Nine Become One, Ten-Tails Revives

After the two Kirigakure Ninja left, Iori summoned Shisui into the tent and said, "I've accepted Kirigakure's surrender. I'm leaving the conquest of the Land of Water and the search for the Six-Tails to you."

Shisui nodded, then took out the jar sealing the Three-Tails and handed it to Iori.

"Brother Iori, this is Isobu, the Three-Tails. Saiken, the Six-Tails, isn't in Kirigakure right now, but I'll capture him for you as soon as possible."

Iori placed the jar sealing Isobu into the Gate of Babylon, then said, "The war is proceeding smoothly. When I sent my previous letter, the wars on the other three fronts had already ended. Our army won a resounding victory. Other than the Four-Tails and Six-Tails, all the other tailed beasts are already in our hands."

"If you handle the Six-Tails personally, then I have nothing to worry about." Iori nodded. "I'll leave this place to you, then. I need to return and prepare to seal the tailed beasts into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

"Understood."

After Shisui left, Iori went to Medea's tent and asked her to remain at the front lines for the time being.

Medea seemed somewhat unwilling, but she agreed nonetheless.

Under her resentful gaze, Iori made a slightly awkward retreat.

A month later

Valley of the End, not far from Konoha

The waterfall thundered down, filling the air with mist.

Standing beneath the waterfall, Iori fixed his gaze on the statues of Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama.

Though those two stone statues had weathered wind and rain, they remained lifelike, as though recounting the glory and splendor of days gone by.

Behind him, the grotesque Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had already opened seven eyes, each flickering with an ominous red glow.

The Demonic Statue of