[NTU] [ARC-26] Chapter : 332

"Among us, you're the one who has had the most direct contact with the Akatsuki. Surely, you know more than anyone else here."

Mifune’s voice cut through the silence, but his question was on everyone's mind. All the Kage turned their eyes to Toshiro, eager and expectant—as if convinced he held answers they desperately needed.

Toshiro paused, then gave a faint smile.

"It seems my battle with them has become quite the topic of interest."

He didn’t shy away from the question. After a moment of thought, he began to speak—openly, but carefully.

The ninja world was a strange place, paradoxical in its nature. On one hand, shinobi were trained to guard their secrets with their lives. On the other, they were compulsive seekers of hidden truths—especially those in power. Years of strict classification had built a hierarchy of knowledge: those at the top held dark truths, while the rank and file remained in the dark, barely aware of the legends that governed their lives.

Toshiro knew this well. Despite the secrecy surrounding his battle with Nagato, enough had leaked through the cracks. Clues from battlefield debris, faint chakra traces, and whispers among Anbu operatives had painted a rough picture.

The Kage hadn’t seen it firsthand—but they understood. They knew just how devastating it must have been.

"The Akatsuki... they originated in the war-torn Land of Rain."

Toshiro began his explanation with a succinct history of the group, introducing the core ideology and some known members.

"Their ultimate goal is simple: to gather all nine tailed beasts."
He glanced around the room. "I imagine I don’t need to explain that part."

He continued, his tone even but sharp:

"They claim their intent is to create a superweapon—one forged from the combined chakra of the nine beasts. With this weapon, they believe they can bring lasting peace by ending all wars through fear and overwhelming force."

Mifune blinked, stunned. The other four Kage exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions mirroring disbelief.

"A weapon... for peace?"
The words echoed like a contradiction in terms.

Had anyone else said it, they'd have scoffed. But coming from Toshiro, it gave them pause.

"That’s what they believe," Toshiro confirmed. Then he asked, almost casually, "Have any of you ever wondered why there are exactly nine tailed beasts? Why not more? Or fewer? And where did they come from?"

The question hung in the air like a riddle.

Mei was the first to respond, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it... from one to nine, no more, no less. That does seem oddly precise."

The others followed suit, frowning in contemplation. For so long, the tailed beasts had simply existed—like mountains or oceans. No one had ever stopped to question their origin.

Toshiro folded his arms and continued, his voice calm but filled with quiet gravity.

"The Uchiha Clan is ancient. Our lineage dates back to the very birth of chakra itself. Our records—ones long hidden—speak of a time before the nine beasts."

"Back then... there was no 'One-Tail' or 'Nine-Tails.' There was only a single entity: a monstrous being of unimaginable power."

"It was called... the Ten-Tails."

The room fell into stunned silence.

"The Ten-Tails?" Mei’s voice was barely more than a whisper. Her expression, usually composed, now betrayed raw disbelief.

Toshiro nodded.

"Yes. Before chakra spread through the world, before shinobi even existed... there was only the Ten-Tails. It was not a creature—it was a calamity. A force of nature."

"And the nine tailed beasts we know today?" he continued. "They are fragments of that monster—shattered pieces, scattered across the world, each carrying a part of its power."

It was as if a myth was being spun before their eyes—yet every word from the Hokage’s mouth carried the weight of unshakable truth.

The Kage looked at one another, stunned and suddenly uneasy.

This wasn’t just about the Akatsuki anymore.
This was about something far older.
Something far more dangerous.

Toshiro swept his gaze across the silent room, then began his story.

"According to the Uchiha clan’s ancient records, the Ten-Tails was a being of catastrophic power—capable of tearing the heavens apart and reducing entire nations to rubble."

"In the face of such a threat, a monk named Hagoromo rose up. He sealed the beast within himself and became the world’s first Jinchūriki. That man... was the Sage of Six Paths."

Gasps were stifled; the room tensed.

"But no human lives forever. Knowing this, the Sage feared what might happen when he died—what would become of the Ten-Tails once it was released. So, he divided its chakra into nine separate entities. That is how the tailed beasts came into existence."

The moment Toshiro paused, the Raikage scowled and interjected, his voice laced with skepticism.

"Hokage, pardon my bluntness—but that sounds more like folklore than history."

He crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced. Despite the gravity of the tale, A was not one to accept grand claims without proof.

Toshiro didn’t take offense. Instead, he gave a calm nod and replied:

"Your doubt is understandable. At first, I too believed this might be no more than the imaginative legacy of our ancestors. But please—hear me out fully before passing judgment."

He raised a hand slightly to signal patience, then continued:

"Long ago, during the Warring States Period, one of my ancestors—disillusioned by endless war—conceived a technique. A powerful illusion cast using the Ten-Tails’ immense chakra. His dream was to trap the world in a genjutsu of peace… a world without conflict."

Toshiro's voice softened, yet carried weight.

"At the time, I dismissed it as a desperate fantasy—a foolish ideal dreamed up in chaos. But as the Akatsuki moved to capture the tailed beasts one by one, and as more clues surfaced… I began to reconsider."

He glanced toward Gaara.

"The statue Kazekage spoke of—the Gedo Statue—can hold all the tailed beasts' chakra. That’s no coincidence. Piece by piece, it began to align with what that ancestor once imagined."

Toshiro wasn’t just telling a story now—he was issuing a warning.

He knew that by sharing this, he might draw suspicion to the Uchiha. But concealing it would be worse. The threat wasn’t just clan business anymore. It was global.

For a long moment, the room was quiet. The implications were overwhelming.

"...What you're suggesting, Hokage, is difficult to believe."
Ōnoki finally broke the silence, rubbing his chin, eyes narrowed in deep thought. "But... disturbingly plausible."

Toshiro nodded again.

"Over the years, I’ve collected ancient scrolls and compared them with the stone tablets passed down through my clan. What I’m sharing now is not just speculation—it’s the closest thing we have to truth."

He looked each Kage in the eye.

"I believe that with your resources and networks, you too can uncover similar legends—old fragments of knowledge hidden in temples, ruins, and forgotten scrolls. Use your own judgment."

He paused, then delivered the heart of his proposal.

"If the Ten-Tails does return—and I believe the Akatsuki’s so-called 'Eye of the Moon Plan' aims to make that happen—we cannot face it alone."

"We must unite. Form a joint ninja force. Prepare for a war unlike any before."

Toshiro suspected that Obito, or whoever was pulling the strings behind Akatsuki, was planning to recreate the White Zetsu army—one hundred thousand strong—an overwhelming force designed to break the five great nations.

His words hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed was no longer from doubt, but from realization.

Slowly, the Kage began to nod. They didn't argue. They didn’t protest.

The meeting ended with urgency. Each leader departed for their village—not out of distrust, but to verify what they’d just heard… to confirm whether Toshiro’s tale was a myth born of fear, or a chilling truth rooted in history.