"We can start searching according to the plan."
At Mikami Yuu's words,
the three of them first marked the spot with stones. Then, using that place as the center, they began a carpet search outward in all directions.
Yuu tried using sensory ninjutsu himself, forming his chakra into invisible feelers and stretching them several hundred meters around him.
Obito and Rin, meanwhile, had one pair of two-tomoe Sharingan and one pair of sharp naked eyes, observing subtle traces on the ground and tree trunks, trying to find any clues.
To improve efficiency, each of them also created one or two water clones or shadow clones.
After searching like this for about two and a half hours,
the sun began to dip westward from the south, and visibility in the forest grew lower.
Obito couldn't help questioning him. "Hey, Yuu… does your method actually work? Don't tell me we got it wrong from the start and there isn't any so-called stronghold in this area at all."
"…"
Yuu was also a little discouraged.
He thought his judgment should have been correct.
But the Forest of Death was too large. Even dividing it into four, each region still spanned around ten kilometers in length and width. It also wasn't open, flat ground. The trees were extremely dense, greatly hindering conventional searching.
Without a professional sensory ninja in the team, their search efficiency was indeed a little low.
If they had brought Nohara Shiro earlier, or borrowed a ninja dog from the Inuzuka clan, things might have been much easier right now…
Just as Yuu was thinking about whether to try summoning Shiro, or perhaps another method,
a galgame system text box appeared in his vision.
[Summoning Technique: (yawning) Stop searching blindly over there. I'm tired just watching you. Let me do it.]
"?"
What did that mean?
[Summoning Technique: Stupid! Didn't you notice when you used me last time? These chains on my hands and feet can sense biological information in the surrounding environment. Otherwise, how could I pull those guys over… Try forming the seals and you'll know.]
Mm… theoretically, Summoning Technique was indeed strongly tied to sensory ability. After all, "summoning" itself was transferring something from one specific spatial coordinate to another, usually where the caster was. So it required sensing both coordinate positions.
The role of a "contract" was to record and provide that spatial coordinate. After signing a contract, it was like pulling an optical cable between yourself and the other party, allowing you to summon them.
Flying Thunder God's reverse summoning was also based on this principle.
In other words,
since Yuu's Summoning Technique could grab lucky living creatures from several kilometers away, then logically, he should be able to sense the situation within several kilometers… right?
Although doubtful,
Yuu still formed the seals for Summoning Technique and slowly pressed his palm to the ground.
"Ribbit~"
A frog appeared in front of Yuu, looking around blankly. It croaked a few times, then hopped away, making Obito freeze.
At the same time, Summoning Technique gave feedback at just the right moment.
[Summoning Technique: Mm… I feel it. Around the nine o'clock direction, about thirteen or fourteen hundred meters away, there are signs of several large living bodies similar to your size. They seem to be locked underground… There's a big guy in the wetland nearby too. Be careful when you go over.]
"?"
Wait…
Yuu's eyelid twitched. As the person using Summoning Technique, he, the caster, hadn't sensed anything far away, but the ninjutsu itself, Summoning Technique, had sensed it? Was… was that reasonable?
Could it be that, like Healing Technique, Summoning Technique was one of the few techniques with independent will, able to operate on its own apart from its master?
If so… couldn't he use this thing as a sensory ninjutsu?
This was an important discovery.
Because Yuu had gradually realized that sensory ability was one of his current major shortcomings. This thing basically depended purely on talent. As a civilian ninja, his sensory talent really couldn't compare to people like Minato Namikaze or Senju Tobirama, and it was difficult to improve through training.
But if he could make up for it through Summoning Technique…
then he would have satisfied all of Flying Thunder God's prerequisites.
I'll try studying this later…
Thinking this, Yuu called out to Obito and Rin.
"I know where to look now… This way!"
"…"
Obito and Rin exchanged glances and quickly followed.
…
At the same time,
inside the Mountain Graveyard near the Valley of the End,
Uchiha Madara was anonymously watching "Love-Obito TV" through White Zetsu.
Mm… that's right.
Ever since Obito awakened the Sharingan, his priority in Uchiha Madara's eyes had greatly risen. He had become the Uchiha clan member Madara paid the most attention to.
And since elderly Madara spent most of his time in this cave, with tubes from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stuck into his body, and really had nothing much to do, "watching" Obito's movements through White Zetsu's technique had become one of his most common pastimes.
At this moment,
Uchiha Madara quietly watched the image projected by White Zetsu. It showed Team Mikami Yuu exploring near a wetland in the Forest of Death. He glanced from the corner of his eye toward a dark corner not far away.
"Black Zetsu, how is the investigation into that white-haired brat going?"
In the shadows, a pitch-black figure slowly surfaced. On Black Zetsu's half-black, half-white face, there was a respectful expression.
"Madara-sama, based on the investigations of many White Zetsu, we have already obtained preliminary information on him."
"Speak."
"Mikami Yuu. Born in Konoha Year 38. His father, Mikami Tajima, was formerly a Konoha chūnin and retired half a year ago due to a leg injury. He now runs a beverage business inside Konoha Village. His mother, Mikami Aoi, is a civilian and works as a librarian at the Konoha Library…
"Judging from current intelligence, the Mikami family bloodline is ordinary. No known ninja have appeared in the past three generations. However, Mikami Yuu himself is exceptionally talented. He graduated as the top student of the Ninja Academy and has repeatedly improved basic ninjutsu such as the Substitution Technique and Great Fireball. Recently, he seems to be researching Suna's Scorch Release.
"Besides his team leader, Namikaze Minato, he also appears to have connections with Tsunade and Orochimaru…"
One had to admit,
Black Zetsu's intelligence-gathering ability was truly bug-like. Compared to him, anyone else's intelligence network seemed dim.
With one major investigation, he had already collected most of Yuu's visible information. Some of it was even unknown to Konoha's higher-ups.
However…
Madara's attention quickly landed on one detail.
"Improved ninjutsu?"
"Did this brat's ancestors… ever intermarry with the Senju clan?"
"?"
Black Zetsu seemed stunned for a moment, then answered, "There are no records of that within at least four generations. Further back, it involves the Warring States Period. Household records were chaotic then, and many civilian records cannot be verified, so it is uncertain whether such a situation existed. Why does Madara-sama ask?"
"…"
Uchiha Madara said nothing. He only looked again at Mikami Yuu in White Zetsu's image, paying particular attention to that head of white hair.
White hair. Uses a blade. Skilled at improving ninjutsu. Suspected space-time talent. Also has decent sensory ability. And he practices Water Release…
When these traits were combined, it was easy for Uchiha Madara to think of an old acquaintance—
that's right, that naturally evil white-haired old ghost, Senju Tobirama!
Because of Izuna, Uchiha Madara had developed an illness where whenever he saw white hair, he wanted to stab it twice. That brat named Jiraiya had already irritated him before, and that same brat had even taken on a disciple who knew Flying Thunder God.
And now, this Mikami Yuu's similarity to Senju Tobirama was absurdly high, almost triggering Madara's PTSD. If Yuu didn't usually use Fire Release as his main focus instead of Water Release, Madara might already have suspected he was Tobirama's reincarnation.
Beside him,
Black Zetsu thought for a moment. "We cannot rule out the possibility. The Senju clan of the Warring States Period was indeed not very sensitive about intra-clan marriage. Although they usually intermarried with the Uzumaki, there were occasionally bloodlines that wandered outside…
"However, White Zetsu have observed Mikami Yuu's chakra up close, and there are no traces of a special bloodline. So he is most likely a civilian genius like Jiraiya or Namikaze Minato."
"Is that so…"
Madara muttered softly, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
It was best if there was no connection.
If Yuu really was Senju Tobirama's descendant, or a collateral branch inheriting his bloodline, then Madara would have to consider whether to personally act, find a way to kill Mikami Yuu in front of Obito, and then pin the blame on Konoha, using that to stimulate Obito into recognizing the darkness of the ninja world and joining him…
"Investigate later whether Senju Tobirama has any bloodline descendants outside the clan."
After giving that order,
Uchiha Madara spoke again. "How is the arrangement in the Forest of Death?"
"It has already been arranged."
Black Zetsu nodded. "Konoha does not have the ability to monitor the entire Forest of Death, and that examiner squad has not yet reached the time to set off. The White Zetsu have already begun luring some teams toward the direction Mikami Yuu's team is advancing. And the thing in the wetland… can be triggered at any time."
"Good."
Uchiha Madara nodded slightly. "Then let me see exactly how capable this Mikami Yuu really is."
…
Forest of Death, southeastern region.
Following Summoning Technique's hint,
Yuu quickly led Obito and Rin to the edge of that wetland.
After searching for a while, they discovered an area where the soil color was slightly different from the surroundings. When they scraped away a layer of soil, they saw a slightly raised, irregular-edged hard layer underneath. Its material looked like hardened clay.
"Huh? Is this a disguised tunnel entrance?"
Rin crouched down, wrapped her fist with her clothing, and tried tapping the ground with the technique of Super Strength. It produced dull thumping sounds.
"It sounds hollow underneath!"
"But… why would there be a place like this here? And it's hidden so carefully. Is it really one of the 'enemy strongholds' arranged by the examiners?"
Hearing Rin's doubt,
Yuu thought for a moment and made a reasonable guess.
"It should be an old training facility or an abandoned wartime shelter. The examiners probably used an existing underground structure and converted it into a 'stronghold'… It's fine. Let's confirm first. If it's not, we'll continue searching."
"Alright! Let's dig it open first!"
Obito was too lazy to overthink it and immediately took out a kunai to begin.
Yuu and Rin also took tools from their ninja pouches.
Since he had guessed that the test site might be inside a forest, Yuu had prepared an entrenching shovel in advance.
The three worked together and quickly cleared the disguised soil and covering vegetation around the entrance. As they cleaned, a passage entrance about one square meter wide, extending downward and covered by a heavy stone slab, gradually appeared.
"Found it!"
Obito let out an excited low cry and reached out to lift the stone slab, but it didn't budge.
Yuu carefully observed it, placed his right hand on one corner of the slab, and injected chakra. With a soft click, the stone slab slowly slid to one side, revealing a pitch-black opening below. A damp, moldy smell surged up.
"Wait."
Yuu took a glow stick from his ninja pouch, snapped it bright, and tossed it down.
The glow stick fell about five meters, illuminating a section of stone steps leading downward. The steps were old and had moss growing along the edges, but they were still intact.
"I'll go down first. Rin in the middle. Obito guards the rear. Stay alert. We don't know what's down there… Who's there?!"
Yuu, who had been speaking, suddenly paused and sharply turned his gaze to one side.
Obito and Rin immediately looked over as well. Obito's Sharingan activated instantly, two tomoe slowly rotating in his crimson pupils. Rin quickly drew her kunai and took a defensive stance.
Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes,
the bushes dozens of meters away suddenly shook, making rustling sounds.
"…How lucky. We searched high and low, only to find it without effort."
Accompanied by a sinister laugh, three figures walked out from behind the bushes.
All of them wore Kusagakure forehead protectors—a horizontal line across the center, symbolizing the ninja village of the Land of Grass. The leader was a tall, thin man with a pale face and narrow eyes. On the left was a short, fat man with a fleshy face. On the right was a medium-built young man with a gloomy expression.
"I didn't expect to even save the time of searching."
The tall, thin Kusa ninja licked his lips, his gaze sweeping over Yuu and the other two. "Konoha brats, thanks for leading the way."
At once,
Yuu sighed and thought that being uneducated really was terrifying. Then he stepped forward and looked directly at the Kusa ninja not far away.
"I was wondering who it was. So it's everyone from Kusagakure. I've long heard that your village is famous for being fence-sitters, bending whichever way the wind blows, and especially liking to steal little benefits here and there. Judging by this, your reputation is well deserved."