Obito explained everything that had happened in meticulous detail.
He placed particular emphasis on Kiyohara's strength. At this point, Kiyohara was already powerful enough to treat the Nine-Tails like a toy and toy with it as he pleased.
Even when Obito tried to turn the Nine-Tails into his summoned beast, he had still failed.
"Why didn't you simply leave with the Nine-Tails?"
Madara interrupted Obito.
In Madara's eyes, Obito's continued attempts to take revenge on Konoha were simply foolish.
The mission Madara had left for Obito was to collect all nine Tailed Beasts.
Once the strongest of them, the Nine-Tails, had been captured, obtaining the remaining eight would only be a matter of time.
"This..."
Obito suddenly did not know how to explain himself.
Should he admit that he had simply acted on impulse in the heat of the moment and ended up producing that masterpiece of a disaster?
"Hmph."
Madara cursed him as an idiot in his heart.
Whenever he asked Obito to capture a Tailed Beast, something always seemed to go wrong.
"Continue."
In the end, Madara motioned for Obito to keep talking.
Obito continued his explanation.
In a single night, Kiyohara had completely uprooted the Root's headquarters. All the evidence of its crimes had been made public, and the opposition within Konoha had been thoroughly purged.
Kumogakure had even signed an agreement to establish a military base, and a considerable portion of the Land of Lightning's mineral deposits had effectively become property of Konoha.
Kusagakure's "Box of Ultimate Bliss" had also been seized by Kiyohara, while the lord of the Hōzuki Castle had become one of his pawns.
"So Kiyohara can use Wood Release?"
After listening to everything, Madara realized that this was the matter he needed to pay the most attention to.
"That's right."
Obito nodded.
Obito also told Madara that Kiyohara had confronted the people living on the moon and had combined a gigantic Thousand-Armed Buddha with "Susanoo."
"Susanoo Buddha?"
Madara's eyebrows lifted slightly.
That was certainly creative.
Back when he had fought Hashirama, he had also covered the Nine-Tails with "Susanoo."
He had considered Wood Release as well.
Unfortunately, it was not until he was old, after completely integrating Hashirama's cells into his body, that he finally obtained the ability to use Wood Release.
"Interesting."
Madara began walking around, the red armor covering his body making a sharp clattering sound with every movement.
"Putting Susanoo on top of the Thousand-Armed Buddha. If Hashirama were still alive, he would probably want to fight this brat."
He turned around, his pair of Mangekyo Sharingan staring directly at Obito.
"What about the people on the moon?"
"They escaped, but Kiyohara did not pursue them."
"Why?"
"Because there is a weapon on the moon."
Obito's voice carried a trace of apprehension.
"A white pillar of light descends from the sky. A single strike severely injured Nagato, and its power far surpasses a Tailed Beast Bomb. Kiyohara took the attack head-on and only suffered a minor injury. Moreover, he recovered within just a few breaths."
"The reason Kiyohara did not pursue them should be because he was wary of a second strike from that weapon."
A trace of surprise flashed through Madara's eyes.
An attack that far surpassed a Tailed Beast Bomb, yet Kiyohara had suffered only a minor injury and recovered almost instantly.
At the same time, this was the first time Madara had realized just how powerful the people on the moon were.
When he had summoned the "Demonic Statue of the Outer Path" back then, he had already sensed that something was wrong.
After all, if he attempted to use the "Reverse Summoning Technique," he would receive an extremely strong warning telling him that the distance was impossibly far.
For the sake of safety, Madara had not dared to take the risk when he was still alive and old.
"What are his Mangekyo abilities?"
Madara asked.
Obito shook his head.
"One of them should be capable of drawing out fear, while the other is a visual jutsu that can affect space."
"I see."
Madara withdrew his gaze and walked toward the wall of the secret chamber.
An old, worn-out map hung there.
He raised his hand and traced his fingertip across the map, starting from Konoha and following the border of the Land of Fire all the way north.
"Kumogakure, Kusagakure, the Hōzuki Castle. Konoha's current sphere of influence has already become larger than it was when Hashirama was in power."
He turned around and looked at Obito.
"You were right. Kiyohara is indeed someone I need to take seriously."
Or rather, even when he had still been alive, Madara had already regarded Kiyohara as someone worthy of attention.
He had tried his best to estimate Kiyohara's strength as highly as possible, yet he had still underestimated him.
"If he possesses both the Sharingan and Wood Release, then he should have already mastered the power of the Senju and Uchiha."
Madara spoke slowly.
What he feared was that Kiyohara might have also transplanted "Hashirama's cells." If that were the case, there was a possibility that Kiyohara could awaken the "Rinnegan" as well.
Madara knew better than anyone just how powerful the "Rinnegan" truly was.
Strangely enough, this sense of danger gave the reanimated Madara a surge of fighting spirit.
Although his current body had been created through the Impure World Reincarnation, his spirit still yearned for a genuine battle.
"I thought this world would become unbearably boring after my death. I never expected that a junior like this would appear."
"After Hashirama died, I never encountered another opponent who could make me truly serious. This Kiyohara... perhaps he can let me experience that feeling again."
"However, according to what you have told me, if we fight one-on-one, there is no guarantee that I can defeat him."
Madara said this as he paced back and forth through the secret chamber.
"The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is still there, right?"
Madara suddenly spoke.
"It's still there."
Obito nodded.
"Then this will be easy to deal with."
Madara stopped walking and turned his head toward Orochimaru.
"You. Go and bring Hashirama back through Impure World Reincarnation as well."
Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly.
"The First Hokage? Are you sure?"
"Of course I am sure. Hashirama is the only opponent I have ever truly acknowledged. He is also the strongest shinobi in this world. If I can have him fight alongside me, then that would be..."
Madara did not finish his sentence, but the meaning behind his words was already perfectly clear.
If the two people who stood at the very peak of the shinobi world joined forces, there would be no opponent they could not handle.
"I'll find a way."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"But I don't have many samples of Hashirama's cells on hand. I'll need more time and more materials."
Ever since he had defected from Konoha, his resources had been far inferior to what they once were.
Many of the experimental materials he needed were difficult to obtain, and he would have to establish new supply channels.
"We have plenty of time."
Madara replied calmly.
He then turned toward Obito.
"Go and bring me the Uchiha Gunbai and the scythe."
Obito nodded.
His Mangekyo Sharingan rotated, and his body was swallowed into a swirling vortex of space.
A moment later, space distorted once again.
Obito stepped out of the vortex, now carrying a massive Uchiha Gunbai and a large scythe.
Madara took the Uchiha Gunbai from him and slowly ran his fingers across its surface.
He gripped the handle and casually swung it once.
A violent gust of wind suddenly erupted.
The candle flames inside the secret chamber were instantly blown out. Yet after the fierce wind passed, the candles reignited once more.
Madara nodded in satisfaction.
He fastened the scythe to his waist and slung the Gunbai across his back. Then he turned around and walked toward the entrance of the secret chamber.
His figure gradually disappeared into the shadows.
Orochimaru remained standing where he was, a thin layer of cold sweat appearing across his forehead.
He could feel it.
When Madara had walked past him, the pressure radiating from his body had felt like an enormous mountain pressing down on his shoulders.
Although Madara was currently in a state of Impure World Reincarnation, and Orochimaru had even placed a control technique within his reanimated body, Orochimaru knew very well that those techniques were completely meaningless against Madara.
They could not restrain him in the slightest.
"Heh heh... so this is Madara?"
Orochimaru muttered under his breath.
A look of unprecedented apprehension flashed through his golden, serpentine eyes.
"The Impure World Reincarnation Technique... truly is an extremely dangerous technique. At any moment, it could turn around and bite the hand of the person who cast it."
He lowered his head and stared at his fingers, which were trembling ever so slightly.
Those hands that were normally steady and always seemed to have everything under control were actually shaking at this moment.
It was a feeling of helplessness that he had not experienced in a very long time.
It reminded him of the first time he had entered Konoha's forbidden jutsu library and opened a scroll filled with forbidden techniques. Back then, when he saw those jutsu that exceeded the limits of his understanding, he had experienced the same feeling.
The knowledge was clearly in his hands, yet he was completely incapable of controlling it.
Orochimaru took a deep breath and clenched his trembling fingers tightly.
Interesting.
Far too interesting.
This world truly was still filled with unknown things.
And the unknown was precisely what he had spent his entire life pursuing.
...
Several days later, Konoha.
Kiyohara was waiting outside the entrance of the Shinobi Academy.
Today, Itachi and the others had applied for early graduation together.
There had been no suspense regarding the results of the examination.
They had all passed successfully.
Itachi held his new shinobi forehead protector in his hand before tying it around his forehead. His black hair was pressed down beneath the forehead protector, revealing his dark eyes.
Izumi stood beside him, holding a forehead protector of her own.
Instead of wearing it around her forehead, she tied it around her neck. The silver-white metal plate rested against the fair skin at the back of her neck, while her long black hair fell over it, partially covering its edges.
"We finally graduated."
Izumi took a deep breath.
Itachi nodded slightly.
Izumi rose onto her tiptoes and looked through the crowd.
She quickly spotted Kiyohara.
Two girls were standing beside him.
They were Guren and Kurama Yakumo.
Yakumo stood beside Kiyohara, a faint smile resting on her gentle face.
"Kiyohara-sensei!"
Izumi ran over and stopped in front of him.
She raised her head and proudly displayed the forehead protector around her neck.
"I graduated!"
"I can see that."
Kiyohara reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"The reason I asked you all to come here today is because there is something I need to tell you."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and let his gaze sweep across Izumi and Itachi.
"There is no need to rush the Chunin Exams for now. With your current strength, passing the Chunin Exams is only a matter of time. However, truly growing into shinobi who can stand on their own does not come from passing an examination. What you need is actual combat experience."
"So, I plan to take you on a mission."
Izumi's eyes immediately lit up with anticipation.
"Really? Where are we going?"
"The Land of Water."
Kiyohara answered.
"There are some matters that need to be dealt with on the Kirigakure side. I will take you with me, and it will also serve as valuable experience for you."
"The Land of Water? It's out on the sea? I want to go!"
Guren immediately raised her hand.
"I want to go too."
Yakumo said softly.
Kiyohara glanced at the two girls and nodded.
"Guren, Yakumo, you will come as well. I couldn't bring you along on the previous mission, so this time I will make up for it."
Guren became so excited that she nearly jumped into the air.
Yakumo did not show quite as much excitement, but the corners of her lips still curved upward into a happy smile.
"But."
Kiyohara's tone suddenly changed, and his expression became serious.
"A shinobi cannot have only one teacher. Every shinobi will have a Jonin who serves as their team leader.
"The team leader Jonin is responsible for your daily training, guiding you during missions, and helping you complete your assignments. I have tested each of you before, and now it is time to arrange team leaders for you."
Kiyohara explained.
In the shinobi world, a shinobi was not limited to having only one sensei. Naruto, for example, had Kakashi as his team leader and Jonin instructor, while also having Jiraiya as his teacher.
The several children fell silent at the same time.
Kiyohara raised his hand and gently clapped twice.
A figure slowly emerged from the forest.
She had delicate and refined features, while her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, revealing a pair of cold and beautiful eyes.
Uchiha Hikari.
"Her name is Uchiha Hikari. She is an elite shinobi of the Uchiha clan. From today onward, she will be your team leader."
The children immediately turned their attention toward Hikari.
Hikari stopped in front of them. At some point, she had produced a skewer of three-colored dango in her hand.
She took a bite of one of the dumplings, chewed it slowly, swallowed, and only then spoke.
"I will teach you how to survive in actual combat."
Hikari spoke calmly.
After spending this period of time adapting to the new world, she had also learned how to survive in the shinobi world a hundred years later.
The world had changed in countless ways, but one thing had never changed.
A shinobi's duty was still to kill.
Because of that, Hikari could still remain active in the shinobi world.
Izumi blinked, and a strange feeling rose in her heart.
She was also a member of the Uchiha clan, but she had never seen this woman within the clan before.
Moreover, Hikari's temperament was completely different from that of the other Uchiha.
Most Uchiha possessed at least some degree of pride and sharpness. However, there was none of that in Hikari.
"Are you a member of the Uchiha clan?"
Izumi asked curiously.
Hikari glanced at her. There was not the slightest ripple in her dark eyes.
"You could say that."
After saying this, she took another bite of her dango.
Izumi exchanged a glance with Itachi, and neither of them asked anything else.
Kiyohara waved toward Guren and Yakumo.
"Guren, Yakumo, your team leader Jonin will be Yuhi Kurenai."
Guren followed his gaze and saw the red-haired woman standing a short distance away.
Kurenai was dressed in a dark red shinobi outfit, with her slightly curled long hair falling loosely over her shoulders.
She walked over to Guren and Yakumo, bent down slightly, and gave the two girls a gentle smile.
"I look forward to working with you from now on, Guren, Yakumo."
Guren cautiously looked Kurenai up and down several times before giving a small snort, which could be taken as her way of accepting the arrangement.
Yakumo, on the other hand, gave a serious bow.
"I look forward to learning from you, Kurenai-sensei."
Kiyohara watched as the children each found their respective team leaders.
Shion was not here this time. She was currently in the priestess village of the Land of Demons.
Kiyohara intended to train her into an independent and capable priestess of the Land of Demons, allowing her to inherit Miroku's legacy.
Furthermore, the fuinjutsu techniques of the Land of Demons and the priestess's inheritance were unique training resources for Shion. Remaining in Konoha would instead restrict her growth.
After some time had passed, Kiyohara planned to take her to Ryuchi Cave for further training.
"Sage Chakra" had a natural enhancement effect on the fuinjutsu techniques of the Land of Demons. If Shion could master it, her strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
The next day.
Itachi stood at the main entrance of his home.
His shinobi tool pouch was filled with shuriken and kunai, and his forehead protector was securely tied around his forehead.
Standing in front of him was a small figure.
Sasuke raised his head and stared directly at his older brother with his dark eyes. His little face was filled with reluctance.
He could already speak now. Although his pronunciation was still somewhat unclear, he could express himself well enough.
"Brother, when will you come back?"
Sasuke's voice was soft and childish.
Itachi bent down and reached out, placing his hand gently on top of Sasuke's head.
"I'll be back soon."
"You're lying. Mom said you're going to a very, very faraway place."
"Mom is right, but I'll come back as soon as I can."
Sasuke lowered his head, his little mouth turning downward in a pout.
Seeing him like this, Itachi extended a finger and gently poked Sasuke on the forehead.
"When I come back, I'll teach you how to use shuriken."
Sasuke's eyes immediately lit up.
"Really?"
"Really."
The corners of Itachi's lips curved upward slightly.
Sasuke waved his little hand as he said goodbye to his older brother.
Itachi straightened up and took one last look at Sasuke before turning around and walking toward the airship.
Behind him, Sasuke continued waving his little hand.
He kept waving until the door closed and Itachi's figure completely disappeared from his sight.
Before long, Itachi arrived at the entrance of Konoha.
When he arrived, he discovered that the others were already there, so he quickly walked over.
An airship was also waiting at the Konoha gate.
After seeing Itachi board, Kiyohara instructed Kakuyoku Fubuki to pilot the airship and begin its ascent.
Boom!
Izumi leaned against the window and looked down at Konoha, which was rapidly shrinking beneath them. A sound of amazement escaped her lips.
Although this was not her first time riding in an airship, she still found the experience incredibly fascinating.
"It's so high!"
Guren squeezed in beside her and also leaned against the window to look down.
Yakumo sat behind the two of them. Although she was not as excited as they were, she could not help turning her head and looking at the clouds outside the window.
The airship flew across the skies above the Land of Fire.
Below them stretched endless forests and mountain ranges.
Days passed as the sun rose and the moon set, and eventually the scenery outside the windows began to change.
The forests gradually became sparser.
In their place appeared stretches of shimmering lakes and winding rivers.
A faint salty smell drifted through the air.
It was the unmistakable scent of seawater.
"Look, the ocean!"
Yakumo pointed out the window, her eyes filled with amazement.
Because of her health in the past, she had never traveled far from home. Even after her condition improved, she had still rarely ventured outside.
Something as vast as the ocean was something Yakumo had only ever seen in books.
Under the setting sun, the surface of the sea shimmered with a golden-red glow.
Wave after wave rolled toward the shore, crashing against the rocks and breaking apart into countless patches of white foam.
The airship crossed the coastline and continued flying toward the depths of the sea.
Night eventually descended.
The airship landed directly on the surface of the ocean.
Fubuki shut down the propulsion system. The bottom of the airship settled onto the surface of the water, allowing it to float steadily like a ship.
"We'll rest here tonight."
Kiyohara stood up and opened the cabin door.
The sea breeze mixed with the salty scent of seawater and rushed toward them.
"Everyone, get out. We'll set up camp near the coastline of the Land of Water. There may be shinobi patrol from Kiri in this area, so everyone needs to remain vigilant."
Kiyohara began assigning tasks.
Itachi and Izumi were responsible for setting up traps around the perimeter of the camp, while Guren and Yakumo helped put up the tents.
Hikari and Kurenai patrolled the area outside the camp.
Mei stood beside Kiyohara, gazing toward the coastline.
The waves gently struck the beach, producing a rhythmic splashing sound.
She did not understand why Kiyohara had brought this group of young Genin with him.
"Mei."
Kiyohara suddenly spoke.
Mei turned her head.
"Help me gather some information about Ice Release shinobi."
Mei's eyebrows drew together slightly.
"Ice Release? You mean the Yuki clan? They were almost completely wiped out during the civil war in the Land of Water. There hasn't been any news about them for many years."
"What about the surviving members?"
Mei fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"There was indeed a tragedy recently. In a village near the snowy mountains, there was a woman who hid her bloodline limit and married, eventually having a child."
"That child was born with the ability to use Ice Release."
"The villagers killed the woman. Just as they were about to kill the child as well, the child, overwhelmed by fear, suddenly awakened his Ice Release and killed everyone who was present."
"After that, the child disappeared. No one knows where he went or how he has been surviving."
Kiyohara listened to her explanation and then turned his head toward her.
"Why didn't Kiri do anything?"
A trace of bitterness flashed across Mei's face.
"The current Kirigakure has no interest in bloodline users outside the village. The orders from Elder Genji's side are that all available resources should be prioritized for transportation to the outside forces. As for those orphans left behind outside the village, no one has the time to care about them."
Kiyohara remained silent for a moment.
He had already guessed the identity of that child.
Haku.
A descendant of the Yuki clan, a young boy who possessed the Ice Release bloodline limit.
In the anime, he was taken in by Zabuza and eventually became Zabuza's most loyal tool.
After Zabuza died, Haku also lost the meaning of continuing to live.
But at this point in time, Haku was probably still wandering through the streets and alleys of the Land of Water.
"Let's find that child first, and then we'll go to Kiri."
Kiyohara said.
Mei froze.
"Find that child? The Land of Water is enormous, and so much time has already passed. How could we possibly find him?"
"We only need a general location."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Mei frowned and thought for a moment before giving him the approximate location of the village near the snowy mountains.
"Somewhere in the mountainous region of the northern Land of Water, near the snow-capped peaks. The village was extremely small and doesn't even appear on the map. I can only give you a general direction."
"That's enough."
Kiyohara reached out and wrapped an arm around Mei's waist.
Mei's body instantly stiffened, and she instinctively tried to pull away.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'll take you into the air and search from above. You only need to point out the direction."
Mei bit her lower lip, a trace of embarrassment and annoyance flashing through her reddish-brown eyes.
However, remembering that she needed Kiyohara's help, she eventually gave up struggling and simply stood stiffly beside him.
A stream of air rose beneath Kiyohara's feet.
The two figures left the ground and shot into the sky, rapidly heading toward the northern region of the Land of Water.
Moonlight spilled across the surface of the ocean, making the waves shimmer beneath the night sky.
Mei was held around the waist by Kiyohara, her entire body stiff as a wooden board.
"Relax. You aren't going to fall."
Kiyohara's voice came from above her.
Mei did not answer.
She merely bit down on her soft red lips.
Kiyohara's sensory ability spread outward like an invisible net, extending from his body and covering a range of several hundred kilometers.
They flew across the strait.
They flew over vast plains.
They flew past one continuous snow-covered mountain range after another.
After some time, a faint chakra fluctuation finally appeared within Kiyohara's perception.
The fluctuation was extremely weak, but there was something very unusual about it.
Kiyohara followed the direction of that chakra fluctuation and flew onward.
Eventually, he landed on the outskirts of a small town covered in heavy snow.
The streets of the town were buried beneath a thick layer of snow, while long icicles hung from the eaves of the buildings.
Moonlight shone down upon the snow-covered ground, reflecting a brilliant silver-white glow.
Haku?
Kiyohara thought for a moment before taking Mei and flying back.
He intended to give Izumi and the others some training.
"Why aren't we going over there?"
"Tomorrow."
Kiyohara shook his head.
He sensed the area again and confirmed that Haku was not in any immediate danger.
There was no need for Kiyohara to hurry right now.
He could also use this opportunity to continue adapting to the Eight-Tails' chakra.
After adapting to the Eight-Tails' chakra, Kiyohara would attempt to assimilate the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Once that was done, he would have adapted to half of the Tailed Beasts' chakra in total.
(End of Chapter)