Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Aburame Hatsuizumi and Haku completed their tasks without encountering any danger. It was worth noting that while the Daimyō of the Land of Fire agreed to their request due to the favorable conditions offered, the Land of Wind had no choice but to comply due to its weakened national power. Meanwhile, the Land of Water was even more straightforward—it was directly under Aburame Hatsuizumi's control.

Zixu hadn't expected Aburame Hatsuizumi and the others to be so efficient. It seemed the conference could be held ahead of schedule, so he decided to invite the Five Kage directly.

Since it would take at least a week for the Kage to travel from their respective villages to Zixu's domain, he sent out the invitations without delay.

After making the necessary arrangements, Zixu went to check on Karin's progress. Time was tight, and he wasn't sure how well she had mastered her Devil Fruit abilities.

After all, Karin had no inherited template to guide her, making it impossible for her to control the fruit's power perfectly from the start. She had to proceed step by step.

"Karin, how are you doing with your Devil Fruit abilities?" Zixu found her idly lounging in the clinic.

With the world's greatest martial arts tournament approaching, everyone in the village was busy preparing. Those who could contribute did so, while those with no skills set up small stalls, hoping to squeeze some money out of the visitors from the five great nations—a contribution to the village's development in its own right.

"I've got it under control for now," Karin replied lazily, stretching as she lay on the table. "I still feel a bit off when transforming into my beast form, but I've more or less mastered the power of Seiryō (Azure Flame). It suits my abilities well."

"Good. Keep working on refining your control," Zixu encouraged. He was about to leave, intending to check for any other potential vulnerabilities in the village's defenses.

"Hey, Zixu," Karin called out, stopping him before he left. "Why are you always so tense? With our current strength, there's no need to be this cautious."

Zixu paused, his back still turned to her.

"Karin, remember this—there will always be people stronger than you," he said quietly. "We may be powerful, but we're far from invincible. There are still countless people out there capable of killing us. Until we become the absolute strongest, we can't let our guard down."

Zixu didn't explain further. The truth was, he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for his unease. He simply had an inexplicable sense of looming danger—as though something terrible would happen if he didn't continue to grow stronger. It was an instinctual feeling he couldn't ignore.

"...Oh, okay." Karin nodded, noticing the wrinkles on her white coat from lying down. She shook her head and let the matter drop.

---

A week passed in the blink of an eye. The Five Kage and their entourages arrived in the Land of Whirlpools one after another.

Of course, the daimyō of the various countries also made their way to the Land of Whirlpools, except for the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth—where the Kage held higher status than their daimyō.

The first to arrive was the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, a plump, perpetually drowsy middle-aged man. Standing beside him was Ryota, who bore a striking resemblance to the daimyō—clearly his son.

Ryota had no interest in the Land of Whirlpools. As the Daimyō's heir, he had already enjoyed every luxury imaginable. To him, this newly established nation was nothing more than a fleeting novelty. The Fire Country had stood for generations with a rich history—how could a fledgling nation compare?

With this condescending mindset, Ryota followed his father, expecting to look down on the Whirlpools with disdain.

But his expression soon betrayed his misjudgment.

The Land of Fire wasn't without technology, but portable technology was rare, reserved exclusively for the nobility. Ryota, being familiar with advanced conveniences, could immediately tell how extraordinary the technology of the Whirlpools was.

Every piece of tech he saw could enhance his lifestyle to a level he had never imagined. Overwhelmed, Ryota felt as though the world he knew had suddenly changed.

To put it bluntly, it was like witnessing the advent of mechanical ascension in a cultivation world—a fusion of technology and divine power that reshaped reality.

What irked Ryota most was that this advanced technology was shared with the civilians. The commoners—people he had always considered beneath him—were enjoying conveniences he himself had never experienced.

A wave of humiliation and fury surged in his chest. His eyes filled with resentment as he watched the commoners delight in their newfound luxuries.

---

The representatives from the other ninja villages and daimyō had similar reactions, making their own small moves in response.

The most blatant among them was Ōnoki. The stubborn old man had finally made an appearance. After witnessing the prosperity of the Whirlpools, he quickly noticed one glaring detail—a significant number of its citizens were missing-nin.

That was an exploitable weakness. In Ōnoki's eyes, the Whirlpools could potentially become the next Akatsuki. With such advanced technology, it was only a matter of time before other ninja villages became tempted.

After all, the treasures of the world belonged to the strong. If the five great nations joined forces, taking down a rogue nation would be child's play.

Thus, Ōnoki began spreading the "Whirlpool Threat Theory" in secret, sowing seeds of distrust among the other nations. At the same time, he launched a campaign to recruit the missing-nin, aiming to weaken the Whirlpools from within.

The other villages employed similar tactics—though to a lesser degree. However, Zixu had anticipated their schemes and gave them little room to maneuver. Once the representatives of the major villages had gathered, he wasted no time in holding the tournament's opening ceremony.

---

The mechanical throne had six seats. The central, highest seat was, without a doubt, reserved for Zixu. The remaining five were occupied by the daimyō of the five great nations.

Even the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth sent their daimyō, unwilling to lose face on such an important occasion.

The Five Kage sat on a lower level.

The Hokage was none other than Jiraiya. Next to him stood Tsunade, her face serious and imposing. Beside her was Kakashi, flipping through Icha Icha Paradise with casual indifference.

The Mizukage, Mei Terumi, exuded a seductive presence. Her dark red hair and sharp gaze made her stand out. To her side stood a man carrying a massive sword—the Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade). Zabuza introduced him as Mangetsu Hōzuki. On Mei's other side stood a one-eyed man with a close-cropped crew cut and a stern expression.

The Raikage, A, emanated an intimidating aura. His massive frame and bulging muscles created a palpable sense of pressure. Yet, the sunglasses-wearing man beside him remained unfazed.

This man was Killer B, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails. He carried seven short swords on his back and scribbled in a notebook while humming a rhythmic tune.

"Attending a tournament with my brother,

Beating all the enemies down to the gutter,

Yeah~"

"Shut up and be serious!" A barked, smacking B over the head, briefly quieting him.

Beside them, Darui yawned. "Such a drag..."

The Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was accompanied by Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, who were muttering among themselves.

As for the Kazekage, the situation was somewhat peculiar. The one representing Sunagakure was none other than Chiyo, the aged puppet master. With the village devastated after its betrayal by Konoha, they were forced to bring the old generation back into power.

Regardless of their individual agendas, the Five Kage had finally gathered—signaling the beginning of the grand tournament.

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