"Sealing team, move in!"
With Yagura holding the Six-Tails in check, the beast no longer looked unstoppable against the full force of the Hidden Mist.
The Six-Tails had rampaged more than once. It had been subdued more than once. Every single time it left the village in ruins.
Being sealed inside a human body was like living in a cage. No freedom. Nothing but darkness. Over time, any Tailed Beast would grow to hate humans.
And the villagers? Every rampage cost them families, friends, homes, everything. So they hated the beasts right back—and they hated the jinchuriki too.
At this point, figuring out who started the cycle didn't matter anymore.
"Seal it!"
One of the sealing ninja gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of strength into the jutsu. Sealing scrolls whipped through the air and wrapped around the Six-Tails like living chains.
...
By the next morning the Hidden Mist was finally quiet.
Dawn broke over miles of rubble. Countless dead and wounded.
Yagura sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples. He looked exhausted, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide.
"I did it."
"I actually fucking did it."
He clenched his fist.
"A near-perfect jinchuriki."
"My ninjutsu was already strong. My only weakness was chakra reserves."
"Now that problem is gone. As a jinchuriki my chakra is fucking limitless."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Ōnoki, Rasa, the Fourth Raikage—none of them can touch me anymore."
"One Water Mirror Technique and I create a perfect clone that fights exactly like them. Same strength. Same abilities."
"Nobody beats themselves."
"Even if they somehow outperform the clone, I still have other jutsu. I can reflect their attacks right back at them with the Water Mirror."
Yagura looked out the window.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? They're nothing now."
"Even if Fuguki Suikazan and Jinpachi Munashi teamed up, they wouldn't stand a chance."
For the first time in a long while, Yagura felt completely confident in his own power.
"Right now, in the entire ninja world, I'm the strongest."
"With this kind of strength, most problems stop being problems."
"I don't have to worry about the Mizukage seat anymore."
"If those navigation groups try to mess with the village's stability, I can crush them with one hand."
Yagura thought for a moment.
"Two things to handle."
"First: destroy the Shark Skin Navigation Group and the Exploding Blade Navigation Group."
"Take those two out and every other group will fall in line. They'll stop being a threat to the Hidden Mist."
"Second: it's time to get our prisoners back from Sunagakure."
"Rasa wants me to come to the Land of Wind? Fine. I'll go."
...
Sunagakure.
[Points: 1568!]
"The points are slowing down."
"Expected, though. Ebizo's team alone can't hit three thousand fast. Without extra moves it'll take forever."
Waiting worked, but Rasa didn't want to wait.
He pulled out a card—the One-Person Ambition Inflation Card (Hidden Mist Jonin version).
A Mist jonin with inflated ambition might start thinking he could replace Yagura. He'd probably push the rumors himself. That would tank Yagura's reputation and earn Rasa more points.
But first, Rasa wanted to test something else.
The Ambition Card was too valuable. He only had one. Screw it up and it was gone.
What he wanted to try was a character interview.
Using the Ninja World Big Events Weekly's new interview feature.
Send a reporter to the Land of Water. Interview Fuguki Suikazan and Jinpachi Munashi. Pick questions that would spark heat. Then publish the best parts.
With how popular the Weekly was now, plenty of people would read it.
And once they did, they'd start talking about the whole Seven Ninja Swordsmen mess.
Talk meant spread. Spread meant points.
"Let's do it."
Rasa sent his orders to the newspaper office.
Saki had thrown himself completely into running the paper since becoming president. The job was rare, and he knew he only got it because of his son. It was a huge favor from Rasa, and he refused to waste it.
He also understood how important the Weekly was to Sunagakure's future.
Even if he wasn't the most talented writer, Saki could see the massive impact a character interview would have.
His eyes lit up.
"Lord Kazekage's idea is brilliant!"
"Character interviews are like news, but better. People get to hear the actual people involved give their side. That's addictive."
"We need brave reporters."
"Lucky for us, Sunagakure ninja have never lacked courage."
Saki got the orders moving.
"An interview? With me?"
Fuguki Suikazan stared at the Sunagakure ninja in front of him, genuinely surprised.
He didn't like Sunagakure. Not even a little. Before he became a rogue ninja he'd fought them hard. Dozens of Sand shinobi had died directly to him. Hundreds more because of the orders he gave.
"What the hell does 'interview' even mean?"
The reporter explained calmly.
"I'll ask you a list of questions. You can answer or not. I'll also bring up certain events and ask for your opinion."
"I'll write everything down exactly as it happens."
"When I get back to Sunagakure, an editor will clean it up and publish it in the Ninja World Big Events Weekly so the whole world can read it."
Fuguki's eyes suddenly gleamed.