Somewhere in the Shinobi World lay a dreamlike space beyond reality, accessible only to the consciousnesses of Tailed Beasts and their Jinchūriki under certain conditions. There was no concept of up, down, left, or right here, only a void seemingly formed from countless streams of light and still waters. Nine enormous figures of differing shapes stood like stone statues, radiating immense chakra. They were the consciousness projections of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
Ordinarily, this space was mostly silent. The Tailed Beasts slept or pondered their own thoughts, seldom communicating. But now, a powerful surge of unease and pain shattered that tranquility like a boulder hurled into a still lake.
"Buzzz-!!"
The normally earthy-yellow glow of the tanuki-shaped statue representing Shukaku, the One-Tail, had grown exceedingly dim, flickering and pulsing violently. Strands of utterly discordant, dark purple energy wound around its surface, exuding a cold, corrosive aura. They writhed like living things, trying to burrow into the statue and making Shukaku's stone form shudder in agony and release indistinct cries.
The abnormal sight immediately alerted the other Tailed Beasts.
"Hey! You stinking tanuki! What's wrong with you?!" An irritable yet concerned voice rang out first, coming from the demon fox statue representing Kurama, the Nine-Tails. Its crimson glow brightened noticeably, brimming with vigilance. Though he and Shukaku had always been at odds, they were both Tailed Beasts. Sensing the intense pain coming from Shukaku's very essence and the intrusion of some "foreign presence," he immediately realized something was wrong.
The other Tailed Beasts' consciousnesses awakened one after another, turning their attention toward him.
Matatabi, the Two-Tails-a two-tailed cat-spoke with startled uncertainty. "Shukaku's presence... it's so faint! And that energy wrapped around him... what is it? It feels so... evil and ominous."
Isobu, the Three-Tails-a turtle-spoke in a low voice. "It isn't