Guided by the sensory connection of the Flying Raijin Jutsu, Rinjin darted swiftly through the towering mountain ranges.
Before long, he arrived at the place where destiny had first intertwined—Fūrai Temple.
The Flying Raijin seal he had left on the Jinchūriki was still present in the Sealed Flame Cavern beneath the temple.
Now, Fūrai Temple seemed oddly quiet. Aside from a group of monks, not a single shinobi was stationed to guard it.
It had to be said—the Raikage had played his cards brilliantly.
Without the Flying Raijin seal, even Rinjin might not have thought of this place.
After all, with the Two-Tails already sealed, who would bother with a location that no longer held strategic value?
As expected, no Kage rises to power with a clean conscience.
Overlooking Fūrai Temple from above, Rinjin formed a single-handed seal and vanished in an instant.
A swirl of vertigo.
When Rinjin reappeared, he stood within the Sealed Flame Cavern beneath the temple.
The cavern was vast and empty, save for a man in a Kumogakure ninja uniform, seated cross-legged on a cushion, eyes shut in concentration.
From the looks of it, this guy was struggling to suppress the Two-Tails within him.
"Hello there, kitty~ I'm here!"
Rinjin showed no sign of guilt for his intrusion. Instead, he cheerfully waved as though greeting an old friend.
His voice echoed through the cavern.
Not far away, the Jinchūriki, Taku, snapped his eyes open, panic flashing briefly in his pupils.
"Who are you?!"
Rinjin, now back in his usual form, rubbed his chin with a smile and replied politely:
"Hi there, I'm Rinjin Sakuhō."
The moment Rinjin spoke, a surge of scorching chakra flared up around the Jinchūriki.
It seemed the "kitty" knew who had come.
Meanwhile, the Jinchūriki furrowed his brows, shutting his eyes tightly as he summoned his chakra to suppress the "kitty."
Feeling sorry for Matatabi's suffering, Rinjin extended a hand and gently advised:
"Hey, handsome, you don't have to suppress her! I'll be taking her with me in a bit—no trouble for you."
Taku's heart sank like a stone.
If he had been 90% certain this brat meant trouble before, now he was 100% sure.
Clenching his fists tightly, Taku's expression turned grave as he roared:
"Kid, do you think you can just take the Two-Tails that easily?! Dream on! Today, I'll show you the power of a Tailed Beast!"
With that, he rose swiftly, his chakra surging.
"Two-Tails! Lend me your strength!"
...
Nothing happened.
Seeing Taku's bewildered expression, Rinjin felt a pang of secondhand embarrassment. Scratching his head, he offered weakly:
"Uh... maybe... try again?"
Enraged by the suggestion, Taku struck another dramatic pose, roaring once more:
"Two-Tails! Power!"
...
Still, nothing.
At this, Rinjin couldn't hold back any longer. He burst into laughter, even giving Taku a thumbs-up.
"I've never seen such an awkward Jinchūriki. Truly, a cannon to the butt—what an eye-opener!"
After laughing to his heart's content, Rinjin finally waved a hand in mock surrender, catching his breath as he said:
"Alright, alright, no more teasing. You're really something else."
But Taku wasn't having it. His brows furrowed sharply, and he instantly drew the ninja blade from his back.
"Brat, even without the Tailed Beast, taking care of a little punk like you is a piece of cake!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Rinjin's figure vanished.
In the next moment, the "little punk" he had mocked appeared right in front of him, his claw-like fingers igniting with five flames.
"Five Elements Unseal!"
With a faint tearing sound, Rinjin's fingers pressed against Taku's abdomen.
In an instant, Taku felt a dizzying sensation, and the ninja blade in his hand fell to the ground.
Immediately after, a deafening roar echoed through the cavern as Matatabi's massive form was violently extracted from Taku's body, taking with it his fragile life force.
---
Meanwhile, ten kilometers away in Kumogakure...
Inside the Raikage's Tower, in the secretary's office.
Ayawai, her cheeks slightly flushed, was daydreaming at her desk, reminiscing about her recent shopping trip with Rinjin.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, urgent knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Ayawai asked impatiently, frowning.
"Reporting! The Raikage requests your presence!" came the hurried reply from outside.
Hearing this, Ayawai quickly stood up, setting aside her thoughts.
Her high heels clicked briskly as she left the secretary's office and entered the adjacent Raikage's office.
Pushing the door open, she found Toshi pacing back and forth, his face filled with anxiety.
"What happened? Where's the Raikage?" Ayawai asked, scanning the room with sharp eyes.
"Uh..." Toshi's expression shifted, his eyes betraying unease before he sighed heavily and said, "The Raikage went to the Land of Grass. He's probably there by now!"
"What?!" Ayawai exclaimed, her voice sharp as she fixed Toshi with a stern gaze. "Then who has been acting as the Raikage for the past two days?!"
"It's me!" Toshi sighed again, deeply.
Ayawai shot Toshi a cold look, her voice turning icy.
"Then why are you looking for me?"
Toshi rubbed his furrowed brow before finally speaking: "The Eight-Tails... the Eight-Tails..."
"What about the Eight-Tails?!" Ayawai's heart sank as she pressed him for answers.
"The Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki is missing!"
"Impossible! Lock down the Raikage's Tower immediately!"
"It's already locked down!" Toshi slumped into a chair, burying his face in his hands. Veins bulged on his forehead.
This was a disaster.
Even as a senior advisor, he couldn't bear the responsibility for such a grave mistake.
Not to mention, this level of negligence could tarnish his entire family's reputation.
The thought made him restless.
Watching Toshi's despair, Ayawai frowned deeply and asked in a cold voice:
"What exactly happened? I only took a five-day leave, and now the Raikage has secretly left the village?!"
Toshi lifted his head, his face etched with worry, and began recounting the events.
After patiently listening to Toshi's explanation, Ayawai felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her.
This... this was a greed that should never have been acted upon!
You... as a senior advisor, couldn't you have persuaded the Raikage against it?
Fools!
Suppressing her urge to scold Toshi, Ayawai quickly walked over to the Raikage's sofa and rang a small bell.
A soft chime echoed.
A hooded Anbu operative appeared instantly before her.
"Contact the Raikage! Have Tsubon escort him back!"
Hearing the order, the Anbu didn't move but hesitated before speaking:
"Lady Ayawai, the Field Operations Division has already checked. Deputy Chief Ryūun is nowhere to be found."
"His house! Search his house!" Ayawai snapped.
Taking the scolding, the Anbu lowered his head and added:
"We've... already searched everywhere. There's no trace of him! The Field Operations Division found no signs of combat, not even disturbed dust on his desk!"
Hearing this, Ayawai's brows furrowed tightly, her beautiful face dark with foreboding.
What now?
Never mind that the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki was her uncle; the Eight-Tails itself was an irreplaceable asset to the village.
And the worst part? They couldn't contact the Raikage.
Forcing herself to suppress her rising panic, Ayawai issued calm but firm orders:
"Send people to continue searching for Ryūun! At the same time, dispatch the Anbu to the Land of Grass to deliver this intelligence!
Inform the villagers to gather in the underground shelters and prepare for the Eight-Tails' potential release!
Also, assemble all available combat forces in the village. From now on, all actions will follow my command!"
"Understood!" The Anbu nodded and vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
As Ayawai's mind raced, suddenly, a senior Kumogakure official burst into the room, his round face pale with shock.
"Toshi, Ayawai, it's Iwagakure's people—"
Before he could finish his sentence.
A deafening roar shook the heavens and earth.
On the mountain opposite the Raikage's Tower, eight tentacle-like tails emerged, coiling around the steep cliffs.
The Eight-Tails had been unleashed!