NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: The Disaster
Chapter
1: The Disaster
October 10, Konoha Year 48.
It was a peaceful night as usual in
the Hidden Leaf Village, but a sudden disaster struck without warning.
"Ah!? Run away!"
"Damn it, we must stop the Kyuubi!" "Why!? Why is the Kyuubi
rioting now?" "Send someone to inform the Fourth and Third
Hokage!" "Until Lord Hokage arrives, we must hold off the
Kyuubi!" "We must protect this place!" "Evacuate the
villagers immediately!"
The Kyuubi had inexplicably appeared
in the center of the village, wreaking havoc instantly. Its immense size and
unparalleled power far exceeded the capabilities of ordinary ninjas. Even a
slight scratch or weak impact could easily kill a large number of Konoha
ninjas. In just a brief period, hundreds of Konoha ninjas had already fallen.
"You all, retreat
immediately."
The elderly Third Hokage, Hiruzen
Sarutobi, arrived with the King Kong Ruyi Rod, transformed from his summoning
beast, Enma the Monkey King. Alongside his closest comrades and Konoha's most
elite forces, they temporarily contained the Nine-Tails' rampage, preventing
further casualties. However, it was clear that even with their combined power,
Hiruzen Sarutobi, now in his declining years, couldn't completely fight against
the Kyuubi.
After just a few minutes of
fighting, Sarutobi was already under immense pressure, and Akimichi Tifou and
others who fought alongside him were also injured. Any attack from the Kyuubi,
even the whipping of its tail, was something that ordinary ninjas couldn't
easily stop.
"Not good!? It's the Tailed
Beast Ball! Everyone, disperse!"
The Kyuubi raised its head, and a
giant dark chakra ball instantly condensed in its mouth. Sarutobi Hiruzen's
expression changed dramatically. The Tailed Beast Ball was the strongest attack
of the tailed beasts, and now the Kyuubi, the most powerful of them all, was
about to release one. This power could destroy most of the Hidden Leaf Village.
But the Third Hokage had no way to
stop it. Just as he gritted his teeth and planned to use his enlarged King Kong
Ruyi Rod to forcibly sweep the Nine-Tails out of the village or interrupt its
Tailed Beast Ball attack, suddenly, a beautiful golden light flashed in the
sky.
"The Flying Thunder God
Technique—Guiding Thunder."
With a flash, the Tailed Beast Ball,
which had flown out with great force, was forcibly moved to a wilderness far
from the village. Then, with another flash, the huge Nine-Tails disappeared.
"!?"
In that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen and
the others were stunned, and ordinary Konoha ninjas thought they had fallen
into a genjutsu. However, they quickly realized what had happened.
"It's the Fourth Hokage."
"It's Minato." "Oh! It's the Fourth Hokage!"
That golden figure was none other
than the Fourth Hokage of their Hidden Leaf Village—Namikaze Minato.
"Koharu, Homura, and Akimichi,
I'll leave the scene to you three," Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly instructed
his three close friends. He immediately took several ANBU directly under the
Hokage and rushed to the location outside the village.
How strong is the Kyuubi? It wasn't
clear before, but after experiencing the battle, Sarutobi Hiruzen had a
profound understanding. He didn't believe that the young Fourth Hokage could
withstand the Kyuubi by himself, especially with the Sharingan in the Kyuubi's
pupils during the battle. This was a man-made disaster. Someone with an agenda
was behind this.
The warning line in Sarutobi
Hiruzen's heart was raised to an extreme level. However, by the time he arrived
at the scene, it was already too late. He saw the huge figure of the Nine-Tails
completely restrained by golden chains, which instantly turned into a red light
and penetrated directly into a young figure below.
"Minato, Kushina!"
When the outer barrier broke and
lifted automatically, Sarutobi Hiruzen jumped up and arrived at the closest
position. Seeing the lifeless Minato and Kushina, a trace of sadness appeared
on his old face. Despite any selfishness or foolish actions in his later years,
justice still remained in his heart. The young Fourth Hokage was Konoha's
future. Now, watching Minato die before him, Sarutobi couldn't help but feel
deep sorrow.
'Don't worry, Minato, Kushina, I
will definitely take good care of your two sons,' Sarutobi Hiruzen vowed
silently.
He looked at the bodies of Minato
and Kushina, gradually growing cold and stiff, and gently picked up two babies
from beside them. One had blonde hair and blue eyes, the other red hair and
gray eyes. The blonde baby with blue eyes resembled Kushina, while the
red-haired baby with gray eyes had features similar to Minato. The red-haired
baby had a mysterious rune array pattern on his smooth white abdomen, emanating
immense sealing power and faint traces of the Nine-Tails' Chakra.
'Red hair, it seems you've inherited
Kushina's bloodline. No wonder Minato chose to seal it in this child. From now
on, you will be called Uzumaki Menma! And you, Namikaze Naruto!' Sarutobi
Hiruzen decided.
Looking at the two babies in his
arms, Sarutobi thought about many things. After his expression shifted several
times, he finally made up his mind. He gave these brothers different surnames.
'Menma, I hope you won't blame me
when you grow up. This is the responsibility and mission you need to bear. As
the child of Minato and Kushina, I believe you'll understand it in the future,'
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly. He ordered the ANBU to collect the bodies of
Minato and Kushina and returned to the village with the babies.
What Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know
was, under the seemingly stunned expression of the red-haired baby in his arms,
a huge wave had already set off in his heart.
'What? Who am I? Who is he? Where is
this place?!'
The red-haired baby repeatedly
pondered these questions in his heart.