"What kind of food have you been eating? Kirigakure, how'd you get this drunk?"
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Namikaze Yoru had escaped at top speed using the Flying Thunder God. As he left, all he'd had time to say was this incredulous remark. In the blink of an eye, he was several miles away, in a safe location.
He was genuinely stunned by the Third Mizukage's "world-shaking wisdom." The man had actually placed the Three-Tails Isobu beneath the Mizukage Building?
How was that any different from working in an office built on top of a nuclear bomb?
In truth, the Third Mizukage had his reasons. Kirigakure's situation was complicated, with bloodline clans entrenched throughout the village and internal strife running rampant.
The blood feud between the two major bloodline clans had consumed much of Kirigakure's fighting strength, but it had also, unexpectedly, given the Third Mizukage unprecedented control over the village.
That was precisely why placing the Three-Tails within any faction's territory would have stirred up fresh suspicion and unrest. So, ever since the time of the Second Mizukage, they had taken the risk of placing its core seal beneath the Mizukage Building.
Only after obtaining the Land of Whirlpools' sealing secrets had they begun studying the Perfect Jinchuriki and how to gain complete control over the Tailed Beast. They had used the special constitution of several Uzumaki Clan members to create a partially sealed state for their research.
But then Namikaze Yoru had acted like a bandit, sweeping up every last member of the Uzumaki Clan and carrying them off without a care.
With the Uzumaki Clan members—the crucial "materials"—all gone, the balance between "energy" and "stabilizers" in the formation had been shattered.
The Three-Tails, which had been kept under suppression for so long, seized the chance and violently broke free.
"Roar!"
A deafening, muffled bellow accompanied by terrifying chakra pressure erupted from beneath the Mizukage Building.
The sturdy stone foundations and the building's structure tore apart like paper. Three coral tails, carrying immense force, burst from the ground and thrashed wildly, wreaking destruction everywhere.
"Damn it! The Three-Tails is rampaging!"
"Evacuate everyone! Where's the Third Mizukage? Hurry—"
Though shocked, the shinobi around the building kept their heads and organized themselves. The Third Mizukage, who was returning to the Mizukage Building, was livid.
He had no time to investigate or hunt for whoever might be behind this. He had to devote all his attention to dealing with the Three-Tails crisis right in front of him.
"All Anbu and jonin, do whatever it takes to drive the Three-Tails out of the village!"
The Third Mizukage's voice rang out, instantly carrying across the entire battlefield. The elite Mist shinobi seemed to have found someone to rally around and began coordinating with one another.
In an instant, countless ninjutsu blazed to life, drawing the Three-Tails' attention again and again.
But the Three-Tails' massive shell was heavily armored. Ninjutsu battered against it like a mere tickle.
Fortunately, the Three-Tails had a relatively gentle temperament. After breaking free of its seal, it didn't deliberately attack the people of Kirigakure.
Still, it was a Tailed Beast. Its enormous body and casually swinging tails demolished every building in their path, leaving devastation behind.
The Third Mizukage personally took the front of the line. Without regard for his own chakra reserves, he did everything he could to lure and drive the rampaging Three-Tails Isobu away from the village center and toward the wilderness outside.
Meanwhile, Namikaze Yoru, the one who'd caused all this, had retreated to a safe spot on the outskirts. From there, he watched the tremendous commotion in Kirigakure from afar.
The system's notification sounded at just the right moment, drawing his attention.
[ Ding! Detected Pawn Points exceeding 10,000. System upgrade conditions met...] [System update complete. Host may check the changes.]
The system's notification caught his attention. He focused and looked.
[Myriad Realms Rare Pawnshop System] [Host: Namikaze Yoru (Platinum Card)] [Myriad Credit Gold (upgraded): Current overdraft limit/2000] [Redemption (upgraded): Pawned items can be redeemed. Fee: 0/use] [Targeted Tracing (new): When samples are insufficient, points can be spent to conduct targeted tracing]
The system had upgraded again! Namikaze Yoru was delighted. He didn't have time to examine the new feature closely, but it was good news all the same.
He drew his attention back to the chaos in Kirigakure. A rather bold idea began to take shape in his mind.
"Exchange for the Kaguya Sage Bone!"
At Namikaze Yoru's command, his previous total of 11,155 points abruptly changed.
[Current Pawn Points: 9,155]
The moment the exchange went through, he had no time to pay attention to the points that had only just passed 10,000 suddenly dropping.
A force far more violent than the one he'd felt when exchanging for the Kaguya bloodline erupted inside him.
It felt as though his bones were being crushed and reforged. The extreme pain nearly made him pass out, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
After the pain came a strange tingling sensation, as if countless ants were crawling all over him. Bone spikes burst through his skin, forming a tough, seamless Bone Armor.
At the same time, his Uzumaki Sage Body seemed to be stimulated by the Kaguya Sage Bone and began reacting on its own.
The bloodline powers of the Kaguya and Uzumaki constantly nourished and strengthened his bones as they underwent a transformation.
At that moment, the two supreme bloodlines seemed to resonate in a remarkable way, complementing each other.
Before long, Namikaze Yoru felt a strength and resilience unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
He could clearly sense every bone in his body, including the Bone Armor that had burst through his skin. They seemed to have a life of their own and held terrifying power.
The moment his Uzumaki Sage Body and Kaguya Sage Bone reached equilibrium, a memory deep in his bloodline awakened.
Several gleaming golden chains, formed from chakra and bone, shot out from his back.
Unlike the purely chakra-based Adamantine Sealing Chains, these new chains were more like a living golden spinal dragon. They coiled and danced around him, radiating powerful restraining and sealing force.
He instinctively took control. The chains emerging from his spine moved as he wished, as naturally as his own arms.
A bloodline combination unique to Namikaze Yoru had been born, with Shikotsumyaku as its bones and Uzumaki bloodline chakra as its outer layer. He named it "Yomotsu Hikumusubi Bone"!
While he familiarized himself with his new power, the Third Mizukage and the elite Mist shinobi had driven the Three-Tails completely out of the village.
But the Three-Tails Isobu wasn't simply allowing them to lead it around. It twisted its body and used its signature Taijutsu—Shadow Swim.
Its enormous body rolled like a giant wheel, abruptly changing direction as it charged straight into a huge lake outside the village, one that connected to the sea.
The Third Mizukage's expression changed at the sight. The Three-Tails in the lake was a completely different prospect from the Three-Tails on land.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bomb!"
He didn't hesitate, unleashing the technique at full power. Earlier, the same technique had broken through Kaguya Naoto's formidable defenses with a single strike and killed him.
But the Three-Tails' Taijutsu could stand up even to the powerful Eight-Tails, let alone the Third Mizukage's Water Release Ninjutsu.
When he saw that it had failed, the Third Mizukage continued the pursuit. But the Three-Tails was faster, and its body had already disappeared into the lake.
"Roar!" The Three-Tails let out a satisfied bellow as it entered the water, churning the lake until the water surged and waves rose high.
It didn't use the opportunity to flee. Instead, it turned around, fixing its wild eyes on the Third Mizukage on the shore. Chakra surged violently around its body. It was clearly planning to use the terrain to launch a counterattack!
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