Chapter 184: The Calm Before the Storm
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune's voice trembled with worry as the two Anbu operatives vanished. "If the Nine-Tails is here... does that mean something has happened to Naruto?" She had always seen the boisterous boy as a little brother, and the thought of him in danger made her blood run cold.
"I don't know yet," Tsunade replied, her voice tight. "We'll know more when they find him. Shizune, your priority is to assist with the civilian evacuation. I am going to confront the Nine-Tails."
"Lady Tsunade, you can't—!"
"Enough!" Tsunade's command was absolute, her eyes blazing with the Will of Fire. "I am the Fifth Hokage. Protecting this village is my duty. Now, follow your orders!"
"...Yes, my lady." Shizune bowed her head, her heart heavy with fear. "Please... be careful." With that, she rushed out to join the frantic evacuation efforts.
Tsunade turned back to the window, her gaze locked on the monstrous silhouette in the distance. "Nine-Tails... whoever is behind this," she swore through gritted teeth, "I will make you pay."
She didn't hesitate any longer. Exploding into motion, she leaped from the office window, her form a blur as she shot toward the epicenter of the chaos. From the shadows of the Hokage Tower, several dark figures emerged, falling in behind her—the elite Anbu Guard, sworn to protect their leader unto death.
***
At the edge of the Uchiha district, Ren stood impassively on the head of the roaring Nine-Tails. The beast lashed its tails and shrieked at the moon, but made no move to advance further into the village.
"Boss," Suigetsu called out, his voice edged with impatience. "Why are we waiting? Shouldn't we strike before Konoha's forces can fully assemble?"
Ren didn't turn his head, his eyes scanning the approaching flickers of chakra in the distance. "My quarrel is not with the common folk. Slaughtering them holds no meaning for me. Our targets are specific. Let the chaos be a distraction, nothing more."
"I see," Suigetsu grunted, understanding the strategic value of the panic.
"Enough talk," Ren said, his tone final. "Konoha's first responders are here. It's time for you to move. Remember the plan. Complete your objectives and rendezvous back here immediately. Do not engage in unnecessary battles. Is that clear?"
"Understood."
As the first squads of Konoha jōnin began to arrive, skidding to a halt at the periphery of the devastation, Sasuke, Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin vanished with the Body Flicker Technique, leaving Ren alone with the titanic fox.
***
The Konoha shinobi formed a ragged defensive line, their faces pale but resolute as they stared up at the embodiment of their village's greatest trauma.
"What's happening? Why has the Nine-Tails appeared?!" one ninja cried out, his knuckles white around his kunai.
"No time for questions!" a squad leader barked. "Our mission is to stop it here! We cannot let it reach the residential districts! We will not repeat the tragedy of sixteen years ago!"
"Look! Up there! On its head!" a sharp-eyed Chunin yelled, pointing a trembling finger.
All eyes lifted. There, standing calmly atop the demon fox's head, was a single, silhouetted figure.
"A... a person? Controlling the Nine-Tails? Who could possibly have that power?"
"There's only one explanation," the squad leader said, his voice grim. "This Nine-Tails is being manipulated. Tamed."
"Who is he?!"
"It doesn't matter. Anyone who unleashes this beast upon Konoha is an enemy of the highest order. Hold the line!"
The Konoha ninja spread out, their formations defensive, waiting for the first move. The Nine-Tails roared, its chakra whipping the air into a frenzy, but it did not attack. The tension was a taut wire, ready to snap.
"Hmph. Quick to arrive, but where is your Fifth Hokage?" Ren's voice, amplified by chakra, cut through the beast's roars, dripping with condescension. "Is she sending her subordinates to die in her place?"
The shinobi focused on the speaker, and a collective shockwave of recognition passed through them. He was just a youth. But his face, circulated on every Bingo Book and alert bulletin, was unmistakable.
"You... you're Uchiha Ren!" a jōnin gasped, the name spreading through the ranks like wildfire. "The one who destroyed Kumogakure!"
The rumors, once thought to be exaggerated tales, suddenly felt terrifyingly real. Seeing him here, commanding the Nine-Tails with casual authority, erased all doubt.
"Indeed. I see my reputation precedes me." Ren's gaze swept over them, a flicker of complex emotion—somewhere between nostalgia and contempt—passing through his eyes. This village was both a memory and a scar.
"Konoha!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the ruins of his ancestral home. "I... Uchiha Ren, have returned!"
As if on cue, the Nine-Tails beneath him threw its head back and unleashed another earth-shattering roar, a symphony of rage that mirrored the fury in Ren's heart. The Konoha line tightened, every muscle coiled, hands hovering over weapon pouches. The air crackled with the promise of violence.
The standoff was absolute. The slightest spark would ignite an inferno.
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