Chapter 93: The Desert’s Guardian

Sunagakure: The Monk of the Sands

The golden dunes of the Wind Country stretched endlessly under the relentless desert sun. Waves of scorching heat danced across the horizon, shaping and reshaping the ever-changing sands. Within this unforgiving terrain stood Sunagakure, its towering sandstone walls carved by both time and war.

At the heart of the village, within a secluded temple surrounded by wind-worn statues, sat the man known as Bunpuku—the first Jinchūriki of Shukaku, the One-Tail.

An old monk, draped in robes of deep ochre, sat in quiet meditation, his breath slow and measured. His shaved head gleamed faintly in the dim candlelight, his weathered face etched with deep lines of wisdom and suffering.

Within his mind, the ever-present voice of Shukaku rumbled.

"You sit in silence while the world shifts, monk. Can't you feel it? Something is coming."

Bunpuku's fingers twitched slightly against his prayer beads. "I know."

The One-Tail let out a slow, guttural chuckle, its massive form shifting in the shadows of the monk's subconscious.

"They come for me, don't they? The ghosts that have been snatching my kin one by one."

Bunpuku exhaled. "It is inevitable."

For weeks now, whispers of vanished Jinchūriki had reached Sunagakure's ears. No bodies. No battles. No traces. Just emptiness where great power once stood.

And now, his turn had come.

But unlike the others… he would not fight it.

Konoha: The Final Stages of the Plan

The Hokage's office was dimly lit, filled with the faint scent of burning incense and old parchment. A meeting of the most powerful figures in Konoha had gathered, their hushed voices shaping the next move in a game only they understood.

"The world believes the Nine-Tails is lost," Hiruzen Sarutobi stated, setting down a scroll. "The Raikage is searching outward, the Tsuchikage is preparing for war, and the Mizukage remains in the shadows. No one suspects us."

Danzo sat across from him, his fingers tapping against his cane. "But they will," he said coldly. "Once the One-Tail disappears, they will know something unnatural is happening."

Orochimaru smirked from the corner of the room, his golden eyes gleaming. "Then we must ensure it does not 'disappear.'" He flicked a kunai into the air, catching it effortlessly. "We must erase it as if it never existed."

Hiruzen turned to Ryusei. "Can you do it?"

Ryusei stood at the edge of the room, his hands folded behind his back. The glow of the lanterns reflected against his Golden Six Magatama Rinne Sharingan, the patterns within his irises shifting like an ancient puzzle unlocking itself.

"Yes."

Danzo narrowed his eye. "The monk is different from the others."

"He will not resist," Ryusei replied calmly.

Tsunade, who had been silent until now, furrowed her brows. "You sound certain."

Ryusei's gaze was distant, as if seeing something beyond their understanding.

"He has already accepted this."

Orochimaru chuckled. "How fascinating."

Hiruzen exhaled slowly. "Then go. Bring the One-Tail into the fold."

Ryusei gave a slow nod.

And with a single step—

Reality shattered.

A rift of golden and black energy twisted into existence before him. The air hummed with an unearthly power as he stepped forward, vanishing into the tear in space.

The last thing they saw before the portal closed—

Was the gleam of his golden Rinne Sharingan.

Sunagakure: A Silent Arrival

The desert winds howled.

Within the temple walls, Bunpuku remained seated in quiet meditation. His breath was steady. His mind was at peace.

Then—

The torches lining the chamber flickered.

The air shifted.

For a moment, the world itself seemed to pause.

And then—space tore open.

A swirling void of golden and black energy manifested before him, distorting reality itself. From within its depths, a figure emerged—cloaked in shadow, his Golden Six Magatama Rinne Sharingan burning like molten suns.

Bunpuku's eyes slowly opened.

He had expected this moment.

He had felt it long before the world even realized what was happening.

Ryusei took a single step forward, his presence pressing against the very fabric of the room. His chakra did not flare—it did not need to. It was an undeniable force, woven into existence itself.

For the first time in centuries, Shukaku fell silent.

Bunpuku studied the young shinobi before him. "You have come for me."

Ryusei nodded. "Yes."

The monk's gaze remained calm. "To take me to your world?"

"Yes."

There was no hostility. No fear.

Only understanding.

Bunpuku slowly rose to his feet, his robes shifting with the movement. "I will not fight."

Ryusei's expression did not change. "I know."

The monk smiled faintly. "You seek to collect us all."

Ryusei's voice was steady. "Yes."

Bunpuku exhaled. "Then let us go."

With a mere thought, Ryusei willed open another tear in space. The fabric of reality bent to his command, opening a path to the world beyond worlds.

Bunpuku stepped forward without hesitation.

And in an instant—

He was gone.

No battle. No struggle.

Sunagakure's greatest secret had simply… vanished.

Inside the Hidden Realm: A New Balance

The air was different.

Bunpuku stood upon a floating island of sand and stone, the world around him stretching endlessly in all directions. The sky above shimmered with golden hues, while waterfalls of chakra cascaded from floating mountains.

He had never seen a place like this.

And neither had Shukaku.

The One-Tail's massive form materialized beside him, its hulking body of sand and jagged markings shifting uneasily. Its enormous yellow eyes scanned the world in stunned silence.

The other Tailed Beasts stood in the distance, their immense forms gathered together—watching.

Bunpuku turned.

Ryusei stood before him.

His golden Rinne Sharingan glowed faintly as he spoke.

"You are free now."

Bunpuku studied him for a long moment.

Then, the old monk smiled.

"Perhaps… this is how it was always meant to be."

Shukaku rumbled beside him. "…What is this place?"

Ryusei looked over the vast realm—his realm.

"A world where you are no longer weapons."

The winds carried his words into the infinite horizon.

A world beyond reach.

A world without chains.

And with this, the One-Tail was no longer part of the shinobi world.

It was his.

Ryusei turned, gazing into the distance.

Only one remained.

the Nine-Tails.

His Golden Six Magatama Rinne Sharingan flickered.

"The end is near."

And the world… had no idea.

End of Chapter 93.