Five days later....
Night fell over Konoha, a reddish moon hanging threateningly in the sky, bathing the forest clearing in a crimson light.
The ANBU, silent shadows, moved throughout the village, searching for a spy.
In the heart of the forest, Hiruzen stood tall, his face a mask of determination. At his side, Danzo, impassive as always, directed his Root with silent gestures.
The still-young Sannin - Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya - waited in tense anticipation.
In the center of it all were two stones, one on which Tomo lay unconscious, and beside her was Mito Uzumaki.
Her body, once strong and vibrant, now looked fragile, consumed by the years.
Hiruzen leaned towards Mito, his voice a whisper: "Mito-sama, we are ready. The fate of Konoha is in your hands once again."
Tsunade, unable to contain her emotion, let out a choked sob. "Grandmother!"
Mito turned her gaze to her granddaughter, a weak smile illuminating her wrinkled face. "Don't cry, my dear Tsunade. I have lived a full life, full of ups and downs."
Her eyes, still bright despite her age, rested on Hiruzen. "Konoha is Hashirama's legacy. Do not let it be destroyed." Then, turning back to Tsunade: "Protect Nawaki. He is the hope of the Senju clan."
Suddenly....
The night turned apocalyptic in an instant. The moon, previously reddish, now seemed to bleed in the sky, tinting everything with an ominous crimson glow.
The air vibrated with an evil energy so dense it threatened to suffocate all present.
When Mito uttered the words "Shishō Fūin, Open!", the world seemed to stop.
Then, as if hell itself had been unleashed, a torrent of blood-red chakra burst from her fragile body, rising into the sky in a column of pure evil.
The ground began to shake, enormous trees split as if they were twigs, and a hurricane wind lashed the place.
The shinobi present fell to their knees, crushed by an invisible and overwhelming pressure.
In the midst of this chaos, the Kyubi began to take shape.
First, burning eyes, then a muzzle full of fangs. Its body materialized in a vortex of evil chakra, each of its nine tails a whip of destruction.
When the Kyubi was fully formed, its size was so colossal that it eclipsed the entire forest. Its orange fur shone with a demonic glow.
As it rose to its full height, easily exceeding a hundred meters, it seemed to touch the sky itself, like a living mountain of hatred and power.
Its roar, when it finally released it, was not simply a sound. It was a physical force that shook the foundations of reality.
The shock waves shattered rocks, uprooted trees, and sent shinobi flying like leaves in the wind.
The Kyubi's cry of fury resonated not only in the ears but in the very souls of all present.
"CURSE YOU ALL!" The Kyubi's voice was like the clash of a thousand storms, each word charged with a millennia-old hatred. "KONOHA, MADARA, HASHIRAMA, UZUMAKI CLAN! MAY YOU ALL DIE IN MY VENGEFUL CLAWS!"
Hiruzen struggled to stand before the Kyubi. His eyes were now wide open with a fear he hadn't felt since his days as a genin. "Sealing squad!" he shouted. "Prepare to seal!"
Mito, her hair now withering, emanated an aura of majesty even in her weakened state, raised her voice:
"Stop, Kyubi." Her words, though soft, resonated with authority. From the cracked ground emerged golden chains of chakra, snaking towards the fox.
"NONONO, I WILL NOT BE CHAINED AGAIN! FREEDOM IS MY RIGHT!" The Kyubi roared in response, its voice making the earth tremble.
Mito looked to her side where an unconscious girl lay. "Tomo, your future vessel, is gentle and kind. Perhaps she can reach your heart..." Her wrinkled hands formed a complex seal.
Around the clearing, the sealing squad moved in sync, their chakras intertwining in an attempt to contain the beast.
From the branch of a distant tree, Chen observed the scene, his figure barely visible in the twilight.
He sighed with resignation: "Looks like I won't be getting Kurama's chakra today..."
Suddenly, the air was filled with a deafening roar. The Kyubi broke free from the chains. One of its tails swept the area, creating a gust of wind that uprooted bushes and raised a cloud of dust. In the midst of this chaos, Mito's figure went flying.
"Grandmother!" Tsunade's cry cut through the air as she lunged to catch Mito's body.
Landing in a relatively intact area, Tsunade held Mito in her arms.
The old woman, with her last breath, smiled weakly. "Don't hate the Kyubi, Tsunade. It is not evil by nature, but a victim of human greed. If it wishes to leave, we must let it..."
An unnatural silence fell over the place when Mito closed her eyes for the last time. Even the wind seemed to stop.
The Kyubi halted, growling softly: "I did not wish for your death, Mito, but you forced me..."
Slowly, it turned its enormous head towards the ninjas. Its eyes, bright as embers, bore into each of them. "Out of respect for Mito, I offer you a chance. Let me go, and you will live."
The Kyubi's nine tails swayed wildly, creating gusts of wind that made the ninjas' clothes flutter.
From below, Danzo's voice cut through the tense air: "Seal that beast! Konoha cannot lose this power!"
Hiruzen, standing near Danzo, remained silent.
Observing this with surprise, Chen muttered to himself: "What an unexpected turn..."
Kurama, his eyes burning with hatred, roared, "GREEDY AND DESPICABLE HUMANS! YOU THINK YOU CAN OBTAIN MY POWER, BUT IT'S JUST A MERE ILLUSION! YOU'LL DIE FOR YOUR ARROGANCE!"
With a movement of its paw, the Kyubi sent a dozen ninjas flying through the air.
Then, opening its jaws, it began to concentrate chakra into a sphere of impossible density: Bijūdama.
Feeling his blood run cold at the sight of this, Hiruzen shouted, his voice filled with urgency: "E-Everyone, disperse!"
He knew it was a futile order; no one could completely dodge the attack. But if he could change its trajectory...
With speed worthy of a Hokage, Hiruzen performed a series of seals. "Kuchiyose: Sanjū Rashōmon!" Three enormous gates materialized, rising towards the sky like mountains.
But he knew it wouldn't be enough. "Enma," he spoke to the staff in his hands, "it's your turn."
The Monkey King, in his weapon form, responded with a grunt. "You're killing me, Hiruzen. But I'll do what I can. The rest depends on you."
In a flash of smoke, Enma transformed... into a giant shovel.
The Bijūdama impacted against the Rashomon gates with the force of a thousand suns. The structures disintegrated as if they were made of paper. But they had managed to slightly deflect the trajectory of the attack.
With iron determination, Hiruzen leapt towards the Bijūdama, the shovel-Enma firmly grasped.
With a cry that defied the gods, he struck the sphere of destruction, deflecting it towards the sky.
The effort was brutal. Enma disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hiruzen, his body shattered by the reaction, spat blood as he fell towards the earth.
Jiraiya, moving like a blur, caught him before he hit the ground.
Hiruzen, coughing blood but with determination burning in his eyes, shouted: "Attack! Don't give the Kyubi even a moment's respite!"
Surprisingly, the first to respond was Danzo. "Attack!" he roared, launching himself towards the Kyubi.
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