Hiruzen persuaded me to die

The villagers of Kumogakure still held onto hope—hope that their Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, could defeat the mysterious Konoha shinobi wreaking havoc outside.

But reality could not have been more cruel.

Despite being fully transformed into her Tailed Beast Mode, Yugito was utterly powerless before the overwhelming gravitational and repulsive forces of Hyūga Naraku.

"Yugito, surrender. You're not his opponent,"came the voice of Matatabi, echoing within Yugito's mindscape.

The colossal body of the Two-Tails, usually a mountain of destruction, now felt like a mere leaf in a hurricane—tossed around by Naraku's mastery over the Tenseigan.

"Impossible!"Yugito growled, gritting her teeth, refusing to fall. Her will kept her rooted, clawing against the invisible force that threatened to drag her down.

"I'm the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails! I won't give in so easily!"

Naraku stepped forward calmly, eyes glowing with quiet dominance.

"Strong spirit. But meaningless."

And with those words, the Tenseigan's gravitational pull inverted—becoming an explosive repulsion.

BOOM!

Caught off guard, the titanic form of Matatabi was hurled back like a toy.

Naraku didn't flinch. It wasn't unexpected. He merely shook his head.

There were no rewards from the system this time.Defeating Yugito again wouldn't earn him more Chakra Points. Only the first victory ever counted.

But that wasn't his goal today.

Yugito's body reverted to her human form, collapsed on the ground, panting, drained.

Naraku approached her, his hand reaching out—not in threat, but in purpose—as his fingers brushed her forehead. He entered her consciousness space.

There, inside the shared domain of soul and chakra, stood Yugito... and Matatabi—the Two-Tails.

The beast's azure flames flickered with intensity as it stared at Naraku.

"That power earlier… did you use the Rinnegan?"Matatabi asked warily, voice low and ancient.

Naraku's glowing eyes narrowed.

"You've seen the Rinnegan. My eyes are not the same."

Activating Tenseigan Chakra Mode, Naraku summoned a Truth-Seeking Orb into his palm.

The black sphere shimmered with eerie omnipotence.

"The… Truth-Seeking Ball?!"Matatabi's reaction was instant—shock, awe… and fear.

"What's a Truth-Seeking Ball?"Yugito asked, confused by the Tailed Beast's sudden unease.

"After the Sage of Six Paths created us… that old man could make them at will,"Matatabi whispered, almost reverent.

Naraku's eyes sharpened.

"So even after dividing your chakra into nine, the Sage could still create this...?"

"Yes,"Matatabi said hesitantly."He was… weakened. But still strong—still at the level of the Six Paths. After he scattered our chakra, he wasn't quite the same."

Naraku's mind whirled. A theory was forming—becoming clearer with every word.

Perhaps separating the Tailed Beasts' chakra diminished the Sage's realm—from the divine Bloodline Limit: Snare (Kekkei Mōra) down to Six Paths level.Over time, the erosion of age consumed his body. He died… but not before reshaping the world.

"When did the Sage of Six Paths die?"

"We don't know the exact time,"Matatabi replied."He left us in separate places. Then he… married. Had two sons."

"He had children after separating the Tailed Beasts?"Naraku's tone changed. There was confirmation in his eyes.

"Yes."Matatabi nodded slowly.

Naraku understood.

He married because his body had become mortal. Once untouchable as a god, now dying—he needed to pass on the teachings of the Ninja Sect. Thus, he fathered Indra and Asura.

His gaze dropped to the orb in his hand.

"So... to reach Six Paths level, I must master Yin and Yang, Five Basic Elements, and the two hidden elements. Seven in total."

"But to ascend to the Bloodline Snare level…"Naraku's thoughts turned cold and sharp."I will need something else—an immense source of chakra, like the Ten-Tails."

Unlike Obito or Madara, who relied on the Ten-Tails to reach their power, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had already achieved that level before he became the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki.

He ascended further, then fell, willingly.

"I understand now," Naraku said aloud, nodding at Matatabi. "Thank you."

Then, in a blink, he exited the consciousness space.

Yugito blinked awake, breathing hard.

"Does he really understand?"she asked.

Matatabi stared, voice serious.

"Don't provoke that man again. If he wanted you dead, I couldn't have stopped him."

Yugito frowned.

"He's that strong?"

"There's a gap between your levels. And more importantly… I saw the Truth-Seeking Ball in his hand. After all these centuries… it's returned."

On the way back to the Konoha camp, Yugito followed Naraku obediently. The fire in her heart had dulled to ash.

The girl who once defied orders now walked quietly behind the man who had shattered her pride.

"Hey," she finally asked. "What was that black orb? That… Truth-Seeking Ball?"

Naraku didn't turn around.

"Too many questions. Stay quiet. Don't cause trouble."

"You—!"Yugito's face flushed with rage, only to realize…"I… don't even know his name."

The man who defeated her, who entered her very soul, remained a stranger.

Back in Kumogakure, tension rippled through the air.

The Fourth Raikage slammed his desk, veins bulging.

"Damn it! Yugito lost—again?!"

Dodai approached hesitantly, sweat beading on his brow.

"Lord Raikage… villagers demand we retaliate. Many are calling for war with Konoha. They want us to retrieve Yugito."

SMASH!

The desk cracked as Raikage's fist slammed down once more.

"You think I don't want to fight?! If I could win, we'd already be at war!"

But he couldn't.

Because out there stood a man who wielded the power of the gods—one who held the shadow of the Sage himself in his hands.