"Alright."
Mito fell silent, her hands slowly forming a complex and lengthy series of seals.
The purple diamond-shaped mark on her forehead deepened in color before unraveling into fine strands that spread across her body, unleashing an overwhelmingly strong chakra.
"Yin Seal: Release!"
The remaining chakra within the seal flooded Mito's aging body, stimulating the last vestiges of vitality in her cells.
Moments later, the frail old woman with wrinkles and white hair transformed into a radiant and youthful beauty, brimming with energy.
The Third Hokage blinked in disbelief and muttered, "I never thought I'd see Lady Mito in this form again... Can ninjutsu truly reverse time?"
Mito raised a smooth, fair hand, gazing at it briefly before shaking her head without attachment. In a voice too soft for others to hear, she whispered to herself:
"Just wait for me a little longer, Hashirama. I'll be with you soon..."
"Four Symbols Sealing Formation: Activate!"
With a low chant, the intricate sealing patterns on the high platform came alive, like a nest of serpents awakening from hibernation. The lines writhed and crawled towards the motionless body of Danzo, forming a spiraling seal on his abdomen.
"Aaaahhh...!"
Danzo gritted his teeth against the agony, his face turning deathly pale as he let out deep, suppressed groans.
The pain was excruciating, akin to having a gaping hole torn open in his stomach.
Behind Mito, dozens of massive dark-golden chains erupted, whipping through the air before intertwining to form a towering humanoid figure.
"Nine-Tails... After decades together, it's finally time for us to part ways."
Inside the mental realm, Mito gazed at the enormous fox, restrained mid-air by her Adamantine Sealing Chains, her voice tinged with complexity.
Despite the decades of forced cohabitation, never once had their relationship been pleasant. Yet, after spending a lifetime bonded to this creature, it was impossible not to feel some degree of emotion.
"You old hag... So, this is your final display of preparation?"
The Nine-Tails, looking at Mito's rejuvenated form, recalled unpleasant memories and ceased its struggles. With a cold sneer, it said:
"Spare me the sentimental farewell. You humans love these hypocritical acts. You imprisoned me for decades—do you expect me to be grateful?"
"Remember this: you failed to take my power. And the weakling you chose as your successor? He won't be able to, either."
"I will tempt him, little by little, until he willingly undoes the seal you so meticulously crafted. And when that day comes, I will settle my score with Konoha!"
Despite being restrained, the Nine-Tails exuded a murderous aura, its crimson fox eyes burning with seething hatred, as if it longed to devour Mito whole.
It despised her and her entire lineage.
Once, it had been a carefree fox, frolicking in the forests with no concern for human affairs.
But then, one day, a man with even fiercer eyes than its own put it under a mysterious spell and used it as a mere summon beast in a battle against another man who wielded Wood Release.
Defeated and humiliated, it was then sealed away by that same Wood Release user, who had the audacity to declare, "You are too powerful—I must seal you, Nine-Tails!"
Thus, it was handed over to a woman who wielded chains, enduring ten years of captivity, its power stolen day by day.
If a human were to be falsely imprisoned for decades while their wealth was plundered, wouldn't they emerge from their cage burning with vengeance?
Mito, unfazed by the fox's glare, stretched lazily and spoke lightly:
"I agree. I don't think Danzo can control you. But if he can serve as a temporary vessel to contain you, that's enough for me."
"As for your plans to destroy Konoha, I'd suggest picking your moment wisely... You wouldn't want to run into that Uchiha you fear so much.
Am I right, Lord Nine-Tails?"
There was a playful tone in her voice, devoid of any pretense.
As a veteran of the Warring States era, Mito never believed in love and understanding as a means to tame the Nine-Tails. That was merely the rhetoric of those lacking the power to suppress it.
If Konoha had a shinobi with even half the prowess of Madara or Hashirama, she would be the first to endorse extracting every last drop of chakra from the beast.
After all, neither Madara nor Hashirama had ever shown the Nine-Tails any mercy.
And neither would she.
"You... Are you threatening me?! Don't think for a second that brute of a Uchiha can defeat me! One well-placed Tailed Beast Bomb, and I'll obliterate him completely!"
"And you, Mito! If it weren't for Hashirama, you'd be nothing to me!"
The Nine-Tails' chakra flared like an inferno, shaking the very fabric of the mental space.
"Still so hot-tempered, aren't you, Nine-Tails...?"
"But now, it's time to say goodbye."
With a soft laugh, Mito bid farewell to the one last familiar presence in her life. Then, she withdrew from the mental realm, leaving behind only the furious roars of the Nine-Tails—a song of parting echoing into the void.
.........
The golden chain-formed colossus pressed its hands together, injecting an overwhelming surge of orange-red chakra into Danzo's body.
"This... This is the legendary Nine-Tails?!"
Sakumo's eyes widened in astonishment. Feeling the sheer density of chakra emanating from the colossus, he muttered in awe:
"Compared to the One-Tail, this truly explains why Tailed Beasts are considered natural disasters..."
He had fought against Shukaku before. The beast had left a lasting impression—colossal, resilient, and brimming with chakra.
But sensing the Nine-Tails' power firsthand, Sakumo finally understood why the other villages feared Konoha so deeply.
If controlled properly, this was power enough to single-handedly conquer any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages!
Other shinobi on the battlefield were equally shaken, feeling as insignificant as streams before an ocean.
With one final effort, Mito tightened her grip. The colossus turned, seizing the fox's chakra-made form, shoving its head into Danzo's stomach. The entity then shattered, chains driving into Danzo's body, sealing the chakra within.
"Four Symbols Seal: Cyclical Formation!"
The intricate seals on Danzo's abdomen pulsed like ripples in water, interlocking to form an unbreakable prison.
"Haaah..."
Danzo gasped, trembling from the immense power coursing through him—painful, yet intoxicating.
Mito exhaled, satisfied, as she gazed at the successful sealing.
"It's done..."
Her work complete, she gently sat down, closing her eyes for the last time.
"Lady Mito!!"
Cries of grief echoed as the Third Hokage solemnly bowed deeply, leading the shinobi in a final farewell.
Thus, the last prominent figure of the Warring States Era passed into history. Madara, Hashirama, Mito—their names now mere lines in textbooks.
...........
As the crowd dispersed, Hiruzen turned to Danzo with concern.
"How do you feel, Danzo?"
Danzo pulled off his black robe, revealing a robust physique and a pale arm. A low chuckle escaped his lips.
"Hiruzen, I feel great."
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