Cosmic Craftsmanship
"Alright." Jinghang nodded at Pain. "Let's do this."
Pain's expression didn't change. He raised one hand—
—and hurled a black sphere skyward.
"Planetary Devastation."
The sphere pulsed.
Sand exploded upward. Tons of it. Black Zetsu—still pinned by chakra rods—got dragged along, screaming silently as the gravitational pull intensified.
The sphere climbed higher.
The sand followed.
A massive ball formed in midair—twenty meters wide, thirty, forty—
Everyone stumbled. The suction was immense.
"Get down!" Kakashi grabbed Rin, pulling her flat.
Obito collapsed. Still couldn't move.
Utakata and his men crouched, chakra anchoring them to the ground.
Only Jinghang stood casually.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Hand."
His right arm extended—not physically, but through a gigantic construct of black iron particles. It reached up, grabbed the sand sphere like a sculptor palming clay, and squeezed.
The sphere deformed.
"Mm. That's enough sand." Jinghang's hand moved in small circles. "Pain, cut it."
Pain nodded. The black sphere vanished.
Gravity released.
The iron hand held the sand sphere aloft—now vaguely tower-shaped, but rough.
"Here." Jinghang tossed Pain a pair of sunglasses. Put on his own. "You'll want these."
Pain caught them. Stared. "...Why?"
"Magnet Release: Arc Welding Technique."
The iron hand transformed.
Became a massive welding torch.
ZZZZZZAAAAAAAP—
Blinding white light.
Lightning—pure, concentrated, 1800-degree plasma—shot from the "torch" and slammed into the sand tower.
"CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Jinghang shouted.
Too late for most.
Kakashi squeezed his eye shut. Rin buried her face in his shoulder.
Obito—still on the ground—got the full blast. "AUGH—I CAN'T SEE—"
Utakata's men screamed, hands over faces.
Only Tsunade—eyes already closed—smiled faintly.
The sand tower glowed.
Red. Orange. White-hot.
The grains melted. Fused. Became molten glass.
The iron hand shifted back. Grabbed the semi-liquid mass. Kneaded it like dough.
Pain watched through his sunglasses.
"...Lord Kazekage."
"Why a tower?" Pain's voice was flat. "A sphere would be more stable."
"You don't get it." Jinghang molded another tier. "Towers suppress evil. It's symbolic. Black Zetsu's a chaos spirit—gotta lock him down properly."
"...I see." Pain paused. "But your aesthetic sense is terrible."
"Look at it." Pain gestured. "The levels aren't even aligned. It looks like a drunk mason's fever dream."
Jinghang squinted at his work.
"...Huh. You're right. Lemme fix that—"
Five minutes later—
A fifteen-meter-tall glass tower hit the sand.
It was... impressionist. Each tier slightly crooked. The whole thing leaning just enough to look unstable.
Inside—visible through the translucent walls—Black Zetsu writhed in a tiny pocket dimension, trapped between layers of faith-infused glass.
Jinghang beamed. "Perfect! Now it needs a name."
He manipulated iron sand into calligraphy.
Three characters blazed across the tower's face:
DEMON-LOCKING TOWER
Pain turned away in disgust.
Delivery Service
Jinghang bit his thumb. Smeared blood on his palm. Slammed the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
A weasel appeared—eyepatch, grizzled fur, deeply unimpressed expression.
"Got a delivery for the boss." Jinghang gestured at the tower. "Mind taking it to Xuanyuan Tomb?"
"...What the hell is that?"
"It's hideous." Buck circled it. "You're seriously giving this to Great Immortal Huang? It looks like you made it with your feet."
"The Immortal knows what it is—"
"And you wrote on it." Buck squinted. "'Demon-Locking Tower.' Real creative. What's next, gonna make a birthday cake out of eighteen pounds of flour and call it a masterpiece?"
Jinghang's smile twitched. "Just... deliver it. Please."
"Where am I even supposed to put this thing?"
"Underground palace. It needs to sit there for ten thousand years."
Buck sighed. Placed one paw on the tower.
Jinghang exhaled. (Finally. Black Zetsu sealed. Madara's secret weapon neutralized. Now I just need to deal with the old man himself—)
He turned to Tsunade.
"Alright. We're done here." He reached for her hand. "Let's go home."
Crushing Disappointment
Kakashi's heart sank.
(He's... leaving?)
Obito—still on the ground, vision slowly returning—felt his chest tighten.
(He's not here for us.)
Rin's eyes filled with tears again.
Utakata and his men relaxed.
(We're safe. He really didn't come for us.)
"Honey." Tsunade pulled her hand back. "We can't just leave."
"Sure we can." Jinghang grinned. "This is Kiri and Konoha business. We're neutral."
Utakata bowed immediately. "Lord Kazekage's wisdom is—"
"Oh, one more thing." Jinghang's smile turned sharp. "Tell Yagura I'm not mad about Coin Harbor. Sneak attacks happen. We won't hold a grudge." He paused. "But. Triumph Valley was strike one. Coin Harbor was strike two. There won't be a strike three. Understand?"
Utakata's jaw clenched. (Both times we got crushed. He's rubbing it in—)
"I'll relay your message. May we leave?"
"Yeah. Get out of here."
Utakata gestured to his men. They moved toward Rin—
Tsunade's voice was steel.
"That girl is injured. She can't travel like this."
Jinghang sighed. "Honey, I know Konoha screwed up. But with the Alliance talks coming, I can't play favorites—"
"Lord Kazekage!" Utakata jumped in. "Your neutrality is admirable! I'll personally inform Lord Mizukage about the Alliance—he values peace—this will surely—"
Jinghang's expression changed.
The casual smile vanished.
His eyes went cold.
"...They did what?"
Utakata froze. "It was a misunderstanding—"
Jinghang's palm slammed across Utakata's face.
The Kiri jonin staggered. Hit the sand. Blood on his lip.
He looked up—shocked—
"You—you hit me—"
"Don't take it personally." Jinghang shook out his hand. "That wasn't diplomacy. That was marriage."
[Comedic Genius: Jinghang treats cosmic-level sealing like a home improvement project (welding glass tower with Lightning Release). Pain's aesthetic criticism = rare moment of personality (even he can't tolerate ugly craftsmanship). Buck's disgust = legendary weasel clan standards (refuses to compliment terrible art). Tower's purpose = permanent prison (ten-thousand-year sentence for Black Zetsu).]
[Character Dynamics: Jinghang = mission-focused (Black Zetsu first, everything else secondary). Tsunade = master manipulator ("they hit me" = instant husband rage). Kakashi/Obito = crushing disappointment (realized they're not being rescued). Utakata = political survivor (trying to salvage situation through flattery). Pain = straight man (suffering through Jinghang's antics).]
[Foreshadowing: "Old blind man Madara" = next target (Jinghang knows he's alive). Alliance talks = political maneuvering (Jinghang using leverage). "Strike three" warning = Kiri on thin ice (one more sneak attack = war). Tsunade's injury excuse = real concern (Rin's Three-Tails seal unstable). Utakata's slap = personal not political (sets precedent for future interactions).]
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