Chapter 191: S-Rank Mission [The Five-Tails, Kokuō]!
"I'm free!"
Even for a Tailed Beast who had lived for eons, being unsealed from a Jinchuriki was a moment of pure bliss.
"Nara Keisuke, you are truly a ninja who keeps his word. I am very fond of you."
"Easy there, Kokuō," Keisuke said with a wave. He looked at the dying Han on the ground, then had his clones form hand seals. "I still need to deal with Han's situation."
Normally, a Jinchuriki whose Tailed Beast is extracted dies almost instantly. Only a select few with exceptionally powerful life forces can delay their death. Keisuke had no personal feelings for Han, but he was still his prisoner, and a ninja with a Kekkei Genkai at that. Considering the rarity of a "Jinchuriki who has had their beast extracted," Keisuke decided to try and save his life.
Four clones stood at four different points, simultaneously forming seals and releasing a dense black fog that enveloped the dying Jinchuriki.
Four Black Fogs Formation!
'They say this jutsu can temporarily seal even the state of death. I wonder if it can save Han's life... a little experiment, then.'
Keisuke gazed at the thick fog, a thought flashing through his mind. As his power had grown, especially after his Black Samurai had crushed the reanimated Kagami, his confidence had soared. He no longer cared much about leaking a few of his special abilities, like the Tailed Beast Unsealing Method or this Four Black Fogs Formation. Both were jutsu that clearly couldn't have been acquired through normal channels, and explaining them would be a pain. But at his current level, why would he need to explain himself to anyone?
As long as he didn't openly commit treason or stage a coup, even Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to pinch his nose and turn a blind eye.
"What is this black mist?" Kokuō asked, looking at the fog curiously.
"A jutsu that can temporarily seal death," Keisuke explained casually. "But let's not worry about trivial matters... Kokuō, this is Mount Kikyo, which I told you about before."
"It's a beautiful place. So many trees, and the natural energy is abundant. I like this kind of forest very much," Kokuō said, looking around and closing its eyes in comfort. "This environment is so much better than Iwagakure. Nara Keisuke, may I explore the mountain now?"
"Sorry, you'll have to wait a little longer," Keisuke shook his head. "Although I've unsealed you, this was my own personal action. To appease the others in the village, it's best we wait for them to arrive so we can explain things clearly before we leave."
"I don't really understand you ninja," Kokuō said, but it dutifully lay down. "Your world is so complicated."
"That's just how humans are," Keisuke said, sitting down cross-legged and starting a casual conversation with the beast. "If you want to live in peace, you have to accept the basic rules of human society. Unless... you become strong enough to completely ignore the existence of everyone else."
While they were chatting, Kokuō's immense chakra signature was being detected by ninja back in Konoha.
In the still-bickering Hokage's office...
"A massive chakra signature has just erupted in the direction of Mount Kikyo!" Minato reported urgently. "I've encountered it before on the front lines! It's the Five-Tails' chakra!"
"How can that be..." Hiruzen froze, abandoning his argument with Nara Shikano. "Kushina isn't on the mountain. How could Keisuke possibly have unsealed the Five-Tails from its Jinchuriki?!"
The situation was too urgent for further thought. Nara Shikano also froze, almost wishing he could sprout wings and fly to the mountain to see the beast with his own eyes.
"Minato!" Hiruzen immediately stood up. "Take me to Mount Kikyo!"
"Yes, sir!" Minato appeared behind him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and they vanished.
Seeing this, Shikano immediately performed the Shadow Beast Scroll, creating a creature to carry him out of the Hokage Tower and straight towards the mountain. The hidden Kagami hesitated for a moment, then also used his Yatagarasu to fly out of the office. In a matter of seconds, the room was in chaos, leaving only the two elder advisors, Homura and Koharu, behind.
Back on the mountain, Keisuke stopped his conversation and looked toward the forest. "Minato-san, you're as fast as ever."
In the forest clearing, the white demonic beast lay on the ground, a black-haired youth seated before it. This peaceful, harmonious scene did nothing to ease the wariness of the two who had just arrived from the village. Hiruzen and Minato emerged from the shadows, their eyes fixed on the Five-Tails with extreme caution. Kokuō, feeling their gazes, swished its tails in annoyance. 'It seems not all Konoha ninja are like Nara Keisuke...'
"Keisuke," Hiruzen said after a moment, slightly relieved that the beast wasn't rampaging. "How did you do it?"
"Private intelligence. No comment." Keisuke deflected the question, then pointed to the area enveloped by the Four Black Fogs Formation. "The Jinchuriki, Han, is over there."
'Is that... the Four Black Fogs Formation?' Hiruzen, with his vast knowledge of ninjutsu, recognized the technique instantly. 'Where in the world did he learn this jutsu?' Hiruzen was bewildered, but just as before, he had no way to force an answer. He finally understood why Keisuke had been so aggressive in the meeting. He already had a Flying Thunder God marker on the Jinchuriki and the means to unseal him. In that context, the fact that he hadn't just taken the beast on the front lines, but had instead allowed it to be brought back to Konoha and had even attended the so-called "disposition meeting," was a sign of his willingness to solve the problem peacefully. A strange thought flashed through Hiruzen's mind: 'The Nara clan's ninja are, after all, truly loyal to Konoha.'
Just as the three were talking, Shikano and Kagami arrived. Completely ignoring the Hokage, Shikano stumbled towards the Five-Tails the moment he landed.
"Yay! Good! The Five-Tails is here!"
Seeing the old ninja's bizarre behavior, Kokuō was so startled it almost leaped to its feet. What is going on? Do all Konoha ninja go this crazy?
"Clan Head, calm down!" A shadow tentacle shot out from beneath Keisuke, restraining the old man. "Your current image is terrible! You'll give the Five-Tails a bad impression!"
"Oh! Right!" Shikano composed himself for a moment, but couldn't help himself. "Five-Tails, can I pet you?"
This time, Kokuō stood up completely, looking nervously at Keisuke. "Nara Keisuke... this is the head of your clan?"
"Sorry, sorry, my clan head is... a special case," Keisuke said helplessly. "How to put this... As far as I know, his greatest dream in life is to—"
"That's enough, Keisuke!" To avoid complete social suicide, Shikano finally regained his senses and cut him off. "We'll talk about family matters later! You handle your business first!"
Hiruzen, Minato, and Kagami stared at the former Nara clan head and Jonin Class Leader, who had always presented himself with such gravity and poise. They never thought he had a side like this. It was just like... 'Seeing Jiraiya-sensei at a women's bathhouse,' Minato thought.
In front of outsiders, Keisuke decided to give his great-uncle some face. "Since everyone is here, I won't waste any more words," he said, getting down to business. "The situation is what it is. I'm now going to fulfill my promise to the Five-Tails. Please, do as you wish."
After his announcement, he turned to Kokuō. "Mind if I catch a ride?"
Though it didn't quite understand the phrase, Kokuō roughly grasped his meaning and lowered its head. Keisuke leaped up, landing between its horns.
"Let's go! To the Valley of the End!"
The white demonic beast galloped across the land, its footfalls like thunder. Hiruzen and the others watched with apprehension, but Nara Shikano watched with pure adoration. At Kokuō's incredible speed, Keisuke quickly arrived at the place he had visited just a few days prior. He didn't have it descend into the river, instead indicating for it to stop on the plains nearby.
"We can begin, Kokuō." Keisuke leaped from its head, landed on the ground, and turned to face the great white deer, beckoning with his hand. "Let me see your power."
"Be careful, Nara Keisuke," Kokuō said, lowering its head and aiming its great horns at him. "I will not hold back."
The moment it finished speaking, it charged, crossing the plains in an instant and appearing right in front of him.
At that moment, a new mission prompt appeared on Keisuke's panel.
[S-Rank Ninja Battle Mission has been detected!]
[S-Rank Mission: The Five-Tails, Kokuō]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill the Five-Tails, Kokuō]
[Mission Reward: S-Rank Shinobi Secret Scroll]
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