The entire surface of the stone pillar was covered in a dense layer of special talismans, each flickering with a faint glow. These talismans possessed an incredibly powerful sealing force — especially against tailed beast chakra.
Both Kokuō's chakra and Han's own chakra had been completely suppressed. Directly opposite Han stood Killer B, the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, similarly bound to a stone pillar by thick iron chains.
Compared to Han's stoic silence, Killer B was clearly far more restless. Thanks to his constant struggling, the chains binding him kept clashing together, producing a series of piercing metallic screeches.
"It's no use. Neither of us can use Tailed Beast Transformation right now. Breaking free on our own is practically impossible." The sounds of Killer B's struggling reached Han's ears, and he looked up with a resigned sigh.
"Even so, we can't just sit here doing nothing." Killer B curled his lip, sounding irritated.
"Konoha is only keeping us here temporarily. Presumably, we'll be able to go back soon." Han paid no mind to Killer B's frustration, speaking calmly.
At Han's words, Killer B strained against his bindings one more time before letting out a long, deep breath. He knew full well what their situation was — he just hated being chained to a pillar. As Killer B went still, silence reclaimed the prison once more.
Suddenly — tap, tap. A series of faint footsteps echoed from outside the prison. Killer B and Han snapped their heads toward the sound.
Pinned in this place, the only visitors they ever received were the ones who brought their meals — and this was clearly not mealtime. A sharp gleam flashed through Han's eyes. It meant the village had reached some kind of understanding with Konoha.
Killer B was thinking the same thing. But unlike Han, he could vividly imagine what awaited him back in Kumogakure — a thorough beating from A, no doubt. At that thought, his neck instinctively shrunk.
Moments later, several Anbu shinobi and Jiraiya appeared before Killer B and Han.
"Release them," Jiraiya said flatly after a single glance at the two captives.
The Anbu behind him nodded and swiftly stepped forward, positioning themselves in front of Han and Killer B before forming hand seals in unison.
Crack! Crack! Two sharp sounds rang out, like glass shattering.
Killer B and Han felt the restraining force binding their bodies vanish simultaneously. The chakra of the Five-Tails and Eight-Tails, previously sealed away, surged back into their awareness.
"B, how are you?!" Gyūki's concerned voice echoed in Killer B's mind.
"Eight, I'm fine for now. Just curious — what kind of sealing jutsu was that?" Killer B rolled his wrists as he answered inwardly.
A sealing jutsu capable of suppressing tailed beasts — that genuinely unsettled Killer B deep down.
"This sealing jutsu is connected to the Uzumaki Clan... the one that was wiped out." A moment later, Gyūki's voice rumbled through Killer B's consciousness.
On the other side, Han fixed Jiraiya with a cold stare: "You're letting us go just like that? Aren't you worried we might go into Tailed Beast Transformation and attack Konoha?"
Killer B raised his head at the same time, looking squarely at Jiraiya as the distinct chakra of the Eight-Tails flared around his body. At Han's words, the surrounding Anbu tensed, snapping into combat stances.
"You won't." Jiraiya gave both of them a calm glance before turning and walking out of the prison.
Only after he'd taken several steps — and confirmed that neither Killer B nor Han had made any hostile move — did he allow himself a quiet breath of relief. The precautions he'd arranged in advance wouldn't be needed after all. This was the best possible outcome.
Jiraiya had looked perfectly composed on the surface, but the instant he'd ordered their release, he'd been fully prepared for a fight. While the entire Shinobi World now knew of Lord Hashirama Senju's resurrection, Killer B and Han had been locked away and had no idea.
If two jinchūriki — one holding the Five-Tails, the other the Eight-Tails — were to riot, the devastation to Konoha would be catastrophic. Of course Jiraiya had made preparations.
Killer B and Han exchanged a brief glance and said nothing more, following Jiraiya out of the prison. Despite the deep enmity between Iwagakure and Kirigakure, both men were jinchūriki — and after spending so long imprisoned together, whatever initial hostility they'd harbored had long since faded.
"Tch tch... seems like Konoha's got some serious backup." Killer B murmured beside Han in his signature rap cadence.
Han nodded, remaining silent as ever.
It wasn't long before the group emerged from the underground prison. Blinding sunlight flooded Killer B's and Han's eyes. They squinted, taking a long moment to adjust before fully opening them.
Taking in their surroundings, Killer B and Han finally understood where they'd been held. This location sat right at the edge of Konoha — they could see the village's main gates in the distance.
Moreover, a massive barrier stretched overhead, encapsulating the entire area. Even if both of them went full Tailed Beast Transformation from here, the damage to Konoha would be minimal.
"Looks like Konoha's beefed up its defenses quite a bit since the last attack by the four great villages." A cold smirk crossed Han's face as he muttered to himself.
But what truly puzzled him was the number of wooden structures scattered across the surrounding area. Killer B noticed them too, and both men's expressions darkened. The sight of wood instantly reminded them of the Wooden Buddha that had defeated them.
Right then, several shattering sounds tore through the air from another direction. Four shinobi appeared before the group.
Kurotsuchi and Bunpuku from Iwagakure. Darui and Shi from Kumogakure.
"Darui, Shi — didn't expect to see you two!" Killer B scratched his head, visibly surprised.
"Lord Killer B, are you hurt?!" Shi rushed to Killer B's side the moment he appeared, asking with deep concern.
He quickly looked Killer B up and down, searching for any sign of injury. Beside him, Darui dropped his usual laid-back demeanor, his eyes full of worry as he studied Killer B.
Killer B waved them off, signaling that he was fine.
On the other side.
"Lord Han." Bunpuku appeared at Han's side and spoke with deference.
"I didn't expect the Tsuchikage to send the two of you." Han gave a slight nod, looking at Bunpuku and Kurotsuchi with mild surprise.
Bunpuku was a renowned shinobi in Iwagakure — captain of the sealing corps, no less. As for Kurotsuchi, not only was she powerful in her own right, she was also Ōnoki's daughter. Sending these two spoke volumes about how much Ōnoki cared.
"He wouldn't trust anyone else with this," Kurotsuchi said with a shrug and a light smile.
"Have Iwa and Kumo reached some kind of agreement with Konoha? I'm sorry — the village must have paid a steep price." Han shot a glance toward Killer B, then looked back at Kurotsuchi, guilt evident on his face.
Konoha releasing them so easily — and even allowing Iwa and Kumo shinobi onto their soil — was unthinkable under normal circumstances. Han could only guess that some new agreement had been struck between the great villages.
"Don't worry, Han. The village didn't lose much. This situation is... complicated to explain."
"Put simply — the balance of the entire Shinobi World has shifted. Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Yuto... all three have been resurrected."
"The four villages' attack on Konoha was secretly orchestrated by the First Mizukage, Yuto." Kurotsuchi shook her head, her expression grave as she outlined the recent events.
Stunned disbelief washed over Han's face. It took a long moment for him to fully process what Kurotsuchi had told him.
The three legendary figures — resurrected?! If anyone other than Kurotsuchi had told him this, Han would have assumed he was being mocked.
Then it clicked — that was why no one from Konoha had tried to interrogate them during their imprisonment. Han had originally assumed it was the result of village-to-village diplomacy. Now he realized the truth: with Hashirama Senju back, Konoha simply hadn't cared about them anymore.
At that moment, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane appeared behind Jiraiya.
"The Iwa and Kumo teams didn't suspect anything, did they?" Jiraiya cast a quiet glance toward Han and Killer B.
With both Tsunade and Lord Hashirama away from Konoha, this fact absolutely could not leak to any other village.
"With us two advisors handling the negotiations personally, neither Iwa nor Kumo will suspect a thing. And even if they do, they wouldn't dare act on it right now." Koharu Utatane spoke softly, her expression unreadable.
"However, neither Iwa nor Kumo seems interested in forming an alliance with Konoha. It appears Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage A have other plans." Homura Mitokado's voice was low, his brow furrowed in thought.
At his words, a heaviness settled over Jiraiya's features. The outcome Konoha had dreaded most had come to pass.
Compared to Madara Uchiha and the First Mizukage Yuto, Lord Hashirama Senju was clearly the more reasonable of the three. But after negotiating with Kurotsuchi, Darui, and the others, the two great villages of Iwa and Kumo had almost certainly lumped Konoha together with Kirigakure as a single bloc.
[
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th. I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
If you've ever thought about supporting, this is the moment. Not "someday." Now.
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]