"All of you, go back and prepare."
Jokichi looked at the Five Kage, whose spirits seemed utterly crushed, and spoke plainly. "Evacuate everyone to a shelter capable of surviving a massive meteor shower. This includes the civilian population."
"Otherwise, my battle with Kaguya will result in an unimaginable number of casualties."
Saying that, he pulled out a scroll.
"This details the reconstruction plan after the battle with Kaguya. It includes the unification of the Shinobi World and the new system for how everyone will survive moving forward. Take a look at it yourselves."
No one answered.
Defeated by Jokichi, their will to resist utterly shattered by his overwhelming power, and having realized their complete inability to protect their villages, they had lost both the dignity and the resolve necessary to be a Kage.
In that moment, their hearts were completely dead.
Looking at the despondent figures before him, Jokichi unceremoniously shoved the scroll directly into Terumi Mei's cleavage.
"Read it carefully."
"Once you do, you might just change your minds."
After saying that, a spatial portal tore open in front of him.
Jokichi gave them one final glance before turning and stepping into the portal.
A gentle breeze drifted by.
Terumi Mei finally snapped out of her daze.
She looked down at the scroll wedged in her chest, numbly pulled it out, and opened it.
At first, she felt absolutely nothing.
But as she read further, the light gradually returned to her beautiful eyes, until finally, her entire body began to tremble with overwhelming excitement.
"Hokage! Tsuchikage! Raikage! Kazekage! Quick, read this! Things might not be as terrible as we thought!"
...
Land of Frost, Akatsuki Underground Base.
In front of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Jokichi, Konan, Nagato, and Itachi were holding a meeting.
"You've shattered the will of the Five Kage. The unification of the Shinobi World is merely a matter of integration at this point. Is it still necessary to unseal Kaguya?" Itachi raised his doubt.
"It is necessary!" Jokichi said earnestly. "As they say, one must use both the carrot and the stick!"
"Although I showed the Five Kage a fraction of my power and shattered their psychological defenses, the benefits brought by connecting to another dimension are simply far too massive."
"Those who haven't witnessed my power firsthand will definitely harbor rebellious thoughts and become obstacles to the plan."
"After all, the Five Great Shinobi Villages aren't dictatorships. Even the Kage cannot rule by absolute decree."
"If some old foxes figure out our mindset and incite the people below to stir up trouble on purpose, it'll be a massive headache. It's not like I can actually launch a massive slaughter just to set an example, right?"
"Therefore, by unsealing Kaguya and battling her, the entire Shinobi World will bear witness to my true strength. Once they see it, they will never dare entertain the thought of rebellion."
In truth, if someone really dared to jump out and cause trouble during the execution of his plans, Jokichi wouldn't mind slaughtering the chicken to warn the monkeys at all.
So, that wasn't his actual reason for wanting to release Kaguya.
His real reason was simple: he craved her abilities.
Amenominaka, All-Killing Ash Bones, Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack...
Even someone as relatively weak as Otsutsuki Urashiki had allowed him to forge so many incredibly overpowered items. Who knew what he could forge from Kaguya?
"That does make sense."
Itachi took a deep breath, expressing his agreement with Jokichi's logic.
Konan asked, "So, how confident are you in fighting Kaguya?"
The moment she asked, both Nagato and Itachi turned to look at Jokichi.
If he couldn't defeat Kaguya, then all of this was for nothing.
Jokichi smiled faintly and teased, "It's fifty-fifty!"
"Fifty-fifty..."
All three of them frowned simultaneously.
The odds were actually quite high, but when the fate of the entire world was on the line, there was no room for even a shred of carelessness.
"Relax. I wouldn't joke around with my own life."
Seeing the deep frowns on their faces, Jokichi reassured them. "My personal strength is roughly fifty-fifty. However, I have plenty of items at my disposal. With those included, my chances of winning are eighty-twenty!"
"If that's the case, then it should be fine."
The worry finally lifted from everyone's brows.
"No, eighty-twenty isn't enough. It has to be one hundred percent."
Jokichi turned to Konan with a serious expression. "I have a subordinate in Konoha named Ryohei. I need you to go find him. I'll need his strength for this battle."
"Two-Sword Ryohei, huh..."
Konan frowned slightly. "He is indeed a rare master, but in a battle of this caliber, he won't be able to intervene at all, right?"
"I have my ways."
"In that case, I will go right now."
"Make sure you aren't spotted."
"Understood!"
Konan stood up and left.
Jokichi looked at Itachi and instructed, "The Daimyo might have some complaints about the unification of the Shinobi World. Go pay them a visit."
"Understood."
Itachi also stood up and left.
The base fell silent.
Jokichi spoke again, "How is your Senjutsu training progressing?"
Nagato gently shook his head. "It's not that fast!"
"Take this!"
Jokichi pulled out a trench coat and tossed it over.
"What is this?"
Nagato caught the coat, looking thoroughly confused.
"It's a Sage's Robe that will automatically place you into Sage Mode."
This wasn't the Heavenly Robe that Jokichi possessed. This was an item he had forged through Orochimaru from Jugo.
Its functionality was even stronger than the Heavenly Robe, which had been forged by fusing Jiraiya's Nature Stone.
"With this coat, you'll be able to lend a hand in the battle against Kaguya."
"I understand."
Nagato shed his Akatsuki cloak and put the trench coat on.
"I'm going to get used to the power of Senjutsu first. I won't waste any more time here."
"Go ahead!"
Nagato departed, leaving the dim underground base in absolute silence.
Jokichi leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.
In truth, based on Kaguya's performance in the anime, he was absolutely 100% confident he could win.
But just in case, and to maximize his gains, he was making a few extra preparations.
By equipping Ryohei with Mangetsu's Soul of the Weapon, Obito's Sage Crystal, a Sage's Robe, and a Lucky Bracelet...
Ryohei's combat capability would reach the Super-Kage level, allowing him to participate in the battle against Kaguya.
With the unique properties of the Heartless Sword and the Sentient Sword, Ryohei would provide incredible support during the fight.
However, even that wasn't foolproof enough.
Jokichi sat up straight and swiped his hands across the table. A young girl's body was instantly created out of thin air.
Silver hair, silver eyes, delicate features, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Although her figure wasn't incredibly voluptuous, it was slender and well-proportioned, exuding an ethereal, unearthly beauty.
This was merely an empty vessel, lacking a soul and consciousness.
Although Jokichi could create those as well, it would consume an immense amount of his mental energy and chakra.
Thus, he took out the Heart of Life and the 'Great Filial Son'.
After placing both hearts into the girl, she opened her eyes in bewilderment. Then, like an infant, she crawled over to Jokichi and made soft, babbling noises.
A newly born life was as pure and innocent as an infant.
Jokichi had absolutely no intention of raising a child.
If he wanted to do that, he would have created an actual baby, not a teenage girl.
Thus, he pulled out a glowing orb.
This was the Monitor, an item capable of turning someone into the will of a planet.
Jokichi planned to make this girl the will of the planet, the guardian of this world once the two dimensions were connected, and his primary helper in the battle against Kaguya.
However, just as Jokichi was about to use the orb on the girl, a hand clamped firmly onto his wrist.
"Sage of Six Paths, do you wish to have your existence erased completely?"