"As expected of the Eye that Reflects the Soul. Born from Impure World Reincarnation… returned to the realm of the dead. Uchiha Itachi, once my subordinate… is this your way of seeking justice for the dead?"
"Unfortunately for you, I wield space-time ninjutsu."
"Unfortunately, heaven is blind."
"Unfortunately… you still can't touch me!"
Danzo's figure materialized again, his voice aimed directly at Uchiha Itachi.
"And Kushina… we'll be seeing each other soon. When we meet again, it'll be the moment I extract the Nine-Tails from Naruto. Until then… enjoy what little time you and Minato have left."
With a chilling sneer, Danzo vanished from sight.
"Don't worry—he won't get far," said Minato Namikaze, activating the Flying Thunder God seal he'd marked on Danzo.
But just as he did… the seal was gone.
Erased.
Danzo had found it—and removed it.
"Dammit! He got away!" Kushina bit her lip, unwilling to accept it.
...
Elsewhere, Uchiha Madara, Tajima, and Izuna had made their move, using the distraction of the entire Hyūga Clan being mobilized to slip behind their territory, combing the mountains behind the Hyūga estate with numerous Shadow Clones.
They were searching for the hidden cave Itachi had mentioned.
As for what was happening in Konoha, they trusted Uchiha Fugaku and Itachi to handle it.
"Found it!" Izuna shouted, elated.
One of his Shadow Clones had entered a cavern and discovered a secluded pool of water.
As it approached the water, it fell under a genjutsu.
But such a simple illusion couldn't fool a Sharingan-wielding clone.
After breaking the illusion, the clone knew something was off. It dove into the water and passed through several strange bubbles before emerging into a completely foreign location.
Barren, crumbling, and lifeless—it matched Itachi's description of the Moon.
With a puff, the clone dispelled itself, sending the intel back.
Upon hearing Izuna's report, Madara and Tajima rushed over.
"So this is the path to the Moon?" Madara murmured as he gazed into the water.
"That's right," Izuna nodded.
"So… do we go in ourselves?" Izuna Uchiha asked.
"We'll go through, yes—but we'll send in Shadow Clones first to gather intel. We'll stay hidden and observe. I want to see just how strong this Ōtsutsuki clan really is," Tajima Uchiha said gravely.
Madara and Izuna nodded.
At last, they were on the verge of unraveling the millennium-old conspiracy.
Who had been manipulating the Uchiha from the shadows all this time?
...
With Might Guy, Yamato, and others protecting him, Naruto suffered no harm during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Seeing the Nine-Tails' chakra disappear, they both breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that tonight's Nine-Tails incident was over.
Compared to the Nine-Tails attack five or six years ago, this one had been far less catastrophic.
Back then, many elite ninja had perished.
Some had died ignobly, others heroically—sacrificing themselves just to delay the Nine-Tails by a few seconds.
This time, thanks to the Uchiha's assistance, the beast hadn't caused much destruction. Aside from the casualties from the infighting between ANBU and Root, the village's death toll was under a hundred—most of whom were under Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Tragic, yes. But it could've been so much worse.
The real damage was structural—countless homes had been destroyed.
Rebuilding would be a monumental task.
After the night was over, Hiashi Hyūga was stunned to discover that the Uchiha Clan had spent the entire night aiding disaster relief—without laying a hand on Koharu, Homura, or their people.
This wasn't what he'd expected.
But after scanning the area with his Byakugan and questioning others, Hiashi's expression darkened.
The so-called Uchiha "experts" had never even shown up.
Weren't they supposed to strike during the chaos?
Had Fugaku tricked him?
Hiashi started to suspect those so-called super-elite Uchiha were just Shadow Clones meant to fool the Hyūga into doing the dirty work.
If the Uchiha truly had that many Kage-level powerhouses, why had they ever tolerated Danzo's oppression? Why would they allow themselves to be pushed outside the village?
So… Fugaku had played them. Used the Hyūga as pawns?
Hiashi clenched his fists, fury boiling as he helped search for survivors.
All that talk about "two drinks first, then two more"—it was all lies!
Fugaku, you bastard!
...
Konoha Plaza. Everyone looked at each other in silence.
Tobirama Senju and Minato Namikaze zipped through the battlefield, using Flying Thunder God to teleport wounded villagers to safety.
"Water Style: Great Purification!"
"Wind Style: Dust Clearing Jutsu!"
"Earth Style: Pavement Technique!"
Thanks to the combined efforts of the village's ninja, the ruins of the square were soon cleared.
Then came the grand finale.
"Wood Style: Four Pillar House Technique!" Hashirama clapped his hands to the ground, and a row of wooden houses sprouted up, providing shelter for displaced villagers.
"Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi," Fugaku called out. "What should we do with this 'Uzumaki White Zetsu'? He was working with Orochimaru and Danzo."
"First and Second Hokage, what's your judgment?" Fugaku asked.
Hashirama and Tobirama exchanged troubled glances.
This White Zetsu had both Uzumaki and Senju blood. Aside from Naruto, he was the last known descendant of both clans—and the only remaining male of the Senju line.
If he died… the Senju line would end.
But if they let him live… they'd never be able to explain it to the villagers.
It was a dilemma.
"No need to struggle over it… I'll take care of it myself."
Before anyone could react, White Zetsu bit down hard and took his own life.
In seconds, his body dissolved into a towering tree.
Hashirama and Tobirama stood frozen in place.
Was this the end of the Senju bloodline?
Tobirama clenched his fists, fury in his eyes.
"Bring me Homura, Koharu… and Torifu Akimichi!" he growled.
"Y-yes sir!" The remaining ninja immediately carried out the order.
Soon, led by Kakashi and Yamato, the ANBU brought forth Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Torifu Akimichi.
Kushina had gone home to be with Naruto.
Minato remained behind, working with Itachi to assess the full damage to the village—counting casualties, tallying injuries, and taking stock of what forces they still had left to defend the village.
They all knew what was coming.
The storm was brewing.
Everything that had happened in Konoha would soon reach the ears of the other Great Nations.
And someone, somewhere, would surely seize this chance to strike.
Konoha was a tempting prize—too many eyes had been watching, waiting for a moment of weakness.
If there was ever a time to kick a man while he was down, this was it.
So, they had to be ready—starting now.
...
Inside the Hokage Building.
Hashirama and Tobirama sat at the head of the room.
Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi sat flanking them.
Behind them stood Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi.
Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza let out a collective sigh.
They knew it was over.
"Speak," Hashirama said quietly, his voice directed at Koharu, Homura, and the others.