Hagoromo's chakra echo did not speak immediately.
It first inspected the Twelve Rings one by one.
The seventh and eighth rings had just closed.
Three patches of black corrosion remained.
The Ten-Tails Husk and the nine powers also remained separate.
Only after confirming these conditions did the echo turn toward the shinobi world.
The Land of Rivers did not immediately confirm its identity simply because Nine-Tails recognized its voice.
Konan compared the echo with the oldest structures of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Both exhibited the chakra rhythm that predated Black Zetsu's alterations.
Hagoromo's old name in the Uchiha ritual inscription also gave a faint response when the echo appeared.
The three sources were independent of one another.
Only after it demanded that none of the parties surrender their authority did the echo receive a provisional designation as originating from Hagoromo.
It did not seek a successor to the Rinnegan.
It did not seek the strongest Sharingan.
Nor did it demand that any shinobi village become a new sealing center.
Its first call fell toward the desert.
"Shukaku."
The One-Tail's seal did not respond immediately.
The echo stopped at the outer layer and went no farther inside.
The second name was Matatabi.
Then came Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, and Gyuki.
Kurama came last.
The nine names appeared in sequence.
There were no numbers.
Nor were they collectively called fragments of Ten-Tails.
Hagoromo's echo only confirmed whether they still existed as distinct lives.
The Neutral Liaison Station relayed the inquiries under the temporary agreement.
The tailed beasts and their jinchūriki each decided whether to respond.
Shukaku offered no memories, only letting sandy chakra leave his name within the seal.
Matatabi responded with a ball of blue flame.
Isobu merely let three ripples appear on the water.
Every