Takuno's gaze swept across the intersection of the barrier and the sea, as well as a distant, faintly visible, simple small pier that appeared to be manually excavated.
A more convenient plan quickly took shape in his mind: since Turtle Island was not completely enclosed, there must be channels for personnel or supplies to enter and exit.
Rather than wasting effort and time cracking the barrier, it was better to hide in the shadows, wait for the timing when these people moved through the barrier, and merge into it noiselessly.
Takuno's figure merged into the shadow of a reef. With his aura retracted, he patiently observed this gargantuan object disguised as an island, waiting for his best point of entry.
Time passed quietly in the silent wait.
As expected, the figure of a Kumo ninja appeared in the distance, sprinting toward Turtle Island with a clear objective, obviously possessing access permissions for the barrier.
The moment had arrived! A sharp glint flashed in Takuno's eyes. His form turned into a blurred shadow nearly impossible for the naked eye to track, instantly closing the distance to the Kumo ninja.
The opponent didn't even have time to react; his pupils only managed to reflect a blurry afterimage before he came face-to-face with Takuno's deep eyes in the next second.
Within those eyes, three pitch-black tomoe suddenly rotated at high speed, and a surging power of Genjutsu erupted forth.
The Kumo ninja's body stiffened abruptly. The light in his eyes vanished instantly, and like a marionette, he fell completely into the Genjutsu cage meticulously woven by Takuno, losing all self-awareness.
Watching the Kumo puppet, with its hollow eyes and stiff gait, successfully pass through the barrier and enter Turtle Island, Takuno did not choose to replace him directly.
This "living key" had other uses; he needed this puppet to lead him quickly to the core objective of this trip: the Waterfall of Truth.
After all, inside Turtle Island, it would be inconvenient to use Kujaku Myōhō: Wings to search for the Waterfall of Truth from the sky. Therefore, searching blindly within the massive island was clearly a suboptimal strategy; utilizing the puppet's memory would save precious time.
Controlled entirely by Genjutsu, the Kumo ninja walked through the interior of Turtle Island like a machine with a set route.
When encountering acquaintances along the way who greeted him, he was even able to rely on residual instincts to mimic his usual tone and demeanor to give mechanical responses. Everything appeared no different from usual, cleverly masking the fact that he was under Genjutsu control.
The puppet pressed forward, eventually stepping into the depths of a forest so dense it felt somewhat sinister.
He stopped his pace and, with slightly stiff movements, took an unremarkable-looking seed from his vest and pressed it into the soft soil.
The moment the seed touched the earth, it was like a thirsty fish leaping into water, exploding with startling vitality.
It frantically absorbed nutrients from the soil, its branches and vines growing at a speed that defied common sense.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal flower bud with a diameter far exceeding a person's height burst from the ground, standing tall in the forest clearing.
Next, the petals unfolded layer by layer, blooming outward.
However, wrapped inside this exotic flower was not a delicate stamen, but a cross-legged figure: Takuno's Wood Clone!
The Wood Clone snapped its eyes open, his gaze clear and sharp.
He nimbly stepped out of the flower's heart and came to the side of the dazed Kumo puppet, precisely locating the Reverse Summoning Scroll on its person.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Wood Clone decisively tore open the scroll and utilized the Reverse Summoning Jutsu!
Poof!
A thick cloud of white smoke instantly rose beside the Wood Clone. The smoke quickly dissipated, and Takuno's original body stood revealed within Turtle Island.
The Wood Clone's task was complete. With a slight thought from the original Takuno, the Wood Clone was released, turning into pure life energy and dissipating into the air.
At this moment, the Kumo puppet seemed to receive a new directive. It started walking again without a word, heading mechanically toward the deeper parts of the forest.
Takuno immediately retracted his aura, following the puppet like a shadow.
After traveling through the forest for a while, the sound of rushing water gradually reached his ears.
Parting the last vine blocking his view, a waterfall of modest scale finally came into sight.
Compared to the majestic Takigakure Great Waterfall in his memory, which looked like the Milky Way hanging upside down, the Waterfall of Truth before him was almost pitiably small—like a silver ribbon formed by a trickling stream hanging on the mountain wall.
Standing by the rapid stream, Takuno gazed at the plummeting curtain of water, a trace of confusion and inquiry flitting through his deep eyes.
He thought to himself: "How can such an ordinary little waterfall possess the magical power to reflect a user's inner heart? What secret is hidden within it?"
With his current knowledge, he could not immediately see through the principles behind it.
"Perhaps, beneath or deep within this waterfall, a treasure with special power is buried?" Takuno performed a habitual deduction.
After all, as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure possessed no shortage of treasures.
For example, the several Six Paths Shinobi Tools used by the famous rogue ninja pair, the Gold and Silver Brothers, were likely secret treasures that once belonged to Kumo.
It was quite possible that the supernatural nature of the Waterfall of Truth originated from some similar, unknown curiosity.
Although Takuno was somewhat tempted, it was only a guess. If he were to destroy it randomly and cause the Waterfall of Truth to lose its function, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Because, according to his plan, he didn't intend to use this Waterfall of Truth only once.
Takuno did not hesitate at all; he immediately performed the Transformation Jutsu, precisely transforming into the likeness of the Kumo ninja he controlled.
He took a deep breath and walked toward the legendary Waterfall of Truth.
Although this place was a cherished secret treasure site of Kumogakure, the security was unexpectedly lax.
The hidden nature of Turtle Island itself went without saying, but more importantly, the Waterfall of Truth was a geographical anomaly; it was massive and rooted in the island's origin. Its very existence was an unsolveable defense.
Even those who coveted it could only sigh at the waterfall, as there was no way to move or take it away.
Thanks to the information extracted from the Kumo ninja's mind, Takuno was well-versed in the mechanism of the Waterfall of Truth.
He knew that those who dared to face their inner darkness and challenge the Waterfall of Truth were few and far between even within Kumogakure.
A lack of conviction kept most ninjas at bay.
The identity he was currently masquerading as was precisely one of those scheduled for meditation here; the person had simply fallen into his control before setting foot on this spot.
Therefore, entering the waterfall area with this face would cause almost zero suspicion.
Furthermore, the trial of the Waterfall of Truth was not a one-way street that couldn't be interrupted.
Once he perceived an external threat or danger to himself, he could withdraw his spirit at any time and return to his physical body.
After weighing the risks repeatedly and confirming they were controllable, Takuno walked with steady steps and finally stood before the roaring Waterfall of Truth.
The water cascaded down, mist diffusing, carrying a strange power that pierced straight through the soul.
He hesitated no longer and slowly closed his eyes.
Almost the instant he closed his eyes and focused, an indescribable, mysterious fluctuation that acted purely on the spiritual level permeated through him.
Takuno was no stranger to this kind of spiritual palpitation; thanks to his frequent use of the Spirit Transformation Technique, his perception of spiritual bodies was exceptionally keen.
He snapped his eyes open and looked down at himself.
As expected, what stood before the waterfall now was not a body of flesh and blood, but a spiritual entity stripped of its physical shell and composed purely of will.
This made sense; after all, the Waterfall of Truth reflected a mental image rather than a material entity.
He cast his gaze toward the curtain of water that continued to flow ceaselessly.
However, in the next second, his pupils constricted!
Deep within that hazy water curtain, a figure was condensing, its silhouette becoming clearer and clearer as it stepped out steadily from the center.
That build, that face... it was familiar enough to make his heart skip a beat!
"Are you..." Takuno's voice carried a hint of inquiry and coldness, "...my 'dark side'?"
The 'Takuno' standing opposite him also raised his eyes, scrutinizing him with a complex gaze.
Unexpectedly, on that face identical to his own, there was none of the predicted malice or distortion. Instead, a strange expression bordering on confusion appeared.
A moment later, a world-shaking sentence came clearly:
"I think... compared to me, you are the 'dark side,' aren't you?"
In an instant, Takuno felt as if he had been struck by lightning. All his prepared responses froze in his throat.
A shocked silence spread amidst the sound of the rushing waterfall.
Two identical figures stared at each other across an invisible spiritual space, time seemingly stretched to infinity.
After a long while, the two actually let out a heavy sigh in unison.
"This result... is indeed beyond my expectations," Takuno broke the silence, his voice low.
The 'Takuno' opposite him curled his lips into a bitter smile that saw through everything: "Don't you understand yet? The Waterfall of Truth never reflects a simple 'dark side.' It reveals the most hidden, most 'authentic' self deep within a person's heart. It's just that..."
He paused, his words carrying the mockery of fate, "That 'truth' which is deliberately hidden... often... tends to slide more easily toward the abyss of darkness."
Takuno remained silent. In the moment the other appeared and through this brief exchange of words, he had roughly figured out the logic.
Why did this reflected body not look like the predicted incarnation of darkness? The reason was actually exceptionally simple.
In his journey so far, although Takuno often wore various masks and played different roles, everything he did was rooted deeply in his most authentic inner will.
There was no coercion, no compromise against his own heart.
Looking back at the past, perhaps some choices brought subsequent regret, but at every moment he made a decision, he absolutely followed the voice of his own heart, executing the choices of his "self" without looking back.
Therefore, the 'Takuno' standing before him now might differ slightly in minor details, but those differences were merely ripples generated by the mapping of mental images.
The core essence—the choice and will originating from the depths of the soul—was no different from his own.
This was not a duel between light and darkness, but a direct confrontation with the "authentic self."
Cold droplets of water splattered, dampening Takuno's collar and hair. He stood at the edge of the waterfall, rubbing his temples, his brow furrowing into deep lines.
Reality had dealt him another heavy blow. He had intended to use the Waterfall of Truth to resolve the side effects of that troublesome device; the current situation clearly demonstrated that this plan had vanished like bubbles.
"Heh, I didn't say it wouldn't work."
A voice identical to his own, carrying a hint of playfulness, pierced through the clamor of the waterfall and stabbed precisely into his mind.
It was the other "Takuno."
He seemed able to see through the original's thoughts. At this moment, he provocatively raised one eyebrow slightly, a knowing smirk hanging on the corner of his mouth.
"Hm?" Takuno was startled.
'Takuno' did not answer his question directly. He simply raised his hand lazily and pointed a finger casually toward a direction where the water vapor was thick and hazy.
Takuno followed the guidance and looked over, his pupils suddenly constricting.
Within that thick white mist that wouldn't dissipate, several blurry figures were slowly and stubbornly condensing into shape.
As the silhouettes became clear, Takuno's heart felt as if it had sunk into a cold pool.
Those figures were all imprinted with a face similar to his own, yet they were thoroughly changed in detail, becoming carriers of the profound symbols in his memory.
The closest one had a posture as straight as an unsheathed blade. He wore only a deep gray sleeveless vest, with a cloak as black as night draped casually over his shoulders, fluttering wildly with the movement of the water vapor.
That arrogant, unyielding gaze and that familiar posture were clearly the image of the aloof ninja from the original work: Sasuke!
Slightly further away, another figure's face was completely obscured by an eerie orange mask engraved with spiral patterns, leaving only one eye hole that emitted a deep, unfathomable light.
The signature black robe with red clouds silently proclaimed his identity: a memory fragment of Obito.
The aura beneath the mask was saturated with unspeakable distortion and heaviness.
Beside him, a figure stood casually, wearing a standard Konohagakure deep green Jonin vest.
His face was covered by a black mask, hiding the lower half completely and revealing only a pair of eyes that appeared slightly lazy yet hid a sharp edge.
Most notably, a Konoha forehead protector was worn askew, perfectly covering his left eye.
Kakashi, the image of the genius who copied a thousand jutsu, reappeared in this manner.
Not far from Kakashi, another figure had not yet fully condensed, but the pure killing intent and cold baleful aura spreading around him already stung the senses like a physical substance.
One could clearly see the deep crimson character for "Love" (愛) engraved on his forehead, as fine grains of sand floated and gathered around him seemingly at random.
Even with a blurry silhouette, that loneliness and violence belonging to Gaara—tempered by endless pain and hatred—hit him full-force.
And there were more... shadowy figures stirring deep within the mist.
"They?!" The scene before him far exceeded expectations. Even Takuno could not hide a trace of heartfelt shock at this moment, his low voice filled with confusion and bewilderment.
'Takuno's' voice rang out calmly, carrying a cruelty that saw through everything.
"Because they are you, yet they are not you."