The accompanying Kumogakure ninjas surveyed the surroundings with binoculars and spotted a figure collapsed amidst the ruins.
"Nine o'clock direction! We've found one of our own—it should be Yuntai, the guard stationed at Hell Valley!"
"Hurry, let's check on him!"
"He's neither injured nor dead; looks like he's just fainted from shock!"
The Kumogakure group woke Yuntai and supported him as they brought him to Raikage's carriage.
"Tell Lord Raikage what exactly happened!"
"Hell Valley… It... it was taken away!"
"Taken away? By whom?!"
Yuntai, looking evasive, replied, "By a god… a divine being."
"What did you say?!"
"It's true! A divine being!"
"A ninja speaking of gods and supernatural forces—how absurd!"
"I'm not lying to you!"
"Then describe what happened!"
Yuntai recalled the scene, trembling uncontrollably as he spoke.
"It was a dark and windy night; I was shivering from the cold, as usual. To keep warm, I was drinking some sake while waiting for the midnight shift change."
The group thought to themselves, "Drinking on duty? How leisurely! If only we could land such a cushy job."
"And then? Continue!"
Yuntai, still shaking, seemed to be gathering his thoughts before narrating vividly.
"Suddenly, a fierce wind arose, accompanied by thunder and lightning. A divine being appeared between heaven and earth, radiating golden beams from his head. His voice thundered like the heavens, his gaze pierced like lightning, and he was cloaked in black robes adorned with swirling red clouds!"
"With a single clap of his hands, he shouted, and in an instant, sand and rocks flew, winds howled, and dust surged! The stars shifted, the heavens overturned, and the world fell silent. Only the echoes of the valley remained, lingering mournfully!"
"I was paralyzed with fear. When I regained my senses, Hell Valley had transformed into stars in the sky! The divine being glanced back with a faint smile, holding the stars in his palm, and disappeared with a flick of his sleeve. I blacked out and knew nothing more!"
The Kumogakure group exchanged bewildered glances, their astonishment evident in each other's eyes.
One of them questioned, "Yuntai, you said this person radiated golden beams from his head. Even if he had a thousand-watt light bulb on his head, it wouldn't be that exaggerated, right?"
Yuntai defended himself, "I swear, I saw it with my own eyes! If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning!"
"We're not saying you're lying. But you have severe nearsightedness and astigmatism, and you were drinking at the time. It's possible you misinterpreted what you saw, right?"
Yuntai hesitated, "Misinterpreted?"
At this moment, the usually silent Tutai spoke up, "For example, you might have mistaken golden hair for radiating golden beams."
Yuntai scratched his head, "That… might actually be possible."
Sigh.Tutai sighed deeply, "It seems that's the case. There's only one person capable of such extraordinary feats."
Yuntai, adding drama, said, "Hell Valley was cursed! So, a divine being descended to remove it with great power!"
Raikage, his face darkened, shouted, "Divine being, my foot! That was Naruto Uzumaki!"
Yuntai, shocked, exclaimed, "Naruto Uzumaki?! The rogue ninja from Konoha who attacked the village?!"
Having spent much of his time on missions outside, Yuntai had never seen Naruto in person.
Raikage, enraged, roared, "Is there no law left? No justice?! Head to Amegakure now! Right now! I want to confront him face-to-face and demand an explanation!"
Hearing this, the Kumogakure group hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Lord Raikage, please reconsider!"
Raikage, stubborn as ever, said, "Are you going or not? If not, I'll go alone!"
"Lord Tutai, please persuade Lord Raikage!"
Tutai, resigned, said, "You know how the boss is; he won't listen to reason."
He thought to himself, "It's better to resolve conflicts than escalate them. I'll go with him this time and try to mediate. If I can ease tensions even slightly, I will."
Yuntai, confused, asked, "What about me? Should I go too?"
Tutai replied, "You head back to the village and report. Also, inform Burōi that Lord Raikage might return later than scheduled. He'll need to manage village affairs in the meantime."
"Understood!"
"And one more thing."
Tutai stopped Yuntai and whispered, "Tell Burōi that if Lord Raikage doesn't return, he'll be the next Raikage."
Yuntai froze in shock.
"Who exactly is this Naruto Uzumaki?"
Thus, the carriage set off, carrying Raikage and his overwhelming fury, heading straight for the Land of Rain!
The crescent moon hung over the Nine Provinces, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others.
Madara Uchiha's journey to seek enlightenment had finally reached its last stop.
Mount Myoboku, the Hall of Immortality.
On the throne sat the Great Toad Sage, who opened his sleepy old eyes and looked at the wild and unyielding man who had barged in uninvited. With a deep voice, he said, "Madara Uchiha, I presume?"
"Oh?" Madara, slightly surprised, replied, "It seems this is our first meeting."
The Great Toad Sage said, "I foresaw that a lost lamb would wander into the hall of the forsaken toads."
Madara doubted his ears, "A lost lamb, you say?"
The Great Toad Sage replied, "Beneath the Six Paths, all are lambs. And as for 'forsaken,' do you understand its meaning?"
Bang!
The grand doors of the Hall of Immortality slammed shut!
!Madara sensed danger and attempted to use Flying Thunder God Technique to escape, only to discover a catastrophic truth!
"I've lost contact with my Flying Thunder God markers in the outside world?!"
The Great Toad Sage's pupils suddenly sharpened with overwhelming power. "Mount Myoboku is not a place you can come and go as you please!"
As he raised his frog-like hand, an astonishing surge of natural energy formed into a colossal hand that blotted out the sky!
"Not good!"
Madara, alarmed, summoned Susano'o, which rose from the ground!
The Great Toad Sage gently lowered his palm.
Frog Heaven Strike!
BOOM!
The enormous hand of natural energy descended, shattering Susano'o like tofu and leaving a deep crater in the ground.
Madara collapsed in defeat, unconscious.
A celestial sealing talisman drifted down from the sky, landing on Madara's forehead.
Buzz!
All of Madara's chakra was completely sealed.
This was the Sealing Talisman, capable of sealing all chakra and jutsu.
The Great Toad Sage said calmly, "Take him to the prison."
"Yes, Elder."
Shima and Fukasaku stepped forward, lifting the barely alive Madara and carrying him off to the prison of Mount Myoboku.
The Great Toad Sage said, "Summon the messenger toad."
"Elder."
A messenger toad, already prepared, hopped to his side.
"Relay what happened here to Naruto Uzumaki. Tell him I've detained the man and am waiting for his word."
"Understood, Elder. I'll use the well to reach the outside world immediately!"
"No rush. Take your time. Let him stew for a while."
Bang!
The cold prison doors slammed shut, leaving Madara Uchiha defeated and imprisoned in Mount Myoboku.
Days later.
The Kumogakure group arrived at the outskirts of Amegakure, only to find the village enveloped by a crimson barrier—a single fly couldn't get through!
Tutai, astonished, exclaimed, "Could that be the legendary Four Red Yang Formation?!"
Bang!
Having held back his fury throughout the journey, Raikage could no longer contain his wrath!
Zap! Zap zap zap! Cloaked in lightning armor, he charged at the Four Red Yang Formation with an unstoppable force!
"Hmph! Naruto Uzumaki, guilty conscience, huh?! This barrier—I'll break it in no time!"
Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!
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