Chapter 286

The Land of Earth, a primeval forest in the northern region.

After development by Iwa-nin Village, the surrounding beasts were all driven away, clearing an area where Iwa-nin could temporarily rest.

This was the place where the Four-Tails had been reborn. Iwa-nin Village had already discovered traces of the Four-Tails living here—a giant active volcano. Surprisingly, the environment around it was quite pleasant, suitable both for the Four-Tails and the apes.

One day, Iwa-nin gathered in this area because the Eight-Tails from Kumo-nin Village had arrived.

"It's just ahead. Based on our assessment, the volcano in front is the living place of the Four-Tails. There is also a stone tablet left long ago, naming this place as 'Flower and Fruit Mountain,'" said Kurotsuchi to Killer B and the Kumo-nin, before leading them further ahead.

Iwa-nin had received intelligence indicating that a large amount of chakra had gathered near Flower and Fruit Mountain, clearly a sign of the Four-Tails' rebirth. So, Kurotsuchi personally brought Killer B, hoping that the Eight-Tails inside him could persuade the Four-Tails.

"Kurotsuchi-sama, the chakra gathering ahead is increasing rapidly," a scout reported, and shortly after, Killer B rapped, "Eight-Tails, already told me~ Four-Tails, resurrected~!"

"That fast? Earlier than we expected," Kurotsuchi said, surprised. He then turned to Killer B and said, "We'll leave it to you. If it doesn't work, we'll proceed with our backup plan. Please convey Iwa-nin Village's sincerity, we're counting on you."

Only one more Jinchūriki could prevent further conflict, after which Iwa-nin Village would no longer pursue the Four-Tails or the Five-Tails. This was a decision made by Ōnoki, despite pressure from other village elders.

"I understand, I'll do my best to persuade him," Killer B said, putting aside his usual rap, understanding the gravity of the situation for both Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin Villages.

Upon reaching the entrance of a large cave at Flower and Fruit Mountain, Killer B spoke, "No need for so many people to go inside. You and a few others can accompany me."

"Alright," Kurotsuchi agreed, bringing only two jōnin with them as they entered the cave.

The cave was enormous, about sixty or seventy meters high, large enough for a tailed beast to move freely.

After walking for a while and feeling the intense heat, they emerged into a more spacious part of the cave.

A loud roar echoed in the cave, and the ground in front of them erupted with a torrent of lava rushing toward them.

"Doton: Doryūheki!"

Kurotsuchi quickly formed hand seals, releasing Earth Release chakra from his mouth, forming a thick wall of earth in front of them to block the oncoming lava.

The lava slammed into the earth wall and was blocked.

"Curse you, humans!"

A massive red-haired ape appeared, swinging its huge fist after the lava was blocked by the earth wall.

Boom!

The earth wall shattered with a single punch, sending tremors throughout the cave, causing dust and debris to fall from the ceiling.

"Wait, Son Gokū!"

A giant octopus-bull demon burst from Killer B's body, wrapping two of its tails around the Four-Tails' raised fist.

"We came to talk!"

"What's there to talk about, Gyūki? You've sided with the humans and believe sealing us is the right thing to do, don't you? I've already died once, and now that I've finally gained my freedom, I refuse to be sealed again!"

The Four-Tails roared, slamming the ground with its free hand. The next second, a wave of lava erupted from the ground.

"Dammit, hot, hot, hot!!!"

The Eight-Tails quickly let go of the Four-Tails, jumping back to avoid the lava.

"Doton: Chikaku Undō!"

Kurotsuchi cast another Earth Release jutsu, creating a deep pit in the ground to contain the lava before sealing it off with more earth.

After being attacked twice without provocation, Kurotsuchi was starting to lose his patience. He turned to Gyūki and said, "Gyūki, let's subdue the Four-Tails first. It's too aggressive."

"Hold on. If we start fighting, Son Gokū will become even harder to reason with. These tailed beasts are all so short-tempered," Gyūki muttered, clearly frustrated. Among the nine tailed beasts, the Four-Tails ranked third in terms of temperament, just behind Kurama and Shukaku.

Despite his frustration, Gyūki recalled Killer B's request and the intelligence gathered by Kumo-nin, suppressing his anger once more. After dodging another lava attack, Gyūki said, "Help me subdue him."

"No problem. Doton: Sando no Jutsu!"

Kurotsuchi unleashed all the chakra he had been refining into his jutsu. Massive stone slabs, tens of meters high, rose up from both sides of the Four-Tails, slamming together to trap it.

"It's useless!"

The Four-Tails screamed, lashing its four tails, shattering the stone slabs with sheer force.

Just as the stones crumbled, Gyūki's eight octopus tails shot out, tightly wrapping the Four-Tails.

"Son Gokū, you stubborn fool! Can't you let me finish speaking?"

After restraining the Four-Tails, Gyūki shouted, "Shukaku, Isobu, and Kokuō have already been captured, and Saiken's whereabouts are unknown. Can't you stop attacking?!"

Hearing this, the Four-Tails calmed down slightly and stopped struggling. It asked, "Gyūki, is what you said true?"

"I have no reason to lie. Though I came here at Killer B's request, I wouldn't deceive you. All this information comes from the intelligence gathered by the shinobi."

Kurotsuchi chimed in, "It's true. A new ninja war is on the horizon, and we want to unite all available forces. After gathering some intelligence, we learned that several tailed beasts have already been captured."

"Let me go, Gyūki."

After hearing this, the Four-Tails stopped struggling. Gyūki, seeing that the Four-Tails no longer seemed intent on fighting, released its tails.

"I came to help you, but you attacked the moment we met. We fought together once before, remember?"

"That was then, this is now!"

The Four-Tails glanced at Gyūki and Kurotsuchi before continuing, "So, what do you want to say?"

"We hope you'll help us win the upcoming war," Kurotsuchi said plainly, stating Iwa-nin Village's bottom line. He had realized how much the Four-Tails despised Jinchūriki, and anything more complicated might lead to the Four-Tails being forcibly sealed, which wouldn't help Iwa-nin in the long run.

Otherwise, they would have to worry about the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki losing control in the village, forcing them to assign guards, which would be more trouble than it was worth.

After hearing Kurotsuchi's words, the Four-Tails laughed loudly, mocking them, "You humans are unbelievable. Once, Hashirama captured me from Flower and Fruit Mountain and enslaved me for decades in Iwa-nin Village. Now that I've finally escaped, you expect me to willingly return to a Jinchūriki?"

"Senju Hashirama has been resurrected, Son Gokū."

Kurotsuchi interrupted the Four-Tails, continuing, "This is a widely known fact across the ninja world. With Hashirama's return, he might once again capture you. Don't you want revenge? If you lend us your power, Iwa-nin won't seal you inside a Jinchūriki. You'll remain free."

This was a last-minute decision Kurotsuchi made. With the impending war, they needed the Four-Tails' strength.

"No sealing, huh? Heh, seems like you're scared. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here begging so humbly."

The Four-Tails laughed, surprised at the offer. After some thought, it looked at Gyūki and then said to Kurotsuchi, "I can agree to your request, but if there's even a hint of deception, then—"

"Planning to unite against Senju Hashirama, huh? Such a naïve idea, but I doubt you'll get the chance."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed through the spacious cave.

Gyūki, the Four-Tails, Kurotsuchi, and the others all turned toward the source of the voice. They were shocked to find that someone had appeared inside the cave without them noticing.

Wearing armor from the Warring States period and with three spinning tomoe in his Sharingan, the presence of this newcomer brought immense pressure, making the atmosphere in the cave feel heavy.

Even Gyūki and the Four-Tails, both being tailed beasts, felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the Sharingan, as if an instinctive suppression was being imposed on them.

As for Kurotsuchi and the others, seeing Uchiha Madara left them in disbelief. Kurotsuchi gulped audibly; even though Madara had only spoken a single sentence, his aura exerted significant pressure on them.

"A Konoha ninja, huh? This is the Land of Earth. Are you trying to start a war?"

Kurotsuchi mustered the courage to shout at Uchiha Madara, although he had no idea how Konoha had produced such a powerful shinobi. But those eyes—there was no mistaking them. He had to be a hidden powerhouse from Konoha.

"A Konoha ninja? How laughable. It was Hashirama's mercy that allowed the other villages to survive to this day. If Ōnoki were here, that brat would recognize me."

Madara smirked coldly before leaping down.

Boom!

A cloud of dust and debris filled the cave as Uchiha Madara landed. Emerging from the dust, Black Zetsu appeared beside him and said, "Madara-sama, it seems the Four-Tails has revived sooner than expected. The Five-Tails may take another month."

"Has the location for the Five-Tails' revival been confirmed?"

"White Zetsu is keeping watch."

"Good."

Madara and Black Zetsu's conversation was not hidden, and every word was heard clearly by Kurotsuchi, Gyūki, and the others.

Their titles, along with their purpose, were laid bare for all to hear.

"Madara? You're Uchiha Madara!?"

Kurotsuchi was stunned, his face filled with disbelief as he asked, "Uchiha Madara died long ago, how can you be alive!?"

Madara replied as he walked, "If Hashirama can be resurrected, why can't I?"

Kurotsuchi quickly warned, "Gyūki, Four-Tails, be careful! He's after you!" He rapidly formed hand seals, preparing to refine chakra.

Gyūki spoke up, "Uchiha Madara? The one who controlled Kurama? A troublesome foe."

"Gyūki, let's deal with him first. After all, this is my territory!"

Son Gokū roared, about to pound the ground and unleash another torrent of lava when he noticed Madara forming hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Boom!

A massive cloud of smoke erupted but quickly dispersed, revealing the summoned creature.

"The… the Gedo Statue!?"

Both Gyūki and the Four-Tails cried out in shock at the sight of the gigantic statue. They noticed that the Gedo Statue's eyes had already opened, revealing five of them, each containing the chakra of multiple tailed beasts.

"Gyūki, this guy has already collected the other five. He's planning to summon the Ten-Tails!"

"We have to stop him here, or it'll be the end of us!"

The two tailed beasts quickly realized the situation, and their explanation made it clear to Kurotsuchi and the others. The grotesque statue in front of them had sealed away five of the tailed beasts.

It was Madara who had been capturing the tailed beasts all along.

Kurotsuchi whispered to one of the Iwa-nin jōnin beside him, "We'll create an opening for you. Find a way to leave and get this message out."

"You won't be going anywhere. All of you will stay here."

Limbo!

Madara's eyes suddenly shifted into the Rinnegan, and in an instant, he used the Rinnegan's power.

—End of Chapter—

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