The nine pale beams did not immediately pass through the sealing.
They first skimmed the sea, searching for the tailed beast records left by each nation.
Black Zetsu had once guided Takigakure's Seven-Tails sample.
The questioning of Nine-Tails had also left faint voice-transmission fluctuations.
Although the other shinobi villages had not disclosed their Jinchūriki's locations, they had all submitted anonymous verification data at the neutral conference.
These traces, originally established to protect both sides, had now become signposts guiding the projection toward the nine sources of power.
The Land of Rivers immediately shut down its relay stations.
The one-time codes were destroyed according to protocol.
Yet the pale beams did not disappear.
Black Zetsu had long since stored the outer fluctuations of each party's transmissions in the White Zetsu Network.
It did not know the exact locations.
But it could still make the projection probe repeatedly in their general directions.
The national teams at sea received alerts from their respective countries at the same time.
Some feared their Jinchūriki had already been exposed and prepared to return immediately.
As the teams changed course, the single eye approached the Sealing Ship.
A pale arm rose from the seawater and reached for the record scrolls aboard.
The sealing team reflexively unleashed Rock Fist.
The single eye did not block it.
It let Rock Fist shatter the arm, then reassembled a sturdier skeletal framework a moment later.
Black Zetsu was deliberately forcing everyone to defend themselves.
The stronger the ninjutsu that struck the projection, the more complete the structure obtained by the spare Stone Cocoon became.
Puppets from the Land of Wind fired wind blades from the flank.
The Land of Fire's fast boats used walls of fire to protect the evacuation route.
The two forms of ninjutsu had come from different teams.