When Naruto, who had been sent flying, finally returned, he realized that Killer B—who was supposed to be standing at the center of the circle—was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, the remaining animals had all dropped to their knees before the Shinju, bowing with devout reverence!
"Where's Killer B-san? (‧_‧?)"
"That one doesn't count! He cheated! I wanna fight him again! (′д｀σ)σ"
The Shinju raised a hand and pointed in the direction Killer B had been blown away.
Naruto followed the line of his finger—and saw splintered trees and a long dragging mark etched into the ground!
That dragging mark alone stretched for dozens of meters!
Naruto: (Ő∀Ő)
"You did that?" Naruto asked.
The Shinju nodded.
"You used Sage Mode? Or maybe opened the Eight Gates? Don't tell me you used Susanoo?! That was just a fall—no way it should've gone that far!!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ"
The Shinju: (ー ー゛)
"I merely strengthened my body slightly with chakra."
"Think of it as a modified version of the Yin Seal—you know that one too, don't you? (￣⊥￣)"
Naruto: o_O
He did know the Yin Seal, but this so-called "modified version" seemed way too absurd!
It'd be one thing if he'd shoved an ordinary person—but that was a Jinchūriki!
So what was this supposed to be?
A body that had reached sainthood—fighting tailed beasts head-on?!
--003d͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪ ‧̣̥̇)
"Close your mouth, no need to look that shocked. Spend a couple more days learning medical ninjutsu from me and you'll get it. (￢∀￢)σ"
Patting Naruto on the shoulder, the Shinju then walked ahead to check on Killer B's injuries.
...
Inside Killer B's inner sealing space.
Gyūki, the Eight-Tails, had his host pinned to the ground in frustration.
"Why'd you have to provoke him for no reason?! (▼皿▼#)"
"You still don't understand what kind of monster that guy is?! (′д｀σ)σ"
Killer B looked innocent.
"I just wanted to save reputation... If we could beat him, the name of Killer B-sama would resound across the ninja world once again!"
Gyūki roared, "Did you forget the beating you took last time?! ╰（‵□′）╯"
"B, I can tell you this for certain—that red-haired kid is stronger than even the God of Shinobi ever was!"
Killer B's eyes went wide. (ŐдŐ๑)
"Really? But..."
"No buts!" Gyūki growled. "What do you think defines the God of Shinobi? Immense chakra reserves? Unmatched Wood Release? Or maybe his brilliant tactical mind?"
"Which of those does the Shinju not have? Maybe he hasn't shown much in terms of strategy—but that's only because his raw power is so overwhelming he doesn't even need strategy!"
"Tell me, have you ever seen another ninja who can control all five basic elements and Wood Release, Crystal Release, Dust Release... I've lost count of how many at this point!"
"Not to mention—he even possesses a pair of Sharingan eyes capable of the strongest genjutsu!"
Gyūki's words struck Killer B to the core.
Before, he'd only thought of the Shinju as powerful—but had never truly analyzed how terrifying that power was.
Now that Gyūki laid it out like that, it was horrifying beyond belief!
But then, as understanding dawned, Killer B's expression suddenly changed.
"So that means... I'm witnessing the birth of a new legend right before my eyes?! ୧⍢⃝୨"
"And unlike the era of the God of Shinobi—there's no one in this era who can stand on equal footing with the Shinju!"
"This is an era that belongs solely to the Shinju!"
Just as Killer B was lost in his dramatic realization, the Shinju's face appeared before him.
"You okay? You seem a bit dazed," the Shinju said, kneeling down to use medical ninjutsu to check his condition.
But before he could even move, Killer B suddenly leapt up from the ground and grabbed his arm tightly.
"An era that belongs solely to the Shinju! I'm putting that line into my lyrics!"
"The higher you soar, the farther my songs will spread! \(≧▽≦)/"
The Shinju blinked, confused. "You hit your head just now, didn't you?"
"This seems like a psychological issue—that's outside my field of medicine. You'll need a specialist for that."
Ignoring the comment, Killer B released him and dashed off to write his lyrics.
Before leaving, he turned and said, "In three days, have Motoi bring you all to the Falls of Truth. That's when our real training begins!"
"And don't ask me why three days—I'm locking myself away to focus on writing this song! ୧⍢⃝୨"
After Killer B left, Naruto came over from behind.
"What's up with him? Did losing to you mess with his head?"
The Shinju shook his head.
"Doubt it. A Jinchūriki who survived all that scorn as a kid isn't the type to break over something this small..."
...
Land of Fire — Audience Hall.
With the Fourth Great Ninja War approaching, Tsunade had personally gone to meet with the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
The Daimyō was a somewhat effeminate middle-aged man, wearing a tall, bizarrely shaped hat.
At that moment, he said, "You're requesting funds? Doesn't Konoha already have plenty in its accounts?"
Tsunade looked exasperated.
"This war is monumental. The preparations alone are vast. What we have now barely scratches the surface."
The Daimyō fanned himself, an unhappy look on his face.
"Speaking of war, I have a question. Such a major conflict—and you launched it without notifying me first? Does Konoha still even intend to remain under the Land of Fire's jurisdiction?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. (▼ヘ▼#)
Her fist clenched and then loosened again.
Politics had never been her strength, and this slippery, two-faced Daimyō was seriously testing her patience—she was this close to punching his smug face in!
But for the sake of the village's stability, she restrained herself and replied evenly,
"The Five Kage Summit was called under urgent circumstances. We originally planned only to form a ninja alliance to eliminate Akatsuki—but none of us expected Uchiha Madara to suddenly declare war."
"And besides, ninja villages and nations are meant to support each other. From what you're saying, it sounds like you see Konoha as just some subsidiary of the Land of Fire, don't you? (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)"
The Daimyō was speechless for a moment, then waved his fan dismissively.
"Alright, alright, I understand. You may go."
"Oh, and during wartime, a squad must be assigned to guard the Daimyō's residence."
At that, Tsunade slammed her palm down on the table with a thunderous bang!
"The Daimyō also understands how critical this war is. If we lose because we lacked funds and supplies—think carefully about what that would mean for you..."
With a cold snort, she turned and stormed out of the hall.
As she left, the Daimyō lazily waved his fan.
"I still don't get what Konoha's people were thinking, choosing such a hotheaded Hokage. At least she's easy on the eyes, I suppose..."
One of his attendants asked, "My lord, about Konoha's funding request..."
"Approve it," the Daimyō replied. "A war like this isn't something to take lightly. Give them what they need."
...
Outside the hall, the Konoha elders Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane were waiting.
When Tsunade stepped out, Koharu immediately asked,
"Well? Did the Daimyō agree to release the funds?"
Homura gave a dry chuckle.
"Judging by her expression, do you really need to ask? The Land of Fire takes its cut from Konoha's mission commissions every year—yet when it's time to actually spend, they suddenly play stingy..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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