331-335

Chapter 331: Curtain Rises, Strategy Set!

After planting a curse mark on the Third Mizukage,

Shinji decisively turned and left.

If he wanted to rewrite the fate of the world,

change the tragic outcomes of those around him,

and create a world that followed his own vision,

Then it was inevitable—

he would have to face the most oppressive villain of all: Uchiha Madara.

However, now was not the time for a direct confrontation.

There was still a significant gap between Shinji and Madara.

Even under the best circumstances—

having Nagato summon the Gedo Statue to forcibly cut off the life support of the elderly Madara,

and then launching an assassination during the brief moment before Madara could resummon it—

The chances of success were still incredibly slim.

Even without his eyes,

Madara could still summon a Complete Susanoo.

Not only that, but he could also use the Six Paths abilities of the Rinnegan despite being blind!

And even without considering the Rinnegan’s abilities,

his Complete Susanoo alone was already on another level.

The most powerful attack Shinji had used so far—

The Majestic Greatsword: Eight Million Divine Might—

Could barely break through its defense.

If anything went wrong and Madara managed to reconnect to the Gedo Statue,

his virtually unlimited chakra supply would allow him to summon dozens of long-legged Susanoo warriors to hunt Shinji down.

At that point, Shinji would stand no chance.

To truly compete with a Madara who lacked the Rinnegan,

he had only one option:

He needed to refine his Majestic Greatsword: Eight Million Divine Might to the point where it became as effortless as a basic attack.

At the same time, he had to strengthen his defense beyond even that of Susanoo.

Fortunately, he had already found a path to achieve this.

By combining:

• A further evolved Sage Mode,

• The Nine-Tails' chakra-enhanced physique, and

• Tailed Beast-level chakra reserves,

Even if he couldn’t awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan,

he could still surpass the power and resilience of Susanoo!

This unwavering confidence stemmed from the strength of his heart.

He already possessed the Nine-Tails' chakra nature transformation, which strengthened his body—he just needed to master it.

Through Orochimaru’s methods, he could also obtain the necessary Tailed Beast-level chakra reserves.

His next step was clear—

He needed to travel to Turtle Island and explore the upper limits of Sage Mode.

Before long,

Shinji returned to the wreckage of the Thunder Ship,

which was now little more than a heap of scrap metal floating on the sea,

with various parts scattered across the water.

Activating his Sharingan,

he carefully searched and quickly found a navigational instrument.

After determining his direction,

he stepped onto the water and strode northward.

Turtle Island lay ahead.

He had to reach it and control its course before Uchiha Madara arrived.

One Hour Later

A massive shadow suddenly cast itself over the sea.

From the distance, a towering humanoid figure—its body dry and withered like aged wood—drifted forward.

Even while seated on the water, it stood over a hundred meters tall.

This being had nine closed eyes,

and its hands were bound tightly by heavy iron chains.

Atop this colossal entity, known as the Gedo Statue,

An elderly man sat,

one knee bent up,

a scythe resting beside him.

His hair was streaked with white,

his body frail and gaunt—

but his crimson eyes burned with an icy contempt for all things.

After sitting in silence for a moment,

a White Zetsu arrived, carrying two unconscious figures.

“Lord Madara, the only ones left alive are Tobi and the Third Mizukage.”

“Oh? Still alive?”

Uchiha Madara furrowed his brows slightly.

His gaze fell on the unconscious Byakuran at his feet,

a flicker of irritation flashing through his eyes.

Swish—

A giant azure hand of Susanoo reached out,

grabbing the Third Mizukage in its grip.

“Urgh…!!”

The previously unconscious Byakuran suddenly convulsed,

his eyes bulging as if he were a helpless chick being strangled.

At that moment,

Madara coldly glanced at him.

The three tomoe in his Sharingan spun slightly,

sending his ocular power surging into Byakuran’s vacant eyes,

beginning a memory extraction.

A long silence followed.

Then, as if discarding a piece of trash,

Madara casually tossed the Third Mizukage aside.

A smirk slowly crept onto his face.

“Hmph.”

“So… someone discovered that this puppet was being controlled from the shadows,

erased all traces of their presence,

and left without stirring the hornet’s nest?”

“And they even implanted false memories to set up a trap,

hoping to lure out the mastermind?”

Madara shook his head,

chuckling in amusement.

“Very well, then.”

“In that case—”

He smirked, his voice laced with menace.

“The journey you must now take… to the Land of Water…”

“I will make sure it opens your eyes to the truth of this world.”

Madara suddenly gripped his scythe,

rising to his feet as his voice turned cold and sharp:

“The Eye of the Moon Plan!”

Meanwhile…

Land of Lightning, Yunming City

In a deserted section of the city,

inside a Baroque-style building,

A heated argument echoed through the halls.

Yahiko, his orange hair disheveled,

slammed his hand on the table,

glaring at Mei Terumi across the map.

Nagato and Konan stood off to the side, exchanging uncertain glances.

On the other side of the room, a group of wanted criminals sat idly,

as if the argument had nothing to do with them.

“Why does it have to be the Land of Water?!”

Yahiko jabbed his finger at the marked location, fuming.

Mei Terumi, however, remained firm.

“I already explained,” she said resolutely.

“The Land of Rain is caught between three major powers.

Even if, as you say, it has no daimyo interfering,

it would still be the first to be crushed in war!”

“War isn’t a game.

You think that just by gathering people and forming an independent group outside the Five Great Nations,

you can ‘intimidate’ them into peace?”

“If the very people you recruit end up forced into battle and slaughtered,

then tell me—who is really intimidating whom?”

Yahiko instinctively glanced at Nagato, his face flushing.

“That’s not— We—”

“You think you’re strong? Stronger than Shinji?”

Mei Terumi scoffed,

slamming the map as she retorted:

“That guy refused your invitation. Do you still not understand why?

It’s because you’re too naive!”

“Both your old ideals and your current ones—

*too naive!*”

“That man—

when he had nothing, he still declared he would crush all Five Great Nations on his own.

Whether you exist or not doesn’t matter to him.”

“You all want to drag him into your dangerous plans—

but all you’ll do is *become his weakness!*”

She took a deep breath,

clenching her fists, her voice rising with frustration:

“He’s a complete fool!”

“A fool who would *sacrifice himself rather than let a single comrade die!*”

Yahiko’s face turned red with anger as he swept the papers off the table,

glaring at Mei Terumi.

“Then what about you?!

You act so righteous, but *aren’t you just using Shinji to seize the Land of Water?*”

Mei Terumi fell silent for a moment.

Then, lifting her head,

her emerald eyes gleamed with unyielding determination.

“No.”

“I’m not like you.”

“Shinji won’t join Akatsuki.”

“That’s why I’m here—to convince you all.”

“I have a way—”

“To make Shinji join Akatsuki.”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 332: Bro, Where’s My Five Billion!?

Traveling swiftly northward above the sea, Shinji covered nearly 50 nautical miles.

A thin mist gradually rose from the water's surface, and the moonlight refracted through it, casting an enormous, suffocating shadow over Shinji as he approached.

It was a colossal island with a diameter of about ten kilometers, densely covered with jagged stone pillars.

An island that was... alive!

“So, this is the Island Turtle?” Shinji slowly halted, raising his hand to summon something resembling a lantern from a sealing scroll.

Inside was a special genjutsu potion created by Orochimaru, designed to emit a unique scent to ward off any hostility from the Island Turtle.

To prevent the Hidden Cloud Village from locating and reclaiming the Island Turtle, Orochimaru had used a genjutsu pill to manipulate its will.

If the Island Turtle sensed any ninja within a kilometer, it would go berserk, triggering tidal waves of a magnitude comparable to an “S”-rank jutsu with its massive 10-kilometer body. It would then escape using the waves and other contingencies Orochimaru had left behind.

Although in the original story, the Island Turtle seemed massive and moved at an agonizingly slow pace,

that was only because it was compared to characters like Onoki and Deidara, who could fly.

In reality, an average ship wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of its tail.

This was precisely why Shinji had taken out the lantern.

Carrying the lantern, he moved forward another nautical mile and finally set foot on the Island Turtle.

He first headed to the turtle’s head, entering through a mouth that looked like a mountain. Following a map left by Orochimaru, he found the Island Turtle’s brain.

The brain’s location resembled a gigantic cave, with a massive cluster of red brain matter pierced by spikes formed from the “Four Black Snake Formation.”

It reminded Shinji of the helm of the lightning ship he had recently sailed, and by manipulating it, he could control the Island Turtle’s direction.

Fortunately, Orochimaru hadn’t made this part too complicated.

The controls were almost foolproof.

After nervously fiddling around according to the map, Shinji finally managed to change the Island Turtle’s course.

“Phew...”

“This way, I won’t run into Uchiha Madara at sea again.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shinji stowed away his sealing scroll and proceeded toward the Island Turtle’s interior—

to the place known as the “Falls of Truth.”

Before leaving the battle site, he had played some mind games with Bai Lan to prevent Uchiha Madara from pursuing him.

It was a bit complicated:

To avoid being tracked, Shinji first erased all traces of himself from Bai Lan and Tobi’s memories.

However, genjutsu manipulation through the Sharingan would be full of flaws before someone as skilled with the Sharingan as Madara.

So next, Shinji deliberately altered Bai Lan’s memory, crafting a false narrative and leaving behind a marker that wouldn’t appear suspicious unless closely examined.

Since his opponent was Madara, someone with extreme pride, it was easy to predict his reaction.

After seeing through the first two layers of deception, Madara would undoubtedly decide to play along, intending to crush Shinji’s schemes with sheer power.

After all, from Madara’s perspective, Shinji was unaware of his existence and would at most suspect that someone was behind the Third Mizukage.

But who would ever guess that the person behind the Mizukage was a historical figure long thought dead?

Even though Bai Lan’s fragmented memories revealed nothing useful, Shinji could still reconstruct the events with reasonable accuracy using his knowledge of the original plot and extensive information about the ninja world.

This was his advantage.

And by risking the use of the Sharingan to plant a backup scheme, he made Madara more likely to dismiss it as a mere trick, reinforcing the illusion that nothing could be hidden from the Sharingan’s gaze.

Once Madara was lulled into this sense of omniscience, his next move would be highly predictable.

After all, this was a reverse-engineered trap designed specifically for Madara—a cunning yet straightforward plan.

“Damn, playing mind games with a centuries-old geezer is seriously intense!”

The whole way, Shinji worried that Madara might not fall for it, catch up midway, and then—

slice him down with the Perfect Susano'o and drag him back as a pawn in the Eye of the Moon Plan.

“Phew...”

He exhaled deeply again, still feeling a chill down his spine.

The fear was purely psychological.

After all, Madara was the ultimate final boss, scarier than any other villain.

Even though Shinji had calculated that Madara seemed to take a certain interest in him, who knew if he’d end up being deemed “not worth it” once caught—

and simply be killed off and replaced.

---

The Falls of Truth were located on the turtle’s shell, on the exterior of the Island Turtle.

Amidst a forest of stone pillars that seemed to pierce the sky, a number of buildings constructed by the Hidden Cloud Village stood.

These structures were designed with a realistic style, blending the mountainous architecture typical of the Hidden Cloud while also incorporating elements inspired by tailed beasts.

Guarding this area was a giant ape named “Little Gold.”

However, for some reason, the ape merely glanced at Shinji before fleeing in panic.

Thanks to this, Shinji easily reached the hidden spot within the stone forest—

The Falls of Truth.

“According to the original story...”

Gazing up at the towering waterfall, nearly a hundred meters high, Shinji observed the protruding stone platform before it.

“As long as you sit there, you can see ‘your true self.’”

“And this is the first step to mastering Perfect Jinchuriki Mode—”

“Overcoming yourself.”

“But... what will my true self look like?”

With that thought, Shinji shook his head, walked across the water, and sat cross-legged on the stone platform, closing his eyes.

The moment his eyes shut,

thanks to his heightened sensitivity to natural energy from his Sage Transformation, he immediately sensed a strange force enveloping his body.

The natural energy in the lush environment flowed peculiarly within the jagged terrain, forming a barrier that covered a radius of a kilometer.

Then—

with his Sharingan’s keen perception of spiritual energy,

Shinji realized that his consciousness was being slowly pulled out of his body.

And then, he heard a voice exactly like his own:

“Shinji!”

The voice was urgent, anxious, trembling, and filled with extreme anger:

“Have you forgotten!?”

“The reason you came to this world!!”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“If you keep this up, damn it, even aliens won’t be able to kill you!”

“Let me ask you—”

Covered in blood, wearing a tattered T-shirt, with shards of glass and twisted metal embedded in his body, an older version of Shinji, looking about eighteen,

stumbled weakly out of the waterfall, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

Pointing a trembling finger at Shinji, he demanded in utter confusion:

“Three months... in just three months, how the hell are you almost Kage-level!?”

“And—”

“Bro, where’s my five billion!?”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 333: Me, and My Resolve!

“Bro, where’s my five hundred million!?”

Hearing this bewildered, helpless, angry, yet resigned question—

Shinji's eyes snapped open.

It felt like a dream. Staring in shock, he saw his past self—his pre-transmigration self.

No, to be precise, this was his soul from three months ago, the moment he left Konoha.

A version of himself trapped in the mindset from a year ago—the day he was hit and killed by a dump truck. A self who refused to accept any kindness from the world, shut himself off completely, mindlessly grinding missions like a monk in self-imposed exile, hoping to either drop dead from exhaustion or perish during an endless stream of D-rank missions.

“…Ah, crap.”

Faced with this questioning gaze, Shinji found himself at a loss for words. He had no idea how to explain this situation to himself.

In just a split second—

Thanks to his Sharingan and Sage-enhanced body, he fully understood how the "Real Waterfall" functioned.

Theoretically,

this was a pure Yin Release Sage Art formed by the sharp stone pillars of Turtle Island disturbing the natural energy flow, while also drawing on the spiritual energy of whoever meditated here. The two energies fused to create a unique phenomenon.

Shinji simply named it—

Sage Art: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

The technique extracted the user's chakra, then split it into Yin and Yang components using natural energy, forming an exact copy of the user with identical strength within a special barrier.

However—

Shinji could clearly feel that the version of himself standing before him had barely any chakra—so little that it wasn't even enough to cast a single Great Serpent Style: Substitution Jutsu.

A single strike would instantly erase this doppelgänger on a physical level.

Because—

His Sage Heart, saturated with an almost monstrous amount of natural energy, couldn’t be replicated.

After all, even Turtle Island itself didn’t contain that much natural energy.

But more importantly—

The key to unlocking the "Real Sanctuary" wasn’t about defeating this copy.

It was about self-acceptance.

In other words,

Shinji had to get his "past self"—the three-months-ago version of himself, his darker side—to acknowledge who he was now.

Realizing this, Shinji suddenly felt a massive headache coming on.

After all, who knew himself better than himself? Three months ago, he had been an incredibly stubborn, "bash-your-head-against-the-wall-no-matter-what" type of guy.

But he had no choice but to try.

"Bro, I—"

Before he could even finish four words, his past self—let’s call him "Big Shinji"—furiously yanked out a steel rod embedded in his forehead and threw it to the ground with a loud clang.

"Shut up!"

"It's over, Shinji! You’ve been completely corrupted by the evils of capitalism!"

"Do you even remember my five hundred million anymore!?"

CLANG!

The steel rod clattered against the ground, and a fresh stream of blood gushed from Big Shinji's forehead.

Seeing the blood, Shinji felt his scalp tingle with fear. He quickly stepped forward, trying to use Cellular Regeneration to heal "himself," terrified that he might actually die right in front of him.

"Wait—bro, calm down! We need to talk this out!"

"Talk it out!?" Big Shinji's brow twitched violently, his rage boiling over.

He smacked away Shinji’s hand.

"Talk!? TALK ABOUT WHAT!?"

"Shinji,"

"Did you forget what we went through to get that deal!?"

"From the moment disaster first struck—

A billboard crashing down, a ceiling collapsing, a bridge crumbling, getting held hostage during a bank robbery, fires, chain explosions, almost getting hit by a bullet train while riding a bus, an actual bullet train catching fire because someone smoked in the carriage…

Hell, even just sitting at home and drinking water nearly got me electrocuted because of faulty wiring!"

"That damn Tian Dao Corporation—they stuffed you full of sugar-coated bullets, and you still don’t see it!"

"Where was this so-called 'Tian Dao Insurance' at the start!?"

"We fought that damn company for three days and nights just to earn a sliver of a chance at survival!"

"Now tell me—"

"Tell me, damn it!"

Big Shinji’s expression was grim—so grim that he looked like he was about to cry.

He grabbed Shinji by the collar, his blood-covered hands smearing red all over him. His face twisted into a near-monstrous grimace—

It was the look of a man whose every effort had been mercilessly crushed, whose sacrifices had all been betrayed—

The eyes of someone pushed to the absolute brink of despair!

No Sharingan. No Blood Dragon Eyes. Not even the golden serpent pupils of his Sage Form.

Yet those eyes were more terrifying—more haunting—than any dojutsu.

Under that unyielding gaze, as the furious questions pounded against him—

"Do you still remember the five hundred million we vowed to earn!?"

Shinji fell silent.

He had no answer.

Time passed, second by second.

Seeing this, Big Shinji's face went blank, as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

He let go of Shinji’s collar, stumbling backward two steps.

At that moment, he understood.

Even if he were revived through Edo Tensei, the soul summoned wouldn’t be him—it would be this childlike version of himself.

A cruel irony. A brutal betrayal.

Realizing this, Big Shinji tilted his head back and let out a twisted, deranged laugh—

"Heh… heh heh heh…"

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!"

The very next moment—

His face contorted with cold determination.

He ripped a blade-like shard of a car bumper from his shoulder—

And pressed it against his own throat.

Seeing this, Shinji's expression changed drastically. Instinctively, he moved to stop himself.

However—

Big Shinji raised the jagged bumper like a blade, his gaze ice-cold.

"Don't move."

"You know as well as I do—in this state, I have plenty of ways to kill myself."

Then, he asked in a chilling voice:

"This is the Real Waterfall, right? So you've actually made it this far?"

"Choosing to defect to Kumo isn't a bad choice. It lets you avoid the Uchiha Massacre and gives you plenty of time to grow stronger."

"But now—"

"You’re aiming to become the perfect Jinchuriki, aren't you? Let me guess… which Tailed Beast have you captured?"

"The Seven-Tails? Or did you take advantage of the events in The Legend of Minato to secretly assassinate Uzumaki Kushina and steal the Nine-Tails?"

"No matter what you chose—"

He stepped into the massive shadow cast by the waterfall, staring Shinji down with chilling intensity.

"I have absolutely no hope for this world's future."

Big Shinji tilted his chin up, flashing a crazed, maniacal grin.

Without hesitation, he slashed the blade across his own throat.

"So listen up—"

"I will never let you succeed!"

"I don’t care what excuses you have—you will not stop me!"

"You will NOT stop me from going home!!!"

(End of Chapter.)

Chapter 334: The Sun and Moon Mural, Headless Hungry Immortals!

Hearing such words coming out of 'his own' mouth and witnessing such extreme actions, Shinji couldn't help but feel utterly helpless.

However, he wasn't worried about the other party committing suicide. With his current abilities—even if the young Shinji were to cut off his own head—Shinji could revive him countless times right on the spot, thanks to his mastery of the Forbidden Techniques: Corporeal Regeneration, Life Transfer, and Cellular Rebirth.

The solution to the current predicament was actually quite simple.

He just needed to use his Sharingan to present his experiences from the past three months as an illusion in front of his past self.

Once his past self received these memories, Shinji was certain that at every critical moment, his younger self would make the exact same choices he did, gradually coming to understand him.

Reconciling with 'himself' wasn’t a difficult task.

But—

Shinji neither needed nor wanted to do that!

Why should he reconcile with 'himself'?

A remnant spirit that only possessed a fragment of his mental energy and knew some trivial information—what right did it have to represent him?

To Shinji,

the memories from these three months were far more important than anything on Turtle Island!

Even if the person standing before him was 'himself,' there were some things Shinji would never want to share with 'himself'!

Why should he surrender his most precious memories just to pass through this door?

Especially in this unfamiliar environment, handing over his most valuable memories and the information that could potentially dominate the entire ninja world would be a betrayal of all the hopes and dreams he had carried on his journey!

Therefore—

"Do whatever you want. If you want to die, then go ahead and die."

Shinji raised his head, his gaze calm as he looked at the other version of himself.

After a brief pause, he spoke in an indifferent tone:

"A ninja climbs a wall because it's the easiest way."

"But if jumping over it is more difficult,"

"Then breaking through the wall is also an option for a ninja."

The young Shinji, who was pressing the blade to his own neck, froze in shock. "What did you just say?"

However, before he could process it, Shinji had already lifted his head, his scarlet Sharingan gleaming as he stared at the towering waterfall before him and the surreal boundary of light that seemed to divide the world itself.

"Using a unique formation to absorb natural energy from a radius of a thousand meters to create a barrier that only allows spiritual energy to exist... How clever."

"And this waterfall... It's based on the same principle as the Secret Water Style: Water Mirror Technique used by Yagura. Hmph, so the roots of Senjutsu and Ninjutsu are the same?"

"As expected... This is the civilization of the Sages, from an era before the ninja world!"

Realization dawned on Shinji's face as he slowly closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, the younger Shinji looked at him in astonishment,

"What are you even talking about?"

"Didn't you come to Turtle Island to become a perfect Jinchūriki?"

"Even with an information advantage, how could you have progressed this far in just three months?"

"Shinji, just who are you..."

Shinji merely shook his head slightly at this.

"Tailed Beasts?"

"Why would I need to come all the way here just to enslave those beasts?"

Taking a step forward, he stood before the True Waterfall, his back to the younger Shinji.

"Let's just say..."

"I'm far stronger than you could ever imagine!"

With that, Shinji's eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of scarlet snake-like Sharingan. He clenched his fist and aimed at the waterfall.

The veins on his right arm bulged grotesquely, pulsating alongside sinister Senjutsu patterns that suddenly appeared.

In the next moment—

A blinding golden beam erupted like a volcanic explosion, filling the younger Shinji's entire field of vision,

his eyes widening in shock!

"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!"

"—BOOM!!"

A deafening roar echoed as the barrier shattered into pieces!

In the Real World

Shinji maintained the exact same stance as he had inside the spiritual barrier.

White Senjutsu markings flowed along his arm, and a wisp of smoke lingered at his fist.

Before him, the gigantic True Waterfall had completely disappeared,

the entire mountaintop reduced to rubble from a single punch, taking the barrier that created the dark self along with it.

Water trickled down the edges of the massive crater, forming a half-curtain of water that faintly revealed a vast, mysterious space beyond!

"Ah..."

Shinji opened his eyes, exhaled slowly, and shook out his right hand. He used Sage Art: Heavenly Healing to relieve the intense fatigue in his arm muscles.

He lifted his head and stepped into the cave entrance.

"This must be the second level of the training grounds on Turtle Island."

As far as his eyes could see,

a massive underground palace stood before him, filled with towering pagodas.

On the wall behind the pagodas, a mural depicted a colossal beast with the head of a bull and eight octopus tentacles, alongside a giant cat demon engulfed in flames with two raised tails.

Along the path from the entrance to the massive beast-headed gate in the distance, there were 21 headless stone statues seated in meditation.

Only the statue closest to the gate had an intact head.

The statue was dressed in monk's robes, a stone rosary around its neck, and its hands formed a unique Mudra.

One hand gesture even looked like a thumbs-up... almost as if it was giving a like?

His eyes lingering on the thumbs-up statue for a moment, Shinji continued walking toward the massive, blood-stained beast-head gate.

"According to Killer Bee's account in the original story,"

Shinji surveyed the underground palace, his brows furrowing.

"Every statue here was once a Jinchūriki who failed in their training."

"But the Land of Lightning, where the Hidden Cloud Village is located, isn't known for its monks or temples, unlike the Lands of Fire and Wind. There are no renowned temples or high monks like the Fire Temple or Sora Path, and past Jinchūriki like Blue B were regular shinobi."

"Therefore, it’s clear—this was a lie meant to scare Naruto Uzumaki into obediently sticking his head into the gate to open it."

"When Naruto, Killer Bee, and Yamato entered this place, the truth Killer Bee shared was the real explanation!"

"There's... more to this place than meets the eye."

With that realization, Shinji approached the giant beast-head gate,

his gaze fixed on the dried, dark bloodstains between its fangs.

Without hesitation, he stuck his head inside.

And at that moment—

The underground palace trembled violently!

The 21 headless statues began to move, contorting into poses of extreme agony.

The one statue with a head clutched its ears, its mouth wide open in a silent scream,

its lips forming three unmistakable words—

"So... Hungry...!!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 335: A Heavy History, The Five Nations Conference Begins!

On top of the 600-meter-high wall,

As the murals originally depicting Matatabi and Gyūki peeled away, what was revealed behind them was utterly shocking.

“Damn… this is unbelievable.”

Shinji’s heart trembled as he looked at the headless Buddha statues kneeling in agony and the murals brimming with overwhelming information.

The history of the Shinobi world, beyond the Warring States Period, was essentially a blank slate.

This fact was something Shinji had verified a year ago in both the Konoha Library and his clan’s archives.

Of course, the major clans must have passed down certain forbidden knowledge orally, but over time, much like how Uchiha Itachi’s exclusive mastery of Izanami was eventually distorted,

historical truths became warped by personal interpretations.

Even the origins of certain techniques were twisted. For instance, the supposed creator of Izanami, an ancient Uchiha elder, was somehow depicted wearing a Konoha headband—an absurdity beyond belief.

Izanami and Izanagi clearly belonged to the same era. If Izanami was truly created after Konoha’s founding, then what was the forbidden technique that Uchiha Madara, who had already defected from the village, was using?

In short, a hidden force had long been at work, burying, distorting, and obscuring history.

This force was none other than the one that had lurked in the shadows of the Shinobi world for a thousand years, secretly manipulating its history—

*Black Zetsu, the child of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!*

Without a doubt, through faith in Matatabi or Gyūki—or for some other purpose—this place had been reconstructed, and the murals were deliberately used to conceal that shocking truth from Black Zetsu’s watchful eyes.

As a result, this information had survived to the present day—

And quite possibly, this was the only surviving record offering a glimpse into the world before the era of shinobi!

At this moment—

*“—RUMBLE!”*

Before Shinji could begin deciphering the deeper meaning behind these revelations,

a mechanical rumbling echoed through the vast underground palace!

Beside Shinji, a massive door slowly began to open.

Unlike the bright, dreamlike room that Naruto and Killer Bee had entered in the original timeline—a place filled with light that reached deep into the soul—

behind this door…

*was pure darkness.*

A chilling aura radiated from within, as if countless tormented spirits lingered at the threshold, refusing to leave. Just looking at it made one feel an ominous dread.

However, with his mutated Sharingan, Shinji could pierce through the dark mist and faintly discern what lay beyond.

Behind the door, there was only an altar.

And atop that altar rested a single jade pendant.

Coincidentally,

Shinji had seen this pendant before—

It was the same magatama necklace worn by the emperor of the Land of Ancestors countless years ago.

That man had been the last to be ensnared by the *Infinite Tsukuyomi*, a silent relic marking the end of an era.

Meanwhile, in Kumogakure’s Cloud City

As the days passed, five days had elapsed since Shinji had issued his assassination proclamation.

Cloud City was gradually recovering from the riots and chaos.

At the heart of the city, the towering *Tenshukaku* was nearly restored, thanks to the power of the shinobi.

A group of newly promoted officials marched swiftly up the freshly built walls. Facing the assembled citizens, they announced a decree that would echo across the entire Land of Lightning:

*"Tomorrow, our nation will convene the Five Nations Conference at Tenshukaku, with envoys from all five great nations in attendance!"*

*"Furthermore, Shinji—the traitor who caused havoc in Cloud鸣城 and attempted the unforgivable crime of assassinating our Daimyō—has been classified as an S-rank rogue ninja of Konoha!*

*"A bounty has been placed on his head across the Five Great Nations, the smaller nations, and the entire Shinobi world!"*

*"His accomplices, including Kakuzu, Hōzuki Mangetsu, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Hidan, Sasori of the Red Sand, and the unidentified individual in this portrait, are also wanted."*

*"Anyone who discovers the whereabouts of this terrorist organization of nine individuals is encouraged to report them to any nation's Daimyō office. Generous rewards await!"*

Following this declaration,

as each bounty was read aloud, gasps erupted from the gathered crowd.

*"Konoha S-rank rogue ninja, Shinji of the Uchiha Clan—bounty: 1 billion ryō!"*

*"Takigakure S-rank rogue ninja, Kakuzu—his cooperation with underground bounty stations has been terminated, and his bounty is now set at 80 million ryō!"*

Beneath the city walls,

a hooded man, Onmyōjō En, chuckled softly upon hearing the bounty amounts. He turned to glance at Kakuzu beside him.

After scrutinizing him up and down,

he finally asked with curiosity,

*"Kakuzu, I heard you make a living as a bounty hunter."*

*"But now, you can’t even operate within the underground market?"*

*"Also, wasn't that brat your previous target?"*

"To be honest," he continued, his eyes narrowing with suspicion,

"I've always struggled to understand why, six days ago, you made that choice."

Onmyōjō En locked eyes with Kakuzu, his gaze sharp and analytical.

*"And why,"* he added,

*"do you still remain here, even though Shinji is nowhere to be found?"*

Five days earlier,

the group that had come for Shinji had, under the persuasion of Mei Terumī and Yahiko, joined the Akatsuki organization.

Since Akatsuki operated in pairs,

Onmyōjō En had proactively chosen Kakuzu as his partner. His questioning now was precisely the reason why he had picked him.

Regardless of whether this newly formed organization held any true value, to Onmyōjō En, Shinji—who had vowed to assassinate the Daimyō and possessed formidable strength—was his ideal ally.

He would not allow Shinji to be betrayed for some cliché reason before fulfilling their shared goal.

Thus, after gaining a basic understanding of the Shinobi world's current state and Akatsuki's peculiar roster, he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the most unreliable member of the group—

Kakuzu.

At this moment,

standing beside Onmyōjō En,

Kakuzu, clad in a black cloak and half-mask, heard the question. He glanced at Onmyōjō En with cold, green eyes, his expression unreadable.

After a brief silence, he spoke in an indifferent tone:

"You're right. I am a bounty hunter."

"And money is like a river—block one path, and it simply flows elsewhere."

"So,"

"I have found a better employer."

*"Oh?"* Onmyōjō En’s eyes narrowed.

Hearing this straightforward response, his gaze instantly turned cold. A dangerous red gleam flickered in his eyes.

However, before he could act,

Kakuzu shot him an impatient glance and sneered,

"Put away your killing intent. I don’t have the patience for your nonsense."

Then, he slightly raised his hand and gestured toward the towering inner walls of the city.

"Also, idiot,"

"You’re not seriously thinking about following that naive orange-haired brat’s plan and sneaking into the castle last-minute, are you?"

Onmyōjō En froze.

Kakuzu’s gaze, filled with sheer disdain, made him feel as though his mind had been entirely seen through. For a moment, he wasn’t even sure who truly had the Blood Dragon Eye.

Their mission, assigned by Yahiko, was indeed to scout the walls for vulnerabilities and potential infiltration routes into Tenshukaku.

It wasn’t difficult for Onmyōjō En—he only needed to use his dōjutsu to hypnotize and interrogate a few guards.

However,

Kakuzu had his own ideas. Without looking back, he strode towards the densely populated residential district of Cloud鸣城.

He left Onmyōjō En with a cold, mocking glance and a chilling final remark:

"If you really want to help that brat and accomplish your goal—"

"Then follow me!"

"Your reckless ideas will only expose yourself and lead us into a trap that Kumogakure has long prepared."

"Now, let’s go meet our employer—"

*"The Uchiha Clan!"*

(End of Chapter)