Chapter 90: The Gods Do Not See

The Senju Secret Compound: The Calm Before the Storm

The underground chamber was still. Gone was the suffocating weight of the six Tailed Beasts, yet the silence left in its wake was no less heavy. The faint glow of the now-useless sealing formations flickered weakly, remnants of a system that had been rendered obsolete.

Tsunade stood with her arms crossed, scanning the space where the Beasts had once been. A part of her still couldn't believe what had happened. "It's… quiet."

Orochimaru let out a quiet chuckle, stepping forward to where the barrier seals had once strained against an impossible force. "Yes. Too quiet." His golden eyes gleamed as they flickered toward Ryusei. "You've done something the world won't even begin to comprehend."

Hiruzen remained silent, his experienced gaze locked onto Ryusei. "What you've created," he said slowly, "is beyond anything I've seen. A space removed from this world, untouchable by any known means." He exhaled, his pipe resting forgotten in his hand. "And you alone control it?"

Ryusei nodded. "No one else can enter unless I allow it." His voice was steady, absolute. "Not the Raikage. Not the Mizukage. Not even the Sage of the Six Paths himself could touch them now."

Tsunade frowned, stepping closer. "And what about the Tailed Beasts themselves? What happens to them now?"

"They are safe," Ryusei replied. "Their chakra won't disrupt this world anymore. It's already stabilizing the dimension I created." He paused, then added, "From this moment on, no one—not Konoha, not the other villages—can use them as weapons."

Orochimaru smirked, tilting his head. "You didn't just steal them from the world. You erased them from it."

Hiruzen studied Ryusei for a long moment before finally speaking. "And what comes next?"

The air shifted. All eyes turned to Ryusei.

His Six Magatama Rinne Sharingan flickered.

"We continue."

Tsunade's expression hardened. "You mean capturing the remaining Tailed Beasts?"

"Yes," Ryusei answered. "The more we collect, the stronger the space becomes. The more balance it has. If we leave them scattered, the world will continue its cycle of using them as weapons." His voice was calm but firm. "I won't allow that."

Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the stone, watching Ryusei carefully. "You're aware of what this means."

"I am."

Tsunade sighed. "The moment another Jinchūriki disappears, the villages will know something is wrong. We won't be dealing with uncertainty anymore. We'll be dealing with war."

Ryusei's gaze didn't waver. "Then let them come."

The chamber was silent.

Then, Orochimaru's quiet laughter echoed through the room. "Hah. Bold. Very bold." He leaned against the stone wall, watching Ryusei with something between amusement and curiosity. "But I do wonder… are you ready to bear the weight of what comes next?"

Ryusei turned toward the swirling rift of Yomotsu Hirasaka still floating in the air, its dark, twisting energy beckoning him like an open door. His connection to the realm was now absolute. His control, undeniable.

He was no longer just holding the Tailed Beasts.

He was shaping something beyond the comprehension of the shinobi world.

And now, there was no stopping him.

His Rinne Sharingan pulsed.

"The Seven-Tails is next."

Konoha: The Great Deception

Two days later, a meeting of Konoha's high council was called.

The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with expectation as Hiruzen took his place at the head of the gathering. Across from him sat Danzo, his singular eye watching carefully. Homura and Koharu, his remaining advisors, murmured among themselves, waiting for the discussion to begin.

At last, Hiruzen spoke. "The rumors of the Nine-Tails' disappearance have spread far enough. It's time we put an end to them."

Danzo's expression didn't change. "You intend to confirm them?"

"Yes," Hiruzen said. "If we continue to avoid the subject, we only invite further scrutiny. However, by admitting to the loss, we free ourselves from suspicion. The other villages will assume we are weakened and focus their investigations elsewhere."

Homura hesitated. "But won't that invite attack?"

Orochimaru, who sat lazily to the side, smirked. "On the contrary, it will do the opposite. If Konoha is seen as vulnerable, the other villages will hesitate to act, fearing a trap. No one wants to be the first to strike and risk being deceived."

Danzo studied them. "And how do you propose we fabricate this admission?"

Hiruzen's expression was unreadable. "We will 'confirm' that during the Jinchūriki transfer, the Nine-Tails was stolen by an unknown rogue force. We will not claim to know who is responsible. Instead, we will subtly suggest that Kumo and Iwa have the most to gain from the chaos."

Tsunade, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "It's a dangerous move. But it might just work."

Hiruzen nodded. "We announce it within the week. Konoha will mourn its loss… and the world will look elsewhere."

Danzo's fingers tapped against his cane. "And what of the other missing Jinchūriki? The moment another disappears, suspicions will return."

Ryusei finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "By then, it won't matter."

Danzo turned toward him. "And why is that?"

Ryusei's Rinne Sharingan gleamed.

"Because the game will already be over."

Cloud Village: The Search for Ghosts

The Raikage stood at the highest peak of Kumogakure, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. The storm clouds above mirrored the fury simmering beneath his skin.

"Still nothing?" he growled.

The masked ANBU kneeling before him hesitated. "No signs of the Eight-Tails or the Two-Tails, Raikage-sama. No traces. It's as if they simply… vanished."

Lightning crackled around him as his rage threatened to boil over.

"Vanished?" His voice was dangerously low. "Find me something—anything."

The ANBU hesitated. "There is… one strange development."

The Raikage turned sharply. "What?"

"Konoha has admitted to losing the Nine-Tails."

Silence.

The Raikage narrowed his eyes.

"So that's their play…" He exhaled sharply. "If they are telling the truth, they are weak. If they are lying, they are plotting something." His fists clenched. "Either way, we move forward. Double the surveillance on Konoha. If they think they can hide the truth from me, they are mistaken."

The Hidden Space: A Living World

Ryusei stood at the highest peak of his realm, watching the energy shift and settle. The chakra of the Tailed Beasts was no longer just contained.

It was nourishing the world.

The Two-Tails' cerulean eyes glowed. "You… did not imprison us. You changed the very nature of our existence."

The Four-Tails let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Hmph. To think a human could create something like this."

Ryusei's gaze remained steady. "This is only the beginning."

The wind shifted, carrying with it the weight of the future.

The world still believed the Jinchūriki were lost.

But in truth… they were already his.

And soon, the Seven-Tails would be as well.

End of Chapter 90.