"I do suppose we should discuss more on this matter in private," Hiruzen suggested.
"Agreed," Tsunade said. "We need to secure that orb, and we need to figure out what to do about the Uchiha and Uzumaki forces that are out there."
Minato nodded, gesturing to those involved to follow them back to the Hokage manor.
At the Hokage's Manor.
The atmosphere here was suffocating, as it took a while for things to get sorted.
Seated around the large meeting table were Hiruzen, Minato, Homura, Koharu, and Tsunade at the head. Apart from them were clan heads like Shikaku and Chōza, leaders of Anbu divisions, and various scribes.
Standing before this tribunal were Alex, Jada, and Jasper. Far away, perched on a rooftop overlooking the manor, Alice sat in a meditative lotus position to pick up what was happening inside the room. And through a mental link, she broadcasted every word in real-time to William and Margaret, who were next to her.
"The object," Homura demanded, extending a hand.
Alex didn't hesitate as he reached into his vest and withdrew the glass orb to place it on the table.
Hiruzen leaned forward, peering into the glass. "How do we know he's truly inside?"
"Trust me, lord Third," Alex confirmed. "He's sealed within a perpetual genjutsu construct, putting his consciousness and body in a suspended state."
After Homura handed the orb over to Tsunade, she ran a medical diagnostic chakra scan over the orb. She recoiled slightly at the density of the seal. "It's authentic."
The chakra signature was so vast she urged everyone not to meddle with it from now on. Scribes and Anbu alike took their notes of this matter.
With Arthur definitely secured, the mood shifted from cautious to judicial.
Koharu soon opened a thick, leather-bound folder. It was Arthur's ninja file. It had been thick before, filled with past reports and psychological evaluations. But after an Anbu handed over more papers to him, Arthur's files were now overflowing with addenda.
"His records are updated," Koharu stated. "The crimes committed by Arthur Bennett are... without precedent."
She began to read, and as she did, a scribe in the corner took notes to update the official Bingo Book entry.
"High treason against the Leaf Village," Koharu listed. "Conspiracy to incite war between the Five Great Nations. Unlawful resurrection of the dead—specifically the violation of the graves of the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans. Use of forbidden jutsu on a mass scale."
She paused, turning a page. "Assault on a Kage. Attempted regicide of the feudal lord via proxy. Terrorism. Mass destruction of public infrastructure. Espionage. Theft of Kekkei Genkai. And finally, crimes against humanity for the creation and deployment of unlawful experiments."
Jada stood silently, listening to the list grow. It sounded like fiction. It sounded like the backstory of a final boss in a video game, not the actions of a man they came into this world with.
No one from earth should have been able to pull this off. It required a level of sociopathy and strategic brilliance that terrified her.
"He has surpassed them all," Hiruzen murmured, taking a drag from his pipe. "Many before him wanted to control the world. The Akatsuki wants to change it through suffering. But Arthur's the first I've ever encountered who simply treated the world as his personal chessboard. In terms of danger level, he is now the number one criminal in active history."
Minato looked down at the file. "The Blade of Chaos alone qualifies him as an S-class threat. But combined with these personas..." He spread several photos across the table. They were sketches of his clones.
Tsunade read them as follows: "John, the former feudal lord's successor from the Water Country; Kaito, a fake shinobi once part of the Akatsuki and the poser of the abandoned Sound Village."
"Was this not also the same Kaito who attacked the Sand Siblings?" Shikaku wondered.
"The very same," Koharu answered.
"Finally is Hoshikaze," Hiruzen finished, looking at a drawing of a blindfolded shinobi. "A hero to the disenfranchised. A villain to the establishment. They were all him."
The realization settled over the room like a shroud, causing the elders to feel bamboozled. They prided themselves on their intelligence networks, on knowing the hearts of their shinobi. Yet, Arthur had played them all. He had been the hero, the villain, and the victim simultaneously.
Such deception left a sour taste in their mouths.
Koharu adjusted her glasses. "We understand his role. But there are loose ends regarding your involvement." She looked directly at Jasper, which made him stiffen.
"Jasper," Homaru said. "Reports indicate you were missing from the village for a significant duration before appearing at the battle. How exactly did you arrive at the war zone?"
Jasper opened his mouth, but his mind blanked. He couldn't say he was on the moon. He couldn't mention Toneri or the Tenseigan portal in his bedroom.
"We got separated," Alex smoothly interjected. His voice was practiced. "After the incident with Orochimaru's hideout a few days ago, the team was scattered. Jasper was tracking a lead on the former Sannin until he was cornered by enemy forces before seeing signs of the war."
It was a lie. A blatant one. But it was simple enough to work. It covered the time gap and explained Jasper's injuries without introducing Toneri into the equation.
Koharu narrowed her eyes, searching for a crack in the story. "Is this true, Jasper?"
Jasper clenched his jaw. He looked at Alex, then back at the elder. "Yeah. That's what happened. I got pinned down. Had to fight my way out."
The elders exchanged a look. It was suspicious, but with Arthur captured and the war over, they lacked the motivation to press a war hero on the specifics of his travel itinerary.
"And you, Jada?" Homura asked.
"I sensed him with the Flying raijin," she answered honestly. "When Jasper's chakra flared during the battle, I locked onto it to see where he had been."
Minato looked up, impressed. Not many like him could utilize the Flying raijin so well.
"I couldn't leave a comrade behind," she finished. "The last thing I knew was that Arthur was alive and a war was starting. I acted on instinct."
Tsunade smiled. "You prioritized the life of a fellow shinobi over your own safety. That is the Will of Fire."
Minato nodded in agreement. "Excellent judgment, Jada."
Jada bowed her head, accepting the praise, though guilt gnawed at her. She was being praised for loyalty while hiding the truth about the Akatsuki.
"Are you going to make this public?" Jada asked, looking at the file on the table.
The room went quiet. This was the political minefield.
Hiruzen tapped the ash from his pipe. "Arthur's crimes are too vast to hide. The war, the revived clans, and the sheer number of witnesses must be made public."
"Due to the severity of this ordeal," Tsunade answered with a hardened voice, "we have no other choice but to inform the Feudal lords of every nation."
"A full disclosure is required to maintain the stability of the alliance," Shikaku added.
"That means the Mizukage will learn the truth," Minato noted. "The Water Country also have the right to discover that 'John,' the man who terrorized their borders, was a Leaf Shinobi all along."
"They may demand his execution," Homura warned, "but rest assured that the adults will handle these matters."
Minato picked up the orb again, turning it in the light. He studied the swirling patterns to truly get a grasp of how it was fashioned. "Which brings us to the containment. Alex, how does this work? I've never seen a sealing formula like this."
Alex had rehearsed this. "It's a genjutsu-based seal. I utilized the principles of the Byakugan theory—which Orochimaru had in his notes—and inverted it. Instead of projecting a world onto the target's mind, I projected a world into a closed space for him to be captured in."
"A dimensional prison," Chōza mused. "Fascinating."
"The subject believes they are in reality," Alex lied. "But they are trapped in a loop of their own subconscious. It requires no maintenance chakra because it feeds off the prisoner's own."
The explanation was brilliant. It was scientific enough to satisfy Minato and vague enough to prevent them from trying to replicate it. So they bought it. And why wouldn't they have? Alex, the prodigy who had surpassed expectations many times over.
"Since you created it," Koharu said, "you hold the key."
"The real concern," Shikaku wondered, "is if Arthur can be released?"
"Only by me," Alex said. "And that will never happen."
Hiruzen nodded, seemingly satisfied. "The council will take custody of the orb. It will be placed in the deepest vault of the ANBU headquarters, under 24-hour guard, until his trespasses are made known to the other nations."
"There's just one last thing," Minato said, directing his attention to the three. "Do you have any clue or any idea why Arthur would have wanted to revive Kushina and me?"
The room went silent. This was the question that haunted them. Arthur was a villain who had also brought back Ino and Shikamaru, but none of his actions thus far pointed as to why.
For instance, who would dare slay Shikamaru and Ino, only to bring them back? And why only bring them back as opposed to others like Inoichi or Hayate?
Needless to say, everyone present was at a loss. They had checked the resurrected bodies and ran every possible medical test that was known to man. Yet nothing was found—no seals, no tags, no chips, no poison. They were breathing in their former bodies with nothing attached.
Alex, Jada, and Jasper shook their heads in unison.
"We don't know," Jasper said, and for once, he was telling the truth. "The guy's crazy. Maybe he wanted a challenge. Maybe he wanted to face you in your prime."
With no suitable conclusion, Alex decided to bring up another important matter. "Have we found anything on Jiraiya yet?"
"A good question," Tsunade answered, "but no. Nothing yet. I'll assume you think he's tied to Arthur."
"I do," he obliged. "If I can just get some evidence, I'd be more than willing to share it with everyone."
At that, Hiruzen stood up to conclude this long meeting.
"Whatever his reasons were," he said, "we have prevailed. The threat's contained, and the dead have returned to us as allies, not enemies." He then looked at the three. "You have done a great service to this entire world today by protecting the past, the current, and future generations."
Tsunade then smiled warmly. "You will be rewarded heavily for your contribution. The council has already approved a significant financial bounty for the capture of an S-rank criminal. Furthermore, your names will be entered into the history books alongside many before you."
"And," Minato added, "since you have all operated far above the level of Chūnin or Special Jōnin, we'll be discussing promotions."
Jada bowed deeply. "Thank you, everyone."
Jasper just nodded, relieved it was over. Alex himself offered a polite smile, though his eyes remained guarded.
As they turned to leave the office, the weight of the secrets they carried felt heavier than any reward. They had saved the world, but they had done it by lying to the people they sought to protect.
As for Arthur, he had lost.