Chapter 162: Subduing the Tailed Beasts with Virtue
The Nine-Tails glared at the shinobi before it with unbridled hostility.
At that moment, all eyes were on Uchiha Dali. Nearly everyone assumed that with the Nine-Tails being so defiant, Uchiha Dali was about to step in and give it a proper beating.
But to everyone's surprise, he didn't.
With his arms crossed and a relaxed expression, Uchiha Dali said, "Nine-Tails, work with me."
"If we all coexist peacefully, I won't make things hard for you. But you must follow my commands."
The Nine-Tails immediately let out a cold laugh.
"Brat, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you dreaming?"
"How could I ever follow the orders of a mere human child? Do you think I'm like them?"
Even as it replied to Uchiha Dali, it didn't miss the chance to mock the other Tailed Beasts as well.
He had long expected such a response.
Tailed Beasts were known for their fierce and unruly natures.
Very few humans could get along with them peacefully.
Just from the Nine-Tails' current attitude—still mouthing off even while restrained—it was obvious that brute force alone wouldn't be enough to bring it to heel.
But judging by the situation now, even trying to reason with it might not work.
Uchiha Dali's expression turned a touch colder.
"So it's finally about to begin…"
Sensing the change in his expression, Hyuga Hiashi couldn't help but speak up.
Akimichi Choza wore a slightly gloating expression as he added, "Offending the Fourth Hokage, even a Tailed Beast is going to suffer."
"Is the Nine-Tails about to get beaten up?" Inuzuka Claw glanced at the massive Nine-Tails, then looked at Uchiha Dali's back, a mix of lingering fear and anticipation in his eyes.
To the Konoha ninja, watching the Fourth Hokage trounce the Nine-Tails was a deeply satisfying prospect—something to look forward to.
After all, the Nine-Tails' rampage had caused untold destruction and casualties in the village.
If not for its immense value, just about every ninja present would have been eager to tear it apart.
Everyone watched with eager anticipation, waiting for Uchiha Dali to strike and teach the Nine-Tails a lesson.
But once again, Uchiha Dali didn't do what they expected.
Faced with the Nine-Tails' blatant defiance, Uchiha Dali didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled.
"You don't have to be so guarded against humans. Not everyone is out to exploit your power."
"The only reason I sought you out is to protect you."
"There's another guy with the Sharingan who has his eye on all of you. He's trying to gather the power of all nine Tailed Beasts for something terrible…"
Uchiha Dali began explaining to the Nine-Tails.
Although its eyes still held hostility, upon hearing that someone else with the Sharingan was after them—and that the man clearly wasn't from Konoha—the Nine-Tails' attitude began to shift ever so slightly.
At that moment, the Four-Tails spoke up as well.
"He's telling the truth, Kurama. That's exactly why we came here."
"You know just how dangerous the Sharingan can be, don't you?"
The Four-Tails' words struck deep.
Whether it was the Nine-Tails or the others, the Sharingan was undoubtedly one of the powers they feared most.
Another power that struck fear into them was Wood Release—the Bloodline Limit.
In the hands of someone strong enough, either of these could pose an immense threat to them.
"So you've all seen this powerful enemy?" the Nine-Tails asked, eyeing the other Jinchūriki with a mixture of skepticism and concern.
It could see the other Tailed Beasts sealed within their hosts.
"I haven't encountered him personally. Not sure about the others," the Four-Tails replied.
"I haven't either. It was Uchiha Dali who told me," added the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
"I'm aware of it," the Six-Tails, Saiken, chimed in. "Though I never fought them directly, I sensed their presence when they tried to invade Kirigakure."
"That man was about to target the Fourth Mizukage when Uchiha Dali showed up and stopped them. Unfortunately, the Three-Tails was already captured by that guy, and we haven't seen it since."
The Six-Tails' account was solid and reliable.
Hearing this, the Nine-Tails, Four-Tails, and Five-Tails all reacted with visible alarm.
Especially the Nine-Tails.
It muttered to itself, "No wonder I couldn't sense the Three-Tails' chakra at all… I thought it had just been sealed away again by some human. But it seems the truth might be far worse…"
Tailed Beasts shared a unique sensory connection.
As long as they were within a certain range, they could easily sense each other's presence—and even communicate telepathically.
Right now, the Nine-Tails couldn't detect the Three-Tails' presence at all.
But back when it had tried to break free of its seal while Kushina Uzumaki was weakened, it had definitely sensed the Three-Tails nearby.
That creature had come as close as the outskirts of Konoha.
Now, the Nine-Tails was beginning to believe Uchiha Dali.
More precisely, it trusted its own judgment and strength.
"If that guy's hunting us to fulfill some sinister ambition… then what about you, Uchiha Dali?" the Nine-Tails asked, turning its massive head toward him.
"What's your ambition?"
Its voice rumbled like thunder, resonating not just in Uchiha Dali's heart but in the ears of every ninja present.
Even the elite Anbu members maintaining the Four Violet Flame Formation around the Nine-Tails perked up and listened intently.
Everyone wanted to hear how Uchiha Dali would respond.
"To unify the ninja world," Uchiha Dali answered without hesitation.
"…What?"
The Nine-Tails froze for a second.
"To unify the ninja world? You're saying—unify the ninja world?!"
After a brief moment of disbelief, it burst into uncontrollable laughter, as if it had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Uchiha Dali didn't react to the ridicule.
He waited for the laughter to subside, then looked at the Nine-Tails seriously and said, "I'm not just talking big. The Land of Wind and the Land of Water—two of the Five Great Nations—have already united with us. We are now one."
"There's no longer any distinction between us."
"More countries and hidden villages will soon join our alliance."
His words left the Nine-Tails visibly stunned.
The Five-Tails stepped forward and added, "Son Gokū and I saw it with our own eyes—this kid connected the mainland of the Land of Fire with the islands of the Land of Water."
"The two nations, once separated by vast seas, are now joined as one. The Land of Fire is the Land of Water, and the Land of Water is the Land of Fire."
Kokuō's words left the Nine-Tails even more shocked.
And it wasn't the only one—Shukaku, the One-Tail, and Saiken, the Six-Tails, were equally dumbfounded.
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