In a remote town in the Land of Water, Cixian walked the streets with a hooded cloak pulled low. He was the vessel Isshiki Otsutsuki had possessed a thousand years ago—still alive, still moving, still hunting for the right body.
He had spent centuries hiding from Kaguya's lingering influence and her descendants while slowly adapting to this fragile human shell. The body was weak, but it was enough to survive. For now.
"Another disappointing day," he muttered, voice low and tired. He had searched again for a vessel strong enough to carry Isshiki's power. Nothing. Not a single body that could withstand the strain.
He was about to move on when a sudden, violent ripple of chakra tore across his senses. His head snapped toward the Land of Wind—toward Roran.
"That's… another clan member. Fighting someone on this planet."
A suffocating sense of rage and loss flooded him. This world was special. The chakra here was dense and high-quality. The God Tree fruit it would produce would push him further along the path of evolution. But now another Otsutsuki had arrived. And worse—one had already died here.
If the others found out about him, they would seal him away for a thousand years… or worse.
"No more waiting. If I can't find a suitable vessel, I'll make one. First, I need an organization to do the groundwork. I'll call it… Kara."
Back in Konoha, Taiichi, Kakashi, and Rin finally returned on the fourteenth day after accepting the mission.
Their first stop was the Hokage's office.
Taiichi led the way but didn't hand over the report right away. Instead, he bowed respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hokage-sama, please clear the room."
Hiruzen looked up, surprised by the serious tone. He waved his hand. The hidden ANBU guards slipped away without a sound.
Taiichi still wasn't satisfied. He formed a seal and stomped the floor, spreading a soundproof barrier around the office.
Only then did he hand over the mission report.
Hiruzen opened it and began reading. His eyes widened almost immediately.
Future people? Naruto? Yamato? Fifth Hokage?
He looked up sharply at Taiichi, who simply nodded with a grave expression.
The report only got more shocking from there.
Hiruzen read in silence, pipe forgotten in his hand. By the time he finished, his face was grim. He slowly picked up the pipe, packed it, and took several long drags, exhaling thick smoke as he tried to process everything.
"You three… handled this well. Information like this can't be allowed to spread."
The three of them nodded but stayed quiet.
After a long pause, Hiruzen sighed. "These are turbulent times."
He looked at Taiichi. "What's your assessment?"
Taiichi met his gaze. "According to what Urashiki said, the Otsutsuki clan isn't large and they're scattered across the universe. For now, we're only likely to run into individuals. The best move is to inform the other four great villages and unite the entire shinobi world against this external threat."
Hiruzen shook his head before Taiichi even finished. "That won't work. The Five Great Villages just finished fighting each other. We have no hard proof. They won't believe us."
Taiichi had expected that answer. He continued anyway. "Then we focus on what we can control. Strengthen education, expand the academy, increase research funding, and consolidate the power of the major clans—"
Hiruzen's expression grew darker with every point. These weren't simple suggestions. They all required either massive funding or stepping on powerful interests.
"Enough," Hiruzen said, rubbing his temples. "You've done your part. Go rest. We'll handle the rest."
Taiichi understood. Hiruzen was old, entangled in politics and old relationships. Real change would have to wait until Minato took over.
The three of them bowed and left the office.
Once they were gone, Hiruzen sat in silence for a long time, staring at the report.
"Academy expansion and research… I can't dump everything on Minato. As for Orochimaru… let him focus on what he loves. That's the least I can do for him as his teacher."
Outside, the three teammates stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Taiichi glanced at them. "What are your plans now?"
Rin gripped the hem of her shirt, knuckles white. "I was useless on this mission. Whether it was the puppets or that enemy… I couldn't do anything." She took a breath. "I'm not suited for combat. The hospital is running a medical-nin training program. I'm going to join it and specialize in medical ninjutsu."
Kakashi's hand tightened around his short blade. "I'm going to train with my father. I won't let the White Fang's blade break in my hands." His voice was quiet but firm. "After that, I'll apply to join ANBU. Only real pressure and life-or-death missions will push me further."
Taiichi nodded. He didn't try to talk them out of it. Every ninja walked their own path.
"If you need help, come find me."
They exchanged looks, then split up without another word.
Taiichi headed home, looking forward to finally getting some real rest.
That hope lasted until the next morning.
He had barely opened his front gate when a figure appeared in front of him like she had been waiting all night.
Golden hair slightly messy, dark circles under her eyes, and a tired but fierce expression—Tsunade.
"You little bastard!"
Before he could react, she shoved a massive stack of documents—nearly half her height—straight into his arms. The edge of one scroll jabbed him in the chest.
"Do you have any idea what these last two weeks have been like for me?!" Her voice was hoarse from exhaustion and anger. "Hospital paperwork, teaching a bunch of brats at the academy, budget approvals, mission reports—every single day was endless! And you were off gallivanting in the Land of Wind with two kids while I was stuck here!"
She jabbed a finger at the top document.
"Today's surgeries. Revised lesson plans. This damn budget request. Handle it!"
Taiichi stared at the mountain of work in his arms, then at Tsunade. "Sensei, this is a bit much—"
"Too much? This is what you left me with!" She cut him off, then suddenly grinned with exhausted satisfaction. "The rest is your problem. I'm free now."
With that, her body dissolved into white smoke.
A shadow clone.
Taiichi stood there holding the documents as the smoke cleared, sighing deeply.
He carried everything inside and set it on the living room table. The pile was enormous.
He rubbed his forehead, then formed hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Seven clones appeared in puffs of smoke.
"Alright, everyone. Let's get this done so we can move on to real training."
"Got it!"
The clones grabbed stacks of documents and dispersed in different directions.
Soon, only Taiichi and one final document remained on the table.
It was a proposal titled Emergency Expansion and Training System Reform for Medical-Nin Under Wartime Conditions.
Tsunade had scrawled across the cover in bold, angry handwriting: Ideas are decent. Execution is garbage. Taiichi, refine the details.
He picked it up, walked to the study, and sat by the window as morning light spilled across the desk.
Time to get to work.