--------------------------------------------------
"Calm down! Don't hurt my granddaughter!" Hashirama shouted, his face drawn tight.
Moments earlier, he had sensed a powerful chakra appear inside Konoha. Before he could investigate, the mysterious masked man broke into the Senju estate and seized Tsunade.
Their brief clash had taught Hashirama one thing: he couldn't touch this man. Every attack passed through him, and with Tsunade held hostage, Hashirama had no room to act.
"Heh… The mighty God of Shinobi, rendered helpless by a threat against his own family. That must be hard to swallow." Tobi chuckled and raised the kunai until its point hovered beside Tsunade's cheek.
"Waaah! Waaah!"
The icy tension and flash of steel frightened the swaddled infant. Tsunade burst into tears, her cries twisting Hashirama's heart.
"Stop! Don't touch her! Whatever you want, take it up with me! My granddaughter is only a baby. She's innocent!" Hashirama clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot.
"Innocent? If your granddaughter is innocent, what about the babies in other countries who were killed or driven from their homes by the war Konoha started? Were they somehow guilty?" The mockery vanished from Tobi's voice.
Hashirama went rigid, and the pressure gathering around him wavered. Beside him, Mito froze as well. She looked at the crying Tsunade, unable to hide the guilt weighing on her face.
There was no denying the truth. Konoha had started this war.
The fighting had spread to the Land of Earth's border, shattering countless civilian families. Parents lost children, husbands and wives were torn apart, and thousands fled their homes with nowhere to go.
Konoha had imposed strict discipline on its forces and forbidden its shinobi from harming civilians. Once a war began, however, fatal mistakes could never be prevented entirely. Innocent children had still become casualties.
(Note: In the anime, Nagato's parents were accidentally killed by Konoha shinobi.)
"You're right. This is Konoha's fault, and mine. Let my granddaughter go. Whatever grievance you have, settle it with me. Don't drag a defenseless child into this." Hashirama's voice came out rough, stripped of its usual confidence.
Tobi glanced down at Tsunade, who could barely catch her breath between sobs, and gave a cold smile. He had never intended to harm her.
Taking the infant hostage was only a way to keep Hashirama trapped here and stop him from interfering with the chaos outside.
Hashirama stared at the masked man, weighing the disaster unfolding across Konoha against his granddaughter's life. Chakra gathered at his fingertips as he prepared to create a Wood Clone without making a sound.
The clone could handle the crisis outside while his real body stayed behind and waited for a chance to rescue Tsunade.
"Don't bother. Forget about making a Wood Clone. My sensory abilities are far sharper than you think, and I'll notice anything you try." Tobi exposed Hashirama's plan before the technique could begin.
"What do you want? What are you trying to accomplish?" Hashirama demanded through clenched teeth.
"My goal is simple. Konoha will know pain!" Tobi raised his head, a bone-chilling gaze staring through the eyehole of his mask.
"..." Hashirama's pupils contracted.
——————————
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Across Konoha, Kurama stalked through the streets, tearing down utility poles and smashing vacant buildings. Whenever the village's shinobi attacked, he swept their ninjutsu aside with a casual slap.
The defense against Kurama was being led by Uchiha Hikaku.
"Captain! Can you control that thing with your Sharingan?" one of the Uchiha shinobi asked, staring up at Kurama.
"It's too powerful. Even Clan Head Madara might not be able to control it. This is a legendary divine beast!" Hikaku shook his head, his face taut with strain.
"Then what are we supposed to do? Hokage Madara, Advisor Tobirama, and Lord Izuna are all away!"
"Damn it! Where is the Second Hokage? Evacuate the civilians and protect them at all costs!" Hikaku barked, making the only choice left to him.
——————————
Elsewhere, explosions pounded the night around Ichiraku Ramen. The building shuddered so violently that Kakuzu bolted awake.
"HOLY SHIT! A DIVINE BEAST!" Kakuzu stared in horror at the enormous Nine-Tails towering over Konoha.
He sprinted to Manji's room and threw open the door, only to find the old man fast asleep. Manji's snores nearly drowned out the explosions outside.
"Unbelievable. How can anyone sleep through this?" Kakuzu stood there, caught between disbelief and exasperation.
A legendary divine beast was attacking Konoha, yet the old man slept as though nothing were happening. Manji was in a league of his own.
All Kakuzu knew was that Manji had once been Konoha's First Hokage and possessed a mysterious past. He had no idea the old man was the true Sage of Six Paths.
"Old Man! Old Man! We've got trouble! A divine beast has appeared in Konoha and is tearing the village apart. We have to get out of here!" Kakuzu grabbed Manji and shook him awake.
"Why are you panicking? I'm staying right here. Let's see whether it even tries to attack this place." Manji cracked open his eyes, rolled over, and turned his back to Kakuzu.
"Old Man, that's a divine beast! The legendary pet of the Sage of Six Paths! We're no match for that thing!" Kakuzu bent closer, his voice growing more urgent.
"We'll be fine. Go back to sleep. If you die, I'll bring you back." Manji closed his eyes again.
Kakuzu's face twisted.
'If I'm already dead, how the hell are you supposed to bring me back?'
The old man had to be half asleep, spouting whatever nonsense drifted through his dreams.
Bro really thought he was the Sage of Six Paths.
"Old Man, forgive me. For both our sakes, we're leaving!" Kakuzu swept every coin in the shop into a bag and slung it over one shoulder.
He then hoisted Manji over the other shoulder and fled Ichiraku Ramen with both his boss and the money.
Dangling over Kakuzu's shoulder, Manji struggled to keep his expression under control.
——————————
Hashirama kept his eyes fixed on the masked man.
'This can't go on. I have no choice… Tsunade, Grandpa is sorry. Too many lives are resting on my shoulders.'
Hashirama closed his eyes and made his decision.
"All right, that should do it. Hashirama Senju, until next time!" Tobi shrugged, satisfied that Kurama's display had caused enough panic.
He hurled Tsunade into the air and began sinking into the floor.
Hashirama reacted at once.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique!" Hashirama's true body lunged toward Tsunade while a wooden duplicate formed beside him and drove its heel down at Tobi.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
Smoke erupted through the room, but Tobi had already vanished without a trace.
Hashirama caught Tsunade and wasted no time. He raced out of the estate, heading straight for Kurama.
——————————
~ Every 200 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)