Under Sasuke's control, Shukaku steadily advanced toward the heart of Konoha.
The only person capable of opposing him—Naruto, the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—was still completely drained. Neji had gone too far during the Chūnin Exam finals. If Naruto pushed himself now, he'd only destroy his foundation entirely.
Konoha's shinobi scrambled to evacuate civilians and render aid. Jiraiya stepped forward and summoned a massive toad to block Shukaku's path.
Jiraiya's mouth moved—he was saying something—but Sasuke didn't hear a word.
He had cut off his sense of hearing.
Sasuke had no intention of letting someone's lofty ideals, someone's impassioned pleas, or someone's "Talk no Jutsu" shake his resolve. Not this time. Not until his goal was achieved. He didn't care what anyone had to say.
Jiraiya could slow Shukaku's advance, but he couldn't stop the sand's encroachment. Half the village was already swallowed beneath a rising sea of sand. All of Jiraiya's attacks were blocked by Sasuke, and he failed completely to provoke or distract him.
Sasuke still hadn't seen a trace of Danzō—no Root operatives either. The old Root base was completely abandoned. Had Danzō already sensed danger and fled?
"Self-preserving in times of crisis, risking nothing for small gains… Arrogant and unskilled…"
That was Danzō.
It wasn't surprising if he'd run.
Decades ago, Danzō had once fought alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi, arguing over who would stay behind to cover their allies' retreat. But time changes people. The Danzō of today had no such spirit of sacrifice—he'd rather burn others to light his own path.
Sasuke effortlessly deflected another sneak attack from Jiraiya, then flooded the old Root base with sand. From atop Shukaku's head, he looked toward the Hokage Rock, sneering coldly. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers wide.
Under the surge of demonic power, Shukaku opened its massive, grotesque mouth, a dark red sphere of concentrated chakra forming, growing larger by the second.
"A Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Whether civilian or shinobi, everyone trembled in fear.
Konoha had lived through one Tailed Beast rampage already. And now it was happening again?
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Orochimaru saw what was coming and immediately ordered the Sound Four to break the barrier and retreat.
"Heh... this just keeps getting more and more fun."
His hoarse voice drifted on the wind, destination unknown.
Gasping for breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't bother chasing him. The village faced a far greater crisis now. Trembling, he lifted his adamantine staff and leapt toward Shukaku.
He had to defeat the beast.He had to protect the village. He had to carry the burden of being Hokage.
"So… I can't fall here." Hiruzen urged himself forward.
But determination couldn't override reality.
After Rasa's self-detonation and Orochimaru's ambush, Hiruzen was already at his limit. It was unclear if he had anything left to give.
The closer he got to Shukaku, the clearer his vision became—and when he finally saw who was standing atop the beast, it was someone he never imagined in his worst nightmares.
Uchiha Sasuke.
"No... It can't be. Why would Sasuke attack the village? Could it be—he already knows the truth?!"
The thought struck him like lightning.
Of course he understood. He knew exactly what the Uchiha Massacre meant to Sasuke. The moment Sasuke turned against the village, Hiruzen knew why.
The Tailed Beast Bomb was now fully formed.
Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and countless Konoha shinobi shouted in unison, pleading for Sasuke to stop. But he heard none of them.
"Farewell, Konoha."
Sasuke released the Tailed Beast Bomb without hesitation.
With a deafening roar, the explosion flattened the Hokage Rock—the very monument symbolizing the honor and legacy of the Hokage.
The cliff where Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara once stood, dreaming of peace together, was reduced to rubble.
Hiruzen nearly collapsed, clutching his chest. The shock was too great.
Tears traced down his deeply wrinkled face, as sorrowful as could be.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That… that's Sasuke! Damn it! That bastard—how could he!"
Impulsively, he dashed toward Shukaku.
Despite the searing pain all over his body, he still wanted to stop Sasuke.
Iruka, who had been by his side the whole time, couldn't hold him back.
"Naruto! Calm down! Don't lose your head!"
As the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Naruto was vital to the village. Jiraiya had placed him in a safe location and assigned Iruka to guard him. But when Naruto made up his mind, no one could stop him.
At the same time, one of Konoha's strongest—Might Guy—was closing in on Shukaku as well, opening the Seventh Gate without hesitation.
"Wait... where's Kakashi?" Guy looked around, momentarily confused that his eternal rival had vanished.
Then he shrugged it off. There were more pressing matters at hand.
Sasuke wasn't done. A new Tailed Beast Bomb was already forming.
When he noticed Guy approaching, wariness flashed across his face.
Without pause, he activated his dōjutsu—[Enkō].
Guy suddenly froze in place.
And in that split second, boom—boom!
Two more explosions rang out.
The Konoha Hospital and the Ninja Academy were gone.
Medical care and education—the very foundation of any shinobi village. Both had to be destroyed.
Mushroom clouds rose one after another into the sky.
Even though Hyūga Neji had long since escaped the village, he could still hear the earth-shattering detonations.
He turned back once, a strange smirk tugging at the corner of his lips—part joy, part scorn.
...
In a hidden shelter, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu listened in terror to the chaos above.
"Shouldn't we go help? Hiruzen can't handle this alone," Koharu said, her face full of worry.
"There's no point," Homura muttered grimly in the flickering light.
He adjusted his glasses, expression unreadable.
"If we can't quell the chaos, Hiruzen must take full responsibility. If he can't fix this, then what help would we be? Better to remain here—as the final hope of Konoha."
"This shelter is well hidden. Even if Konoha is destroyed, as long as we survive, we can lead the survivors. We'll rebuild Konoha from the ashes."
His voice grew louder and louder.
It was hard to tell whether he was trying to convince Koharu—or himself.
Koharu gave a heavy nod. "You may be right. Besides… there's still Danzō."
BOOM!
A Tailed Beast Bomb struck the shelter dead on.
Everyone inside was reduced to ash.
The last thing Homura and Koharu ever saw was an endless wave of light and heat bearing down on them.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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