One after another, sealing tags crawled rapidly across Shukaku's entire body.
Shukaku felt an indescribable sense of suffocation.
The sandstorm in the sky gradually dissipated, slowly giving way to a clear, bright day.
Shukaku finally noticed Kawasaki performing the technique. "You're an Uchiha! Let me go, you hear me!"
"Or I'll make you regret it!"
"Drilling Air Bullet!"
Shukaku opened its massive mouth and let out a deafening roar.
But the ball of chakra-infused wind that was supposed to shoot from its mouth never appeared.
Shukaku only managed to exhale a puff of white air.
"What's going on?!"
Shukaku was aghast. Why couldn't it use the Drilling Air Bullet?
Kawasaki increased the power of the seal. The black sealing tags expanded further, binding Shukaku's body in layer after layer. Its form began to shrink, rapidly contracting from a height of fifty meters to a mere tenth of its original size.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The black seals on the ground transformed into thick, heavy walls.
A massive structure shaped like the Four Symbols Seal formed across the desert, imprisoning Shukaku completely.
Only a single opening, the size of a washbasin, remained.
No matter how Shukaku thrashed and slammed against the walls inside, causing thunderous rumbles, the structure remained utterly motionless.
Gaara already had a seal on him.
Kawasaki only needed to apply the Four Symbols Seal.
There was no need for the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
Kawasaki walked over to Rasa's side.
He gently shook Gaara, who opened his eyes.
Seeing Rasa and Kawasaki before him, Gaara felt a little more at ease.
Shukaku's enraged voice still echoed from a distance.
"Damn you, Uchiha! Let me out!"
"I'm gonna kill you all! Every last one of you!"
Kawasaki extended his hand, gesturing for Gaara to take it.
"Do you want to know how to be a proper Jinchuriki?"
Gaara looked back at Rasa, who gave him an encouraging look.
With some hesitation, Gaara placed his hand in Kawasaki's.
Holding Gaara's small hand, Kawasaki walked forward, step by step, drawing ever closer to Shukaku.
The Tailed Beast's roars grew louder and more ferocious.
Suddenly, Gaara pulled his hand away from Kawasaki's and turned to run.
Rasa, who was right behind him, gently embraced him. "It's okay, son. Dad will always be here for you."
Gaara gradually calmed down, turning back with a newfound determination in his eyes.
When he arrived before the box-like structure, he realized Shukaku was trapped inside.
No matter how deafening its roars or how violently it crashed against the walls, the building remained as solid as a fortress.
The immense noise only escaped through the small hole.
Kawasaki knelt and spoke to Gaara. "Your mother, Karura, loved you very much. After she died, she became a spirit and has been protecting you with sand."
"Now, you can try using that sand to seal this opening."
"The sand... is Mom protecting me?"
Gaara looked down at his hands, then slowly raised them.
The yellow sand on the ground began to rise gently.
A light returned to Gaara's eyes. "It's real, it's really..."
Kawasaki pointed to the small hole he had deliberately left. "To be a proper Jinchuriki, you must be able to control your Tailed Beast."
"This one talks too much. If you don't want to hear it, just use the sand to plug this hole."
Gaara, his face filled with joy as he watched the swirling sand, nodded in agreement.
With a wave of his small hand, the dancing sand slowly gathered toward the hole.
In moments, the opening was completely sealed.
Trapped inside, Shukaku immediately panicked.
"What are you trying to do! Damn you!"
"It's so dark in here! Let me out! Let me out!"
"Say something! Let me out of here!"
The once-mighty roars were now just faint, muffled echoes.
Kawasaki patted Gaara's head. "See? Shukaku isn't so scary. If it starts yelling nonsense again, just keep the hole plugged."
"When it agrees to behave, you can open it up again, okay?"
Gaara looked around excitedly. The sandstorm was gone, and the piercing screams had vanished.
As Gaara's laughter filled the air, the world blurred before Kawasaki and Rasa, and they returned to reality.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for significantly altering Gaara's life trajectory.]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Grand Sand Mausoleum Seal x1]
Seems pretty useless, Kawasaki thought. Is there any more wool to fleece from the Sand Village?
Right, Chiyo might be an option, but now isn't the time.
No matter how long passed in the mindscape, it was only the blink of an eye in the real world.
Seeing the two of them open their eyes, Yashamaru rushed over nervously. "Lord Kazekage, Lord Kawasaki, how did it go?"
Kawasaki and Rasa remained silent.
Gaara was already awake, shaking his head. "I can't hear it anymore. I really can't hear it."
His face was a mixture of joy, contentment, and exhaustion.
Gaara leaned gently against Rasa's knee, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
Yashamaru and the others braced themselves as if for a disaster.
But Rasa waved a hand. "It's alright, Yashamaru. Shukaku will no longer trouble Gaara."
A look of surprise and delight washed over Yashamaru's face. "That's wonderful! Gaara can finally get a good night's sleep."
Rasa's expression was one of heartache. How long had it been since his son had slept peacefully?
...
Land of Rain, Village Hidden in the Rain.
A gentle drizzle fell, enveloping the village in a serene quiet.
Though isolated, the residents' lives seemed much improved. Angelic origami was hung by the door of every home.
Konan was now the nominal leader of the Land of Rain. She had brought stability and earned the deep respect of its people.
Whenever Konan soared through the sky on her paper wings, the citizens below considered it a great honor to witness their angel.
But today, Konan's expression was grave. Her wings cut through the air as she flew swiftly toward the tallest tower in the center of the village.
Konan dissolved into a swarm of paper and merged into the tower. Upon closer inspection, one entire face of the tower was constructed from paper.
Nagato opened his eyes woodenly. "What is it? Why have you come to me?"
Nagato usually presented himself as the Deva Path, and Konan typically spoke with that persona. For her to seek out his true hiding place meant she had something incredibly important to say.
Konan steadied the excitement in her heart.
"Nagato, I know who killed Kyusuke and Daibutsu!"
Nagato's pupils contracted sharply. Yahiko's death had been a heart-wrenching blow, but he had not been the only loss that day.
The comrades who had stood with them through thick and thin had also fallen.
For years, Nagato and Konan had never stopped searching for the culprits, but their enemies had been too cunning.
The only clue left behind was a faint trace of Wood Style. They knew nothing else.
"Who was it!" Nagato asked in a low, heavy voice.
"It was the masked man who calls himself Madara Uchiha, and Zetsu!"
"Them?"
"Where did this information come from?! Is it reliable?"
Nagato naturally trusted Konan, but he feared she had been deceived.
Konan spoke softly. "Uchiha Kawasaki told me."
"Uchiha Kawasaki?"
Nagato repeated the name.
The leader of the Uchiha branch family had quite a reputation. Konan had even tried to recruit him once before.
Konan took out the two scrolls Kawasaki had given her.
"Nagato, Kawasaki gave us these."
"This technique is called the Impure World Reincarnation. It can summon the souls of the deceased back to the world of the living, reborn in physical form."
Nagato's entire body trembled. He quickly pulled a hand from his mechanical walker.
He picked up the scroll and examined it closely.
"You mean...?" Nagato's voice quivered.
Konan nodded in confirmation. "As long as we prepare the necessary sacrifices, we can bring Yahiko back."
But after reading the scroll, Nagato's heart sank with disappointment.
"It's only a temporary revival?"
Konan explained, "Kawasaki said if we can revive Kyusuke and Daibutsu, we can confirm whether it was truly the masked man and Zetsu who did it."
Nagato nodded. If Kawasaki had given Konan this jutsu, it was almost certain that those two were the culprits.
"So it really was them!"
"You suspected them already?" Konan asked, surprised.
"Their origins are unknown; I never fully trusted them," Nagato said. "I had my doubts, but no proof."
A flicker of hatred flashed in Nagato's eyes.
"Why would they do this?"
Konan relayed Kawasaki's words to Nagato.
Nagato's expression gradually calmed, though a storm seemed to brew within his Rinnegan. "To guide me into darkness?"
He sighed. "No! I am already in endless pain. I have transcended mortality and become a god!"
"Darkness cannot consume me. I will bring true peace to this world!"
Nagato's tone was resolute, his conviction unshakeable!
"How amusing, to think they could use a god! Ahem..."
Nagato was suddenly seized by a fit of coughing.
Konan rushed forward in concern. "Calm down. Don't strain your body."
"Hah..."
Nagato took a few ragged breaths, slowly steadying himself.
His body was constantly being drained by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and he had to control the power of the Six Paths on top of that. He was incredibly weak.
Intense emotional fluctuations were deeply harmful to him.
"Whatever their scheme is, it will be crushed beneath my Rinnegan!"
Konan looked at Nagato with mixed feelings. She couldn't predict the outcome of such an all-or-nothing path.
Nagato asked in a low voice, "What else did Uchiha Kawasaki say?"
Konan unrolled the other scroll. "This contains Madara's true identity, and the powers of his Mangekyo Sharingan."
Nagato took it and read. "Uchiha Obito... intangibility... Kamui's Dimension... lasts for several minutes... Izanagi!"
"How could it be so detailed?!"
Nagato was utterly stunned, not only by the true identity and abilities of the supposed Madara, but also by how Kawasaki could have obtained such detailed intelligence.
A ninja's most valuable asset was their personal information; protecting it was a fundamental lesson for every shinobi.
To know yourself and your enemy is to be invincible.
And this report from Kawasaki laid Obito's abilities almost completely bare, as if it had come from an insider.
Over the years, Obito had acted mysteriously, never overusing his power, which had kept Nagato wary. He knew Obito had an intangibility ability, but he had no idea how long it could last or how it worked.
Their relationship was more of a partnership than one of true trust.
In fact, to raise funds for the Akatsuki, Obito had even used his Sharingan to control the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
He had stayed in the Hidden Mist for years, providing a steady stream of resources and funds for the organization.
It had even led to an improvement in the living conditions of the people in the Land of Rain.
He never imagined Obito and Zetsu were hiding such a deep betrayal. Kyusuke, Daibutsu, and the others...
Nagato, who considered himself a god using Obito, had been used by Obito all along.
"I was just as shocked when I read it, but I believe the intelligence is real," Konan said, understanding Nagato's astonishment.
"Kawasaki said that even if we attack Obito, we won't be able to kill him. He said you should go see him personally later, and he'll reveal more."
"Nagato, what do you plan to do?"
Nagato set the scroll down.
His gaunt, skeletal face showed no emotion.
"His space-time ninjutsu is too bizarre; it's a counter to me. Until I have completely mastered the Rinnegan, we should not turn on them."
"We will continue to use them to gather manpower and funds for the organization."
"And until everything is ready, I must conceal my movements."
A section of the wall slid open, and the Deva Path stepped through. "First, we will revive Kyusuke and Daibutsu. As for Yahiko... we will discuss that later."
Konan knew Nagato didn't know how to face Yahiko yet.
After all, what they were doing now was a complete betrayal of Yahiko's original ideals.
...
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for significantly altering Konan's life trajectory.]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Paper Person of God Technique x1]
At that moment, Kawasaki was still in a meeting with Kazekage Rasa in the Sand Village.
The system's notification suddenly sounded in his ear.
It seemed Konan's fate had been changed. She likely wouldn't die at Obito's hands now. But what about Nagato?
Nagato's ideology seemed to have already deified itself, making it hard to sway.
However, they would probably turn on Obito much earlier now.
He wondered what Nagato would be able to accomplish.
Knowing Nagato's personality, he would wait until he had perfect mastery over the Rinnegan before making his move.
Just as he had done before taking his revenge on Hanzo.
...
Within the Fire Daimyo's mansion.
"What are the results of the investigation?" the Daimyo's lazy voice echoed.
The advisor below him, however, did not dare show the slightest negligence.
"My lord, regarding the 'Central Gourmet' restaurant chain spreading from the Land of Rice Paddies, we've traced its origin to the Sound Village. It was started by the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha from the Leaf Village?"
Though not an expert in ninja affairs, the Daimyo had at least heard of the Uchiha's famous name.
"Yes, my lord. Members of the Uchiha clan are also running this business in the Leaf Village."
"Did the Uchiha in the Land of Rice Paddies split from the main clan?"
"A split? Do you mean they defected from the village?" The Daimyo's curiosity was piqued.
The advisor wiped sweat from his brow and presented two reports.
"My lord, the Third Hokage claims they left of their own accord, while Lord Danzo believes the Uchiha are traitors."
The Daimyo accepted the two documents. One was a record of the Third Hokage's public statements.
The other was a special report submitted by Danzo.
Staring at the dense text, the Daimyo's brow furrowed, and his curiosity vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
He tossed the two documents aside impatiently.
The Uchiha clan splitting, some of them defecting—none of that really mattered to him.
The Uchiha clan was the Leaf Village's problem, and the Leaf Village was, in name, his partner.
It wasn't his place as Daimyo to meddle in Uchiha affairs.
But for the Third Hokage to allow such a blunder...
Hmph!
The Daimyo snorted with disdain.
"Forget it."
"So, this entire restaurant chain is an Uchiha venture?"
"That is correct," the assistant confirmed.
The Daimyo felt a pang of frustration. Even among Daimyo, there was a pecking order.
The Land of Rice Paddies—what a desolate, backwater country it used to be.
In the Fire Daimyo's eyes, the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Paddies was little more than a country bumpkin with some money.
Two years ago, when the Rice Paddy Daimyo had championed this restaurant project, the Fire Daimyo had scoffed at him.
But in just two years, Central Gourmet had spread throughout the Land of Rice Paddies, driving all other restaurants out of business.
It had achieved a monopoly in the culinary industry, and every merchant caravan that passed through sang its praises.
The Fire Daimyo found it unbelievable that the Land of Rice Paddies had managed to stimulate its entire national economy through food.
It wasn't until he read his assistant's statistical report that he confirmed it was all true.
The Rice Paddy Daimyo had made a fortune, his country's economy had grown substantially, and his ninja village had become a powerhouse among those outside the great five.
Naturally, business groups in the Land of Fire had tried to imitate the model.
However, the franchise fees were several times higher than in the Land of Rice Paddies, and the number of available slots was limited.
The Fire Daimyo saw this as a form of retaliation from the Land of Rice Paddies.
It couldn't be helped. Great nations bullied smaller ones all the time; it was only natural for them to strike back when given the chance.
The Fire Daimyo had initially tried to replicate their dishes, but even something as seemingly simple as their stinky tofu ended up neither stinky nor fragrant.
The Fire Daimyo was green with envy.
The Land of Rice Paddies had achieved a massive economic boost from this. If it were promoted in the Land of Fire, the profits would be astronomical.
However, the representatives sent by the Sound Village were as stubborn as mules.
No amount of threats or bribes could make them reveal their secret recipes. Some, upon capture, had even committed suicide by poison.
The Fire Daimyo was at his wits' end.
What he didn't know was that all the people sent by the Sound Village were Orochimaru's subordinates.
They were either brainwashed fanatics or individuals bound by a curse mark, incapable of betraying him.
And without the core recipes, successful imitation was absolutely impossible.
The Daimyo rubbed his aching forehead. Fine.
"Allocate a budget for a joint operation with Danzo. Tell him he must acquire all the recipes."
"As you command!"
...
(The exciting follow-up plot is about to reach its climax. Please show some support.)