"Kyoi! Take the child to the evacuation shelter!"
Kyoi hurriedly gathered the child in her arms and ran toward the Hokage Rock. She glanced back and called out:
"Miqū, you're just a bustling chūnin who never makes any money no matter how hard you work. Don't push yourself too hard!"
Yako froze for a moment. Right… where was his money?
Last time he killed Mitokado Homura, he only did the killing—he never took the money. Mitokado Etsu had over a hundred million ryō in savings.
"Kyoi! Just wait—I'll definitely complete a B-rank mission tonight! I'll bring back a lot of money!"
In the blink of an eye, Kyoi could no longer see Miqū's figure.
After the wall was shattered by the blue chakra giant, a massive chunk of stone came whistling toward Kyoi!
The rock spun through the air, and only when it got close did she realize—it was as large as a house.
Kyoi's heart jolted. Even an elite Iwagakure jōnin's Flying Gravel — Earth Release wouldn't reach this level, would it?
Just as she was about to dodge with the child in her arms, a towering maple tree suddenly burst from the ground in front of her!
The maple tree blocked the massive boulder!
Leaves scattered as the impact sent red maple leaves flying everywhere.
Atop the maple tree stood a figure in a hooded robe.
Kyoi let out a breath of relief. This was Konoha—there were still plenty of powerful shinobi here.
Not just in front of her—she saw maple trees sprouting across nearby streets, one after another.
They shielded Konoha's civilians, intercepting the massive stones flying through the air.
In the dark night, crimson maple trees bloomed like flames. Kyoi thought to herself—with shinobi this strong in Konoha, Miqū should be fine, right?
She didn't dare delay any longer. Holding the child tightly, she merged into the crowd and ran toward Hokage Rock.
A fifty-meter-tall Susanoo, wielding twin blades, smashed through the wall.
Yako swept his gaze across the other directions, spotting several more Susanoo. He didn't know how the village would allocate its forces.
The one closest to him—the Susanoo on the eastern side of the village—would have to be handled by him.
A ninja squad stationed on the watchtower leapt fearlessly toward the Susanoo.
A single swing.
They were all cut down.
The sheer momentum of the massive blade didn't just slice—it crushed them outright.
Flesh scattered through the air, yet the other shinobi didn't falter.
A second squad saw the first wiped out. The captain shouted:
"Buy time for civilian evacuation! Don't be afraid!"
"Follow me!"
The four of them leapt high—some wielding kunai, others clutching explosive tags, another forming hand seals.
Among them, Hyuga Shin wore a strained expression.
He had always thought he'd remain a reconnaissance ninja, protected behind others.
He never imagined he'd face something like this head-on.
There was no room to retreat now. He couldn't let others look down on the Hyūga.
The Susanoo towered over fifty meters high… its chakra points were probably bigger than his head.
Could his fingers even strike something that large?
No one had ever taught them how to fight a monster like this.
His strongest technique—Gentle Fist strikes—landed on the Susanoo's leg.
His finger broke before anything else.
Why was the gap so overwhelming?
What kind of monster was this?
His chakra did nothing.
Hyuga Shin looked up, peering into the chakra giant.
Inside… stood a white-haired old man.
His eyes—
Sharingan.
Kunai, explosive tags, fire release—none of it worked. At best, it created smoke.
When the smoke cleared, the Susanoo stood untouched.
"Captain! There's a Uchiha inside the giant!" Hyuga Shin shouted.
"Damned Uchiha…!"
The captain stared up at the towering Susanoo, swallowing hard before forcing out:
"Spread out… Even if he kills us, we'll make him waste a few more seconds…"
The squad split apart.
The captain stayed in front, while the others moved to the sides—hoping to delay it.
The massive blade swept horizontally, tracing a deadly arc that would cut all four of them down.
Then—
A voice echoed through the night.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The Susanoo's blade was intercepted by rapidly growing maple trees!
After shattering three massive trees, the blade's momentum died, lodging itself into a thick trunk.
The captain suddenly felt a shadow overhead.
He looked up.
Above him, the massive head of a wooden dragon slowly extended forward.
Moonlight vanished as he stood protected beneath it.
The dragon's head alone was over ten meters wide, creaking with the strain of shifting wood.
Even its whiskers were thicker than a man's waist.
He could only see its lower jaw—but he already knew who it was.
In Konoha, there was only one shinobi famous for Wood Release.
The ANBU operative known as Fox.
A voice came from above:
"Squad leader! Take your team and evacuate the civilians. Leave this Susanoo to me."
The captain immediately leapt back.
They had survived.
"It's Lord Fox of the ANBU! Follow his orders—evacuate the civilians!"
Hyuga Shin glanced back at the ANBU ninja standing atop the wooden dragon—white hood, fox mask.
ANBU was a mystery to him. He had no idea who among them were the true elites.
Clan Head had warned them—see what you should see, don't look at what you shouldn't.
Otherwise, you'd die an ugly death.
Especially—never look toward the Hokage building, never stare at clan heads.
Secrets got people killed.
But judging from the captain's tone… this Fox was strong.
In the next moment—
The wooden dragon coiled around the Susanoo.
The giant's chakra destabilized, rapidly draining as its form visibly shrank.
At the same time, the wooden dragon grew thicker, tougher.
One dragon wasn't enough.
Fox summoned a second.
The two dragons intertwined, one in front and one behind, binding the Susanoo completely.
In terms of chakra, Yako was already at the peak of Kage level.
A Susanoo created by a Wood Clone was no match for him.
The dragons drained its chakra—
And the Susanoo shattered.
Uchiha Madara appeared.
The two wooden dragons spiraled around him like a cyclone.
Madara looked up at Fox.
"You again…"
Yako didn't give him time to talk.
Just a Wood Clone—and you're aura farming?
The dragons dove in succession.
Madara dodged the first—
But the second slammed him into the ground.
The earth split open as his Wood Clone body was crushed, split into two wooden stumps.
The dragon rose swiftly, lifting Yako into the air.
He scanned Konoha.
To the south, Tsunade had arrived in time, intercepting another Susanoo.
With the Strength of a Hundred Seal released, her chakra surged. Punch after punch forced the Susanoo backward out of the village, cracks spreading across its form.
To the west, the Ino–Shika–Chō formation held another Susanoo at bay. Two Akimichi had expanded into massive giants, barely managing to contain it.
Judging from the strength of these Susanoo, this Madara was weaker than the one summoned by Kabuto in the original timeline.
Yako turned toward the western battlefield.
Tsunade was fine.
But the Ino–Shika–Chō couldn't hold for long.
Yamanaka Ino'en saw the ANBU Vice Commander Fox sprinting along the wall toward them and felt a surge of relief.
With him here, they should be safe…
But then—
Fox stopped mid-run.
Following his gaze, Ino'en looked toward the center of the village.
Another Susanoo had appeared.
This one was different.
Armored.
Far stronger than the others.
Yako stared toward the Senju clan grounds.
Madara's real body… was there.
What was he planning—
A surge of Nine-Tails chakra erupted.
His target—
Princess Kushina.
Within the Senju compound—
Madara hovered within his Susanoo, staring at the pitiful three tails emerging from the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
"You dare bear the name Uzumaki?"
"Uzumaki Mito was different—she was chosen by Senju Hashirama."
"The Uzumaki are weak. Their extinction was inevitable."
"You should die, Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
Kushina, collapsed on the ground, burned with fury. More Nine-Tails chakra surged out.
The Complete Body Susanoo swung its blade.
A blazing arc tore through the Senju compound, striking Kushina.
Residual energy even slashed across Hokage Rock.
The faces of Tobirama and Hiruzen were reduced to their chins.
Hashirama's statue was grazed, cracks spreading across it.
Madara stared at Hashirama's face for several seconds—
Completely ignoring Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others appearing around him.
Then he lowered his gaze.
The first strike had already stripped away the tailed beast's chakra, exposing the host.
The second strike—
The blade thrust down toward Kushina.
Hiruzen arrived in time, swinging the Adamantine Staff, trying to deflect the strike—
But the Susanoo's other blade blocked it.
"Damn it!"
Namikaze Minato appeared in front of Kushina.
He gathered all his chakra into a short blade, forming a condensed Wind Release edge—distorting the air itself.
But he was too young.
Too weak.
Even a prodigy at thirteen or fourteen couldn't stand against a Complete Body Susanoo.
Slash!
The blade pierced through him—
And into Kushina's chest.
"Uchiha Madara!"
The Nine-Tails roared.
But its host was too weak.
Even if it wanted to help, Kushina couldn't handle its chakra.
From the distant wall—
Yako finally understood.
This wasn't like the original timeline.
Hatake Sakumo was alive.
Tsunade hadn't left.
And there was him.
Konoha was far stronger.
Madara had decided—the Nine-Tails couldn't remain here.
So he acted early.
Clearing the path for Nagato.
Kill the Jinchūriki.
Let the Nine-Tails revive elsewhere years later.
Make it easier to capture.
Kill enough Konoha shinobi tonight—
And weaken the village, preventing future sealing.
Yako frowned.
Kushina couldn't die.
If she did, Madara—or rather, Black Zetsu—would gain too much advantage.
Time had to be reversed—
Yako surged toward the battlefield where the Ino–Shika–Chō were struggling.
With a Body Flicker—
He appeared beneath a massive iron staff.
It came crashing down—
And killed him instantly.
[Host death detected. Arc of the Waning Moon system activating…]