Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 34: Chinamaki.
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🖋️ Author's Note:
✍️ Author's Note:
Hope you will like the chapter! Sozin is the head of the Uzumaki rebel faction that despises Ashina and by extension, Naruto. Things are heating up fast. Next PAIN in Uzushio.
Like, comment, and let me know your thoughts! 🔥🌀
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"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."— Albert Einstein
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Previously on NTLHOS-2:
"But I feel it… Chinamaki will be the key. She will guide me. And through him, perhaps… I may find release."
He stood slowly, staff rising beside him. "Make preparations. Summon the warrior toads. They shall guard and maintain the shrine. It is by the grace and magnanimity of Lord Uzumaki that we have been offered this privilege."
He paused. "It is by his forgiveness… that I may yet find salvation."
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Now:
By the time the toads finished their reverse summoning, they crowded the hilltop of the Crimson Island. Mist curled around their amphibian forms like living veils. At the summit, Lord Gamamaru, murmured, "I can feel the energy," closing his eyes again and drawing a slow, yet deep breath.
Jiraiya, standing among the throng of toads, felt his jaw drop at the sight of an army's worth of toads gathered around him. He wasn't entirely surprised that the toads answered Naruto's call, he had known Lord Fukasaku held Naruto in the highest esteem but seeing Lord Gamamaru himself, outside of his palace for the first time in Jiraiya's memory, left him utterly astonished.
"Grand Lord Elder," Jiraiya greeted, bowing low.
Gamamaru, eyes still closed, sighed. "Who are you, again?"
Jiraiya's face fell. "Jiraiya, the Toad Summoner."
Gamamaru's lips twisted into a thin smile. "Ah, I remember you. I once gave you a prophecy."
"Yes, yes," Jiraiya stammered, relief flickering across his features. "The very same."
Gamamaru opened his eyes fully now and turned to Lord Fukasaku. "It is truly refreshing to feel the mortal realm again. I trained Hagoromo here once. This shrine used to thrive with energy, flowing like a great river—now it lies in ruin. The sheer irony, Shima… that I return to this place, of all places. It was here that I was punished, after Hagoromo defeated the Rabbit Goddess. For my interference, my punishment was decreed at this very shrine by an enlightened being.
And now, I return for the final chapter of my existence in this realm—at the very place it all began, the Shrine of Chinamaki.
I can feel it waking.
Where is Arch Sage Uzumaki?" he asked, fixing his gaze on Jiraiya.
Jiraiya pointed toward the distant shrine. "There."
Gamamaru nodded once, as though satisfied. "Bunta, child?" he asked.
A massive shape detached itself from the gathering toads, a towering yet even larger than most, Gamma Bunta emerged, clad in armor. "Yes, Grand Elder Sage?"
Though Jiraiya noted that Lord Gamamaru was larger than Bunta by small margin, even despite his slouched posture.
"Secure the perimeter. Have the battle toads patrol and remove any and all hostile elements. Then construct shelter for the toads, we will maintain a permanent presence here from now on."
"Understood, Grand Sage." Bunta's voice rumbled, and at his command, the Battle toads began fanning out across the forested slopes, preparing defences and to build crude huts of timber and stone.
Gamamaru turned back to Fukasaku. "Take a contingent of toads who can construct and rebuild the broken temple. I want it complete before sunrise tomorrow. Shima, come with me, I wish to see the Arch Sage and behold the idol of Chinamaki."
With that, Gamamaru, Shima, and Jiraiya set out down the flagstone path leading to the shrine. The remaining toads scurried in all directions, each charged with tasks vital to reestablishing Chinamaki's presence.
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As they entered the shrine courtyard, the air seemed to hum with anticipation. At the centre, Naruto sat cross-legged before the headless idol, palms clenched with knuckles touching over his midsection. His eyes were closed, as if listening to some distant melody. Twilight's purple glow pooled around him, and the first stars glimmered above.
Shima whispered, "So this is the great Arch Sage… doesn't look much from what I heard."
Gamamaru had shrunk his form to stand at Jiraiya's height. Jiraiya started to move forward to rouse Naruto. "Naruto," he called gently.
Before Jiraiya could utter another word, Gamamaru lightly tapped the back of Jiraiya's head with his cane. Jiraiya stumbled, blinking. Gamamaru held a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. With a few deft hand seals, Gamamaru summoned a privacy barrier around them, ensuring their voices would not spill.
"Foolish child, what are you doing?" Gamamaru murmured.
Jiraiya rubbed his sore scalp. "I only wanted to wake him. It is an honor to meet…"
Gamamaru cut him off. "He already knows I am here. But he is in the midst of a sacred process. Do not think I am some marvel he hasn't seen before. He has encountered beings who have attained enlightened, more worthy than any of us. In this realm, he will humbly welcome and treat me as a senior but in the other realms, conventions differ. Even in this realm we both are arch sage."
Gamamaru lifted his cane once more and tapped it lightly on the ground. A pulse of energy radiated outward, invisible yet palpable. The barrier around Naruto shimmered into view as a translucent cubic veil, briefly glowing before disintegrating. In that instant, a force unlike anything Jiraiya had ever felt descended upon them: a presence that pressed against his very spirit, not with violent intent but with an overwhelming weight of being. Jiraiya dropped to his knees, Shima, caught off guard, did the same. The force did not threaten to kill, but it reminded them of their utter smallness.
Gamamaru bowed his head, tears glinting in his eyes, and tapped his cane again. The veil around Naruto reformed, sealing him in a fragile cocoon of translucent energy. Jiraiya and Shima struggled upright, hearts pounding, as the pressure faded.
Jiraiya recreated his privacy barrier, voice trembling: "What was that? Is this his power? I felt like I…like a mere Genin. Was it killing intent? If he wields this… he could defeat even my Sensei without breaking a sweat."
Gamamaru smiled gently at Jiraiya. "How primitive of you, Jiraiya, to measure everything through the lens of power. No… this is not Lord Uzumaki's power. This is Arch sage Uzumaki. This is his presence, his very being, not something he will wield like a jutsu or weapon. This aura is the purest vibration of life itself. It shouldn't be harnessed in combat not that it can't be. It is inedible for mortal use, untouchable by intention. Only the truly enlightened will manifest it in this realm and even then, sparingly. Lord Uzumaki has not yet attained that state, but he walks its edge.
"I once wield such presence as my power to shape the mortal world. My arrogance cost me dearly. The punishment I bore lasted a thousand years, even today. That is why I recognize the cost of even glimpsing what he is becoming.
"What you felt was not killing intent. That crude sensation triggers the survival instincts of beasts and men. What you felt was far deeper. His presence vibrates at such a profound intensity that it unsettles the very part of you that clings to ego, to fear, to identity. Something within you, something unliberated is threatened by him. Because in his presence, that part begins to unravel."
Gamamaru's gaze turned toward the altar. "I do not bow to Lord Uzumaki's presence. I bow to what now flows through this space, the Goddess Chinamaki. The Arch Sage is pouring his life force into this place, piercing the veil between realms to reach her domain, to beckon her here and restore the sanctity of her shrine.
She is a fierce deity, both protector and destroyer, but also a mother in her most divine feminine aspect. And he calls to her as a son would to his mother. That is why the air grows heavy, why even our souls brace themselves.
Even we, Arch Sages, struggle to withstand the full brunt of her presence."
"Look at him, Jiraiya. Look at the Arch Sage Uzumaki. And understand the magnitude of what he is invoking."
Before Jiraiya or Shima could ask more, Gamamaru sank to sit beside Naruto in identical posture, a respectful distance away. He closed his eyes, matching Naruto's pose, inviting the shrine's energies to flow between them.
Shima leaned toward Jiraiya. "Go, help Fukasaku with the rebuilding. Erect silencing barriers around the construction sites so that neither hammer nor chant disturbs them. I will stand here as guard. God knows what will happen if you disrupt the process they doing now."
Jiraiya nodded numbly, still shaken. Silencing barriers erected in moments, he hurried off with Shima toward the rebuilding toads. The curtain of the privacy barrier closed behind them, isolating the Arch Sage and the Grand Elder in their shared meditation.
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Though it was still dark, the shrine of Chinamaki stood reborn. Every shattered pillar, every cracked stone slab had been restored to perfection by the toads' tireless labor and unique adhesive of Toad Oil, each brick melded like it had never known fracture. By 4:00 AM, as the contours of the shrine solidified in the gloom, Lord Gamamaru opened his eyes. He moved to inspect each repaired column and sculpted arch, eyes narrowed. By 4:30 AM, he returned to the inner sanctum. Behind him, the assembled toad contingent, save the few battle toads on sentry, stood in anticipation. They, too, had felt it: presence stirring when the veil was removed. Now, as the shrine lay whole once more, all awaited the moment he would open his eyes.
At precisely 5:00 AM, Naruto's eyelids fluttered open. His gaze, luminous with the faint uniques red ring of Sage Mode, locked on Gamamaru. A knowing smile curved across his lips as he rose to his feet, staff in hand. He stepped forward, bowing to the Grand Elder. "Grand Elder sage… it is an honor to have you here," he intoned. "Thank you for accepting my request."
Gamamaru inclined his head in return, his great toad form folding. "The honor is mine, Arch Sage Uzumaki," he rumbled. "To witness her return after all these years."
Naruto's eyes drifted to the other toads assembled behind Gamamaru. Though he could sense Lord Gamamaru's form through his energy, the others were unfamiliar to him in person—though known by reputation. He had heard of Lord Fukasaku and Shima, the revered sages of Mount Myōboku, and of Gamabunta, the legendary summon of the Sannin. But he had never formally met any of them until now.
Brief introductions were whispered: "Lord Fukasaku, Elder of Myōboku… Shima, Toad Sage… Gamabunta, Summon of the Sannin."
Naruto, however, spared only a moment for names. Time was of the essence. The true work had begun. By 7:00 AM, the winter sun would crest the horizon.
Beside him, Lord Fukasaku folded his small, spotted arms. "Arch sage, the temple stands repaired."
Naruto nodded, stepping to centre stage. He closed his eyes, breath steadying into a slow, measured rhythm. Gamamaru settled cross-legged before the headless idol, kneading his cane's tip into the stones at his side. Together, they drew a silence so deep it seemed even the air held its breath.
Jiraiya instinctively stepped to the side, kneeling down himself more out of respect. Something told him to observe in silence.
Naruto moved to the center of the courtyard and formed a series of hand seals, slow and deliberate. With each seal, the environment seemed to answer: at the Ram sign, a gentle wind picked up, swirling fallen petals into the air; at Horse, the earth gave a low rumble beneath their feet; at Tiger, a spark of flame danced in Naruto's palm briefly, then extinguished as he blew on it, sending a trail of embers around the temple's perimeter. Finally, Naruto clasped his hands together in a prayer mudra and closed his eyes.
As Naruto's chant continued, nature responded fervently. The wind carrying the embers circled the courtyard and ignited old braziers that Jiraiya hadn't even noticed among the rubble. Flames sprang to life, crackling warmly without fuel, as if fed by chakra alone. The ground's earlier tremble resolved into something else: new green shoots were pushing up through the cracks of stone, blooming into crimson lotus flowers around the statue's base, a color to match the sunset sky and the name of these islands.
Then Naruto went silent and bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the earth. He remained prostrate, palms flat on the ground. A deep stillness fell, as if the whole island was holding its breath.
Naruto raised his arms overhead, palms facing inward as if cradling a red flame. His voice, soft yet resonant, began to chant an invocation:
"Goddess Chinamaki, Guardian of life and destruction,
Hear the call of your devoted son.
In the womb of earth and tide, you slumber
Now rise, reclaim this sacred haven."
As each syllable fell from his lips, a subtle quiver rippled through the temple. Gamamaru mirrored the chant in a low, guttural baritone:
"Mother of storm and stillness,
Accept this offering of my life and devotion.
From the roots of the mountain to the heart of the deep,
We summon you home."
Naruto's eyes flew open, eyes glowing with other worldly power, the red-circled Sage Mode around his eyes and fore head was visible. His staff whirled in a slow arc before him, carving glowing sigils in midair, symbols of primordial power gleaned from his arch-sage training. Each sigil hung luminous in the dawn's haze, threads of chakra weaving patterns that pulsed like living runes.
Simultaneously, Gamamaru struck the ground once more with his cane. A tremor rolled outward, stirring motes of dust from the flagstones. The temple walls pulsed in response, as though breathing. From the earth around them, faint gouts of silvery light began to seep, coalescing into strands of pure energy that wove upward around the statue's base. Those strands braided into a helix, rising until they touched the idol's neck, bridging the gap where Chinamaki's head had once soared.
Naruto settled into deeper meditation, summoning within himself the full force of his life's energy. He felt the weight of countless karma-bound souls, the swirling tapestry of births and rebirths, and the yearning of Chinamaki to rejoin the mortal world. As his master had once taught him: "The soul's evolution is not linear, each loop in its spiral bears the echoes of its own becoming." Naruto directed that insight into his invocation, allowing his compassion to flood the sigils until they glowed whitest with intent.
Suddenly, a gale-force wind, chilled with salt from the surrounding sea, swept through the courtyard. Lanterns flickered. The hair on Jiraiya's arms rose as he watched from the threshold. The idol's stone arms began to glow, lines of faint red light tracing the original sculpted curves of Chinamaki's form. Where her head had been severed, a crown of mist gathered, coalescing into a swirling shape that shimmered and took partial form, a fierce, lionlike visage with eyes of liquid moonlight.
Shima, standing guard, bowed her head, lips moving in silent prayer. The toads bowed and around they watched in reverent awe as the goddess's form emerged step by step, like a vision recalled from memory.
Naruto lifted his voice again, speaking with the authority of one who bridges worlds:
"Mother Chinamaki, Mother of life and rebirth,
Your children have rebuilt your sanctuary
Accept this body of stone made whole,
Breathe again through this vessel we have shaped."
His words resonated like ripples across a still pond, until the very stones hummed with readiness. Gamamaru stepped forward, raising his cane high, and intoned in a voice older than time itself:
"By my vows of peace and kinship,
By the blood of the me and mine childrens,
We bid you awaken, Chinamaki
Guardian unbound, rise to your throne."
He slice his hand and dropped few drops of blood on the ground. At once, the strands of mist around the idol's head condensed, forming Chinamaki's face: serene yet fierce, features carved from moonlit marble, eyes aglow with the gentlest blue. A soft gasp rose from Jiraiya as he glimpsed the fierceness radiating from the newly formed deity.
Naruto sank to one knee, palms pressed against the earth. "Arise, Mother Chinamaki… our shrine lives again by your grace."
Chinamaki's presence surged outward. The air quivered, the dawn light bending around her. Her ethereal form stepped from the idol, just a limb's length, proportions larger-than-life yet suffused with gentle yet fierce warmth. A tide of energy swept over the courtyard, neither violent nor malevolent, but suffused with a mother's protective might. The toads trembled where they stood; Shima knelt, tears of awe streaming down his cheeks. Even Gamamaru bowed deeply, his great form reverent.
Chinamaki advanced, stepping carefully among the broken pillars, now restored. Wherever her foot fell, new tendrils of life curled, vines seeping from the stones, blossoms unfurling in the dew. Jiraiya watched as life itself returned, as if the land remembered her touch and awakened at last.
"Rise, Earth and Sea, flourish under my watch," intoned an ethereal voice, heard and unheard at once. In that moment, the courtyard burst into riotous color: moss came alive, vines twisted skyward, and blossoms drifted like confetti on a spring breeze. The idol's statue, now bamboo-green with fresh life, gleamed as though carved by unseen hands.
Slowly, Chinamaki's ethereal form lightened, as though the mist of her rebirth would soon blend back into the shrine's stone. She stepped back toward the idol, merging into the idol once more, limb returning to stone, face dissolving into the solid stone she had drawn from. Yet the new life remained: vines coiled around pillars, blossoms perched on ledges, and the air thrummed with her promise. Yet the idol was still headless.
Shima exhaled, bowing low. "Mother Chinamaki …"
Jiraiya, eyes still shining from wonder, embraced Gamamaru's side. "I have never witnessed such… grace… nor the turning of destiny itself."
Gamamaru placed a heavy, loving hand on Jiraiya's shoulder. "Remember this: The true purpose of consecration is not merely to restore ruins, but to revive faith. Chinamaki's return reminds us that even the most broken of temples can be reborn by devotion and humility."
"By the sages…" Jiraiya breathed. " That was the most… " He struggled for words, gesturing at everything. "I've seen a lot in my life, but nothing like that…"
"Naruto, you've changed profoundly. And I don't just mean your power," Jiraiya said, tapping his chest over his heart. "In here. You carry yourself differently—stronger, fuller. There's a presence about you now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. You've become… an Arch-Sage. And now, I'm beginning to contemplate what that truly means."
He paused, his voice softening with awe. "I'm immensely proud, Naruto—truly in awe—but also deeply curious. So, if you don't mind indulging an old man's nosiness… tell me. What clicked? What's the secret behind all of this?"
Naruto smiled faintly and made an effort to rise, gripping his staff to steady himself. But as he stood, the strain overwhelmed him. His strength gave out and he collapsed, unconscious. Jiraiya caught him in time, holding him gently, shock and worry etched across his face.
Gamamaru spoke calmly, "He has exhausted his life force. It will take him at least a day before he's in any condition to walk again. Take him to the shelter. Prepare food—for when he wakes, he'll eat like Gamabunta here," he added with a chuckle, prompting a few others to laugh as well.
Jiraiya, however, looked deeply concerned. For someone like Naruto to be this drained, it had to be something far more serious. "Is summoning the deity really that intense?" he asked.
Gamamaru nodded gravely. "Yes, it is. But more than that, she came into this realm through him. That takes an immense toll, even on us. If she had entered directly into this world… none of you could have borne her presence nor could this realm could stand that."
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Meanwhile in another part of the world. Dim lanterns revealed only rough contours of stone. At its center, the skeletal bulk of the Gedo Mazo loomed, its eyesockets staring into nothingness. Around it, raised platforms of uneven rock served as perches for the Akatsuki, each figure as part of the astral projection clad in cloaks of midnight, their crimson clouds distinguishable in the projection.
Atop the highest dais stood Pain, the Rinnegan's concentric circles gleaming. Though he wore the body of Yahiko, only a few knew the truth, Pain had reclaimed his vitality, and now his first friend body served merely as a vessel for sentimentality.
Below him, Deidara shifted impatiently, arms folded across his chest. "Sozin Uzumaki and his masked followers... tch, what good are they?" he muttered, his voice rough as gravel. "I'll admit, they were passable at infiltrating Sunagakure and taking down the Kazekage with their sealing jutsu, even subduing the One-Tail. But then that damned Konohamaru, the Nine-Tails brat shows up thinking he can meddle with my art!"
His lip curled in disdain. "Capturing the One-Tail should've been a masterpiece, a perfect display of explosive beauty. But no, he turned it into a farce! And those so-called Uzumaki rebels? All that drama with masks, only to scatter the moment things got messy. Sand and Konoha joining forces, reviving their Jinchūriki... It's enough to drive a true artist mad, un!"
Kakuzu, leaning against a jagged pillar, let out a low, humorless chuckle. "The One-Tail is secured. In the end, the result is what matters. The Sand Village may have their Kage back, but we achieved our objective. It's just a pity we couldn't collect the Kazekage's bounty on the black market."
Deidara shot him a sharp glare. "Spare me your profit margins, Kakuzu. I know your obsession. I'm talking about principle, damn it! Art is supposed to transcend—it's not meant to be sabotaged by some meddling brat!"
From a high perch, Sozin's projection flickered to life, his calm voice cutting through the tension as he turned toward Pain. "I tolerated this clown once," he said, gesturing toward Deidara.
"Hey!" Deidara snapped, but Sozin continued, unbothered.
"This fool wanted to challenge the Jinchūriki of Shukaku in the middle of the desert. I overruled him. I made him fight the Kazekage in the area where my people had laid traps, it worked. We completed the extraction. So tell me, why would we stick around to fight Konoha's forces and a potentially unstable Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? There was nothing to gain. Understand this, I'm not working with this clown again."
"Who are you calling a clown, you red-haired freak?" Deidara growled.
Just then, Tobi bounded forward with a grin, hands clasped behind his back like he was harboring a secret. He leaned toward Deidara playfully. "Oh, Deidara-senpai, school's in session! What's the lesson today? How to be a clown?"
Deidara scowled. "Tobi, this isn't open mic hour. Just… shut up."
Nagato's condition was improving by the day. His body had nearly recovered, he was walking again, thanks to the masked man's effort. With Hashirama's cells and chakra extracted from Shukaku, Matatabi, and Isobu, he had regained almost all the vitality lost after summoning the Gedo Mazo to defeat Hanzo.
But now, visibly irritated by the bickering, Nagato flared his chakra. A crushing pressure filled the air, instantly freezing Deidara in place just as he was about to lunge at Sozin.
"Enough with this childishness," said the Deva path, his voice cold and commanding.
Tobi, unfazed, tilted his head in a different direction, as if entirely uninterested in the tension. With monsters like Hiruzen Sarutobi and Nobinaga returning to their prime both now standing in the SS-rank and Naruto Uzumaki joining their league, there was no choice but to restore Nagato's full strength. The Rinnegan may be harder to extract now, but it doesn't matter. Nagato must be able to stand against them. His hand was forced.
Kakuzu leaned forward slightly, voice gravelly. "We've already sealed the Two-Tails. Deidara and that masked clown brought in the Three-Tails. Only five more remain."
Deidara scoffed. "Tch. Orochimaru tried his hand at capturing the Three-Tails too, poor fool. Without a village backing him, he lacked the resources. And wouldn't you know it, that damn Nine-Tails brat showed up. I felt like showing him what true art looked like… but he was busy playing hero against Orochimaru's third-rate henchmen. If Sasori-senpai had been there, he would've gutted the snake. Only if I'd been paired with him…"
The room fell quiet.
A cold shiver passed through Deidara's spine, not at the memory of Sasori, but at how Sasori had died. Killed by Naruto Uzumaki. Deidara knew now, with absolute certainty, there was one man with whom he would never argue about art. That was a man who could turn him into very unpleasant artwork.
"Speaking of Sasori," Kakuzu said, cutting through the silence, "any news on him? My contacts say he was last spotted in the Land of Water."
Most in the room tensed. They all knew who "him" referred to, Naruto Uzumaki. A name that carried dread even within the Akatsuki.
Zetsu, who had been silent till now, finally spoke. "Last I heard, he re-established the Shrine of the Moon in the Land of Moons and… he's heading toward the Crimson Islands."
"That heathen!" Hidan snarled. "Bringing back lesser gods, desecrating the faith…"
Kisame grinned. "If you've got so much to say about him, why don't you tell it to his face?"
Even Hidan fell silent. For all his immortality, he knew better than to provoke an Arch Sage who knew exactly how to kill him.
Pain narrowed his eyes. "Zetsu, why is your information so vague? I thought you were supposed to be our best tracker."
Zetsu shifted uncomfortably. "There's a reason he's regarded as the greatest sensor in the Elemental Nations since Tobirama Senju. However deeply I blends into nature, if I get in his visnity, he'll sense me. He already has, once."
Sozin, who had remained silent, clenched his fists. "Why is it," he hissed, "that even when the descendant of that cursed Ashina Uzumaki is in exile, we are still discussing him?"
Kakuzu's voice was calm but firm. "Because that man, even in his absence, is reshaping the world. Uzushio is now the single most powerful nation on the map. The last time the world shifted like this was when Hashirama Senju decided he didn't like how the world worked. And mark my words, once his exile ends, Naruto Uzumaki will ask one question: 'Where are the three Tailed Beasts?' And then what happens if he starts hunting us?"
He let the silence linger before adding, "Or worse… if Hiruzen Sarutobi, now fully returned to his prime, senses his grandson is in danger and comes hunting, how many of you believe you can stop him?"
The room went still. Everyone knew that the old Hokage, once stepping toward the grave, had clawed his way back to strength because of Naruto Uuzmaki's rise. And now… he was the feared 'Professor' again.
Pain's eyes glowed cold. "If Hiruzen Sarutobi or Uzumaki Naruto come for the Akatsuki, I will face them. Nothing is beyond these eyes." Black Zetsu grimaced but said nothing.
"What's the status of the Four and Five-Tails?" Pain asked.
Itachi, silent until now, finally spoke. "We've located them. Within two weeks, they will be captured. The unrest in the Elemental Nations has forced the villages to be more militaristic. The jinchūriki are heavily guarded, yes but me and Kisame will capture them in next two weeks."
"What about the Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine Tails?"
"The Eight-Tails will be a problem," Zetsu said. "He's very close to the Raikage and a fully realized Jinchūriki."
"And the Nine-Tails," he added grimly, "will be kept for last. It's not wise to provoke the Professor."
"The Six and Seven Tails are inside Uzushio, behind its impenetrable walls."
"Who will retrieve them?" asked Tobi.
"Are you fools? I will never step in front of those walls again," Deidara snapped. "Weren't you all satisfied with the outcome last time?"
Kisame stepped forward, water dripping from the tip of Samehada as he sheathed it. His cold grin glinted in the dim light. "The Akatsuki have never faltered under a challenge. I relish a direct confrontation. Uzushio may claim to be impregnable, but any fortress can be breached. I intend to tear theirs down from the inside."
Itachi, ever composed, folded his arms beneath his cloak. "Perhaps. But our obstacles grow each day. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki's repeated interference is no coincidence. First, the impenetrable war seals of Uzushio. Then, consider their guardian, Lord Suifu Uzumaki an SS-rank shinobi residing within the walls. Add to that the myriad clans: equipped with the Mind's Eye, Uchiha Sharingan, genjutsu specialists, and dōjutsu users from the Chinoike and other bloodlines, all working together. To infiltrate such a place is next to impossible."
Hidan let out a frustrated huff. "Impossible or not, there's always a way. I can summon Jashin to push back their seals, then let's see how their precious protection holds."
Kakuzu shook his head. "You would gamble our resources on flair? No. We must be methodical. The Nine-Tails is a mere annoyance. The true threat is Uzushio's rise, none can deny it. The moment we attempted to snatch the Six or Seven Tails, the host was ensconced within Uzushio, and that fortress would swallow any intrusion. Our failure was no fluke."
Tobi chimed in, his two-toned voice oozing with verdant mockery. "Imagine, Kakuzu, planting a seed in rock. Uzushio's defenses are that stony. They sprout guards at every crack, and whispers travel faster than any jutsu. Infiltration? You'd starve before you even got inside."
A hush fell as the chakra surged. Even Tobi's endless chirping ceased.
Pain stepped down from the dais, each footfall echoing like a drumbeat. He moved to the center of the cavern, his presence instantly stilling the air. "Enough," he said, his voice devoid. "I recognize Uzushio's defenses for what they are, an unprecedented obstacle. But they can breached with these eyes. The world is meant to be reshaped under our guidance. We cannot shy away from our destiny."
Deidara half-bowed. "Leader-sama speaks truth."
"I will go myself. I will retrieve the Six- and Seven-Tails."
The assembled members exchanged glances. Kisame's grin sharpened. "So the god descends."
"That will be all for today. Return to your positions and fulfill your orders. I will summon you all again in two weeks to seal the Four and Five Tails. Do not fail us," said Pain. "Itachi, Kisame."
With that, everyone began to disperse.
Pain turned to Tobi, who straightened and puffed his chest with pride. "And you, Tobi, stay behind."
Tobi saluted with a grin plastered across his mask. "Yes, Leader-sama! Tobi will be faithful and vigilant!"
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Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of NTLHOS- Book 2!
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Chapter 35: Cross Roads. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 9K LONG
Chapter 36: The New Field. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9k LONG
Chapter 37: Loyalty. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 K LONG
Chapter 38: Diversion. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 7K Long
Chapter 39: Destruction. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 12K Long
Chapter 40: Power of a God. 10K Long
Chapter 41: Perspectives. 12K Long
Chapter 42: Confluence of Storms. 18K
Chapter 43: Deception. 12k
Chapter 44: Judgement. 10k
Chapter 45: True Powers of the world. (NEW) 20k IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( Naruto is Back)
Chapter 46- The Game Begins Anew. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 14k long
Chapter 47- This is What True Titans Look Like. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 10k long
Chapter 48- Unleashed. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (new) 13k long.
Chapter 49 – Divine Punishment. IS OUT!!!!!!!! 13K LONG
Chapter 50 – Death. IS OUT!!!!!!!! 13K LONG
Chapter 51 – Eye. IS OUT!!!!!!!! 10K LONG