Seven-Tails: Gazing at the Twinkling Stars, Those Are Mother Sage of Six Paths' Eyes

The General's Residence, underground.

This place connected the Inner Court and the Outer Court, but because of its maze-like passageways, even the ninjas and samurai stationed here often had trouble figuring out the exact routes through this underground base.

Not to mention that many areas were fitted with dangerous traps. Once someone entered unfamiliar territory, they could easily trigger an alarm and draw the encirclement of Ghost Puppets.

Therefore, the ninjas and samurai guarding this place only patrolled the areas they knew day and night.

As for the areas clearly designated as forbidden zones, they treated them with utmost secrecy and never set foot in them.

From the nickname "Puppeteer," it was clear that Oda Yayoi, the shogun who ruled this country, was a ninja exceptionally skilled in mechanisms and positional warfare.

The things hidden within the forbidden areas of this underground space, which was comparable to a military base, were bound to be extraordinarily dangerous.

After all, even beings like the Tailed Beasts were sealed away in this underground space, never seeing daylight.

At this moment, inside a completely sealed chamber.

Even within the underground complex, it lay in the deepest, darkest place.

Any light that entered here would be gradually devoured by endless darkness.

"Judging from the rate of change, it will probably take two years to fully take shape."

Yayoi led Kicho to this place.

As his wife, she needed to know of its existence.

Because this place was not only a war fortress he had personally built, but also served as an important safe house.

If they ever encountered an insurmountable threat, this place would also be the safest and most concealed escape route in the entire Land of Night.

Although that day might never come, Yayoi was accustomed to preparing for the worst.

Before planning for victory, he always considered defeat first. That had always been his way of doing things.

At all times, he needed to leave himself a way out.

What Yayoi and Kicho were looking at was the Chakra Crystal previously brought back to the General's Residence from the Silent Forest in the northern Land of Night.

At this moment, the fist-sized spherical Chakra Crystal rested inside a cylindrical glass vessel over two meters tall.

Through the transparent, specially made glass, they could see the spherical Chakra Crystal floating quietly within a dark green solution.

Like a living infant, it released bubbles with every breath, which rose to the surface of the solution.

Centered on the spherical crystal, solid Chakra extended from within the Crystal Core. Like the limbs of a living creature, it brimmed with the will of life.

Judging from its development, it would gradually form the basic body of an infant, then grow at a speed beyond ordinary people, eventually becoming complete and turning into a qualified artificial life-form.

"How incredible. To compress Yin-Yang power to this extent... no wonder it can create a life-form similar to a Tailed Beast. The preparations are just rather lengthy."

Kicho observed the Chakra Crystal Core with her Byakugan and could see the process by which this Chakra-based life was being created little by little, from nothing.

Other than the long preparation period, it seemed to have no other flaws.

First, Active Chakra had to be used to forge a primitive embryo. Then, a special Chakra Crystal capable of bearing that embryo had to be found. After that, a vast amount of life force had to be absorbed. That process alone could take two to three years of preparation.

Finally, it required around two years to take shape, along with the immense Chakra of a Tailed Beast.

The techniques, time, and resources involved required the full support of a major power.

"It can't be helped. This is already the most ideal timeframe. Still, the second puppet doll will indeed take much longer to form than Irori. The main reason is that she is different from Irori. In my design, she will be an extreme taijutsu master, so her body needs to meet strict standards."

Yayoi stared straight at the Chakra Life Embryo breathing rhythmically inside the glass vessel as he slowly explained.

"My, it seems she will be a very adorable girl. That is only natural, considering my husband is a man."

Kicho teased with a smile.

Just as Yayoi was about to speak and explain himself, a weak, intermittent voice reached his ears.

"...Human... are you planning to..."

The voice carried hatred and powerlessness, along with an indescribable anguish.

"How tenacious. Even suppressed to this extent, it can still speak."

Kicho looked to one side. About ten meters away from her and Yayoi stood an iron prison cell.

Through the iron bars, they could see a gigantic beetle-like creature the size of a house imprisoned inside. It had one tail and six wings.

It was none other than one of the Tailed Beasts, the Seven-Tails.

Compared to its peak form, its current size was actually quite miniature.

It lay weakly sprawled across the cold ground, its tail, wings, and torso wrapped in thick black chains.

Countless talismans were pasted across the chains and its body.

Its movements had been completely suppressed.

The cell used to imprison it, like those chains, was entirely forged from precious Chakra Metal. Both its weight and suppressive power were terrifying.

Furthermore, the talismans placed around it and upon the Seven-Tails resonated with the cell and chains, greatly strengthening their binding power.

Even the Seven-Tails in its complete form would have found it difficult to break free, much less the weakened Seven-Tails now.

Rather than a seal, this was more like a specially made cage Yayoi had built specifically for the Seven-Tails at tremendous expense.

Whenever Yayoi thought about the resources and money spent on this specialized cage, his heart bled.

Without top-tier Sealing Jutsu, he could only use this clumsy method, pouring in money and resources to imprison a Tailed Beast.

If he had the powerful Sealing Jutsu of the Uzumaki Clan, he could have saved a great deal of resources and funding.

"No matter what, it is still a Tailed Beast. Though among the Tailed Beasts, it may be relatively weak."

Yayoi bluntly assessed the Seven-Tails' strength.

As for why such a weak Seven-Tails ranked near the top among the Tailed Beasts—

That was entirely because the Tailed Beast rankings had been assessed by ninjas. Tailed Beasts rarely clashed with one another, and the ones who fought them most often were still ninjas.

Other than the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails, even if the other seven Tailed Beasts differed in strength, they were generally on the same level.

But the Seven-Tails was the only Tailed Beast that controlled the skies. Even if its raw strength ranked near the bottom among Tailed Beasts, its ability to fly had caused countless ninjas endless misery.

If the Seven-Tails were not restrained and allowed to fly high into the air, constantly bombarding the ground with Tailed-Beast Bombs, no one could endure it.

Therefore, to ninjas, the Seven-Tails was more intimidating than most Tailed Beasts.

"You bastard..."

The Seven-Tails gritted its teeth and glared fiercely at Yayoi, the culprit behind all this.

If it had not been imprisoned by chains and talismans, it would definitely have made this human pay.

"Stop whining. Save your strength and recover your Chakra as quickly as possible. If you haven't recovered seventy percent of your Chakra in two years, I will be quite troubled."

After all, Tailed-Beast Chakra was simply too useful.

It was pure and abundant. As long as its negative will was removed, it could be safely absorbed.

That said, aside from him, probably no other ninja could so easily remove the negative will within Tailed-Beast Chakra.

Yayoi increasingly felt that the Active Chakra he controlled was like another new kind of Tailed Beast beyond the nine great Tailed Beasts.

"The technique you used through that kimono woman to absorb my Chakra... that wasn't Sealing Jutsu, was it? You even absorbed the source of my Chakra..."

The Seven-Tails recalled something and shuddered.

That sensation had been like returning to its original body.

There were differences, but the cold and lifeless feeling had been exactly the same.

What it had lost was far more than Chakra alone.

Otherwise, after recovering for so long, it could not possibly have regained so little Chakra.

At this rate, even after two years, it could only recover seventy percent of its strength at most.

Fortunately, its life-form was special. As long as it did not die, it could slowly recover to its peak form over time.

Even if it died, it would revive after some years.

As long as it remained in this world, it and the other Tailed Beasts were immortal beings.

"You figured it out?"

"Of course. I am the Seven-Tails, after all."

Because it was ancient, it knew many things and had seen far more than many humans.

The very existence of Tailed Beasts was living history.

It knew far more secrets than human ninjas did.

"Then what advice do you have?"

Hearing the softening in the Seven-Tails' tone, Yayoi walked toward the cage and stood outside the iron bars, watching the massive beetle inside with interest.

"Let us make a deal, human. When you need it, I can provide you with Chakra and even assist you in battle. But afterward, you must set me free..."

During its time in captivity, the Seven-Tails had thought things through.

This man had never intended to release it.

Its only fate was to remain imprisoned here forever, becoming the other party's Chakra blood bank.

Lowering itself before a human would damage the dignity of a Tailed Beast, and if the others found out, they would mock it.

Especially the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails. As two of the strongest Tailed Beasts, they would definitely laugh at it mercilessly.

But rather than endure such humiliation for the rest of its life, it would be better to be flexible.

Hatred and hostility could not solve the problem. Its current life was even more unbearable than being sealed by Sealing Jutsu.

When sealed, it could at least pass the time by sleeping.

But in this hellhole, it could not even sleep or turn over.

"..."

Yayoi had not expected the Seven-Tails to give in so quickly.

Weren't Tailed Beasts supposed to be extremely proud?

"You said it yourself, I am one of the weaker Tailed Beasts. More importantly, you are only human. Sooner or later, you will die, and your descendants may not be as powerful as you... Well? Will you sign a summoning contract with me?"

As if it had seen through Yayoi's thoughts, the Seven-Tails spoke faintly.

As a Tailed Beast, it understood the strength and weakness of ninjas all too well.

The inheritance of ninja clans was unstable. They waxed and waned without any pattern.

When a ninja clan was strong, it would avoid their edge, find somewhere to hide, and wait until they declined.

When a ninja clan was weak, it would come over to kick them a few times and spit a couple of Tailed-Beast Bombs at them. If they survived, they were lucky.

Time would always stand on the side of Tailed Beasts.

Yayoi was somewhat tempted, but he did not immediately agree. He merely stroked his chin and adopted a thoughtful pose.

Then, he glanced at the Seven-Tails.

"We'll discuss it later. I need to think it over."

"Phew... then think quickly. I can't stand staying in this hellhole for another moment..."

The Seven-Tails spoke in a resentful tone.

Since being imprisoned here, it had not slept a single wink.

The worst part was that this cell had been cleaned too thoroughly. There was not even a little bug for it to amuse itself with.

Every day, all it could do was lie there, stare blankly at the iron bars, and occasionally howl a few times, listening to the dead, hollow echoes as though singing a song of prison sorrow, proving that it was still alive.

(Iron doors~ iron windows~ iron~ chains~)