Originally, after having the second Ten-Tails devour the Five-Tails and Six-Tails, Isshiki planned to go after the other Jinchuriki.
However, the emergence of the Akatsuki temporarily halted his actions.
Everyone knows what happened next.
The Akatsuki was defeated, and that Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki even gathered all the other Jinchuriki together. This development, observed secretly by Isshiki, thrilled him.
But before he could celebrate for long, that Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki vanished into the desert.
Still, this wasn't a problem for Isshiki. Wasn't there a defective product at the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire that still contained Nine-Tails' Chakra?
The quantity was a bit lacking, but it was genuinely Nine-Tails' Chakra. When combined with the Chakra of the other eight Tailed Beasts, its nature wouldn't change… it could still be used to nurture the God Tree.
However, before Isshiki could make a move, a familiar aura reappeared.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, emerged from the desert again, but accompanying him was the aura of Otsutsuki Kaguya.
What frightened Isshiki most was that the aura of Kaguya appearing on Naruto was different from his own symbiotic state with Jigen.
It wasn't that Naruto had defeated Kaguya and been marked with her Kama… instead, it felt more like... another Otsutsuki!
Another Otsutsuki, more powerful, more dangerous, and more unpredictable.
And if not for the 'scent' of Kaguya, he wouldn't even be able to sense Naruto's presence at all.
Isshiki trusted his instincts.
That Uzumaki Naruto was, without a doubt, 100% of Otsutsuki lineage, its purity no less than his own… and the one he mentioned is his prime self.
Moreover, Naruto wasn't like him, a traditional Otsutsuki with the mission of 'planting the God Tree'. He was an 'anomalous Otsutsuki' born in this Ninja World, with a behavioral logic completely different from theirs.
Naruto's reappearance made Isshiki's heart skip a beat. For a moment, he felt the illusion that he might be destined to fail.
Yet god never seals off all exits. Just as he was thinking this, that guy's aura, like Kaguya's back then, completely vanished once more.
This time, Isshiki caught on.
He understood Naruto certainly wasn't dead… at the very least, nothing in this Ninja World could kill Naruto.
The more likely possibility was that, like before, he had traveled through 'time'.
Unaware that Naruto could go to the One Piece World, Isshiki naturally associated this, a conclusion he had drawn years ago after researching rumors about the [Ryumyaku].
"In any case, three months. Don't worry about the number of test subjects, I'll capture as many as possible for you."
"As for those Ninja, heh..."
Despite his many thoughts, Isshiki didn't bother explaining to Amado, whom he considered a mere 'servant'.
He wouldn't tell him that he needed to take advantage of the interval when Naruto was away to complete his reincarnation as quickly as possible. Only then would he have enough power to seize all the Tailed Beasts.
Speaking of which, it was embarrassing...
Last time he tried to attack the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki, Roshi, he was actually stopped by some little old man! And that brat who could create explosions!
Remembering his defeat in Iwagakure, Isshiki gritted his teeth secretly.
If only Jigen's body weren't so fragile! With mere rabble like that, how could they have made him retreat in failure?
After giving Amado his orders, Isshiki turned and left the laboratory, ignoring the complex expression on the other's face.
Did Amado possibly have ulterior motives?
Isshiki had thought of that, but he didn't care.
Now they were grasshoppers tied to the same string. As long as Amado wasn't willing to give up on resurrecting his daughter, he had to follow this path to the end with Isshiki.
'Oh yes... it was time to prepare for dealing with that troublesome fellow.'
Isshiki suddenly remembered a certain Ninja who had inexplicably started investigating their movements not long ago.
That guy's own whereabouts were also erratic. Having suffered a loss at Onoki's hands, Isshiki wouldn't recklessly use his main body this time.
So, he adopted a more roundabout approach.
'The bait had been cast... now it was just a matter of whether that stupid fish would obediently take it.'
The naive Isshiki had no idea what kind of big fish his bait would eventually catch.
...
The Land of Whirlpools, the newly born Uzushiogakure.
A pitch-black spatial gate opened, and two figures emerged from it.
Naruto, walking in front, was calm and unhurried, pondering something as he walked, seemingly still recalling the peculiar sights during his spatial traversal earlier.
The first crossing was an amateur watching the spectacle… but in this return trip, he was an expert appreciating the intricacies.
Behind him, Konohamaru stumbled along frantically. His forcibly maintained calm composure shattered just a few steps after his feet touched the land of the Ninja World again.
"Mm..."
Hearing the sound of a hand covering a mouth, Naruto interrupted his thoughts about spatial knowledge and asked with concern,
"...If you really can't hold it, just vomit."
However, Konohamaru's response was a vigorous shake of his head, followed by what seemed like a forceful swallow as he caught his breath... Honestly, this scene nearly made Naruto want to vomit.
"No need to push yourself... Karin and Sasuke only had that physique thanks to Devil Fruit abilities. For your age, reaching this level is already impressive."
Naruto knew Konohamaru was secretly comparing himself to Karin and Sasuke when they first passed through the spatial gate to the Ninja World.
Those two didn't get dizzy and want to vomit like him.
Having trained for so long and believing he had grown considerably, Konohamaru wanted to challenge himself.
—As it turned out, he had indeed grown, but not enough.
Forcibly straightening up, he gave Naruto a thumbs-up to signal he was fine, then heard the sound of dense footsteps.
Sure enough-
Looking around, he found they were now completely surrounded.
With such a commotion from the portal, and its location right in Uzushiogakure, how could it have escaped the notice of the residents?
Konohamaru scanned the crowd. Among those surrounding them were fishermen with harpoons and desert guards with curved swords. Most faces were unfamiliar to him.
But for Naruto, there were still a few familiar faces among the encircling group.
Just as he imagined, soon someone pushed through the encirclement of militiamen and guards, vigorously waving at them.
"Everyone disperse! Don't you know who he is? He's Uzumaki Naruto-sama! The master of our newly born Land of Whirlpools!"
This man clearly had considerable authority here. The moment he spoke, everyone lowered their weapons in unison.
Meanwhile, many unfamiliar faces in the nearby crowd showed surprise and curiosity upon hearing the name [Uzumaki Naruto].
After directing everyone to retreat, the man turned around, his eyes filled with pleasant surprise as he looked at Naruto.
"Welcome home, Naruto-sama."
To this welcome, Naruto also showed a kind smile.
"Ah... I'm back, Sachinosuke."
Yes, this person who looked like a proper village chief was none other than Sachinosuke, one of the experimental personnel Naruto had rescued from Orochimaru's Southern Hideout.
"It seems you and Queen Sara and the others have been getting along well..."
Naruto observed the desert guards and Uzushiogakure militiamen. They weren't clearly separated, obviously a deliberate effort by both Sara and Sachinosuke.
"But, since when did I become the 'master of the Land of Whirlpools'?"
The next moment, Naruto showed a slightly troubled expression.
Hearing this, Sachinosuke looked at Naruto with deep respect, his tone sincere and earnest.
"Naruto-sama, if not for you, none of us could have escaped that hell alive."
"Uzushiogakure... and even the newly born Land of Whirlpools, were only established because of you. Of course, you must be the country's master."
Saying this, he guided Naruto towards the 'village center' of Uzushiogakure. It had been transformed into a larger square, with even some people conducting business here.
And when Naruto saw what stood in the center of the square, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"Did you guys... make this thing too?"
He pointed at a five-meter-tall [Naruto Statue] standing in the center of the square, feeling a headache coming on.
"Of course! We, the earliest residents, carved it bit by bit with our own hands, without using Jiraiya-sama's Ninjutsu."
"Only this way can future generations remember who they owe their current lives to."
"But the craftsmanship might be a bit..."
At this point, Sachinosuke also showed an embarrassed expression.
No wonder the new residents couldn't recognize Naruto.
Honestly, if not for the iconic clothing and other features, just looking at the appearance, even Naruto himself couldn't tell who the statue was supposed to be.
Saying the craftsmanship was poor was still being polite.
The face was even more abstract than Konoha's Hokage Rock.
Nearby, Konohamaru covered his mouth, looking like he wanted to laugh but didn't dare, perhaps thinking of something funny.