I thought I could raise a Hokage!!!

"Squad 17, arrange for non-combatants to evacuate!"

"Go and report to Lord Third Hokage!"

"Fifth team, follow me to contain the Nine-Tails!"

"Support! Support!"

Amidst the chaos, ninjas arrived one after another, spontaneously organizing themselves to prevent further casualties. They diligently carried out their duties within their capabilities.

The only mistake was underestimating the Nine-Tails.

If a few chunin or jonin could successfully distract a tailed beast, then such creatures wouldn't be considered the ultimate weapons.

"Careful!"

"Don't get too close!"

"Use shuriken with explosive tags!"

"ROAR!"

The beast's sharp claws swept through the battlefield. The scent of blood thickened the air as the brave ninjas who had stepped forward to contain the Nine-Tails were instantly shredded. Their lives ended in an instant—without even drawing the beast's attention.

Buildings crumbled. A long line of refugees, moving forward like a slow earthworm, suddenly found themselves in the direct line of sight of the tailed beast's glowing, scarlet eyes.

Uchiha Mikoto had been classified as a non-combatant and was being led toward the shelter. The sheer number of fleeing villagers made it impossible for her to turn back.

"Beiyuan… go… find Itachi and Sasuke…" As a mother, all she could do now was entrust her hopes to the crow.

"Gah!"

What a joke. Uchiha Mikoto was in far greater danger here than at home! Beiyuan didn't know how Itachi and Sasuke would survive this disaster, but one thing was clear—the refugees wouldn't escape the Nine-Tails' attack. All it could do was trust Itachi and find a way to get Mikoto out of here!

The crow cursed its own laziness. If only it had left behind a Flying Thunder God mark somewhere! The Nine-Tails' fierce gaze had already locked onto them.

Meanwhile, the ninjas responsible for evacuating civilians exchanged glances. There were no other fighters nearby. They could only nod grimly to each other and say, "Let's go!"

"…Careful!"

A massive white claw, as slender as a bamboo pole, pierced through the chests and abdomens of every single ninja in an instant. The powerful gust of wind that followed sent bodies flying.

The air was filled with the cries of the wounded and dying.

Children, shielded moments ago by their parents and elders, crawled out from beneath lifeless bodies. Their tiny hands and faces were stained with fresh blood, eyes wide with terror.

"Dad… Mom…"

A low, trembling voice broke the silence.

And then, in an instant, the entire open space was filled with wailing.

"Grandma…"

"Brother… Brother…"

"My child… my child…"

The Nine-Tails' claws had left devastation in their wake. Of the hundreds who had gathered, barely a few dozen survived. Not even one in ten.

Beiyuan exhaled in relief. Thankfully, Uchiha Mikoto was unharmed. As she struggled to her feet, crow feathers rained down around her—it was Beiyuan's shattered shadow clone.

The crow couldn't even begin to imagine what would have happened if Mikoto had died here. It didn't want to face Fugaku's family… or its own conscience.

"Beiyuan… I'll take them to the shelter first!" Uchiha Mikoto grasped the hand of a stunned girl standing nearby. Many of the survivors had that same vacant, shell-shocked expression.

But even in this desperate retreat, they were still in danger.

The Nine-Tails' chakra flared, and its jaws opened wide. A swirling sphere of black and crimson began to form between its fangs.

"Tailed Beast Bomb!" Uchiha Mikoto gasped, her voice laced with despair. "…Run. Run, Beiyuan!"

Unlike most civilians, Mikoto knew exactly what this attack meant. The Uchiha clan's archives had recorded the power of a tailed beast bomb, and she had seen enough battlefield reports to recognize it instantly.

The Nine-Tails was aiming at the Hokage Tower. But given its sheer destructive force, the entire surrounding area—including the Fourth Hokage's home—would be obliterated.

The only reason Beiyuan understood what was happening was because it had read the same records. The crow's feathers ruffled. There was no way it could create a Rasengan… but a Tailed Beast Bomb? That, it could do!

A small black sphere condensed in its beak and shot straight toward the forming Tailed Beast Bomb in the sky.

BOOM!

The deafening explosion threatened to tear through eardrums.

The massive black-purple sphere vanished, and the Nine-Tails staggered. Its fangs shattered, and its massive tails crashed onto the ground as if the beast had lost all strength. Its eyelids drooped, seemingly unconscious.

Seeing this, the Konoha ninjas surged forward.

Beiyuan felt an ominous chill crawl up its spine. Idiots.

Even civilians could sense that the Nine-Tails' chakra hadn't dissipated. Did these fools really think a single attack was enough to bring down a tailed beast?

It didn't care what happened next. It only called out to Uchiha Mikoto, snapping her out of her daze. One glance at the fallen beast was enough for her to understand—the Nine-Tails was far from defeated.

She tightened her grip on the girl's hand and ran. Beiyuan followed, leading the scattered survivors away from the battlefield.

"The Hokage Building is unsafe. The nearest shelters are out of the question. The Uchiha clan's shelter is too far…" Mikoto muttered. "Anywhere away from the Nine-Tails… that's where we need to go…"

"ROAR!"

"Run!"

"Don't scatter! Lure the Nine-Tails out of the village!"

"Hold on! The Third Hokage will be here soon!"

Screams echoed across Konoha. Even without turning back, Beiyuan knew what was happening.

The Nine-Tails had risen again.

Its blood-red Sharingan gleamed as it lashed out, claws tearing through buildings, sending fiery debris raining down. The beast moved like a force of nature, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

A black energy bomb streaked through the sky, illuminating the path ahead with flickering flames. Beiyuan didn't need to look—it knew this was only the beginning.

An incoming energy blast sent it tumbling to the ground. Feathers scattered as it struggled to its feet.

A pair of worn sandals entered its field of vision.

"Get the survivors to the shelter!"

"Second squad, keep searching for any who are left behind!"

"The rest of you—come with me!"

A deep, commanding voice rang out. Even in this chaos, it carried the weight of experience and authority.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had arrived.

Since the Nine-Tails' attack began, Hiruzen had been rallying his Anbu forces, trying to contain the beast. But a summoned creature like this had no master to restrain it. It only sought destruction.

Anbu had been forced into rescue efforts instead. Mikoto and the others were among the few survivors found near the Nine-Tails' rampage.

"…Lord Third, the wife of the Uchiha clan's patriarch is among the survivors."

A masked Anbu member stepped forward, having recognized Mikoto and Beiyuan.

Hiruzen frowned. "Get them to the nearest shelter immediately! Send word to the police force. Order them to focus on evacuating civilians!"

His eyes darkened.

"…They had better not show up here."

Beiyuan, unaware of the conversation, confirmed Mikoto's safety before discreetly leaving behind a crow-shaped Flying Thunder God seal.

It had something else to do.

It had to make sure those two cubs were safe.

And…

It knew Uzumaki Kushina wouldn't survive this night.

Neither would Namikaze Minato.

But even knowing that… it had to try.

Because what was his purpose, if not to break the shackles of fate itself?