As always, the flow of time differed between the worlds connected by the chat group. Around the same time Gion ate the Mythical Zoan Beast fruit and had her rather private battle with Jaeger—another storm was brewing elsewhere.
Konoha Village – Council Chamber
Inside the Hokage's conference room, the atmosphere was tense. The top brass of Konoha were gathered:
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Uchiha Fugaku, Namikaze Minato, Orochimaru, Hiashi Hyūga, and the Ino–Shika–Chō trio.
Everyone sat upright, faces grave. The air felt heavy, as though the judgment of the village itself was about to be pronounced.
Across from them sat three figures:
Uchiha Miyuki, titled Shura's Yasha Hime
Uzumaki Kushina, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki
Nohara Rin, recently rescued from Kirigakure after being forced to bear the Three-Tails.
"Who would have thought the Third Great Ninja War would twist into this?" Hiruzen muttered, exhaustion in his voice as he puffed on his pipe. "What should have been a large-scale melee… has turned into everyone targeting Konoha."
He exhaled smoke slowly, then turned.
"Shikaku. Report the situation."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Nara Shikaku rose to his feet, scanning the room before speaking in a steady, grim voice.
"A few months ago, Jōnin Miyuki—alongside that mysterious woman controlling the Vajra Warrior—launched a surprise attack on Iwagakure. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was heavily injured, and the village itself nearly reduced to rubble.
As a result, Miyuki-dono gained a new title across the shinobi world: Shura's Yasha Hime."
"Heh. You flatter me."
Miyuki's modest words didn't match the proud smile tugging at her lips.
The room's atmosphere turned subtly awkward. If it's not worth mentioning, why are you grinning like you just won the lottery? everyone silently thought.
"Please, Miyuki-chan," Shikaku sighed. "Don't interrupt."
He pressed on.
"During the attack, countless witnesses saw a colossal bone dragon descend from the skies. Its size rivaled a mountain range. When it fell, the impact annihilated tens of thousands of Iwa shinobi… and even claimed the life of the Third Raikage."
Gasps rippled through the council.
Shikaku continued:
"Iwagakure was forced to withdraw from the war due to catastrophic losses. Kumogakure, without their Raikage, has been unstable ever since."
At this, his gaze shifted toward Miyuki and Kushina.
Kushina, face flushed, lowered her head. After all, she was there—standing atop Leviathan, the bone dragon Jaeger had summoned, when it all happened.
She remembered it vividly… and even remembered losing her first kiss to that infuriating man right after.
"Given that Luo Hao could summon a Vajra Warrior over a thousand meters tall, Kumogakure believes the bone dragon was connected to her as well. They've repeatedly demanded explanations from us—conflicts have already broken out."
"Later, Miyuki-dono was attacked by an unknown man wielding terrifying fire techniques. Their battle scorched hundreds of kilometers of forest into ash. Luo Hao appeared again during this fight, seemingly aiding Miyuki-dono in defeating the fire-wielding enemy."
"And then… Kirigakure sealed the Three-Tails into Nohara Rin, attempting to weaponize her as a living bomb to destroy Konoha from within. Thanks to Miyuki-dono and that same mysterious man, Rin was rescued. In response, Kirigakure has now officially declared war on Konoha, demanding Rin's return."
Shikaku bowed slightly.
"In summary: Kumogakure and Kirigakure have both declared war on us. Sunagakure is already our enemy. Only Iwagakure has withdrawn… but not by choice. In other words, three of the Great Villages now point their blades at Konoha."
"Well done, Shikaku," Hiruzen nodded, taking a long drag from his pipe. He turned his sharp gaze toward Miyuki.
"…Hey, old man. What's with that look?"
The Third Hokage stiffened.
Miyuki leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "Don't tell me… you're staring at me the same way you peek at women in the bathhouse? Sorry, but gawking at this beautiful girl is off-limits."
"You—!!"
Hiruzen nearly dropped his pipe, coughing violently. His face turned beet red.
"Ridiculous! As Hokage, I would never—! Ahem—! Don't spout such nonsense!"
Was he really choking on smoke… or just desperately covering his tracks?
"Miyuki!"
Uchiha Fugaku's voice boomed across the chamber.
"Show proper respect to the Hokage!"
"Yeah, yeah, got it already!"
Miyuki waved her hand lazily, looking impatient. "So? What do you actually want from me?"
"Cough… Miyuki." Hiruzen set down his pipe, trying to look solemn. "You are… a good child. The future of Konoha depends on you. Perhaps, one day, you could even become Hokage."
The elders exchanged sour looks at that, but Hiruzen pressed on, fixing his gaze on her.
"Tell me—who exactly is this Luo Hao? The so-called God Slayer?"
"My friend," Miyuki replied without hesitation, her innocent face belying the weight of her words. "She lives somewhere like Mount Myōboku—outside this world. I summoned her using a similar jutsu."
"…I see."
Hiruzen nodded, but doubt lingered in his eyes. Uchiha blood was not easily trusted.
He probed further.
"Intelligence reports say this Luo Hao can summon a Vajra Warrior a thousand meters tall. That she crushed the Third Tsuchikage with a single strike. Is that true?"
"That's right!"
Miyuki's eyes lit up as she suddenly leaned forward, excitement bubbling in her voice. "Leader-sister is insanely strong! She's gotten even stronger now—she could probably split the moon if she wanted!"
"What nonsense!" scoffed Hiashi Hyūga, patriarch of the Hyūga clan. "Such exaggerations insult us. Fugaku, is your so-called Yasha Hime really this foolish?"
"Humph!" Fugaku snapped back immediately, his Sharingan flaring. "Miyuki is a genius your Hyūga clan can't hope to touch. Don't bark out of jealousy, Hiashi. It's pathetic. You've lived your whole life like a dog."
"You… what did you say?!"
Veins bulged around Hiashi's Byakugan as his chakra spiked dangerously.
"Call it like I see it," Fugaku said coldly. "You're the head of the Hyūga clan, already in your twenties, yet weaker than a teenage girl. And you dare to sneer? Ridiculous."
Tension exploded in the room, the two clan heads squaring off.
"Enough!" Minato rose smoothly, golden hair catching the light. His easy smile didn't hide the sharp edge of his presence. "Fugaku-san, Hiashi-san. We are comrades. Let's not turn this into a spectacle."
The two fell silent. As much as Fugaku disliked it, Minato's growing authority—and the very real possibility of him becoming the Fourth Hokage—was not to be ignored.
Orochimaru's voice slithered in, breaking the uneasy quiet.
"Heh… for a moment, I hoped to see which would prevail: Sharingan or Byakugan." His yellow eyes shifted to Miyuki. "But tell me—what you said earlier. About splitting the moon. Was that… true?"
"It's true~" Miyuki smirked, her tone deliberately wicked. "The Hyūga's ancestors once had the Tenseigan—an evolved Byakugan. Its Golden Wheel technique can slice the moon in half."
"What did you just say?!"
Hiashi shot to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief. "That secret… how could you possibly know that?!"
"I know a lot of secrets," Miyuki teased, winking mischievously. "Want to hear them? Maybe if you send your wife to be my maid, I'll share~"
"You—!"
Hiashi's face went crimson, torn between fury and unease. The Hyūga records did hint at something beyond the Byakugan, though details were scarce. Could Miyuki's words be true?
Even Fugaku looked unsettled, curiosity flickering in his eyes. If the Byakugan really could evolve… would it rival the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Orochimaru's grin widened ever so slightly, his greedy thoughts veiled beneath the shadows.
"Ahem!" Hiruzen finally broke in, coughing loudly to restore order. "Secrets of the Hyūga clan are not for open discussion." His tone was firm, but curiosity glimmered in his eyes.
He turned back to Miyuki. "Then what of the bone dragon—the one as large as a continent? Was that also Luo Hao's doing?"
"Nope." Miyuki chuckled. "That was His Highness Jaeger's power."
The chamber fell into stunned silence.
"Jaeger… His Highness?"
Hiruzen frowned. Another unfamiliar name, spoken with reverence. Could it be that Miyuki had summoned yet another powerful existence from some other dimension? He couldn't grasp the details—but he was brushing dangerously close to the truth.
"And what of this Jaeger?" the Third pressed. "Just how strong is he?"
"Very strong. Too strong to be called human."
Miyuki's eyes softened with awe. "His Highness Jaeger is far above Luo Hao. He could crush her without effort."
She leaned forward like a starstruck fan, voice brimming with pride.
"Uncle Shikaku just mentioned it—the one who saved me, who killed the fire-wielding pursuer, who rescued Rin… that was His Highness Jaeger."
Kushina bit her lip, finally speaking up.
"That's right. He may be a total scumbag, but his power is terrifying. He destroyed the Third Raikage and tens of thousands of Iwa shinobi with a single blow. Even that monster who burned an entire forest to ash—Jaeger killed him instantly."
Rin nodded shyly, her cheeks pink as she remembered.
"The Three-Tails inside me once whispered… that in Jaeger's presence, it didn't even dare to breathe. It felt like standing before a higher life form."
The council chamber fell into stunned silence.
Hiruzen's pipe nearly slipped from his hand. The other elders exchanged uneasy glances. Everything Miyuki, Kushina, and Rin described matched intelligence reports. It wasn't exaggeration. It was fact.
A man stronger than Hashirama… stronger than Madara… walking freely in our world?
A chill ran through the room. The weight of Jaeger's name pressed against their chests. At least, for now, he wasn't Konoha's enemy… and he was close to Miyuki.
Which made some minds shift. Perhaps Miyuki—backed by such a terrifying ally—was more suited to the Hokage seat than Minato.
Even Hiashi and Koharu found themselves stealing glances, the balance in their hearts quietly tilting.
But Minato… Minato wasn't thinking about the Hokage's chair. His blue eyes stayed fixed on Kushina, who couldn't hide her flustered look whenever she mentioned Jaeger.
So that's it… She likes him. That's why she turned me down.
His chest tightened painfully. And yet…
If Jaeger really is that strong… then maybe Kushina will be safe with him. Isn't that enough?
The Intrusion
Boom!
A sharp knock rattled the chamber doors.
"I'll get it."
Minato forced a smile, masking the ache in his chest as he rose and slid the doors open.
A middle-aged man stood there. Cold eyes, bandaged face.
"…Elder Danzō."
Minato relaxed. He knew the Root's leader, though the man rarely appeared at such meetings but before he could say more
"Minato, be careful!" Miyuki's voice rang out.
"Eh?"
Confused, Minato turned and froze.
Danzo's right eye glowed a piercing blue. Space around his palm warped violently as he extended his hand forward.
A low whisper slipped from his lips:
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!" (T/N: Holy Shit!)
BOOM!
Space warped. A singularity of attraction detonated outward with crushing force, like a miniature supernova.
The infinite pull ripped through Minato's body as if he were paper, piercing his abdomen clean through, nearly tearing him in half.
Blood sprayed across the chamber floor.
•••
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