"Of course not!" Shūichi replied. "Nagato isn't one, but Orochimaru is."
"Otherwise, the First Hokage wouldn't have been summoned. Just like Madara, he wasn't under Orochimaru's control."
"You must have realized by now that Madara's revival was something I deliberately pushed forward."
Minato Namikaze's expression shifted. "Shūichi!"
Shūichi raised a hand. "Sensei, there's no need to keep this a secret."
"I saw Madara as a pitiable pawn. I used him to draw out those hiding in the shadows, resolving everything in one stroke rather than leaving it to future generations."
"While I do believe in the talents of our successors, I'm about to become a father myself. Naturally, I'd want to make things easier for the next generation."
"Though, at this point, it seems that dream won't come true."
Ōnoki interjected, "We can let Orochimaru go unpunished."
Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately stepped in, "I propose strict monitoring of Orochimaru's experiments."
The Fourth Kazekage quickly agreed. "Sunagakure supports this motion."
Mei Terumī, Ōnoki, and the Fourth Raikage all nodded in unison.
Shūichi then turned to the Fourth Raikage. "Nagato is indeed guilty. As the leader of the Akatsuki and a key figure in instigating the Fourth Shinobi War, he should, by all rights, face execution."
"But right now, we face an even more terrifying enemy."
"If we were to settle grudges now, wouldn't that just lead to more wars between the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"
"If someone else can bear the power of the Rinnegan, then I have no objections to another solution."
Konan's expression shifted as she was about to speak, but Nagato stopped her.
Shūichi then turned to Obito Uchiha. "Obito, try transplanting one Rinnegan eye."
Obito nodded, accepting the left eye and beginning the transplant.
Thanks to the Hashirama cells in his body, the process was seamless.
However, after the Rinnegan was implanted, Obito groaned, falling to one knee, his hands bracing against the ground as sweat poured from him.
"Obito!"
Kakashi cried out in alarm.
Obito rasped, "The power of the Rinnegan is far greater than I anticipated. I can only manage one eye. With both, these eyes might take control of me instead."
Shūichi nodded. "It seems Shisui would face a similar situation."
Ōnoki suggested, "What about Lady Tsunade, the granddaughter of Lord Hashirama? Isn't she a suitable candidate?"
Shūichi shook his head. "She's still far from ready, even with the First Hokage's cells."
"Though the Senju and Uzumaki clans are descendants of Asura, the younger son of the Sage of Six Paths, inheriting his powerful life force, not every individual is equally gifted. The First Hokage was exceptional because he was Asura's reincarnation, just as Madara was Indra's."
"Nagato, on the other hand, possesses both Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines, making him an extraordinary individual. That's why Madara chose him."
"You should trust Madara's judgment."
"Moreover, though Nagato has been separated from the Ten-Tails, he was once its jinchūriki. That experience has fundamentally changed him."
"Still, as I've said, this is Nagato's punishment. He will spend the rest of his life fighting the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Shūichi turned to Nagato. "Do you accept this, Nagato?"
Nagato nodded. "I've said before, if the path I chose fails, I will follow your orders."
"Besides, fighting the Ōtsutsuki clan aligns with my lifelong goal of preserving peace in the ninja world. It doesn't conflict with my ideals."
Ōnoki and the others fell silent.
What more could they say at this point?
Thus, Nagato's punishment was decided.
This was a matter of perspective.
If Nagato had launched a Shinra Tensei on Konoha, Shūichi would have crushed him without hesitation.
Who couldn't wield the Rinnegan?
If others couldn't, Shūichi could.
Even placing the eyes on his palms would work just fine.
As for leaving Nagato alive, promises and Konan were secondary factors.
Promises could be selectively honored, and Shūichi's principles were remarkably flexible.
As for Konan? Without Nagato, Shūichi was confident he could win her over.
So, Why Leave Nagato Alive?
The answer was clear: to have another executor for the unified plan.
To confront the Ōtsutsuki clan, the first priority was to concentrate their strength—wasn't that reasonable?
At this moment, Shūichi finally understood Hiruzen's reasoning behind using Danzo.
For the dirty and exhausting work that one didn't want to do, someone else had to take it on.
Seeing that Ōnoki and the others had no objections, Hashirama Senju finally spoke:
"Shūichi, release the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Shūichi nodded, forming hand seals.
Release!
In an instant, those wrapped up like cocoons and suspended were gently lowered to the ground as the vines unraveled.
The Divine Tree Domain technique dissipated, with the massive branches retreating into the earth and disappearing.
One by one, the ninjas awoke as if from a dream.
The Fourth Great Ninja War was over.
But the matter was far from concluded.
Shūichi turned to Ōnoki and the others and said, "Tsuchikage, Kazekage, Raikage, you must realize by now that I had long divided the tailed beasts as a precaution and convinced them to cooperate. This is why the tailed beasts can now coexist peacefully with their jinchūriki."
"However, I also made a promise to the tailed beasts: once this is over, they will have their freedom."
The Fourth Kazekage frowned. "Since Lord Shūichi has given his word, we naturally have no objections."
"But while we've dealt with the major threat of Uchiha Madara, the Ōtsutsuki clan still looms. If they come, they surely won't spare the tailed beasts."
"If the tailed beasts are captured by the Ōtsutsuki, it will lead to even greater trouble."
Hearing this, Shukaku scoffed. "Hey, Fourth Kazekage, you're underestimating us tailed beasts, aren't you?"
The Fourth Raikage retorted, "Yet when you were captured earlier, you couldn't even withstand a single move from Madara, could you?"
Shukaku fell silent, unable to refute.
Gyūki, the Eight-Tails, added, "The Raikage isn't wrong. We were born from the Ten-Tails, and against the Ōtsutsuki with Rinnegan, we're at a clear disadvantage."
The tailed beasts collectively fell into silence.
Shūichi said, "I will not go back on my promise. I respect your choices, Shukaku and the others."
"However, my suggestion is that you continue to cooperate with the ninja."
"You could remain as jinchūriki, or even choose to become summoning beasts—that's also a good option."
"This would aid in resisting the Ōtsutsuki in the future."
"To put it bluntly, if you were captured, we'd have a better chance of rescuing you quickly."
Tobirama Senju added, "The fate of the tailed beasts is now intrinsically tied to the ninja world. That's an objective fact."
Ōnoki nodded. "In that case, the tailed beasts need to be redistributed."
Shukaku growled in frustration. "Hey! We haven't even agreed to cooperate with the ninjas yet!"
Shūichi shook his head. "No!"
"I won't redistribute the tailed beasts."
"I said they're free now."
"Even Kurama, the Nine-Tails, has my respect for his decision."
"Moreover, while I've defeated Uchiha Madara and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the Ninja Alliance will not disband."
Looking up at the starry sky, Shūichi revealed a harsh truth:
"To face the Ōtsutsuki clan, who control multiple Ten-Tails, the only way to resist them is by uniting the entire ninja world."
"Of course, I won't force anyone to remain in the Ninja Alliance."
Though he said this, Ōnoki and the others could hear the subtext.
Those not in the Ninja Alliance wouldn't be under Shūichi's protection.
Without Shūichi, no village could hope to contend with the unknown threat of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
They had already witnessed Kaguya's overwhelming power.
So many Kage-level ninjas had been subdued in an instant.
Even Nagato, who had destroyed an entire Kumogakure village with ease, was comparatively weaker.
Ōnoki, the Fourth Kazekage, and the Fourth Raikage could see Shūichi's ambition clearly.
He intended to force them into the Ninja Alliance, gradually integrating them into Konoha.
Even though they understood his motives, they felt powerless.
Shūichi's strength was too overwhelming.
If he chose to use force, he could easily sweep through their three great ninja villages.
Ōnoki even suspected that if Shūichi could undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he could also cast it again with his Rinnegan.
"Damn it..."
Ōnoki clenched his teeth. "Is everything the predecessors worked so hard to build going to crumble in my hands?"
The Fourth Raikage growled angrily, as if ready to strike at any moment.
Shisui Uchiha kept his gaze locked on the Raikage, prepared to counter any move.
The atmosphere grew tense.
As the ninjas freed from the Infinite Tsukuyomi gradually regained their senses, they began to approach the group.
Hashirama Senju said, "From the Warring States Period to the current era of ninja villages, conflict has always been unavoidable."
"Entanglements of interests and hatred... Tsuchikage, Raikage, Kazekage, perhaps it's time to consider a new path and create a brand-new era."
The Fourth Kazekage asked gravely, "Then how will the new Ninja Alliance operate?"
"You must know, there are deep-seated grudges among the villages. Previously, they were able to cooperate temporarily to face a common enemy, but now that the enemy is gone and the Ōtsutsuki clan hasn't arrived, I fear..."
Minato Namikaze interjected, "Kazekage, there's no need to worry too much about that."
"When the era of ninja villages first began, there were also grudges among the ninja clans within each village. This time, forming the Ninja Alliance has laid a solid foundation, and the situation is already far better than what our predecessors faced."
Shūichi said, "This isn't the place for discussion. Let's return to the main base first!"
"Gyūki, Shukaku, you should come too."
"This concerns the future of the entire ninja world. You are a vital part of it."
Shukaku readily agreed. "No problem."
Shūichi's respectful attitude made him quite pleased.
The other tailed beasts, including Gyūki, nodded as well. Feeling respected, they were willing to support Shūichi.
The Space-Time Gate opened, and Minato Namikaze, Hashirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the others stepped through, heading straight to Konoha.
They were followed by the tailed beasts, Ōnoki, Nagato, Konan, and others.
As for the aftermath of the battlefield, it was left in the capable hands of Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyūga, and their teams.
Once Nagato and Konan entered the Space-Time Gate, Shūichi turned to Shisui Uchiha and said, "Shisui, please bring Orochimaru back."
Shisui nodded. "Understood!"
After Shūichi departed with Mei Terumi and Pakura, Shisui immediately set off.
---
Konoha Village, Ninja Alliance Headquarters, Private Meeting Room
Inside the meeting room sat Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Mei Terumi, Ōnoki, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, the Fourth Raikage A, General Mifune, Nagato, Konan, and the eight tailed beasts, now in their smaller forms.
However, after everyone was seated, Nagato and Konan instinctively stood behind Shūichi.
Scanning the room, Shūichi began, "Regarding the Ōtsutsuki clan and the Ten-Tails, I believe you all have some understanding."
"But let me add some information I gleaned from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"The Ōtsutsuki clan, who hail from beyond this world, are far stronger than we initially imagined."
"They are divided into main and branch families. When they act, it's typically a main and branch family member working together. Their goal is to search the universe for suitable locations to plant Divine Trees, transforming Ten-Tails into these trees to absorb the planet's energy, allowing them to grow and eventually bear fruit."
"By consuming the Divine Tree's fruit, the Ōtsutsuki gain not only immense power but also extraordinarily long lifespans. Their goal is to continually harvest these fruits, striving to become true gods!"
"Therefore, we must not only prepare for the Ōtsutsuki clan's potential arrival at any time but also nurture the next generation to ensure they, too, can stand against the Ōtsutsuki."
"What I want to tell you is that this isn't a battle of one or two years, or even ten or twenty. It could span generations—a long, grueling war until the Ōtsutsuki clan is completely eradicated."
Hearing Shūichi's words, even Hashirama and Tobirama felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Shūichi paused, then turned his gaze to Ōnoki. "Tsuchikage, find someone capable of inheriting Dust Release and pass it on."
Ōnoki replied, "Of course I will."
Tobirama added, "If the Ōtsutsuki clan wields the Rinnegan, ordinary ninjutsu will be ineffective against them. The key lies in promoting Sage Arts."
Minato furrowed his brow. "The conditions for mastering Sage Mode are too strict. At the very least, it requires a massive chakra reserve."
"Although I've mastered Sage Mode, I can barely maintain it for five minutes in battle."
Minato then glanced at Shūichi, knowing his student's Star Curse Mark could be the perfect solution for anyone.
However, this matter couldn't be rushed.
Noticing his teacher's gaze, Shūichi calmly said, "We can discuss methods later."
"As for the next steps for the Ninja Alliance, I personally suggest establishing a Five Kage Joint Council."
Five Kage Joint Council?
The group began to ponder. The Fourth Raikage, unwilling to waste time guessing, asked directly, "What exactly is a Five Kage Joint Council?"
(End of Chapter)
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