No one knew how much time had passed.
By the time the ordeal was finally over, Yugito lay sprawled across the bed, drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.
Her hair was scattered across the pillow, and the tear tracks on her face had yet to dry. Her lips were slightly parted, and faint, ragged breaths slipped between them.
If not for the subtle rise and fall of her chest, she might have been mistaken for dead.
Yugito had suffered a crushing defeat.
Teizawa sat against the headboard, his upper body bare.
"Whew..."
He slowly exhaled, looking thoroughly satisfied with himself.
Even the Two-Tails' jinchūriki had ultimately been powerless before him.
This woman had a temper fiercer than a wildcat's, and claws sharper than knives. Yet the harder she fought, the greater his sense of triumph after overpowering her.
Still, forcing her body into submission was a far cry from earning her true loyalty.
"I'm going to kill you."
Yugito's voice came from the pillow.
It was muffled and hoarse, trembling with tears and so weak that she could barely get the words out.
She did not even have the strength to raise her head. All she could do was lie there and curse him.
Teizawa lowered his gaze to her.
Her usually cold and beautiful face was streaked with tears and flushed red. Her golden eyes shimmered with moisture.
Yet when she glared at him, there was no menace behind it.
If anything, she looked strangely adorable, like an angry cat whose fur had been thoroughly ruffled. She clearly hated him with every fiber of her being, but all she could do was bare her teeth and glare.
Teizawa ignored her protests.
He reached out and turned her onto her back.
"Ah!"
Yugito cried out in alarm.
Before she could react, a warm hand pressed against her lower abdomen.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled with fear. She immediately began to struggle again.
"No... Stay away from me. I can't take any more..."
She thought he intended to hurt her again, and terror seized her.
But her strength had not returned. After struggling for only a few moments, her body went limp.
"Now that the other matter is over," Teizawa said quietly, "we should decide what to do with the Two-Tails."
Yugito's pupils contracted sharply.
The Two-Tails?
What did he intend to do to it?
The Two-Tails was one of Kumogakure's strategic weapons. Protecting it was a responsibility entrusted to her by the Raikage.
Before she could react, a burst of agony erupted in her abdomen.
It felt as though something inside her was surging, tearing, and being forcibly peeled away.
"Ah!"
Yugito screamed.
Her strength vanished all at once, and her mind immediately became hazy.
Her vision went black, and a deafening ringing filled her ears. Her body felt as light as a feather, drifting aimlessly through the air with no idea where it might land.
She wanted to struggle. She wanted to resist.
She wanted the Two-Tails to emerge and protect her.
But her body refused to obey, and her consciousness continued to fade.
At last, everything went completely dark.
Within a single breath, Yugito lost consciousness.
She lay motionless on the bed, resembling a shell whose soul had been stripped away. Only the faint movement of her chest proved that she was still alive.
Teizawa studied her face.
It was pale and filled with lingering fear and pain.
He fell silent for a moment.
His hand remained pressed against her lower abdomen.
The Two-Tails' chakra surged beneath his palm. It was icy blue, cold, and filled with untamed power.
Like a wild beast trapped inside a cage, it struggled desperately, yet had nowhere to escape.
Teizawa closed his eyes and focused.
The Tailed Beast Division Secret Technique began circulating through his body.
It was an ability granted to him by the system. It allowed him to divide a tailed beast's chakra in two without harming its jinchūriki.
Half would remain inside the jinchūriki to sustain their life.
The other half would be extracted and claimed as his own.
He had already used it on the One-Tail and the Four-Tails, and the results had been excellent.
This time, he simply repeated the process.
Icy-blue chakra slowly flowed out beneath his palm.
It gathered in his hand, condensing, compressing, and solidifying.
Finally, it transformed into a translucent blue bead resembling a flawless gemstone. Faint patterns of light flowed across its surface.
Half of the Two-Tails' chakra.
Teizawa opened his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He picked up the string of beads from the bedside and added the new one.
The One-Tail's yellow bead, the Four-Tails' red bead, and the Two-Tails' blue bead now hung side by side, each shining with its own light beneath the moon.
This was the third portion of tailed beast chakra he had obtained.
Next came the Three-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails.
He would not leave out a single one.
Teizawa toyed with the bracelet as he began planning his next moves.
Isobu was sleeping in a lake somewhere.
It had no jinchūriki, which made it the easiest target.
When he found the time, he could simply drag it out from the bottom of the lake, cut away half its chakra, and throw the rest back in.
Claiming the entire beast would only attract the attention of certain scheming old monsters.
That did not suit Teizawa's plans to quietly amass a fortune in power.
Kokuō was in Iwagakure, sealed inside Han.
Han was a tall, powerfully built man.
Defeating him head-on might take some effort, but it was hardly impossible.
Saiken was in Kirigakure, and its jinchūriki was Utakata.
He was a brooding man who fought with bubbles.
Teizawa did not know his exact location, but he could ask Mei to investigate.
After all, she was already the Mizukage.
Chōmei was in Takigakure, sealed inside Fū.
She was a young girl.
Teizawa could make the trip himself and see what Takigakure was like while he was there.
Gyūki was in Kumogakure.
Its jinchūriki was Killer B, a muscular man obsessed with rapping.
Taking his chakra by force would probably require considerable effort, but it was still possible.
The Nine-Tails was in Konoha, sealed inside Naruto.
Naruto would be the most troublesome target.
The Sage of Six Paths stood behind the coming battle of destiny, so Teizawa had to proceed carefully.
Fortunately, he had already found another way.
Once Orochimaru undid the Reaper Death Seal, Teizawa could obtain the other half of the Nine-Tails from the reanimated Minato.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved upward.
Why the hell hadn't Orochimaru contacted him yet?
Forget it. He would start with the easy targets and take his time.
Teizawa had coveted the tailed beasts for a long while.
He possessed too much information to simply sit back and wait for the Akatsuki to collect them.
He could easily strike first without anyone realizing it, cutting away half of each tailed beast's chakra and keeping it for himself.
Once the Akatsuki finally finished gathering all nine tailed beasts and prepared to resurrect the Ten-Tails, they would discover that every beast possessed only half its original power.
Their expressions would undoubtedly be priceless.
Teizawa pulled himself from his thoughts and looked down at the unconscious Yugito.
His gaze moved from her pale face to her disheveled hair, then to her faintly rising chest.
Finally, it settled on the fluffy tail that had somehow emerged behind her again.
The tail had withdrawn earlier, but now it had reappeared.
It drooped listlessly, resembling a snake that had lost all will to fight.
Forget it.
He would treat this woman like a pet and keep her imprisoned in Sunagakure for the time being.
After everything that had happened, returning her to Kumogakure was out of the question.
Teizawa pulled the blanket over her.
Yugito stirred in her sleep.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and an indistinct murmur escaped her lips before she sank into unconsciousness once more.
Teizawa dressed and left the bedroom.
He gently closed the door behind him.
Moonlight spilled across the courtyard.
The leaves of the palm trees swayed in the night breeze, producing a soft rustling sound.
He drew a deep breath.
The wind carried the dry scent of sand into his lungs.
The Five Kage Summit was only half a month away.
He still had plenty to accomplish before then.
The next day.
The atmosphere inside the Kazekage's office was so oppressive that it felt as though water could be squeezed from the air.
Sunagakure's senior leadership had gathered in full.
Chiyo and Ebizō sat on a sofa to one side.
No emotion could be seen on their aged faces, but something was clearly churning within their clouded eyes.
Gaara stood beside the window with his arms folded, staring at the sunlit village outside.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Temari sat nearby with a document in her hands, but she was not reading it.
Her eyes repeatedly drifted toward the man seated in the central position.
Kankurō stood in the middle of the office.
He had only recently returned from Amegakure, and exhaustion still lingered on his face, but his spirits seemed good.
The other officials and elite jōnin sat along both sides of the room.
Some frowned, others pondered in silence, while a few remained completely expressionless.
Teizawa sat upon the Kazekage's seat.
His dark-gold robes gleamed faintly in the morning light.
His gaze swept across everyone present, carrying an authority that demanded obedience without the need for anger.
"Everyone is here."
His voice was not loud, but it reached every person in the room with perfect clarity.
He glanced at Kankurō.
"Begin."
Kankurō nodded.
He removed a scroll from inside his clothes and unfurled it.
After clearing his throat, he began his report.
"This is the general situation in Amegakure. The Six Paths of Pain were defeated. Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki, was gravely wounded before being rescued by his comrades. Amegakure was completely destroyed in the explosion. It was erased from the map, and not even its foundations remain."
"Observers from every village are already in position. They can report any developments at any time."
The office fell silent for a moment.
Then it erupted.
Some people inhaled sharply. Others cried out under their breath or began whispering among themselves.
A few stared intensely at Teizawa, as though hoping to find some explanation on his face.
An entire shinobi village had vanished.
That village was Amegakure.
It had once been ruled by Hanzo, the legendary demigod.
Although it was insignificant compared to the Five Great Shinobi Countries, it had still been one of the strongest powers among the smaller nations.
Yet such a village had disappeared from the map overnight.
Not even a trace remained.
And the man responsible for it all was sitting before them, calmly drinking tea as though nothing had happened.
Teizawa set down his cup.
He looked at the colorful expressions around the room, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Hey, what's with those looks? Do you really need to stare at me like that?"
Chiyo coughed twice and leaned on her cane.
Her elderly voice carried a trace of helplessness.
"Can't you settle down for once? The last time you went to Konoha, you threw the entire village into chaos and nearly started a war between Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
"This time, you left the village and three countries ended up fighting."
She paused before continuing.
"Sunagakure is already doing well. Can't we simply focus on maintaining our stability and development?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
They looked at Teizawa with expressions of wholehearted agreement.
Teizawa rolled his eyes.
"Is that what all of you think?"
Kankurō, Temari, Gaara, and the other younger members said nothing.
They merely watched him and waited for him to continue.
Many of the older shinobi, however, especially those who had lived through Sunagakure's most difficult years, openly showed their agreement with Chiyo.
They were exhausted.
They had started fighting when they were young and continued for most of their lives. They had lost countless comrades and shed immeasurable blood and sweat.
Now that peace and prosperity had finally arrived, they had no desire to plunge into turmoil again.
Teizawa sneered.
"You may be satisfied with Sunagakure as it is now, but I'm not."
"Sunagakure now has clean drinking water, broad roads, sturdy homes, and ample food."
"We earned all of this through our combined efforts. It didn't fall from the sky, nor was it given to us as charity. We seized it with our own fists."
His voice rose.
"Do you honestly believe Sunagakure can continue developing peacefully forever just because of that? How naive."
"Amegakure is gone. We don't need to discuss the reasons right now, but once this news spreads, do you really think that old bastard Orochimaru will sit still? What about Konoha? Do you think those muscleheaded fools in Kumogakure and Iwagakure will do nothing?"
He rose from his seat and planted both hands on the desk.
Leaning forward, he swept a knife-sharp gaze across the room.
"I guarantee that Iwagakure's shinobi forces have already begun gathering near the border of the Land of Rain."
"You understand Amegakure's geographical importance better than I do. The Land of Rain lies between the Lands of Fire, Wind, and Earth. Whoever controls it gains a stranglehold over the routes connecting those countries."
"If the Land of Rain falls under Iwagakure or Konoha's control, how long do you think Sunagakure's current peace and stability will last?"
The more he spoke, the angrier Teizawa became.
He straightened and pointed at the middle-aged shinobi in the room.
"Chiyo is old, so I can understand her becoming overly cautious. But the rest of you have actually started thinking the same way?"
"What happened? Are you afraid of dying now? Where did all that passion go when you followed me in launching the coup?"
"I'll make this clear right now. I, Teizawa, will remain a hawk for the rest of my life. If you want to stand beside me, then abandon your fantasies about 'peace and stability.'"
"Sunagakure's war machine will continue advancing. It will never stop."
"If you can't adapt, step aside and let someone more capable take your place. Go manage logistics instead. Seawater desalination, afforestation, road construction, bridge building... All of those projects still need experienced people like you."
"But whenever we face the outside world, cast aside that worthless obsession with peace."
The office fell deathly silent.
The younger shinobi were filled with excitement, their eyes shining brightly.
They looked ready to charge into battle at Teizawa's command and slaughter their enemies.
Young soldiers always yearned to earn military glory.
That was no empty saying.
The middle-aged shinobi who had been berated turned red with shame.
They lowered their heads, not daring to argue.
Some tried to speak, opening their mouths before slowly closing them again.
Every word Teizawa had said was true.
They had no way to refute him.
Chiyo remained seated on the sofa.
Her aged hands tightened around her cane until her knuckles turned white.
Her expression was unpleasant, but she said nothing.
That brat Teizawa truly showed his seniors no respect.
He had rejected her argument in front of everyone without leaving her the slightest dignity.
Yet she was not angry, merely contemplative.
This young man possessed far more courage and determination than she had expected.
He also saw much farther ahead than she did.
Perhaps she truly had grown old.
Perhaps it was time for her to step aside.
After finishing his tirade, Teizawa released a long breath.
He returned to his chair, feeling somewhat emotional himself.
Sunagakure was becoming more prosperous with every passing day.
Hardly any blowing sand could be seen inside the village anymore. Tall walls and rows of trees kept it outside.
Roads extended in every direction, while pipelines transported an endless supply of fresh water inland from the coast.
Every household could now obtain clean drinking water simply by turning on a faucet.
The Daimyō's authority had become little more than an empty shell.
His administration was under Sunagakure's complete control.
The Daimyō's seal might appear on official documents, but Sunagakure's civil servants were the ones who actually signed them.
Sunagakure was growing stronger and more prosperous.
As a result, some people had begun feeling satisfied. They had started enjoying their new lives and fearing the loss of everything they now possessed.
That reaction was natural, but Teizawa could not allow it.
He understood the future course of events far too well.
Before long, the shinobi world would descend into even greater chaos.
The Akatsuki, Obito, Nagato, Madara, Kaguya...
Every manner of monster would soon emerge from the shadows.
Perhaps keeping their heads down would allow them to survive.
After all, Naruto, the protagonist, would eventually save the world.
But that was never what Teizawa wanted.
He had no intention of merely clinging to life.
(End of Chapter)
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