Takigakure Village

"Third Hokage, I think what you said is correct."

"However, the risk is still too great; we must strengthen the village's defenses..."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly in agreement.

He then turned back to Minato and continued:

"How's Kushina doing? As the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, has there been any unusual activity with the Nine-Tails lately?"

"Kushina's situation is relatively stable, Hokage-sama."

Minato Namikaze replied, a hint of concern in his eyes:

"Since she became pregnant, I have strengthened the protection of Kushina, and at the same time, I have strengthened the monitoring of the Nine-Tails seal."

"So far, the Nine-Tails has not shown any abnormal signs."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"That's good. Kushina and Kurama are both important to the village, and we cannot let our guard down in the slightest."

He paused, then continued:

"However, even though the Nine-Tails is currently stable, we cannot let our guard down."

"After all, the Twilight Organization's goal is very likely the Tailed Beasts. We must be fully prepared."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Minato nodded solemnly. "I will continue to strengthen the protection of Kushina, and at the same time, I will keep a close eye on the situation of the Nine-Tails."

"Yes, very good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction, then got up and left the meeting room.

However, Minato remained in place, pondering how to deal with what was about to happen.

....

The five major powers acted swiftly, and the shadows in each village immediately began deploying personnel upon returning to their respective villages.

Apart from the ninjas who were supposed to stay in the village to defend it, each village also sent its elite ninjas to Konoha to guard the village.

First, they went to Kumogakure. At the strong urging of the Fourth Hokage, A, Killer Bee led dozens of Jonin-level ninjas to Konoha.

The fourth generation of Ai had his own reasons for making this arrangement; he also wanted Killer Bee to go out and get some fresh air, hoping to soothe his dormant heart.

On the Sunagakure side, Rasa sent Granny Chiyo.

He originally wanted to send Maki, but considering that Granny Chiyo was old, the long journey might be too much for her.

However, there was no other way. Sunagakure needed Makina's calm mind more at the moment, so he had no choice but to send Granny Chiyo with dozens of skilled fighters to Konoha.

As for the other two villages, they were not attacked by [Twilight], so they did not send any famous ninjas.

However, they also dispatched dozens of Jonin-level ninjas to Konoha Village for support.

As for the Jinchuriki, Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, secretly went to Konoha Village at Ōnoki's instruction.

There's also Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki of Kirigakure. He was originally a rogue ninja who was being hunted down by Kirigakure for killing his master.

After discussions and mediation between Yagura and the higher-ups, it was decided to temporarily suspend the prosecution of Utakata's crimes.

But he needs to go to Konoha Village immediately to hide!

Furthermore, the most mysterious Seven-Tails Jinchuriki was just a newborn baby named Fu.

She is a ninja from Takigakure, and is not one of the Five Great Nations.

Although Takigakure is just a small village on the outskirts of the five great nations, its strength should not be underestimated as it is home to the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.

Currently, almost all the Jinchūriki except for the Seven-Tails have arrived in Konoha Village.

Only the infant Kaede, who had recently become the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki, remained.

...

In the dense forest not far from Takigakure Village, sunlight dappled through the gaps in the leaves, scattering across the winding path.

Minato Namikaze and Killer Bee walked side by side, their steps light yet cautious, occasionally exchanging their thoughts on their upcoming journey to Takigakure.

"Minato, do you think Takigakure will easily give us the Seven-Tails if we just go there like this?"

Chirabi's voice has a playful quality, and his rapping style always manages to lighten the mood.

Minato Namikaze shook his head slightly, his gaze deep:

"I'm not entirely sure either, but since the Hokage sent us here, we must give it our all."

"However, I'm a little worried about the Twilight organization. What if they arrive at Takigakure before us and attack the Seven-Tails..."

"That's unlikely. After all, they haven't shown up for a while. They're probably plotting something."

Killer Bee responded, but as he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating that he was also considering the Twilight organization's next move.

Behind the two, dozens of elite ninjas maintained a tight formation.

These ninjas are Konoha's elite, and they underwent rigorous selection and training for this mission.

As the captain of this operation, Minato Namikaze shoulders an important mission.

He not only had to ensure the success of the mission, but also protect the safety of every team member.

Even though Killer Bee, as the vice-captain, had lost the Eight-Tails' chakra, his extremely strange swordsmanship still far surpassed that of many elite ninjas.

His presence undoubtedly added more security to the operation.

As they approached Takigakure Village, the surrounding scenery changed.

The once dense forest was gradually replaced by sparse trees, and the outline of Takigakure Village could be vaguely seen among the distant mountains.

"Looks like we're almost there."

Minato Namikaze stopped, looked around, and after confirming that there was nothing amiss, continued leading the group forward.

Killer Bee nodded. His senses were exceptionally sharp, allowing him to detect subtle changes in his surroundings.

He believed that as long as they remained vigilant, they would be able to successfully complete the mission.

Soon after, they arrived at the entrance of Takigakure Village.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar village, Minato Namikaze and Killer Bee were filled with complex emotions.

They weren't here to be good Samaritans; they had a mission: to retrieve the Seven-Tails.

If they encounter any obstacles during this process, they can choose to forcibly take away the Seven-Tails according to the instructions of the higher-ups!

If things don't go well, Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique can at least bring the Seven-Tails back!

That's why they chose to have Minato lead the team!

As for Killer Bee and the others…

Haha, these small countries don't have the guts to keep them here!

This is the price of weakness!

....

Meanwhile, on the other side

Fengtian and Obito are using the Flying Thunder God Technique to fly towards the distant Takigakure Village.

"Fengtian, where are you taking me? Aren't we already at Takigakure Village?"

Obito asked, puzzled, his words filled with doubt.

"Hehe, the situation in Takigakure is rather complicated, and even I don't want to set foot there easily."

"Besides capturing the Seven-Tails, we have other purposes for this trip..."