When Yagura heard this, the composure on his face vanished in an instant. All color drained from him, leaving him as pale as a sheet of paper, utterly lifeless.
At the same time, beads of sweat the size of beans poured from his forehead, streaming down his cheeks like a burst dam.
They finally dripped onto the hard ground, making faint yet crisp sounds that seemed especially jarring and grating in the deathly silence.
Yagura knew all too well that the man standing before him was unfathomably powerful, far beyond anything he could handle.
Against such a formidable opponent, he was like a leaf caught in a gale, utterly powerless to fight back.
At that moment, it seemed he had only two choices: submit meekly or fight with everything he had in one last desperate struggle. Either way, the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty and danger.
"P-please, sir, I..." Yagura struggled to speak, but his voice trembled uncontrollably, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.
Yagura racked his brains for a way to respond, trying to find the right words to defuse the crisis.
But his mind was a blank. In the end, he couldn't even manage a complete sentence.
Meanwhile, Shi Xiu paid little attention to Yagura's reaction.
Shi Xiu calmly began walking toward the window. When he stopped, his deep, ocean-like eyes gazed through the closed lattice at Kirigakure, shrouded in distant, hazy mist.
"I'll give you three seconds to think it over. I hope you make the wise choice." Shi Xiu's voice remained calm, but the resolve in it weighed down like a mountain, impossible to ignore.
Every word Shi Xiu spoke seemed like an imperial decree that could not be disobeyed or questioned.
"Three!"
Isobu remained quiet in Yagura's mindscape, taking in everything unfolding outside. Its already heavy heart was now filled with complicated emotions.
Faced with Shi Xiu's unfathomable power, deep fear welled up from within Isobu, impossible to suppress.
That fear spread through its entire being like a plague, making it realize there was no escaping this calamity.
"Yagura, make your choice quickly." Isobu's voice rang out in Yagura's mind, tinged with helplessness.
"Either submit to Shi Xiu completely, or... the only path left to you is death."
"Two!" When Shi Xiu called out the number in a cold, merciless voice, it sounded like the Death God whispering in his ear, sending chills down his spine.
Yagura felt as if an invisible weight had pinned him in place, plunging him deep into a bottomless pit of terror.
Yet, faced with such an urgent, life-or-death decision, Yagura didn't respond at once.
Instead, his thoughts ran wild, and memories of the past flashed before his eyes.
He had escaped death time and again.
But now, the Shi Xiu standing before him was a terrifying being beyond anything he could have imagined, someone who could easily shatter all his confidence and understanding.
This unprecedented crisis left Yagura lost in a long and agonizing silence.
"One!" Shi Xiu murmured the number, his brows furrowing slightly as impatience crept into his expression.
A powerful chakra slowly radiated from his body. Shi Xiu now gave off a chilling aura, leaving no doubt that he would strike with the force of thunder at any moment.
Faced with Shi Xiu's overwhelming power, Yagura, who had been silent until now, finally broke the silence.
In a trembling voice, Yagura said, "I... I don't want to die." His words were filled with fear and despair.
After a brief pause, Yagura continued, as if he had made up his mind. "I... I'm willing to submit."
With that, Yagura sagged like a deflated ball. His body swayed, his legs gave way, and he fell straight to the ground.
Isobu, which had been silently watching everything unfold, couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh.
It knew all too well that from this day on, there would be no escaping Shi Xiu's control.
Still, the thought that at least it wouldn't have to serve as Shi Xiu's mount anymore brought Isobu a small measure of relief.
When Shi Xiu heard Yagura declare that he was willing to submit, the corners of his mouth lifted into a satisfied smile.
Shi Xiu knew perfectly well that Yagura's submission wasn't sincere.
But it made no difference to Shi Xiu. All he truly cared about was gaining control over the Three-Tails, Isobu.
"Good," Shi Xiu said, his voice calm and firm. "From today on, you belong to me."
Yagura lowered his head, his heart a tangle of conflicting emotions. He didn't know what fate awaited him, or what Shi Xiu was planning. But he knew he had no way back.
Shi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze first settled on Yagura, lingered for a moment, then turned to Obito, who stood behind him.
Shi Xiu parted his lips and said calmly, "Put them in the Kamui Dimension. That should work, right?"
Obito was taken aback by the suggestion, but quickly came to his senses and nodded. "No problem, Lord Shi Xiu."
After receiving Obito's confirmation, Shi Xiu turned back to Yagura, a cold glint in his eyes as he issued a stern warning.
"Once you're in the Kamui Dimension, stay put. If you try anything, I won't hesitate to display the Fourth Mizukage's head as a decoration in my home."
The words struck Yagura like a bolt of lightning. He shuddered, his face turning as pale as paper as cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Yagura quickly nodded over and over, stammering out his promise. "I-I would never dare betray you. Please rest assured!"
Seeing how terrified Yagura was, Shi Xiu gave a cold snort and said no more.
Then his once-black eyes began to change. Red gradually spread across them until both eyes were entirely crimson.
At last, his pupils transformed into the mysterious Mangekyō Sharingan.
Just then, the space around them suddenly twisted violently, as if an invisible hand were kneading it at will.
Along with the distortion, an immensely powerful suction force erupted, devouring everything nearby like a black hole.
Caught in its grip, Yagura felt his body tense. He couldn't resist the force at all. With a sudden whoosh, he vanished from sight.
When Yagura opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar world, dim and lightless.
All around him stretched endless darkness, making his skin crawl and sending a shiver down his spine.
Beneath his feet lay a jumble of irregular rocks, all different shapes and sizes.
After sending Yagura to the Kamui Dimension, Shi Xiu said, "That takes care of everything. Let's head back to Konoha."
As he spoke, Shi Xiu placed his hands on Obito's and Haku's shoulders. Haku looked at him in confusion and was just about to ask how they were getting back when his vision blurred. In the next instant, he found himself in a courtyard.