Three days later.
Inside the Jinchūriki prison, Shukaku's voice sounded.
"Three groups of people came today, even including medical ninja you haven't seen in decades. They're all waiting for you to die, old monk. Everyone in Sunagakure, except for me, is waiting for you to die. Ahahaha! How laughable!"
Bunpuku slowly stood up. He had not eaten or drunk for three days. Staggering, he walked towards the prison exit. Seeing this, the guards hurriedly shouted, "Quick! Inform the Kazekage!"
Two beast sand claws appeared, tearing open the prison cell. Bunpuku walked out slowly. A Suna-nin who had guarded the prison for over five years was horrified to realize that the Jinchūriki could have walked out at any time. For over thirty years, the Jinchūriki had been humoring them with this charade.
"We cannot transfer the seal within the village. Let's go. Outside the village." Bunpuku walked slowly towards Sunagakure's entrance.
From the top of the Kazekage Building, Rasa led the Sealing Corps out quickly, following Bunpuku.
On the top of Sunagakure's wall, Pakura saw the Jinchūriki Bunpuku. She formed a hand seal and used the Three Gods Religion's Phantom Blood Shadow Technique to notify Wind of the Calamity Organization.
In the desert, sheltered from the wind and sand behind a rock, Minato slowly stood up.
It's time. Sunagakure is beginning the Tailed Beast weaponization...
Bunpuku walked through the desert, savoring the feeling of sand beneath his feet. The prison was wretched, but after death, he wouldn't even have the wretched prison. The night desert wind was full of chill, just like the Suna-nin behind him who eagerly awaited his death.
After walking for a long time, far from Sunagakure, Bunpuku stopped. Rasa appeared before him with a Body Flicker and placed the Bunpuku Tea Kettle on the ground.
"I leave it to you, Master Bunpuku!"
Rasa wasn't familiar with Bunpuku, but the scroll left by the Second Kazekage stated that Master Bunpuku was absolutely reliablele.
Shukaku shouted in Bunpuku's mind, "He's asking you to die, old monk. This kid is no good."
Bunpuku clasped his hands, then spread them open towards Rasa, saying, "Lord Kazekage, in the future, when Shukaku has a new Jinchūriki, impart this character for 'Love' to him. To coexist with Shukaku, one should not rely on sealing techniques alone, but on understanding and love."
Rasa nodded, agreeing. He thought the old monk was a bit naive. How could one rely on love to coexist with a weapon like Shukaku?
Rasa asked, "Master Bunpuku, I have mastered the Magnet Release Secret Technique under the Third Kazekage's guidance. Do you need my assistance?"
Bunpuku shook his head. "If no one disturbs me, I can complete the tea kettle seal myself."
"Then I must trouble you, Master."
Shukaku shouted in Bunpuku's mind, "Extracting me will kill you!"
Bunpuku pressed his palms together. "Life and death are paramount; nothing is more important than death. I am fortunate to be able to choose my way of death, to die for Sunagakure."
Bunpuku looked at the Sealing Corps ninja forming a circle in the distance and gestured for them to move further back. The Suna-nin all watched the old monk from afar. This Sealing Corps was temporarily assembled; all ninja skilled in sealing within the village had come.
Bunpuku placed the tea kettle on the ground and sat opposite it. He formed hand seals. An absolute silence fell, broken only by the rustle of the night wind over the dunes.
No one knew how long the stillness lasted—perhaps two minutes, perhaps three. Suddenly, streams of sand began to appear around Bunpuku. This was not ordinary sand; it bore black sealing formulas. Rasa had never seen Shukaku before. It was said Shukaku was a plump tanuki covered in sealing formulas. Not only could Shukaku manipulate sand, but it could also use sealing techniques.
More and more formula-covered sand appeared. An elliptical sphere of sand formed behind Bunpuku. The sphere cracked open, revealing a tanuki's maw! A piercing shriek tore through the night sky!
"I'm out! I've been imprisoned for over thirty years, and I'm finally out!"
Shukaku's elation was short-lived. A powerful chakra tugged at the sand sphere. Before Shukaku's body could fully form, the sand began pouring into the tea kettle.
"Old monk! You can't be this cruel!"
Ignoring Shukaku's shouts and screams, Bunpuku methodically sealed Shukaku away.
More and more sand surged from behind Bunpuku. The sand writhed and twisted in the air, vaguely discernible as parts of a tanuki's body. Before they could take shape, the sand was funneled into the kettle. Shukaku kept screaming, kept yelling, but could not stop Bunpuku.
A fierce wind blew, lifting the Suna-nin's headbands and bangs. Beneath one such headband were Minato's blue eyes. Minato stared intently at Monk Bunpuku, searching for the right moment to strike.
"Old monk! Bunpuku! Without a Tailed Beast, the Jinchūriki will die too! Wouldn't it be better to live a few more days with me?"
Minato was slightly taken aback. This was the first time he'd heard that extracting a Tailed Beast would kill the Jinchūriki. Kushina's life as a Jinchūriki was so hard, so dangerous.
"Old monk! Stop! Your chakra can't seal me forever! If you don't stop now, once I break free, I'll kill every single Suna-nin! I'll destroy your village!"
Hearing Shukaku's threats, the Suna-nin couldn't help but shrink back. Minato imitated the others, taking half a step backward.
Bunpuku opened his eyes and looked up at the sand sphere floating in the air. "Shukaku, do not be blinded by hatred. You won't deliberately slaughter Suna-nin, will you?"
"Shut up! You imprisoned me for over thirty years! Why shouldn't I hold hatred?!"
In its struggle, Shukaku suddenly formed an arm. Shukaku's thick claws slammed down. Seeing this, Rasa hurriedly slapped his hands on the ground. Gold dust erupted from beneath, spraying upward to intercept Shukaku's arm.
"Thief! That bastard Second Kazekage experimented on my body and actually learned my secret technique!"
Shukaku grew even more frenzied, relentlessly pounding the gold dust. The scene descended into chaos. Bunpuku's pace of sealing Shukaku's sand slowed.
Seeing this, Rasa shouted, "Sealing Corps! Assist Master Bunpuku!"
Several Suna-nin, each holding a long scroll of cloth, flung them out into the wind.
"Sealing Technique: Cloth Binding Jutsu!"
This was one of Sunagakure's secret sealing techniques, using cloth strips to bind and seal an enemy. Even Matsuri, who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy, was within the Sealing Corps. As her long cloth flew out, she wondered, Why isn't Teacher Pakura participating in such an important event?
Amidst the gaps between the numerous cloth strips, a kunai suddenly shot out. Using the cloth strips for cover, this distinctive trident-shaped kunai rapidly flew to a spot right beside Bunpuku.
Bunpuku turned his head slightly, seeing the kunai embedded inthe sand next to him. Why was this kunai so peculiar?
"Flying Thunder God!"
In the next instant, Minato's figure appeared before Bunpuku with a Body Flicker.
"Tailed Beast Release Seal!"
This was a top-tier sealing technique developed by the Uzumaki Clan specifically for Jinchūriki. Used appropriately, it could help a Jinchūriki release Tailed Beast chakra. Lord Fox could skillfully use this technique to allow Kushina to freely release Nine-Tails chakra. Used inappropriately, it could instantly shatter a Jinchūriki's seal, causing the Tailed Beast to rampage. The Uzumaki Clan had always secretly planned to have their own Tailed Beast, not just share Konoha's Nine-Tails.
Right now, Minato didn't care about appropriateness. He used the technique at full power.
Bunpuku stared in horror at the Suna-nin before him. Beneath the headband and bangs were blond hair and blue eyes. Looking down, Bunpuku saw bizarre sealing formulas appearing on his abdomen. He had never heard of such a sealing technique; it could directly collapse his Tailed Beast seal. Shukaku's chakra erupted violently!
Amidst the terrifying sand tornado, Shukaku's frenzied voice shrieked, "Hahahaha! Bunpuku! You're too old! I'm still out! Completely out!"
Minato grabbed Bunpuku's shoulder and vanished with Flying Thunder God!
When Minato reappeared, he was in the sand pit where he had first met Pakura. Pakura was waiting here for Wind Calamity.
Minato said, "I've disrupted the transfer seal for Shukaku. Now it's your turn to save the day. According to Leader Thunder Calamity's plan, use the merit of sealing Shukaku to enter Sunagakure's high command."
Pakura nodded and headed towards the location of the rampaging Shukaku.
***
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(End of Chapter)