The location was the Mountain Graveyard near the Valley of the End.
After finishing a scroll, Uchiha Madara rolled his neck and began watching the "Obito TV" program provided by White Zetsu.
Meanwhile, inside another cavern separated by several layers of mountain rock, Sasori of the Red Sand—his entire body wrapped like a mummy—was undergoing rehabilitation training with White Zetsu Tobi accompanying him.
How should one put it…
Although Madara picking Sasori up had been an accident, the two had gotten along fairly well during this period.
From Madara's perspective, Sasori's ruthless and taciturn personality suited his tastes. Moreover, his human-puppet technology closely resembled the Rinnegan's Six Paths ability and possessed tremendous potential. He was a tool worth cultivating.
Although Sasori still did not know about Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan, he had vaguely realized that Black and White Zetsu were fundamentally different from ordinary humans. They possessed a kind of "eternal beauty" similar to puppets, making them highly worthy of study.
Sasori had even developed an interest in Uchiha Madara himself.
He had researched human-puppet technology for many years. Even if he had not personally modified a hundred ninja corpses, he had certainly handled forty or fifty. Yet he had never obtained the body of an Uchiha clan member.
If he could turn the body of the strongest Uchiha into a puppet…
then he could die without regrets.
Of course,
Sasori still understood his own strength.
Even at his peak, he would have been as fragile as a child before the legendary "Ghost of the Uchiha," much less in his current half-crippled state after his battle against Yuu.
At present, even moderately intense physical rehabilitation was difficult for him, and he still needed White Zetsu Tobi to support him.
However,
Sasori was not completely without an opportunity.
Madara was already over eighty years old. Even someone who had once stood at the summit of the ninja world could die at any moment. Sasori merely needed to wait for Madara to die, take his corpse, and put it to good use.
If he could fulfill that wish, Sasori would not mind working for Uchiha Madara for ten or twenty years.
In the original timeline, Sasori had joined the Akatsuki after being defeated by Konan and then worked diligently for them for over a decade. Compared with Konan, Uchiha Madara's identity and strength were several levels higher. Serving as his subordinate was not humiliating. It was even somewhat honorable.
"…Tobi."
After completing a set of physical exercises, Sasori spent a moment catching his breath before turning toward the White Zetsu beside him.
"Let me ask you something. That person… how has he been recently?"
"You mean the human called Mikami Yuu?"
White Zetsu scratched his head.
"It seems Konoha sent him out again. Recently, he's been near the border between the Lands of Fire and Waves, making contact with Kirigakure… I don't know the exact details. You might need to ask Lord Madara."
"Kirigakure…"
Sasori narrowed his eyes.
Yuu specialized in Fire Release, which was countered by Kirigakure's Water Release.
However, discussing elemental counters while ignoring differences in overall power was meaningless. Unless Kirigakure deployed a Kage-level expert, killing Yuu would be extremely difficult.
This left Sasori disappointed, yet also slightly relieved.
After all…
he still intended to personally kill Yuu, add him to his collection, and wash away the humiliation of his defeat. If Yuu died early at the hands of Kiri ninja, it would be far too wasteful.
"Tobi, how much longer will it take for my body to recover?"
Sasori asked again.
This time, White Zetsu answered immediately.
"At least several months. Your injuries were far too severe this time. You should be grateful you're still alive. Don't think too much about it. Take things slowly."
More precisely, even if Sasori's body recovered, his strength would not return to its former level anytime soon.
As a puppeteer, more than half his combat strength came from his puppets. Losing the Third Kazekage human puppet was equivalent to having one of his arms severed. Until Sasori acquired another puppet of the same level, he could not display his previous strength.
If he encountered Yuu again, defeat would be inevitable.
"…Tobi, I've been thinking about something lately."
"?"
White Zetsu tilted his head.
Sasori took a deep breath and slowly spoke.
"I have learned something from my brief life. Human ability has limits… unless one transcends humanity."
White Zetsu asked, "What does that mean?"
"It means…"
Sasori raised his head, fanaticism appearing in his eyes.
"I reject my humanity!"
He had only recently figured this out while lying in bed.
For most puppeteers, their greatest weakness was nothing other than their fragile main body. One reason Yuu had defeated him was that Sasori needed to protect his own body during battle and could not act without restraint.
In that case…
why not simply discard this burdensome body and transform himself into a human puppet as well?
As long as he preserved the core necessary to maintain life, everything else could be removed and replaced with wood and steel.
No—not steel.
Now that the Third Kazekage's corpse had been taken, steel would be countered by iron sand. It would be better to use a special material that was nonmagnetic yet stronger and more durable than steel.
Sasori knew of several such materials, but not many.
However…
Uchiha Madara had lived from the Warring States Period until now. Perhaps he possessed more information.
Thinking of this,
Sasori looked at White Zetsu again.
"Tobi, please deliver a message to Lord Madara for me. I would like to meet him and discuss something."
…
Another two or three days passed in the blink of an eye.
That afternoon,
Yuu led Kakashi, Shisui, and the others through an open forest region, searching for Kiri ninja just as they had during the previous few days.
Suddenly,
a series of urgent, piercing cries sounded in the distance.
The crows Shisui had previously summoned were circling in a specific warning pattern several hundred meters away in the air.
"Something's happened!"
Shisui instantly raised his head. The scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes as he interpreted the information transmitted by the crows.
"Southeast, around one kilometer away, downstream in the valley. There are traces of Kirigakure ninja moving through the area. They seem to be in a hurry… Captain Yuu?"
"Let's investigate!"
Yuu made his decision.
He was now skilled enough to be bold, and Kakashi and Shisui were with him. Even if Kirigakure deployed a Kage-level fighter, it would still be difficult to keep them here. There was no need to be overly cautious.
Of course, they still needed basic precautions. Yuu had already instructed Rin to prepare a signal flare for immediate use.
Soon,
the group of around ten people spread out into teams of three and rushed toward the direction indicated by the crows.
When the distance narrowed to several hundred meters, they faintly spotted several Kiri ninja.
The enemy appeared alarmed and turned to flee. Occasionally, one of them looked back and released a ninjutsu in an attempt to slow Yuu's group down. But they were basically treated like speed bumps and run straight over, without even having the chance to cry out.
One side chased while the other fled for around twenty minutes.
The sound of flowing water ahead gradually became clearer.
After passing through dense shrubbery, the scenery suddenly opened up.
Directly ahead was a small waterfall. The drop from the waterfall to the ground was around twenty meters. Water descended from above and carved out a broad valley below.
The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with steep cliffs rising around it. Only the direction they had come from consisted of relatively flat woodland.
This terrain was an ideal place for an ambush.
And in fact…
"One, two, three…"
"They've certainly put on quite a show."
Yuu calmly swept his gaze across the surroundings, focusing on several locations where All-Spirit Perception had detected particularly strong chakra signatures.
"…Huh? What show?"
Obito looked confused.
Kakashi and Shisui had vaguely sensed something. Both looked around, vigilance appearing on their faces.
The next moment,
amid a series of whooshing sounds, chakra fluctuations erupted from the cliffs and bushes on both sides of the valley—even from within the rapidly flowing stream.
Then figures wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors appeared one after another. There seemed to be thirty or forty of them. In the blink of an eye, they had completely surrounded Yuu's group.
The man leading them stood over two meters tall, with a body as massive as a bear. Messy orange-red hair hung around him, and a strange long blade wrapped in layers of bandages rested on his back.
He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, wielder of the greatsword Samehada—
Fuguki Suikazan!
"We finally meet, Konoha brats."
Fuguki spoke in a thick, rough voice. His small, vicious eyes swept over the group before locking firmly onto Yuu.
"The ninja game ends here. The scenery in this valley is quite nice. It'll make the perfect graveyard for all of you!"
"…"
Faced with this sudden predicament,
the Konoha ninja instantly tensed.
Kakashi and Shisui simultaneously gripped the sword hilts on their backs.
Obito, Inabi, Tekka, and the others lowered their centers of gravity and controlled their breathing. Scarlet Sharingan appeared in their eyes as each faced a different direction, tracking every movement of the surrounding Kiri ninja.
Rin and the remaining members also adopted defensive stances.
Only Yuu looked around and showed a somewhat disappointed expression.
"Tsk. You only brought this few people?"
"…This few?"
"That's right. Wasn't your advance force supposed to have more than two hundred members? Even after subtracting the ones we eliminated over the past few days, there should still be over a hundred left. Not even half of them are standing here…
"And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen aren't all here either. Do you really look down on us that much?"
"…"
Yuu was serious.
He had brought seven or eight teammates who were at least chūnin level, while Kirigakure had only sent around forty people. A mere four times their number felt far too small.
Since this was an ambush, they should have prepared at least seventy or eighty people. There was not even a Kage-level fighter among them.
It was truly shabby.
But hearing this, a vein bulged on Fuguki's forehead, and his face darkened.
"Arrogant!"
"You're nothing but a group of wet-behind-the-ears Konoha brats, yet you really think you're important? Even if I were alone, I would still be enough to slaughter all of you!
"Attack! Send them to hell!"
Before his voice even fell, shouts rang out.
"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
Among the forty-plus Kirigakure ninja, more than ten raised their hands and began forming seals. Vast amounts of Water-nature chakra gathered madly, stirring the surrounding water and producing thunderous roars.
Accompanied by the deafening rumble,
the originally calm stream suddenly rose into a towering wave, surging toward them like a tsunami. It reached more than ten meters high, even surpassing the cliffs on both sides.
At the same time, several ferocious water dragons rose into the air from every direction, sealing off all possible escape routes.
The entire valley seemed to transform into a raging sea in an instant.
Within everyone's vision, only the terrifying waves remained, blotting out the sky and carrying overwhelming force.
Faced with this seemingly world-destroying scene,
Kakashi reacted the fastest. He immediately crouched down and slammed his palms against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick earthen wall carved with dog heads rose with a rumble, blocking the group's front and attempting to withstand the most powerful wave coming directly toward them.
Immediately afterward, Shisui and Inabi simultaneously used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, attempting to redirect the water's impact with powerful winds.
Obito also released a Great Fireball, hoping to weaken the waves slightly.
However, the power of more than ten Kiri ninja attacking together was extraordinary.
Among Yuu's group, only Kakashi and two other chūnin specialized in Earth Release, which countered water. Although the earthen walls the three created together briefly stopped the wave, they soon began trembling violently.
Powerful torrents surged over the top and around both sides of the walls, continuing toward Yuu and the others.
Whether fireballs, fire dragons, or Wind Release, they could only shift the waves slightly or create great clouds of white steam before being swallowed. They could not stop the overwhelming force at all.
Just as the group was about to be consumed by the destructive waves,
Yuu finally moved.
He calmly raised both hands and lightly clapped them together before his chest.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
In an instant, equally ferocious water rose around Yuu. It began circling him and the surrounding Konoha ninja, tracing a wide arc and forming a wall of water that rose from the ground.
No…
More accurately, it was no longer a simple wall of water.
It was a wall of lamentation.
Within a single breath, it rose from the ground and surged toward the sky. The water curtain was several times thicker and more condensed than an ordinary Water Formation Wall, resembling an enormous inverted bowl that firmly protected every Konoha ninja inside.
"…What?!"
Fuguki Suikazan's eyes widened instantly.
The other Kirigakure ninja—and even Yuu's Konoha comrades—were left dumbfounded.
Kakashi and the others knew Yuu could use Water Release. He simply did not use it often, making it seem like a secondary option beneath his Fire Release.
But…
was even his "secondary option" this astonishing?
Kirigakure was the village most proficient in Water Release among the Five Great Ninja Villages. The ninja following Fuguki were also almost entirely elites. Even the weakest among them were elite chūnin.
Yet not a single one of their Water Release techniques could compare in scale to Yuu's…
Wasn't this a little too absurd?
~~~
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