To Guard Against a Konoha Attack

Two days later, in the underground cavern, a squad of four shinobi used the Body Flicker Technique to land before the shrine barrier.

Since no regular reports had come in, the village had sensed something was wrong and sent people to investigate.

The four shinobi wore faintly fearful expressions. One of them, a blond shinobi, looked especially terrified.

"Captain..."

"The Jinchuriki escaped..."

"How is that possible?!" the blond kunoichi cried out in horror. "We didn't teach her a single ninja skill!"

Another shinobi couldn't help sneering. "She really is a monster, after all."

"Enough! Report this to the village immediately!"

The four shinobi used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the cavern.

Before long, Takigakure was in an uproar, with large numbers of shinobi rushing about and getting to work.

The Jinchuriki had escaped. This was a major crisis. They might even have to capture a Tailed Beast again, but the village no longer had the strength to do that.

"This isn't the time to discuss getting the Jinchuriki back. We should be thinking about how to guard against her revenge," said a blue-eyed old man who looked to be on his last legs, leaning on a cane in the meeting hall. "That child is hardly stable. She's a walking disaster."

The four clans had gathered in the hall, along with the village's neutral shinobi, who stood behind their respective leaders. The crowded scene looked like a gangland negotiation on the verge of turning into a brawl.

"Ke ke ke! Look what your Uji Clan has done. I said choosing someone like that as the Jinchuriki was a bad idea," an old, hunched woman cackled ominously.

An imposing old man sat in the seat of honor with his eyes closed, resting. At the words, he merely raised his eyelids a little. Behind him stood a tall, broad-shouldered shinobi in a full set of tight-fitting, dark black combat gear. His face was covered, and a black scarf was wrapped around his neck. A ninja sword was strapped to his back, and his exposed arms were thick and muscular. He stood with his arms crossed, aloof, his hawk-like eyes sweeping over the crowd as if searching for someone.

Unlike the skinny shinobi common in the Shinobi World, he was powerfully built.

He looked upright and noble, like a hero who walked alone in the darkness.

The Hero Clan.

"Great Elder Taki, why don't you say something?" The old man leaning on a cane shot the imposing elder a sidelong glance. Behind him stood a blond man dressed in a full set of pale blue shinobi armor. His skin was fair, and he was just as muscular and powerfully built. A ninja sword was strapped to his back, and his face was uncovered. He wore a cruel, deranged grin as he taunted the aloof shinobi with his arms crossed. Most remarkable of all, beside his feet stood a large ninja dog made of flowing water, so lifelike it seemed real.

The Uji Clan.

Taki opened his eyes and said calmly, "The four clans chose the Jinchuriki together. There was no better candidate. This matter is closed. The problem now is that we must secretly find the Jinchuriki before the Five Great Villages notice—"

The hunched old woman cackled. Behind her stood a hunched shinobi with a strange, monstrous appearance, like an alien. He had a thick covering of body hair and wore nothing but a stretchy mesh tank top and shorts. He gave a cold laugh, his tiny, bead-like eyes darting dangerously over the crowd. Strangest of all, he had four arms instead of two, giving him a decidedly inhuman appearance.

He was so hideous you couldn't forget him after one glance.

The Qian Gui Clan.

"You're so damn noisy, you old hag Xun," said the gloomy old man seated to the side. Behind him stood a tall kunoichi with the same deathly pale complexion, wearing a matching plain white kimono tied at the waist with a sash. Her expression was icy, and she held a naginata across her arms. Beneath her eerie purple eyeshadow, her golden, serpentine pupils swept over the crowd, cold and dangerous.

The Kusanagi Clan.

Besides their underlings, who had come to bolster their numbers, there was also a gathering of clan elders, both men and women, serving as councilors.

Mochizuki Gen sat below them, quietly resting with his eyes closed. Non-clan shinobi from other villages sat around and behind him.

And so, the plan officially began.

At the round table, Great Elder Taki spoke in a low voice. "Enough pointless talk. Our urgent task is to send people out to search for the Jinchuriki. We also need to further reduce the number of people out and strengthen the village's defenses, in case one of the Five Great Villages attacks, especially Konoha."

Yura almost laughed at that.

Above the meeting hall, a black butterfly flapped its wings softly.

"Everyone, pay special attention to strengthening the defenses within your own clans. Just in case, prepare to gather your clan members and evacuate. For the time being, stop accepting mission requests."

Mochizuki Gen raised an eyebrow as he watched the Great Elder lay out what seemed like a thorough plan, but said nothing.

That saved him the trouble of making the suggestion himself.

"Great Elder..." The Kusanagi elder spoke in a low voice. "What about the missions already in progress? Who will cover the losses?"

The Great Elder said nothing and simply closed his eyes.

The next moment, the meeting hall erupted. The old men and women began arguing again.

Sitting atop the Black Nest, Yura rose to her feet.

The plan was proceeding smoothly. Next, it was time to get moving.

"Little Monster~" Yura called with a faint smile.

Lucy, who was cooking and covered in dust from head to toe, rolled her eyes at the sound of her name, brushed herself off, and said irritably, "What is it, you great monster?"

The many little birds perched on Lucy's body and in her hair chirped noisily, casually bowing their heads to preen their feathers.

Over the past two days, Yura had treated her like a servant and made her do all the hard work, but Lucy hadn't found anything uncomfortable about spending time with her.

Watching this strangely harmonious scene, Huan's mouth twitched, and she moved farther away. Yura and Lucy both put her under tremendous mental strain, so she naturally didn't want to get close. And Yura was unlike ordinary people. Huan had already suffered enough at her hands and didn't want any more. She had no idea what might provoke Yura into killing her. She chewed on a dry soldier pill while watching the pot of bird soup Lucy had finished cooking.

"Nothing. It's time to get moving, Little Monster~" Yura stepped down from the air, one step at a time, and landed on the grass. "Since you can already mold chakra, it's time for some real combat. Huan, you stay here."

Huan's eyes lit up, and she nodded. That bird soup would be hers, then.

At that, Lucy first looked unhappy. She wasn't interested in killing people—in fact, the thought repulsed her. But then she remembered something and put on an excited expression. "Are we finally going to kill someone?"

She was supposed to be a monster now. She couldn't let a real monster see through her and realize she wasn't one. That would be bad.

Poor me. I have so much to bear, but I can't say a word.

Yura reached out. A mass of hair writhed over her hand, rapidly twisting and reshaping into a ninja blade in the blink of an eye. She held it out to Lucy. As Yura approached, the birds sensed something and shrieked as they flew away from Lucy.

The blade was straight, and only sixty centimeters long.

Lucy hadn't seen the blade appear, and blinked in confusion.

Guiding Lucy's hand, Yura pressed the ninja blade into her palm. "Try channeling chakra into it, Little Monster~"

Over the past two days, whenever she had free time between her own training, Yura had been teaching Little Monster. Lucy already knew how to mold chakra, so Yura had also taught her a few basic chakra-control exercises, such as walking up trees.

"My name is Lucy!" As she channeled chakra into it, a black blade gleaming with cold light took shape inch by inch before Lucy and Huan's eyes. Lucy cried out, "A sword?"

This blade was as valuable as a chakra metal ninja sword—and it was a Ghost Blade that could turn invisible.

"Well? Do you like it?"

"I..." Lucy's eyes sparkled with delight. She lowered her head and murmured darkly, "I hate you..." Then she looked up with a somewhat sinister, sunny smile and gazed at Yura expectantly. Was there more?

She had so few things that truly belonged to her.

It was her first time receiving a gift, and she was deeply moved.

"Disperse the chakra. Don't let anyone see it." Yura turned and walked step by step toward the air. "Come on, Little Monster~"

"Wait for me..." Lucy dispelled the chakra, held the blade made of hair, and rapidly beat the wings on her back to rise into the air, following Yura.