When Beiyuan arrived at the shelter near the Uchiha clan, he saw Uchiha Itachi resting with Sasuke in his arms. Beside him, a little girl dozed off, leaning against him.
She looked familiar… It seemed to be Izumi.
No, it should be Uchiha Izumi.
Her mother was from the Uchiha clan, while her father was an outsider. Though the Uchiha were proud and reserved, once love took hold, it was unstoppable—especially for the emotional Uchiha.
Intermarriage outside the clan wasn't uncommon, but if children were born from such unions, they were required to return to the Uchiha clan. This policy ensured the bloodline and the Sharingan remained within the family.
Fugaku had once mentioned Uchiha Izumi's family. It was said that her parents had excellent talent, so he personally oversaw their return to the clan. Her father had changed his surname to Uchiha Hazuki, symbolizing his acceptance into the family. However, whether they chose to live within the clan's territory was up to them.
To be honest, if Konoha had been filled with Uchiha sons-in-law, Fugaku would have been pleased. He had always been tolerant of such individuals.
Some cubs were born strong.
Some cubs just blew bubbles.
Compared to Uchiha Itachi, who not only carried his younger brother to safety but also managed to save Uchiha Izumi along the way, Sasuke's first response after waking up and seeing Beiyuan was to struggle to blow a spit bubble.
A red light flashed in Beiyuan's eyes. This little brat… There would be plenty of time to deal with him in the future. He would dig a pit so deep, Sasuke wouldn't be able to resist falling in.
"Weasel…"
Hearing the noise, the little girl stirred awake, calling Itachi's name in a dazed, sleepy voice. Her face was still stained with dried tears, and she rubbed her eyes with a small fist, looking incredibly endearing.
Was she… sticking to his cub?
Itachi, however, didn't seem to think much of it. He had been raising Sasuke alone and understood how fragile life was. On his way to the shelter, he had done what he could to help others.
When he finally heard that his mother was safe, the tension in his heart eased—only to see the crow flap its wings and take off into the night.
"Beiyuan!"
"Itachi, it's dangerous outside…"
"Waaaah…"
Sasuke suddenly burst into tears, and Itachi had no choice but to soothe him quietly. No one knew when this night of chaos would finally end.
"It might be looking for its mother…"
Itachi tried to reassure himself.
Or else?
To his left was a baby still in diapers, and to his right was a girl barely old enough to understand what had happened. And he himself… was just a child.
Beyond the disaster, something far more terrifying lurked in the shadows of the burning village.
Uchiha Fugaku had received an emergency wartime order from the Third Hokage: Remain in place and assist with the evacuation of non-combatants.
"What does the Third mean by this?" Fugaku asked, his expression dark. "Ensuring the village's safety is also the duty of the Police Force."
The masked Anbu messenger simply replied, "Anbu is only responsible for delivering orders. The Police Force is expected to comply."
Fugaku's gaze sharpened. "And what of Hokage-sama's command?"
His words were light, but the weight of his experience pressed down on the room.
The Anbu hesitated. A silence settled between them.
Damn it. As the direct subordinates of Hokage, they should have sought orders from Minato Namikaze first. But they hadn't.
And now, they likely never would.
Of all the Anbu under the Fourth Hokage, only Hatake Kakashi was a direct subordinate—and he was a newcomer, freshly recruited. The rest of Anbu had long been shaped by the influence of the Third Hokage.
Minato Namikaze had neither the time nor the interest to micromanage. His trust in the Third was clear. But Konoha's elders, the higher-ups, and the other clans wouldn't hesitate to use this moment to question his authority.
And the advisors…
"I am from the Anbu Training Corps, directly under the command of Hokage Advisor Shimura Danzo," the Anbu agent suddenly announced. "This order was issued jointly by the Third Hokage and Danzo-sama."
Internally, he congratulated himself. The members of the Anbu Training Corps had started referring to themselves as "Root," and most of Anbu resented them for it.
They were small in number, had no official rank, and existed only because of Danzo's influence. And yet, they were eager to seize control of everything—the Police Force's duties, the responsibilities of regular Anbu…
A more honest way to put it would be: They were stealing jobs.
Fugaku exhaled. "I understand."
But he never confirmed whether he would comply.
Before the Anbu left, he added in a knowing tone, "Surely, you understand. The farther Uchiha stays from the Nine Tails, the safer they will be."
Whether it was the risk of heavy casualties or the implications of the Sharingan in the fox's eyes, the message was clear—if the Uchiha got involved, they would be blamed.
"Uchiha's honor will not be tarnished," Fugaku finally said. "I will send the Uchiha outsiders to assist in repelling the Nine Tails."
Outsiders. Those without the Sharingan. Those who weren't part of the Police Force. Most of them were the very sons-in-law who had married into the clan.
This way, no one could claim that the Uchiha ignored Konoha's suffering. And at the same time, they could uncover the one truly controlling the Nine Tails.
"I will report this to the Third… and to Danzo-sama."
With that, the Anbu vanished into the smoke-filled night. The Nine Tails' roars still shook the village.
On the other side of Konoha—
Tracking the fluctuations of space-time ninjutsu, Beiyuan finally reached Minato Namikaze's battlefield. This battle would determine Konoha's fate.
The only Konoha shinobi who could intervene was Hatake Kakashi… and perhaps he was already facing his lifelong enemy.
Minato's opponent wore a swirling-patterned mask.
This masked man had ambushed the Anbu, broken Kushina's seal, released the Nine Tails, and led it straight to Konoha.
And now, he had come for Minato.
His right eye was a Mangekyō Sharingan, wielding a space-time technique that made him untouchable.
Minato fought skillfully, but time was against him. He had to end this quickly—Konoha was being torn apart, and his wife was on the verge of death.
"Gah…"
Beiyuan's cry went unnoticed. In a battle of time-space jutsu and dojutsu, there was no room for distraction.
"Kamui!"
The masked man lunged forward, activating his Mangekyō, attempting to absorb Minato into his dimension.
Flying Thunder God!
Minato vanished in an instant, escaping before he could be pulled in. He reappeared at a distance, exhaling sharply.
Now!
"Gah!"
Beiyuan's crimson eyes flashed.
A shadow clone of Beiyuan charged straight into Kamui's range. The masked man didn't even think—he absorbed the crow into his dimension.
Just a crow.
Nothing worth worrying about.
But inside Kamui's space… a shadow clone of Beiyuan stood, holding a Tailed Beast Bomb in its beak.
Surprise.