The Konoha ninja withdrew from the streets, leaving behind a shattered battlefield. Jiraiya had already escaped using the Reverse Summoning Technique.
Now, only two figures remained.
Ryūjin Uchiha and the Kurama stood facing each other from a distance.
This time, Kurama did not charge forward recklessly.
Instead, it stopped, its massive form steady as it opened its mouth. Chakra gathered rapidly, condensing into a dense, dark sphere.
A Tailed Beast Ball formed.
"Oh no… it's a Tailed Beast Ball!"
The Uchiha Clan members watching from afar tensed immediately.
No matter how powerful Ryūjin was, that attack was on a completely different level.
Two years ago, Kurama had been controlled the entire time. There had been no real fight between them.
No one could say for certain if Ryūjin could withstand this.
Unless he used Susanoo.
But whether he even had access to it… no one knew.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Ball shot forward.
The air itself seemed to compress under its pressure. Even the ninja hiding at a distance felt suffocated.
That attack alone carried enough power to wipe out half the village.
Sweat formed on countless foreheads as all eyes locked onto Ryūjin.
Then, his eyes shifted.
The Sharingan spun.
"Kamui."
Space twisted.
A ripple appeared directly in front of the incoming attack.
The distortion intensified, pulling inward.
And just like that, the Tailed Beast Ball vanished.
Completely.
"...What?"
Shock spread instantly.
That attack had not exploded, had not been blocked.
It had simply disappeared.
The Uchiha clan members were just as stunned.
So it could be handled like this, without even relying on Susanoo.
"...Space-time dōjutsu."
Kurama's expression darkened.
"He sent it somewhere else… damn Uchiha."
Its strongest attack had been neutralized effortlessly.
That alone told it everything.
"You're the Nine-Tails, right?"
Ryūjin looked up, unimpressed.
"That thing was supposed to hurt me?"
Silence.
Fugaku Uchiha said nothing.
Ibiki Morino said nothing.
No one did.
The sheer arrogance of that statement hit harder than the attack itself.
Kurama trembled with anger.
"Damn Uchiha!"
Boom, boom, boom!
It charged again, each step shaking the ground.
This time, Ryūjin didn't move immediately.
Power gathered in his eyes.
A vast blue chakra surged outward, violent and overwhelming.
The pressure alone made breathing difficult for everyone watching.
"This…"
"No way…"
Recognition spread.
Fear followed.
A skeletal frame appeared.
Then flesh.
Armor.
Forming piece by piece.
A towering blue giant emerged.
Over a hundred meters tall, wearing a tengu mask, clad in heavy armor, with a blade in each hand.
The Susanoo.
It stood there, unmoving, yet its presence crushed everything around it.
Against something like this, resistance felt meaningless.
Even Kurama hesitated.
Too late.
The Susanoo moved.
It lifted its foot and brought it down.
Boom!
Kurama was slammed into the ground.
"Awooo!"
The Nine-Tails struggled beneath the pressure, claws digging into the earth, tails thrashing.
It tried to push itself free.
It failed.
Ryūjin lifted the foot.
Kurama barely got up.
Then the fist came down.
Boom!
It was sent rolling like a ragdoll.
Before it could recover, a blade followed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Strike after strike.
No technique.
No finesse.
Just overwhelming force.
Kurama was completely overpowered.
The battlefield fell silent again.
"That's the Nine-Tails…"
"And it's being beaten like this…"
"What kind of monster is he…"
Despair spread among the Konoha ninja.
This was no longer a fight.
It was domination.
Boom!
Another blow landed.
Kurama's movements slowed.
Then stopped.
The massive form collapsed.
The tailed beast state broke apart, chakra dispersing as it returned to its host.
Kushina Uzumaki stood there, staring up at the towering Susanoo.
Her mind was blank.
There was nothing she could do.
Nothing Konoha could do.
The Susanoo faded.
Ryūjin descended slowly, landing in front of her.
Step by step, he approached.
The watching ninja tensed.
Was this the end for Kushina as well?
If she fell, Konoha would truly collapse.
Ryūjin stopped in front of her.
"You're lucky. I'm not killing you today."
The words stunned everyone.
He could have ended it.
Easily.
But he didn't.
Ryūjin wasn't reckless.
His chakra reserves, while supported by Sage Mode and the tailed beasts within him, still had limits.
And more importantly, sealing Kurama himself was not an option.
He didn't have the body for it.
Letting Kushina remain as the jinchūriki was the better choice.
Still, that didn't mean she would walk away freely.
His eyes changed.
The Kotoamatsukami activated.
A silent command was planted deep within her mind.
"From now on, you follow my orders."
Kushina's expression froze for a brief moment.
Then returned to normal.
Everything was already decided.
Ryūjin turned away.
No hesitation.
No interest in staying.
He began to walk off, unhurried, as if taking a casual stroll.
No one moved.
No one dared.
The sound of his footsteps echoed softly through the ruined street.
Each step felt heavy.
Like it was pressing directly on their chests.
Only after his figure disappeared completely did the tension break.
A collective breath escaped.
Many realized their backs were soaked in cold sweat.
The night air felt freezing.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ibiki Morino and several jōnin rushed to Kushina's side.
"Lady Kushina, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
She answered simply, then disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Return to the compound."
Fugaku gave the order.
The Uchiha clan withdrew quickly.
They had more than enough to process.
Soon, only destruction remained.
And the shaken Konoha ninja.
The situation was beyond bad.
The Hokage was dead.
Root's leader was dead.
ANBU was nearly wiped out.
Multiple clan heads had fallen.
Konoha's leadership had been crushed in a single night.
Only Kushina remained with any standing.
And even that raised questions.
Why had Ryūjin spared her?
No one could ignore that.
"We stabilize the village first."
Hizashi Hyuga stepped forward.
With Hiashi Hyuga gone, he had no choice but to take responsibility.
Other clan representatives followed.
A quick meeting was held.
Decisions were made.
Clean up the battlefield.
Reassure the civilians.
And most importantly, suppress the news.
If word spread, other villages would act immediately.
Konoha would not survive that.
Orders were given.
Chūnin dispersed to carry them out.
Meanwhile, key figures including Hizashi, members of the Ino–Shika–Chō, and Ibiki gathered at the Hyūga compound.
Their expressions were heavy.
This was the worst crisis Konoha had faced since its founding.
On the other side of the village, the atmosphere was completely different.
At the Uchiha compound, excitement filled the air.
The clan plaza was packed.
Every face carried shock, admiration, and something close to obsession.
"I didn't expect Ryūjin to be this insane."
"He wiped out Konoha's top fighters alone."
"Even the Nine-Tails got beaten down like nothing."
"He stayed quiet all this time, and now this…"
"With him here, what do we even have to fear?"
Some even laughed.
Others compared.
"Maybe only Hashirama Senju could match him."
"And even that's a maybe."
For the Uchiha clan, this night meant one thing.
Everything had changed.