Even though the Elders now had many complaints about him, they could not deny the people he had killed all had evidence of betraying the village.
But if he kept pressuring clans like he did with the Kaguya, how could they not resist?
"Leave. You are no longer needed here. Find a jinchūriki. Protecting the village is the Elder Council's duty." Yagura's cold voice echoed again.
Elder Harusame bowed slightly, then turned and left the office.
Shigeo secretly followed.
Just outside, a boy of seven or eight ran up. "Sensei, you were here? I went to your house but no one was there, so I guessed you might be at the offices."
The boy wore a blue robe, handsome and delicate, with long flowing hair, like an otherworldly youth. At his waist was tied a sash, holding a slender bubble pipe.
"Sensei, look." He happily drew out the pipe and blew. The bubble grew, enveloping his body, and lifted him into the air.
"Sensei, this is my new training today. What do you think? It doesn't last long yet, but with more chakra I'll be able to keep it going longer."
"Utakata, come down."
Harusame looked at his disciple deeply. He could wait no longer. The Fourth Mizukage's instability, the deaths and desertions, left Kirigakure in crisis. They needed a jinchūriki. No matter how dangerous, they had to make one to hold the Rokubi.
"Okay." Utakata burst the bubble and dropped, landing before his teacher. Smiling, he asked, "Sensei, what is it? Whatever it is, I'll try my best."
Innocent, he did not know he was about to be made a jinchūriki.
"Good child. You know, you've always been my favorite disciple." Harusame stroked his hair. "Everything I do is for the village."
At the touch, Utakata collapsed unconscious. Harusame caught him, whispering, "Don't worry. I'll protect you. Even if it fails, I'll risk my life to keep you alive."
He carried him, leaping toward the rear mountain.
Shigeo followed. In a hidden cave, he saw the Rokubi Saiken sealed inside a massive wooden cage.
The floor bore strange sealing patterns. Tags plastered walls within ten meters.
Harusame began preparing Utakata's body for sealing.
Shigeo emerged from the earth near the cage.
His mirror system activated. In five seconds, Saiken was copied, its image added to his clone list.
His Yonbi and Gobi were growing steadily. In half a year they would mature. His small Kyūbi clone was already finger-sized, hopping with nine tiny tails, wagging them when it sensed his inner gaze.
He now held four tailed beasts within. As for copying Sanbi from Yagura, he had not yet decided. When Yagura's genjutsu was exposed later by Ao's Byakugan, Sanbi would return to the wild—that would be the best time to copy it.
As Shigeo considered, voices came: "Who are you? What are you doing?"
Two Kirigakure ANBU rushed in, launching Suiton.
Shigeo countered with Katon, clashing with them. The battle roused Saiken. It slammed the cage and spewed acid gas.
Though sealed, its innate abilities worked. Acid filled the cave, alarms blaring.
The entire village went on high alert.
Elsewhere in the night, Uchiha Obito had been about to rest. Hearing the alarm, he stood, face excited. "Is it the Kaguya rebelling?"
If they acted, Yagura would crush them, removing another power from the village. Let them taste helplessness.
"No, it should be something else," Zetsu said. "The Kaguya show no movement. My clone reports nothing."
Obito grabbed his mask. "Let's see."
The usually quiet Kirigakure blazed with light. From the western caves came roars—that of a tailed beast.
He warped and appeared above the western mountain. A bud-like growth emerged from the ground, opening into half-black, half-white Zetsu.
"Someone disturbed the Rokubi. It's raging. The cave is ruined. All Elders are trying to suppress it."
"Do we know who? Outsiders?" Obito asked.
In the dark wind, clad in Akatsuki robes, one eye glowed red Mangekyō Sharingan. The mask deepened his aura.
"Unknown. The intruder left," Zetsu admitted. He had been watching the Kaguya, not the Rokubi.
"Then it's nothing. Let's return. I dislike Kirigakure being too bright. Better when it's dark." Obito turned and vanished.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]