Pieces of wood, glass, and stone flew with every strike of the beast. In some places, the ground itself had cracked, revealing gaping crevices that swallowed everything within their reach.
The civilians were a living tableau of terror: mothers pressing their children close, desperately seeking shelter; elderly folks staggering, their hands trembling, unable to comprehend the unfolding chaos.
The cries of children echoed above the tumult, adding a poignant note to the ambient chaos. A little girl, separated from her family, screamed in the street, searching for her mother. A passing ninja scooped her up and placed her in the arms of a wounded woman who seemed to be her mother.
Everywhere, the instinct for survival reigned supreme, but the helplessness of the residents was overwhelming. Every gaze carried a silent question:
'Will we survive this night?'
The ninjas of Konoha, though brave, faced their own despair. Some had never witnessed such brutal power. A group of reckless Chūnin attempted to approach the beast to distract it, launching explosive kunai and B-rank jutsu, but a Kyubi tail swept through the air, sending them flying like ragdolls. Their intestines spilled onto the cracked ground.
Shikaku Nara, the more experienced ninja, shouted orders:
'The most important thing is to protect the civilians! Gather near the central square!'
But even he knew that their priority was not to defeat the beast but simply to buy time. And hope, for he himself had sustained facial injuries from the explosions caused by the bijuu.
Murmurs of fear rippled through the ranks:
'Where is the Hokage?'
'Can he really do anything against this thing?'
Faith in the strength of the Yondaime remained their only hope.
Shikai, who had been awakened by the first explosion, had rushed into the streets, his face closed but his mind tormented. He had hoped this day would never come, but now that it had, he realized he was far less prepared than he thought.
Every fiber of his being cried out for action, but he knew he couldn't rush headlong into battle. In a word, he was *afraid*.
'I must think... act intelligently. Fortunately, the moon provides enough light.'
As he ran through the devastated streets, his eyes scanned the scene, recording every detail. He drew out a kunai marked with his Hiraishin seal, holding it ready to be thrown.
At an intersection, he spotted a woman crying, trapped under debris, her child screaming beside her. Shikai made a quick mudra, and his shadows extended to lift the rubble, freeing the woman.
"Run! Don't stop!" he shouted at them before moving on.
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He had to focus on what he could do: Evacuate as many people as possible, intervene if someone who shouldn't die was at risk, and finally, move towards the center of the chaos to obtain that massive chakra.
But a voice deep within him whispered: 'Minato... Kushina... What do I do? I won't be able to save them...'
Shikai clenched his teeth, pushing that thought away.
As Shikai weaved his way through the smoldering ruins and debris at top speed, a gigantic shadow suddenly stretched above him, plunging his surroundings into an oppressive darkness. Looking up, his breath caught. Kyubi, its maw agape, was concentrating a black sphere of pure energy: a Bijūdama, ready to be unleashed.
His heart stopped for a fraction of a second as he realized the magnitude of the threat. Such an attack would not just destroy a part of the village; it would reduce all of Konoha to ashes.
" This is it, Minato-sensei," Shikai murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the silhouette that had just appeared not far from the beast.
It was him, the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, clad in his white cape adorned with orange flames. Even in this moment when the air was thick with fear and hatred, Minato shone like a beacon in the darkness.
The dark, glowing red of the Bijūdama reflected on his calm but resolute face. Shikai, from a distance, was struck by this unique aura that his master possessed. In Minato's eyes, there was neither fear nor hesitation. Only absolute determination.
"That's why he was my favorite character in the series. He's got too much flow, it's crazy."
Kyubi roared, and the sphere of energy escaped its maw in a deafening roar, a destructive projectile heading straight for the hokage heads sculpture.
Minato disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared directly in the path of the Bijūdama. His outstretched hand held a marked kunai, and a complex seal shone, and with impeccable precision, he teleported the massive attack away from the village.
A moment later, a distant, dull rumble shook the earth: the Bijūdama had exploded in an isolated area, far from Konoha. The waves of destruction spared the village, but the impact still resonated.
Shikai, witnessing the scene, stood frozen for a few seconds, impressed against his will.
" Looking at him, you'd almost think it was... easy," he murmured. But he knew that Minato couldn't do it all alone and would eventually die.
Shikai fixed his gaze on the horizon where the attack had been diverted, his heart pounding. He whispered, 'But Minato-sensei is still incredible.'
Despite this display of power, Shikai knew the threat was not yet eliminated. Kyubi was still there, but even more worrying was the masked man.
His piercing gaze fell on the individual, dressed in dark attire and wearing a spiral mask. This man, posing as Madara Uchiha, controlled Kyubi like a puppet.
'He's the key,' Shikai thought. 'It's not just the beast we have to stop, it's him. But can I even face him? To buy time for the Yondaime?'
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He still remembered the scene where Obito had wreaked havoc upon Rin's death. This masked man, even if he wasn't truly Madara, remained a threat that only the most powerful ninjas could counter.
"It was mainly thanks to Hiraishin that Minato-sensei managed to push him back," Shikai thought to himself. "But me... can I really face someone of that caliber?"
His mind was bubbling with hesitation and doubts. However, a forced smile stretched across his face, masking his fear.