Seeing this, the Third Hokage knew it was over. Konoha was finished, and he likely was too. All he could do now was preserve the last remaining embers of the village.
"All Konoha shinobi, evacuate the village at maximum speed! Get as far away as possible!"
After roaring these words, the Third seemed to lose all his spirit. He suddenly looked incredibly frail, as if he might crumble into the earth at any moment. In truth, his heart already had.
Again... it's happening again!
Kakashi stared deathly at Uchiha Hoshi and the Companion Honkai Beast looming before her. He had experienced this feeling of powerlessness several times before, each time resulting in the loss of something he held dear.
Was this time no different? Was he to lose his home?
Was there anything he could do? Anything at all?
"Obito, help me one more time!"
To control the Tailed Beast, Kakashi stopped rationing his chakra. He began frantically pouring energy into the transplanted Sharingan. Through this desperate act, he discovered the true potential of the chakra Obito had left within him!
"Kamui!"
Meanwhile, Obito, who had already left Konoha, watched the Sky Screen in silence. As the Mangekyo Dojutsu was activated, Uchiha Hoshi noticed the space around her and her beast beginning to warp!
Hoshi's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"Damn it... I didn't see Kakashi on the battlefield and completely forgot about him!"
Instinctively, Hoshi retreated her entire consciousness into the Herrscher Core. Even if her physical body were torn apart, the Core would survive—and as long as it did, so would she!
As the ninjas of Konoha watched Hoshi's body about to be shredded by the spatial distortion, hope flickered once more in their desperate hearts.
Could it be?!
However, what they didn't realize was that such a wide-scale spatial distortion would only transport Hoshi to the Kamui Dimension; it wouldn't kill her. But very few people knew that.
At the absolute climax of this crisis, a massive claw suddenly lunged out and shoved her away!
It was her Companion Honkai Beast! Sensing Hoshi was in danger, it had fully awakened!
Amidst the violent spatial warping, the beast's claw and half of its forelimb were twisted off and sent into the Kamui Dimension. The maimed beast let out a thunderous roar of agony and rage.
Immediately, a visible shockwave erupted from the Companion Honkai Beast, radiating outward. The surrounding Honkai Energy was blown clear, and another layer of soil was stripped from the massive crater. Even the smaller Honkai Beasts circling nearby were sent tumbling through the air.
Finally, the Companion Honkai Beast revealed its true form. Even with a missing limb, it lost none of its hideous, terrifying majesty.
After its roar, the beast slowly lowered its head, fixing its gaze on the fleeing Konoha ninjas. Its purple pupils were overflowing with killing intent!
Uchiha Hoshi, who had been pushed clear, finally stabilized her flight and descended onto the beast's head. As her hand touched the beast's horn, she funneled Honkai Energy into it, and the severed limb regrew at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Seeing this, the crowd was once again shrouded in despair.
"A monster... a complete monster!"
"We can't even kill her like that? Is there any way to stop her?"
At that moment, Kakashi nearly collapsed. The massive chakra drain from using the Mangekyo and the agonizing pain it inflicted were more than he could bear. Had his comrades not supported him, he would have slumped straight to the ground.
Realizing he had no strength left to fight, Kakashi used the last of his energy to guide the Nine-Tails back into its cage. Inside the sealing space, Minato and Kushina—no matter how reluctant they were—had to say their goodbyes. They had to reseal the Nine-Tails immediately; if it went berserk now, it would only make the catastrophe worse.
"Go! Move!"
Seeing the Nine-Tails resealed, one comrade supported Kakashi while another carried the unconscious Naruto, sprinting toward the outskirts of Konoha.
Watching the retreat, the Third Hokage finally saw a glimmer of good news. As long as the Nine-Tails remained and the core of their high-level combat power survived, those sparks could eventually rebuild a new Konoha!
"Don't be afraid! I'm here!"
Suddenly, a man in a green jumpsuit with a bowl cut and thick eyebrows broke through the surrounding Honkai Beasts and charged toward Uchiha Hoshi.
Seeing Might Guy, Kakashi's expression changed instantly. He knew Guy's personality all too well—the man was likely about to do something reckless.
Kakashi: "Guy, don't be impulsive!" He hurriedly sent a message through the Sky Screen to stop him.
Might Guy: "Kakashi! When else is more appropriate to let myself burn than now? Don't stop me, Kakashi! This is the peak of Youth!"
Rock Lee: "Master Guy!"
Might Guy: "Watch closely, Lee! This is the final act of your teacher's Youth!"
["Eight Gates Released Formation—Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder, OPEN!"
Terrifying chakra erupted from Might Guy. The aura he projected was perhaps even more imposing than the Nine-Tails Kakashi had just controlled—even if that had only been a one-tailed state.]
Uchiha Madara: "The Eight Gates Released Formation? To train it to this level, you are certainly among the top few I've ever seen. Unfortunately, since there's no blood-red mist, it's impossible for you to handle that monster with your current momentum."
["What? If that's the case, then..."
Guy had originally intended to use the Seventh Gate to test Uchiha Hoshi and her beast. After all, he had never opened the Eighth Gate and had no idea what kind of power it held. But since Uchiha Madara had said so, why hesitate?
But just as he prepared to open the Eighth Gate, he noticed the space around him warping.
"Wait... isn't this Kakashi's technique?"
Guy looked up at Hoshi and realized that, at some point, a Mangekyo Sharingan had appeared in the palm of her hand. The pattern was identical to the one in Kakashi's eye.
"Did you really think I'd just wait for you to open the Eighth Gate and risk my life? Do you think I'm stupid?"
And so, before Might Guy could achieve any combat results, he was swallowed by the Kamui Dimension and vanished from the physical world.]
"..."
"..."
Unknown Ninja: "Wait, is she really not an Uchiha? How can she copy anyone's Sharingan?"
Unknown Ninja 1: "And it seems even more powerful than the original owner's."
Unknown Ninja 2: "Is this what they mean by the fake being more real than the original?"