Facing Kurama's sharp question, Minato Namikaze didn't rush to answer. Instead, he calmly began unsealing the intricate bindings.
Under Kurama's panicked gaze, Minato pushed open the tightly shut seal gate!
In that instant, the dark sealing space suddenly emptied, and the oppressive weight binding his body completely vanished.
The freedom Kurama had dreamed of for so long was now just a single step away. If he only moved forward, he could break free. And yet—there was no joy on his face. Instead, he forced his chakra to stay curled in the corner, not daring to move even an inch.
"Namikaze Minato, what the hell are you planning?!"
"Kurama."
Looking at the supposedly world-shaking calamity of the shinobi world, now reduced to a panicked beast, Minato chuckled softly and extended his fist.
"Let's fists bump."
"Fists… bump?"
Kurama was stunned. But in the next moment, Minato's body began to shine with golden light, and an aura burst forth—an aura so familiar to Kurama that his expression froze entirely.
No one in the world knew this presence better than him. It was his own chakra!
"My other half… You can use my other half's power so freely?!" Kurama's eyes were filled with disbelief. His other half was still him, yet how could Minato—the man who had sealed him, the one who had split him apart—be in such perfect harmony with it, even receiving its power willingly?
Could it be forced extraction?
Power stripped away?
Kurama didn't doubt it. After all, these so-called Shinigami were capable of such things. Even the Sage of Six Paths' own sons had their chakra ripped out—so why not him?
Seeing the strange, almost fearful look on Kurama's face, Minato realized his misunderstanding and gave a wry smile.
"Kurama, just one fist bump. That's all it takes for you to understand everything. Besides—if I really wanted to harm you, why would I go about it this way?"
"Damn Fourth Hokage… I'm the Nine-Tails!" Kurama roared, though the sound was clearly lacking its usual confidence. And after shouting, his body shrank back further into the sealed space.
Minato gazed at him with a half-smile. At last, Kurama gave a reluctant growl, raised his massive claw, and—suppressing the urge to impale Minato on the spot—pressed it against Minato's fist.
In that instant, both Minato and Kurama shuddered violently. Kurama's pupils contracted as he immediately understood everything.
The two halves of Kurama were one being. The moment their chakras touched, it was like water merging together—they instantly became aware of each other's existence and experiences.
At the same time, the world before Kurama seemed to blur, and another space came into view. It looked almost identical to his current sealed sewer-like prison, but brighter, freer—and without chains.
"How pitiful, my other half."
Lazily sprawled out, the Yin Kurama sneered at the Yang Kurama before him.
"To think you've been locked up like livestock in such a cage."
Hearing this, Yang Kurama immediately snapped back:
"And you? Stuffed into a Shinigami's gut—you've got the nerve to mock me?!"
"Could you resist the power of a Shinigami?"
"Idiot! You don't even know the monsters I've faced in the living world. You sit comfortably in the Pure Land while I've had to deal with nightmares you couldn't even imagine!"
"Just recently, I fought Uchiha Obito himself. That bastard's strength is terrifying—he's probably only a step away from the Sage of Six Paths!"
The two halves of Kurama barked and snapped at each other like quarreling dogs, leaving Minato on the sidelines awkwardly scratching his head.
He had never expected the two Kuramas' reunion to look like this.
"…Um, the two of you… Shouldn't we maybe focus on—"
"Shut up!"
The two halves of Kurama turned their heads at the same time and roared in unison.
If it weren't for you, how would we have ended up like this?!
Minato Namikaze immediately fell silent. The two Nine-Tails locked eyes, snorted, and stopped mocking each other.
In truth, from the moment they met, they had already felt each other's thoughts and "seen" everything the other had gone through since being split apart. All that bickering just now had been nothing more than venting frustration.
The two halves cast a glance at Minato. At once, blazing crimson light erupted from their bodies. In the blink of an eye, an immense surge of chakra burst outward, sweeping across the mental space like a storm!
"What incredible chakra!"
Even Minato was shaken by the sheer force of it.
Not long ago, because of Obito's threat, Minato had already reached an agreement with the Yin half of Kurama and become a perfect Jinchūriki. He knew Kurama's power well.
But he hadn't expected that, at this moment, when Yin and Yang Kurama's powers merged, such terrifying pressure would erupt.
This was definitely not as simple as one plus one equaling two!
Their chakra fused into vast currents of power, rippling throughout the inner world. But almost immediately, the wild aura condensed inward.
White smoke rose, and the two Kuramas finally became one—transformed into a Nine-Tails larger than before, with even denser chakra.
Of course, even after regaining his full strength, Kurama didn't act like the simple-minded Shukaku, shouting something like "Finally, I'm free!" or "Now I'm complete!"
Instead, he kept his wary eyes fixed on Minato.
"Namikaze Minato, I have to warn you— even though I've returned to my peak, with my power alone you'll never be a match for Uchiha Obito."
With Yin and Yang united, his memories too had fused into one. Kurama loomed over Minato and growled:
"What's more, it's highly likely that he has already revived the Ten-Tails. Once he absorbs it, his strength will rival that of the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"No one except Yuki Yoru can stand against him!"
"I know." Minato nodded. He fully understood how strong Obito was— even before merging with the Ten-Tails. That level of power was already beyond him, let alone after.
"But no matter what, we still have to fight back. Whether for yourself, or for all of us, we can't just sit and wait for death!" Minato's voice was firm. "That's why we must use every ounce of power available to us!"
"Tch, do as you please."
Kurama snorted, but he understood the truth of it.
Now that only the Nine-Tails remained, there was no way Obito would ever let him go. Since Minato and the others were preparing to resist, Kurama might as well lend them his strength.
After all, being sealed inside a Jinchūriki meant only losing freedom—his mind and power remained intact. Through his host's eyes, he could still see the world, and now and then meddle with chakra.
But if he were absorbed into the Ten-Tails…
Then Kurama would truly cease to exist.
...
BOOM!!
A divine, cataclysmic blast struck the ocean, the terrifying eruption of spiritual power raising monstrous waves.
Yet, in the next instant, those waves were crushed into mist by a crushing spiritual pressure. Countless droplets sprayed into the air, drenching Kimimaro on the shore.
"Your emotions are unstable, Kimimaro."
From behind a reef, a tall figure in the Twelfth Division captain's haori stepped forward. His handsome face carried a wicked smile, and his uniquely hoarse voice rang out:
"Is it guilt—because you failed to protect his village?"
Kimimaro cast a glance at Orochimaru but gave no reply.
Orochimaru wasn't upset. He slowly drew out a scroll from behind him, walked to Kimimaro's side, and unrolled it.
"This is information I obtained using my captain's authority. The one you fought earlier can be considered of the same bloodline as you. Including Hyūga Hinata, the three of you are all descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother—Ōtsutsuki Hamura."
"The difference is that his bloodline is much purer, and the place he lives isn't the shinobi world, but the moon."
Orochimaru flicked out his tongue like a serpent, circling it around his lips as he spoke with a chilling tone:
"According to intelligence, his natural talent is actually far inferior to yours. The only reason he's achieved so much is because he has a vast energy source supporting him from behind."
Kimimaro looked at Orochimaru with an expressionless face.
"I know what you're trying to do, Captain Orochimaru."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Kimimaro's composure made him feel a trace of unease.
Compared to others, Orochimaru was far more interested in Kimimaro and Hinata—members of the royal guard. For they represented the very pinnacle of power that Yuki Yoru himself had bestowed.
If he could swallow them, his own power would surely undergo a transformation, perhaps even grow infinitely close to Yuki Yoru's level!
"It's only a friendly reminder. After all, now that all the Tailed Beasts have been taken, our chances of winning this war have dropped drastically. But if you were willing to sacrifice yourself, then we might still have a cha—"
"Shhhhk!!"
A sharp white bone pierced straight through Orochimaru's heart. From Kimimaro's eyes burst an intense, dangerous radiance of spiritual power.
"Kirigakure will not lose! Watch your words, Orochimaru!"
"Don't be so agitated, Kimimaro."
Another Orochimaru, completely unharmed, slithered out of the mouth of the corpse, while the body that had been impaled melted into sludge on the ground.
"I only offered you an option to protect the village. You should know my Zanpakutō's ability. If you let me devour you…"
"Captain Orochimaru!"
A sudden voice interrupted him.
From the shore, a tall figure emerged, clad in the Tenth Division captain's haori, his shark-like face grinning broadly. Hoshigaki Kisame gazed cheerfully at the two on the coast.
"Kiri-sama's latest orders: all captains and Sternritter are to assemble at the Mizukage's office immediately."
Orochimaru shot him a glance, then turned back toward Kimimaro with a sly, wicked smile.
"Think carefully about my proposal, Kimimaro. Everything I said is for the sake of the village."
"Shrring!"
Samehada, covered in spikes, let out a hungry cry for spirit particles as it came to rest against Orochimaru's neck.
With an overwhelming surge of spiritual pressure, Kisame's low, ghostly voice followed:
"You're scaring him, Captain Orochimaru. If you keep spouting nonsense here, I'm afraid my Samehada will be the first to taste your spiritual power."
"Hoshigaki Kisame…"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and gave a twisted smile.
"Captain Kisame, are you saying you'd like to spar with me right at this moment?"
Kisame replied calmly:
"Before the great war begins, feeding Samehada to its fill isn't such a bad idea."
"My White Snake would also love to taste Captain Kisame's spiritual power."
Orochimaru lightly raised his palm and rested it on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. From beneath his captain's haori, countless venomous serpents hissed forth, lunging toward Kisame.
Hissss!!
Kisame didn't dodge. Gripping his massive Samehada, he swung it horizontally and vertically. Its sharp scales shredded every last serpent, scattering chunks of snake flesh across the ground, twitching as they fell.
Orochimaru squinted, the blade of White Snake sliding half an inch from its sheath—
—but before the clash could escalate, an overwhelming spiritual pressure descended from the heavens.
A pair of blood-red eyes looked down upon the three below.
Uchiha Hikari didn't say a word. But that still, deathly-calm gaze was enough to make Orochimaru release his grip on White Snake and Kisame withdraw Samehada.
"Let's go, Kimimaro," Hikari said evenly.
"Mm."
Kimimaro nodded, and in the next instant, both he and Hikari vanished from sight.
Seeing this, Kisame said nothing more. He cast Orochimaru a glance, then too disappeared in a flash step, leaving Orochimaru alone. The Snake Sannin let out two eerie laughs and slowly made his way toward the Mizukage's building.
The summons extended far and wide—not just to the Shinigami captains, but also to every member of the Sternritter.
Around twenty to thirty people gathered inside the Mizukage's office. Fortunately, the newly built hall was free of clutter, so it didn't feel overcrowded.
"This is the concrete plan."
Yuki Kiri swept his gaze across the room, his voice solemn:
"Ōtsutsuki Toneri's strength stems from the massive energy source behind him. If we eliminate that power, we'll have one less formidable enemy to face."
"That may be true, but… a plan to directly destroy the moon… isn't that a bit—"
"A bit what? The moon is nothing more than a creation of the Sage of Six Paths. It's not some immovable, sacred object!"
"Exactly! It's not like it's the sun. The moon itself holds little real value."
"Everything must be done for the village and for the future of the shinobi world!"
None of those present were fools. With the threat of Uchiha Obito now laid bare—along with Ōtsutsuki Toneri and the Ten-Tails—it took only a few words of discussion for everyone to agree with Yuki Kiri's proposal.
Obito and Toneri together were too great a danger. If they had a chance to remove even one threat first, that was naturally the best course of action.
"Since that's the case, then it's decided."
Yuki Kiri declared with finality:
"We'll destroy the moon!"