Chapter 211 – Take Action!
"Welcome, honored guests of Konoha."
Inside Takigakure, the village head greeted Kitagawa Gen and his companions with a broad smile.
"It's been years since we last met, and you all remain as impressive as ever. Back then, we were indebted to your help—"
"An honor, sir. It has been a long time," Jiraiya said warmly, raising a hand in greeting. He still remembered this man—it was he who had received them on their previous visit.
The years had passed, but Takigakure remained unchanged. Its leader looked almost the same as before, yet Jiraiya and his group were no longer who they once were. After all, even the Fourth Raikage had fallen since those days.
Shaking his head at the thought, Jiraiya realized he was letting Kitagawa Gen's cynicism rub off on him. He straightened his expression and smiled.
"There's no need to mention the past. You, too, look as vigorous as ever."
The two exchanged pleasantries with exaggerated cordiality, while Naruto and Sasuke kept silent, their curious eyes wandering over their unfamiliar surroundings.
It wasn't their first mission outside Konoha, but this was their first time entering another hidden village so openly.
"Hard to believe the Pervy Sage can actually act this serious," Naruto whispered in surprise, grinning.
Kitagawa Gen chuckled. "Don't underestimate him. He may look unreliable, but he's always dependable when it counts."
"That's true," Kakashi agreed, nodding. He watched Jiraiya and the Takigakure leader carry on their "diplomatic flattery" before guiding the group deeper into the village.
"Come. Save the serious talk for after we've rested."
"Got it."
Naruto nodded. He didn't need Kakashi's reminder—his parents' voices in his mind had already told him the same.
Sasuke, though visibly unimpressed, held his tongue until they reached the guest quarters prepared for them. Only then did he speak up.
"These people seem half-hearted. They don't look like they want to negotiate at all. And their defenses? Pathetic. They don't even have a barrier."
"Sasuke, not every village is like Konoha," Kakashi said, leaning against the wall. Jiraiya, meanwhile, was already setting up a soundproofing barrier.
"Barrier teams are rare. Only the great nations have them. Takigakure is still a small village."
"And besides," Kitagawa Gen added with a shrug, "even the strongest barrier won't stop a top-tier ninja—or anyone with space-time ninjutsu."
"True," Jiraiya nodded. "Obito's Kamui, or your strike on Kumogakure last time—both bypassed barriers."
"But perhaps that's a blessing in disguise."
Sasuke wasn't impressed. His mind was already on the Akatsuki.
"Didn't the Second and Third Hokage both say? If they're attacked, all the better. Who knows—we might finally run into them."
Kakashi sighed. "You really are picking up bad habits." He was beginning to worry about his team's increasingly extreme outlook.
At least Sakura had stayed level-headed, even if her strength lagged behind. And Naruto, with his parents watching over him, remained relatively grounded. Without that balance, Kakashi shuddered to think what Kitagawa Gen's influence might have turned them into.
"Actually…"
Gen tilted his head, eyes flicking toward the window. His voice dropped.
"…I think they're already here."
"What?!"
Kakashi and Jiraiya's expressions sharpened instantly, while Sasuke and Naruto's eyes lit up.
Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan, peering into the distance. "They're here? Really?"
Gen nodded, one hand resting casually on the windowsill.
"I've fought them before. Of course I left a little something behind. I couldn't sense it earlier… but just now, I felt it."
"Brought in by Kamui?" Kakashi asked grimly.
"Long ago, I'd say yes. But now…" Gen's tone grew heavier. "…Even the dead ones are here."
His words hung ominously in the air as the others turned their gazes outward.
In the distance, a vast curtain of black iron sand unfurled, blotting out the sky over Takigakure like a suffocating shroud.
A lone figure rose into the air, floating high above as he surveyed the village below.
Around him, more figures leapt onto rooftops, their positions encircling Takigakure. They weren't many in number, but their presence was suffocating—an unmistakable siege.
---
Meanwhile, in the council chamber, Takigakure's leadership debated furiously.
"Are they here for the Seven-Tails again?"
The village head rubbed his temples in frustration. "For three years, Konoha has pressed us over this. We've refused every time, yet they keep coming back!"
"They're too greedy!" an elder snapped. "Konoha already has the Nine-Tails. Iwagakure controls the Four and Five-Tails. Kirigakure has the Three and Six. Sunagakure has the One-Tail. That's six tailed beasts already! Isn't that enough?"
"Maybe they want more leverage in the alliance," another muttered. "The Nine-Tails is powerful, yes, but it's still only one beast."
"Then why not pressure Kumo or Suna instead of us?"
"Perhaps they will. Perhaps they want three beasts in each village. Who knows?"
"Damn parasites… bloodsucking leeches!"
The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone knew the truth: Konoha's new alliance with Suna and Iwa had made them a superpower. Any move they made sent ripples of suspicion through the entire shinobi world.
"What do we do?" one elder finally asked, voice heavy. "Do we keep refusing? This time they sent Jiraiya of the Sannin, Copy Ninja Kakashi, and…"
"…the man who defeated the Fourth Raikage and Kazekage singlehandedly. Who, with only two companions, crushed Kumogakure. The 'Silver Flash,' heir to Konoha's White Fang. The one most likely to bring peace—or domination—to this era…"
"…Kitagawa Gen. The next Hokage."
Silence fell like a funeral shroud.
Takigakure's leader exhaled bitterly. "With him here… do you really think we can just brush this aside?"
The elders exchanged uneasy looks. They knew the truth—small nations had no choice when giants decided to play.
But before they could decide, the ceiling lamps above flickered. A strange, buzzing static filled the chamber.
Then—
Zzzzzhh!
Black iron sand surged across the sky, sealing the village under a vast, crushing dome.
"What—?!"
The council members scrambled to the windows. Their hearts froze as they saw the devastation: buildings shattered, streets torn apart, villagers crying out beneath a storm of overwhelming power.
And then, a voice—cold, merciless, echoing through the iron-shrouded air:
"Hand over the Seven-Tails… or suffer the consequences."
The Takigakure shinobi froze. That voice left no doubt.
The Akatsuki.
And as the smoke cleared, they caught sight of crimson hair, black cloaks patterned with red clouds. Recognition struck like a knife.
"Them…! Those are the ones who fought Kitagawa Gen three years ago!"
The council's blood ran cold. Whether coincidence or conspiracy, the timing was too perfect. Konoha had arrived, and almost immediately—so had the Akatsuki.
Were they enemies? Allies? Or… something far worse?
"Attack!"
Takigakure's ninja surged into battle.
Nagato remained still, hovering in the air. But the others—Akatsuki's resurrected dead—moved to slaughter.
In moments, the entire village was a battlefield.
---
Back in the guest quarters, Kitagawa Gen watched the chaos unfold from the window. He shook his head with a wry smile.
"What a performance."
"Why are they doing this?" Jiraiya muttered, his voice low, fighting down his unease. "Don't they care about uniting the world against them?"
"They're after the tailed beasts, that much is clear," Kakashi said grimly. "But still—"
Kakashi gave a slight nod, his Sharingan scanning the battlefield for any trace of Uchiha Obito as he spoke in a low voice.
"Don't you think this is going too far? Even if they are wanted criminals, this level of aggression is… unexpected."
"Not really unexpected," Kitagawa Gen replied, shaking his head. "From the start, they've never been weak. Remember the first time they struck? They flattened Sunagakure and even captured the Kazekage. Compared to that, targeting Takigakure now is them holding back."
He smirked faintly, his gaze drifting outward. "Besides… the entire shinobi world still has a far greater target standing in their way."
"So what? We're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Naruto's voice cracked with frustration. Watching his comrades remain motionless was unbearable to him.
"Just standing by isn't right!"
"There's nothing wrong with it." Kitagawa Gen's voice was calm, almost casual. "Let them move first. It doesn't hurt to let Akatsuki tire themselves out."
He glanced at Sasuke, who was also intently scanning the battlefield—his eyes seeking a glimpse of Uchiha Itachi. The fact that Sasuke hadn't immediately charged in spoke volumes. He was finally starting to act like a true shinobi.
"But… but…" Naruto clenched his fists, his body trembling. His heart burned as outside, jutsu roared and Takigakure's shinobi fell one after another. The screams, the crashes, the endless destruction—it all hammered against his spirit.
Kitagawa Gen's tone remained steady. "Didn't the Second and Third Hokage already say it? Sometimes the shinobi world needs to see the danger Akatsuki poses. Why aren't you listening to the Hokage's orders, Naruto?"
"I—I'm not ignoring them, I just…"
Naruto's voice faltered. He looked out the window at the chaos, his chakra already surging wildly inside him. He couldn't bear it any longer. He was moments away from breaking.
"Tell me something, Naruto," Kitagawa Gen suddenly said, eyes narrowing as he continued watching the battlefield. "When are people most likely to lower their guard? When is their defense at its weakest?"
"Huh?" Naruto froze, confused by the question. But before he could respond, a cry rang out across the village:
"We found it! The Seven-Tails' jinchūriki is here!"
Instantly, every head snapped toward the source of the shout.
And at that exact moment—
Violent chakra erupted, shaking the very foundations of the room. Walls groaned. The air quaked.
High above, Nagato suddenly sensed it—danger. His eyes widened.
In the blink of an eye, a flash of violet lightning cleaved through the air. Silver pupils glared into his own as the short blade of the White Fang came crashing toward him, wreathed in terrifying purple sparks.
Back in the guest chamber, the faint echo of Kitagawa Gen's last words still lingered:
"It's when they believe victory is already theirs…"