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What a Jinchuriki could do, he could do. And what a Jinchuriki couldn't do – he, could still do. The most absurdly impressive part was that if the Nine-Tails died, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest! But if he died, the Nine-Tails would have to accompany him to the grave! And not even with the chance of revival. "As for how I achieved this – that is related to the ocular technique of my eyes, and I cannot divulge it to you. Are there any further questions?"
"...Gulp." Orochimaru swallowed hard. A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes. "Lord Advisor, could your ocular technique be applied to other individuals?" If others could replicate this feat, it would mean... This was immensely tantalizing. Even Orochimaru found his interest thoroughly piqued. Unfortunately for him, his excitement was premature. Kazuki promptly doused him with a bucket of ice-cold water.
"Abandon that thought. I am merely an exception. I can do this because my personal strength is sufficient and my ocular technique is uniquely special. Others cannot replicate it – not even with my direct assistance. Therefore, the notion of imitating me and sealing a Tailed Beast within your own body... it's best not to entertain it."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru was instantly crestfallen, disappointment washing over him. If Kazuki could have helped, Orochimaru would have willingly paid any price and immediately set out to capture a Tailed Beast just to experiment. Unfortunately, that path had been thoroughly blocked off by Kazuki. As for the specific method of operation – that was Kazuki's personal secret, impossible to disclose to others. I can tell you the result. But how I achieved it is a secret. Don't even think about it.
"If this news were to be publicly announced, it would undoubtedly shock a great many people," Orochimaru remarked, his long tongue darting out to lick his lips. The impact of releasing the news that Kazuki had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be absolutely staggering.
"You're interested? Then I'll leave this matter to you. Help me publicize it." Kazuki wasn't afraid of the news of sealing the Nine-Tails spreading. In fact, he would proactively promote it. Since Orochimaru was eager to join the spectacle, he could handle it and save Kazuki the trouble. As for how outsiders would speculate, that was beyond Kazuki's control. Let alone the other villages – probably even many within the Leaf Village itself would be utterly bewildered.
This included the Akatsuki. Their ultimate objective was the collection of all Tailed Beasts. Yet the Nine-Tails had been split apart, and now one half resided within Kazuki's own body. Obtaining this Yin half of the Nine-Tails would be a task of extreme difficulty. And so, at Kazuki's explicit request, coupled with Orochimaru's sparked interest, the matter was handed over to him. Kazuki even specifically assigned Anbu personnel to assist Orochimaru. Orochimaru simply had to act freely.
"Did you hear that sound last night?"
"How could I not? My windows were nearly shattered by the vibrations. It sounded like the roar of the Nine-Tails." Over a decade had passed since the night of the Nine-Tails attack, but that night remained a nightmare for many in the Leaf Village. The Nine-Tails' distinctive roar was not something they would easily forget, and many Leaf ninja remembered the signature of its chakra all too well. The events of the previous night had frightened a great many people. Had the Anbu not intervened promptly, the Leaf Village might have been in an uproar throughout the entire night.
"It was the Nine-Tails, wasn't it?"
"Yes. The chakra signature of that thing... I could never forget it in this lifetime."
"I wonder what exactly happened last night. Hopefully, the Advisor will issue an official announcement."
Compared to the various discussions among the ordinary villagers, the Leaf Village's ninja, though equally curious onlookers, were exercising restraint and dared not speak recklessly. They were terrified that a single careless word might bring Anbu operatives to their doorsteps, inviting them for tea and a subsequent investigation. The Yin Nine-Tails' emergence had been brief and hadn't caused a major disturbance – merely a few roars. Yet those few roars were still enough to stir up considerable trouble. Fortunately, Kazuki had made preparations beforehand, and the sealing of the Yin Nine-Tails hadn't triggered any unforeseen complications, despite the village being rife with gossip-mongers.
The villagers' expectations were not left unanswered. The very next morning, the Hokage building issued an official announcement – one personally penned by Orochimaru. The gist of the announcement was that the Nine-Tails was the property of the village and a vital source of power. On the night of the Nine-Tails attack, half of the Nine-Tails had been sealed away. The previous night, Kazuki had led personnel to release this sealed half, subsequently making himself the second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"The Advisor has also become a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
"So that means our Leaf Village now has two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" Ordinary villagers might not fully grasp the implications, but the majority of the Leaf Village's ninja understood the meaning of the announcement perfectly. The Leaf Village already had one Nine-Tails Jinchuriki – the son of the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. And now there was another? Tailed Beasts could be utilized like this? Directly split and sealed to create two separate Jinchuriki?
Once the announcement was posted, the vast majority of the Leaf Village was abuzz with discussion. The spies planted within the Leaf Village and visiting outsiders were so shocked their jaws nearly hit the floor – especially the intelligence-gathering spies. One by one, they frantically transmitted the news through every available channel. With the announcement officially released, Kazuki didn't even need to arrange for behind-the-scenes pushing; these spies and outsiders within the Leaf Village would proactively disseminate the news for him.
The first to receive the news were naturally the other Five Great Shinobi Villages: the Stone Village, the Mist Village, the Sand Village, and the Cloud Village – because the speed of information relayed by spies far surpassed that of ordinary people.
What in the world was the Leaf Village playing at?!
Onoki had been anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Mist Village and Sand Village's initial contact. Yet before those two villages could even finish their preliminary negotiations, the Leaf Village had tossed out this colossal bombshell.
"Can your Intelligence Division confirm this information is without error?!" Onoki stared at the ninja who had delivered the intelligence, his gaze filled with suspicion. He felt as though the Intelligence Division was deliberately toying with him. The intelligence ninja immediately grew anxious.
"Lord Tsuchikage, the information is absolutely verified. The night before the announcement was made, nearly the entire Leaf Village heard the roar of the Nine-Tails. A great many people sensed the signature of its chakra. However, the Leaf Village had made preparations, so no chaos ensued. According to the content of the announcement, Kazuki of the Leaf Village subdued and sealed the Nine-Tails within his own body in the span of just a few minutes, becoming the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
How was that even possible?! In a mere few minutes, with no combat fluctuations even detected, it was done?
Onoki harbored serious doubts that the Leaf Village was disseminating false information. "Forget it. Continue monitoring the Leaf Village. There's no need to get entangled in this matter, nor to expend further effort probing for related intelligence secrets."
Onoki decisively chose to set this matter aside, refusing to waste precious energy on it. True or false, it was neither as important as the results emerging from the contact between the Mist and Sand Villages. So what if he became a Jinchuriki? Does that mean the Nine-Tails will simply obey him obediently? Wishful thinking.