Chapter 87: The Next Move

The Senju Secret Compound: A Game of Shadows

The underground chamber pulsed with raw energy, the sheer weight of chakra pressing down like an unseen force. Four colossal figures loomed in eerie stillness—pure embodiments of power and rage, tethered by intricate sealing patterns that glowed with an ominous light.

The Two-Tails. The Four-Tails. The Five-Tails. The Eight-Tails.

Tsunade's gaze flickered between them, her expression tense. "This is insanity," she muttered. "Every Jinchūriki we extract leaves behind a void. Someone is going to notice sooner or later."

Orochimaru chuckled, the sound low and amused. "Perhaps. But by then, we will have already won." His golden eyes gleamed in the dim torchlight as he stepped closer to the seals, watching the shifting, writhing chakra of the Tailed Beasts.

Hiruzen exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around his pipe. He had seen the world balance on the edge of chaos before, but never had Konoha played such a dangerous hand. He turned his gaze to Ryusei.

"You will lead the next operation."

Ryusei didn't flinch. "Which one?"

Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "Both."

A tense silence filled the chamber.

Tsunade frowned. "Both?"

Orochimaru's smirk widened. "Ah… so that's the game we're playing."

Hiruzen nodded. "The Three-Tails and the Six-Tails must be taken simultaneously—and without anyone in Kirigakure realizing until it's too late." His voice was steady, absolute. "If we take them one at a time, the Mist will raise their defenses. But if we strike fast, we can leave them with nothing before they even know what's missing."

Ryusei crossed his arms, considering. "That means a two-team operation. Coordinated, precise… and no mistakes."

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Then we will need the right people."

Hiruzen glanced back at the bound Tailed Beasts. The weight of their decision hung over them like an executioner's blade.

"The moment we take these two… the world will truly begin to notice."

Cloud Village: The Rising Storm

The Raikage stood atop the highest peak of Kumogakure, staring into the storm that rolled over the mountains. The sky flashed with streaks of lightning, mirroring the rage simmering beneath his skin.

Below, his shinobi moved with urgency—scouts being deployed, forces being mobilized. War wasn't just a possibility anymore; it was a breath away.

An ANBU knelt behind him. "Raikage-sama, our spies in Konoha report no confirmation of the Nine-Tails' loss. However, there is something… unusual."

The Raikage turned slightly. "Speak."

"Their movements are too quiet. Too controlled. As if they are hiding something much larger than a missing beast."

His eyes narrowed. "Konoha has never been weak. If they're hiding something, we will uncover it." He clenched his fists, chakra crackling around him. "And if they think they can fool us, they're dead wrong."

Iwagakure: The Tsuchikage's Suspicion

In the stone-carved halls of Iwagakure, Onoki hovered in midair, his old, sharp eyes filled with deep calculation. His village had lost the Five-Tails. That was already an unignorable wound. But the disappearance of multiple Jinchūriki across different nations? That was a sign of something bigger.

"This is no coincidence," he muttered, staring at the reports laid before him. "Someone is pulling the strings."

His grandson, Kitsuchi, stood beside him, arms crossed. "The Raikage is already moving. If we don't act soon, we'll be forced to pick a side whether we want to or not."

Onoki exhaled slowly. "We never move before understanding the battlefield. But you're right—this isn't a time for hesitation." His gaze hardened.

"Send word to our remaining Jinchūriki. They are not to leave the village alone. If someone is coming for them…" His voice turned cold.

"We will be waiting."

Kirigakure: A Silent Hunt

The Hidden Mist Village was blanketed in thick fog, its narrow streets winding like a maze through the ancient city. The waters around the village lapped gently against the docks, masking the movements of those who thrived in the shadows.

Ryusei crouched on a rooftop, his breath steady despite the freezing mist curling around him. Below, Orochimaru's team had already infiltrated the compound of the Six-Tails' Jinchūriki. Further across the village, another group—his group—moved in on the Three-Tails' host.

Two simultaneous extractions. No mistakes.

Tsunade's words echoed in his mind: "We can't afford arrogance."

But it wasn't arrogance that drove him forward. It was necessity.

With a silent signal, he dropped down, his kunai flashing as he eliminated a guard before he could even make a sound. His team followed, slipping through the compound like wraiths. The mission had begun.

Across the village, Orochimaru's group did the same, weaving through the fog like ghosts, their target unaware of the fate awaiting them.

The First Strike

The attack was swift. Precise. Unstoppable.

The Three-Tails' Jinchūriki awoke just as Ryusei's team reached him, but it was already too late. A sealing tag burned against his skin, paralyzing his chakra. Before he could scream, another kunai struck—sleep paralysis jutsu sealing his voice.

Across the village, the Six-Tails' Jinchūriki barely had time to react before Orochimaru's team subdued him with ruthless efficiency.

No alarms. No commotion. Just two lives stolen away in the dead of night.

Within minutes, both teams vanished into the mist, leaving behind nothing but silence.

Kirigakure had no idea what had been taken from them. Not yet.

The Return to Konoha

The underground chamber was alive with energy as the new captives were placed in the sealing circle. The room hummed with restrained power, the air thick with the oppressive chakra of now six Tailed Beasts.

Tsunade folded her arms, staring at the unconscious Jinchūriki. "You actually pulled it off."

Orochimaru smirked. "Did you doubt us?"

Hiruzen didn't speak for a long moment. He simply observed the new additions—their forms barely stirring, their fates already sealed. Then, with a slow, heavy breath, he turned to Ryusei.

"There is no turning back now."

The seals around the chamber pulsed again, their energy growing stronger, wilder.

Ryusei met his gaze without hesitation. "There never was."

Hiruzen exhaled, his voice quiet yet firm.

End of Chapter 87.