Chapter Text
October 10th, year 82 After the Founding of the Village.
The beast was huge. Cruel, merciless, frightening.
A real nightmare.
Whenever it howled, the earth shook. Its nine whirling tails flailed, slicing through the skies and shattering horizons. Razor-sharp claws tore flesh and bone and cut through that sacred land. The sharp fangs easily chewed through the strongest enemy. Even it's eyes were deadly. Red like a devil's. A piercing gaze that could bring down the bravest Shinobi.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was a spirit that lived on this earth many years ago. It was considered the king of the Bijū. The cruelest and most powerful of monsters. Its story has been told for centuries, legends about its fearsome strength that haunt generations.
It should have been a normal day in that peaceful place. The Hidden Leaf Village was strong. People full of life, spending their days safe behind high stone walls, protected by their loyal ninja. They were proud of being the biggest village of the Five Great Nations, they were proud of the strength of their leader, the Hokage. They knew, or thought, that nothing could harm them as long as the Hokage was there to protect them.
How wrong they were.
Nobody knows how it happened. Or why. Why did the creature attack this peaceful place?
The Nine Tails, the Kyūbi, suddenly appeared on the horizon that night. With a deafening crash, roaring fiercely, red eyes glowing behind the village walls, the trees in the forest toppled like tiny flowers.
Screams cut through the air. People ran, desperate for shelter. Pushing and hitting, falling and getting up. Children cried for their parents, blood flowed through the streets, bodies were scattered and smoke rose through the sky, hiding what should have been a beautiful starry night. Chaos reigned as the world around them burned and crumbled. The Shinobi rallied to protect their home, some taking people to shelters, others going to the front lines.
"Hold the attack! Wait until the Hokage arrives!" Shouted the captain. His companions shivered behind him, watching the creature approach.
All of them were well-trained warriors and ready for combat, but the beast still terrified them. They knew they could never kill the Fox. But they decided to do their best anyway. Looking back, joining hands in silent prayers, they saw their home. Yes, they would fight for the village.
Together, they let out a battle cry to bolster their courage. Then the front line attacked.
The Fox just squinted its eyes at first, as if it had intelligence. As if it were a powerful lord and the Shinobi were nothing but ants at its feet. Then it roared, tails swung and slashed mountains, vicious claws smashed buildings and stained the land red.
The Shinobi continue their attack, using their best techniques, their best jutsu. Nothing worked. Not even the incandescent flames of the Uchiha Clan, or the inhuman strength that the Akimichi Clan was so proud of. The war continued. Ninja were torn apart and scattered on the ground. The others didn't run away, but quickly fired their best secret jutsu. This second attack hit the target.
"Uchiha! Get together!" The stern-faced man shouted, his red, cold eyes locked on the fox. Behind him, the members of his mighty clan obeyed, black-haired men and women, with overwhelming pride, gathered in a line on the mound.
"Fugaku-sama! Give the orders." One of them begged their leader.
The man raised his hands, preparing the jutsu seals. Everyone soon understood what it meant and imitated him. The fox on the horizon continued its ferocious attack, distracted by the lesser ninjas hurling their shuriken at its torso. Pathetic. They were nothing more than ants. Easily crushed by its paws.
"Get ready." The Uchiha said, watching the earth around the Fox shake and expand. But not because of their tails. No. The ground beneath its feet rose and grew, surrounding it like a wall. The fox glared at the farther ninja, huge, strong men and women, faces painted by a violet crimson.
"Akimichi! Get out!" Uchiha shouted.
The ninja moved, running away from the monster, who was starting to understand the trap. It moved irritably, thumping its tails and arms against the earthen wall, but the Akimichi were proud of their strength. They held the beast there, keeping it trapped inside the cage.
"Inuzuka! We need help!"
There was the sound of a tornado. And then the fox was being thrown back. The members of the Inuzuka clan had eyes and hair as wild as the beast, and a strength to behold. They followed their leader without hesitation and attacked, spinning their bodies in fury, using their strength to throw the fox into the cage.
"If you're going to do something, do it now, Uchiha." The leader of Inuzuka shouted, like the growl of a wolf.
On the mound, the assembled Uchiha joined hands and breathed together. Like an enraged dragon, they roared in rage and a sea of flames sliced through the sky and plunged the fox into pain, a deep, almost human scream made the world tremble. And the attack continued. Shuriken after shuriken, the ninja spent their strength to kill the monster engulfed in flames. The shinobi who were called here to fight were all considered masters. Each had landed a direct hit that they were sure was a killing blow.
As the smoke cleared and the roars of pain subsided, everyone realized that the creature must be injured, at least a little. The Akimichi were ready to retreat and the Uchiha were already out of breath. But when the fox emerged again, they froze in shock. The beast looked exactly the same!
No even a small scratch had marred its skin. The monster just purred like a kitten, mocking the little ones below. Suddenly, the Fox slithered forward, too fast for anyone to react. It crashed into the mound, the Uchiha fell and rose, those who still had strength were destroyed by the claws. The frontline survivors, who retreated after the attack, somehow dodged the blows. But even their most powerful jutsus were useless against the creature. They didn't even slow the thing down!
Shinobi were knocked down, crushed and blown up, but the rest continued on. They refused to give up. If they did, the Hidden Leaf Village and everything around it would be destroyed.
Soon, only a few shinobi were still alive, albeit just barely. The survivors had no more strength. But their fierce desire to protect their loved ones, in addition to their well-honed instincts, kept their bodies moving. They knew one thing for sure: if the battle continued, everyone would die.
"Keep attacking! Do not give up!" They shouted to each other as they attacked again. The most wounded were taken to the farthest forest, all wrapped in white sashes, covered from head to toe in the blood of the battlefield and the ashes of the Uchiha's flames.
"Don't let that monster get to the village!" Shouted the captain.
There was a strong tremor, which made even the bravest cry in fear. When would that nightmare end?
"Get that boy out of here. The Fox is getting closer."
One more tremor. The huddled boy continued to cry, covering his ears tightly, closing his watery eyes with such determination, as if he could make the monster disappear if he pretended not to see it. He was completely covered in dirt, dust and - he didn't want to think about it - blood. His sweet young face was smudged too, a thick red line across the bridge of his nose. It had been a while since he'd forgotten the pain of the wound.
The screams continued, distant and muffled. They felt like they were inside his head. He cringed and prayed. He prayed that it would all be over, that the monster would disappear, that his parents would return to him safely. Why had they left him alone?
The same ninja who had been watching over him since his parents had gone into battle knelt in front of him, tired eyes filled with affection as she tried to calm him down.
"Don't worry, Iruka-kun. We'll get you out of here safely." She said with a smile. The little boy opened startled brown eyes and stared at the huge wound on her head, the blood running down her eyes red and sickly. "We just need to wait for the Hokage. Everything will be fine."
Young Iruka frowned. No. He didn't believe her. Not when she looked as weak and scared as he did, not when her hands were covered in the hot blood that spread through his hair as she stroked it. Nothing was going to be okay, the village was under attack from that monster, there was an indisputable pain on his face and his parents weren't there.
It was a nightmare.
"My parents..." he muttered, trying not to cry anymore. His voice came out weak, and he choked on a loud sob. "My parents are still there... They... They are fighting..."
Another crash, this time, loud enough to make the entire camp collapse. The medic-nins trembled, their steady hands continued to patch up their patients.
Then something happened that no one could have predicted
"The Hokage is here! Retreat!" Someone shouted, pointing to the sky. All eyes looked up, full of hope and fear.
The Nine-Tailed Fox, which now loomed too close to the village, suddenly shook its head in a different direction from the little ninjas. Little Iruka frowned at the unusual sight, while the surrounding adults cheered.
A giant toad jumped over the tired bodies and landed between them and the Kyūbi. As far as frogs go, this one was quite peculiar: it wore a dagger on its belt and a large blue haori. A tobacco pipe hung from his mouth. He had a cold, stern look in his eyes, like that of an experienced and wise warrior.
"We need to retreat! Fast! Get the boy!"
"It's okay, Iruka-kun. Let's go back home." The ninja said, sweet and painful.
Iruka widened his eyes and tried to get to his feet, but his arms and legs were shaking so badly he could barely move. He was so thin and small, and his eyes held such terror that it hurt to have to look at him. The ninja noticed his efforts and grabbed him under the arms, squeezing him tightly as she walked away.
"It's okay, Iruka-kun." She repeated. But it felt like it was more of a comfort to herself than to the child.
Iruka squirmed and punched her on the back, looking at where the fox was. Using his fingernails, he clawed at the woman's back and screamed, trying to keep his eyes on the monster, the sight of his already being taken over by the red of his wound.
"No! Stop! My parents are still on the battlefield!"
They kept running away from that nightmare.
The toad yelled at the Fox in a voice that sounded like bubbling mud. The Fox roared back in response and spun around to face the new enemy. The two great beasts clashed like raging bulls. The toad aimed his dagger and launched himself at the Fox, who snatched the weapon with its fangs. Up until this point, the monsters looked the same.
Then the fox brought out its deadliest weapon. Soon, each of the nine tails began to swipe at the helpless toad, slashing his skin and drawing cries of pain. The toad somehow managed to dodge every hit before disappearing in a puff of smoke, like an apparition.
The Fox looked confused. It didn't even notice when a man approaching, carrying on his back the symbol and pride of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Without warning, he quickly made a complicated hand sign and yelled something. On the ground, the ninjas stopped their flight to watch, frightened and curious.
"What the hell is he doing?" Inuzuka shouted, her hands holding her injured side. The leaders of the other clans prepare to join the battle once more and help the Hokage. What was happening?
Then they heard a bloodcurdling scream.
What? It could be? Was the fox screaming?
It was true! The Nine-Tailed Fox, the most powerful of the Bijū, was howling in pain.
The Shinobi gaped in amazement as a soft, glowing light erupted from the Fox. The colossal body thrashed as the earth surged golden streams and glowing, lighting the night with an almost angelic color. Like fireworks, they soared into the sky and wrapped around the Kyūbi and pulled it back to the ground. What was it? Was it a miracle?
The monster lay still, shivering slightly with the force it struggled to free itself from the chains. But it failed.
The Kyūbi, which hundreds of warriors failed to harm, slowly stopped moving and roaring. The infamous nine tails, which once turned mountains into pebbles, listlessly fell around it's body, being held together by the glowing currents. The earth shook one last time as the dead Fox sank into the earth.
There was a collective roar of happiness. The Shinobi celebrated. The Fox was trapped!
Suddenly, the light flew towards the man in the cloak, now standing in the middle of the destroyed forest. No one could see him now, and a wave of concern washed over them. The silence returned. And then, it happened.
Slowly, silently at first. A small glow from behind the trees. As if a shooting star had descended from the heavens to the earth. And it grew and grew, flickering and moving like a candle flame. A whirlwind of fire threatened to sweep through the forest that protects and surrounds the Hidden Leaf. A fierce red painted the sky, rising into the heavens with a thundering curse; and then, as if sucked into the earth by a greater force, the red vanished, falling like a shooting star.
And it all ended with an explosion of light that nearly blinded the village, the sound of a thousand thunders echoing, and one last sound of pain from the demon.
The whole thing happened in a flash, but to the anxious and weary shinobi, the moment felt like an eternity.
There was no more sound. Not even the animals of the forest or the cries of pain from the village. Just the silence of death and the feeling of defeat. One by one, the Shinobi fell to their knees and cried. Of relief. Of pain. Anger. Everyone fell and watched the destruction the Fox left. But it was no longer there to be hated. Its gigantic body disappeared into thin air as if it had never existed. Only the war scenario remained.
That's when they saw him. In the middle of the battlefield. His arms and legs were flung out to his sides, like a puppet with its strings cut. The man who had fought the Fox so bravely now lay dead. The Yondaime Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, the best and strongest shinobi. Beside him was a red-haired angel, similarly slumped to the ground, signs of exhaustion staining her perfect face.
The healers tried to revive them, but not even the best jutsu could bring people back to life. The pain of war grew stronger as the Shinobi began to count the bodies. The horizon once so beautiful to behold was now covered in bodies and ash.
Blood Blood Blood Blood Blood Blood
The teenager standing in the midst of the chaos could only see blood. His equally red hands trembled around his rigid body. He didn't move. He didn't cry. No one could see him cry. Even with the mask covering his face, he refused to cry.
He wanted to die.
"Hound! We need your help." Someone begged.
He didn't move. His eyes were locked on the motionless figure of the village's savior. People around him were crying and whispering, but they didn't seem to pay attention to what was next to him. A small altar with candles and two packages in the center.
Finally, the teenager remembered how to move his feet. He walked, one step at a time, to the altar, past the bodies, treading on the blood, kicking up dust, and stopping in front of...
He blinked and fell to the ground so hard it would have hurt, but he didn't care. His trembling, stained hands touched the packages.
"Hound, don't touch it!" His captain said gruffly.
He didn't hear, but started unwrapping the packages before anyone could stop him. From inside one of the sheets came a loud scream, and chubby little hands came out clutching the air. The other remained silent.
"Hound! Don't touch it! They... they are cursed..."
"Sarutobi-sama!"
There was a rumble, and a gentle hand fell on the teenager's shoulders, now desperate to catch the two creatures swaddled in his arms. His instincts were higher, and he drew his sword and aimed it at the neck of the person behind him.
"No need to worry, Hound." Said the smiling old man. His wrinkled face was tired. "What do you have there?"
Hound relaxed and slowly showed. In his arms, carefully wrapped, were two babies, chubby and small. Each carried something peculiar on their bellies, a huge spiral mark. And their tear-streaked cheeks had triple cat marks. One of them cried nonstop, and the other remained serene.
Hound lowered his head and hugged them both protectively. That's when everyone held their breath, watching the babies in surprise and fear.
The fox was still alive