Yako chased Guruguru across the rooftops—then suddenly stopped on a ridge.
To the northeast—
A massive explosion lit up the entire village like daylight.
The Third Hokage had driven the Complete Body Susanoo out of Konoha with the Five Elements Great Barrage.
The shockwave whipped Yako's hair and cloak.
He assessed it instantly.
Hiruzen's Five Elements Great Barrage…
Was on par with his own.
No—
On par with the rogue Sarutobi Kanosuke.
The Third Hokage in his prime—
Was truly terrifying.
Hiruzen relied almost entirely on ninjutsu.
His frontal combat ability was overwhelming—
But his methods lacked flexibility.
He hadn't yet mastered the Reaper Death Seal.
From afar—
The Susanoo's armor had been blasted open—
Exposing the skeletal structure beneath.
Even so—
This aged Madara was weaker than the reanimated version from the original timeline.
Below—
Cries rang out.
Two children had fallen.
Yako flicked out ironwood vines—
Pulling them to safety before they could be trampled.
No time to check on them.
His eyes locked onto Guruguru.
A monster.
Attacking civilians.
This time—
Guruguru changed tactics.
He shouted loudly—
Almost deliberately.
"Uchiha Style: Shuriken Manipulation Technique!"
Wooden shuriken flew toward fleeing civilians.
Panic spread.
Why were Uchiha attacking them?
They didn't know Guruguru—
Only that someone bearing Uchiha techniques was slaughtering villagers.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Maple trees burst forth—
Blocking the attacks.
Guruguru saw Fox approaching—
And retreated again.
"Uchiha Genjutsu: Binding Illusion!"
In another location—
The Mangekyō flared.
Wooden spikes followed—
Aimed at civilians.
Yako appeared instantly—
Catching one of the wooden spears midair.
His gaze sharpened.
The spear exploded—
But didn't pierce his hand.
Now—
He understood.
Madara's goal wasn't just the Nine-Tails.
He wanted Konoha weakened.
Just like the Nine-Tails incident in the original timeline—
Minato and Kushina had to die.
Otherwise—
Nagato could never claim the Nine-Tails.
Hatred.
Division.
That was Guruguru's role.
The Uchiha—
Would suffer for this.
Even if they did nothing—
They would be blamed.
At the Hokage Tower rooftop—
Shikakaku listened to reports.
Fox had escorted the Jinchūriki to the eastern breach—
Stopping the White Zetsu.
Now—
He moved across the village—
Intercepting Guruguru again and again.
The more lives he saved—
The greater his influence would become.
Previously, Fox had operated outside the village.
Now—
Everyone would know him.
The masked ANBU—
The one who appeared wherever needed.
Meanwhile—
Orochimaru and Danzo still struggled.
Neither had defeated their Susanoo.
Shikakaku shifted his gaze—
Toward the real battlefield.
Everything here—
Was secondary.
The battle between Hiruzen and Madara—
That would decide everything.
Northeast Konoha—
Hiruzen stood at the center.
Tsunade to his left.
Sakumo to his right.
Before the towering Susanoo—
They looked small.
Insignificant.
Hiruzen stared upward.
Even after being blasted apart—
The Susanoo regenerated rapidly.
How had his teacher…
Defeated this?
Back then—
Madara had stood atop the Nine-Tails—
Arms crossed.
Looking down on Konoha.
Only when Hashirama appeared—
Did he lower them.
Hiruzen's gaze hardened.
"We can't delay any longer."
"Guruguru and the White Zetsu will only cause more casualties."
"We must fight with the resolve to die for Konoha!"
"Sakumo!"
He turned.
"You and I will engage head-on."
"Tsunade as well."
"But you…"
"You are our final strike."
"You must kill Madara in one blow."
Sakumo nodded.
"I'm ready to die for Konoha."
Hiruzen had always disagreed with him.
Too idealistic.
Too naive.
But never—
Had he doubted Sakumo's will.
Hiruzen turned to Tsunade.
"How long has it been… since we fought together?"
Tsunade didn't look at him.
Only at the enemy.
"If you have orders, give them."
"Is this really the time for nostalgia?"
A bitter smile flickered in Hiruzen's heart.
From within the Susanoo—
Madara's voice echoed.
"Finished your last words?"
"I will prove beneath Hashirama's face—"
"That he was wrong."
"Konoha is a hollow shell."
"Rotting from within."
"You are nothing but parasites clinging to his name."
Hiruzen didn't interrupt.
Let him talk.
Confidence—
Arrogance—
It gave him time.
Time to recover chakra.
Around him—
Four Shadow Clones formed.
Five Hiruzens—
Forming seals simultaneously.
Five elements—
Five techniques—
The Five Elements Great Barrage.
This—
Was his jutsu.
He—
Was its true master.
The five streams of chakra lit the night—
Crashing into the Susanoo.
Madara's eyes narrowed slightly.
A technique…
At the peak of conventional ninjutsu.
Hiruzen had reached the limit.
The impact—
Then—
A second explosion.
The armor shattered again.
Then—
Hiruzen attacked again.
A second Five Elements Great Barrage.
Before the Susanoo could recover—
Another explosion.
"Tsunade!"
She moved instantly.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal burst open.
Chakra surged—
Muscles enhanced.
She launched herself like a cannon.
Through the smoke—
She saw it.
The armor gone.
The flesh torn open.
Only bone remained.
And inside—
Madara.
Her fist struck.
Crack.
The ribs shattered.
She felt danger—
But didn't stop.
A second strike—
Crushing further—
Then—
She pushed off.
Making space.
Sakumo appeared.
This time—
No lightning blade.
All chakra—
Condensed onto the White Fang.
A blazing white strike—
A comet.
His strongest attack.
White Fang Thrust.
The blade pierced through the broken ribs—
Melting through Susanoo chakra like hot steel through butter.
Madara's expression changed.
He moved.
The Uchiha Gunbai appeared—
Blocking.
Sakumo's eyes sharpened.
The Gunbai—
A legendary weapon.
Could it reflect even this?
For a brief instant—
He saw something.
A rooftop.
A memory.
Konoha—
Burning.
This was it.
There would be no second chance.
His right hand released—
He switched mid-strike.
The blade shifted—
Sliding past the Gunbai's curved edge—
Aiming directly at Madara.
The air distorted.
Wind roared.
Madara's hair flew back—
His Sharingan fully revealed.
The Gunbai slammed into Sakumo's chest.
The force—
Crushed him.
But—
The blade—
Drove into Madara's chest.