Dawn broke.
A blazing sun rose from the east, bringing light to the shinobi world.
"Rooaaar..."
Along with the sound that came from the lake, the Kiri shinobi stationed at the shore immediately moved into action.
The black sealing patterns spread out like chains covering the sky, encircling the entire lake.
Everything proceeded as if it had been rehearsed countless times.
However, the newly born Three-Tails had no intention of being restrained so easily.
"ROOAAAR..."
With another thunderous roar and violent tremor, the once-calm lake boiled over.
Steam burst forth, waves surged violently, and even the most seasoned shinobi struggled to keep their footing.
Standing on the shore, Ao quickly removed his eyepatch.
The Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan revealed itself.
"Open!"
As he activated it, the powerful dōjutsu pierced through the lake water, revealing the rampaging Three-Tails at the bottom.
At the moment, the Three-Tails was only about ten meters long—far smaller than its full form.
Yet, even in this state, it was not something an ordinary shinobi could handle.
Of course, this was also related to Kiri's inferiority in sealing techniques compared to Konoha.
---
"Tch, these Kiri-nin are absolute trash! They can't even handle the Three-Tails. What a bunch of losers!" Deidara mocked, only to feel Kisame's murderous glare. He shut up immediately.
"It seems Kirigakure are struggling quite a bit to seal the Three-Tails." Sasori said, stepping forward between Deidara and Kisame. He had some fondness for his companion who sought "artistic enlightenment through explosions."
Kisame snorted coldly but said nothing more.
He was, after all, once a Kiri shinobi himself. He didn't appreciate others badmouthing his village.
"There's no helping it," Tobi remarked casually. "Kirigakure never excelled in sealing arts. Seems they didn't gain much when they wiped out the Uzushiogakure (Uzumaki Village) back then."
As his right eye's three tomoe spun wildly, Tobi was clearly waiting for a chance to use his Sharingan to seize control of the Three-Tails and transport it away.
Yet every time he attempted to act, a sharp, murderous intent would pierce through the air toward him.
That killing intent came from within the Kirigakure's camp.
And there was only one person there capable of making Tobi wary.
Sensing that, Kisame gradually reined in his anger.
"The Kiri's sealing techniques are indeed mediocre. Compared to other villages, they rely on sheer strength to suppress the Tailed Beasts. That's why only the strongest are chosen to be hosts—so they can withstand the beasts inside them. But even so, every sealing ritual costs several elite lives." Recalling past events, Kisame gazed at the lake, his fierce eyes betraying a hint of nostalgia.
---
Kirigakure camp – The courtyard where Kamizuki Hikari was detained.
Kakashi's gaze was sharp and grave as he looked toward the distant lake. It was beyond his line of sight, yet he could clearly feel it.
A vast, immense chakra had descended. That overwhelming pressure, surpassing human limits, felt like a beacon in the darkness to a skilled shinobi like him; impossible to ignore.
Behind him, Hikari was still lying there obediently, seemingly unaware of the events unfolding not far away.
Beside them, Maito Gai's blood was already boiling.
Relying purely on his beast-like instincts, the moment the Three-Tails appeared, he had wanted to charge in and fight it head-on—either he would kill the beast, or it would kill him.
"Hikari, I think... maybe we should call off this mission." Kakashi said after a moment of thought.
So far, he hadn't seen any signs of foul play from Kirigakure.
Although the Three-Tails had been one of the culprits behind Rin's death, Kakashi wasn't about to let personal feelings drag Konoha into trouble.
"Dumbass, you'll never understand just how grave the consequences of this Three-Tails' revival truly are!" Hikari retorted.
Kakashi sighed. "Of course I understand. If Kiri gains control of the Three-Tails, their strength could return to its peak—potentially threatening Konoha. But if you act rashly now, it could provoke Kirigakure. If a war breaks out between the villages..."
Hikari interrupted sharply, "Then let war break out! Compared to the consequences of the Three-Tails' resurrection, the issue with Kiri is as insignificant as a grain of sand!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Hikari's expression shifted.
In the next instant, he leapt into the air with astonishing speed.
From that single movement, Kakashi could tell his words were pointless—his persuasion had failed.
Because Hikari... had already taken off.
---
In the end, the young Three-Tails couldn't resist the Kirigakure's sealing.
Even though the technique had flaws, the overwhelming numbers of Kiri shinobi compensated for its weakness.
"Tobi, looks like the Three-Tails is about to be sealed, and the Konoha shinobi haven't shown up, huh?" Deidara couldn't help but taunt again.
"Yeah, things went smoother than expected. Now we just wait for the seal to complete, and we can start the 'Dawn' plan!" Kisame said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
As a shinobi who lived through the "Bloody Mist", he had once dreamed of bonds and love—only for them to shatter like illusions.
In pursuit of of so-called "truth", he had joined "Uchiha Madara" and become a loyal follower of the Akatsuki.
"The world is full of fools... Deidara-senpai, looks like you might be one of them too." Tobi teased, his tone shifting from goofy to ominous.
His previously jovial demeanor vanished, replaced by an overwhelming aura—commanding, chilling, and fearsome.
For once, Deidara didn't dare kick him in irritation—he could tell that this version of Tobi wasn't to be trifled with.
"If he won't show himself... then I'll force him to."
With that, Obito unleashed his aura—a wave of overwhelming domineering pressure spread outwards.
Sensing his power, Itachi's Sharingan began to rotate instinctively.
"Whoa, he's strong. No wonder the leader picked him as squad captain. But what's his real ability, I wonder?" Hidan muttered, clearly tempted to go greet Tobi.
Before he could take a step, Sasori grabbed him by the collar and tossed him aside.
"Don't get in the way. Someone's coming."
"Who?!"
Kisame's expression turned fierce as his hands flashed through seals.
"Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
A massive water shark materialized from thin air and lunged toward the source of the killing intent.
The enormous shark swam through the air, smashing through trees before finally meeting its target.
*Boom!*
With a single punch, the shark exploded into pieces.
"Tsk, Kisame, looks like your tricks aren't so great after all!" Deidara mocked—then fell silent, eyes wide.
Because after the shark shattered, it transformed into countless smaller sharks that darted in for the kill.
"Hahaha! Did you think my technique was that simple? This is my trump card—once struck, it splits into a thousand mini-sharks! I designed it to deal with Itachi-san himself... but I didn't expect to use it today!"
----
Read 45+ advanced chapters on my P@treon.
[email protected]/KakuzuTL