Inside the quiet sanctuary of the Hyūga compound, Akira lay motionless on his living room sofa, letting his breathing equalize as his exhausted chakra network slowly began to churn once more. Nearby, his ninja pets roamed freely through the house—Po the panda lazily waddling across the wooden floors, and Snowy padding around on soft paws, both keeping a low-key watch over their drained master.
Outside these walls, however, Konoha had descended into complete chaos.
The village was reeling. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage—the brilliant "Yellow Flash" and the very pillar of faith for the new generation—had fallen. Smoke billowed from the shattered residential districts, and emergency sirens wailed through the night as ninja from every active corp were deployed to assess the catastrophic damage, treat the wounded, and tally the heavy losses. Each shinobi had a role to fulfill, working through the dark hours under a pall of grief.
Deep underground, far from the burning surface, a very different kind of crisis was unfolding.
Danzō Shimura stood before the smoking, cave-in ruins of Root's primary vault. The stone walls were scorched black, shattered remnants of high-level seal pillars littered the floor, and his most secret holdings were simply gone.
His weathered face contorted in pure, unadulterated fury.
"Who did it?!" Danzō's voice echoed violently off the broken stone, ringing like a thunderclap. "Who was it?!"
Around him, a dozen elite Root subordinates kept their heads pressed low against the damp floorboards, trembling in silence. None dared to offer a weak excuse to a man whose rage could mean instant execution.
"Well, well, Danzō... what on earth happened here?" a snakelike voice hissed from the shadowy entrance of the corridor. "Did the Nine-Tails decide to pay your little sanctuary a visit as well?"
Danzō snapped his head toward the direction of the voice.
Orochimaru stepped out from the darkness, his pale skin glinting under the flickering seal lamps. A creepy, mocking smile played across his features, his long tongue twisting unnaturally over his lips as he surveyed the wreckage.
Forcing his breathing under control, Danzō suppressed the dark rage boiling in his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Orochimaru," he demanded in a ice-cold tone. "Where were you during the attack?"
Orochimaru merely chuckled, his golden snake eyes narrowing with amusement. "I was at my personal laboratory, of course—diligently researching that project of yours."
Danzō let out a sharp, dismissive snort. He knew better than to trust Orochimaru completely, but now was not the time to turn on his secret ally. He turned his back on the ruined vault and began marching toward the exit.
"Come with me to the Jonin council meeting," Danzō ordered grimly. "With Minato gone, this is our chance to secure the Hokage seat."
A wide, lingering smile stretched across Orochimaru's face. "Then by all means... let us go."
As the two walked side-by-side through the subterranean tunnels, Danzō's mind raced behind his calm, stoic mask.
"If Orochimaru was truly inside his laboratory the entire time... then who was the rat with the guts to steal my ultimate collections?" Danzō pondered bitterly. "Even the Aburame clan's tracking insects lost the intruder's chakra signature instantly inside the drainage tunnels. I will investigate every single leads later—but for now, my priority must be suppressing Hiruzen and seizing control of the village."
The long, heavy night eventually gave way to the pale light of dawn.
Waking up feeling significantly refreshed, Akira stretched his limbs and stepped out of his house into the cool morning air, with Po ambling faithfully by his side.
Scanning the surrounding estate with a quiet glance, Akira noted inwardly, "The Hyūga clan territory really was the least impacted during last night's disaster. Our defensive barrier held up well."
However, as he walked further into the village proper, the contrast was stark and brutal. The inner districts housing the Uchiha, Yamanaka, and main commercial market sectors were almost completely leveled by the Nine-Tails' rampage—reduced to fields of shattered timber, fallen roof tiles, and lingering ash.
"Akira!"
A Hyūga clan shinobi stopped him near the main pathway, his expression solemn. "Make sure you prepare yourself today. All clan members are expected to attend the Hokage's formal funeral service this evening."
Akira gave a respectful nod to the elder ninja. "Understood. I'll be there."
Before heading back, Akira made a quick sweep around the village to check on his clan peers and academy classmates.
When he met up with his Hyūga relatives, the conversation quickly turned to the terrifying night prior. "Did you see its eyes?" one of the clan members whispered in hush tones. "The Nine-Tails... its eyes had the Sharingan pattern spinning inside them. The Uchiha are going to face heavy scrutiny for this."
Later, when Akira dropped by to see his academy friends, the mood shifted dramatically. After making sure everyone was safe and uninjured, their attention immediately gravitated toward the fluffy creature standing next to Akira.
"Wait, Akira... is that a panda?!"
"He's so squishy!"
The girls in the group instantly squealed, surrounding Po and reaching out to pet his thick fur. Overwhelmed by the sudden swarm of eager hands, Po let out a soft whine, ducked behind Akira's leg, and clung tightly to his pants with both paws, refusing to let go no matter how much they coaxed him.
By the time Akira finally returned home, the morning sun was fully up.
Feeling the familiar rumble in his stomach, he headed straight into the kitchen to whip up a lavish, hearty breakfast for himself and his loyal companions.
For Po, he prepared a massive bowl filled with fresh, tender sugar cane shoots thoroughly drizzled in wild honey. For Snowy, he poured a dish of chilled, iced milk alongside a generous plate of thickly sliced smoked beef.
For himself, Akira cooked a steaming bowl of fragrant egg fried rice paired with tender, seared deer meat seasoned with local spices.
Sitting down at the table with his pets happily munching away beside him, Akira took a bite of the warm meal, a peaceful, satisfied smile spreading across his face.