"Tamamo-no-Mae? Who is this Tamamo-no-Mae thou speakest of?"
There was a trace of confusion in Princess Kaguya's voice, as though she had never heard the name.
"Oh dear, sorry. I forgot you've been sealed away for a thousand years, Lady Kaguya. How could you possibly know Tamamo-no-Mae?"
Wearing the Spiral Mask, Uchiha Naruto struck his palm with his fist in feigned belated realization and began hamming it up according to the script.
"Tamamo-no-Mae was the name of the last 'Jinchūriki.' To put it another way, the white-faced, golden-furred nine-tailed fox. Surely you're familiar with that, Lady Kaguya?"
Exactly!
Uchiha Senmon's eyes flashed.
Tamamo-no-Mae, the great monster whose name was known throughout Japan, had entered the historical stage during Emperor Toba's reign at the end of the Heian Period, two hundred years after the tenth century in which Princess Kaguya and Abe no Seimei had lived.
Tamamo-no-Mae had transformed into a peerless beauty of both talent and looks, seeking to approach the emperor and throw the realm into turmoil, only to be exposed by Abe no Yasuchika, Abe no Seimei's descendant and the most powerful Onmyoji of that era.
Naturally, Princess Kaguya, who had been sealed within Mount Fuji for a thousand years, could not have heard the name Tamamo-no-Mae.
But what did Tobi mean by Jinchūriki?
Did he mean a human pillar, hitobashira?
In ancient times, there had been a savage, primitive custom of burying living people in foundations or pillars as sacrifices to spirits when building bridges and castles, to ensure that construction proceeded smoothly without supernatural interference.
"Dost thou covet the Nine-Tails' power as well?"
Princess Kaguya remained expressionless, her presence as cold as frost as ever.
Yet a faint, chilling murderous intent spread through the surroundings, making Uchiha Senmon shudder as he watched.
The Sharingan in the