Chapter 209: Bonds of Beasts and Shadows

When Mabui found the Daimyō, his face was full of reluctance.

He had warned them not to provoke the Umbrella Organization, yet now, the Seven Colors Trading Company—an enterprise directly connected to him—had become entangled in the affair.

Even Naruto couldn't manage every business himself; the support of the local daimyō and nobles was crucial. Through joint ventures and a flood of innovative commercial ideas from Naruto's previous life, trade flourished throughout the entire Shinobi World.

Those who dared to target the Seven Colors Trading Company were either quietly taken over—or erased.

To touch the Umbrella Organization was to touch the Daimyō's personal interests, and how could that possibly make him happy?

He was a man who lived for luxury and indulgence. As long as the profits were high, why would he concern himself with the methods of the Umbrella Organization?

But now—two billion ryō were gone. His heart bled.

The money would have to come from Kumogakure's military budget.

Fortunately, in recent years, the Seven Colors Trading Company had encouraged entrepreneurship across the Land of Lightning, and the people had grown more prosperous. For the country as a whole, this amount was no longer devastating.

Even so, being forced to pay such a ransom without gaining anything in return filled the Daimyō with bitterness.

Still, he understood—the Raikage had to be rescued.

Without the Raikage, it was as if the nation had lost its shield. That was the flaw of the one-country, one-village system—a strange dual monarchy where political and military power existed in uneasy balance.

Snow Country Outpost

At that moment, the Raikage had regained consciousness.

When he awoke, he found it hard to accept the bitter reality of being captured. He and Killer B were held separately.

Feeling the faint trickle of chakra sealed deep within him, and his muscles heavy and weak, the Raikage clenched his fists.

After being subdued, his chakra had been completely sealed—and upon capture, he had been injected with a special compound developed by Tsunade herself.

Even without his chakra, the Raikage's physical strength remained monstrous, but in this state, even he was helpless.

Meanwhile, Killer B's quarters weren't exactly a cell, though several elite guards stood watch outside.

Compared to the Raikage, Killer B, as a Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, was an even greater threat—unpredictable and dangerous.

Every shinobi standing guard outside was an elite among elites.

Inside, Naruto stood silently before Killer B.

To him, the man before him was simply an opponent from another side—a different path. The sense of familiarity in Killer B's features stirred nothing in him.

They were both shinobi—but from opposing factions now.

Naruto's eyes met B's. Deep within, the Nine-Tails stirred—and in that instant, its consciousness reached out to the Eight-Tails.

"Moo!!"

"Kurama! What are you doing here?!"

Gyūki's deep voice rumbled through the shared mental plane. "Are you here to mock me, fox?"

"Gyūki! I didn't come to fight you!"

The Nine-Tails' massive form leaned forward, his eyes sharp and solemn.

"Oh? The great Nine-Tails, bowing to a human? You've even shared your power with that brat?" Gyūki sneered, his voice like rolling thunder.

Kurama's tails swayed slowly. "He's different. He's not like those filthy humans."

"He's the one the Old Man acknowledged."

The words struck Gyūki like lightning. His vast body trembled as memories—faded images of a time long past—flashed across his mind: the Sage of Six Paths, his smile, his teachings, his farewell.

"The Old Man…?" Gyūki's tone deepened. "Kurama, do you even know what you're saying?"

"This world is changing because of him," Kurama said firmly. "I've seen it with my own eyes."

Gyūki fell silent. Though he didn't fully understand, he could feel the conviction radiating from Kurama—the same pride and defiance that once refused to bend even to gods.

When the Six Paths Sage was mentioned, Gyūki grew serious.

"…What do you want?" he finally asked.

"I need a portion of your chakra," Kurama said. His tone was calm—but unyielding.

"That's impossible, and you know it," Gyūki replied coldly.

Outside their shared consciousness, Naruto remained unaware of their exchange—unaware that Kurama was acting on his behalf.

If he knew, he would've smiled.

Beyond the snowy outpost, chaos spread through the Shinobi World.

The news of the Raikage's capture had already leaked.

No secret could last long in this world—spies existed in every village.

And Kumogakure didn't even try to hide it. They couldn't. This was their shame, and their rage.

The age of silence was over—the storm had already begun.

The moment news spread that the Raikage had been captured, everyone knew—it would soon become the greatest scandal in the entire Shinobi World.

"That brat Naruto—well done! Hahahaha!"

In the Hokage's Office, Tsunade slammed her palm against the desk, laughing loudly as the intelligence report arrived.

Beside her, Jiraiya leaned over, eyes wide with disbelief as he read through the details.

He had expected Naruto to grow strong—but this? Even he hadn't imagined such a result.

Due to the changes in recent events, Jiraiya's understanding of Naruto's strength lagged behind Tsunade's. She had seen firsthand how far he'd come—and how much he'd surpassed the limits of an ordinary shinobi.

"That kid… Naruto," Jiraiya murmured softly, a small smile on his lips. "Minato can finally rest easy in the afterlife."

A faint look of regret crossed his face.

He had always claimed to be Naruto's master, yet, in truth, he had taught the boy little. It was one of the few things Jiraiya still carried guilt for.

But now, there was no doubt in his mind—Naruto truly was the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage had foretold.

"Still," Jiraiya said after a pause, his expression turning grave, "Kumogakure won't take this lying down."

Tsunade snorted, leaning back in her chair. "You're not seriously thinking that was the Umbrella's full strength last time, are you?"

Her eyes gleamed faintly with amusement.

"That brat Naruto—if he was able to defeat the Raikage and his forces, then trust me, he's got more than enough means to deal with whatever Kumogakure throws next.

This time, they've taken a massive blow."

There was unmistakable satisfaction in her tone, the kind of delight that only came when a rival village stumbled.

Jiraiya gave her a surprised look, then slowly nodded. She wasn't wrong.

After all, the Umbrella Organization still possessed military technology—aircraft, aerial weaponry—that hadn't even been deployed yet.

Their power was far from being fully revealed.

Land of Rain – Akatsuki Hideout

Meanwhile, in the cold and misty Land of Rain, a gathering of shadows took place.

Nagato and Konan stood beside Tendo Pain, who represented Nagato's will before the others.

The latest intelligence had been brought by Zetsu.

Among the gathered Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi stood silently in thought, his expression unreadable.

Everything he had done—all the pain, all the betrayal—had been for one purpose:

to ensure Sasuke's safety and Konoha's future.

But now, with the Umbrella Organization rising and the world shifting again, Itachi couldn't help but feel a growing unease.

"Mr. Itachi," came Kisame's rough voice beside him, "what's on your mind?"

Itachi glanced at him, then shook his head. "...Nothing."

But deep down, his thoughts were already far away.

He wanted to see Sasuke—

to make sure everything was still on the path he had carved for him.

The longer he waited, the more everything seemed to slip out of his control.

He had to act soon.

"Everyone," said Pain, his deep, resonant voice cutting through the silence, "we need to discuss how to deal with this so-called Umbrella Organization.

I will not allow anyone—or anything—to disrupt our plan."

His tone carried the weight of command. His Rinnegan eyes glowed with divine authority, ripples of power radiating from his presence.

"Leader," came Deidara's voice from across the room, his tone half-mocking, half-serious,

"now that this group's been exposed to the world, isn't that perfect for us? They can draw attention while we move in the shadows."

"Leader, I've already infiltrated their ranks."

The voice this time came from Sasori.

He spoke calmly, his puppet-like face betraying nothing.

"Right now, I'm monitoring their movements from within."

Of course, that wasn't his true reason.

The Umbrella Organization's vast technological knowledge—its machines, its weaponry—had fascinated him. Sasori had joined them partly to learn, to absorb their science for his own creations.

As long as he could complete his new puppet, he thought with a faint smile, even the "Leader" himself might not be untouchable.

The Akatsuki had gathered under one banner, but none were truly united.

Each member harbored their own ambitions, their own grudges, their own desires.

And as the world outside descended into turmoil, the true storm was still brewing—within Akatsuki itself.

...

TN:

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