's will—paid them no attention. The chakra tails moved with a mind of their own. With a single sweep, he struck down the incoming Anbu like leaves in a storm. Bodies slammed into walls and scattered across rooftops.
Hiruzen gritted his teeth and leapt back as the shockwave struck him. His arm-guards cracked under the raw pressure of Naruto's power.
> "It's not the full Nine-Tails… but it's still overwhelming."
The old Hokage's breathing quickened. He'd faced the Nine-Tails itself on the night of the disaster sixteen years ago. Even in its partial form, this chakra felt dangerously close.
> "He's faster than the full Nine-Tails, though."
Naruto let out a monstrous roar—more beast than boy—and darted forward again, feral limbs pounding across the terrain. His goal was simple: destroy.
> "Ninjutsu might be the only way to slow him down…" Hiruzen murmured grimly.
He couldn't repel Naruto outside the village without causing a public catastrophe. But suppressing him within the village was even riskier.
Still, he had to try. Not just for containment—but to buy time. If he could stall until Xu Fan arrived, they might have a better chance.
And more pressingly, this was the center of Konoha. Civilians lived here.
The Anbu and Root operatives were already evacuating them, but evacuation was slow.
> "Forgive me, Minato… I have to do what's necessary."
With a deep breath, Hiruzen wove hand seals rapidly.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!" he shouted.
The ground trembled underfoot. Chakra surged through the earth, transforming the solid street into a torrent of moving mud and loose rock. Hiruzen drew further chakra, making the wave swell like a tsunami.
> "Your speed is unmatched, Naruto… but even you can't dodge a technique of this scale."
Mud surged forward like a roaring ocean. The environment itself turned against Naruto.
But even now—older and long-retired—Sarutobi Hiruzen was a true shinobi. His chakra reserves still dwarfed that of younger jōnin like Hatake Kakashi.
"Kyuubi…" Hiruzen muttered as he manipulated the technique.
Naruto snarled and darted to the side, attempting to evade the river of mud. But as one foot landed, it sank deeply.
The mud swallowed his leg—Hiruzen's trap had worked.
> "Raw speed means nothing in terrain like this."
The Hokage roared like a beast, forcing more chakra into the surging mudslide. The wave crashed over Naruto, burying him.
But the reprieve was short-lived.
From across the rooftops, Hiashi Hyuga and several Hyuga clan members arrived.
"Lord Third," Hiashi called, activating his Byakugan immediately to track Naruto beneath the surface.
They weren't the only ones. A Root agent—Aburame Torune—had already released warning insects throughout the village. Most of Konoha's elite shinobi were on the move.
Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi arrived on the scene next. Veterans of the Third Great Ninja War and former comrades of Minato Namikaze, their expressions darkened at the sight of Naruto.
> "It's not the Nine-Tails," Shikaku said softly, "It's Naruto…"
More jōnin arrived, helping evacuate civilians.
But suddenly—
"Wait!" Hiruzen yelled, his senses flaring. "He's not down—his chakra is rising!"
Beneath the mud, Naruto's form began shifting. The bubbling chakra flared.
"...A seventh tail is forming," Hiashi murmured with dread, observing through his Byakugan.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen formed more seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
The ground bulged and split as a massive mud dragon emerged, its mouth opening to launch a torrent of mud and rock at the buried Naruto.
> "Stay down!" Hiruzen shouted.
But—
Boom!
A violent explosion tore through the landscape. The dragon's attack scattered in all directions.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Hiruzen cried, forming a quick Earth Wall just in time. But it wasn't enough.
Several jōnin were knocked back, caught in the chakra explosion.
"I'll do it!" Inoichi Yamanaka stepped forward, forming a hand sign.
"Mind Body Transfer Jutsu!"
His consciousness launched into Naruto's body—only to be thrown back violently in less than a second.
Blood poured from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
"Naruto's mind… it's not just the Kyuubi… it's pure hatred," Inoichi gasped before collapsing.
"Hiichi!" Shikaku caught him just before he hit the ground.
Furious, Choza Akimichi leapt from a rooftop, using his Human Bullet Tank to slam into Naruto from the side. He expanded his body mid-air, becoming a towering giant.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikaku followed up, trying to pin Naruto in place.
Naruto responded with a roar—seven tails now writhing behind him.
He flung Choza aside, jumped up, and ran along his massive arm like a ramp.
"Neji!" shouted Hiashi, activating the Gentle Fist stance.
His twin, Hizashi, landed beside him. Both Hyuga brothers charged forward, aiming to seal Naruto's chakra points with pinpoint strikes.
If they could disable his tenketsu, maybe—just maybe—they could suppress the beast.
> And above them all, Hiruzen watched, heart heavy.
> "Minato… Kushina… your son is suffering. But we will protect him. Even if it costs us everything."
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