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Natsu, her face pale and drawn, led a group of over a dozen children on the journey to Konoha. It was clear that Shukaku hadn't fully heeded her instructions, as by the time they returned, the sand covering its body had been stained red.
Fortunately, the final outcome hadn't crossed Natsu's moral line—perhaps Shukaku had deliberately danced along that line while killing. After all, it was an intellectual beast, possibly the smartest among the tailed beasts.
Shukaku harbored a stronger bloodlust toward ninjas compared to the other tailed beasts. Most of the others had been captured by Hashirama Senju sixty years ago, meaning they had only been sealed for six decades.
But Shukaku had been imprisoned by the temple in the Land of Wind long before the ninja villages even existed—who knows how long it had been locked away?
As for the Star Ninja Village, there was nothing left to be done. Shukaku had torn apart everyone who showed hostility toward it with its claws, leaving behind only those who simply wanted to live peaceful lives.
Before departing, Natsu decisively disbanded the Star Ninja Village. With the leadership, including Akaboshi, wiped out by Shukaku, the village no longer had the strength to protect itself. Moreover, the Peacock Mystic Art and the star had been taken by Muji, leaving the village without any foundation to stand on. Even if it weren't disbanded, it would have gradually faded into obscurity.
Of course, that was assuming it wasn't destroyed outright before then.
Making such a decision wasn't easy, but it seemed that the small confines of Bear Country had indeed limited Natsu's growth.
Muji and Karin, carrying the star, hurried toward Tanzaku Gai. Along the way, they continuously used the star for training, rapidly activating their chakra.
Karin's chakra activation progressed exceptionally well. In just a few days, her chakra had turned a light purple, and she experienced no adverse side effects.
Muji's progress, however, lagged slightly behind. Clearly, Karin had a better affinity for Yang Release, likely due to her immense vitality and vast reserves of chakra.
This situation also made Muji realize that it would be exceedingly difficult for him to master both Yin and Yang Release to an extraordinary degree. Looking back through history, perhaps only Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki and his two children had managed to cultivate both Yin and Yang Release simultaneously.
Later generations, including Indra, Asura, Hashirama Senju, and Madara Uchiha, might have only inherited one aspect of Yin-Yang Release.
Of course, given the vast distance in time, Muji couldn't be certain whether this was entirely accurate.
Muji naturally believed himself to be strong, and Karin's talent was undeniably high. But even so, he didn't think their combined potential could surpass Hashirama and Madara. If those two legends couldn't simultaneously perfect Yin and Yang Release, then it was unlikely he and Karin could either.
This wasn't self-deprecation—it was simply an objective assessment based on the facts.
Therefore, perhaps the more reasonable approach for them was to specialize in one aspect of Yin-Yang Release.
Just as they had focused on half of the eight core ninja attributes, abandoning the rest to excel in specific areas, this strategy had allowed their growth to surpass that of most other ninjas.
In other words, Muji could focus on cultivating Yin Release, while Karin specialized in Yang Release—similar to how Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju once complemented each other.
About three days later, Muji and Karin arrived at Tanzaku Gai. Their chakra activation had reached a commendable level. Even without the Peacock Mystic Art, the activated chakra alone made their techniques more robust, faster, and easier to control.
The two found lodging and settled down. The next day, the Anbu from Kusagakure delivered intelligence—they had indeed spotted Tsunade not far from Tanzaku Gai.
This news put Muji in a good mood. At least they had located her before Jiraiya could.
Muji continued reviewing the intelligence in his hands. The major ninja villages across the shinobi world had already begun mobilizing. Massive armies were gathering, and one stronghold after another was being established.
Friction along the borders was intensifying. Everyone was preparing for the inevitable—once the war officially began, it would be the bloodiest conflict yet!
Large-scale troop mobilization required time. Muji instructed the Anbu to continue monitoring the movements of the various villages. Once everyone was ready, he would have Kusagakure and Sunagakure formally ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Afterward, he briefly handled some miscellaneous matters—not meticulously, but just enough to keep things functioning. After all, he had no intention of letting Kusagakure last much longer. Once the war began, he planned to send the village straight to hell.
Muji and Karin left Tanzaku Gai and set off once again toward Tsunade's location.
With the aid of the Eight Gates Technique, they arrived at a gambling den within a single day. There, Tsunade, her back marked with the kanji for "gamble," was wreaking havoc at the tables—or rather, being thoroughly defeated.
"Oh, my mistake. She's being annihilated," Muji chuckled as he exchanged some cash for chips and joined Karin in approaching Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade! Please stop! This is our living expenses for the month!" Shizune pleaded, cradling her pink piglet Tonton. But it was futile—no gambler could be reasoned with once they were hooked. A bloodthirsty Tsunade shoved Shizune aside. "Shut up! I'm going to win this round! I'm betting low! Let's go—I've got this!"
Tsunade stared at the dealer across from her, exuding unwavering confidence.
Muji stepped up, a faint smile playing on his lips as he placed all his chips on "high."
The dealer's grin widened—he never expected to encounter the legendary "sure-lose gambler" today. After this haul, they could afford to take a break for two or three years.
"Watch closely! The dice are rolled! Four, four, six—high!"
"Damn it!!!" Tsunade clawed at her hair in frustration, while Shizune collapsed beside her, weeping like a delicate flower.
"One more round! This time, I'm betting high!"
"One, two, two—low!"
Tsunade kept placing bets, but the chips in front of her dwindled rapidly, while Muji's pile grew into a veritable mountain...
"Damn it!" Having lost her last bit of money, Tsunade slammed her head onto the table in despair. After a moment, she slumped her shoulders and dragged the soul-drained Shizune out of the casino.
Muji watched the equally soul-drained dealer exchange the chips for cash, then picked up a suitcase stuffed full and left the soon-to-be-shuttered establishment.
The two followed Tsunade as she wandered through the town, turning left and right. Then, they saw her huff angrily and duck into a narrow alleyway.
Muji followed her inside...
BANG!!!
A pale fist whizzed past Muji's face, smashing into the wall and leaving spiderweb-like cracks.
Tsunade's eyes were sharp, filled with a hint of killing intent as she warned Muji, "I've already cut ties with Konoha. Whatever your schemes are, I don't care. Follow me again, and I'll kill you."
Muji took a step back, still smiling faintly. "Oh? Do you know us?"
Shizune placed Tonton on the ground and stepped forward protectively in front of Tsunade. "S-rank criminals wanted by Konoha—who doesn't know your names by now? Barely twenty days ago, you declared that you'd drag every village into the Fourth Great Ninja War. Right after that, Kusagakure and Sunagakure declared war on Konoha. Now, all the other villages are preparing for battle. In less than a month, the Great Ninja War is about to begin, and your shadows are everywhere. Everyone's calling you… the 'Whirlpool of War!'"