"…It's too much… the gap is too great. Can we really defeat something like that?"
Watching his comrades fall one after another while he stood there powerless to stop it, a Mist shinobi muttered in a daze.
Fear had already begun to spread through his heart.
And he wasn't alone.
Countless others shared the same thought, even if none of them dared to voice it aloud.
Most of them had heard of Tailed Beasts before—some had even seen them with their own eyes.
But never…
Never had they witnessed a Tailed Beast like this.
A fully humanoid manifestation.
They had no understanding of what such a form was capable of—no way to measure its limits.
But now, they were learning.
The hard way.
This towering entity didn't just possess overwhelming, unreachable strength—it moved with terrifying agility as well.
At first, they had assumed that such a massive body would inevitably come with limitations. That even if it was powerful, it couldn't possibly be fast enough to dominate the battlefield so completely.
They were wrong.
Completely wrong.
With its fully humanoid form, the Nine-Tails moved with speed that bordered on despair itself, its strides explosive and relentless.
The slaughter continued without pause.
No one could stop it.
...
High above, standing atop the Nine-Tails' head, Natsuhiko watched as Mist shinobi fell one after another beneath his power, and a faint sense of reflection stirred within him.
Especially when he saw those who, despite their shattered morale, still forced themselves forward step by step, charging toward him without hesitation…
He couldn't help but shake his head softly.
Tailed Beasts were war machines.
That much was undeniable.
And Susanoo… was an even more terrifying war machine—something Madara Uchiha himself had proven through sheer destruction.
Natsuhiko might not be capable of recreating the full-scale catastrophe of a true Tailed Beast rampage…
But he could do something else.
He could reshape the Tailed Beast into the form of Susanoo.
And when two such "war machines" overlapped—
The resulting power of destruction became something even more horrifying.
"Little guy… when will I be able to fully master this power?"
As he continued to control the massive Nine-Tails, sweeping through the battlefield and crushing the Mist forces, Natsuhiko couldn't help but ask inwardly.
"This kind of strength is incredible. I don't want to be limited to just a few minutes of fighting like this."
"That's not something I can fix right now," the young Nine-Tails replied, its voice tinged with fatigue, though it still carried a steady firmness.
"The power I absorbed has helped me grow, but it doesn't fully align with my nature. If it were just chakra, that would be one thing—but mixed within it is an enormous amount of natural energy."
"That makes it difficult for me to completely control it. After all… I'm not like you."
"I see…"
Natsuhiko let out a quiet sigh.
"Then I suppose I'll just have to wait for you to grow stronger."
Even so, his mindset remained steady.
After all, he had already experienced the second stage of the Nine-Tails' chakra mode—something he had only just unlocked.
And beyond that, his arsenal was becoming more and more complete. There was no need for him to rely entirely on a single ability anymore.
Under the identity of Senju Natsuhiko, he possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, mastery over Sage Mode—soon to evolve into an even higher level—and, of course, Wood Release.
From one-on-one combat to large-scale battles, that identity was already versatile and well-rounded.
The only drawback was that its raw power still fell slightly short, requiring more strategy and calculation in battle.
But this identity…
From relying solely on taijutsu in the beginning, to gaining control over the scale of Tailed Beast Bombs, and now to wielding a full Tailed Beast form—
It had grown into something equally comprehensive.
Even without entering the Tailed Beast state, he still had a kekkei tōta as his final trump card.
In terms of pure destructive force, this persona required no overthinking in combat.
He could simply crush his enemies head-on.
Just like now.
And as he continued to fight, Natsuhiko found his thoughts becoming clearer than ever—
About how he would one day separate these two identities completely.
For Natsuhiko, having his true identity be slightly weaker might not even be a bad thing.
But "slightly weaker" didn't mean stagnant. What he wanted was for both of his identities to stand at the very peak—untouchable, looking down from above the clouds.
"Still, I shouldn't use the name Aizen for this persona—the personalities are too different."
The thought flickered through his mind as he continued fighting.
At first, he had considered using "Gintoki," but once he changed his hair color to black, he quickly abandoned that idea. Later, he thought about using "Aizen," but without the signature slicked-back hair—and more importantly, without the same calculating, composed demeanor—it simply didn't feel right.
But soon enough, another figure came to mind.
Someone who ruled over a world of souls, a man who had nearly elevated himself to something akin to a god.
Natsuhiko had already borrowed that man's catchphrases more than once—using his name now wouldn't make much of a difference.
"…Though for now, I should deal with what's in front of me. The second stage of the Nine-Tails' chakra mode won't last much longer."
Sensing the Nine-Tails' current condition, Natsuhiko knew he had to accelerate things.
Controlling the massive fox, he drove its fist down into the ground with brutal force. The earth trembled violently, the shockwave rippling outward as countless shinobi lost their footing and crashed to the ground.
Some of the more unfortunate ones tumbled straight into the deep craters Natsuhiko had created earlier.
Seizing the moment, he leapt backward. As the colossal body of the Nine-Tails landed heavily upon the ground, Natsuhiko raised his right hand.
Once again, black chakra began to gather—condensing rapidly into a sphere that radiated despair and destruction.
Under the amplification of the second stage, that power surged to an entirely new level.
In the span of a heartbeat, a massive Tailed Beast Bomb formed in his palm.
"Get away!"
The moment the Mist shinobi saw what he was doing, a wave of panic spread through their ranks.
Those who had already witnessed a Tailed Beast Bomb clash reacted the fastest, fleeing with everything they had.
Even Genji's expression changed sharply as he moved without hesitation, refusing to remain where he stood.
Yet even as he retreated, his eyes remained fixed on the black sphere, tracking its trajectory—
trying to determine its target.
"…Damn it!"
In the next instant, realization struck him, and his face twisted with alarm.
"That bastard… his target is the Mizukage Building!"
At Genji's shout, the rest of the Mist shinobi finally understood.
But it was already too late.
The Tailed Beast Bomb had fully formed.
"Ninjutsu: Tailed Beast Bomb!"
With a surge of chakra, Natsuhiko unleashed it.
The pitch-black sphere tore through the air like a force of annihilation itself, smashing through everything in its path.
Whether it was human or structure, anything that came into contact with it was instantly obliterated—ground into nothingness by the sheer density of compressed chakra.
A suffocating aura of death descended over the battlefield.
And yet, there was nothing they could do.
They could only watch—
watch as that massive, devouring sphere carved a path of destruction, sweeping aside all obstacles as it hurtled forward…
toward the towering structure shrouded in mist in the distance.
The Mizukage Building.
The very symbol of authority within the Hidden Mist Village.
Their pillar.
Their pride.
—
Elsewhere in the village, ordinary residents and lower-ranked shinobi remained inside their homes, not daring to approach the battlefield.
Confusion lingered in their hearts. No one understood what was happening—how such chaos could erupt within the village itself.
A few, however, those with better access to information…
already knew.
Tonight, one clan within the Hidden Mist Village…
was likely to vanish completely.
At the same time, within the village, many couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Things had become far too chaotic. The atmosphere itself felt suffocating, heavy with unease.
And yet, beneath that unease, there was also confusion.
Could it be that the Kaguya Clan still had some hidden trump card?
After all, the battle had gone on for quite some time already. Earlier, there had even been that terrifying flash of light—so brilliant it had turned night into day—followed by violent tremors that left everyone deeply unsettled.
Even so, whether they were ordinary villagers or shinobi, most managed to steady themselves.
No matter what was happening outside, they believed their village would handle it. So many ninja had already rushed to the scene—surely, that would be enough.
"…Huh? What is that?"
But reality soon began to exceed their expectations.
In the distance, through the mist, a massive golden figure became faintly visible—and at that sight, an inexplicable dread began to creep into their hearts.
The ground continued to tremble, and even from this far away, the suffocating aura of chakra drifted toward them, pressing down on their chests.
They didn't know what was happening.
But they knew one thing.
This was no ordinary situation.
"…It should be fine, right?"
"Trust the village. They'll handle it."
"But… why is there fighting inside the village at all? What's going on?"
Countless questions filled their minds, unease spreading like a slow poison.
"Damn it—what is that?!"
Suddenly, some of the shinobi standing in the streets spotted it—
A black sphere, tearing through the air straight toward them.
It carried with it an unmistakable aura of death and destruction, as though it sought to devour everything in its path.
The sphere smashed through everything before it—houses, trees—reduced to nothing more than illusions in its wake.
The shinobi froze.
Stunned.
Unable to react.
As for the civilians, they could only stare blankly, unable to comprehend what was happening.
It wasn't until the black sphere roared past them and slammed directly toward the towering Mizukage Building that understanding finally dawned—
But by then…
It was far too late.
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion tore through the heavens.
Once again, the pitch-black night was swallowed by blinding daylight.
For a few fleeting seconds, that unnatural brightness lingered—before it gave way to a violent surge of orange and black flames. In that instant, it felt as though the entire world had fallen silent.
Then came the light.
Blazing.
Scorching.
Unstoppable.
A wave of pure destruction radiated outward, devouring everything it touched.
Under that overwhelming brilliance, all things were erased.
The towering Mizukage Building vanished in an instant—reduced to nothing.
The shinobi caught nearby met the same fate, their bodies obliterated before they could even comprehend their end.
And still, the light continued to expand.
Relentless.
Consuming.
Destroying everything in its path.
From afar, Genji watched the scene unfold.
Rage surged within him—but alongside it came a deep, aching sorrow.
The Hidden Mist Village… had been humiliated.
Its pride trampled.
Its dignity crushed beneath the will of a single man.
That man had, with his own power, erased the very symbol of their authority—their spiritual pillar—without leaving even a trace behind.
And Genji was not alone.
The shinobi of the Hidden Mist felt the same.
Confusion.
Grief.
Helplessness.
Despair.
The power they had just witnessed had surpassed everything they thought possible—it had shattered not only their defenses, but the very foundation of their beliefs.
Yet from within that despair, something else began to rise.
A deeper, darker emotion.
Hatred.
It surged through them, stronger than before, burning away their hesitation.
One by one, they turned back toward Natsuhiko, their gazes filled with fury so intense it felt almost tangible—as if they could tear him apart with their eyes alone.
"Do you have any idea… what you've done?"
Genji's low voice slowly echoed through the ruins, his entire body already surging with chakra.
"Do you understand… how much destruction you've caused with this? How many innocent lives will be affected because of what you've done?"
"Innocent?"
Natsuhiko casually flicked his hand, glancing indifferently toward Genji in the distance before letting out a faint, mocking smile.
"If we're going to talk about innocence, then your side might be far more ruthless than I am."
"Tell me—what happened to the Land of Waves back then? And the Land of Whirlpools?"
"Go on. Explain that to me."
The Land of Waves—where Naruto and his team had first encountered Zabuza—had once been a strategically important nation, only to be ravaged by the Hidden Mist's interference.
As for the Land of Whirlpools, there was even less need for explanation. During the Third Great Ninja War, Natsuhiko had personally visited its ruins. He had seen with his own eyes what remained of that place.
And the current tragedy of the Uzumaki Clan—aside from Konoha's failure to provide aid—was also deeply tied to the actions of the Hidden Mist.
Of course, Natsuhiko had no obligation to avenge the Land of Whirlpools.
But at the same time, he didn't particularly care about the destruction he himself caused either.
Because, strictly speaking…
They were already in a state of war.
"In war, people die," Genji said coldly, gripping his staff tightly as he shouted.
But the moment the words left his mouth, he froze—realizing instantly that he had said the wrong thing.
Without giving Natsuhiko another chance to respond, he raised his staff high and bellowed:
"Shinobi of the Hidden Mist! We have reached the point of survival or extinction! Feel the hatred in your hearts—and unleash it all!"
"YES!!"
A unified roar erupted from every Mist shinobi present.
Their aura grew even more terrifying than before, their voices louder, sharper, more ferocious.
Hatred—without question—was a powerful catalyst.
Whenever hidden villages went to war, they often relied on hatred to ignite morale. It was the simplest method… and also the most effective.
And right now, the Mist shinobi truly did resemble a wounded army pushed to the brink. Their grief and despair were being transformed into something far more dangerous—raw, explosive power.
"Go back immediately," Genji ordered, grabbing a nearby shinobi as soon as he finished rallying the troops. "The earlier explosion will have alerted others. Get everyone into the underground shelters. Now!"
"Yes, Elder!"
The jonin immediately turned and sprinted toward the center of the village.
At that moment—
A roar tore through the battlefield.
The long-unstable Yagura finally moved.
His body erupted with violent chakra, and in the next instant, a massive cloud of smoke exploded outward, engulfing everything—friend and foe alike.
Within that thick haze, everyone could clearly sense it.
A monster had arrived.
"The Three-Tails!"
"It's the Fourth Mizukage! He's finally here!"
"You're not leaving this village alive, you bastard!"
As chakra surged outward like a tidal wave, the Mist shinobi could no longer suppress their emotions.
A Tailed Beast had to be answered with a Tailed Beast.
They believed that once Yagura fully completed his transformation—and combined with their support and interference—
they could bring down this invader who had dared to attack the Hidden Mist Village.
But what they didn't know was that…
Behind that fox mask, Natsuhiko was smiling.
To be honest, Obito was far slower than he had expected.
It had taken him this long just to complete the transformation.
It almost made Natsuhiko suspect that the bastard wanted him to kill more Mist ninja, which was why he took his sweet time.
But Natsuhiko didn't care. At least for now, his goal was achieved.
As the smoke gradually dispersed, he tilted his head slightly, observing the colossal figure of the Three-Tails before him.
Even lying low to the ground, the Three-Tails' height was comparable to the Nine-Tails Natsuhiko had manifested while standing. It was easy to imagine just how massive its full body truly was.
But sheer size alone meant little.
When judged by chakra quality, this Three-Tails was clearly not on the same level as Natsuhiko's current form. It was still being suppressed—its chakra conversion rate, under Obito's forced control, likely didn't even reach fifty percent.
In Natsuhiko's memory, the only jinchūriki capable of achieving near-complete chakra conversion in a Tailed Beast state was Killer Bee.
"So you've fully transformed, huh?"
Natsuhiko's calm voice drifted out, still composed as ever—but this time, a faint trace of amusement had crept into it.
"But why does your chakra feel so… off?"
In the next instant, his body moved.
The ten-meter-tall Nine-Tails surged forward in a blur, appearing directly in front of the Three-Tails in an instant. Without hesitation, Natsuhiko drove a massive golden fist straight toward its head.
The punch tore through the air with a sonic boom, kicking up a violent gust that swept across the battlefield.
BOOM!
The impact landed with a heavy, thunderous sound.
A visible shockwave rippled outward from the point of contact, scattering the air itself.
The Three-Tails let out a roar as its massive body was forced back several steps, scraping across the ground.
But it refused to yield.
Even after taking a direct hit to the head, it immediately retaliated. Under Obito's control, the beast swung its enormous tail in a brutal counterattack.
A devastating gale erupted, blasting the already disoriented Mist shinobi away like leaves in a storm.
Natsuhiko reacted instantly.
Before the wind even reached him, he had already leapt backward, evading the attack cleanly. Not because he feared it—but simply because there was no need to take unnecessary damage.
The Three-Tails' strike missed, but it showed no hesitation. As if it had already anticipated the outcome, it stabilized its body mid-motion and, taking advantage of Natsuhiko's retreat, opened its jaws wide.
Another Tailed Beast Bomb.
Obito clearly had no intention of holding back, even within the confines of the Hidden Mist Village.
Natsuhiko, as an outsider—and, in truth, an enemy of the Mist to begin with—could be understood for fighting so ruthlessly.
But Obito was in a completely different position.
At this point, it was clear the Hidden Mist had pushed him into a state of utter disregard.
Vwoom!
The massive Tailed Beast Bomb surged forward from the Three-Tails' mouth, its formation significantly faster than before.
Natsuhiko responded in kind.
He raised his hand again, chakra converging instantly within his palm. In the blink of an eye, a black sphere of destructive energy took shape.
A Tailed Beast Bomb of his own.
However, this time, he frowned slightly.
He could feel it—his Nine-Tails chakra mode was beginning to slow.
"…Am I reaching my limit?"
The thought surfaced quietly in his mind, carrying a faint sense of disappointment.
The second stage of the Nine-Tails chakra mode had far exceeded his expectations. Just the ability to manifest a colossal Nine-Tails alone was enough to solve countless problems.
But unfortunately, this state could not be maintained indefinitely.
At least not yet.
Not for him.
"I'm disappointed too, but there's nothing that can be done about it," the small Nine-Tails' voice echoed within Natsuhiko's mind.
"It took me months just to gather and condense this much chakra, and you burned through it in a matter of minutes. Honestly, I think you should be the one complaining less."
"I'm not complaining," Natsuhiko replied inwardly with a trace of helplessness. "Just… regretting it."
He was simply a bit frustrated.
It was like reaching the peak of satisfaction, only to suddenly realize it was already over—and far from enough. That feeling was truly unpleasant.
"Once my power becomes more complete, maybe you won't feel so frustrated anymore," the Nine-Tails added matter-of-factly. It clearly didn't grasp any deeper meaning behind Natsuhiko's words.
"Anyway, that Tailed Beast Bomb is coming. From here on, you'll have to stay in the first stage to handle things."
Natsuhiko didn't respond.
He simply raised his hand and calmly released the Tailed Beast Bomb he had already formed.
He didn't care in the slightest how much destruction this would bring to the Hidden Mist Village. If Obito wanted to play this game, then he would gladly play along to the end.
"Run! Get out of here!"
"Earth-Release users—form defensive barriers together!"
"We cannot let this explosion spread into the village!"
Having already learned from the previous clashes, the Mist shinobi reacted immediately the moment they saw the black sphere appear again. They scattered in all directions while rapidly regrouping, combining their efforts to erect the strongest possible defensive earth-release formations to block the path toward the village center.
And the moment the two Tailed Beast Bombs collided once more—
The impact was beyond anything before it.
Natsuhiko was forced back several steps, quickly gathering chakra to shield himself from the aftermath. The defensive power of the second-stage Nine-Tails chakra mode was still formidable—even in its exhausted state, it managed to withstand the shockwave.
BOOM—! BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
A deafening explosion erupted once again along the outskirts of the Hidden Mist Village. The entire ground trembled violently, the shockwaves so powerful that even regions outside the village could feel them.
In a nearby town closest to the Mist Village, residents could clearly sense the repeated tremors, though the intensity had already weakened considerably by the time it reached them.
"What's going on? It's shaken several times tonight… this one was the worst."
"Not sure… I hope it's just an earthquake."
The stationed shinobi exchanged uneasy glances. They couldn't understand what was happening, but instinct told them something was terribly wrong.
Meanwhile, those who had already been evacuated—whether shinobi or civilians—had been forced into underground shelters following the destruction of the Mizukage Building and Genji's earlier warning. Now, feeling yet another wave of suffocating tremors wash over them, they could do nothing but cling to one another in fear.
In situations like this, few could remain composed.
...
Within the ruins, Natsuhiko stood quietly amid the devastation.
The flowing chakra cloak that had once covered him had vanished, replaced once again by his tight-fitting golden form. Yet his body remained completely unharmed.
Everything around him, however, was a different story.
After the rampage of the Tailed Beast Bombs, only ruin remained.
The earth was shattered and uneven, the terrain completely warped. Shinobi lay scattered across the ground—some barely alive, others already reduced to mangled remains, and many whose bodies could no longer even be found.
Their defensive jutsu had been useless in the face of such close-range annihilation.
At this point, only about thirty to forty percent of the forces remained alive.
Genji sat motionless on the ground, staring at the scene in front of him, his expression filled with grief and anguish.
Such catastrophic losses, even during a full-scale ninja war, were rare.
And yet tonight…
It had happened before his very eyes.
Although the path leading toward the village's central district had not been severely damaged—and the more distant center of the village remained largely intact—this fact brought Genji no comfort whatsoever. Every bit of this survival had been purchased with the lives of shinobi.
It was a price far too heavy.
"…Is this the power of a god?"
Turning his head, Genji could not help but murmur as his gaze fell upon the golden figure still standing amidst the ruins.
The power of Tailed Beasts had always been beyond human comprehension—treated as strategic weapons capable of altering the balance of entire nations.
But to see that kind of weapon fully mastered by a single individual… to the point where every weakness had been erased…
Such power no longer felt like something human beings should possess.
It felt… divine.
And that realization only deepened the despair in Genji's heart. He had no idea what this man's true objective was, but he understood one thing clearly—if this continued, the Hidden Mist Village would truly be finished.
BOOM!
Just as despair reached its peak, the earth began to tremble violently once again.
Thick smoke was torn apart as a massive, wheel-like shape shot straight toward Natsuhiko.
Without hesitation, Natsuhiko leapt into the air.
He recognized it instantly—this was a suicide technique from the Three-Tails.
But its agility exceeded even his expectations. The enormous body twisted mid-motion, adjusting its trajectory with unnatural precision as it continued to pursue him relentlessly.
"Tch… troublesome. Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
His speed was high, his movement precise—but the Three-Tails made up for it with overwhelming mass and absurd momentum. One full roll from it equaled several of his instantaneous movements. Pure evasion alone would not be sustainable.
More importantly, Natsuhiko was beginning to lose patience with this battlefield.
He had no intention of wasting any more time here. He still needed to find Obito.
Wasting chakra here would be nothing but a loss.
Taking a slow breath, he stood behind the massive earthen wall he had erected, then calmly drew his ninja blade.
Chakra surged violently within his body.
The three distinct chakra forces within him began to resonate in unison, amplified further by the Nine-Tails' power until they entered a violent state of synchronization.
He formed a single hand seal.
A shadow clone appeared beside him.
The clone glanced at him once, then gave a silent nod before vanishing without hesitation.
BOOM!
The earthen wall was instantly shattered by the Three-Tails' impact, and its massive form once again came into view.
Only then did Natsuhiko notice the condition of the beast—it was already heavily injured, its body covered in wounds. But for a Tailed Beast, such damage was hardly fatal. The real problem was likely the jinchūriki inside.
The Three-Tails locked eyes with him briefly, then curled its body once more, shielding itself with its enormous, armored shell.
And once again, it charged—rolling forward like an unstoppable wheel, intent on crushing everything in its path.
This time, Natsuhiko did not retreat.
His blade now radiated a fusion of gold and white light.
Behind him, the faint silhouette of a silver-haired woman emerged—proud, distant, and utterly cold.
In that instant, petals of cherry blossoms seemed to drift across his blade.
The Three-Tails hesitated for the briefest moment.
For an instant, even Natsuhiko sensed something akin to fear radiating from within its chakra.
But it had no choice.
It was completely under Obito's control.
With a roar of desperation, it forced itself forward, accelerating into a full-power charge.
"Ninjutsu: Konohanasakuya-hime!"
Natsuhiko's voice was calm, detached.
His blade swept downward.
A silver, invisible slash tore through the air, carving through the earth as it surged toward the Three-Tails.
The ground split apart, a massive fissure forming silently in front of him as the blade's force advanced.
When that brilliant fusion of white and gold collided with the Three-Tails' colossal body—
The world lost all color.
Genji and the remaining Mist shinobi stared blankly at the scene before them, utterly frozen.
In that moment, they finally understood with absolute certainty.
"This… is the power of a god."