Chapter 56: The Nine-Tails Breaks Free

As Akira reached the gates of the Uchiha clan compound, he met up with Fugaku and several other clan members. Together, they sprinted toward the place where the Nine-Tails had appeared.

Fugaku's face was grim, this was the worst-case scenario for the Uchiha clan. He had warned the village council, fully expecting them to keep the Jinchūriki under the strictest protection. But things hadn't turned out as he had hoped.

Just as the group neared the Nine-Tails' location, only about a kilometer away, three masked ANBU members appeared in front of them, blocking their path. The leader of the group spoke up,

"The Hokage has ordered that the Uchiha are to protect non-combatants during the evacuation. You are not permitted to engage on the battlefield."

At these words, the Uchiha turned to Fugaku, their gazes seeking direction. Before he could respond, Akira stepped forward, his crimson Sharingan spinning as he glared at the three ANBU. Without giving them a chance to react, Akira unleashed his Sharingan's full power.

Within seconds, the three ANBU fell under his genjutsu, their expressions blank.

Fugaku opened his mouth to say something but closed it, seeing the situation was under control. Akira demanded, "Who sent you?"

"Lord Danzo," one of them replied, his voice hollow and mechanical.

"So, you're passing off Danzo's orders as the Hokage's?" Akira pressed.

"It was an agreement between Lord Danzo and the Third Hokage," the lead ANBU responded, still under the genjutsu's influence. "The Uchiha were assigned to protect the non-combatants."

The Uchiha around them bristled with outrage, this assignment was a blatant insult to their clan.

"Falsifying the Hokage's orders—take them away!" Akira ordered, looking at Uchiha Tekka. "Tekka, keep an eye on them. The rest of us head for the battlefield."

"Let's go!" Fugaku shouted, leading the charge toward the battlefield.

Without hesitation, the Uchiha followed Fugaku and Akira, racing toward the site of the Nine-Tails' rampage.

Soon, they arrived at the heart of the chaos. Hiruzen was there, leading a group of Konoha's elite jonin in a fierce struggle against the Nine-Tails.

"Where's Obito? Did Minato take him away?" Akira scanned the battlefield with his Sharingan, but he saw only the Nine-Tails and Nagato.

The Konoha shinobi were relentlessly attacking the Nine-Tails, but it was clear their jutsu weren't inflicting any real harm. The beast's chakra shield remained unbroken, no matter what they threw at it.

Realizing the Uchiha had arrived, Hiruzen felt a glimmer of relief. Initially, he'd followed Danzo's suggestion to assign the Uchiha to evacuation efforts. But once he arrived at the scene and saw the Nine-Tails accompanied by a shinobi wielding the Rinnegan, he immediately regretted that decision. This unforeseen opponent had thrown all his plans into disarray.

Just as Hiruzen moved to suppress the Nine-Tails, Nagato intercepted him, forcing Hiruzen to fall back.

It was painfully clear the Konoha shinobi couldn't do any lasting damage to the beast. Their ninjutsu was barely scratching the Nine-Tails, as though it were nothing more than an itch.

Now wasn't the time to question why the Uchiha had shown up—Hiruzen needed every ounce of power they could muster to subdue the beast.

Akira and Fugaku exchanged a determined glance, then nodded to each other.

In a flash, crackling electricity surged around Akira, his chakra flaring like a boiling cauldron. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Nagato, locked in a brutal clash with Hiruzen, sensed the surge of chakra. His Rinnegan focused, and he shouted,

"Shinra Tensei!"

A massive repulsive force erupted, forming an invisible barrier around him.

BOOM!

The air echoed with a deafening blast as Akira's fist, charged with immense power, slammed into the barrier. Nagato's eyes widened, struggling to believe someone could withstand his Shinra Tensei.

Akira's chakra roared to life, crackling with energy. The force of his strike began to crack the barrier, the sound of shattering invisible walls reverberating across the battlefield.

"Not good!" Nagato's Rinnegan pulsed, unleashing his full power.

A blinding flash exploded from the clash, sending both Akira and Nagato flying back.

Seizing the moment, Hiruzen transformed into a dark blur and leapt into the air, wielding the black staff formed from Enma's transformation. He aimed a crushing blow toward the place where Nagato had landed, perfectly timing his strike to coincide with Shinra Tensei's cooldown.

Nagato narrowed his eyes, extending his hand as thick, gnarled roots sprang from the ground, forming a massive wooden shield.

"He's mastered Wood Release as well?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, increasing the strength of his swing.

With a thunderous crash, Hiruzen shattered Nagato's wooden shield into splinters. But in that instant, Nagato used the shield's protection to put some distance between himself and Hiruzen.

"Earth Style!"

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Before Nagato could recover, Hiruzen's jutsu was upon him—a surging river of molten earth and a roaring fire dragon. Remaining calm, Nagato extended his hand.

"Blocking Technique Absorption Seal."

The oncoming river of earth and the fire dragon were absorbed instantly, vanishing without a trace.

"He can absorb ninjutsu?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he ceased preparing his next attack.

Akira emerged from a pile of debris, steadying himself after the clash with Shinra Tensei. The impact had left him reeling, but he was ready to continue.

"Don't use ninjutsu against him, Akira," Hiruzen warned gravely.

"I understand." Akira nodded, his gaze fixed on Nagato with unwavering focus. The strength Nagato had shown was beyond their expectations—his growth was alarming.

A tense standoff settled over the battlefield as Akira and Hiruzen faced Nagato.

On the other side, Fugaku's Sharingan flared, his Mangekyō Sharingan activating with a complex, hypnotic pattern. He focused his gaze on the rampaging Nine-Tails, unleashing the full power of his ocular jutsu.

In an instant, the Nine-Tails froze mid-attack, its eyes mirroring Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan pattern as it fell under his genjutsu.

Konoha's shinobi erupted into cheers, seeing the mighty Nine-Tails temporarily subdued.

But the relief was short-lived. As the cheering subsided, a dark crimson aura of chakra erupted from the Nine-Tails, swirling around it in a chaotic storm. Its eyes returned to their original slitted shape, breaking free from the genjutsu.

"Uchiha scum! Did you think your petty Mangekyō could control me?" the Nine-Tails roared, lifting a massive claw and bringing it down toward Fugaku with earth-shaking force.

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