Inside the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Waves.
Yugito Nii awoke with a jolt.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
She sat up abruptly and scanned her surroundings, her expression one of confusion.
Clearly, she was no longer in the Demon Realm's Sealing Temple.
She remembered enduring Yomi's attack—how had she ended up here?
A chill ran down Yugito Nii's spine.
Matatabi!
Without caring where exactly she was, she immediately submerged into the sealed space.
In the dim environment, a massive cat cloaked in blue flames stood out clearly.
"Matatabi?"
Yugito called out loudly.
But Matatabi didn't react.
She frowned, deeply puzzled.
This was the first time in all her years as a jinchuriki that anything like this had happened.
During the battle, Matatabi had suddenly blacked out.
Could it have been Genjutsu?
But that shouldn't be possible.
A perfect jinchuriki shouldn't be susceptible to illusions.
Yugito took a step closer, observing Matatabi from a short distance.
After a moment, shock crossed her face.
Was it… asleep?
What was going on?
Yugito called out again, louder this time.
"Ma-ta-ta-bi!"
Her deafening shout echoed.
Finally, Matatabi reacted.
It blinked its huge eyes open, staring at Yugito in obvious confusion.
Soon after, Matatabi looked panicked.
"Yugito, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"...?"
A sense of dread quickly rose within Yugito.
Matatabi was afraid.
This felt even more terrifying than waking up here in this strange room.
"I'm fine."
Still confused, Yugito asked, "But why are you reacting like this?"
Matatabi fell silent instantly.
"When Yomi was gathering his strength for an attack, I sensed chakra similar to that of the Sage of Six Paths. But even purer than his was."
That shocked and terrified him completely.
Put simply—they'd encountered someone unimaginably powerful.
"Matatabi?" Yugito pressed, frowning deeper. "You're not telling me what's going on? After everything we've been through together?"
Being a perfect jinchuriki meant mutual understanding between the host and the tailed beast.
Like soulmates or the closest of friends.
"We weren't defeated by Yomi."
Matatabi took a deep breath and said, "Someone else defeated us. Yomi was under his control."
"You mean Moryo?"
Yugito asked instinctively.
"No, not him either. Even Moryo was being controlled."
Matatabi's words froze Yugito in place.
From her brief skirmish with Yomi, Yugito had a rough idea of Moryo's power.
Not as strong as tailed beasts, but still a threat most ninja couldn't hope to defeat alone.
How could he possibly be controlled?
In her mind, such a colossal being could only be sealed—not controlled.
Only very few people even knew the Mangekyo Sharingan existed.
"Wait—you suddenly went silent because you were controlled too?"
Yugito sucked in a sharp breath, her body instinctively trembling at the words.
"Correct."
Matatabi was silent for two seconds before admitting.
"..."
Yugito Nii froze in place.
Coming from anyone else but Matatabi herself, she would've dismissed it as complete nonsense—the kind someone delirious with illness might say.
"Do you know his identity?"
After a long silence, Yugito pulled herself together and asked.
As proud as she was, even she understood just how unfathomable it was to control tailed beasts.
"It could be connected to the Sage of Six Paths."
Matatabi's tone grew serious.
"What are you saying?"
Yugito's face immediately filled with confusion upon hearing this. "But wasn't the Sage of Six Paths already dead?"
"Hmm."
Matatabi nodded slightly, saying, "However, the chakra he used was indeed extremely similar to the Sage of Six Paths' chakra."
Yugito didn't know what to say anymore.
If this person was connected to the Sage of Six Paths, then his strength must be beyond imagination. It'd make sense that he could control tailed beasts.
Still, none of this made any sense.
How could someone connected to the ninja world's legendary ancestor—who had died a thousand years ago—suddenly appear now?
"There's someone approaching."
Matatabi's sudden words snapped Yugito back into alertness.
"Be careful. You've got a sealing technique planted inside you and won't be able to use chakra temporarily."
"..."
Now Yugito finally understood why she had woken up in a room instead of a prison cell.
She had exited the sealed space.
Since the other party didn't kill her, it meant she still had some usefulness.
Such a mysterious powerful figure must be an enemy of Kumogakure.
She intended to investigate further during this opportunity.
She just hoped her seven teammates were safe.
Taking a deep breath, Yugito looked toward the opened door.
"How is this possible?!"
Her eyes widened in shock—her face twisted in disbelief.
She would've been ready for anyone… except Natsume.
The new Hokage she'd assumed was all talk.
"Was it you who controlled Matatabi and brought me here?"
Even now, Yugito couldn't wrap her head around it.
"That's exactly right."
Natsume smiled and admitted openly.
"...I feel lightheaded."
Even Yugito felt dizzy.
She'd thought he was just another kid, but he turned out to be a real shark.
Oh…,
At this moment, she suddenly felt regret.
She should've been more cautious earlier.
But who could possibly expect someone so terrifying existed?
In her mind, the strongest ninja in the ninja world was the Fourth Raikage, A.
Without even being a jinchuriki, he wielded power that rivaled B's—the perfect jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails.
Thus, she had never believed in those rumors about Natsume.
"Are you trying to spark a war between Kumogakure and Konoha?"
Through gritted teeth, Yugito growled, "I suggest you let me go right now, or the Raikage will—"
Before she could finish, searing pain shot through her body like needles.
"You bastard!"
Collapsing to the ground, Yugito glared at Natsume, her eyes burning with hatred.
"You don't understand the situation at all."
Natsume stepped in front of her and slammed his foot onto her face, asking, "You died by Moryo's hand. What does that have to do with me?"
Yugito Nii's pupils immediately constricted.
It finally clicked for her.
Why had all seven of her teammates been seriously injured but not killed?
Earlier, she assumed Yomi had been too eager to break the seal to bother finishing them off.
But since it was Natsume in control now, that reasoning no longer held up.
It was meant to make them witness her death at Moryo's hands.
In other words, to Kumogakure, she wasn't missing—she was dead.
Fourth Raikage A would naturally not go to war with Konoha over someone already deceased.
Some people may still be alive, yet already dead.
This phrase perfectly described her current state.
A flicker of fear crossed Yugito Nii's face.
"Looks like you've figured it out."
Natsume crouched down and brushed the dust from her face.
"What the hell do you want?!"
Yugito Nii pulled her head back, but the seal's punishment had sapped every ounce of strength from her body. She could only allow him to touch her helplessly.
"What for?"
Natsume raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Isn't this entirely your fault to begin with? I was just peacefully carrying out my mission when you showed up to provoke me."
Yugito Nii inwardly confirmed this was indeed the reason.
But given her personality, apologizing or backing down was simply not in her nature.
"Kill me!"
Her glare burned with murderous intent toward Natsume.
As though it were him facing death, not her.
"Quite spirited."
Natsume wasn't surprised.
"Hmph! Ninja from Kumogakure never surrender!"
Yugito Nii once again exuded her queenly pride.
As if dying with dignity was her final act.
"Not so fast."
Natsume curled his lips into a smirk and asked, "With that pride of yours, you must think no torture could ever pry your lips open?"
"Exactly!"
Yugito Nii glared at him viciously, saying, "Go ahead and try anything—you won't get a single sound out of me!"
"Now that's a glare."
Natsume nodded appreciatively, then snapped his fingers.
Yugito Nii's body suddenly jolted.
Chakra crackled into arcs of lightning around her.
"Ahh!"
Yugito Nii couldn't help curling up, her gaze still fierce as she shouted, "Damn you! What are you doing?!"
"You said I could do whatever I wanted," Natsume shrugged. "So I'm just following your instructions."
At this moment, he became the Lightning Emperor himself.
"Aaaaah!"
Electric currents surged through Yugito Nii's trembling body, stripping away what little control she had left. "Guh… kill… kill me!"
Naturally, Natsume ignored her plea and simply watched.
Truth be told, Yugito Nii truly possessed extraordinary willpower.
However, eventually, however, cries of pain slipped past her lips despite herself.
"D-Damn… y-you…"
Yugito Nii shouted with what little strength remained.
"So this is the pride you boasted about?" Natsume looked at her flushed expression and couldn't help smiling.
"I'll… kill you…!"
Yugito Nii, pale-faced, spewing empty threats.
"I'll wait for you."
Natsume smiled nonchalantly. "You should train in Lightning Release ninjutsu for a few days."
He closed the door and set up a barrier.
Yugito Nii had a fiery personality. He planned to give her some time to cool off first.
After all, as a jinchuriki sustained by Matatabi's chakra, she wouldn't die even if she were tortured endlessly.
Natsume exhaled.
How to explain... He actually was a good person at heart.
Since Yugito had gone too far, he wanted to help her change so she could start fresh.
[The Flying Thunder God Technique] activated.
Natsume left the Land of Waves.
Scene shifts to the Sealing Temple in the Land of Demons.
After confirming Yugito's death, the middle-aged man took command of the team.
"The mission ends here," he said.
Their group had suffered heavy casualties—most were dead or wounded, leaving them with no combat strength.
"Send a message to Shion, the miko of the Land of Demons," he continued. "Tell her that Yomi has broken the seal on Moryo's soul and is heading toward the Land of Swamps."
The man sighed, then added, "Have her send reinforcements to support Konoha's ninja."
Even if Kumogakure sent more people now, it would already be too late.
Stopping Moryo and Yomi would fall entirely upon Konoha.
"Captain, we found Danzo Shimura."
Just then, a young man stepped forward. "He's seriously injured and not far from here, but his condition seems a bit odd."
Instantly, the middle-aged man moved ahead a few steps and saw Danzo Shimura—and the growth emerging from his right arm.
His eyes lit up.
Perhaps bringing him back would give him a chance to redeem himself.
[End of section]
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