One piece of good news, and one piece of bad news.
The deputy prime minister and the powerful figures behind him exchanged looks, their faces clouded with mingled joy and worry.
"Let's hear the good news first. No, the bad news... actually, please tell us the good news first, Lord Jiraiya."
"No, no, bitter before sweet would be better, wouldn't it? Hmm, this really is a difficult choice."
Lord Jiraiya really had a mean streak. He always kept them guessing like this, leaving them on tenterhooks.
"Hahaha, forget it. I'll tell you the good news first."
Jiraiya placed Tobi's corpse in a wooden coffin, sealed it inside a scroll, tied it up with cord, and put it away before leisurely rising to his feet.
"The good news is that the Lord of Mount Tai has delivered his decree to me. Severing the Connection Between Earth and Heaven is complete!"
The deputy prime minister, the governor of Tokyo Metropolis, and the others exchanged glances, their faces filled with wild delight.
Ever since Heisei 19, the resurgence of supernatural incidents had been a persistent affliction for the Japanese government.
Monsters and Evil Spirits could still be considered minor nuisances, mere irritations. But the Kage Level powerhouses of Akatsuki who had descended since April of this year were a genuine, grave threat.
Just look at the Sapporo Superhuman War, the Great Mount Fuji Eruption, and today's Asakusa incident, all coming one after another in less than half a month.
Never mind a small island nation like Japan being unable to withstand them. Even the Beacon Nation, currently the world's foremost power, would have suffered agonizing losses.
A few more incidents like these, and the destruction of their nation and people would be no joke.
Now, all of this was finally over. The days