"Damn brat!"
Shukaku furiously slammed his chakra against the barrier, but unlike the improved sealing formations used before, this one was built on a foundation of senjutsu chakra.
At its core was Souma's own chakra.
That was followed by Gamabunta's chakra, and only after that—Shukaku's.
Which meant one thing.
The more violently Shukaku struggled, the stronger the seal became.
That was precisely why Souma had dragged Gamabunta into this mess in the first place.
"Brat! Tell your bugs to stay away from me, or I'll eat them later!"
Gamabunta roared in frustration.
He was sealed—but not completely powerless.
If he fully suppressed his chakra, Souma would find it far more difficult to maintain the seal on Shukaku using him as an anchor.
"Claw, tell your subordinates to stop siphoning the big toad's chakra," Souma coughed lightly.
"We're all friends here—no need to go that far."
"Buzz—buzz."
The insect calls rippled outward.
To human ears, the sound was barely noticeable, but to the kikaichū, the frequency shifts were crystal clear. They immediately stopped attacking the great toad.
The insects were reluctant.
Toad senjutsu chakra was far tastier than snake chakra—
but also far more dangerous.
Toads naturally suppressed insects on a structural level. The kikaichū were instinctively wary.
Among them, the Insect King was the calmest.
One reason was that it could generate chakra on its own.
The other—
It was closest to Souma, and food was never an issue.
Souma pressed his palm against Shukaku, steadily extracting tailed-beast chakra.
As the chakra was drained, Gaara's transformation regressed—from full beastification to partial, then finally leaving only the tailed-beast cloak.
Immediately after—
Sealing formulas spread across Gaara's body.
Shukaku was sealed once more.
"...?"
Jiraiya stared blankly, then felt oddly speechless.
He finally understood.
If Souma truly wanted to seal a tailed beast, he could have done so instantly—one move, no resistance. The seal on Gaara clearly resonated with Souma's own techniques.
The reason it had taken so long—
Was simply because Souma wanted the chakra.
Tailed-beast chakra.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, then shook his head lightly.
No one blamed him.
If you had the chance, who wouldn't collect tailed-beast chakra?
But suddenly, Jiraiya felt uneasy—
Had Naruto… over the years… lost a lot of his chakra too?
Lost in thought, he saw Souma finish up and begin chatting with Gamabunta.
Gamabunta was surprisingly polite.
"Kid, who exactly are you? Guys like you don't pop up often in Konoha."
"My name is Yagyū Souma. Just a regular tokubetsu jōnin."
"..."
Gamabunta went silent.
If he hadn't been sealed moments ago, he might have believed that nonsense.
Regular?
What kind of regular special jōnin did this?
"So… a very strong jōnin, then?"
Jiraiya walked over from behind.
"Little Jiraiya, looks like we're not needed anymore. We'll head back. Summon us if anything comes up."
"Got it. Thanks, Boss, Big Sis."
With the crisis resolved and the surrounding battles winding down, Jiraiya finally had time to satisfy his curiosity.
Truth be told, he wasn't unfamiliar with Souma.
Before returning to the village, he'd already read Hiruzen's letters—delivered through Gekkō Hayate.
Exceptional talent.
Terrifying creativity.
Masterful at alliances.
Every possible compliment was piled onto Souma's name.
Jiraiya could practically read between the lines:
"I've already picked the Sixth Hokage. Come help smooth things over."
Jiraiya had no interest in the Hokage seat.
But he was curious—
Could Souma be the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage had foretold?
But… Jiraiya hadn't met him before.
He frowned.
Damn it. I should've asked Fukasaku and Shima earlier.
He walked over, deep in thought.
Souma was still chatting casually with Gamabunta.
Finally, the toad revealed his true intent.
"Souma, are your bugs for sale?"
"Buzz—!"
The Insect King shot into the air, hovering at eye level with Gamabunta, furious.
Souma coughed.
"They're my partner's subordinates—my comrades in battle. Selling them is out of the question. Please don't joke about that."
"This little guy is…?"
Gamabunta narrowed his eyes.
He could sense it.
This kikaichū was different.
Its carapace, in particular, felt dangerous.
Possibly nearing the level of Mount Myōboku's spiritual creatures.
Gamabunta looked at the insect… then at Souma.
He understood.
This was the "partner."
The two summons faced each other in silence.
After a full minute, Gamabunta puffed his pipe and exhaled smoke.
"How about a deal, kid?"
"Buzz?"
"My toads provide chakra. You provide some weaker bugs—nothing too strong. Mutual benefit."
"Buzz—!"
The Insect King's wings vibrated violently, its aura surging.
Watching the massive size difference, Jiraiya quietly leaned closer.
"…What are they saying?"
"Negotiation. You understand Gamabunta. Claw's saying those insects are his hard-raised subordinates—his brothers."
Souma translated calmly.
Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully.
This Insect King had been taught well.
Understanding loyalty, kinship… things ordinary insects never cared about.
"Buzz."
"Alright. I won't send elites over. Just don't ruin my kids' stomachs."
Gamabunta laughed.
Jiraiya twitched.
Weren't they brothers just now…?
Souma didn't interfere.
If the Insect King formed ties with Mount Myōboku, that was nothing but good news.
To evolve kikaichū on a large scale required absurd amounts of senjutsu chakra—far more than Souma could provide alone.
The only alternative was cultivating "leader insects" capable of independent cultivation.
But that would take decades—centuries.
An alliance with Mount Myōboku?
That timeline shortened dramatically.
The Insect King returned and relayed the agreement through chirps.
Simple terms—
The toads would capture live insects in the Forest of Death.
The Insect King would help cultivate them into basic kikaichū.
Mutual benefit.
Gaara slept soundly nearby. At Souma's command, ANBU arrived and carried him away.
Gamabunta returned to Mount Myōboku in high spirits.
He had just witnessed the rise of a future insect holy land.
Even if that someday threatened the Three Great Sage Regions—
With or without cooperation, a race backed by a Sage Mode master would only grow stronger.
Better to ally early.
Plus—
Better bugs to eat later.
Jiraiya's mood was complicated as he and Souma moved to higher ground, surveying the battlefield.
It was over.
The snake horde had already been annihilated by the kikaichū. With Orochimaru fleeing and Manda sealed under Deity Gates, Ryūchi Cave's summons completely withdrew.
As for Rasa—
"You're the Kazekage?" Hashirama said calmly from the rubble.
"Even if Tobirama and I didn't interfere, you couldn't have won. Konoha's strength far exceeds yours. This war only leads to mutual destruction."
Just standing there, the God of Shinobi radiated crushing pressure.
Rasa had no will to fight left.
"Sunagakure surrenders. Please, First Hokage-sama, Third Hokage-sama… show mercy."
He felt nothing but bitterness.
Orochimaru had deceived him again.
Promised Edo Tensei of the First, Second Hokage, and Sunagakure's Second Kazekage—
And yes, they were summoned.
But Shamon was sent back immediately, while the First and Second Hokage turned against him.
The moment the battle flipped, Rasa barely avoided Hiruzen's staff.
Hashirama glanced at Hiruzen.
"You're the Hokage now. This is your call."
Hiruzen looked down.
Losses were moderate.
A war, perhaps, wasn't entirely bad for the younger generation.
But Sunagakure couldn't walk away unscathed.
"Since you surrender," Hiruzen said coldly,
"order your forces to stand down and disarm. Otherwise, the First Hokage will intervene—and your losses will be far worse."
"Yes!"
"Sunagakure surrendered."
Jiraiya watched the golden sand disperse.
"They've been declining for years. Conflict was inevitable."
"What did you expect?" Souma replied flatly.
"We can't carve off our own flesh to feed them."
"Peace isn't achieved by generosity," he continued.
"When the First Hokage distributed the tailed beasts, did the other villages truly appreciate it?"
"…There was peace for a while," Jiraiya said stubbornly.
"No. That was because the First Hokage was alive," Souma said bluntly.
"After his death, villages recovered. Decades later, they couldn't hold back anymore."
Jiraiya fell silent.
History supported Souma's words.
Still—
"Peace will come one day," Jiraiya insisted.
"I believe people will understand each other."
"No," Souma replied calmly.
"True peace requires not just understanding—but the power to enforce it."
"Perhaps the First Hokage believed that giving everyone tailed beasts would create mutual deterrence."
"Hahaha—so that's what I was thinking?"
Hashirama laughed, scratching his head.
"It doesn't sound wrong… just that reality didn't turn out the way I imagined."
He paused, intrigued.
"So, you have a different view?"
"Of course," Souma said.
"Distributing tailed beasts wasn't the problem. The problem was imbalance."
"Iwagakure and Kumogakure were already strong—and they received powerful beasts."
He shook his head.
"Even with tailed beasts, resource disparity eventually breaks balance. And when balance breaks—war returns."
"So peace is born from balance of power?" a voice asked.
Tobirama's Edo body stood up.
"Only fear and restraint bring temporary peace," Souma replied.
"But resources differ. Villages diverge. Balance collapses."
"And conflict resumes."
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