Ghost Puppet Army and Earth Grudge Fear

Konoha was developing at a furious pace.

The other four great nations were likewise making active preparations, ushering in the era of One Country, One Village.

Before long, the other four ninja villages would surely follow Konoha's lead and take root across the lands of the great nations.

At this moment, in the Land of Night.

The General's Residence in Nightview City.

On Yayoi's desk lay an invitation delivered by urgent courier from the Land of Fire.

Yayoi quickly finished reading it. There was not much content, and a glance was enough to take it all in.

Its meaning was clear. Konoha had decided through a meeting to appoint Hashirama Senju as the village's First Hokage. The official announcement would also be conveyed throughout the Ninja World through the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

However, although the meeting had approved it, the ceremony had yet to be held.

Perhaps feeling that such an important matter should not be handled so casually, the daimyo of the Land of Fire and Konoha's ninjas had decided to send invitations to the upper echelons of every nation, hoping they would come to Konoha to witness the grand ceremony of the First Hokage's inauguration.

The ceremony was scheduled for mid-January of the following year. The timing was not too tight, giving each nation time to prepare.

"The First Hokage... is that the title for a ninja village's leader?"

Irori was also studying the invitation from the side, softly murmuring the unfamiliar term "Hokage."

This was a title exclusive to the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. Named after "fire," it also proclaimed its close connection to the Land of Fire.

"Then, Lord Yayoi, will you attend the ceremony?"

Irori asked what Yayoi intended to do.

"It won't hurt to take a look. After all, some things only have meaning when witnessed in person."

Yayoi answered without hesitation, voicing his true thoughts.

Konoha, Hokage... the era of One Country, One Village from his memories had officially begun.

He did not want to miss such a meaningful occasion. He wanted to witness the Hokage's official birth with his own eyes.

Irori nodded, her expression becoming much more serious.

"In that case, leave the security arrangements to me."

By then, Konoha would surely be filled with powerful figures. Although the Senju and Uchiha would be there, that did not guarantee trouble would not arise.

There were simply too many foolish people who did not know their own limits or recognize the gap between themselves and others.

As the general of the Land of Night, Yayoi faced no fewer than dozens of assassination attempts every year.

In Irori's eyes, some assassins were laughably weak. She could not understand how they dared attempt an assassination with such strength.

One could never underestimate human stupidity. Some fools truly could not see the gap and believed themselves invincible.

"Ah, I'll leave it to you. But don't worry too much either, Irori. Konoha will definitely handle its security properly by then."

Surely no one would try to launch some Konoha Crush Plan at a time like this, right? Though if Orochimaru launched a Konoha Crush Plan now, could he even win?

Yayoi did not dare imagine such a thing happening.

It was far too absurd.

With Konoha as it was now, the Ninja World should be grateful for Hashirama Senju's high moral character as long as he did not launch a Ninja World Collapse Plan.

Without him keeping Madara Uchiha in check, the Ninja World would truly be finished.

"Come to think of it, Irori, your strength should have stabilized recently, right?"

Yayoi turned his attention to Irori's physical condition.

She should have absorbed a large amount of Tailed Beast chakra and made it her own.

Combined with Irori's already formidable chakra, it could be said that in terms of chakra reserves alone, she was already approaching the level of a Tailed Beast.

With her Ice Release, taking on a Tailed Beast alone would not be difficult at all.

Of course, the Nine-Tails was an exception. Yayoi remembered that even the Four-Tails state of the Nine-Tails had beaten Orochimaru half to death.

In its Eight-Tails state, not even a Sealing Jutsu like Planetary Devastation could suppress it.

And that had only been the Four-Tails and Eight-Tails states of half the Nine-Tails.

Yayoi felt that the Nine-Tails and the other Tailed Beasts seemed like entirely different species.

"Yes, my chakra has stabilized. If I enter battle now, there won't be any more risks."

Irori felt the immense chakra within her body, now settled and stable, and a confident smile appeared on her face.

At first, she had indeed struggled to adapt to that powerful chakra, and it had placed a considerable burden on her body.

But after several months of adjustment, that chakra had become like her own flesh and blood, a part of her body.

It was no longer a burden, but a source of even greater strength.

If she fought the Seven-Tails again, even in its complete form, she could take it down alone.

The Tailed Beasts were powerful, but their abilities were too limited. Their enormous size also made them easy targets. As long as she had the right countermeasures, dealing with them was not actually difficult for her.

A Jinchūriki who could skillfully wield a Tailed Beast's power would be much harder to deal with instead.

"It's a pity there isn't a second Tailed Beast within the Land of Night. Now that every nation has sealed its borders, trying to capture one might cause considerable trouble. The drawbacks outweigh the benefits."

Yayoi sighed regretfully.

Most importantly, the majority of Tailed Beasts were distributed within the great nations.

If they had been in smaller nations, he would have already gone and captured a second Tailed Beast.

But the great nations... were too dangerous right now.

There were too many powerful ninjas there, and quite a few were eyeing the power of the Tailed Beasts.

Irori was strong, but she was still not strong enough to run rampant through a great nation without restraint.

"Even so, without the proper methods, Tailed Beasts are actually difficult to utilize. More importantly, they are hard to tame."

Irori did not find it regrettable. The Land of Night would have difficulty controlling a second Tailed Beast now.

Containing a Tailed Beast required highly advanced techniques. Sealing away one Seven-Tails was already Yayoi's limit.

He did not have enough energy to contain a second Tailed Beast.

Even if they performed a sealing and created a Jinchūriki... the difficulty was that not every ninja could become one.

If most ninjas had a Tailed Beast sealed inside them, they would die instantly.

Even if the sealing succeeded, the Tailed Beast would still cause trouble from time to time and go berserk.

Without mature techniques, a Tailed Beast's power would be a heavy burden rather than support.

"If only we had the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu..."

Yayoi could not help feeling envious.

The sealing techniques obtained from the Hagoromo Clan and other small ninja clans that had been destroyed were still far too low-grade.

His current method for containing Tailed Beasts combined Sealing Jutsu with physical confinement. He also had to periodically weaken the Seven-Tails' power to ensure nothing could go wrong, which consumed a great deal of his attention.

With high-level Sealing Jutsu, it would not need to be so cumbersome.

"I wonder whether they would accept a marriage alliance... Though the position of principal wife is already taken."

Yayoi thought again of marriage alliances.

He had already tasted the benefits of exchanging techniques through marriage alliances with the Hyuga Clan.

He had once acquired the corpse of an Uzumaki Clan ninja on the underground black market and had researched that clan's chakra.

Like his own, the chakra of that clan's ninjas possessed powerful vitality.

However, its degree of vitalization was far inferior to his own chakra.

"If it's the Vitalization Technique, perhaps I can draw them in."

Yayoi's foundation lay in the exceptionally potent vitality naturally carried by his chakra.

That innate vitality was difficult to teach to outsiders, but that did not mean he had never studied his own special chakra.

Long ago, through his understanding of his own chakra, he had created a Chakra Vitalization Technique.

Its degree of vitalization could not compare to his own chakra's vitality, but it could be applied to others and learned by outsiders as well.

It was a foundational technique. If used flexibly enough, many more techniques could be developed from it.

Just like the Rasengan, it could be expanded in countless directions.

He had always regarded it as one of his most closely guarded techniques.

Even in his marriage alliance with the Hyuga Clan, he had not provided this technique.

In his view, the foundational technique of Active Chakra was more important than incomplete Yin-Yang Release.

The greater one's chakra vitality, the more comprehensively one would improve in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.

With prolonged training, it might even extend one's natural lifespan.

No, that's too presumptuous. The potential of this technique far exceeds the value of a marriage alliance. I can't focus only on the present.

Yayoi abandoned the thought.

A foundational technique with a certain degree of widespread applicability, one that could also improve ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, would be dangerous if exposed.

Yayoi regained his clarity, but he still yearned for the Uzumaki Clan's powerful Sealing Jutsu.

"Irori, handle the affairs here in my place. I'm going down to the underground level. Also, have Kakuzu come over. By my calculations, that 'thing' should be nearly finished."

Yayoi patted his face, leaving Irori in charge here to handle official business in his stead.

This was not the first time such a thing had happened.

Irori's importance went without saying. Whenever he was absent, her authority was equal to his own.

Though only a few months had passed, anyone could see that Irori was the acting general of the Land of Night.

"Yes, Lord Yayoi."

Irori earnestly carried out her duties, handling official business in Yayoi's place.

◎

The underground space beneath the Tenshu Tower.

Its depth far exceeded the height of the Tenshu Tower aboveground.

And it was not merely deep. Its breadth was likewise beyond what a small Tenshu Tower could possibly contain.

There were many entrances and exits here, leading to the Outer Court, the Inner Court, and even secret passages outside the General's Residence.

The guarding forces here were also the tightest and strongest.

There were all manner of mechanisms and traps, as well as many dangerous, immensely powerful explosive devices. Anyone unfamiliar with the place who intruded would surely be left without even bones behind.

Those guarding the place included not only ninjas and samurai, but also an extraordinarily mysterious type of special humanoid puppet that only Yayoi could create.

They maintained a basic humanoid form, their bodies bare and featureless. The vital joints of their bodies were rounded lubricated bearings, while their smooth, rigid outer skin could withstand blades and even directly endure low-powered ninjutsu bombardments.

Most importantly, aside from their own hardness, these humanoid puppets were clad in heavy armor and armed with swords, further enhancing both their defense and offensive capabilities.

In strange poses, they floated and drifted through the air of the underground space like ghosts, conducting uninterrupted twenty-four-hour patrols.

Because of this trait, Yayoi had named these puppets Ghost Puppets.

Without Chakra Threads or any other method of operation, they simply wandered everywhere.

Beneath their helmets, pairs of eyes glowed an eerie green.

They truly seemed like a host of ghosts from the underworld.

Silent and still.

Yayoi was already accustomed to this sight.

This was the most important facility within the General's Residence.

The ninjas and samurai were merely one checkpoint. These astonishingly numerous Ghost Puppets formed another powerful line of defense.

However, only in this place could the Ghost Puppets move flexibly in wireless mode.

The inspiration had come from the Six Paths Puppets of the Rinnegan. Through special signal-receiving devices, chakra was transmitted remotely to control their movements.

He did not possess the Rinnegan's abilities, but in the field of puppetry, his Active Chakra offered even greater advantages. Replicating this technique had been easy.

Otherwise, how could he have earned the title of Puppet Master with Irori alone? Though he also bore other titles, such as Puppet General and Hell Demon.

During the Night Country Founding War, Irori had already been able to participate in battle, but her abilities were far inferior to what they were now.

When he swept through the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Iron, he had relied mainly on his own ninjutsu and taijutsu, as well as an enormous puppet army.

He could even use Chakra Threads... to manipulate living enemies, making them slaughter one another.

His most famous battle was when he alone caused a samurai castle of a thousand men to collapse overnight, turning it into a river of blood.

There, he staged a living puppet play and created a horrific hell in which not a single survivor remained.

Thus, the title Hell Demon began to spread.

The limit of a puppet master was ten fingers, and Yayoi did indeed have ten fingers.

But after his chakra was fully vitalized, each finger could release dozens of Chakra Threads, allowing him to manipulate puppets with precision.

Vitalized chakra could also make puppets move with dexterity. This was a technique unique to him.

After all, no rule stated that one finger could only release one Chakra Thread.

He was the strongest puppet master of this era. He would define what a true puppet master was.

He entered a lower level.

There were fewer and fewer ninjas and samurai, with only squad after squad of Ghost Puppets floating through the air.

Deep within the secret chamber stood a steel device the size of a two-story house, resembling a human brain. It continuously radiated faint chakra fluctuations and was protected by layers of thick hemispherical glass covers.

It was immersed in a large amount of solution, bubbles constantly rising from it as if the steel brain itself were breathing.

The glass covers were covered in countless incantations and a huge number of curse-mark talismans, further strengthening the device's defenses.

This was the central mainframe controlling the Ghost Puppet Legion in the underground space.

It continuously emitted vitalized chakra twenty-four hours a day, connecting to the chakra signal devices inside the puppets and wirelessly controlling the puppet legion throughout the underground space.

Its advantage was that it could control more than two thousand puppets without manual operation. In other words, more than two thousand Ghost Puppets were stationed here as guards.

But its disadvantage was equally obvious: they could not exceed the range of the General's Residence.

Once they left that range, the Ghost Puppets became inanimate objects and could no longer move.

Yayoi glanced at the steel creation within the glass covers, which closely resembled a human brain, and casually inspected the situation here.

This steel brain was, in essence, also one of Yayoi's puppet creations.

Unlike Irori, its body was primarily forged from steel, supplemented by many valuable Chakra Metals, and completed only after a Chakra Core containing a centralized consciousness had been formed.

This steel-brain puppet had no name, only a designation—Zero.

Nor did it possess much intelligence. It had only a mechanical consciousness, coldly obeying Yayoi's commands and maintaining the operation of the underground Ghost Puppet Legion.

Of course, as Yayoi's highest-level creation, Irori also possessed command authority here.

This was a control-type puppet weapon created purely to form a large-scale army and wage war.

"The condition was flawless, and its performance was far more stable than before. If we need to upgrade it in the future, it'll be much easier."

After examining the steel brain, Yayoi gave his assessment.

According to his original plan, the brain puppet Zero would be able to freely control over ten thousand puppets and extend the Ghost Puppet Legion's range of activity across the entire Land of Night.

But accomplishing that was far too difficult. Whether in terms of strength or technology, it could only remain an idea on paper for now.

"Lord Yayoi, I'm here. What did you need me for?"

Footsteps sounded from behind him. Kakuzu, the masked ninja dressed in black, appeared not far behind Yayoi, interrupting his thoughts.

"Sorry to disturb you at a time like this. But I called you here because there's something very important to give you. By my calculations, it should be finished by now."

Without explaining further, Yayoi walked in another direction and gestured for Kakuzu to follow.

The steel pipes were enclosed, but the space within was not small. Even large summoned beasts could pass through here.

"I don't think... I've been here before."

Kakuzu watched his surroundings.

He did not often visit the lower levels of the Tenshu Tower. He only knew that many dangerous things were stored here.

The last time he had come was when he had brought Seven-Tails here to be sealed away.

As far as he knew, the severely injured Seven-Tails was trapped by Yayoi in a sealed cell somewhere within this underground space.

"Because I keep many dangerous items here. If you touch things carelessly, something unpleasant might happen."

Yayoi offered a brief explanation.

Eventually, the two stopped before a massive iron door.

Large talismans were affixed to the door. Yayoi merely pressed his palm against it, and the talismans immediately detached from the iron door and drifted down.

The iron door slowly opened, and purple fluorescence shone through the widening crack.

Beyond the door seemed to be another world, exuding an icy, mysterious aura.

"Come in. I think you should be able to master that thing perfectly."

Following Yayoi into the room, Kakuzu wondered what he intended to give him.

The space behind the iron door was unimaginably vast. It was hard to believe that such an enormous artificial structure existed a hundred meters underground.

Rows upon rows of huge cylindrical glass containers were filled with green liquid. Many strange creatures or artificial objects were stored within them, breathing consciously and releasing bubbles.

The gurgling of bubbles was the only sound here.

Quiet. Deathly still.

When they reached the final glass container, Kakuzu finally saw what was inside.

It was different from the things before it—a mass of... threads?

No, that was wrong. It was a mass of black tentacled creatures tangled together, as if they were still breathing.

They coiled around one another in layer after layer, throbbing like a heart.

A living tentacled heart.