"I apologize for earlier. It seems the shinobi I sent were a bit rash. Please forgive them, Yoichi-san," Naruto said, offering a sincere bow as Yoichi entered the Hokage's office.
Naruto quickly continued, "Thank you for coming. I'm sure you've guessed why we summoned you. The prophecy has come true. Last night, a massive tsunami struck the Land of Water, submerging the entire nation. Kirigakure is working on disaster relief, but all communication with them has been cut off.
"The disaster wasn't limited to the Land of Water. The borders of the Land of Fire, as well as the Lands of Waves and Tea, were also struck by the tsunami. From what we can tell, the source of the catastrophe seems to be in the ocean."
Yoichi nodded calmly, then said, "I understand the situation, but unfortunately, I can't assist you. Whether it's stopping the disaster or treating the injured, this is beyond my capabilities."
Naruto sighed inwardly, disappointed but not surprised. He had hoped Yoichi might have a solution.
Shikamaru leaned forward, his tone skeptical. "So there's really nothing you can do? Are we just supposed to stand by and watch these disasters happen?"
Yoichi rolled his eyes. "Do you think you could've stopped Kaguya when she came to this world? Don't talk about things that are impossible."
Shikamaru's brow furrowed, but he didn't press further. Despite his loyalty to the village, his suspicion of Yoichi lingered, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
Their earlier interactions now felt tinged with animosity, and Shikamaru couldn't shake his doubts about Yoichi's motives—especially after learning of his ability to summon the spirits of the dead.
Naruto quickly intervened. "I'm sorry. We're just very concerned about the ongoing disasters."
Yoichi's expression softened slightly. "If it helps, I can try to sense the situation more clearly. I'm skilled in mental perception and might be able to detect weaknesses in any creatures that appear. But if it's a natural disaster, there's little I can do."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "That would be a huge help! Thank you so much."
Yoichi added with a smirk, "But I have one condition. Any treasure found during the search belongs to whoever discovers it."
"This must be your real goal, analyzing weaknesses just to find treasure—" Shikamaru began but was cut off by Naruto.
"Shikamaru!" Naruto's tone was firm, and Shikamaru quickly realized he had spoken out of turn.
"Forget it. I'm leaving," Yoichi said, turning to walk out.
The room fell silent after Yoichi's departure. Even Sakura, who had been observing quietly, felt Shikamaru's earlier comment had been unnecessarily antagonistic.
While she empathized with his concern for the village, Yoichi had offered to help, and his comment could've been left unsaid.
Breaking the silence, Sakura said, "Naruto, I'll head back to organize the medical teams for the Fire Country's borders."
Naruto nodded. "Thanks, Sakura. Please take care of it."
Once Sakura left, Naruto turned to Shikamaru. "What's going on, Shikamaru? Do you suspect something about him?"
"No, nothing concrete. I was just impulsive earlier. Sorry, Naruto," Shikamaru admitted. "I can't shake the feeling that his motives aren't entirely pure. But I know there's no evidence to back that up."
Naruto gave him a reassuring smile. "You've been under a lot of pressure lately. Maybe you just need some rest. After this crisis is over, take some time off."
Shikamaru let out a small laugh. "If I take time off, are you sure you can handle all this paperwork?"
Naruto glanced at the towering stacks of documents in the room and scratched his head sheepishly. "Well… maybe not. But I'll manage somehow!"
"Don't worry. I'll stay focused. No more impulsive mistakes," Shikamaru promised, setting aside his doubts to tackle the work ahead.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the shinobi world, ninja teams from Kumo, Suna, and Konoha were among the first to arrive at the Land of Water. The devastation left them speechless.
The scale of the tsunami was unlike anything they had seen before. Massive waves had submerged the Land of Water, leaving Kirigakure struggling to manage the aftermath.
Upon meeting the other shinobi, Chōjūrō, the Mizukage, urgently requested aid. In exchange, Kirigakure promised to share critical information. Chōjūrō had intended to reveal this information during the earlier video conference, but the tsunami had destroyed their infrastructure, cutting off all communication.
Fortunately, Kirigakure managed to repair one of its signal stations, re-establishing contact with the other Kage.
During the renewed conference, Chōjūrō formally requested assistance, which the other Kage readily agreed to. They recognized the importance of mutual support and pledged to persuade their respective Daimyō to provide further aid.
Naruto also took the opportunity to share Yoichi's identity and his prophecy with the other Kage, apologizing for not informing them sooner due to uncertainty about its validity.
Darui, the Fifth Raikage, voiced his concerns. "If he can predict disasters, can he foresee anything else? Why are these interdimensional collisions happening in the first place? It's almost too fantastical to believe."
Gaara added, "My bigger concern is whether this is an isolated event. Will similar disasters occur in the future? If something like this happens near Suna…"
The room grew tense. The idea of another disaster was unnerving, especially given the scale of the current one.
Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage, spoke up. "Hokage, can that Onmyōji predict the timing of future disasters? Even if we can't pinpoint the location, knowing when would help us prepare."
Naruto nodded. "I'll ask him again. If I get any updates, I'll notify you immediately. By the way, Mizukage, Uchiha Sasuke is currently investigating the source of the disaster in the ocean."
The Kage exchanged further thoughts before concluding the meeting.
Sasuke, meanwhile, had received a message from Konoha detailing Kirigakure's findings. The scroll included reports of colossal sea creatures—massive beasts several kilometers tall, larger than anything the shinobi world had ever seen.
According to Kirigakure's scouts, these creatures were at least four or five kilometers in height, dwarfing even the Ten-Tails. Though the scouts hadn't dared approach, they confirmed the presence of at least three such beasts.
"Monsters bigger than the Ten-Tails…" Sasuke murmured, his expression darkening as he finished reading.
While the message advised him to return to discuss forming a larger team, Sasuke decided to proceed alone. He sent a message back to Konoha explaining his reasoning: with his space-time ninjutsu and Susano'o, he could handle himself. Bringing others along would only slow him down.
Back on the Fire Country's coast, relief efforts were underway. Survivors were beginning to rebuild their homes, salvaging whatever they could from the wreckage.
Amid the ruins, two brothers stumbled upon a peculiar, ornate chest.
"Big bro, look at this! What do you think it is?"
The older brother examined the chest, shaking his head. "I've never seen this before. Mom and Dad didn't have anything this fancy. Maybe it washed up from the sea?"
They stared at the intricate designs and unfamiliar script adorning the chest.
"It's probably valuable! Let's open it and see what's inside," the older brother said, grabbing a hammer and an axe.
After several minutes of trying to break it open, the chest remained intact, showing only minor scratches.
"What now? Should I give it a try?" the younger brother asked.
"Forget it. The chest alone might be worth something. Let's take it to Konoha or the capital. Someone rich might pay a good price for it," the older brother decided.
As he spoke, he recalled hearing about someone in Konoha who specialized in buying rare and unusual items.
(End of Chapter)
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