The Kara organization was considered one of the most deeply hidden groups in the ninja world. At this time, its members were not as formidable as they would be decades later. Though many had strength, they were extremely secretive, making it nearly impossible even for sensory ninjas to detect the power they concealed.
Moreover, most Kara members still held public positions as nobles and had not participated in ninja battles.
Hyuga Mirai did not bring along the artificial humans modeled after Obito Uchiha, only one modeled after Madara Uchiha. Since its creation, it had been under the care of Kiyo Hyuga and Kurenai Yuhi. Ayaka Uzumaki, who had half of the Nine-Tails inside her, was already the strongest among the three females, so she didn't need protective devices for the time being.
However, this time they needed to counter Isshiki residing within Jigen. So Hyuga Mirai brought the Madara Uchiha artificial human, whose Rinnegan had a sealing eye technique. Even a person at the level of the Sage of Six Paths could be sealed by Madara's eyes if careless.
After arriving in the Land of Earth with Tsunade and Orochimaru, Hyuga Mirai first called for Zetsu to confirm information.
"Lord Mirai, this one is incredible. It took him three months just to relieve himself once."
"That's enough, Zetsu. Let's focus on business. Once we return, I'll have some artificial organs transplanted for you." Hyuga Mirai sighed deeply. If he could use artificial organs to prevent Zetsu from constantly talking about bodily functions at first sight, he should have done it long ago.
Zetsu's face brightened at this and he said, "Thank you so much, Lord Mirai. That guy has been in his lair recently. I sent my clone to monitor him. But, Lord Mirai, he seems very interested in you. It's subtle, but even under the observation of the ninja world's top intelligence agent, his subordinates are collecting information on you."
"My information?"
"Yes!" Zetsu gestured excitedly and reached into his body, pulling out a stack of clipped newspapers. "These were gathered by a member of the Kara organization. Many of them are reports about you, Lord Mirai."
Hyuga Mirai took the newspapers and skimmed through them, immediately realizing that Zetsu was not exaggerating. The Kara members were genuinely paying special attention to him.
Though federal newspapers rarely reported on him in recent years, for these people to collect scattered clippings, it would take fans at least of the "i" level to do the same.
Tsunade peeked at them and chuckled. "Looks like you've been under surveillance for some time."
"That's not important. I've already been keeping tabs on him too." Hyuga Mirai crumpled the papers into fragments and asked Zetsu, "Has he moved locations?"
"Yes. Today he's at a different residence, but my clone is keeping a close watch."
Orochimaru asked, "Where are his collectibles?"
Zetsu scratched his head. "In many places. If you want to go, I can only send a clone to guide you."
Orochimaru, in his hoarse voice, smiled and said to Hyuga Mirai, "Then we'll operate separately here. My purpose is to take all of Jigen's collection. A millennium-old person like him, his collection rivals even Mount Myoboku."
Orochimaru loved collecting unknown knowledge. With infinite life, he could finally pursue his dream: to master all truths.
Hyuga Mirai nodded. "Let's go."
Jigen had lived over a thousand years, but now his body and will were controlled by Isshiki. Strictly speaking, Jigen no longer existed; he was merely a puppet now known in the ninja world as "Otsutsuki Isshiki."
After sipping red wine, Jigen saw the information on Hyuga Mirai on the table and narrowed his eyes. With a flick of one hand, the newspapers turned to dust.
"Hyuga Mirai."
The expression in Jigen's eyes had gradually been replaced by Isshiki's parasitic influence. His hatred for Hyuga Mirai stemmed from memories a thousand years old: the helplessness of being toyed with like an ant and barely escaping after kneeling in supplication.
What had sustained him for a thousand years, cultivating "vessels," was not just the Otsutsuki clan's mission, but also the anger he never forgot.
Isshiki once believed Hyuga Mirai to be a local deity or a powerful onmyoji, someone who wouldn't die quickly. Over centuries, he tried to gather information but failed. A Hyuga clan member did catch his attention, but he lost interest when he discovered they were merely a diluted Otsutsuki branch.
Until recently, he saw Hyuga Mirai's face, triggering ugly memories from a thousand years ago.
"One day, I will—"
Isshiki's thought was interrupted as danger suddenly approached.
Boom!
The estate was engulfed in flames. Columns of fire shot dozens of meters into the sky, radiating intense heat. Even someone mastering Fire Release to its extremes would find this level formidable. Only one person came to Hyuga Mirai's mind: Madara Uchiha.
Tsunade, acting on instinct, merely gestured casually, triggering the phenomenon.
Hyuga Mirai touched his chin. "Is this your Rinnegan's eye technique? Instant ninjutsu, returning to the essence of jutsu?"
"Heh!" Tsunade smirked. Not just instant ninjutsu, but senjutsu and all her techniques could be deployed wherever she gazed. Though she usually hid her abilities from allies, she wanted to win against Hyuga Mirai once before fully revealing herself.
"Bastard!"
A figure erupted from the flames. Tsunade and Hyuga Mirai saw the person matching the intelligence reports—but now, Jigen's body was covered in black markings.
The fire ninjutsu had reached the level of senjutsu. Without Otsutsuki power, it could have harmed him.
"Hyuga Mirai!?"
Jigen's shock turned to hatred, an intense, palpable loathing that even Tsunade found unsettling.
If she remembered correctly, this was their first meeting. How could he harbor such hatred?
"I knew of your existence long ago, but this must be our first meeting. When did your hatred begin?" Hyuga Mirai asked, narrowing his eyes. He noticed Jigen's black markings, growing horns, and altered eyes.
"Hyuga Mirai! I know I can't defeat you normally, so I immediately released all my power. In this body, I've restored a millennium of strength. You will regret what you've done to me!"
Jigen, now fully transformed by Isshiki, could release more of his power. Using this form reduced his lifespan to possibly two or three days, but he had no choice—only his full power could kill these two.
Hyuga Mirai frowned. "After all that, you still haven't explained why you hate me so much."
A massive black cube suddenly appeared above his head. Though only a few dozen cubic meters, its density and weight defied belief.
Hyuga Mirai braced it with his arm. Otsutsuki Isshiki charged, wielding a black staff.
"Don't think so!"
Tsunade intercepted, but merely a glance from Isshiki caused black rods to pierce her vital points.
Puchi!
Black rods erupted from her body, halting her advance. Cubes struck her, and she crashed to the ground.
Boom.
Isshiki charged Hyuga Mirai and kicked him violently, sending him hundreds of meters into the mountains.
"Ha! This is Otsutsuki power. When I was weak, you crushed me. Today I will—"
His arrogance lasted barely two minutes before Hyuga Mirai and Tsunade returned unharmed.
"You got kicked hundreds of meters? That's unlike you." Even the strongest Taijutsu ninja would be mocked for such a scene.
Tsunade extracted the black rods, healing instantly. "You should let them feel some joy, or despair would be too cruel."
Hyuga Mirai crushed the black cube and smiled at Isshiki. "Is that all you've got?"
"Bastard!"
Isshiki recalled the same taunt from a millennium ago.
"You'll die!"
He released nearly all Otsutsuki power, combined with Ten-Tails energy, restoring most of his old strength. Jigen's body was not the perfect vessel, but powerful enough.
Boom!
Isshiki's punch was blocked. Shockwaves erupted as he frantically attacked with Taijutsu, each blow visible even to the naked eye.
Tsunade activated her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to observe. Without it, she could barely see two black silhouettes colliding in the air.
Mountains crumbled, clouds shattered; Isshiki attacked with black rods and cubes, but Hyuga Mirai evaded or kicked them away.
"Mirai, watch out!" Tsunade warned, seeing a few seconds ahead with her Sharingan.
Hyuga Mirai kicked Isshiki aside, enveloping himself in his Quest Jade cloak, covering everything but his head.
"Die, Hyuga Mirai!"
A black-and-yellow spiked dagger emerged, but Hyuga Mirai blocked it. His Sage robe and Rinnegan protected him. The dagger's strike left a hole in his chest, revealing Isshiki's full power.
"Rinnegan!? You consumed the Ten-Tails? You lowly wretch—"
Boom!
Hyuga Mirai punched, sending Isshiki flying nearly a hundred meters underground.
Isshiki's vessel trembled. "One punch… was that all a trick? I must escape and reincarnate…"
"Escape?"
Hyuga Mirai appeared from the Yomi Birazaka, a space-time ability from the Ten-Tails.
"Damn!"
He tried to attack again, but Hyuga Mirai nearly unleashed full power. If Isshiki did not escape using space-time ability, he had no chance.
Boom!
Another kick sent Isshiki flying, worsening his injuries.
Tsunade yelled, "Mirai, he's trying to release black rods and cubes to create a diversion and escape toward Orochimaru!"
Realizing Tsunade's ability, Isshiki understood she possessed a rare space-time ocular jutsu, capable of predicting the future.
"Next time, strike lightly, or his vessel may die, and you'll regret the effort."
"Damn Uchiha woman!"
The rods appeared, three evaded by Tsunade.
"You lowly locals… I'll—"
Isshiki charged with a black spike aimed at her head. Suddenly, he lost control.
"I am Tsunade of the Senju!"
Boom!
Tsunade's punch shattered half his face, sending him uncontrollably flying toward Hyuga Mirai, where the Madara Uchiha artificial human grabbed his throat. The Rinnegan sealed Isshiki into a mini Deva Path sphere, actually in another dimension, like Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Hyuga Mirai said, "I told you not to hit too hard. You nearly killed him yourself."
"Don't worry, I foresaw it. And he dared called me Uchiha woman. That's despicable."
Tsunade removed the rods, her wounds healed instantly.
"What's next?"
"Collect the Ten-Tails he cultivated, leave the rest to Orochimaru."
Hyuga Mirai thought of the Outlaw Statue in the Quest Space. "This concerns future evolutionary life forms. Tsunade, help me."
"Hey, you—"
"Please, Tsunade, it's important!"
Tsunade hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but you can't stop me from drinking this time."
Hyuga Mirai planned to limit high-end sake production, making it hard even for her to buy.
Isshiki's prepared assassination strike contained Ten-Tails power and black markings. Hyuga Mirai placed it in the Another Dimension for research.
They then went to where Isshiki had Ten-Tails, along with other Otsutsuki information.
"What's this?"
Tsunade saw a personal Otsutsuki mark, revealing images with Chakra input. Except for Isshiki's destroyed image, others remained, though Hyuga Mirai doubted the Otsutsuki numbered only a few.
"This contains Otsutsuki clan info. Later, I'll extract it from Isshiki's mind."
They secured the Ten-Tails into Another Dimension. It was small, weaker than the real Ten-Tails, but with integration, it could become a second Ten-Tails.
After releasing Isshiki's seal, Hyuga Mirai put the rebelling Ten-Tails into Another Dimension.
Seeing Tsunade still studying the images, he said, "Let's meet Orochimaru first. We can study this later."
Hyuga Mirai brought Orochimaru's collected items into Quest Space and returned to the federation via Yomi Birazaka.
Upon returning, he began researching Isshiki, reincarnating his life info into an immortal form similar to Orochimaru's cursed seals but geared toward electronic life forms.
Part of Isshiki's life was also used to locate space-time travel nodes. These tasks would keep Hyuga Mirai busy for a long time.
He assigned Tsunade to help and used clones to monitor progress, ensuring safe travel through space-time.
He speculated Isshiki's hatred stemmed partly from the time-space machine. Otherwise, they had little contact.
After two months of research, some progress was made. Memory extraction from Isshiki wasn't fully successful, but node location for space-time travel was complete, pinpointing a thousand-year-old timeline. The first trial could now proceed.
(End of Chapter)
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