However, with a large wave of Ōnoki's hand, the sealing squad moved out again. One sealing technique after another was cast, and Danzō was soon wrapped tightly in layers of binding talismans and chakra-suppressing seals—immobilized like a mummy.
"Is it... over?" a ninja asked hesitantly.
Staring at the motionless figure encased in seals, Ōnoki frowned. For someone as cunning and calculating as Danzō Shimura, it felt too easy. Regardless of his distaste for the man, he couldn't help but remain vigilant. This was the so-called "Darkness of Konoha," after all. To take him down so simply defied all expectations.
Though Danzō's use of Izanagi—the forbidden Uchiha technique that could rewrite reality at the cost of vision—was terrifying, it was also finite. Ōnoki knew from intel that Danzō's use of Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan granted him an even greater edge in combat. But even with Izanagi and enhanced chakra reserves due to Hashirama's cells, if caught off-guard, he could still be sealed with precision and coordination.
If it had been anyone else, Ōnoki might've considered it over. But this was Danzō. Would someone with such a reputation not have one final trick?
He signaled several sensory and sealing experts to confirm the results. The verdict remained unchanged: the chakra signature was authentic. There was no Shadow Clone, no transformation, and no genjutsu.
"It's really him," one sensor ninja confirmed. "No traces of deception. The Sharingan has deactivated."
"Could using so many forbidden techniques have damaged his mind?" Ōnoki thought to himself. Danzō's recklessness today was uncharacteristic of the man who once manipulated Kage Summits from the shadows.
Still, whatever the reason, this was a victory.
Now, it was time to deal with another threat—one far more dangerous and not bound by political games.
Nagato. The man who wielded the Rinnegan.
Unlike Danzō, Nagato was currently engaged in a battle of wills and chakra with the Nine-Tails. From a safe distance, the leaders of the Allied Shinobi Forces observed, waiting for the exact moment Nagato completed the sealing so they could deal with him.
Nagato, fully aware that all eyes were on him, remained composed. But internally, he was straining.
The Nine-Tails—Kurama—was far more difficult to handle than any of the other Tailed Beasts. Even with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as the receptacle, the Nine-Tails resisted fiercely. Its chakra was volatile, vast, and hateful.
In his prime, Nagato might have succeeded. But after years of being confined to a mechanical walker and pushing his limits during the invasion of Konoha, his strength had waned.
"I underestimated the Nine-Tails…" Nagato admitted inwardly.
Despite the pain, he did not show weakness. Still, he knew he couldn't do this alone.
"The Nine-Tails' chakra is more than I expected," Nagato announced flatly. "Assist me."
Though it was a request, his tone made it sound like an order.
The shinobi around him hesitated. None moved, waiting for confirmation from the Kage.
Through nothing more than a glance, Ōnoki, Chiyo, and the other leaders reached a silent agreement. They couldn't let Nagato fail, or the Nine-Tails might run rampant. But aiding Nagato too directly might backfire if he completed the Ten-Tails' revival.
So they issued a compromise.
Orders were given—but no elite sealing ninjas were sent.
Instead, a group of ordinary combat-type shinobi was dispatched. Their role was to provide chakra support only—just enough to keep Nagato going, but not enough to allow him full power.
Nagato noticed. Of course, he noticed.
But he said nothing. Every second they bought him was enough for him to strategize his next move. Once the Ten-Tails was revived, he planned to synchronize his Rinnegan with it and take control. At that point, he would no longer need anyone.
Then it happened.
Among the shinobi who approached was a masked figure wearing the Mist Village forehead protector. The man moved quietly, too quietly. Nagato squinted, scrutinizing his chakra signature. It wasn't hostile—but it felt... familiar.
Familiar in a warm way. Strange. That wasn't something Nagato associated with any ninja outside his closest circle.
"Kindness...?" he murmured.
There were only two people left who could make him feel that way: Konan and...
His eyes widened just as the Mist shinobi raised his hand and formed a spiraling ball of chakra.
Great Ball Rasengan.
The immense chakra orb slammed into the Nine-Tails, catching everyone off guard—including Nagato. The impact shattered the suppression seal just enough for the Nine-Tails to roar and begin tearing through the remaining bindings.
The disguise faded in the explosion of chakra, revealing the true identity of the attacker:
Jiraiya—the Toad Sage, the Sannin thought lost in Amegakure years ago.
The battlefield went still.
"Jiraiya-sensei..." Nagato whispered, stunned.
With the final seal broken, Kurama—fully unsealed and now completely free—let out a guttural roar that echoed for miles. No longer restrained by Nagato's Rinnegan, the beast's malevolent chakra poured across the battlefield like a tidal wave.
How powerful was a complete Nine-Tails? A reference remained clear in history: during Pain's invasion of Konoha, Naruto had only unleashed six tails—and had nearly annihilated everything in sight. That was half of Kurama's power, without a jinchūriki's control.
Now, the full Nine-Tails stood before them—unbound, unsealed, and angry.
"Jiraiya? Damn it… How could you be here?"
"Wahaha! It is I—Jiraiya, the white-haired sage and Toad Hermit, one of the Legendary Sannin! Your little conspiracy has been completely exposed by me."
The surrounding shinobi stared in shock as the unmistakable figure of Jiraiya emerged from the shadows.
Behind him, the Nine-Tails—Kurama—stood tall, its eyes blazing with fury and vengeance.
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, gritted his teeth at the sight of Jiraiya. But instead of confronting him directly, he turned to the Mist-nin on the opposite flank.
"Was it you?! Has Kirigakure already surrendered to Konoha?"
"Lord Tsuchikage," a Mist shinobi responded coolly, "you can eat recklessly, but don't speak recklessly. It's true Jiraiya was dressed in Kirigakure attire earlier, but who knows when he infiltrated the battlefield?"
"Exactly. For all we know, he could have been disguised as an Iwagakure shinobi too," another added.
A striking kunoichi stepped forward from the Mist ranks—tall, poised, with auburn hair and confident eyes.
She was Terumi Mei, one of Kirigakure's most outstanding jōnin and future Mizukage. Even in the presence of a Kage, she spoke without fear, her tone sharp and unflinching.
"Besides," Mei said pointedly, "if there is a traitor among the villages, perhaps it's the one with the fewest casualties."
Her implication was clear: Iwagakure, despite the fierce battles, had lost fewer high-ranking shinobi than the others. Among all the Kage, Ōnoki alone remained standing.
Ōnoki narrowed his eyes. "You've got a sharp tongue, girl. But I don't have time to argue with the likes of you. The real threat here is Jiraiya… and the Nine-Tails."
Mei folded her arms. "Then please, Lord Tsuchikage, deal with the Nine-Tails. I've heard you managed to suppress the Four-Tails and Six-Tails before. Surely the Nine-Tails is no different?"
"As for Jiraiya," she added with a smile, "while he may be Kage-level, we will gladly risk our lives to keep him occupied and ensure your battle isn't interrupted."
Without waiting for a response, Mei began coordinating her forces to surround Jiraiya.
From the Sunagakure side, another figure burst forth—a woman wearing revealing attire, her presence radiating heat. Her signature Scorch Release technique made her instantly recognizable: Pakura, the pride of Sunagakure's kekkei genkai users.
Once betrayed and assassinated by her own village after the Third Shinobi World War, Pakura had somehow survived—likely due to Rasa's intervention—and now led her comrades once more.
"We'll assist too!" she said, leading a charge of Sand shinobi toward Jiraiya.
Ōnoki twitched. Were these people mocking him?
"Can't deal with Jiraiya alone?" he scoffed internally. "With that many Mist shinobi around her? Is Pakura blind?"
Thankfully, Chiyo of the Sand remained still, appearing focused on aiding against the Nine-Tails. That, at least, was a relief.
But when Ōnoki glanced over to the Kumogakure side, he saw their shinobi also preparing to engage—possibly even target Jiraiya.
His frustration boiled over, just as something massive happened.
A colossal claw smashed down from above, crushing a Kumo ninja before he could react. He lay motionless, the life flattened out of him.
Kurama had struck.
'Well done,' Ōnoki thought darkly.
Outwardly, however, he shouted in feigned outrage: "Damn beast! Don't think we'll just let you rampage. Allied Shinobi Forces—charge! With me!"
And true to his word, Ōnoki did charge—just from the sky, keeping himself well above the chaos.
A mixed force of Iwa, Mist, and Sand ninjas followed, attempting to rescue the stricken Kumo unit from Kurama's wrath.
Whether or not they truly intended to help didn't matter. Ōnoki had made up his mind.
"ROAR! You damn humans… ALL OF YOU DIE!!" Kurama thundered.
The air grew thick with red chakra, violently lashing out in waves. Lesser shinobi couldn't even get close without being burned by the sheer heat and malevolence of the Nine-Tails' aura.
With nine massive tails thrashing like whips and its fury unleashed, Kurama became a nightmare incarnate.
The shinobi began to realize—this wasn't just another tailed beast.
Some had thought: "What's a few extra tails?"
But Kurama wasn't just a stronger version of the others. It was on a completely different level. Regular ninjutsu couldn't even pierce its chakra cloak.
Ōnoki, who had once subdued the Four-Tails and Six-Tails, now found himself deeply shaken. The techniques he used to suppress other tailed beasts barely fazed the Nine-Tails.
He dropped two mountain-sized boulders from the sky to crush it—but Kurama shattered them and charged through like a living calamity.
Ōnoki couldn't help but question himself. "Am I really this weak…? Can't I even handle one tailed beast?"
He recalled stories of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who was said to have subdued the Nine-Tails with ease. Could those tales have been true? Could the difference between them be so vast?
He glanced toward Nagato, the red-haired Rinnegan wielder standing nearby. The boy merely watched the chaos unfold with his arms crossed, expression cold.
Ōnoki's frustration reached its limit.
"Hey, kid with the Rinnegan! The Nine-Tails escaped from you! Are you not going to help us now?"
The irony was bitter. Not long ago, Nagato had asked for help—and now the tables had turned.
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