"To run into a jinchūriki here… looks like it's the Seven-Tails from Takigakure."
Pakura thought to herself grimly.
[BOOM!]
The jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails, now in a half-Tailed Beast Transformation, vanished in a blur.
A second later—
The ground where it had just stood exploded as if struck by artillery fire.
Seeing this, Pakura quickly channeled chakra through her legs and dashed away at high speed.
Blazing fireballs materialized out of thin air, radiating heat far beyond that of ordinary flames.
They flew relentlessly toward the Seven-Tails jinchūriki.
[BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—]
The scorch-style fireballs slammed again and again into the jinchūriki's lashing, crimson tails.
Waves of scorching heat surged outward with each explosion.
But Pakura had already realized—she couldn't win this fight.
There was no way she could complete the mission Chiyo had given her.
The mission was to rescue the priestess Miroku, who had been dragged into the volcano by Mōryō,
And stop Mōryō from breaking the seal and reclaiming its original body!
"Ohohohoho!"
Just then, a strange burst of laughter echoed from afar.
A massive, earth-toned beast covered in deep blue stripes appeared.
"Ahhh, I can finally smell the air again—even if it's not exactly pleasant!"
Shukaku had barely emerged before sniffing the air instinctively, then sneered in disgust.
"This stench reminds me of that red-haired monkey!"
But such a huge creature appearing out of nowhere—
Naturally caught the attention of Shinnō, who now soared through the sky as 'Satori'.
"A fully formed Tailed Beast? Excellent… that sounds like a worthy opponent!"
Though he had fought the complete form of the Seven-Tails once in Takigakure, that had been with Black Zetsu's help.
Now, having merged with Zero-Tails and becoming the jinchūriki of Satori,
His power had soared to what he believed was a level capable of overwhelming the entire shinobi world.
And soon, the complete form of Mōryō would emerge as his second-in-command.
The shinobi world would be his for the taking.
As for that so-called 'World Government'? He'd destroy them whenever he found the time.
Let those invaders from another world learn never to covet his shinobi world again!
"Now then… I'll start by taking you down, One-Tail~~"
Satori bared its jagged fangs in a wide grin, cackling wildly as it flapped its black wings
And lunged straight at the round and pudgy-looking Shukaku.
"This guy…"
Shukaku, sensing the thick malice rushing toward him, tension surged through his body.
"Why does he seem even scarier than that damned Nine-Tails…?"
...
The chaos in places like the Land of Demons, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Swamps did not go entirely unnoticed by the forces in Rōran, which now served as the World Government's headquarters in the Shinobi World.
However, in the eyes of Sakazuki and the Other Worlds Strategic Committee, these disturbances were far from critical.
They believed that Crocodile, stationed in the Land of Earth, along with the ninja forces from various villages under his command, would be more than capable of resolving the issues.
By comparison—
The Strategic Committee was far more concerned with the arrival of three individuals who had just made it to Rōran.
One group had been brought back by the jōnin of Umigakure, Uzui Tengen—Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
Nagato's Rinnegan and Yahiko's Two-Tails, Matatabi, had already been classified as highly valuable strategic assets.
As for Konan, no one paid much attention to her.
Though she had developed her own secret art—Paper Release—and, at only twelve or thirteen years old, already surpassed many chūnin, marking her as a naturally gifted girl…
That level of talent simply wasn't worth noting in their eyes.
That said, no one suggested removing Konan from the group.
Anyone with half a brain could see how close these 'three little ones' were—like siblings bound by heart.
Forcibly separating them would only provoke resentment toward the World Government from both Yahiko and Nagato.
"This is the interior of Rōran,"
As Konan followed Uzui Tengen and the others past the gates of Rōran, she was immediately overwhelmed by the hyper-modern cityscape before her.
Skyscrapers and towering spires filled the skyline.
Everywhere she looked, wide, smooth cement roads stretched into the distance.
Massive bridges hung mid-air, connecting towering buildings on either side.
Before this, when she had gazed at Rōran from afar alongside Hanzō and the others, all she could see were dark vertical silhouettes piercing the sky.
She had assumed the place would be somewhat like Amegakure.
Who would've thought the interior held such a magnificent sight?
The ever-present black-clad soldiers, the sharply dressed men in suits, and even the occasional men and women who exuded intellect and elegance—all left Konan in awe.
And then there were the anti-aircraft guns, their barrels aimed skyward, and the ships that occasionally glided silently overhead—reminding the young girl again and again that this place was a heavily fortified military bastion.
Still, Konan's focus quickly returned to Nagato and Yahiko.
Both were still unconscious.
They had only just been transferred from the backs of the Umigakure ninja to stretchers brought by medical personnel.
Now, they were to be taken to a temporary medical ward set up inside Rōran for a thorough examination.
"Alright. From here on, Takamiya will escort you all."
After finishing his conversation with a CP8 agent who had come to ask questions, Tengen turned to Konan and smiled, saying, "Once they wake up, the task of explaining things will be up to you."
During the journey over the past few days, he had already briefed her on the World Government's affairs.
"Understood, Mr. Uzui." Konan nodded obediently.
At this point, she no longer held much fear or resistance toward the World Government.
As for the possibility of having to live long-term in Rōran—or perhaps in other worlds entirely—it might be difficult for Nagato and Yahiko to accept.
But for Konan, as long as she could stay by their side, it didn't matter where they lived.
The Land of Rain didn't hold that much importance in her heart.
...
At the same time—
At the top floor of the central tower—
Sakazuki watched expressionlessly as the figure of Ōtsutsuki Masato slowly vanished behind the closing elevator doors.
This patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki clan had come alone with Enel.
The rest of his kin remained on the Moon for the time being.
Once negotiations were complete, they would act according to the World Government's instructions.
From this point forward, Ōtsutsuki Masato would serve as the representative of the Ōtsutsuki clan of the Shinobi World, heading to the 'Titan World' for high-level talks with the Strategic Committee.
...
After successfully subjugating the Moon, Enel handed over control to the arriving Air Force fleet and immediately returned to Starfish World.
Because compared to these minor matters in the Shinobi World—
He cared far more about the cosmic pirates who had once attacked Starfish.
By now, all high-ranking officials within the Air Force headquarters were aware:
Those cosmic pirates had established a base on the fifth planet in this star system—and could launch a new assault on Starfish at any moment.
From this point on—
The World Government's gaze finally shifted from within the planet… to beyond it.
Unfortunately, the Air Force's current fleet still lacked the capacity to break through the atmosphere and travel through the vacuum of space to reach another planet.
Even if only one planet stood between them—
All they could do was wait for the Academy of Sciences to fully decode the technology used in those space pirate vessels.
Until then, the World Government could do nothing but adopt a passive defensive stance.
...
Back on Sakazuki's end—
Ōtsutsuki Masato had just left not long ago when Shiryu's figure emerged from the slowly opening elevator doors.
This made Sakazuki halt just as he was about to return to his office.
"General Akainu, Aramaki has returned with the Konoha delegation. They're currently undergoing inspection at the city gate," Shiryu reported.
"Also, the Other Worlds Strategic Committee has sent an invitation—they hope you can attend the upcoming discussion as the military's representative."
Shiryu now looked much more proper than before. The usual mocking sneer on his face had faded considerably—
Though his gaze still carried a certain menace.
"Tell them I'll be there on time," Sakazuki replied.
Though he had said earlier that he had no interest in meeting a so-called 'dead man'—
He couldn't help but be somewhat curious about Senju Hashirama, the so-called God of the Shinobi World who had once defeated Aramaki in direct combat.
After all, Aramaki's current strength would have been more than enough to qualify him for the rank of General in earlier times.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Shiryu turned and stepped back into the elevator, ready to return to his quarters and pass Sakazuki's response to the Strategic Committee.
"That just leaves the Land of Water… Kuzan should be arriving soon."
As Sakazuki walked toward the staircase leading down to the lower levels, he muttered under his breath.
Truthfully, this campaign to conquer the Shinobi World had posed no real challenge to him.
He wasn't even sure if he'd get the chance to fight personally.
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