Inside the borderlands of the Land of Earth, a large group of Uchiha clad in black cloaks and wielding various exquisite weapons were searching for something.
Uchiha Mukai, having arrived first, had nearly combed through the entire border area but still found no clues whatsoever.
"Not even the faintest clue left behind."
Mukai considered two possibilities—one, that their second young master had successfully evacuated; or two, that he had been taken back by Iwagakure.
Just as he was about to lead his team deeper into the Land of Earth, Kazushi called him.
"Fall back."
While others looked on in confusion, Mukai announced that their current clan head would arrive in the Land of Grass no later than tomorrow.
After exchanging information with a Suna ninja squad near the border, they returned to the Land of Grass.
Though Sunagakure could stand toe-to-toe against Iwagakure in battle,
That was all—they remained locked in a stalemate, a situation that wouldn't shift without additional reinforcements.
Frontline command tent in the Land of Grass.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—fresh from repelling Rain's initial assault—now relaxed in the dining hall waiting for lunch.
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone.
At least Jiraiya and Tsunade deeply missed that certain someone who always carried top-grade food and spent extravagantly.
Orochimaru drank his porridge with steamed buns, indifferent to the meal's quality.
In wartime, having enough food was already considered lucky.
When Nayou and Nawaki entered the dining hall, all three turned to glance over.
Their strong auras and visibly hardened expressions made it clear they had just returned from battle.
Sensing the tension, Jiraiya deliberately brought up a topic. "Little Nayou, how did things go in the Land of Stream?"
"All enemies eliminated. No prisoners."
Gulping down an entire large bowl of porridge, Nawaki immediately added, "Five squads, around forty Stream ninjas total."
Such achievements while their captain was missing showed these two hadn't made zero progress over the past few months.
"Slurp!" Tsunade finished her porridge heartily, licking her red lips afterward like a child enjoying dessert.
Promptly, Jiraiya handed her a napkin.
Nayou, expressionless while sipping her porridge carefully, felt a strange fire burning inside.
She couldn't figure out why seeing even the slightest affection between guys and girls recently always sparked an urge in her to tear them apart.
"Don't let me see that bastard again!"
Without further explanation, Nayou left those words behind before rising and walking out of the dining hall.
Everyone exchanged shocked glances—except Orochimaru, who remained indifferent.
Seemed like this period of bad temper she'd shown everyone originated from some bastard's fault.
Border of the Land of Hot Water.
Kumogakure Commander Hei was facing off against two opponents alone.
Wenze and Wuzhe, brothers in arms, exerted their utmost strength yet still found themselves slightly inferior.
The enemy's lightning-fast swordsmanship heavily suppressed Wenze, who had activated his triple tomoe Sharingan.
If it weren't for Wuzhe continuously disrupting the attacks, blood would have likely already stained that long blade.
"That's boring." Hei deflected the slender sword from Wenzhe's hand.
Then, with his now-free left hand, he struck the punch coming at him from Wuzhe.
The dramatic scene of heaven and earth collapsing didn't happen.
It was merely Wuzhe's right hand that ended up slightly fractured.
"Tch, what a lonely life," said Hei after retreating to dodge a fire technique. His gaze turned sharp. "Without strength like White Fang, how can you possibly resist me?"
His long blade sliced through the coat covering Wenzhe's chest.
Blood dripped onto the ground, causing Wuzhe, who couldn't activate his Sharingan, to turn his eyes redder and redder.
Masses of chakra representing raging fire-natured energy covered his still-intact left fist.
The moment Hei intended to follow up for the kill, he suddenly leapt high into the air.
From his view above, the chakra bursting from that punch had actually created a crater nearly ten meters deep.
"Now this is somewhat interesting."
After releasing an interfering Lightning Release technique, he increased his Lightning Body Technique by two-tenths just before landing.
"Clang!"
The extremely swift blade hit the knuckle duster Wuzhe had hastily equipped.
"It seems I can have something to kill time with until White Fang returns."
Appearing like a ghost only to vanish again and strike with his blade, Hei considered both brothers worthy enough to fight him.
But only barely so.
Until sunset, the battle continued without ceasing.
When night arrived, reinforcements from the Inuzuka and Aburame clans immediately surrounded the three fighters.
Wuzhe, covered in wounds, blocked Hei's attempt to retreat.
Wenzhe, wielding his heavily chipped thin sword, appeared behind Hei.
Flanked from front and back, and with over a hundred ninja blocking him outside, Hei suddenly lifted one side of his lips in a smirk.
"Though I'd really like to take all of you out—"
He instantly activated his full Lightning Body Technique.
Then, moving faster than even the Three-tomoe Sharingan could follow, he vanished.
"I hope when we meet next, you two brothers will have improved!"
His gradually fading voice allowed Wuzhe and Wenzhe, whose nerves had been tense throughout the afternoon, to finally relax slightly.
"Just how does someone like him survive in Kumogakure while acting so freely and unrestrainedly?"
Seeing his older brother once again expressing emotion after the battle, Wenzhe led the reinforcements back to camp.
"In a world ruled by strength, how could someone like this ever exist?"
Wuzhe found it hard to imagine how Hei, under Kumo's strict system prioritizing mission orders above all else, hadn't put his full effort into battle multiple times.
Judging from instinct alone, he doesn't seem here for war.
Rather, as if to observe the young generation of the shinobi world.
South of the Land of Fire,
Black Zetsu, possessing the body of the Third Mizukage, saw clearly despite the distance—even from far away—the Hagoromo's Ship flying toward the former Uzugakure region.
The name of the Sage of Six Paths…
And those of his two sons…
Truthfully, the reason Black Zetsu hadn't completely eliminated them initially was because he feared the Sage of Six Paths.
The aircraft soaring through the skies were known as Hagoromo's Ship.
Ground vehicles were referred to as Indra's Ship.
Trains designed for transport were called Asura Express.
He was certain about this—it was a warning given by the Sage of Six Paths.
Still, there remained one warning—one from several years ago.
That's why Black Zetsu used Planetary Devastation—a technique with inherent sealing properties—instead of other powerful techniques within the Rinnegan's arsenal.
While manipulating the Third Mizukage and guiding him slowly toward Konoha, Black Zetsu's face lit up with a grin.
"So they've all left…"
He murmured softly to himself. Controlling the Mizukage was no impulsive act.
The Land of Water's naturally unique geographical position meant that the shinobi world rarely turned its attention here.
Just because someone steps into the spotlight doesn't mean they're acting without strategy.
Black Zetsu was merely Kaguya's creation through Yin-Yang Release—a power born from the fusion of Yin and Yang natures. Even possessing the Rinnegan, he lacked the ability to fully wield its true power.
Using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was even more out of the question.
But if he could inhabit the body of a strong individual, their strength would become his own.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>