In the Pangea Castle of Mary Geoise, within the Room of Flowers—
On the Empty Throne sat Imu, who suddenly seemed to sense something. His red eyes opened, gazing intently in a certain direction—at the end of that line of sight was Kaito.
In that moment, it was as though their eyes met across time and space, and an invisible shockwave exploded forth.
The entire Holy Land trembled violently. Countless Celestial Dragons hadn't even reacted before being thrown to the ground, startled and dazed. Their guards panicked and rushed forward, scrambling to help them up.
Once the Celestial Dragons got back to their feet, they all did the same thing—they slapped their guards hard across the face. Some, even more enraged, executed their guards on the spot in blind fury.
Shalria had been sound asleep, cuddling her Kaito plushie. Drool had already soaked the doll's head.
The sudden shaking threw her off the bed, rudely awakening her from her sweet dream.
Unlike the other Celestial Dragons, she didn't scream or throw a tantrum. Half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes and mumbled to herself,
"What's going on... Why does it feel like I can sense Kaito's presence?"
...
Back in the Room of Flowers—
Imu slowly rose from the Empty Throne. A faint smile curled on his lips as he spoke into the empty hall,
"So, you've sensed it too, Uchiha Kaito?"
At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind:
"He must've learned something... So, what now? Shall we 'retrieve' him?"
Imu's face twisted with disgust. He loathed the sensation of another presence dwelling within his own body—especially one that knew everything about him, including his most despicable deeds.
He ignored the voice and instead flicked his sleeve. A projection of Kaito's image appeared mid-air before him.
Gazing obsessively at Kaito's Rinnegan and the horn protruding from his head, Imu murmured to himself,
"You've finally grown to this level... Just as I had hoped. It truly was worth the wait."
But the voice rang out again:
"His evolution exceeded even my expectations. I didn't think a human body could progress this far!"
Imu chuckled disdainfully and mocked,
"Trash like you could never comprehend what I see. Once my plan succeeds, you'll be completely erased from existence!"
"…"
The voice went quiet for a moment before replying, ignoring the insult,
"So you won't retrieve Uchiha Kaito now? He's evolving in the right direction, yes—but he's still incomplete."
"Hmph. Of course I know that. That's why I'll continue to wait patiently. I've endured for centuries—what's a little longer?"
"You've got patience, I'll give you that. Aren't you worried he'll surpass you once he completes his evolution?"
"Don't compare me to you, a worthless failure. I have my own methods. Just wait and see."
"Then good luck to you."
With that, the voice inside Imu's mind went completely silent.
Imu snorted coldly and focused his gaze on a spot in the air.
A swirling black vortex emerged, and from within came a series of bone-chilling roars.
Through the dark portal, a blood-red eye glared at Imu with seething fury.
A normal person would've fainted from fright at the mere sight of such a monstrosity—but Imu seemed to relish it.
With eyes full of admiration, as though beholding a priceless treasure, he stared at the creature within the void and whispered with obsession,
"As long as you're here, I am invincible."
"ROAAARR!!!"
Another deafening roar rang out, but Imu didn't flinch. He continued speaking,
"Don't be impatient... Soon, you'll become a part of my body. When that day comes, Joy Boy? That stupid prophecy? I will be the one true god of this world! Hahahahahaha!"
Within the black vortex, the monster grew even more agitated. But its body was restrained by countless pitch-black threads. No matter how violently it struggled, it couldn't move an inch. All it could do was roar in impotent rage.
Imu smiled, watching the beast's "performance" like a theatergoer enjoying an opera. Its furious howls were like divine music to his ears—he could never get enough of them.
Even the monster seemed to realize it was powerless in this state. Its wrathful roars were nothing more than empty fury—utterly useless against that loathsome human. So it gave up, lying motionless on the ground, completely silent.
Imu lost interest soon after. He looked away, and the black vortex closed with it.
He turned back toward the direction of Kaito, spreading his arms wide and shouted,
"Uchiha Kaito! Whatever you desire—I can give it to you! So keep evolving! Keep going... until—"
A twisted smile crept across his face as he finished,
"Until you become its nourishment! Hahahahahahaha!"
...
The laughter echoed out of the Room of Flowers and into the Holy Land.
Inside the chamber where the Five Elders were seated, all five abruptly stood up, turning to face the direction of the Room of Flowers.
The elder in the black flat hat (we know his name is Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, but since others don't, we'll describe him by appearance) hesitated and said,
"That's Imu-sama's voice. He sounds... unusually pleased today."
The blond short-haired elder nodded. His expression, however, was far from pleased—because he had caught the name "Uchiha Kaito."
He didn't know why, but just hearing that brat's name made his blood boil. He wished nothing more than to execute this insolent fool who dared to challenge their authority.
But there was nothing he could do—Imu-sama clearly held Uchiha Kaito in high regard. He had even been severely punished himself over the boy.
So all he could do was bury that hatred deep inside. The feeling of swallowing broken teeth without complaint gnawed at his pride.
The elder in the white kimono continued calmly polishing his katana, his demeanor as serene as ever. He said flatly,
"If something brings Imu-sama joy, then it should be a good thing for us as well. No need to be so alarmed."
The elder with the facial birthmark and the long-bearded one both nodded in agreement.
Clearly, factions existed among the Five Elders—and these three were of one.
The white kimono elder was evidently the leader of that group.
The black-hatted and blond-haired elders frowned at his words, clearly displeased. They had long been fed up with this pompous bastard.
This guy's relationship with Imu-sama was noticeably closer, and the birthmarked and bearded elders always followed his lead. Whenever something happened, the three of them would close ranks immediately.
Sometimes, the other two elders even had to defer to their opinions—an intolerable situation for men of their rank.
But with Imu-sama's favor in play, they had no choice but to submit.
The blond elder grew more and more furious with every passing second. But he couldn't vent that rage on the other three.
So, through clenched teeth, he muttered under his breath,
"Damn Uchiha brat... Just you wait, I'll—"