Sasori nodded, offering no objection to Rasa's words.
"Unfortunately, Lord Fourth Kazekage, winning a war requires strength."
"And you do not possess that strength!"
Sasori brought out the Third Kazekage's human puppet. Atop Kikyo Mountain, a clash between two wielders of Magnet Release unfolded.
Seated cross-legged with his eyes closed, Jing Xiu suddenly spoke. "You're here!"
A monk approached Jing Xiu, his expression unruffled. "I never imagined you had already seen through our plan."
Jing Xiu did not rise. He had some goodwill toward the monk before him, but not much.
Apart from Mito Uzumaki, Bunpuku was the first to discover that "love" could be used to change a tailed beast.
Unfortunately, the monk's love was limited to begin with, unable to fill a heart weathered by a thousand years.
"I once fought Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki. Roshi also underwent Complete Tailed Beast Transformation."
"With your current vitality, I'm afraid you couldn't even manage Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. How do you intend to destroy the Kikyo Mountain defensive line?"
Bunpuku pressed his palms together. "Blood nourishes death; peace accompanies slaughter."
"I am willing to offer this body, asking only for peace and tranquility in the Land of Wind!"
With that, Bunpuku sat quietly where he was, his eyes tightly shut, as though cut off from the mortal world.
He drew a deep breath, and the strength throughout his body began to gather as he prepared to release the mysterious power long sealed within him: One-Tail Shukaku.
"Shukaku! This is as far as I can accompany you. You must walk the rest of the road yourself!"
Within the sealing space, Shukaku watched Bunpuku's vitality gradually fade, and his heart could not help but tremble.
"You really... are like that old man, the Sage of Six Paths."
Bunpuku's spiritual form pressed his