Konoha certainly possesses the strength now to easily capture these so-called Kage from the other villages. It's not just because they have the two powerhouses, Naruto and Sasuke. They also have the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, and even the Sage's son, Asura, among others. With such a formidable lineup, challenging the entire shinobi world would pose no problem at all.
From Konoha's perspective, the Kage of the other villages are merely ninja who are just slightly stronger than average. Even the weakest among their top tiers, Hashirama Senju, could likely take on five Kage simultaneously with ease, let alone the others. Konoha still holds absolute authority in the shinobi world.
"Naruto, since you've decided to return the Tailed Beasts, we absolutely must recapture all those duplicates that came from the other era!" Shikamaru declared, then turned his gaze to Sasuke. "What would happen if the power of two identical Tailed Beasts were absorbed by the same person?"
Hearing this, Sasuke paused. It was a question he had never considered before.
Indeed, it wasn't just Sasuke who was momentarily stumped; the possibility hadn't crossed his mind either. But entertaining the thought now... if the power of two identical Tailed Beasts did reside within one person...
While the sheer power increase might not be overwhelming on its own—after all, what difference would two Tailed Beasts make, or even nine, compared to their current strength?—Sasuke still wouldn't be particularly concerned about the power level itself. The crux of the issue lay in them being two identical Tailed Beasts.
If they were to enter a single Jinchūriki simultaneously... what exactly would occur? Even Sasuke couldn't quite imagine it. The fear wasn't simply someone absorbing a Tailed Beast, but someone absorbing two identical Tailed Beasts, potentially triggering some unforeseen, incredible transformation. That could become truly troublesome. Such things were unpredictable, and if an unexpected situation arose, cleaning up the mess afterward would be incredibly difficult.
"That scenario likely poses no significant threat. Even if they are two identical Tailed Beasts, their individual power isn't that immense, ultimately," the Sage of Six Paths, the creator of the Tailed Beasts, spoke first, answering Shikamaru's question.
His answer brought a sigh of relief from Shikamaru. However, Sasuke, standing nearby, kept his brow furrowed, seemingly still deeply concerned about the issue. Naruto, who had been watching Sasuke's expression closely, spoke up.
"Sasuke, did something occur to you?"
Naruto's voice drew everyone's attention back to Sasuke. As they all looked at him, the unease Shikamaru had just shed returned.
"Sasuke!" Naruto walked towards him. Seeing Sasuke still unresponsive, Naruto began to gently shake him.
"I'm fine," Sasuke finally said. "But Shikamaru's words did remind me of something." He looked up at the Sage of Six Paths.
"The Tailed Beasts are, fundamentally, parts of the Divine Tree—fragments of the Ten-Tails' power," Sasuke stated. "Even though you divided it into nine portions, their essential nature remains unchanged."
"Therefore! If two identical Tailed Beasts are absorbed by one person, the most likely outcome is that the two beasts will fuse together within the Jinchūriki's body!"
Hearing this, the Sage of Six Paths gave a faint smile. "So what if they fuse? It wouldn't bring about any substantial change. It would merely grant the power of one Tailed Beast doubled, nothing extraordinary."
"A simple fusion of Tailed Beast power itself isn't frightening," Sasuke countered. "However, if someone discovers this secret and seeks to capture all the Tailed Beasts—the originals and their duplicates—to fuse them all..."
"The end result would be the birth of an unprecedented core beast!" Sasuke declared grimly. "And simultaneously, the Divine Tree formed from the Ten-Tails would also be... unprecedented..."
As his words hung in the air, the Sage of Six Paths stared blankly at Sasuke. He hadn't expected Sasuke to possess such deep knowledge. Did Sasuke truly understand the nature of the Ten-Tails and the Divine Tree so completely? Following Sasuke's line of reasoning, it was indeed a terrifying possibility!
The fusion of two regular Tailed Beasts wasn't scary, but the fusion of two Ten-Tails... that would be utterly horrifying. His mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, possessed the power of just one Ten-Tails, and she was already terrifyingly powerful. If the power of two Ten-Tails were to merge... what kind of dreadful scenario would that unleash?!
The Sage of Six Paths abruptly stood up, turning to Naruto with urgency.
"The Tailed Beasts cannot be returned to the other villages!"
This declaration instantly shifted the situation once more. The shinobi within the room, the Jōnin who had previously resigned themselves to Naruto's decision, grew agitated again. Finally, someone was opposing the Hokage's plan—and someone with considerable influence, no less.
Naruto's gaze turned sharp and intense.
"I am the Hokage of Konoha! You are not!" he stated firmly. "Although you are the Sage of Six Paths, the founder of Ninshū, I make the decisions for Konoha now!"
Seeing Naruto's resolute stance, the Sage felt a touch helpless. It seemed his title didn't carry the same weight in this era, especially with these individuals.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the Sage said, his tone placating, "I do not wish to question your decision lightly. But the scenario we just discussed must be considered!"
"Since you wield the power of all nine Tailed Beasts, you should understand clearly: if a situation arises where two Ten-Tails could potentially form, the consequences would be unthinkable!"
Naruto nodded slowly.
"The situation Sasuke described certainly warrants precautions," he conceded. "However, the fusion of two Ten-Tails is impossible. To fully merge two Ten-Tails, one would first have to take the Nine-Tails from me!" A confident look crossed Naruto's face.
"I won't let anyone succeed in doing that!" he declared. "Furthermore! If the Tailed Beasts are not returned, the era of peace we've worked so hard to build might very well come to an end right here!"
The tension crackled in the air as Naruto and the Sage of Six Paths stood in sharp opposition.
Just then, Sasuke spoke again.
"The Tailed Beasts can be returned," he proposed, "but not just returned. They should be exchanged."
Exchanged!
The word made both Naruto and the Sage pause. Naruto considered it for a moment, then understanding dawned on his face. The Sage of Six Paths also nodded. "That is a viable solution."
"An exchange," Shikamaru mused aloud, grasping the idea. "Trade one Tailed Beast for another. Our duplicate Tailed Beasts lack consciousness, making them easier to control. The other major shinobi villages should be quite willing to agree to this!"
Shikamaru found the plan highly appealing. After all, the Tailed Beasts from the past retained their individual consciousness, making them difficult to suppress and requiring highly suitable Jinchūriki. The duplicates, however, whose consciousness had been erased, were different. Acquiring one was equivalent to gaining a readily available source of power. The selection criteria for a Jinchūriki could also be much broader. For the other great villages, this would be an ideal arrangement.
"This approach would also effectively prevent anyone from discovering the secret of fusing identical Tailed Beasts!" Naruto looked at Sasuke with clear satisfaction.
"Sasuke, maybe you really should come back to Konoha and help me," Naruto suggested sincerely. "You might be better suited to be Hokage than I am."
Sasuke immediately rejected the notion. "I have absolutely no interest in becoming Hokage."
As Sasuke spoke those words, he suddenly detected an unexpected chakra signature.
This presence...
Sasuke whipped his head around, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Uchiha Clan compound.
"This feeling..."
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