166-170

Chapter 166: We May Disappear, But the Sun Will Still Rise

When Shikaku Nara spoke those words, Obito’s eyes widened instantly.

“Wait, hold on! There must be some mistake!”

“Cih? He’s just a genin like me. Isn’t there something wrong with this promotion system?”

“How… how… how is it possible for him to jump straight from genin to jōnin?”

Uchiha Obito stared in disbelief at Uchiha Shinji, who looked so frail on the hospital bed he seemed ready to float away.

It was like sitting at a street-side stall, sharing skewers with your best friend while cursing the heavens, only for someone outside to shout about moving a car—then your best buddy pulls out the keys to a Range Rover right in front of you.

This kind of emotional blow left Obito questioning life itself.

“This can’t be true! It doesn’t make sense!”

“Unless…” Obito suddenly thought of a possibility and snapped his head up.

Cih, a disciple of the legendary Sannin Orochimaru… Could his promotion to jōnin be due to Orochimaru pulling strings?

“Ah, so you figured it out!”

Uchiha Shinji weakly clung to the wall as he climbed out of bed. He glanced at Obito and suddenly smirked.

“Obito…”

“I wanted to live as an ordinary person among you guys, but instead, I got your ridicule.”

“Fine,” Uchiha Shinji patted Obito’s shoulder with a sly grin.

“I won’t pretend anymore!”

“I’m an absolute badass. Time to lay my cards on the table!”

With that, Uchiha Shinji walked past Obito, following Shikaku Nara and Ryo Aburame out of the tent.

Obito was left alone in the center of the tent, utterly stunned.

---

As the tent flap was lifted, brilliant sunlight flooded in, making Uchiha Shinji squint. When his eyes adjusted, he saw a group of people outside staring in his direction.

Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, Genma Shiranui, Might Guy, and Ebisu—familiar faces all.

However, Uchiha Shinji, being a pure clan ninja who had never attended the ninja academy, knew them, but they didn’t know him.

Their eyes met briefly before shifting away. Uchiha Shinji continued to follow Ryo Aburame, heading toward the central camp.

As they watched him leave, Genma Shiranui, chewing on his ever-present toothpick, widened his eyes in surprise and murmured,

“Did you see that?”

“That guy… I think he’s the one Orochimaru-sama just took in as a disciple—Uchiha Shinji, right?”

Ebisu stood to the side, his eyes filled with envy. He was all too aware of the vast gap between a civilian ninja like himself and a prodigy from a prominent clan with a powerful teacher. But he couldn’t help but gaze longingly at Shinji, like a moth drawn to a light source.

Shaking his head, Ebisu muttered with envy,

“You probably don’t know, but aside from that, he might also be the fastest ninja to be promoted to jōnin in the history of Konoha, or even the entire ninja world!”

“News came in this morning: because of his exceptional performance in the last battle, Uchiha Shinji was promoted directly to jōnin!”

“A 12-year-old jōnin! That’s even more impressive than Kakashi!”

Rin Nohara stared in shock at Uchiha Shinji’s retreating figure, then glanced at Kakashi beside her, asking,

“Exceptional performance in the last battle? Promoted directly to jōnin?”

“Could he be the one they called the ‘Asura’ who fought alongside Minato-sensei?”

Hearing this, even Kakashi furrowed his brow as he watched Uchiha Shinji’s figure disappear into the distance. His gaze lingered on the red-and-white Uchiha fan emblem embroidered on the back of Shinji black cloak.

After a moment, Kakashi shook his head and calmly analyzed,

“Impossible.”

“‘Asura’ is Konoha’s secret weapon—someone who single-handedly held off 300 Sand ninjas, fought one of their top warriors for hours, and ultimately killed the Sand’s highest-ranking commander.”

“His strength might not be below that of Lord Minato, but there’s no way he could be this young.”

“This Uchiha Shinji… he probably participated in the ‘Shura’ raid alongside that other Uchiha, Shisui, who was promoted to Chunin because of this operation. At a critical moment, they both assisted ‘Shura.’”

“Still, even so, his strength should not be underestimated.”

Kakashi squinted slightly, his heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of eagerness.

As the most brilliant genius among his peers, this was the first time he’d encountered someone even more dazzling than himself!

After being silent for so long following his father’s death, Kakashi’s heart began to ripple with a faint excitement.

On the other hand,

standing beside Kurenai Yuhi with his hands in his pockets, Asuma Sarutobi didn’t see it that way.

He sneered,

“Uchiha Shinji? I know about him. He’s just a lucky Uchiha who happened to be taken in by Orochimaru because the village needed it. Now, he’s lucky again to have completed a mission with Lord Shura.”

“Heh… he’s just a guy with connections.”

At this moment, in the eyes of the onlookers, Uchiha Shinji was mysterious, powerful, or perhaps just someone who got by through connections.

Amid this chatter,

Uchiha Shinji, who hadn’t gone far, could faintly hear snippets of their discussion.

As he followed Aburame Ryoma and Nara Shikaku through the camp, he caught more fragments of various rumors from other shinobi. Each story was different, full of embellishments.

This left Uchiha Shinji somewhat surprised.

It seemed that Konoha had concealed his achievements, attributing them instead to the legendary identity of ‘Shura,’ a root ninja.

Meanwhile, he himself appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary 12-year-old Jonin.

At that moment, Aburame Ryoma, walking alongside him, adjusted his sunglasses, smiled faintly, and asked,

“From the look on your face, I take it you’ve heard some of it?”

“What do you think? Do you feel a little wronged?”

Uchiha Shinji shook his head. Keeping his identity separate like this actually made his daily life more convenient.

The feat of killing Elder Chiyo seemed to carry even more weight than he had imagined!

Now, the streets and alleys were abuzz with discussions among shinobi about this event. Once the news reached Konoha, who knew what kind of waves it would create?

If people started mobbing him for autographs every time he stepped outside, Uchiha Shinji figured it’d be quite a headache.

Although this separation of identities robbed him of some direct satisfaction,

this feeling of walking among others while hearing them praise his ‘alter ego’ was,

to put it bluntly, incredibly satisfying!

Uchiha Shinji’s eyebrows arched as he smiled slyly and asked,

“This arrangement isn’t bad at all. So, who’s in the know about my identity?”

As they walked, Aburame Ryoma explained,

“Only the Root division and high-ranking officials are aware. Additionally, your teammates from the mission have been ordered to keep silent. Not a word has leaked.”

After a moment of silence, Ryoma added,

“To the outside world, it’s ‘Shura’ who killed Elder Chiyo, not you, Uchiha Shinji.”

“You should understand—those of us in Root are different.”

“You and I are both shinobi who live behind masks.”

As Aburame Ryoma spoke, he shook his head, glanced at the blazing sun above, and then looked at Uchiha Shinji, who was nearly grinning ear to ear from hearing people praise his alter ego.

Ryoma suddenly chuckled,

“But still…”

“Even if we fade away, the sun will rise as usual.”

Uchiha Shinji turned his head, confused, and asked, “What did you just say?”

Aburame Ryoma pulled down the brim of his hood and coughed,

“Nothing. Just keep walking.”

By this point, the three had arrived at the main command tent.

Aburame Ryoma stayed outside, while Nara Shikaku led Uchiha Shinji into the tent.

After going through various formalities like filling out forms, taking photos, and recording mission details,

“Here, kid, this is your new ID,”

Nara Shikaku said, handing him a ninja identification card.

Uchiha Shinji examined it thoroughly. It didn’t look much different from his previous one, except that the mission history section now had a new entry:

*Uchiha Shinji*

*Rank:* Jonin

*Ninja Registration Number:* 009888

*Mission History:* 1 S+ Rank, 1 S Rank, 855 D Rank

Then, instead of celebrating with fireworks or confetti, Nara Shikaku pulled Uchiha Shinji aside, leaned in, and whispered,

“This isn’t my place to say, but since Lord Jiraiya has already left the camp, he asked me to relay this to you—”

“Achieving Jonin rank at such a young age isn’t necessarily a good thing. Be cautious of hidden schemes.”

“For instance,”

“From within the organization you serve—‘Root.’”

Uchiha Shinji looked up in surprise, stunned by the remark.

But Nara Shikaku acted as though nothing had happened. He straightened up, reached for another document on the desk, and handed it to Uchiha Shinji.

“And finally, Uchiha Shinji,”

“After deliberation by the higher-ups, your request for leave to recover in the village has been approved.”

“You can go home now.”

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 167: Orochimaru Shocked and Furious, the Wood Release Experiment Restarts!*

“Go home?”

Hearing Nara Shikaku’s words, Uchiha Shinji's body suddenly stiffened, and he quickly raised his head.

“What? When did I ever submit such a request?”

“I didn’t! Wait, I’m not injured. I can still fight. Tatakae (fight), one more round!”

“Tsk, tsk, kids these days are such a hassle.” Nara Shikaku impatiently scratched his ear, his face full of annoyance as he tapped the desk.

“Go ask your superior. Everyone just dumps their problems on me.”

“Or maybe you’d like to help me deal with this mountain of paperwork instead?”

Leaning back behind a desk piled high with documents, Nara Shikaku looked lazily at Uchiha Shinji and shoved a stack of files the height of a person toward him.

Crash!  

The paper mountain wobbled slightly.

Looking at the pile, Uchiha Shinji couldn’t help swallowing hard, forcibly suppressing the complaints rising to his throat.

Come to think of it, given Uchiha Shinji’s current status and combat ability, decisions about his deployment were no longer within Nara Shikaku’s authority, even though he was Jiraiya’s strategist.

Arguing here was pointless.

“Good, it seems you understand.”

“Although this is only our second meeting, we’re somewhat acquainted now.”

“Well then, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the ‘Deer’ in the Ino–Shika–Cho trio, the future head of the Nara clan, Nara Shikaku.”

Shikaku straightened up and smiled slightly.

His gaze at Uchiha Shinji carried a hint of admiration. From under the desk, he pulled out three gift boxes of varying sizes, placed them on the table, and pushed them forward.

“I personally don’t like formal ceremonies—they’re too troublesome. After thinking it over, I decided to give you this instead.”

“Well then, Uchiha Shinji—”

“Congratulations on becoming a Jonin!”

---

Still holding the three differently sized gift boxes, Uchiha Shinji stepped out of the tent, looking completely dazed.

He still couldn’t figure out why he was being reassigned back to the village.

Just looking around told him everything:

The Konoha camp was undergoing major repairs. Most of the Konoha ninjas in the camp were carrying wood or hammering nails, moving back and forth transporting materials to build houses.

Clearly, Konoha knew this would be a protracted battle. Wooden houses were being constructed outside the tents, and the noisy sounds Uchiha Shinji had heard earlier were from these building efforts.

If the frontline was still so intense and deadlocked,

then Orochimaru should want him to continue fighting, battling powerful enemies of all kinds!

Staying here, he could still sabotage the alliance between Iwagakure and Sunagakure. He could fight Rasa, Chiyo, Iwagakure’s tailed beasts, Four-Tails and Five-Tails, as well as Onoki and other masters!

So, why? What happened?

At this moment—

Aburame Ryoma, who had been waiting outside, smoothly took the gift boxes from Uchiha Shinji’s hands, glanced at them, and said:

“Tsk tsk, you’ve got some decent connections. Getting gifts from the Ino–Shika–Cho trio?”

“Let me see. Hmm, the Yamanaka clan sent flowers—anthuriums—with a card wishing you steady progress.”

“The Akimichi clan sent a large cured pork leg. As for Nara Shikaku... ha, the lazy guy just gave you money—500,000 ryō.”

Uchiha Shinji turned to look at his superior, who was casually commenting on the gifts he received. Frowning, he asked,

“Senior Ryoma—”

“Why?”

Aburame Ryoma knew what Uchiha Shinji was asking. Casually passing the gift boxes backward,

a Root ninja immediately appeared behind him, taking the boxes with both hands before vanishing.

Ryoma sighed as he looked at Uchiha Shinji’s face, gaunt from exhaustion, and asked in return,

“Do you know how long you’ve been unconscious?”

Uchiha Shinji froze. Scratching his slightly itchy neck, he asked in confusion:

“Half a day? Or a full day?”

He didn’t feel like much time had passed. His memory was still stuck at the moment he’d been bitten by the summoned white snake and had the natural energy drained from his body.

Aburame Ryoma let out a heavy sigh and said solemnly,

“You’ve been unconscious for half a month.”

“Half a month—do you understand what that means?”

“The war... is already over.”

“In this battle, the Konoha strike force led by Shura destroyed the Sunagakure camp, creating a massive breach in their frontline, paving the way for our counteroffensive. Following this, Shura killed Sunagakure’s top commander, Ebizō. His achievements were so astounding that every Konoha ninja was left in awe!”

“After Shura and the Yellow Flash killed Ebizō, Konoha extracted extensive intel about Sunagakure from his mind. Using this information, Orochimaru led Konoha forces in a counterattack, conquering Sunagakure’s positions in the Land of Rain. Left without leadership and thrown into chaos, Sunagakure had no choice but to retreat to an oasis within the borders of the Land of Wind.”

“Konoha achieved a decisive victory—a victory that shook all nations!”

“After this, Sunagakure secretly contacted Iwagakure, sending emissaries to meet with Onoki. Lord Jiraiya led a strike team to disrupt the Sand–Stone alliance, but they encountered the Four-Tails and Five-Tails and had no choice but to retreat.”

“The Sand–Stone alliance is now a reality, but thankfully, we have the upper hand in the Land of Rain, and Iwagakure is still locked in a long-term battle with Kirigakure.”

"The situation has stabilized for now; there won’t be any large-scale battles for at least six months."

Uchiha Shinji stood frozen in place, lifting his head in shock to look at Aburame Ryoma in front of him.

Half a month? It’s already been half a month?!

I’ve spent the entire half-month sleeping?!

And during that time, so many major events happened?!

The Great Konoha Counteroffensive, the Sandstone Alliance, Jiraiya’s failed ambush, encountering a Tailed Beast…

Uchiha Shinji’s gaze sharpened abruptly as he stared at Aburame Ryoma and asked,

“What about Orochimaru? Why didn’t Orochimaru-sensei wake me up?”

“Where is he now?!”

What the hell is Orochimaru up to? A party this wild, and he didn’t even bring me along?!

Hearing this, Aburame Ryoma’s anger flared. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Uchiha Shinji.

“Do you even realize how close you were to having your soul completely twisted into a snake?!”

“Who the hell taught you to recklessly use the Heaven Curse Mark and haphazardly meddle with the Sage’s power?!”

“Listen.”

“This is a message from Orochimaru himself.”

“The power of Ryūchi Cave is dangerous. You’ve been teetering on the edge of losing yourself without even realizing it.”

“Additionally, your body has already been severely overdrawn. You’ve pushed your life force far beyond its limits.”

“The only reason you’re still alive is because your pseudo-immortality grants you the concept of ‘undying.’ But that’s not true immortality.”

“It’s fine if you don’t understand for now. What matters is…”

Aburame Ryoma sighed deeply and stepped forward to embrace Uchiha Shinji.

“Welcome back,” he said softly.

“My student.”

He paused briefly, then added, “Welcome back, my comrade!”

After letting go of Uchiha Shinji, Aburame Ryoma raised his head and gazed toward Konoha, speaking in a solemn tone:

“Orochimaru stepped down as commander and returned to Konoha after completing the counteroffensive… all to save you.”

“Now, you must return to Konoha immediately.”

“There are three reasons for this.”

“The first is that our superior—the one who holds the shadows of the shinobi world in his hands—wants to meet you.”

“The second is that the Uchiha clan has strongly demanded your immediate return to the village.”

“And finally, the third and most important reason…”

“To survive, you’ll need new power!”

“For this, Orochimaru has restarted the Wood Release experiments!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 168: Eight Trigrams Seal, A Parting Gift

As Aburame Ryoma finished speaking, despite the two of them standing within the bustling war camp, an eerie silence enveloped the surroundings.

The usual noises—hammering of construction, idle chatter among shinobi, the shuffling of movement—seemed to be drained away.

It wasn’t until a long moment after Ryoma’s words fell that these sounds gradually filtered back into Uchiha Shinji’s ears.

The cacophony pulled Uchiha Shinji out of his thoughts, causing his brows to knit together.

*Orochimaru has restarted the Wood Release experiments?*

*For the sake of saving me?*

But he didn’t feel like his condition was dire at all.

Clenching his fists, though slightly weakened, Uchiha Shinji could still feel the immense vitality within him. If he so desired, he could convert this energy into a tremendous amount of chakra, unleashing overwhelming power.

However, he quickly noticed a glaring anomaly.

Despite possessing such a vast reservoir of chakra, none of it was automatically channeling into his forbidden technique, *Flesh Regeneration*, to repair his weakened body.

On closer inspection, black markings snaked through the gaps in his muscles, interfering with the natural flow of chakra. These markings interwove into a complex sealing technique,

culminating in two intricate vortex patterns at his abdomen and chest,

similar in design to the Eight Trigrams Seal that would later appear on Naruto.

This sealing technique suppressed his automatic use of the forbidden *Flesh Regeneration* and isolated his ability to sense the Zero-Tails within his body.

Yet, it did not fully block them. From Uchiha Shinji’s perspective, he could forcibly tap into the sealed power if he so wished.

“This is the Eight Trigrams Seal that Orochimaru requested Minato to inscribe on you,” Aburame Ryoma explained.

“Don’t worry too much—it’s not a bad thing.

In fact, it will help you better control the power of the tailless beast inside you.”

Ryoma gave Uchiha Shinji a reassuring pat on the shoulder, signaling him to follow along as they walked forward.

“I know your mind is in chaos right now, but don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to sort everything out.

Before that, though, go say your goodbyes to your friends.”

Before long, they returned to the medical tent.

Ryoma stepped ahead and pulled aside the curtain of one particular tent, revealing the scene inside:

Rows of hospital beds draped with white cloths, solemn and silent.

A small figure clad in an Uchiha uniform stood quietly before one of the beds, gripping a tantō in his hand.

“Shisui…?”

Seeing that figure, along with the rows of beds covered in white sheets, Uchiha Shinji’s heart clenched involuntarily.

“And these… are?”

The atmosphere was heavy, forcing Uchiha Shinji to slow his steps. He tread softly, carefully approaching.

Sensing his approach, Uchiha Shisui raised his head, sorrow evident in his eyes.

In his crimson Sharingan, the three tomoe rotated slowly around the dark pupils.

“You’re here,Shinji.”

Shisui’s head was wrapped in bandages, and his arm, encased in a cast, hung from his neck. The white sling bore faint traces of blood.

But compared to the line of lifeless, white-draped beds behind him, Shisui’s injuries seemed trivial.

“Why are you here? And what’s with all this…?”

Ci swallowed hard, staring incredulously at the bed in front of Shisui.

Typically, bodies fully covered by white cloth like this…

Shisui was silent for a moment, lowering his head as his voice grew heavy with fatigue.

“As you can see…

The entire Konoha Assault Squad is here.”

“What?! What do you mean!?”

Ci jerked his head up, wanting to press for answers, but the words caught in his throat.

And then, he saw it.

Shisui, eyes brimming with grief, slowly reached out with his uninjured hand. He gripped the sheet covering the corpse on the bed before him and peeled it back.

A familiar face immediately appeared before Uchiha Shinji.

It was Uchiha Shinichi!

Memories of Shinichi shielding him from the Kazekage’s elite guards flashed inShinji’s mind. His heart sank.

The crimson Sharingan inShinji’s eyes lit up instantly,

But in the very next moment,

Uchiha Shinichi suddenly opened his own Sharingan!

His gaze, laced with a mischievous glint, locked onto Uchiha Shinji’s face—his expression a mix of shock, sorrow, and confusion.

Shinichi’s face turned cold. He grabbed Shinji’s collar and flipped him onto the bed.

“Kid, you like playing the hero so much, huh?”

In an instant, the white sheets flew into the air!

One after another, familiar shinobi rose from the beds like the undead, all members of the Konoha Assault Squad. Their eyes were locked onto Uchiha Shinji, their expressions anything but friendly.

“And did you ever stop to think about how we felt!?”

Only now did Uchiha Shinji realize that this entire group had colluded with the overly gullible Shisui to stage this elaborate ruse!

Faced with the piercing stares of the group,

especially Shisui’s now profound and piercing gaze, as if hiding a black hole within his pupils,

Ci swallowed hard, his body squirming nervously.

“Wait, wait—what are you all planning to do?!”

“Shinichi! This is too much—using Shisui to trick me like this!”

Shinichi grinned, a sly tilt to his eyes.

“What are we planning to do?”

“Heh, obviously, we’re here to congratulate our great leader on becoming a Jonin!”

Then, he turned his head to look at Uchiha Shisui, who had come up with the plan, and asked excitedly,

"Shisui, what should we do? You decide!"

Uchiha Shisui lifted his small face, gazed at Shinji with a faint, devilish smile on his lips, and said,

"First, strip him naked."

---

The next day.

In front of the Konoha camp gates,

a small squad preparing to return to the village was gathering.

A white-haired boy wearing a mask was lazily feeding grass to the horse pulling their cart.

At that moment, Kakashi Hatake frowned, looked toward the camp, and impatiently asked the blond young man sitting in the cart, seemingly lost in thought,

"Sensei Minato, Obito is late again!"

"In a camp like this, it’s not like he could be helping some old granny cross the road, right?"

"That idiot."

Nearby, Rin Nohara heard this and smiled gently, though a trace of helplessness showed in her expression.

"I think I saw Obito delivering letters to the injured. He should be here soon."

"Let’s wait a little longer."

Just then, Obito came sprinting out of the camp with a large bag full of letters on his back, waving enthusiastically at the three teammates from afar.

"Sorry, sorry! I’m late!"

Minato snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at the bag on Obito’s back, and smiled slightly.

"Kakashi, I was the one who asked Obito to do this."

"We seem to be the last group in the camp to get permission to return to the village. Everyone else will likely have to stay here for at least another six months. These are letters from everyone to their families back in the village, so I thought we might as well take them with us."

"Sorry about this," Minato said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"No need to apologize, Sensei Minato," Kakashi replied, shaking his head. He watched as Obito climbed onto the cart, then turned to look at Minato, who showed no signs of leaving. Curious, Kakashi asked,

"Now that Obito’s here, why aren’t we leaving yet?"

"Hm." Minato tilted his head slightly, looking toward the camp. "We’re waiting for one more person. Oh, there he is!"

At Minato’s words, the three younger teammates immediately turned their heads in unison.

And there, they saw him—a boy slightly taller than them, dressed in a loose black short-collar kimono and pants adorned with the Uchiha clan crest, with a purple rope tied around his waist.

Expressionless, he walked toward them.

Expressionless, he climbed onto the cart.

Expressionless, he looked back at them.

And then, they saw it: the "little turtle" drawings that covered his entire face, neck, and even down to his collarbones—the handiwork of the Konoha stealth team, thanks to Shisui’s prank the day before.

Faced with the barely suppressed laughter of his three younger teammates and their sensei, Shinji furiously exclaimed,

"What are you looking at?!"

"This stuff doesn’t wash off easily! I really tried to scrub it off!"

"Let’s go already!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 169: Akatsuki’s Plan to Save the Nation, and the Prototype of the Rasengan!

The carriage carried a wave of irrepressible laughter as it slowly made its way homeward.

Through hills, plains, canyons, and rivers it traveled.

On a cliff above, Yahiko stood, gazing in the direction of the departing boy's journey.

Withdrawing his gaze, he turned to his companions and flashed a radiant smile.

“As I thought, that guy came here for this purpose!”

“He did it!”

“He brought this brief moment of peace to the Rain Country, which has cried for far too long.”

Beside him, Nagato furrowed his brow and calmly analyzed,

“But Yahiko, the alliance between Sunagakure and Iwagakure has been successful. Once Iwagakure ends its war with Kirigakure…”

“This place will become a true slaughterhouse!”

“It will turn into the most chaotic and brutal battlefield in the entire ninja world!”

“This peace is fleeting—it’s false, like the calm before a storm.”

Yahiko nodded, his gaze taking on a hint of solemnity.

“You’re right. But we can’t deny that Shinji’s slaying of Chiyo’s brother, Ebizō, has indeed altered the course of the war, indirectly saving the Rain Country.”

“Sunagakure has withdrawn from the Rain Country’s borders, and the scale of battles has gradually diminished.”

“He’s bought us more time!”

“So—”

“Now, it’s our turn to act!”

Wearing a black rain cloak, her light blue hair tied into a bun, and adorned with a pristine white paper flower, Konan was silent for a moment before suddenly asking,

“Then, Yahiko, what do we do?”

She bit her lip. Despite her trust in Yahiko, the moment their ideals had to be turned into reality—and considering the challenges Akatsuki had faced recently—left her feeling uncertain.

Even the task of simply expanding their organization and recruiting members had pushed Akatsuki to its limits.

“Our manifesto is to foster mutual understanding through words, to stop wars, to help enemies understand each other.”

“That’s far too difficult.”

“The ninjas scarred by war are filled only with anger and hatred.”

Yahiko shook his head and smiled calmly.

“Konan, you’re absolutely right.”

He chuckled softly. When he raised his head again, his eyes were filled with determination.

“But remember, our goal isn’t to save the world, nor is it to make everyone in the world understand each other.”

“We are acting for the peace of the Rain Country.”

“As long as women still cry, as long as children still go hungry, as long as men still flee across the land…”

“As long as even one pitiful girl is lost on the streets…

As long as even one dark soul, filled with hatred and ready for revenge, wanders this grieving nation…”

“We will continue to fight! Continue to act!”

“Our goal isn’t to convince those consumed by hatred to abandon revenge—that’s unrealistic.”

“What we truly aim to do…”

“…is to lead this pack of stray dogs, these nameless rogue ninjas, these vengeful schemers. We aim to guide them—those who understand the meaning of pain—to realize one simple truth:”

“We don’t want anyone else to suffer the same pain we did!”

“That’s why we act!”

Yahiko looked at his companions, all clad in black cloaks, and smiled radiantly.

By now, the number of people standing by his side had grown to dozens.

Then he turned back to watch the carriage and the boy disappear beyond the horizon. Once they vanished from sight, he shifted his gaze to Nagato, standing to his right.

His eyes were filled with hope.

Empathy—that was Yahiko’s way.

He stood firmly for himself, his companions, and his country. He understood both himself and the situation clearly, taking concrete and pragmatic actions. Every step was solid and purposeful.

All of it was for the hope that one day, he could uphold a true bridge of peace.

His mission was to become the pillar supporting that bridge.

And now, in his eyes, there were two people who might achieve this vision:

Nagato, who had inherited the Sage’s eyes, and Shinji, who had tirelessly fought to quell war through his actions.

In the Land of Hot Water, his battles brought peace.

Now, his efforts in the Rain Country had achieved the same.

Next—where would he go to fight?

Yahiko didn’t know.

But he offered the departing boy Akatsuki’s heartfelt blessing—

“Safe travels, wherever you may go.”

---

The carriage moved slowly along the narrow path,

eventually stopping at an abandoned village for a short rest.

With the war momentarily easing and no urgent missions at hand, Minato's team, along with Uchiha Shinji, traveled at a leisurely pace, unhurried to return to the village.

At this moment,

Uchiha Shinji and Minato Namikaze were reclining against a haystack, gazing up at the sky.

Nearby, the three young members were chopping firewood and boiling water, preparing for an outdoor meal.

Uchiha Shinji wanted to help but was quickly interrupted by Rin Nohara’s overly gentle words:

“You’re still recovering, Mr.Shinji~.”

In the end, all he earned was a jealous and resentful side-eye from Obito.

With nothing to do, Uchiha Shinji had no choice but to lie there with Minato.

Since leaving the main camp, Minato Namikaze had been carrying a heavy heart, looking deeply preoccupied.

Uchiha Shinji could roughly guess what was on his mind.

According to the events of The Tale of Minato, in order to stop the Sand-Stone Alliance, Jiraiya led a team into the Land of Earth to sabotage the alliance’s agreement. Near the border, they encountered two Jinchūriki who came to intercept them: Rōshi of the Four-Tails and Han of the Five-Tails.

Minato had been part of Jiraiya’s team at the time.

Witnessing the terrifying power of the Tailed Beast Ball and the overwhelming strength of the Jinchūriki had left a profound impact on him. It made him think about Kushina, who was also a Jinchūriki.

The thought of such a monstrous force residing within Kushina had kept Minato in his current daze.

Lying on the haystack, he raised his hand and reached for the sun.

His heart was overwhelmed with fear, as though the radiant sun in the sky was a metaphorical Tailed Beast Ball hurtling toward him.

What should he do?

How could a mere human defend against such immense power?

Minato’s hand trembled slightly as he unconsciously tilted it, catching the sunlight from a new angle.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up!

A rapidly rotating mass of chakra formed in his palm!

Then—

Uchiha Shinji knew Minato was developing a new technique. It wouldn’t be long before the legendary Rasengan—a ninjutsu of great significance—was born.

However,Shinji himself wasn’t in the mood to get involved.

In fact, his own mind was a chaotic mess.

Along the journey, so many things had happened one after another, giving him no time to catch his breath.

At first, he’d recklessly risked his life just to fake his death for insurance.

Later, influenced by people like Orochimaru, he continued taking dangerous actions.

Now, the storyline had taken a drastic turn: Chiyo was dead, the Sand Village had lost, and the Stone Village was dragged into a long war with the Mist Village.

It felt as if the entire world had suddenly become an unfamiliar place.

In this altered world, faking his death was no longer feasible. He couldn’t even be sure if the future outcome would be good or bad.

The only path left to him seemed to be the one Orochimaru had mentioned:

recklessly seeking danger, engaging in endless battles, and mastering forbidden and secret techniques to forcibly enhance his combat power.

But could he really do it?

Without the chakra of Indra or Asura, and without the protagonist’s plot armor, his hope of breaking the cycle and attaining the Rinnegan lay under Madara’s watchful eye, with the scheming Black Zetsu lurking even deeper.

Without the Rinnegan or the Gedo Statue,

how could he possibly reach the Six Paths level by merely stacking ninja techniques?

Was that even remotely possible?

Uchiha Shinji felt utterly exhausted. The more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed and lost he became.

Staring at the endless blue sky, he muttered inwardly, Screw it. I’ll take it one step at a time.  

He emptied his mind, wanting to enjoy this fleeting moment of peace.

However—

Just then,

Uchiha Shinji’s eyelid twitched as he suddenly felt a wave of energy nearby that made his heart race in alarm!

He whipped his head around—

and saw a glowing blue orb, wild and unstable, rapidly expanding right in front of him!

In the next instant—

Uchiha Shinji’s eyes widened in shock.

“What the hell?!”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 170: Dark Spiraling Sphere! The Concept of an Artificial Tailed Beast Form!*

Whoosh!  

A violent, blue orb rapidly expanded before him, spinning furiously in a counterclockwise direction.

Uchiha Shinji felt a chill run down his spine. Instinctively, he pushed off the ground and leapt backward, drawing his Kusanagi Sword to slice through the volatile object in front of him.

But in the next moment, he forcibly stopped his attack.

"Minato!"

Minato still had the orb in his hand! If that sword struck, he might accidentally blow up the future Fourth Hokage!

Namikaze Minato, fully aware of the chaos that could ensue if the orb detonated, quickly tried to withdraw the chakra. Unfortunately, the immense amount of chakra already infused into the orb was spinning uncontrollably due to centrifugal force, making it impossible to retract.

The orb kept growing larger, becoming more violent with each passing second.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Minato reached into his ninja tool pouch, dropped a kunai in place, and teleported away using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

In the blink of an eye, a yellow flash streaked across the distance, far away from the danger.

Boom!  

A deafening explosion rang out, and a disheveled Minato reappeared at the edge of an abandoned village, near a haystack.

Scratching his slightly singed blonde hair, Minato looked visibly embarrassed.

"Ci, um..."

Minato was about to apologize when Uchiha Shinji furrowed his brows and gazed thoughtfully at the scorched ground where the explosion had occurred.

At that moment, the blast from the incomplete Rasengan had left a massive, spiral-shaped crater in the earth.

The sheer power of it... coupled with its unstable, uncontrollable nature...

It instantly remindedShinji of the dark chakra belonging to Zero-Tails.

The same wild, uncontrollable energy. It couldn’t be used effectively as a jutsu, and most of the time, it served as a visual effect—like stirring up a gust of wind during an explosive transformation. Otherwise, this dark chakra was almost entirely allocated to fueling the Forbidden Technique: *Physical Reincarnation.*

With the enhancement provided by the Cursed Seal of Heaven and the complementary multi-tiered Snake Substitution Jutsu,Shinji’s combat options had significantly expanded. He no longer needed to endure attacks head-on as he had in the past.

Moreover, the Snake Substitution Jutsu’s regenerative efficiency was superior to the Forbidden Technique: Physical Reincarnation. This meant that the latter, while still a core component of his arsenal, had become somewhat redundant during actual battles.

It was useful, no doubt, as it served as a prerequisite for other techniques. However, its frequency of use in combat was bound to decline sharply.

This left the dark chakra from Zero-Tails largely untapped—a significant waste of potential.

Uchiha Shinji had always struggled to control this power effectively.

But now, after witnessing the mechanism behind Minato’s prototype Rasengan, his mind lit up with inspiration.

The concept of using rapid rotation to generate centrifugal force, causing chakra to spiral out of control...

What if he reversed the process? What if he began with inherently violent chakra and used it as the starting point?

For instance, the dark chakra.

Minato, noticingShinji’s distant expression, assumed the 12-year-old had been frightened by his reckless experiment. Feeling deeply apologetic, he stammered:

"Um...Shinji, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—"

"Shut up!"

Ci abruptly turned around and glared at Minato.

"What did you just do?"

After blurting out the question,Shinji immediately realized how pointless it was. Minato was clearly in the middle of developing the Rasengan, stuck on the final stage: *control.*

Having seen the unmatched compression of a Tailed Beast Bomb—formed by combining yin and yang chakra in an 8:2 ratio and compressed to unleash nuclear-level destruction—Minato was inspired. He devised a method to replace the compression process with rapid rotation instead.

This approach differed from Jiraiya’s later three-phase training regimen for Naruto’s Rasengan:

1. Mastering chakra rotation.

2. Infusing the rotation with destructive power.

3. Perfecting the balance of rotation, power, and control.

Minato, however, had skipped straight to the third stage, aiming to create a Tailed Beast Bomb that could be wielded by human shinobi.

Uchiha Shinji frowned deeply, contemplating the possibilities.

With the future teachings of Naruto’s Rasengan variations as a reference, the jutsu was incredibly versatile—capable of incorporating nearly any elemental or unique attribute.

After all, Naruto had developed 37 different Rasengan forms at one point.

If Shinji could master the Rasengan and infuse it with Zero-Tails’ dark chakra, he could create a technique perfectly aligned with his combat style: *Dark Rasengan!*

The concept was entirely feasible!

However, a single Dark Rasengan wasn’t enough forShinji’s current challenges. Most of his opponents were Kage-level shinobi. Adding one more Rasengan wouldn’t shift the scales in his favor.

This limitation was the reason Shinji hadn’t considered the idea earlier.

But now—

He saw the prototype of the Rasengan used by Minato,

and after observing this method that utilizes "rotation" to control violent power in its final stage,

a reverse and even bolder idea suddenly emerged in Shinji's mind!

His physical condition was far superior to Minato's, who was just a normal shinobi.

First of all, he was practically half a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki and possessed regenerative abilities even more terrifying than those of a Jinchūriki.

Secondly, during the activation of the Fire Release: Chakra Mode, his ability to shape and control flames was akin to a pseudo-Tailed Beast Cloak.

Finally, the speed and physical enhancements granted by the Heaven's Curse Seal were comparable to the "half-Tailed Beast transformation" of a Jinchūriki.

The offensive capabilities of the Fire Release: Chakra Mode were not as ideal as he had imagined. Many powerful opponents that Shinji had faced could forcibly resist it. But if he shifted his perspective and abandoned the idea of concentrated offensive power, using it instead as a stable transformation state paired with the Heaven's Curse Seal...

Even though he couldn't fire a Tailed Beast Bomb,

Shinji was essentially a perfect "artificial Tailed Beast." Moreover, this cloak, much like the Lava Release: Chakra Mode of the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki Roshi, possessed high-temperature burning properties!

Thinking about it this way, it seemed that as long as he mastered the Dark Rasengan and figured out how to launch the finished sphere,

Shinji could totally pass as a Tailed Beast.

Minato needed to control the shape of the Rasengan to prevent it from exploding, ensuring he could fight steadily without hurting himself.

But Shinji didn’t need that at all!

What he needed was greater firepower, stronger explosions, and wider coverage!

Turning the Rasengan into a true Tailed Beast Bomb was far more suitable for him!

And now,

Minato’s application of this incomplete, prototype Rasengan—

This method of rapid rotation, generating centrifugal force, and causing chakra to spin out of control and amplify its power—

Though an incorrect implementation of the technique,

ironically gave Shinji a major inspiration!

He felt like he had discovered the correct way to unlock the Rasengan—

*Sage Art: Super Giant Dark Tailed Beast Rasengan!* (Unstable Version)

An artificial Tailed Beast Bomb!

With this, the technique would tie together everything he had learned up until now, forming the ultimate combat form to unleash Shinji’s full fighting potential—

a true artificial Tailed Beast Mode!

Boom!  

In that instant, it was as if Shinji had been struck by the Rasengan in his brain, filling him with extreme excitement.

He abruptly lifted his head and looked at Minato, who now wore an awkward expression, unsure whether to speak or stay silent. A mischievous smile spread across Shinji’s face.

“Minato, can you show me that again? That technique you just used.”

Minato’s eyes widened in shock, staring at Shinji in disbelief as he tried to explain,

“Ji, that technique isn’t perfected yet. It still has many flaws. If you want to learn, why not wait until I—”

Before Minato could finish, Shinji shook his head like a rattle drum.

Rasengan? Who wanted to learn that?

“No, no, no! I just want to see what you just did.”

Shinji’s eyes sparkled as he stared at Minato, suddenly giving him a big thumbs-up.

“That was... super cool!”

(To be continued)