Chapter 544: The Source
Within the spiritual dimension.
The terrestrial ground vibrated violently. The thick white wall structurally surrounding the villa where Madara resided instantaneously disintegrated, shattering into dense white smoke before gracefully dissipating into the atmosphere. The singular line of black text explicitly painted upon the white wall reading "Untamed Wild Beast" naturally scattered into the void alongside the smoke.
Auditing the acoustic disturbance, Madara marched out of the villa, instantly calculating that the absolute force continuously restricting his operational perimeter had vanished completely. "Hmph, have their collective matrices all successfully executed a resurrection sequence?"
Madara let out a cold, aggressive snort, physically stepping out of his confined, fractional plot of land. The alternative structural buildings had long been dismantled by Ryo following the successive resurrections of Hashirama and the collective vanguard, thus Madara's visual field strictly audited a completely vacant, expansive tract of terrain.
However, anchored squarely in the dead center of the terrain stood a wooden sign!
Madara slightly furrowed his brows. Upon executing a rapid transit to audit the text, his facial complexion instantaneously flushed a furious, vibrant shade of red.
'Task One: Formally acknowledge Naori Uchiha as your Second Grandmother to unlock the baseline minimum resurrection tier.'
'Task Two: Formally acknowledge that continuously anchoring your matrix in operational opposition against Senior Ryo Uzumaki constitutes an absolute error on your part, to unlock the intermediate resurrection tier.'
'Task Three: Simultaneously execute Task One and Task Two with flawless compliance, while projecting a genuine internal desire for Ryo Uzumaki to assume the status of your Second Grandfather, to successfully unlock the premium highest-tier resurrection protocol.'
'Easter Egg Task: Vocally output the phrase "Hashirama, my internal parameters love you" at maximum volume three consecutive times, and Izuna's soul matrix will be successfully migrated into the spiritual dimension, granting him a structural opportunity to enjoy an identical resurrection protocol, oh yeah...'
"You absolute fossil! Your bullying parameters have breached the absolute maximum threshold!!!"
Sky Island.
"Eight of Bamboos."
"Chow, Six of Dots."
"Pong..."
"Halt your operational sequence, Mahjong!"
Ryo aggressively pushed down the Mahjong tiles arrayed before his physical frame, his facial aesthetic overflowing with absolute radiant smiles: "Hashirama, your specific matrix successfully fed my winning tile once again."
Hashirama projected a profoundly distressed, agonized expression: "Second Grandpa, the logistical complexity governing this specific simulation is astronomically higher than standard dice probability mechanics, but... it ostensibly projects a highly entertaining aesthetic."
"Big Bro, your cognitive loops are strictly mandated to execute rigorous training cycles regarding this Mahjong protocol. Although this specific simulation ostensibly prioritizes technical execution, the absolute variable of luck commands identical structural weight." Tobirama stood anchored directly behind Hashirama's coordinates. "If you strictly engage in dice simulations, your biological lifespan will fundamentally expire before your matrix successfully secures a singular victory against Second Grandpa."
Hashirama nodded with profound, deep contemplation, prompting Ryo to break into a helpless, mute chuckle: Hashirama? Relying on the luck metric? Are your parameters genuinely running a comedic simulation?
The dual alternative gambling entities—Eldest Nephew Uzumaki and Kagami—similarly projected profound internal disagreement regarding that specific logic...
"Tobirama, your parameters are equally mandated to master this Mahjong protocol. Second Grandpa's coordinates fundamentally will not remain permanently anchored on this Sky Island."
Tobirama shook his head smoothly: "My matrix shall officially decline this operation. I will deploy a transit block to summon Kenji and Hiruzen to this coordinate."
"Profoundly devoid of entertainment value." Auditing Tobirama's departing silhouette, Hashirama vocalized a muffled complaint before pivoting his visual focus straight back to Ryo: "Second Grandpa, evaluating Madara's current operational status...?"
Ryo chuckled lightly: "His vocal apparatus is actively executing a relentless stream of curses directed at my matrix from within the pocket dimension, though my sensory arrays calculate that his internal parameters are ostensibly experiencing a minor temptation regarding that specific Easter Egg Task."
"Easter Egg Task?"
"Ahem." Ryo cleanly bypassed the inquiry, shifting his visual focus strictly toward Kagami Uchiha: "Naori has successfully logged a resurrection. Following a brief chronological delay of a few days, I intend to escort her coordinates to the Uchiha clan perimeter so she may visually audit the junior generation."
Kagami stood momentarily stunned: "Understood, proceed precisely as your parameters desire."
Hashirama released a low, cheeky chuckle: "Second Grandpa, is your current operational objective actively executing a romantic pursuit sequence targeted at Senior Naori?"
"Romantic pursuit, tsk, that classification is structurally acceptable." Ryo pondered for a solid two-second cycle: "Romantic pursuit."
"Despite the passage of such an astronomical chronological gap, your internal parameters still harbor such profound affection for her matrix. What a flawlessly singular, dedicated operational track." Eldest Nephew let out a light laugh.
"Deploy the dice and execute the tile-drawing protocol, Hashirama." Ryo subtly pursed his lips: "If mapping the emotion strictly to affection... Sigh! Second Uncle's current internal emotional matrix is executing a profoundly complex, highly entangled operational loop. During my biological youth, my parameters undeniably harbored immense affection for Naori, but evaluating the active timeline, calculating exactly what percentage of that baseline affection remains intact is a structurally impossible task.
The unvarnished reality strictly dictates that she is the absolute final surviving entity whose generational status matches my own, and her physical aesthetic is monumentally beautiful. If my parameters successfully miss this specific logistical opening, wouldn't enduring an absolute solitary terminal lifespan translate to immense, agonizing discomfort? Second Uncle has already accumulated such an astronomical chronological age; perhaps the specific entity my matrix is actively seeking doesn't map to a romantic partner, but rather a permanent logistical companion... Naturally, my internal heart parameters genuinely harbor a high-tier baseline of affection for her; highly probable because her behavioral matrix projects a profoundly gentle aesthetic?"
"A permanent logistical companion? Second Uncle..." Eldest Nephew articulated with a soft, gentle cadence. "Your cognitive loops are strictly mandated not to forget the absolute reality: at the chronological milestone of Naori's terminal demise, her biological age was strictly 20 years old. Therefore, evaluating her current physical vessel strictly as a young, youthful maiden poses absolutely zero structural contradictions."
Ryo's hand, actively executing a tile-drawing block, violently froze.
"Second Uncle?"
"Ah, negative, zero anomalies to report. Seven Pairs, Mahjong."
Hashirama: ???
Tobirama, your vocal apparatus claimed engaging in Mahjong simulations possessed a viable probability of securing a win? I literally deployed a singular tile and instantaneously logged a catastrophic loss... I was an absolute idiot to trust your corrupted data!
The operational rhythm spanning the Sky Island projected a profoundly leisurely, relaxed aesthetic.
A localized cluster of elderly entities—commanding flawlessly youthful biological vessels yet harboring ancient cognitive parameters—expended their vacant chronological blocks planting flora, cultivating botanical assets, weaving textiles, and continuously executing Mahjong simulations... flawlessly looping day after day.
Following the conclusion of a full seven-day cycle, Ryo's sensory arrays successfully isolated dual entities projecting a catastrophic structural mismatch with this specific environmental matrix.
Hitomi, possessing an ancient physical frame but a profoundly youthful, juvenile psychological matrix.
And Naori, possessing a flawlessly youthful physical frame alongside an equally youthful psychological matrix.
"Eldest Nephew's analytical deduction was flawlessly accurate. Naori's psychological age completely fails to scale to the astronomical heights of her soul's chronological age, despite her relentless, exhausting efforts to artificially project a mature, stable aesthetic." Ryo rubbed the pitch-black seed between his digits. "Perhaps that prior instance where she violently erupted into uproarious laughter to aggressively tease my matrix represents the absolute, unvarnished reflection of her genuine behavioral baseline? Tsk! Projecting a highly active, lively aesthetic is perfectly optimal as well..."
Beyond successfully parsing this specific psychological data, Ryo had concurrently secured a catastrophic, monumental breakthrough regarding his structural research on the pitch-black seed!
The Kenjutsu skill parameter flawlessly dissipated the absolute micro-second the seed was detached from his biological framework. However, because Ryo's prior baseline Kenjutsu had only scaled to Level 6, and factoring in his current astronomically overpowered combat output and boundless combat intelligence, strictly executing a handful of rudimentary, experimental sword swings successfully forcefully triggered an upgrade, pushing Kenjutsu straight to Level 7. Following that precise event... the intricate structural patterns etched upon the seed's surface violently morphed!
Due to continuously running his physical digits across its surface on a daily operational loop, Ryo commanded absolute, flawless comprehension of the seed's external patterns. The exact fraction of a second his Kenjutsu hit Level 7, a singular etched line visibly lost its structural density and faded!
"Does this highly specific pattern represent the Kenjutsu parameter? Upon successfully maxing out the Kenjutsu metric, this exact line will completely vanish from existence. Ergo, when the absolute entirety of my skill parameters hits max level, will the seed's external surface perfectly transition into a flawlessly smooth, featureless aesthetic?" Ryo pondered with profound depth. "Therefore, this specific seed fundamentally maps to an evolutionary growth module. While it simultaneously executes protocols to elevate the Great Ancestor's operational baseline, the Great Ancestor is actively feeding it the required data to facilitate its own structural evolution?"
"Which logically spawns the ultimate operational dilemma: am I structurally mandated to actively assist its evolution until it hits a flawless, perfect state before initiating the planting sequence, or do I execute the planting sequence at this exact chronological milestone regardless of its incomplete status?" Continuously rubbing the pitch-black seed, Ryo's dental hardware gradually began to aggressively grind together: "This specific variable is undeniably, deliberately architected to mentally torture my Uzumaki OCD parameters! Evaluating the astronomical density of these remaining patterns, exactly what calendar year will my matrix finally finalize its required cultivation cycle?!"
Violently surging the kinetic output in his palm, Ryo's fingernail aggressively dragged across the pitch-black seed. The resulting tactile feedback instantly sent a wave of absolute, freezing horror straight down Ryo's spine.
Auditing the visible structural scratch upon the pitch-black seed—which was currently executing a slow, continuous auto-regeneration loop—and subsequently observing the microscopic specks of pitch-black debris resting upon his digits, Ryo's facial features rendered absolute, blank confusion.
This anomalous construct genuinely commanded an auto-regeneration protocol? Negative—the far more catastrophic revelation was that this construct fundamentally possessed the structural vulnerability to sustain physical damage?
Since successfully calculating that the system was biologically housed within this pitch-black seed, Ryo's cognitive loops had fundamentally never spawned a singular microscopic trace of intent to execute a destructive strike against it.
Slightly furrowing his brows, Ryo deployed his biological tongue to physically ingest and analyze the pitch-black debris scattered across his fingertips. An indescribable, highly anomalous sensation instantaneously violently rippled across his internal heart parameters, only to be instantaneously and aggressively suppressed by his astronomically massive mental willpower!
"These specific data parameters map to... the absolute Power of Fate!!!"
That highly specific, fleeting sensation was flawlessly identical to auditing an invisible, deterministic guidance protocol transmitted directly from the cosmic fate matrix. Had Ryo's mental firewall not commanded such an astronomically high threshold, he profoundly feared his cognitive loops would have been violently hijacked by an overwhelming, artificial desire to execute a highly specific, mandated operational task.
"So it was your specific matrix all along; it fundamentally had to be your parameters. This pitch-black seed is the absolute, unvarnished origin of the Power of Fate!" Ryo furrowed his brows, muttering with a low cadence. "The reality that Orochimaru successfully extracted the Power of Fate directly from my biological blood samples explicitly proves that prior to hitting my max-level threshold, this specific seed was flawlessly, entirely dissolved and integrated straight into my flesh and blood architecture! It was strictly upon breaching the max-level barrier that my matrix gained the technical capacity to successfully extract and isolate it!
Then... exactly what catastrophic cosmic anomaly is this object?!"
"Ryo!" Right at that exact micro-second, Naori's vocal transmission echoed straight from the exterior perimeter of the structural housing, "Our matrices are officially cleared to initiate the departure block!"
Silently chanting the command 'Return' within his cognitive loops, the seed shot straight back into his chest cavity with a rapid whoosh. The profoundly heavy, solemn aesthetic painted across Ryo's face instantaneously dissipated. He smoothly stepped out of the internal room: "Mhm, let us mobilize our transit block, Naori."