Uchiha Itachi stood quietly among the crowd, hidden in plain sight.
As a man who once gave everything for Konoha, he couldn't bear to watch it fall—especially not at the hands of the new Fifth Hokage.
And yet…
This moment.
Uchiha Itachi's gaze was fixed on the figure standing at the heart of the battlefield: the Fifth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto.
He made a decision—one that went against his own heart, and against the very village he loved.
He would send word to the Akatsuki.
Let the organization handle this new Hokage.
After all, Uzumaki Naruto wasn't just the current Hokage of Konohagakure.
He was also the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Kurama.
Though Itachi wasn't entirely clear on what the Akatsuki planned to do by capturing all the tailed beasts, one thing was certain:
Naruto posed too great a threat.
For the sake of Konoha's long-term future, Itachi chose to eliminate the danger of this new, unpredictable Hokage first.
The Akatsuki could be dealt with later—once the village regained stability.
So, he and Hoshigaki Kisame agreed: they would report everything they had witnessed back to the higher-ups in the Akatsuki after the battle concluded.
But the fight wasn't over.
Not yet.
Uzumaki Naruto, the Fifth Hokage, had deployed three Shadow Clones—each one engaging a Kage.
He was fighting Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Raikage A, and Mizukage Mei Terumi all at once.
And even though they were among the most powerful shinobi in the world—
They were struggling.
Ōnoki's mind raced. He recalled the speed at which Naruto had dodged his Dust Release earlier.
Even if his Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu could obliterate Naruto, it meant nothing if it couldn't hit him.
Raikage A was stunned by how quickly Naruto had reacted to his Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.
Naruto's reflexes were like lightning itself.
And his body—
It could actually withstand a direct blow from Raikage A in full Lightning Armor.
A feat not even many Jinchūriki could claim.
After all, Raikage A had once fought the Eight-Tails in close combat without backing down.
And yet this Hokage stood firm.
Mei Terumi was no less shocked.
Her Boil and Lava Release techniques—jutsu that could melt through almost anything—had no effect on Naruto.
But…
They weren't alone.
Soon after, reinforcements returned.
The battlefield shifted again.
Kirabi, who had been knocked away earlier, recovered and rejoined Raikage A, standing at his brother's side once more.
Darui stood with them.
Beside Ōnoki stood Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi.
By Mizukage Mei's side stood Ao and Chōjūrō.
The three Kage exchanged glances with their comrades.
They knew what had to be done.
If they didn't give this fight their all—
They might all die here.
And so, as the three Kage prepared to strike together against Naruto's defenses…
Kirabi looked to Raikage A.
A silent nod was exchanged.
Permission granted.
Kirabi didn't hesitate.
He called forth the overwhelming chakra of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.
The power of a tailed beast that could level entire countries.
In the next instant—
A monstrous figure appeared.
An octopus-like giant with eight massive tentacles and the head of a bull.
The Eight-Tails had arrived.
His towering frame loomed over Konoha like a mountain.
Just his emergence alone—
Crushed buildings in every direction.
"Roooaaarrr!!!"
A thunderous bellow tore through the skies.
The sheer force of the roar generated shockwaves that rippled across the village, leaving citizens and shinobi alike in stunned silence.
"Tailed Beast…!"
"That's a Tailed Beast!!"
"Eight-Tails!?!"
"Damn it! Kumogakure actually sent the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki!!"
Konoha's villagers and shinobi were thrown into panic.
They still remembered what happened more than a decade ago—the terror of a rampaging tailed beast.
It was like the end of the world.
And now?
Was it happening again?
No…
Not if Naruto had anything to say about it.
At the center of Konoha, standing firm against the onslaught—
Was the Fifth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, his eyes steady as he prepared to unleash Kurama.
At this moment, it wasn't surprising that Killer Bee of Kumogakure had fully released the Eight-Tails from within him.
But—
Did he really think he could rely on the power of a tailed beast to walk away from this fight?
"Too naïve."
Standing atop a rooftop, arms folded across his chest, the Fifth Hokage—Uzumaki Naruto—spoke coldly, his expression calm and unreadable.
Those words sent a ripple through the battlefield.
Raikage A, Killer Bee, Darui—
Tsuchikage Ōnoki, Mizukage Mei Terumi, their guards—
Everyone from the Allied Shinobi Forces paused.
A sense of dread crept in.
And their instincts were right.
"Kurama."
"Come out and greet an old friend."
Naruto's voice was steady, as if this wasn't war, but a reunion.
From within him, the great Nine-Tails stirred.
Kurama let out a low chuckle.
"Ooohhh!! Master Kurama is making a grand entrance!!"
With a dramatic roar and a burst of blinding white smoke, Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, appeared before them all.
He towered above Konoha—massive, majestic, and terrifying.
The golden sunlight hit his scarlet fur, making him seem bathed in blood and radiance at once.
A terrifying beauty.
In that moment…
Every shinobi on the field—whether from the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, or Hidden Mist—
Even the civilians and shinobi of Konoha—
All stood in awe.
There were no words.
Only shock.
Kurama—the Nine-Tails—was back, fully revealed in broad daylight.
But the one most shaken…
Was Gyūki, the Eight-Tails himself.
"Yo, bull-face," Kurama said, eyes gleaming as he looked at his old fellow Bijū. "Surprised to see me?"
"You've only got one tail less than me, sure…"
"But one is all it takes."
"A little brother will always be a little brother."
Kurama grinned smugly.
Gyūki's pride, which had just been restored by finally emerging for battle, immediately took a hit.
He'd barely stretched his limbs—
And he ran straight into him.
Kurama.
And what's worse?
The Jinchūriki in front of him—
Naruto—
Had a bond with Kurama just like Killer Bee had with him.
To Gyūki, who had known Kurama's pride and deep distrust of humans for centuries—
This was shocking.
Unbelievable.
"You… you bastard," Gyūki growled through clenched teeth, unable to hide his irritation at Kurama's smug face.
The two titanic beasts glared at each other.
They hadn't met in a long time—
And now, they stood across from each other on a battlefield.
Killer Bee, watching from beside the Raikage, stared at Naruto across the ruined battlefield.
He was speechless.
The Fifth Hokage…
Could summon Kurama at will.
And Kurama wasn't just obeying him…
He stood beside him like a trusted partner.
Killer Bee had always prided himself on his unique bond with Gyūki.
But now?
It seemed like Naruto's bond with Kurama was even deeper.
Raikage A gritted his teeth.
He hadn't expected this level of control over the Nine-Tails.
But thinking about it… he could believe it.
This was the Fifth Hokage.
Even so, there was no turning back now.
Even with Kirabi's advantage lost—
There was no choice.
They had to fight.
...
TN:
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