Whoosh! Whoosh!

A barrage of flaming shuriken rained down from above, pelting the Nine-Tails. A loud voice followed:

"Fire Style: Phoenix Claw Red!"

Boom!

Explosions lit up the beast's body, but the Nine-Tails emerged from the smoke completely unharmed.

A figure landed in front of the ANBU captain. His mask resembled a dog's head, and his eyes glowed red—each with three tomoe swirling inside.

It was none other than Uchiha Mu, cousin to the late Uchiha Kagami. Upholding Kagami's legacy, Mu had joined the ANBU to serve as a bridge between the Uchiha clan and the village.

"You're here, Mu!" The ANBU captain's tense stance eased slightly upon seeing him.

"Apologies. We're late," Mu said calmly from behind his mask. "Captain, has the Nine-Tails gone completely berserk?"

"Yes. The rampage is worse than we feared. We've already lost more than ten ANBU," the captain replied grimly.

"What's the current plan?"

The captain, named Aro, gave a bitter laugh. "I tried using Earth Style barriers to contain it while waiting for Hokage sama's reinforcements, but it tore through the jutsu like paper."

"After that, it went wild—killed four more of my men in seconds. Nothing we're doing is working."

He pointed toward the beast. "Kushina's at eight tails now. Her chakra's become monstrous. None of us can approach without getting shredded."

Mu's expression darkened. "I'll try something. If it doesn't work, I'll improvise."

With that, he vanished without another word.

Aro stared after him. "Incredible speed. That's Uchiha Mu for you."

Whoosh!

Mu reappeared on top of the Nine-Tails' head, wielding a sword engulfed in blazing flames.

He raised it, slashing down swiftly.

Boom!

The chakra-formed head of the Nine-Tails burst apart on impact. But the beast didn't even flinch. Its massive claw swung up to crush Mu like an insect.

Bang!

In a flash of smoke, Mu vanished again. The Nine-Tails' head, wrapped in dense red chakra, instantly reformed as if nothing had happened.

Mu landed a distance away, watching intently. "Its regeneration is absurd…"

His Sharingan spun rapidly. He performed a series of rapid hand signs.

"Genjutsu: Darkness Walking Technique!"

Within his mind, the spiritual world was immediately flooded with darkness. A massive, malevolent fox face surged forward, roaring directly at his consciousness.

Buzz! Buzz!

Tick... Tick...

Blood trickled from the corners of Mu's eyes. His entire body trembled with exertion. Sweat poured down his face.

"How is he?" Aro rushed to catch him as he stumbled.

Mu gasped heavily. "No good. My genjutsu doesn't work. As soon as I initiated it, the Nine-Tails' chakra threw everything into chaos."

Even someone like Mu—renowned in the ANBU for his mastery of Fire Style and illusions—was helpless. He was among the best in the village, feared and respected across the ninja world. And yet… both his flames and illusions failed against this monstrous chakra.

He could only smile bitterly. "If only I had awakened Mangekyō Sharingan… but it's not that simple."

"What now?" he asked weakly, still panting.

Aro narrowed his eyes. "We retreat. Keep a safe distance, follow her quietly, and wait for Hokage sama's support."

Da-da-da…

Footsteps echoed nearby.

Kaito walked forward, his face unreadable, expression grim. He hadn't expected Kushina to lose control so easily. Her emotional state was far too fragile.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?" Aro demanded, tensing immediately at the sight of the unfamiliar shinobi.

"Stand down!" Mu caught Aro by the sleeve and looked up weakly. "If I'm not mistaken… this is Kaito sama, Lady Tsunade's fiancé."

Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're with the Uchiha?"

He hadn't expected the Third Hokage would allow the Uchiha clan into ANBU during his regime. That could only mean…

"You're from Uchiha Kagami bloodline, aren't you?"

Mu nodded. "Impressive. Yes, Uchiha Kagami is my cousin. I was raised under his watch."

"Hmph. As I suspected," Kaito scoffed. "That old snake Hiruzen would never allow the Uchiha clan close to ANBU without some manipulation."

Mu gave a bitter smile. Rumors were true—Kaito harbored a deep grudge against the Third Hokage.

"How dare you slander the Hokage!" Aro snapped, stepping forward.

Pshhhk!

Without a word, Kaito's hand struck like a flash of lightning, piercing Aro's chest clean through.

"Do I need you to tell me what to say?" Kaito muttered coldly.

He yanked his blood-slick hand back, lightning crackling faintly across his fingers as he flicked the blood off.

"Y-You…!" Mu stared, stunned. "Lord Kaito, why—?!"

"If you hadn't shown respect, and weren't Uchiha, you'd already be dead," Kaito said bluntly.

After Kushina revealed the truth—that the last of the Senju clan's children had died—Kaito's rage had solidified into a deadly resolve. Hiruzen would pay.

Now, seeing one of Hiruzen's loyalists? He didn't hesitate.

The Nine-Tails could wait. For now, vengeance came first.

"You bastard! You killed the captain!"

The remaining ANBU charged in rage.

"No! Don't!" Mu shouted, but it was too late.

The moment they moved, Kaito vanished.

Mu's Sharingan spun rapidly, but even with enhanced perception, he couldn't track Kaito's movement.

He gasped.

"That speed… not even the best in Konoha could keep up with that. Maybe no one in the entire ninja world."

---

Read ahead of WN on patreon.com/Zphyr_