"Wow, Kakashi-sensei, why is this place so..."
"Run-down?"
"Uh-huh! This is the first time I've seen a place that's entirely covered in desert."
"Naruto, don't tell me you thought everywhere would be just like Konohagakure?"
Amidst the yellow sands of the Land of Wind, Naruto had lost his initial excitement and was now fully engrossed in complaining. Upon learning that he'd be going on a mission, he had immediately pushed aside the fact that Kitagawa Minamoto was now the Fifth Hokage.
He couldn't contain his excitement—after all, this was his first mission in three years where he'd be "away from his parents" and "on his own." Not to mention, he'd only ever seen the Land of Wind in textbooks, so curiosity was inevitable.
But seeing the Land of Wind for himself, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. This desolate place was far from what he had imagined.
"The Land of Wind hasn't changed at all. This place is still the same as ever," Sakumo Hatake maintained a good attitude. Though he had to wear a mask like his son to avoid attracting too much attention, it didn't dampen his spirits. After all, this was his first time going on a mission with Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei," while walking, Sasuke couldn't help but ask curiously. "Have you and Minamoto-senpai been here before? Can you tell us what happened?"
"That time, huh..." Kakashi rubbed his chin, recalling the past before answering. "Actually, things didn't go too smoothly that time. We ran into Orochimaru and his group, and in the end..."
"In the end?" Sasuke was even more curious now. He wanted to learn everything he could about Kitagawa Minamoto's exploits. After all, with Minamoto as his mentor, he had found his direction forward!
"In the end, Minamoto defeated Orochimaru, but accidentally blew up the ancient kingdom of Roran," Kakashi chuckled helplessly, his hands in his pockets as he shook his head. "Don't take it for granted—this was seven or eight years ago, when Minamoto had just graduated. Looking back now, it's almost unbelievable."
"He had just graduated and managed to defeat Orochimaru, and even blew up an ancient kingdom?" Hearing Kakashi's words, both Naruto and Sasuke widened their eyes in disbelief. Even Sakumo Hatake seemed astonished.
Orochimaru might not seem like much to them now, since they were used to dealing with figures of similar caliber. The legendary Sannin had lost their mystique for them. But for Minamoto to show such strength right after graduation—that was simply incredible!
"Roran was blown up?" Sakumo Hatake's expression turned strange. Though he didn't know much about Roran, he was aware that Sunagakure had always been eyeing it.
"Weren't they... furious?"
"Pretty much, since they didn't gain a single benefit from it," Kakashi laughed, then turned his gaze to his father. "But honestly, I think your story is even more interesting."
"Huh?" Hearing Kakashi's words, Sasuke and Naruto turned their heads in surprise, looking curiously at the elder Hatake.
"My father was quite famous in Sunagakure back in the day," Kakashi smirked mischievously, then glanced around. "For example, just like now..."
Before he could finish, a furious shout echoed from afar.
"Damn it! You actually dared to show up in Sunagakure?!"
Accompanied by the shout, several figures rushed toward them. Leading the charge was an elderly man, who was ready to attack!
"Prepare yourself! This time, I won't mistake you—damn you, White Fang of Konoha!"
"..."
Sakumo Hatake awkwardly rubbed his white hair, while Kakashi's mischievous grin remained unchanged. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but swallow nervously. What had this uncle done back then to have someone hold such a grudge for so many years?
Moreover, they realized something—Minamoto had mentioned encountering this person before, so...
"This guy sure knows how to hold a grudge..."
"What exactly are your plans?" In the Rain Country, within the Akatsuki hideout, Obito's expression was grim. Over the past few days, he had received no clear answers. How exactly would the "Moon Eye Plan" proceed? Neither Madara Uchiha nor Black Zetsu had provided any details, leaving him increasingly anxious.
For Obito, the Moon Eye Plan was his sole hope. No matter what, he had to push it forward!
"Don't worry, we're not stopping the plan. But before that, we need to consider one issue," Black Zetsu, upon seeing Obito's frustration, felt helpless internally.
In the past, he would have been thrilled. But now, he wished he could cancel the Moon Eye Plan altogether. Why release his mother, only to have her devoured by Kitagawa Minamoto as a "Divine Ascension Stairway"?
However, he couldn't afford to dampen Obito's enthusiasm. After all, even if not now, the plan would have to continue in the future.
"Kitagawa Minamoto, this guy is someone we absolutely must deal with carefully."
"Kitagawa Minamoto..." Obito frowned slightly. Indeed, Minamoto was a significant threat.
"This guy is definitely troublesome, but if we have the Ten-Tails, and Minamoto on our side, shouldn't we be fine?" Obito had initially intended to mention his own "evolution," but after some thought, he decided to keep it hidden. After all, he had his own ambitions to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki!
"True, becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki would solve many problems, and Minamoto is indeed formidable," Black Zetsu noticed Madara snort coldly without speaking, so after a moment's thought, he quickly said, "But why not make our approach more secure, and simultaneously use Kitagawa Minamoto to help clear some obstacles..."
"You mean..." Obito suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he'd heard this before.
"Use the ninja world to counter the threat of Kitagawa Minamoto?"
"Exactly. We'll definitely proceed with the plan—that's something we decided long ago. But we've discovered something..." Black Zetsu nodded, and Madara Uchiha directly took over.
"The Senju have relics, the Uchiha have relics, so the Sage of Six Paths' brother must have relics too. You've speculated about this before, haven't you?"
"But there hasn't been much progress, or have you discovered something?"
"We've indeed found quite a bit. Haven't you considered that viewing these relics might follow a sequence?"
"Sequence? What do you mean..."
Obito frowned, not understanding what they were talking about. Madara Uchiha frowned slightly, realizing this kid was too dense! Black Zetsu, however, remained perfectly calm, evidently accustomed to this.
"Obito, the Senju relics contain advice for Asura to reconcile with his brother. If they truly reconciled, then naturally one could see the 'Power of All Creation.'"
"Nurturing the Power of All Creation takes time. You should remember that I awakened the Rinnegan just before my death," Madara Uchiha looked at Obito with disdain, speaking coldly. "During this interval, one should view the Sage of Six Paths' brother's relics, and only then proceed with the 'Moon Eye Plan'!"
"The Sage of Six Paths' brother's relics might contain more information about the Ōtsutsuki clan," Black Zetsu immediately picked up the conversation, speaking earnestly. "So, our key mission now is to find these relics, understand?"
"And after that..." Madara clenched his fist, speaking sternly, "We'll slowly settle accounts with Kitagawa Minamoto!"
"..."
Obito silently looked at the two, finally understanding their intention. They were planning to delay, or even cancel, the "Moon Eye Plan"!
This was unacceptable to Obito. Cancellation might be unlikely, but even a delay was something he couldn't accept! He had sacrificed everything for this, had worked tirelessly to execute this plan. How could they now put everything on hold because of one Kitagawa Minamoto?!
"Damn it, I absolutely cannot accept this," Obito didn't speak aloud, but his fists clenched, and a reckless plan formed in his mind. "Since you want to unite the ninja world against Kitagawa Minamoto, I'll give you a hand! I'm tired of waiting—I'll resolve this my own way..."
"Truly remarkable," in the Akatsuki laboratory, Orochimaru looked at Kimimaro with astonishment. After the operation in the Land of Water, Kimimaro had been severely injured, but strangely, he recovered rapidly.
Not only that, but the power within him was also continuously surging! His Shikotsumyaku, previously balanced and suppressed by the Byakugan, was now enhanced, and even the power of the Byakugan showed significant improvement.
These changes in both Yin and Yang powers left even Orochimaru puzzled.
"How did you manage this?"
"I don't know either, Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro shook his head, bowing respectfully as he spoke. "Since that injury, I've felt something strange in my body, as if some power has been released and is continuously growing."
"Still growing?" Orochimaru's eyes brightened—this was excellent news for him. "How much power are we talking about, and how long will it take?"
"I'm not sure about the exact amount, Lord Orochimaru. As for time..."
"Yes?"
"It might still take some time, but I have a feeling that engaging in more battles would accelerate the process."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru gave Kimimaro a peculiar look, eventually just smiling and shaking his head. Kimimaro was someone who could help him interpret Madara Uchiha's evolution from a different angle.
"Whatever you're thinking, I'll support you, Kimimaro."
"I won't disappoint you, Lord Orochimaru." Kimimaro was exceptionally respectful. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly looked up at Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, may I ask when you will take my body?"
"Hmm?" Orochimaru tilted his head, looking at Kimimaro's clear eyes, before licking his lips and smiling. "That day will come, don't rush."
"My greatest wish is to prove myself and become Lord Orochimaru's vessel," Kimimaro bowed slightly, then spoke with unwavering determination. This was indeed Kimimaro's lifelong aspiration, one he had always strived for!
"Hmph, a lower being dares to compete with me for a vessel?!" Within Kimimaro's body, Urashiki sneered with contempt. Kimimaro's enhancement was entirely due to his energy.
"But since he wants to offer himself, that's all the better. After all, he's destined to be a vessel..." How could a lower being compare to the noble Ōtsutsuki?!
"And he's perceptively realized that battles accelerate the release of the Kāma..." Urashiki nodded, which was good news for him!
For Urashiki now, both the madman Gen-shiki and the self-proclaimed innocent Isshiki gave him a sense of urgency. He had no desire to be devoured by either of them; he just wanted to survive until Momoshiki and Kinshiki arrived.
"You two, hurry up!" he thought. "Once you're here, I'll be safe..."
"So in the end, you're not even sure yourself?"
"The situation was complicated at the time, and I can't be completely certain. Besides, you don't have the Ten-Tails—what exactly are you planning to do?"
In Konoha, Kitagawa Minamoto sat in his home, deep in thought, while Kaguya Ōtsutsuki questioned him with confusion. But Minamoto couldn't be bothered to address her concerns.
This woman seemed more curious about where he planned to plant the Divine Tree and how he would obtain the Ten-Tails. But her curiosity was understandable—he hadn't yet shown Kaguya his Divine Tree.
"This is giving me a headache," Minamoto rubbed his temples before asking, "Can the Divine Tree actually use an Ōtsutsuki corpse, especially one completely drained of energy?"
"Theoretically yes, but the specifics depend on the Divine Tree's response," Kaguya didn't conceal anything, simply describing her own experiences. "I only fed the Divine Tree half of Isshiki's body. If the Divine Tree has sufficient energy, there shouldn't be a problem, but if..."
"So it all comes down to energy?" Minamoto rolled his eyes, but still asked curiously, "What about planetary energy? The life force of an entire planet—isn't that enough energy?"
"Perhaps it's sufficient, but to nurture a fruit suitable for us still requires an Ōtsutsuki," Kaguya shook her head in response, though she herself was puzzled. "Don't you have this information in your memories? Strange, it should be stored in our Chakra."
"Who knows," Minamoto shrugged. He genuinely lacked this knowledge. Though Kaguya hadn't helped much with tree cultivation, she had contributed significantly in filling gaps in "basic Ōtsutsuki knowledge."
Moreover, she could even assist with the Kekkei Genkai network! Although it differed somewhat from his expectations, it still represented tangible progress. It might prove even more useful later—all in all, not a bad deal.
"I suggest that instead of asking these questions, you should focus on obtaining the Ten-Tails and trying for yourself," as Minamoto pondered, Kaguya spoke again. "With the Ten-Tails, you can attempt to plant the tree, and the Kekkei Genkai network can be acquired through the fruit. Trying to fuse them yourself is too difficult."
"I have my own plans, as I've said," Minamoto shook his head, seriously doubting whether this woman hoped he would plant the tree in this world. Was she seeking revenge against her two sons?
But she was thinking too much. This was his territory—how could he possibly turn it into a "dead star"? He only needed to clarify the energy requirements, and once that was done, he could plant the tree in "Ame-no-Mihashira"!
"However, to better cultivate the tree, I do need some new energy sources," Minamoto stroked his chin, silently pondering. Suddenly, his eyebrows raised slightly, as if he'd discovered something.
"Oh, more visitors?"
"More visitors?" Hearing this, Kaguya instinctively tensed. "Who? Ōtsutsuki?"
"Yes," Minamoto nodded, standing up to look at the sky. "Indeed, they're Ōtsutsuki, and this time, two have arrived at once!"
"Two..." Upon hearing this, Kaguya's expression darkened. One Ōtsutsuki's arrival was troubling enough, let alone two at once.
Moreover, the ninja world already had two Ōtsutsuki Kāma... ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
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