This is chapter 7 of the Sasuke Retsuden manga.
Summary[]
- Part 1
Sasuke and Sakura hurry back to the Astronomy Research Institute. When Sasuke notices several flying dragons leaving the area, he turns around to pursue them, instructing Sakura to find Zansūru. Zansūru, riding one of the flying dragons, instead intercepts Sasuke. Sasuke warns Zansūru that the Impure World Reincarnation that he's revived the dragons with is forbidden and thus there will be repercussions for its use. Zansūru is unfamiliar with the name, leading Sasuke to suspect it's a different technique.
Sasuke surmises that the dragons are to serve as weapons for the Land of Redaku's Prime Minister. Zansūru doesn't deny this, and guesses that Sasuke has allies in Nagare Village who have been giving him information. Sasuke asks why the Prime Minister's plans must involve slaughtering the people here at the Institute as well as those in Nagare. Zansūru responds that he and the Prime Minister, as leaders of the government, should naturally have the authority to determine who lives and who dies; Sasuke concludes from his words that Zansūru can't be persuaded to change his mind. When he activates his Sharingan to try using force against Zansūru, he notices that Zansūru has too little chakra to be a shinobi, and therefore can't be responsible for reviving the dragons.
Menō attacks Sasuke from behind, though he dodges in time. Zansūru nevertheless leaves, instructing Menō to kill Sasuke. Since there are no obvious ways in which Menō is being controlled, Sasuke decides to try taking control of Menō for himself. He speaks kindly to Menō and encourages him to calm down. When Menō attacks, Sasuke blocks him and, noticing that the burn Menō received a few days earlier hasn't healed, applies water and wind in order to ice it. When Menō attacks again, Sasuke allows his arm to be bitten, using the opportunity to sympathise with Menō for being taken from his peaceful afterlife and to offer returning him to it. As Menō considers his words, Sasuke uses a genjutsu on him and flows his chakra into Menō's body to assert control. Sasuke is unsure if he succeeded until Menō pounces at him once more, this time to lick his injured arm.
- Part 2
Revived dragons emerge throughout the Institute and begin killing the prisoners, who have no way of fighting back or escaping. When Sakura returns to the Institute, she punches through one of the outer walls to give the prisoners an exit. She hurries to Zansūru's office, but he is not there, forcing her to search room by room for him. As she comes across prisoners hiding from the dragons, she informs them of the exit she created and encourages them to use it. One of the prisoners, Jiji, asks her for about the dragons, so Sakura briefly explains how Zansūru has brought them back to life but that she can stop him once she finds where he is. Jiji tells her that he saw Zansūru in the courtyard.
Although Sakura is confused about how Zansūru could have gotten outside, she thanks Jiji and starts to leave. Jiji then grabs her and stabs her in the back; Sakura immediately notices that the blade is coated with the same poison that affected Sasuke a few days earlier. As Sakura falls to the ground, Jiji takes the polar particles from her, thanking her for going to the trouble of finding them for him. With it now clear that Jiji has been aiding Zansūru the entire time, Sakura uses what little strength she has left to try and take back the polar particles. Jiji apologises for how's he treated her, noting that she reminds him of his lover, Margo, yet doesn't hesitate to kick her in order to free himself.
Jiji revives an additional, massive dragon dubbed the Titan. It approaches Jiji and Sakura's location, creating quakes with each footstep that destabilize the building they're inside of. Jiji says goodbye to Sakura as he steps onto the Titan's head, then watches as the building collapses upon her.
Trivia[]
- The second part of this chapter was released on February 12, 2023.