It was pitch-black. A man and a woman. The place looked like an underground parking lot—but only at first glance. Unfortunately, it wasn't the real thing.
There was no room for any kind of entertainment here.
Haseo could clearly feel the grief radiating from Uzumaki Shikou. Theoretically speaking, given her current position, she shouldn't be showing such emotions right now... Although the Uzumaki clan had long ceased formally appointing a clan leader, since the Nine-Tails had been split, Shikou had essentially become its de facto head.
Whether or not she held the title made little difference—she had always functioned as the acting leader of the Uzumaki clan.
Yet Shikou's feelings toward Mito ran extremely deep.
Everyone has moments of fragility; everyone inevitably shows weakness now and then. Fortunately, only Haseo was present—Shikou's vulnerability was exposed to him alone.
Mito's death was an undeniable fact. It was precisely at times like these that the next generation needed to step up and bear the weight of the entire Uzumaki clan—and much of that burden rested on Shikou's shoulders.
"Shikou, regarding the ritual in three days… you really don't need to attend," Haseo said afterward. The transfer ceremony for the Nine-Tails could proceed smoothly without her presence.
Avoiding unnecessary pain for those who didn't have to endure it was the only kindness he could offer.
But Shikou shook her head. "Whether I'm there or not, things will unfold the same way. Certain emotions will always surface regardless. If that's the case, I'd rather face them directly."
It was hard to say whether this was stubbornness or strength—Shikou also had her defiant side. But no matter what, she didn't want to run away from this.
"Alright… What about Kushina?"
So Haseo stopped trying to persuade her further.
"She's already on standby. Compared to last year, Kushina should be in perfect condition this time."
If they chose to face this head-on, then Shikou needed to get her emotions under control quickly, so nothing would go wrong due to her own state.
"What about Mokkō?"
"She's with Kushina. She's already fully prepared."
Among the Thirteen Scents, Mokkō occupied a special position. First, her power was essential for resealing the weakened Nine-Tails, especially with Mito growing weaker. Second, if Kushina encountered any issues, Mokkō would become the new jinchuriki of the Uzumaki Nine-Tails.
Currently, Mokkō was second only to Kushina in terms of suitability as a jinchuriki. Moreover, being an adult ninja, her strength surpassed young Kushina by more than one level.
After the division of the Nine-Tails significantly weakened its power, the role of jinchuriki was no longer strictly limited to the Uzumaki—Orochimaru, for instance, now also qualified. However, no matter how much the tailed beasts weakened, the Uzumaki remained vastly superior to other ninja when it came to serving as "vessels."
Although no one had explicitly required the Uzumaki clan to have a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, it was something they themselves insisted on fulfilling while living within Konoha.
They believed that if they didn't shy away from responsibilities inherently belonging to them, they could refuse additional burdens imposed externally. This was why Mito Uzumaki now placed such importance on this inheritance, personally selecting Kushina Uzumaki as her successor—it was ultimately for the good of the Uzumaki clan.
"Lord Haseo, should we notify Tsunade-sama to return promptly?"
Haseo paused briefly before replying, "There's no need. We'll notify her only before the ritual begins. Given Lady Mito's endurance, she'll be able to last until Tsunade returns from the Front Line."
Although a Jinchuriki would lose their life after the Tailed Beast's chakra was separated, different individuals experienced varying rates of decline—some might perish instantly, but in Mito Uzumaki's case, Haseo estimated she could at least last for a day.
"I hope Tsunade won't blame me for acting on my own."
"Lord Haseo..."
The reason Haseo chose not to notify Tsunade to return early was essentially the same as his earlier encouragement to Shikou to avoid participating in the ritual. However, since Tsunade wasn't present here, unlike Shikou, she couldn't directly refuse and would passively accept the arrangement.
"Let me go through the plan again: three days later, we will first send word for Tsunade to return. Then, on the third level of this underground base, the Nine-Tails will be extracted and resealed.
After Kushina's process completes, we will inform Orochimaru to return to Konoha.
During this time, we will begin the initial disclosure of the Nine-Tails Division Plan, expanding the scope of knowledge to twelve additional individuals.
Then, retrieve the second Nine-Tails from the Shikkotsu Forest and once Orochimaru returns to Konoha, proceed with the next sealing."
Performing two consecutive Nine-Tails sealings would serve as a test of the Kagenami organization.
Among the [Thirteen], currently only Shikou knew about the Nine-Tails being split, but in three days, the remaining twelve would also learn the truth—they were the original members of Kagenami, so secrecy wasn't a concern.
It wasn't just due to their discipline and loyalty, but also because the Uzumaki Sealing Techniques were second to none.
A secret held in someone's heart might slip out, but an Uzumaki seal ensured it stayed locked forever.
"What about the detailed design of the seal? And how about storing the key?"
"All completed. Lady Mito personally participated, ensuring absolute reliability... The key will be kept deep beneath this facility in the Uzumaki vault. Retrieving it requires permission from the Hokage, Lord Haseo, and myself." Shikou explained.
Over the past year, Kagenami had made extensive preparations specifically for the Nine-Tails transfer. Controlling the Nine-Tails and ensuring its successive Jinchuriki generation after generation—that was the fundamental purpose for which the Kagenami organization was established.
It was also the very foundation that allowed the Uzumaki clan to stand firm within Konoha, bound together with the village.
One significant preparation conducted over this year had been redesigning the Nine-Tails' seal.
Although the sealing techniques used to imprison the Nine-Tails were all based on the Four Symbols Seal, specifically the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style—which in itself was powerful enough—the Eight Trigrams Seals placed upon different jinchuriki couldn't be exactly the same. Haseo, along with the higher authority of the Third Hokage, required each seal design to incorporate unique elements.
This was for safety and risk prevention purposes. If all the seals were identical, there would exist a "universal key" capable of removing all eight seals at once—something completely unacceptable.
Moreover, considering one of the jinchuriki was Orochimaru, precautions had to be taken against his reverse-engineering abilities. It went without saying—though he might not necessarily intend harm, Orochimaru would certainly be drawn to the Uzumaki clan's highest-tier sealing techniques.
It was just his nature—but giving in was never an option. While the Third Hokage was like a father to Orochimaru, Haseo most certainly was not.
In short, such preparations were meticulously thorough.
...
Three days later, Mito Uzumaki left the cottage she had lived in for over a year and, without alerting anyone, entered the underground base of Kagenami.
Likewise, with nearly no one knowing, [The World's Mightiest Ninja] silently set out on her final journey—the path of no return.
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