"After my left eye became an Eternal Mangekyō, my chakra reserves increased."
They had been 14.5 Ka. Now they were 24.5 Ka, a full increase of 10 Ka.
After leaving the Land of Waves and entering the Land of Fire, Mizuki dropped from the sky to the ground. Flying at high speed made it hard to breathe.
Mizuki and Naruto were fine, but Sasuke was still unconscious. Relying only on instinctive breathing, he could not endure it.
After landing, Mizuki carried Sasuke on his back, with Naruto following as they headed straight west.
Naruto's mood was extremely low.
"Naruto, what's past is past. There are still many days ahead. Try to let it go." Mizuki said.
Naruto forced a smile and acted as if he did not care, "Yeah, yeah. I'm not that petty. I've already gotten over it."
Mizuki shook his head.
Naruto was like this. He looked carefree, but he was actually sensitive and perceptive.
Neji, Gaara, Nagato, Obito… Naruto had seen through all of them. He always found the softest part of their hearts, and then, as if by fate, they would fall to his "Talk-no-Jutsu".
He always buried unhappy things deep inside. What he showed others was an expression of "I don't care about anything." In truth, he had been carrying a heavy burden all along.
"Master… can you tell me about my father and mother?" Naruto's voice held anticipation, and also a little fear.
Mizuki nodded.
"Let's start with the Land of Whirlpools. There was a village founded by the Uzumaki clan called Uzushiogakure. The Uzumaki all had red hair. They excelled at sealing techniques, and their bodies were naturally strong, with enormous chakra reserves."
Naruto touched his own hair, as if wondering why, if his surname was Uzumaki, he did not have red hair.
"The First Hokage's wife, Mito Uzumaki, was the first Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. After the Second Great Ninja War, Mito was nearing the end of her life. The village's higher-ups urgently needed to choose a new Jinchūriki as the vessel to seal the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's breathing caught as he realized something, but he said nothing and continued listening to Mizuki.
"The Uzumaki clan's strong constitution and abundant chakra made them the best vessels for sealing tailed beasts. So, while she was still a child, Kushina Uzumaki was chosen. She came from Uzushiogakure to Konoha to become the new Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. After enrolling in the Ninja Academy, she was nicknamed the 'Red-Hot Habanero' because of her red hair…"
As Mizuki spoke, Naruto gradually began to understand his parents. In his mind, their images grew clearer and clearer.
Mizuki continued, slowly describing the night the Nine-Tails attacked, how Minato and Kushina died, and Kushina's final instructions.
"Naruto, don't be picky. Eat well and grow up quickly. Remember to bathe on time every day. Soak in the bath to keep warm. Don't stay up late. Make sure you sleep. And remember to make friends. You don't need many. Just a few friends you can truly trust are enough…"
By then, Naruto's eyes were already overflowing.
Mizuki sighed, "Your mother told you to make friends. Unfortunately, the Third Hokage even took away your right to do that. He told the villagers you were the demon fox's child, so no one wanted to be your friend, and they were even afraid to get close to you. You're twelve now, and you still haven't made a single friend. Living in Konoha, all your memories are loneliness, coldness, and bleakness. I'm afraid that aside from Ichiraku Ramen, you don't have any good memories at all."
Naruto's choked voice continued.
But Mizuki could feel a violent aura radiating from him.
The last shred of attachment Naruto had for Hiruzen was completely extinguished. He had no lingering nostalgia for Konoha.
He stopped speaking and grieved in silence.
Mizuki also fell quiet and calmly studied the Dōjutsu of his left eye.
Sasuke, on Mizuki's back, slowly woke up. He looked dazed and did not say a word.
The truth behind the Uchiha clan's massacre had hit him too hard. Thinking of what Itachi had endured made him want to howl at the sky and vent his rage.
Suddenly, he asked, "What do I need to do to become stronger as fast as possible?"
Toward Konoha, he could no longer suppress the killing intent in his heart.
Mizuki said, "Don't rush. Follow me, and you'll get stronger very quickly. It won't be long before you can stand on your own."
He took out a bottle of Six Spirits Floral Water.
"Your spirit has been severely damaged. This will help you."
He had been carrying Sasuke the whole time, and he was tired too.
He opened the bottle and held it under Sasuke's nose. The boy took a sniff, and in the next moment, he experienced the magic of the Six Spirits Floral Water.
Although it only lasted ten seconds, the increased mental power did not completely dissipate afterward. Instead, it replenished the mental power Sasuke had lost. It could be used not only to boost strength in battle, but also to recover. The effect was astonishing.
"It's getting close to the end of the month. Sasuke still has one return opportunity left. We can't waste it."
This month, Mizuki had granted Sasuke: first, sound-based positioning, and second, the Rasengan. There was still one opportunity left unused.
{A/N: For convenience in the future, the once-a-month return will be calculated by calendar months. At the beginning of each month, the return opportunity refreshes.}
What should he give for the last opportunity?
Of course, a Sharingan. The left eye was already an Eternal Mangekyō. The right eye had to be at least a Rinnegan.
He pried a right-eye Sharingan out of Danzō's hands, put it into a medicine bottle, and handed it to Sasuke.
"Keep this. It may come in handy later."
Sasuke did not understand, "What's this for?"
Mizuki explained, "The Uchiha clan has a forbidden technique called Izanagi. It's a jutsu that can alter reality. Once activated, even if you are killed, you can rewrite the outcome of death. The cost is that one Sharingan goes permanently blind. Danzō transplanted so many Sharingan to keep himself alive."
The moment Danzō was mentioned, Sasuke began grinding his teeth. Mizuki did not tell him that Danzō had already been killed by him. It was better not to say it for now.
Sasuke did not want the Sharingan, but Mizuki forcibly shoved it into his hand.
[ Ding! ]
[ You have granted your disciple Sasuke Uchiha a Three-Tomoe Sharingan (Right), triggering a 6,666× Return! ]
[ Congratulations, you have obtained the Rinnegan (Right)! ]
'Hahaha, it really came!'
Mizuki's right eye began to swell with intense pain, even more obvious than when he had obtained the Eternal Mangekyō. When the discomfort disappeared, his right eye had turned into concentric rings.
'I almost forgot. The Sharingan can be put away, but the Rinnegan can't.'
Having a Rinnegan on display was far too conspicuous.
[ Host, don't worry. This Rinnegan is a system return. It is completely under the host's control. When not in use, it can be shut off. ]
Mizuki was overjoyed and quickly shut off the Rinnegan.
Sasuke and Naruto had been behind him the whole time, so they did not notice the change in his eyes.
After his right eye became a Rinnegan, Mizuki's chakra surged again. From 24.5 Ka, it shot straight up to 54.5 Ka, an increase of 30 Ka.
'Good grief, this boost is terrifying. I won't have to worry about running out of chakra anymore.'
Once again, thanks to Boss Danzō for the gift. What a generous boss!
The three of them quickly headed west.
Mizuki deliberately detoured around Konoha. After three days, they reached the western edge of the Land of Fire, near the border with the Land of Rain.
Following the prearranged marks, they soon found Daisuke, Shin, and Sai. The group grew to six.
"We're going to pass through the Land of Rain and reach the Land of Birds farther west. We'll build a new ninja village there."
The Land of Birds had spring-like weather year-round. Mountains and rivers were everywhere, the trees were lush, birds filled the sky, and the people lived stable, peaceful lives. It was a small country that kept to itself.
There was no ninja village in the Land of Birds, and ninjas were rarely seen. It was the perfect place to build one.
After the village was established, Mizuki would serve as its leader and directly appoint Sasuke, Naruto, and Disuke as Chūnin. With Chūnin disciples, the system's limit on how many disciples he could accept would be lifted, allowing him to take on more. The more disciples he had, the more return opportunities he could grant, and the faster his strength would grow.
'It won't be long before I'm unrivaled in the ninja world. I will build the strongest ninja village. I will unify the ninja world.' Mizuki's heart swelled with ambition.
If he had stayed in Konoha, he would not have had much ambition. But now that he had defected, he could not keep drifting. No matter what, he had to do something earthshaking.
A person born in troubled times who accomplishes nothing is no different from rotten wood and dead grass.
"Then, Master, what should the new ninja village be called? Torigakure (Bird Ninja Village)?" Naruto asked.
After the past few days, Naruto had already moved past the pain and was lively again. All one could say was that he really did have a big heart.
"Torigakure? Then why don't I make you village leader and, like the Five Great Ninja Villages, give you an '-kage' title and call you 'Torikage' (Bird Shadow)?" Mizuki rolled his eyes.
{T/N: Even if he's just joking, it's possible he'll end up being called that. After all, the Hidden Village's name has nothing to do with the Kage's title. It's based on the country's name: Hokage (Fire Shadow) for the Land of Fire (Hi no Kuni), Kazekage (Wind Shadow) for the Land of Wind (Kaze no Kuni), and so on.}
What a terrible name. Just like his father, he was hopeless at naming things.
"Let's call it Tenringakure!"
"Tenrin?" Naruto asked, puzzled, "Does it have some special meaning?"
{T/N: Tenrin is the Japanese term for a "wheel-turning king" or Chakravartin in Indian mythology/Buddhism. It represents an ideal, just ruler who governs with peace rather than force, often depicted as a "wheel-king" or "wheel-turning sage king".}
Mizuki nodded but did not explain.
The Land of Birds lay west of the Land of Rain, and the Land of Rain sheltered the Akatsuki. Marching straight through could invite trouble.
So Mizuki led the five youths south, detouring through the desert of the Land of Wind. A few days later, they arrived safely in the Land of Birds.
Next came meeting the Daimyō of the Land of Birds and proposing the establishment of a ninja village.
"I remember there was a plot arc about the Land of Birds in the anime." Mizuki recalled.
The previous daimyō of the Land of Birds was named Ōsagi.
After Ōsagi died, the high monk Menzō supported Ōsagi's eldest child, Sagi, as the new Daimyō, only to have Menzō assassinate Sagi. After Sagi's death, Sagi's twin sister, Toki, succeeded as Daimyō and sought to uncover the murderer who had killed her father and brother.
In other words, the current Daimyō of the Land of Birds was actually a woman disguised as a man.
That made things simple. With overwhelming force, Mizuki rooted out Menzō and his accomplices. He offered it as a token of allegiance to the Daimyō, then proposed establishing a new ninja village.
"Mizuki-sama, I'm afraid I can't agree to this request." Toki refused immediately, "The Land of Birds is a small country. Our finances are tight, and the people don't have money either. Building a ninja village requires enormous funding, and I can't provide it."
Mizuki looked at the young daimyō with a half-smile. He already understood her concerns.
"You don't need to pay anything. I have money. All you need to do is give us a piece of land and assign some people to help with construction."
The daimyō still hesitated.
"But…"
Mizuki said, "You're worried about our identities, right? We're all Konoha's Missing-nin, so you're afraid the Land of Fire will blame you, aren't you?"
Toki did not expect Mizuki to be so direct, so she nodded.
"That's right. The Land of Birds is a small country, far inferior to the Land of Fire in both economy and military strength."
Mizuki smiled, "Daimyō-sama, you can rest assured. Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Birds lies the Land of Rain. Even if the Land of Fire blames you, it will be no more than words. Their army can't make it here. Besides, as long as we don't publicize it, who would know that Konoha's Missing-nin are the ones building a village in the Land of Birds?"
Although he wore a smile, impatience was already rising in him.
If this Daimyō still refused, he would use less-than-normal methods. With the Eternal Mangekyō as support, using Genjutsu to control her should not be difficult, right?
❊❊❊❊❊
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $2 or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations: MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
Take a look at the new books I'm translating on my profile, Cyberpunk 2077: A God-Level Skill Every Day and Infinite Worlds: Building the Strongest Harem! They are also on my website for $5 and $1.5, respectively!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)