Kalifa sneered. "No, you're afraid of dying. I can feel it. You're panicking right now."
Sarada flew into a rage at her words. "What's wrong with you, woman? Is hunting me down really that much fun?"
Kalifa sneered, and Lucci stopped asking unnecessary questions.
"Take them away and lock them up."
Lucci casually raised a hand and gave the order.
Two attendants of the Celestial Dragons in black uniforms immediately stepped forward and bound Sarada. They also dragged away the still-unconscious Kisame, taking both prisoners with them.
Only after the two had been taken away did Kalifa turn to Lucci.
"Lucci, what should we do next?"
Lucci looked down at the devastated lands of the Shinobi World, his gaze unfathomable. "There's no hurry to act," he said gravely.
"Let's observe for now. We need to ascertain the full balance of power in the Shinobi World and the combat strength of its strongest fighters as soon as possible."
At that, a flicker of wariness and anticipation crossed his eyes.
"Besides, that Uchiha girl, Uchiha Hikari, specifically left us a message saying someone would come to contact us."
"We need only wait. There's no need to rush."
Kalifa nodded slightly, then remembered the imprisoned Sarada and asked another question.
"What about that brat descended from Indra? How should we deal with her? Kill her outright, or keep her alive to interrogate?"
"Keep her alive," Lucci answered without hesitation, a note of caution in his voice.
"Even in our history books, Indra is held in the highest esteem. We absolutely cannot disregard him."
"The Shinobi World has changed dramatically over the past thousand years. Keep her under guard for now. We'll see whether she proves useful later."
Kalifa nodded in wholehearted agreement.
"Indeed, Indra deserves to be taken seriously."
"And we've encountered two