Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders, all the members of the Sarutobi clan had gathered. Yet from the expressions on their faces—tight jaws, furrowed brows, clenched fists—it was clear: none of them wanted to abandon Konoha.
"Lord Third, are we really just going to leave the village like this? I don't want to go!"
"Me neither! The Sarutobi clan has protected Konoha for generations. How can we just run?"
"Exactly! Even if it's Uchiha Byakuya, do we need to fear one man?!"
"If he dares come for us, we'll show him the strength of the Sarutobi clan!"
Murmurs of defiance echoed among the crowd. As one of Konoha's founding clans, the Sarutobi were proud and had long held positions of authority. Fleeing like cowards? It cut deep.
But Hiruzen's voice cut deeper.
"You don't understand..." he said gravely. "Uchiha Byakuya's power is beyond anything you can imagine."
In the past, Hiruzen might have scoffed at the Uchiha clan, even at prodigies like Itachi. But after witnessing Byakuya in battle—his Mangekyō Sharingan, his complete Susanoo, and the terrifying control over the Nine-Tails—Hiruzen knew this was not a fight they could win.
"BOOM!"
A thunderous explosion erupted nearby. The ground quaked. Dust and debris filled the air—and then the massive figure emerged.
Bathed in chakra light, the colossal Susanoo-armored Nine-Tails stood tall, its eyes glowing with murderous intent.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
"T-That's the Nine-Tails! How is it here—inside the village?!"
"That's not just the Nine-Tails... it's being controlled…"
Fear swept through the Sarutobi like wildfire.
"No!" Hiruzen's eyes widened. "It's Byakuya… He's already here!"
"Run! Retreat immediately! We must leave Konoha now!"
But it was too late.
A chilling voice rang out from atop the massive beast.
"Heh… Hiruzen. Where are you going? Let's finish this. Nine-Tails—attack."
The beast roared as it surged forward.
A few Sarutobi shinobi who still hadn't grasped the situation stood their ground.
"Uchiha Byakuya! How dare you attack us?! That's treason—"
"Do you know what you're doing?! You're turning your back on—"
SQUELCH.
The Nine-Tails' massive claw came crashing down. In a single, horrifying instant, they were flattened—no time to scream, no time to react. Just silence.
"Move! Don't stop!" Hiruzen bellowed, grabbing his son Asuma's arm and running.
The rest of the clan finally understood—and scattered in all directions.
"Byakuya... damn you..."
Hiruzen threw Asuma toward Biwako. "Take him! Get him out of here!"
As Biwako caught the boy and ran, Hiruzen turned back. He couldn't escape—not yet.
He formed seals at rapid speed.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four clones appeared beside him, each immediately preparing elemental attacks.
"Five Styles: Great Linked Elemental Bullet!"
Simultaneously, Wind, Fire, Earth, Lightning, and another Wind-style technique launched forward—spiraling, crashing, roaring toward the Nine-Tails.
It was one of Hiruzen's most advanced techniques—a testament to his mastery of all five elements.
But from atop the beast, Byakuya only sneered.
"Tch... Pathetic."
The Susanoo's ribcage glowed as it formed a shield-like wall, the attacks crashing harmlessly against it. The Five Styles were powerful, but in the face of a complete Susanoo cloaked around the Nine-Tails, they were like pebbles thrown at a mountain.
"You think this level of ninjutsu can stop me?"
Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen understood this very well.
He never expected his attack to defeat the Susanoo-armored Nine-Tails standing before him.
All he aimed for was to temporarily hinder Byakuya, buying enough time to escape.
Thus, the ninjutsu Hiruzen unleashed was aimed directly at the Nine-Tails' head.
Under his fierce assault, the massive beast's head shuddered from the impact.
Even with both Byakuya and Kushina in control, the Nine-Tails' movement visibly slowed.
"This is my chance!"
Without hesitation, Hiruzen turned and bolted, disappearing from Konoha in the blink of an eye.
"Not bad, Sarutobi Hiruzen... you run faster than I expected,"
Byakuya muttered as he steadied the Nine-Tails, watching Hiruzen's figure shrink in the distance.
Though the old Hokage lacked the strength he once had, his escape speed was impressive.
But would Byakuya really let him go that easily?
Of course not.
With cold precision, Byakuya channeled the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Red (yang) and blue (yin) chakra spiraled together at the fox's snout, condensing into a dense black sphere.
It was the ultimate tailed beast technique—the Tailed Beast Ball.
Back in Konoha, even with the Nine-Tails in hand, Byakuya had avoided using it.
The devastation it could bring was too great. One careless shot could wipe out the entire village.
But now, outside Konoha's borders, there was nothing holding him back.
"Go—Tailed Beast Ball!"
With a thunderous roar, the massive black orb shot forward, ripping through the air with terrifying momentum, chasing after Hiruzen.
…
Meanwhile, Hiruzen had already escaped over a thousand meters away.
Gathered there were numerous allied forces—ninjas from the Sarutobi clan, Tenne clan, and Mito clan.
Shimura Danzo, Mitokado En, and Utatane Koharu were also present.
When they saw Hiruzen arrive, everyone exhaled in relief.
"You're finally here, Hiruzen!"
"We need to move—now!"
Koharu and En urged him to keep running.
"Yeah… Let's—"
Before Hiruzen could finish, an overwhelming pressure surged from behind.
An ominous rumble swept across the land, and everyone turned toward the source—
The Tailed Beast Ball was coming.
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