From a prison woven from seals, the Nine-Tails gazed through the bars of his mind at the site where Konoha had once stood. A void gaped before his mind's eye, consumed by an icy monster, indifferent to good and evil, devouring the world itself.
Powerful... Oh, how powerful he was.
In Uchiha Yue, the Kyuubi saw the shadow of a second Madara. No, more like a second Indra. But this world was not destined to produce a second Hashirama. A second Ashura no longer existed.
"Ha-ha-ha! Destroy everything, Uchiha Yue! Wipe this damned Konoha off the face of the earth! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
The Kyuubi's evil laughter echoed in the cage of his mind. The memories of recent events were intoxicating, evoking a wild, indescribable delight. Yes, that's right! Trample them! Humiliate them! Crush them all into the dirt!
That fool Shimura Danzo has outdone himself! If not for that idiot, would such monstrous power have awakened in Uchiha Yue? Would that scoundrel Sarutobi Hiruzen have died? Would Konoha have been on the brink of destruction?
As a tailed beast, the Kyuubi had no sympathy for humanity, and he hated Konoha with all his might. He remembered Hashirama Senju branding him dangerous.
Huh, dangerous? Anyone could say that, but what right did you have, Hashirama? How did I ever bother you? I was peacefully slumbering in my corner, and you dragged me into your squabbles, used me like a thing, passing me from hand to hand. And in the end, without so much as an apology, branded me a monster?
In the end, you turned us, the tailed beasts, into living batteries for your damned techniques. What humiliation!
Since the creation of the hidden village system, the Nine-Tails had forgotten the taste of freedom. All these years, he was kept locked away in the bodies of the jinchuriki like a watchdog. Time passed, and the hatred in the Nine-Tails' heart grew with each passing day. If not for the seal's shackles, he would have long ago broken Naruto's will and razed Konoha to dust.
Now, looking at its ruins, he felt nothing but malicious triumph. The only thing the Nine-Tails regretted was that Uchiha Yue had not followed through, allowing the remnants of Konoha to escape.
If he had wiped the village off the face of the earth that day and even killed that jinchuriki, the Nine-Tails would probably have died laughing—for that would have meant long-awaited freedom.
"What a pity..." he rumbled with genuine regret, hanging his head.
If only he had known then that Uchiha Yue's existence would inevitably lead to the destruction of the entire shinobi world. And in a world devoid of chakra, would the so-called immortal tailed beasts be able to be reborn?
Perhaps then it wouldn't have seemed such a "pity" to him.
In one of the gambling houses, lost in the vastness of the shinobi world.
Lately, Tsunade had been haunted by a bad feeling. It all started with an unprecedented run of luck at gambling—a sure sign of impending disaster. Every ryo he won rang in his ears like a death knell.
And then one day, the premonition took shape: Katsuyu materialized next to her.
"Lady Tsunade, something bad has happened!"
Back in her room, Tsunade looked at her faithful slug, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Katsuyu, what happened?"
"Lady Tsunade, an incredibly powerful shinobi, Uchiha Yue, has appeared in Konoha. He killed your teacher... and nearly wiped the village off the face of the earth!" Katsuyu reported slowly, her voice fading across the floor.
"Wha... what?"
Tsunade froze, stunned by the news. Although news of the tragedy had already spread around the world, she had long since retired from shinobi life. Her days were spent playing dice and cards, surrounded by fellow avid gamblers. How could she have known about the affairs of her home village?
Katsuyu told her everything she knew in detail.
After listening, Tsunade was stunned. How long had it been since she left? And Konoha, it turned out, was already on the brink of self-immolation. And the cause wasn't external enemies, but internal strife.
— Shimura Danzo!!!
She clenched her fist and slammed it down on the table in rage, imagining the old schemer's head in its place. The table shattered into pieces.
If Danzo were alive now, she would have truly crushed his skull with her own hands.
"Danzo, look what you've done! And Master... Master, how could you allow that bastard to raise a hand against his own kind? To exterminate an entire clan! Have you both truly succumbed to senility?!"
Tsunade's face hardened. She had left Konoha, but that didn't mean the village meant nothing to her. Could she remain indifferent to the place her grandfather and great-uncle had laid down their lives to create?
In truth, if the Uchiha clan had simply been exterminated and it hadn't led to the rise of an avenger like Yue, Tsunade would likely have limited herself to a few angry curses. Even after becoming Hokage and learning of Danzo's role, she wouldn't have touched him.
She would have simply taken power from him. Kill him? No. Konoha always needed its "Shadow" for its dirty work. Although, if you think about it, this so-called "Shadow" was of little use. The old man was good for nothing but attacking his own people and sowing discord beyond the village's borders.
How convenient: delegate all the dirty work to Danzo, and blame him if it failed. The perfect scapegoat, who sincerely believed he was acting for the good of the village, unaware that his actions were merely covering up the misdeeds of others.
But this entire system only worked as long as monstrous mistakes could be swept under the rug. Now, because of this "good," Danzo not only rotted in his own grave, but also dragged the Third Hokage and countless shinobi down with him.
And now...