Although the battle between Akatsuki and Yakugakure had been brief, the scale of the conflict was staggering. The clash between Jizo piloting Susanoo and the Deva Path, in particular, had been like a 'map-clearing attack', its destructive power astonishing. While Kakuzu and Sasori's engagements against Suijin and the basic clone seemed suspiciously like they were 'holding back', several large-scale ninjutsu were still exchanged. After the great battle, the mountain forests surrounding Yakugakure were almost entirely devastated.
Inside Yakugakure's Ta-kage Tower, Guren and Ishikawa looked at Kagutsuchi and Suijin with undisguised awe. Currently, only Pakura, Kagutsuchi, Suijin, Guren, and Ishikawa were present in the Ta-kage's office.
The recent battle had taken a heavy toll. Jizo's Sharingan – originally belonging to Uchiha Hui – were practically destroyed, pushed to the brink of blindness by overuse. His clone body was also nearing its lifespan limit due to the forced activation of the Body Activation Secret Technique. Immediately following the battle, Tatsuya, far away in Konoha, had reverse-summoned Jizo and the two basic clone bodies back to his lab. To preserve Jizo's consciousness and accumulated experience, Tatsuya needed to quickly cultivate a new Earth-affinity clone body and use the Earth Grudge Fear technique to perform another heart transfer. As for Uchiha Teru's damaged Mangekyō Sharingan, they could only be shelved for the time being.
After Jizo and the basic clones departed, Kagutsuchi and Suijin remained in Yakugakure. Their presence wasn't primarily to guard against Akatsuki's immediate return, but rather to prepare for Sunagakure's potential reaction. Pakura's identity had been exposed, and Orochimaru or Akatsuki could leak this information at any time. Once the news reached Sunagakure, its leadership, driven by the need to uphold the reputation of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, could not simply ignore the situation. Their former village hero establishing another hidden village in a different country would be a massive blow to Suna's prestige. Therefore, to preempt any sudden attack from Sunagakure, Tatsuya had left Kagutsuchi and Suijin behind. With the combined strength of these two clones plus Pakura herself, Yakugakure should remain secure unless Sunagakure mobilized an enormous army.
"What exactly is your relationship with Tatsuya?" Pakura couldn't help but ask, looking at the calm faces of Kagutsuchi and Suijin.
"He is the leader of our Divine Court," Kagutsuchi replied with a smile. This was the new identity Tatsuya had assigned himself – effectively, he alone constituted the entire organization.
Nearby, Guren's eyes sparkled upon hearing this, filled with delight and adoration. These powerful masters are actually Brother Tatsuya's subordinates! The realization thrilled her.
Ishikawa's face, however, was etched with shock and solemn respect. Since joining Ansei Hall, he had witnessed two major battles. In the first, Jizo had appeared and single-handedly crushed the combined forces of Kusagakure and Takigakure. This recent battle involved opponents and combat on an even more astonishing scale. And now, another organization called the Divine Court had suddenly emerged backing Yakugakure, its members each possessing incredible power. Once again, their side had emerged victorious. Ishikawa had initially assumed these Divine Court members were simply powerful mercenaries hired with money. Only now did he learn they were subordinates of the man secretly controlling both Ansei Hall and Yakugakure. If his subordinates are already this powerful, what level has his own strength reached? While filled with curiosity, Ishikawa also felt a sense of awe and excitement. Though never particularly ambitious, having initially joined Ansei Hall seeking a quiet place for retirement, he now realized he had inadvertently latched onto an incredibly powerful backer. Supported by such a mighty tree, if Ishikawa served diligently, perhaps he too could achieve something significant in the ninja world in the future.
Hearing Kagutsuchi's answer, Pakura's gaze turned complex. She looked at Kagutsuchi and asked, "What is he ultimately trying to achieve? Not only establishing Yakugakure outside Konoha, but also secretly forming the Divine Court... why doesn't he use this power to strengthen or control Konoha itself?"
Kagutsuchi shook his head. "We aren't privy to the full extent of the Leader's plans. However, the affairs of the ninja world are far less simple than you imagine. You've witnessed Akatsuki's strength, and that was only a fraction of their power. Their leader clearly wasn't going all out in this battle. If they weren't preoccupied with some other scheme behind the scenes and had decided to fight us to the death, we would have had no chance of victory."
"They weren't going all out?" Pakura exclaimed, a trace of disbelief in her voice. To ordinary shinobi, the battle between Jizo, Kagutsuchi, and the Deva Path was already like a clash between celestial beings. Even Pakura herself, now at Kage-level strength, would find it difficult to emerge unscathed if she recklessly intervened. Yet, their opponent hadn't even used their full power? That concept exceeded the limits of Pakura's imagination.
Kagutsuchi elaborated, "The Akatsuki leader possesses the Rinnegan. That technique of his, the one I interrupted, is called Chibaku Tensei. The Sage of Six Paths once used that very technique to create the moon. If he had used it at full power from the beginning of the battle, we might not have been able to escape."
Pakura fell silent. Guren and Ishikawa, listening in, also wore expressions of horror.
After a moment of silence, Pakura asked, "So, what do we do next?"
"The Leader instructed us to remain in Yakugakure and assist you in training new recruits," Kagutsuchi explained. "After this battle, Akatsuki is unlikely to launch another reckless attack anytime soon. Yakugakure can use this precious time to develop from the shadows. As for Sunagakure, with us here, you need not worry."
"Alright. I suppose that's the only way for now," Pakura nodded, her expression gradually easing.
The day after the battle concluded, large numbers of laborers and shinobi appeared outside Yakugakure. Recruited by Ansei Hall, their primary task was to repair the roads and mountain forests completely devastated by the fighting. Simultaneously, Ansei Hall began widely disseminating news about Yakugakure recruiting ninja students. Since Yakugakure was now officially established and its location exposed, there was no longer a need for secrecy. Tatsuya intended to begin expanding the village's scale openly and with great fanfare.
Although Yakugakure had been recruiting ninjas for the past three years, the results had been minimal. Currently, the total number of registered shinobi in Yakugakure was less than one hundred. Over eighty percent of these were young Ninja Academy students, while most of the remainder were Ishikawa's former subordinates.
Tatsuya's earlier plan to 'poach' Orochimaru's potential recruits had completely failed. Aside from Guren, he hadn't found Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, or Kimimaro. Even the members of the Sound Five like Sakon and Ukon were nowhere to be found.
Yakugakure desperately needed to expand its ranks of both shinobi and Academy students. High-end combat power alone could not sustain the functioning of an entire hidden village.