Chapter 62 The Nine-Tails Attack [Part I]

(Sorry For the Late Update but I was a little busy)

----

October 10, Year 48 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar.

Renjiro sat cross-legged in the center of his courtyard, fully armed and ready for anything that might happen in or around Konoha.

Knowing how dangerous the situation was about to become, he had already sent Inmaru to the Inuzuka Clan compound earlier that morning. This way, he could focus entirely on his role in protecting the village.

Now, Renjiro was channeling all his energy into his sensory abilities, trying to pinpoint the location where Kushina was giving birth.

Naturally, such a strong surge of sensory chakra would attract attention, but Renjiro had planned ahead. For the past two weeks, he had been intermittently using his sensory skills under the guise of testing a new Jutsu, and he had already reported this “experiment” to the village higher ups.

Even so, frustration gnawed at him. No matter how deeply he searched, he couldn’t sense even a flicker of Kushina’s chakra.

Wherever the birthing site was, it was clearly protected by a high-level barrier, one that effectively blocked all forms of sensory detection.

“Tch… Damn it. I can’t even go search in person!”

There was no way he could risk wandering around the outskirts of Konoha today.

It was the expected delivery date of the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki—precisely when the seal would be at its weakest. The village hadn’t made any official announcements, but it was obvious the Anbu were on high alert.

Their presence was everywhere, enforcing an ironclad lockdown across Konoha. Any unusual movement would bring their full attention and likely force down on him.

“This is driving me insane!”

All his preparations, all his foresight none of it seemed to matter now. His current identity and position tied his hands. Even with knowledge of what was about to happen, he had no clear way to intervene.

Renjiro had hoped that his study of sealing techniques would let him detect the birthing site by bypassing barriers. But he had vastly underestimated the strength of the seal protecting it. His sensory chakra couldn’t pick up a single trace.

“Damn it… Is there really nothing I can do?”

Renjiro gritted his teeth. He couldn’t just rush out blindly. Even if he went straight to the Third Hokage and warned him that Minato’s family was in danger, how could he explain how he knew that?

Maybe Hiruzen would investigate out of caution but no matter what, Renjiro would end up in trouble.

How could a Special Jonin, who had never even left Konoha, suddenly have top-secret intel that even the village’s intelligence unit didn’t know?

Even if he claimed to have outside sources like Jiraiya, no one would believe it. He’d be dragged to the Anbu for questioning, and if they weren’t convinced, the Intelligence Division might try to extract his memories. If it got worse, even Root could step in.

Renjiro wasn’t about to risk his life without a solid plan. So, the only thing he could do now… was keep scanning the entire village with his sensory jutsu. If he picked up even the smallest clue, he could use that as a reason to act.

“…Huh?”

Renjiro suddenly froze. A chilling sensation washed over him dark, ominous, and terrifyingly evil.

He looked up at the sky, eyes locking onto the moon. Just moments ago, it had shone with a bright silver light. Now… it was blood red.

Whoosh!

A sinister aura rippled through the night sky, it was heavy and suffocating.

Renjiro clenched his fists. His expression turned grim as he muttered coldly: “It’s too late...”

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed across the village.

In the distance, at the edge of Konoha, massive clouds of white smoke billowed into the sky, followed by a violent shockwave that tore through the air.

Seconds later, as the smoke began to clear, what emerged left every witness frozen in fear.

The Nine-Tails, Kyuubi!

The most powerful of all the tailed beasts. A creature of pure malevolence.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox had broken free—its seal inside Kushina shattered.

ROAR!!

The furious roar shook the heavens. The ground trembled beneath it, and all of Konoha quaked in fear.

Civilians screamed in panic. Shinobi rushed out of their homes, weapons in hand, eyes wide with disbelief and fear.

And when they saw the massive beast towering in the distance… their hearts sank.

The Nine-Tails had appeared—without warning.

---

At Renjiro's House

Renjiro gripped his sword tightly, his face became serious. The situation had gotten worse—the Nine-Tails had already escaped.

Still, it wasn’t over yet. If Obito was still nearby, there was a chance to stop him.

Lightning Flash!

Crack! Whoosh!

In an instant, Renjiro disappeared, leaving behind only a trail of sparks.

---

On the Hokage Monument

Minato had just used a space-time barrier to deflect the Tailed Beast Bomb. He was about to relay intel to Hiruzen when—

Swish!

A dark figure suddenly appeared behind him, full of killing intent. But Minato sensed it in time and turned to strike back.

Boom! Crack!

Lightning suddenly burst out as the stone beneath his feet split open. Renjiro landed at the center of the blast.

“Renjiro?!” Minato called out in shock.

Renjiro gave a firm nod: “Be careful, Yondaime-sama. This guy’s fighting style is strange.”

A mocking voice echoed through the air: “Well, well… the Lightning Flash of Konoha.”

Swish!

A spiraling vortex formed in the air, and from it stepped a man cloaked in black.

Renjiro narrowed his eyes, gripping his blade tightly.

“My strike definitely landed…” He said slowly: “But instead of hitting you, it just passed through—like I was cutting through empty air.”

He didn’t plan to expose Obito’s identity… but he was subtly warning Minato to stay cautious about Obito's space related powers.

The masked man let out a low chuckle: “You are very smart. The Lightning Flash of Konoha—your reputation is well-earned.”

But Renjiro didn’t feel proud. There was no joy in the compliment, only a deepening chill in his heart.

He raised his sword and pointed it at Obito and said in cold voice: “I don’t care who you are or what you’re after, but you attacked Konoha. That means you are going to die here.”

“Heh… We’ll see about that.” Obito replied with a mocking tone.

Swish!

As soon as Obito finished speaking, he vanished, then reappeared right in front of Renjiro, his hand extended as a swirling space-time vortex began to form.

Body Stimulation Mode!

Lightning Flash!

Crack!

A surge of lightning exploded outward. Renjiro activated his Body Stimulation Mode and instantly teleported behind Obito.

Swish!

“You can’t hit me.” Obito sneered, stepping slightly forward as Renjiro’s blade phased right through him.

Crescent Slash!

Fwoosh!

Renjiro swung his sword, releasing a crescent-shaped wave of chakra.

“What?!”

Obito was caught by surprise. The energy slash passed through his intangible form—but it was too close for comfort.

Of course, Renjiro had anticipated this. Kamui… It was ridiculously powerful.

Crrkkk!

But he wasn’t finished. His pale blue eyes sparked with lightning, and a heavy, oppressive aura radiated from his body, enough to make Obito finally feel a hint of danger.

But just as Renjiro prepared to launch his next move...

Swish!

Minato suddenly appeared behind him, placing his right hand on his shoulder firmly.

“Renjiro.” Minato said firmly, in a serious voice: “Let me handle this. The village needs you more than I do right now. With Lord Orochimaru gone and only the Third left to defend it, stopping the Nine-Tails will be nearly impossible.”

“But—” Renjiro wanted to protest. He knew that if they captured or defeated Obito now, the battle would be halfway won.

Minato interrupted him, and add in a sharp voice: “Trust me. I may be exhausted from running around all night—but I’m still the Hokage. I can handle this.”

Renjiro hesitated. This was their best chance to end Obito. In the original timeline, Obito hadn’t been able to defeat Minato. If they worked together now, they might be able to stop him for good.

But Minato’s face was set with determination. He clearly wasn’t going to let Renjiro stay and fight.

“Think about your comrades back in the village.” Minato said in low and steady voice: “If the Nine-Tails goes rampage… they won’t survive.”

"Damn it!" Renjiro froze. Minato’s words hit him like a sledgehammer.

In the original timeline, the Third had barely managed to force the Nine-Tails out of the village. But even then, the damage had been catastrophic. If Minato hadn’t arrived just in time to deflect the Tailed Beast Bomb…

Renjiro hadn’t thought much about it before, but now a troubling realization struck him.

Meri, Maemon, and Tsugami had never appeared in the original Naruto timeline, not even as passing mentions.

Given their talent, Renjiro was confident they could have reached the level of Special Jonin on their own, if only they had lived long enough.

Their absence from the canon timeline suggested they were killed during the Third Great Ninja War. But now, having survived that terrifying battlefield, whether due to Renjiro’s interference causing a butterfly effect or simply through their own strength, Renjiro began to suspect their deaths were tied to another tragedy: the Nine-Tails’ attack on the village.

That likely meant those comrades had died around this point in the timeline—their stories ending before the anime even began.

“Damn it! Damn it!” Renjiro’s eyes widened, his heart started racing. He had made a terrible mistake. A devastating miscalculation.

But now, the choice was clear. He had to protect the people who meant the most to him.

“I’ll leave him to you, Yondaime-sama.” Renjiro said at last, his voice filled with resolve.

Minato gave a small smile: “I’m counting on you. Take this.”

He handed Renjiro one of his special kunai—marked for Flying Thunder God.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect the village.”

Crack! Whoosh!

With a nod, Renjiro disappeared in a burst of lightning.

Obito watched him go, not even bothering to stop him. In his mind, it didn’t matter. Even if Renjiro joined the battle… they were still up against the Nine-Tails, and nothing would change.

“You just missed your one chance to kill me.” Obito shouted mockingly in the direction Renjiro vanished: “You’ll never get another.”

“We’ll see about that.” Minato stepped forward calmly, eyes locked on the masked man, and said, as he launched counterattack.