These enemies' ninjutsu were weak. Even the two hundred ninja from before couldn't compare to a single low-ranked Akatsuki member. For Shigeo, defeating these women would have been effortless—
but he wanted answers, not slaughter.
"Jiton: Kōgeki (Magnet Release: Assault)!"
Under his will, magnetic sand shifted into blades, kunai, and spikes, streaking through the air like guided missiles. Wherever his gaze landed, death followed.
"Pupupupu—"
More than thirty sharp impacts echoed. The women collapsed, bodies twitching, grievously wounded. The eerie green light faded from their eyes, and the chakra threads that had bound them vanished.
Only one woman remained alive. A magnetic spike hovered before her forehead.
"Speak. Who sent you?" Shigeo asked coldly.
The chakra threads from her back had been severed. He'd spared her only to learn the truth.
Her blank, green eyes fixed on him. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. She was conscious—but unable to control her body. Her mouth trembled, struggling to speak, yet no sound emerged.
Then—
Crack. Crack.
The corpses around them began to move again. The dead women rose, twitching as the same green fire reignited in their eyes.
"Again?" Shigeo muttered.
They charged. Some rushed at him, others toward the last surviving woman.
"Damn it." Shigeo's magnetic sand surged, enclosing the survivor like an iron cocoon. The undead threw themselves against the magnetic barrier, claws screeching against metal, leaving trails of sparks.
Shigeo unleashed Yōton: Yōgan Ryūdan (Lava Release: Flowing Rock Bullets). The molten chakra burst out, reducing every corpse to ash.
When silence fell, only the faint crackle of cooling lava remained.
Using Chōjūgan no Jutsu (Super Light-Weight Rock Technique), Shigeo lifted the barrier and carried the mummified survivor to a cleaner chamber. He set her down, drew silver acupuncture needles, and swiftly pierced several key points.
The woman gasped deeply, her true amber eyes returning. The green tint was gone.
She looked around, trembling. "This… isn't a dream…"
"Then tell me," Shigeo said evenly. "What did you see in that dream of yours?"
Her voice shook as she explained: she was a kunoichi from Kumogakure. Half a month ago, during a mission, she was ambushed. After that, everything turned dark—she lost all control of her body. Yet she felt herself trapped inside a dream.
In that dream, a man with glowing green eyes fed her some kind of drug, connected chakra threads to her body, and used her as a puppet. His command was simple: kill Hyūga Shigeo.
"Was that man called Nakaizumi?" Shigeo asked.
The woman shook her head. "No. There was a man under him named Nakaizumi, but he called that one Yūmeiden-sama."
"Yūmeiden…?" Shigeo repeated.
The name didn't exist in any report, nor had he ever heard it mentioned by Nanmoku's intelligence network or Blue Gate's records.
"They protect something," she continued faintly. "Something called Jūshō Tenten (Ten Elephants Heavenly Reversal)."
Jūshō Tenten? The name triggered an uneasy feeling. Could it be connected to the Jūbi (Ten Tails)?
If so, that would explain why Akatsuki—and even Itachi—had been drawn to this island.
Shigeo's expression hardened. "Do you know where they are?"
The woman closed her eyes, trying to recall her dream. Slowly, she raised her hand and pointed. "That way…"
Shigeo turned, walking in that direction. The woman followed, whispering, "Thank you… for saving me."
"No need," he replied curtly.
She smiled faintly. He wasn't what the rumors claimed.
They twisted through several corridors until the passage opened into a vast stone chamber.
Inside sat a man glowing faintly white, eyes radiating green light. Four men stood behind him, motionless—human-shaped puppets.
"So, you've come in person," the man said coldly. "Unexpected… If I'd known, I would've prepared a proper welcome. Still, my gift is already set in motion. You won't leave alive."
"Why target me?" Shigeo's gaze swept across the chamber walls, covered in strange sutras.
"Because you carry the power of seven bijū. For the safety of this world, for the balance of chakra, I must destroy you—no matter the cost."
He coughed violently, his body trembling, but his hatred burned clear.
Shigeo's tone turned sharp. "Save me your excuses. You want to kill me—fine. But at least tell me what Jūshō Tenten is. Don't tell me it's related to the Jūbi?"
"I am Yūmeiden," the man declared. "A fallen deity bound to this world. I protect its balance. You, jinchūriki of seven tails, are an abomination. You must die."
"Tch." Shigeo's lips twisted. "The Five Great Villages fear me—I get it. Akatsuki wants to use me—fine. But you? Dropping out of nowhere, calling yourself a god, and trying to purge me? Ridiculous."
He was about to curse when the man slammed his palm onto the stone seat. The four puppets sprang to life, charging forward.
Shigeo pushed the woman aside. "Yōton: Chiwa no Jutsu (Lava Release: Earth Harmony)!"
Molten chakra erupted from beneath his feet, flooding the chamber like a crimson tide. The searing heat scorched the air, but the four puppets moved unflinchingly.
Unlike the earlier soldiers, these were elite. Their movements were as fast as jōnin; their faces were etched with twisted geometric curse marks—different from the flame-shaped ones before.
The air quaked with the start of another battle.
(End of Chapter)
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