High upon the six-hundred-meter wall, the murals of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails had peeled away, exposing the terrifying truth hidden beneath.
"This is... getting way out of hand."
Looking at the rows of headless stone monks kneeling in agony and the mural that held a staggering amount of information even at a glance, Ren Uchiha felt a jolt of shock.
The history of the Shinobi world—anything prior to the Warring States period—was essentially a blank slate. Ren had verified this a year ago in Konoha's library and the Uchiha clan archives. While various clans held onto fragments of taboo knowledge passed down through generations, stories were often twisted by the shifting mindsets of their keepers. History became distorted.
It was so distorted, in fact, that it birthed absurdities like the Uchiha ancestor, Naori, wearing a Konoha forehead protector despite creating Izanami—a jutsu meant to counter Izanagi, which predated the village by eras. If these jutsus were only created after Konoha's founding, what on earth had the long-defected Madara Uchiha been using?
In short, a hidden force had been active throughout the veins of history, burying the past, altering records, and blurring the timeline. That force was Black Zetsu—the son of Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had manipulated the world for a millennium.
Undoubtedly, the newer murals dedicated to the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails had served as a cover, hiding these staggering secrets from Black Zetsu's prying eyes. It allowed this information to survive to the present day—likely making it the only remaining glimpse into the world as it existed before the Era of Ninjas!
Suddenly—
—Rumble!
Before Ren could dig deeper into the hidden meaning of the mural, the sound of heavy gears turning echoed through the cavernous palace. Beside him, a door slowly slid open.
Unlike the dream-like, radiant chamber Naruto and Killer B had encountered in the original story—a place that led directly to the depths of the soul—the space behind this door was...
Pitch black.
It felt as though countless wailing spirits hovered near the threshold, exuding an aura of pure omen. However, with his evolved Sharingan, Ren was able to pierce the black mist.
Behind the door stood a single sacrificial altar. And upon that altar lay a jade pendant.
Coincidentally, Ren had seen this pendant before. It was the same magatama jade pendant worn by the Emperor of the Land of Ancestors, countless years ago. It was a relic of silence, belonging to the last man to be hung from the Divine Tree as an entire era was ended by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Lightning, Unraikyō.
Five days had passed since Ren Uchiha issued his assassination declaration. Unraikyō was beginning to restore order from the chaos of the riots. At the city's center, the towering Tenshu Pavilion was nearing completion thanks to the labor of shinobi.
A line of newly promoted officials marched onto the fresh stone walls, facing the gathered citizens to broadcast a decree that would ring across the Land of Lightning:
"Tomorrow, our nation shall convene the Five-Kage Summit at the Tenshu Pavilion, inviting emissaries from the Five Great Nations!"
"Furthermore, the traitor Ren Uchiha, who caused the uprising in Unraikyō and attempted to assassinate the Daimyo, has been officially classified as a Konoha S-rank missing-nin. He is now wanted by the Five Great Nations, the minor villages, and the entire Shinobi world!"
"His accomplices: Kakuzu, Mangetsu Hozuki, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Hidan, Sasori of the Red Sand, and the unnamed individual in this portrait..."
"Anyone who discovers the whereabouts of these nine members of this terrorist organization may report to any Daimyo's manor for a grand reward!"
Following the announcement, the crowd erupted in gasps as the bounties were read aloud.
"Konoha S-rank missing-nin, Ren Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan. Bounty: 1,000,000,000 Ryo!"
"Waterfall S-rank missing-nin, Kakuzu. His partnership with the Bounty Station is terminated. Bounty: 80,000,000 Ryo!"
Below the city walls, En Oyashiro, wearing a deep hood, chuckled softly as he heard the bounty amounts. He glanced at Kakuzu standing beside him. After scrutinizing the man for a moment, he asked curiously:
"Mr. Kakuzu, I heard you were a bounty hunter who made a living hunting targets for profit. But now, it seems you can't even show your face at the underground stations."
"To be honest, that kid was your target, wasn't he? I find it hard to understand why you chose to do what you did six days ago."
En Oyashiro narrowed his eyes, his gaze searching. "And why are you still here? Even with Ren Uchiha gone, you refuse to leave."
Five days ago, the group that had gathered for Ren had joined the Akatsuki under the persuasion of Terumi Mei and Yahiko. They were operating in two-man cells. En Oyashiro had proactively chosen Kakuzu as his partner, which was exactly why he was probing him now.
Regardless of whether this new organization was useful, the powerful Ren Uchiha—who had promised to assassinate the Daimyo—was En's best partner. He would not allow Ren to be betrayed for some petty reason before his path to assassination was cleared. He had taken it upon himself to watch the most unreliable member of the group: Kakuzu.
Kakuzu, cloaked in black and wearing his half-mask, glanced at En with his eerie green eyes. He remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the provocation.
"You're right. I am a bounty hunter," Kakuzu said tonelessly. "And money is like a river. If you block one side, it naturally flows to the other."
"So, naturally... I found a better employer."
"Oh?" En Oyashiro's eyes narrowed. His gaze turned icy, and a dangerous red light flickered in his pupils.
Kakuzu turned to him with an impatient look. "Pull back your killing intent. I don't have as much patience as you think."
He raised a hand and pointed at the massive inner walls of the city. "And, you idiot... you aren't actually planning to follow that orange-haired brat's naive idea of 'last-minute prep' by scouting for infiltration routes in there, are you?"
En Oyashiro froze. Under Kakuzu's "are-you-stupid" gaze, he felt as if his thoughts had been read clean. For a moment, he wondered which of them actually possessed the Ketsuryugan.
Their cell had indeed been tasked by Yahiko to scout the defenses of the wall and possible routes to the Tenshu Pavilion. For En, this was simple—he just needed to hypnotize a few shinobi.
However, Kakuzu clearly had his own plans. He turned and walked away from the crowd, heading toward the dense residential districts of Unraikyō, leaving En with one final, mocking glance.
"If you really want to help that kid and achieve your goal, then keep up. Your reckless ideas will only expose us to the traps the Cloud has already set."
"Now, come with me to see our employer—"
"The Uchiha Clan!"