Konoha: From Tsunade's Adoption - Chapter 320: Farewell to the Sage of Six Paths
Among the nine jinchuriki, Gaara and Shukaku had the worst relationship.
To put it bluntly, they were holding each other back completely.
Later on, after Gaara no longer had Shukaku, his combat power skyrocketed.
When he heard the news, he accepted it without much reaction.
In contrast, people like Rasa felt bitter about it.
But they could do nothing about it.
The Sealing Team stood around Gaara and began their work.
Natsume glanced at Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and said, "Once Shukaku is out, he's all yours."
For ninja, tailed beasts were actually a huge inconvenience.
Only certain techniques—sealing arts, Wood Release, and the Sharingan—were truly practical.
Without Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Natsume would have had no choice but to seal it by force.
Now, with a more convenient option available, there was no need for unnecessary hassle.
Yugito Nii found it somewhat intriguing but didn't ask questions.
Besides the Sealing Team, she was the only one present because she was the jinchuriki of the Two-Tailed Beast.
As for Kurenai Yuhi and others, they weren't here at all.
Mainly because they couldn't be of much help.
Besides, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Ten-Tails were too overwhelming—he saw no point in explaining further.
At that moment, wild chakra erupted into the sky.
Gaara had already fallen unconscious.
Following shortly after came Shukaku's excited voice.
Because it realized its seal had finally been broken this time.
A massive shadow loomed over Natsume and the others.
It was Shukaku's body.
"This mighty one…"
Shukaku had barely spoken three words when it suddenly froze.
It saw Natsume and immediately recalled the beating it had previously taken.
But soon it noticed Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
More precisely, the aura she had just emitted.
The Ten-Tails split into nine separate tailed beasts after Kaguya Ōtsutsuki sealed it, so they had never met before.
Yet, aura wouldn't lie.
A chill ran through Shukaku.
It felt as though this being before it was its natural predator.
That even the slightest movement of hers could reduce it to dust.
"Go stand over there," Kaguya ordered coldly.
Shukaku shuddered and immediately shifted its massive body to move to the designated spot and stand still.
Except for Natsume, almost everyone else looked on in shock.
Since when do tailed beasts behave like that?
Nagato took it slightly better—he had seen a glimpse of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's power before.
Others, like Mei Terumī and Temari, fell silent instead.
Both women had special permission to come and supervise their own jinchuriki.
But nothing could have prepared them for what they were seeing now.
Natsume himself was already overwhelmingly powerful—how could Konoha have someone this powerful besides him?
As the Mizukage and Kazekage, they could only exchange weary glances, knowing their villages' futures looked bleak.
At least for the next few decades, nothing could be changed.
According to the order, each tailed beast was summoned one after another.
Their reactions mirrored Shukaku's—first excitement, then horror.
In the end, everyone questioned Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's true identity.
Yet since Natsume remained silent, none dared to voice their doubts.
Only Nagato had come closest to uncovering the truth.
Of course, he didn't know her name—Kaguya otsutsuki—but assumed she must be on par with the Sage of Six Paths.
The nine tailed beasts stood side by side, a sight so shocking it left everyone stunned. Since the death of the Sage of Six Paths, no one had seen such a scene again.
What made it even more unsettling, however, was how unusually docile they were.
The nine Jinchuriki remained unconscious but were in no danger of losing their lives.
Natsume sent Gaara, Zabuza Momochi, Ephemeral, Temari, and Mei Terumī back. The remaining Jinchuriki would be escorted back to Konoha by the Sealing Team.
It was better this way—they didn't need to know what came next.
Eventually, only Kaguya otsutsuki, Natsume, Nagato, Konan, and the nine tailed beasts remained.
"Nagato."
Natsume turned to the two who seemed lost in thought and asked, "Want to make a deal?"
"A deal?"
Nagato remained calm, asking with mild surprise, "What kind of deal?"
At this point, was there still a need for negotiation?
Before, he had believed his Rinnegan made him unbeatable. After being defeated by Natsume, his mindset had already shifted. Now seeing the tailed beasts behaving so obediently, he realized there existed an even more terrifying figure. His perspective had completely changed.
In short, there will always be someone stronger out there.
"I can heal your legs."
Natsume gave a small chuckle.
"Really?"
Before Nagato could speak, Konan had already shown a rare flicker of emotion.
Those legs had been crippled by Hanzō the Semi-God. Along with that incident, their friend Yahiko had also perished.
Beyond that, being confined to crippled legs was pure torment for Nagato. It was precisely because of his condition that he couldn't fully harness the power of the Rinnegan.
In the later part of the original story, when the healthy reincarnated version of Nagato appeared through Impure World Reincarnation, his combat power nearly doubled.
"Of course it's real."
Natsume gave a small nod. "I have no reason to lie to either of you."
"Konan," Nagato said calmly, "what do you want in return?"
Though he longed for recovery, he wasn't willing to pay a steep price.
"It's nothing much," Natsume replied casually. "Konoha doesn't keep idle hands. In the future, you'll join the Hokage's bodyguard team, and Konan will become the Hokage's secretary."
His original plan had been to let them experience how Konoha functioned, helping them understand how true peace could be achieved.
Now, he was simply digging deeper, drawing them in further.
"The management of Amegakure remains under your control; I won't interfere." Natsume added after a pause.
Amegakure—perpetually drenched in rain, barely populated, and resource-starved—
He simply had no intention of getting involved in its management.
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances. A silent understanding passed between them before they both gave slight nods, signaling agreement.
To them, above all else, Amegakure was what mattered most.
Natsume turned to Kaguya otsutsuki.
She lifted all ten fingers.
A cold shiver ran down Natsume's spine.
One wrong move and this could be fatal.
But for the sake of his destiny value, he had no choice but to press forward.
Seeing him nod, Kaguya otsutsuki's lips curled up slightly at the corners.
She raised her hand, and a massive surge of chakra flowed into Nagato.
The truth was, his weakened state had ultimately stemmed from insufficient chakra to sustain the Rinnegan's power.
Now with Kaguya otsutsuki restoring his chakra, his body visibly improved.
Nagato and Konan both wore joyful smiles.
Soon, a medical miracle occurred.
Nagato stood up.
Reborn, he could no longer maintain his usual composure and began pacing back and forth in excitement.
"Summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."
Natsume said after waiting for a moment.
Nagato exhaled deeply. His Rinnegan trembled slightly as a powerful surge of Rinnegan energy burst forth.
Ripples of warped space appeared around them.
Then came the emergence of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—the massive shell of the Ten-Tails.
How could one even describe it? It was grotesquely hideous.
And with the appearance of the Demonic Statue, the nine tailed beasts stirred restlessly.
They had already sensed their own destiny.
That was, to be merged once again into the Ten-Tails.
Some of the tailed beasts even contemplated escape.
But there was nothing they could do.
Kaguya otsutsuki seized control of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Nagato watched in horror at the scene before him.
One by one, the nine tailed beasts were sucked into the body of the Demonic Statue.
The God Tree returned to the mortal realm.
At that moment, an immense amount of chakra poured down from the sky.
As it approached, the figure of the Sage of Six Paths began to take shape.
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