Night of the Nine-Tails' Attack — Konoha, October 10
As Uchiha Fugaku and several clan members gathered at the Guard Department, Uchiha Kai was already sprinting toward their headquarters.
Inside, Uchiha Kawa, Uchiha Ryukage, and Uchiha Jun had been on standby. Though unaware of the Fourth Hokage's wife's identity, they knew tonight was a critical event. But when they saw the giant silhouette of the Nine-Tails raging across Konoha, realization struck like lightning.
The normally composed Uchiha Jun looked ready to leap into battle, but the others held her back.
They had experience from the Third Great Ninja War. Without direct orders, they wouldn't act. Still, if too much time passed, they would move regardless — the stakes were too high.
Luckily, Uchiha Kai arrived, albeit slightly late.
"This is a Level One emergency. The Nine-Tails has been released," Kai said with uncharacteristic urgency. "Kawa, Ryukage, rally your teams. You're heading to the front."
"Yes, Minister!"
They fired flares into the sky — coded signals summoning their respective squads.
Kai turned to Uchiha Jun. "Your team is different. You're not going to the front. Split your forces. One stays to guard the prison — transfer prisoners if needed. The rest evacuate civilians to shelters."
Jun frowned. "I can take a team to the front. The village needs as many hands as possible—"
"You're not here to prove your strength. Follow orders." His words cut cold and sharp.
Jun's face darkened, but she nodded. "Understood… Minister."
Five minutes later, all Guard members had assembled, even those mid-training.
Kai reallocated their duties. Jun's unit was assigned to escort vulnerable civilians. The rest — battle-ready shinobi — would go with him.
"Are you ready?" Kai shouted.
"READY!" dozens of voices replied in unison.
"Move out!"
Meanwhile, Konoha was under siege.
Families like the Aburame, Sarutobi, Ino-Shika-Chō, and Hyuga mobilized swiftly. Ninjutsu filled the night sky with bursts of chakra. But the Nine-Tails was unstoppable.
Each sweep of its claws took down squads. Fire, water, earth — all clashed against the monster's chakra cloak and regenerated flesh.
In the chaos, Uchiha Fugaku, though equipped with the Mangekyō Sharingan, held back. The cost of revealing it was too high — suspicion, or worse, exile.
Could I even control the Nine-Tails with my Mangekyō? Fugaku wondered, sweat trickling down his temple.
At that moment, two elders — Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado — appeared with masked ANBU.
"Uchiha Fugaku, stand down. Take your men and assist with evacuation." Homura's tone was iron.
"Is this an order from the Hokage?" Fugaku narrowed his eyes.
"The Fourth is… currently indisposed," Koharu replied vaguely. "You're needed elsewhere."
Fugaku's eyes blazed. Before he could argue, Uchiha Kai arrived, flanked by his squad.
"Isn't it dangerous to give orders when you don't even know what's going on?" Kai said coldly.
"Kai…" Fugaku exhaled in relief. This boy was not just a rising star — he was leverage.
"We found Hyuga patrol members wounded. The attacker wore a black cloak and spiral mask — Sharingan active," Kai reported.
Everyone froze.
"Sharingan?"
"Is it... one of our own?"
The implication was explosive.
"That's nonsense!" Homura snapped. "You're deflecting responsibility!"
Kai sneered, Mangekyō gleaming. "You've seen what I can do. Do you really think I'd need tricks?"
Suddenly, the Nine-Tails roared.
Chakra gathered in front of its mouth — dark, compressed, deadly.
"Tailed Beast Ball!" someone screamed.
"It's aiming at Hokage Rock!"
Elsewhere, atop the Fourth Hokage's statue…
Minato Namikaze stood with arms folded, scanning the burning village below.
This is worse than I expected, he thought.
Then he sensed it — chakra flaring like a sun. The Nine-Tails had spotted him.
A Tailed Beast Bomb formed at the demon's mouth.
"Flying Thunder God Barrier—NOW!"
With practiced precision, Minato flung a kunai marked with a seal. As the bomb launched, space distorted, and the attack vanished into a dimensional pocket — reappearing harmlessly in a distant forest.
Boom!
Even from afar, the shockwave lit up the night sky.
If that had hit the village... Minato's brow furrowed. But before he could breathe—
A figure appeared behind him. A man in a black robe. Spiral mask. Sharingan gleaming.
"So you're the Fourth Hokage," Obito sneered. "But it ends here."
Back in the village…
"The Tailed Beast Bomb was deflected?" Choza Akimichi gawked. "That's Lord Fourth's technique!"
Morale surged. Cheers erupted.
But Uchiha Kai's voice cut through the elation.
"Don't just cheer. Get moving! This is our village. We fight too!"
Yamanaka Inoichi nodded. "Agreed. Every hand counts. Let's push the Nine-Tails back!"
The Ino-Shika-Chō clan leaders stood beside Kai and Fugaku. Their support was a signal — political recognition of the Uchiha.
Even the ever-wary elders could do nothing but scowl.
Suddenly, a new voice rang out.
"Apologies — we're late."
Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi approached, bloodied but standing. Hyuga Aya supported them.
"Minister Kai told the truth," Hiashi confirmed. "We were ambushed — a man with a Sharingan and mask."
The gathered clan leaders exchanged dark glances.
A rogue Uchiha? A survivor? An outsider who'd stolen an eye?
"Then we know what we're up against," Kai declared. "Kenta, summon the Sealing Squad. Aya, take all Hyuga capable of combat and sweep the perimeter. We find the Hokage."
"Yes, sir!"
As the Guard Department scattered to their assignments, Nara Shikaku stepped forward.
"Don't think you'll fight alone, Minister Kai. We're Konoha shinobi too."
"That's right." Choza Akimichi clapped a massive hand on Kai's shoulder. "Let's show that fox what we're made of."
Around them, the clans united — Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame — a symbol of village unity in crisis.
Only the elders remained silent, their expressions dark, as the battle continued into the night.