Chapter 380

"Lady Hinata has worked hard today. Shall we push forward and finish the remaining scenes in one go?"

Before Director Wada could finish, Yoichi interjected, "Let's not, Director Wada. It's already late, and Lady Hinata has her children to care for at home."

Hearing Yoichi's words, Hinata felt a sense of relief. She had to return home to care for Himawari and Boruto, and extending the filming session would make it far too late.

Hinata also needed time to calm herself. Her thoughts kept returning to Yoichi's behavior earlier, which had crossed more boundaries than she was comfortable with.

Thinking about it filled her with a mix of shame and anger. Even if it was impulsive, that was simply too much—far too close to overstepping lines that shouldn't be crossed.

"That's true. We'll wrap up for today and continue next time. I have a feeling that what we filmed today will be even better than the first season!" Wada replied, slightly disappointed.

He turned to inform the crew that the shoot was over for the day.

Hinata quietly thanked both Wada and Yoichi before leaving the set. However, when she addressed Yoichi, her pale eyes flashed with a mix of indignation and reproach. With her head bowed, she quickly departed.

Once she was gone, Yoichi lost interest in lingering and left as well.

Meanwhile, far away, a symbiotic organism was seeking a host.

"Host... host..."

Driven by its instincts, the symbiote searched relentlessly for a lifeform to bond with. It had been moving in its liquid form for a long time without finding anything alive. The barren environment made it feel as though it had stumbled into a lifeless wasteland.

"Roar!! Roar!!"

Suddenly, distant roars caught its attention. Instinctively, the symbiote moved toward the sound, driven by the promise of life.

It had been nearly a month without a host, and it was running out of time. If it didn't bond with a living organism soon, it would perish.

Eventually, the symbiote reached a chamber near the Ten-Tails' containment area. Lacking eyes or other sensory organs, it relied solely on its ability to sense life energy.

What it perceived below was a creature with immense vitality—so overwhelming that it instinctively felt fear.

Bonding with such a powerful organism carried enormous risks. However, without a host, its own survival was impossible.

After a long moment of hesitation, the symbiote made its choice.

Bond.

The liquid symbiote mimicked the movement of footsteps as it crawled downward, attaching itself to one of the Ten-Tails' tails. From there, it climbed toward the massive creature's head.

"Delicious... delicious..."

For the first time, the symbiote experienced life energy that was perfectly compatible with it. The vitality of the Ten-Tails was so immense that the symbiote could only partially cover the creature, but the bond was already forming.

As it fused with the Ten-Tails, the creature's dormant instincts—its drive to grow and consume Ōtsutsuki—were amplified by the symbiote's influence.

Near the chamber, a spatial distortion appeared on a platform adorned with a symbol of the Nine Tomoe Rinnegan.

Sasuke stepped through the portal, scanning his surroundings.

"This place… it must have been created by the Ōtsutsuki clan," he muttered, frowning.

The platform's design, coupled with the Nine Tomoe Rinnegan insignia, reminded him of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Memories from the Fourth Great Ninja War confirmed his suspicions.

Exploring further, Sasuke noticed carvings of Kaguya, Kinshiki, Momoshiki, and Isshiki on the walls, solidifying his theory.

"So, this is an Ōtsutsuki stronghold. But why is it here?"

As he pondered, Sasuke heard faint sounds coming from a nearby chamber. Jumping toward the noise, he discovered the imprisoned Ten-Tails.

"What is this? Some kind of beast?"

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Sasuke had only seen the Ten-Tails in its second form. Its current appearance left him puzzled.

It wasn't until the creature opened its eye—a Rinnegan with Nine Tomoe—that Sasuke realized the truth.

"A tailed beast? Why is it here? Of course… this must be where Kara is storing it. I need to report this to Naruto immediately."

Sasuke recalled the information extracted from Victor, one of Kara's inner members. Discovering the Ten-Tails' location was an unexpected breakthrough that could save them a lot of time.

Using his Sharingan, Sasuke examined the seals restraining the Ten-Tails. Its head could barely move, and its body was entirely immobilized.

"I can't handle this alone," Sasuke concluded. "We'll need the combined strength of the Five Great Ninja Villages. This isn't just about the Ten-Tails—there are other threats here as well."

Deciding against taking immediate action, Sasuke began preparing to leave. Attacking recklessly could alert Kara, and his abilities alone weren't enough to ensure success.

Returning to Konoha late at night, Sasuke made his way to the Hokage's office, where the lights were still on.

He pushed open the door and found Naruto buried in paperwork.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here this late?" Naruto asked, looking up with a smile.

"I could ask you the same. Shouldn't you be resting?"

"No choice," Naruto replied, sighing. "The village has been too busy lately. And with Temari pregnant, I gave Shikamaru some time off, so I've been picking up the slack. Are you just back from a mission?"

"No more breaks for Shikamaru," Sasuke said bluntly, his tone grave. "Call him in. I've made an important discovery."

Naruto's expression shifted to match Sasuke's seriousness. "Is it about Kara or something else? Never mind, I'll summon Shikamaru right away."

Recognizing the urgency, Naruto sent a messenger to fetch Shikamaru.

Shikamaru arrived shortly after, leaving Temari at home with their son. Despite his reluctance, he knew the situation must be critical.

After a brief exchange, Sasuke detailed his findings, setting the stage for a coordinated response from the Five Great Ninja Villages.

Meanwhile, as Shikamaru left the house, Temari created a shadow clone to stay behind and quietly slipped away to meet Yoichi.

"Forgive me, Shikamaru," she whispered, her heart heavy with guilt but tinged with anticipation.

(End of Chapter)

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