"Welcome to our village, esteemed guests of Konohagakure."
Inside Takigakure, the village head greeted Kitagawa Gen and the others with a broad smile.
"It's been years since we last met, yet you all remain as distinguished as ever. Back then, I still have to thank you for—"
"Sir, hello, long time no see."
Jiraiya smiled as he greeted him. He still remembered this man—it had been him who had received them back then.
Time had passed, yet this man looked unchanged, and the Land of Waterfalls was still the same as before.
But they themselves had changed greatly. For instance, the Fourth Raikage from those days was no longer alive.
Shaking his head, Jiraiya felt he had been influenced by Kitagawa Gen. Collecting his thoughts, he smiled again.
"There's no need to bring up the past. Sir, you look as spirited as ever."
The two exchanged courtesies, each appearing unusually warm toward the other.
Naruto and Sasuke said nothing. They were busy curiously observing everything around them.
In the past three years they had gone on plenty of missions, but this was the first time they had entered another hidden village.
"And to think Pervy Sage actually has such a serious side?"
Naruto blinked, a little surprised, and spoke with a chuckle. Kitagawa Gen let out a soft laugh.
"Don't underestimate Pervy Sage. Even if he looks unserious most of the time, he has always been reliable."
"Indeed, Jiraiya-sama has always been that way."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. Watching Jiraiya and the village head engage in what looked like a bout of "mutual flattery," he led them further inside the village before continuing.
"Let's go. Whatever you want to say, save it for when we rest."
"Oh."
Naruto nodded. In truth, he didn't need Kakashi's reminder—his parents had already spoken up in his mind.
Sasuke, though wearing a look of disdain, kept silent until they entered the guest chamber prepared for them. Then he finally spoke up.
"These people seem half-hearted, as if they have no real intention of negotiating. And their defenses are pathetic—no barriers at all?"
"Sasuke, not every village is like Konohagakure."
Leaning against the wall, Kakashi glanced at Jiraiya, who had already set up a soundproofing barrier, before continuing.
"Sealing squads and barrier squads are precious. Only the great shinobi nations can maintain them. Takigakure is clearly lacking in that regard."
"Besides, large-scale barriers are useless against powerful shinobi or those who wield space-time techniques."
Kitagawa Gen shrugged from the side with a wry smile. His words were blunt, but Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
"That's true. Whether it was Uchiha Obito, or your last raid on Kumogakure, both relied on space-time techniques."
"But in a way, this might not be such a bad thing."
Sasuke, however, had no respect for Takigakure. His thoughts were consumed only by Akatsuki.
"Didn't Second Hokage and Third Hokage both say so? If they're attacked, all the better. I just wonder if we'll get the chance to meet them."
"You really have been corrupted."
Kakashi sighed. He felt more and more that his squad was veering toward extremes.
Fortunately, Sakura hadn't changed—her strength was lacking, but at least she hadn't gone astray. And Naruto, watched over by his parents, remained fairly well-behaved.
Otherwise, Kakashi didn't dare imagine what his squad would turn into under Kitagawa Gen's influence.
"Actually…"
Kitagawa Gen glanced sideways toward the outside, then suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"I feel they've already arrived."
"Hm?!"
Kitagawa Gen's words instantly made Kakashi and Jiraiya tense, while Sasuke and Naruto's eyes lit up.
Sasuke, even more impatient, activated his Sharingan and peered into the distance, whispering: "Senpai, have they really come?"
"Yeah. Don't forget, I've fought them before."
Kitagawa Gen nodded. Resting one hand on the windowsill, he gazed outside as he spoke slowly.
"There's no way I wouldn't have left something on them. I didn't sense it earlier, but just now…"
"Brought here by Kamui?"
Kakashi immediately caught on. He stood up, staring into the distance, while Jiraiya asked curiously: "Nagato, he—"
"He's here. In fact—"
Kitagawa Gen tilted his head, his expression turning strange.
"Even the dead ones are here."
As he spoke, his eyes fixed on the far-off horizon, and Kakashi and Jiraiya also looked that way.
In the distance, an endless curtain of black iron sand suddenly unfolded.
Like a black carpet, it instantly covered the entire sky above Takigakure!
A figure rose into the air, floating in midair and looking down on everything.
Not only that, but numerous other figures leapt onto the tallest buildings one after another.
Though their numbers weren't great, they seemed to have encircled all of Takigakure.
...
"Lord, do you think the people from Konoha came again because—"
After Takigakure's head escorted the Konoha visitors to the guest chamber, the senior officials of Takigakure had also gathered for a meeting.
Konoha's sudden arrival left them both troubled and uneasy, and they more or less understood why.
"It should be about the Seven-Tails again."
The head of Takigakure let out a sigh, speaking irritably.
"In these three years, this isn't the first time they've done this. Each time we refused, and yet they still haven't given up!"
"Hmph, Konoha is already nearly the number one shinobi power. Why are their ambitions so boundless?"
One elder couldn't help voicing his displeasure.
"They already have the Nine-Tails. Iwagakure has the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, Kirigakure has the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, Sunagakure still has the One-Tail. Altogether, they control six tailed beasts already—still not enough?"
"Perhaps it's for greater say in the alliance. The Nine-Tails may be strong, but it's only one beast."
"Then why not target Kumogakure or Sunagakure instead?"
"Maybe they do want to. Maybe their goal is three tailed beasts per village. Who knows?"
"Damn it, those greedy vampires!"
Konoha's alliance was formidable. With three great shinobi villages united, anyone would feel their scalp prickle at such a situation.
No matter what they did, others would suspect them of ulterior motives—or of internal struggles for profit and influence.
"So what should we do?"
The Takigakure head rubbed his temples, visibly pained.
"Should we keep refusing? This time they've sent Jiraiya of the Sannin, the Copy Ninja Kakashi, and…"
"The one who singlehandedly defeated both the Fourth Raikage and the Kazekage, who led a three-man squad to bring down Kumogakure, the new generation's Silver Flash, the White Fang of Konoha—the shinobi most likely to bring an end to the chaotic age…"
"Kitagawa Gen, destined to become the next Hokage!"
"Do you think this matter will be brushed aside so easily?"
With those words, the entire leadership of Takigakure sank into a deathly silence.
Though Kitagawa Gen had not made many moves in the past three years, even the few details that had leaked out about the fall of Kumogakure were shocking enough.
The Konoha alliance of three villages could never speak too openly, and as for Kumogakure, they regarded that event as a humiliation too great to bear.
Even if many of their shinobi had lost their fighting spirit, they still had their pride. How could they possibly reveal the terror and shame they had suffered?
But even a few scraps of information spreading out were enough to shake the world!
"So what are we to do?"
After who knew how long, one elder finally spoke helplessly.
"Are we really to compromise?"
"With Kitagawa Gen here, this may well be a final ultimatum."
Another elder's face twisted in pain, the struggles and helplessness of a small nation on full display.
"Do we really have no choice?"
"Let's wait and see."
The head of Takigakure let out a long sigh. Truly, there were few options left to them.
"Hm?"
Just as he was about to say more, his expression suddenly froze. He seemed to sense something.
[Zzzt—]
Above his head, the light fixtures flickered erratically, buzzing with the sound of poor contact.
The next instant, black iron sand spread across the sky, like an iron curtain blanketing the entire Takigakure!
"That's—"
They were dumbfounded, but before they could think further, a deafening explosion of power erupted!
A massive shockwave swept across the whole village. Buildings and streets at the outskirts were instantly swallowed by its force.
Under that violent power, everything was mercilessly crushed!
Smoke and dust billowed into the air, shrouding all in darkness, making Takigakure—already covered by the iron sand—even more dim and suffocating.
From within the haze came cries of every pitch, broken groans, and agonized screams weaving together in chaos.
"Damn it—what's happening?!"
The shockwave had knocked them down, but they scrambled back to their feet quickly.
Looking out the window, they saw the outer districts reduced to rubble, and even inner areas had been hit.
Countless people lay collapsed on the ground. Many houses were damaged, and some had already caved in.
The sight filled them with furious anger—and then they saw the figures looming in the sky.
The black iron sand made visibility exceptionally poor, so they couldn't clearly see who that figure was—but they knew all of this was his doing!
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