"Nagato is still a bit stubborn, but after having the Rinnegan removed, he no longer possesses any real power. Since his ideals were never fully realized, we decided to release him and Konan after healing his body.
The group of captives from the Cloud Shinobi Village caused the most turmoil, but I coordinated with Hiashi and distributed them across four different locations. Once they were separated and properly guarded, the situation improved significantly."
Before Nawaki could finish speaking, Kain interrupted him with a headache and waved his hand.
"Nawaki, you don't need to report all of this to me. Just tell me about what I actually asked."
He had clearly inquired about Black Zetsu and the Ōtsutsuki, but instead, Nawaki had come over with a stack of documents and spent nearly an hour rambling—without ever touching on the main subject.
As for the rebellions in Cloud Shinobi or the smaller nations, Kain honestly didn't care to hear a word about them.
"Well," Nawaki finally said, "there's really no news about Black Zetsu or the Ōtsutsuki."
"..."
"This guy is hidden way too deep. Logically, his second-in-command should have been Uchiha Madara, but even Madara ended up under Mr. Orochimaru's control," Nawaki said, scratching his head.
"Brother-in-law, over the years we've captured a lot of White Zetsu, and even the Gedo Statue is under our custody—but we've never found the Black Zetsu. As for the Ōtsutsuki, they're even more elusive than him."
By the time Kain had left the ninja world a few years ago, he had—attacked them.
Kain nodded and replied, "I see. Then let the Biomechanical Warriors assist you in the search. It really is difficult to rely on ninjas alone. I'll have the Red Queen adjust the functionality settings on the Bio-Mechanical units."
"There's another matter," Nawaki continued. "Regarding the next general—Hiashi and Shisui are both viable candidates. But Hiashi's people are heavily involved in politics, so there's a stronger push toward Shisui. What about Yoko? Does she have any plans to enter politics?"
Kain immediately waved his hands and said, "Handle it as you see fit. Just go with Shisui. Yoko has other priorities."
No one in the Daimyō's residence liked politics. Though they held the highest authority, none of them wanted to actually govern.
Previously, Nonō had been in charge. But ever since she gave birth to Kira , her interest in political matters had waned. At most, she used the Daimyō's financial resources to adopt orphans and establish orphanages across the country. She would occasionally check the finances—but with the Red Queen managing most affairs, even that wasn't often.
After sending Nawaki off, Kain planned to visit Uchiha Mikoto. She had moved out of the Uchiha clan compound, and with the massive urban development in the capital of the Fire Federation, many Uchiha had followed suit.
Modern cities simply weren't suited to clan-style living anymore. Even a clan patriarch couldn't impose traditional lifestyles in this new era. There were too many appealing housing options available elsewhere.
At the time, some Uchiha had doubts about Mikoto's child. How could Fugaku suddenly have a child over a year after his death? But Shisui had shut down the rumors—after all, it was Mikoto's private matter.
Shisui also seemed to have some idea of what really happened, possibly involving Uchiha Itachi, but he chose not to pry.
Now, Mikoto lived not far from the Daimyō's residence, in one of the capital's wealthier districts.
Aside from picking up and dropping off Uchiha Reina each day, Mikoto had little to occupy her time. Sasuke had graduated a year ago and was now stationed in the Land of Water on inspection duty.
She lived alone now, unsure how to spend her afternoons. If she trained, it would be mostly symbolic—she hadn't participated in the last ninja evaluations, so she was no longer considered a Jōnin. Her strength had declined noticeably.
After some thought, Mikoto pulled out the fresh flowers delivered the night before. They were still vibrant, the petals soaked in clean water. She decided to add more flower arrangements around the house, to make it feel less cold and empty.
"How is Sasuke doing now? I wonder if he'll reply…"
Mikoto shook her head. Communication was easy these days, but unless she or Reina contacted him first, Sasuke never reached out on his own.
Ding dong.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Mikoto was startled. She hadn't made any appointments, nor was she expecting a delivery. Who could it be?
She opened the door, only to have a bouquet of flowers shoved into her arms.
Before she could react, someone hugged her tightly and said, "Mikoto, long time no see."
Leaning against Kain's chest, Mikoto's breath quickened and she found herself momentarily unable to move.
Although she was already forty-two, after learning the Hundred Healings technique and receiving a body-strengthening serum, her physique was comparable to someone in their early twenties.
Not only that—she possessed the elegance and allure of a classic Eastern beauty. Even if she was overwhelmed to the point of fainting, she wouldn't scream. At most, she'd bite the pillow and groan softly.
This quality made Kain endlessly infatuated with her—an addiction he could never shake, one that only deepened with time.
Once Kain had regained a bit of strength, Mikoto tried to sit up and reach for a tissue to wipe the sweat off his forehead. But before she could rise, Kain wrapped his arms around her again.
"I've neglected you all these years, Mikoto," he said softly. "But from now on, I'll come to you whenever I want."
Mikoto smiled gently and whispered, "It's alright. You've had important responsibilities. The peace in the ninja world today is thanks to you."
Kain felt a twinge of guilt. He had done some work—but not nearly as much as everyone believed. He had actually spent most of his time in other worlds, indulging himself. Still, he couldn't bring himself to say that aloud… it would be too shameful.
"By the way, what has Sasuke been up to lately?"
When Mikoto heard Kain ask about Sasuke, she was momentarily stunned, but then smiled and replied,
"He went to the Land of Water after graduating. He probably won't be back for another year."
"Let me take over Sasuke's training," Kain said. "Let him compete with Naruto, Yoko, and the other younger generation—send them out for real-world experience."
Kain gently stroked Mikoto's long hair and smiled.
"In the ninja world, their room for growth is limited. They'll all have to go to other places eventually. This way, it'll be easier for you to see Sasuke again too."
"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you," Mikoto replied softly.
When she heard the names Naruto and Yoko, she immediately knew it must be something important. Kain would never involve both his children unless he was serious.
"Sasuke is also my half-son. When he returns, I'll give him special training myself," Kain said with a smile.
He had already reviewed Sasuke's performance reports through the Red Queen. Among his peers, Sasuke ranked second in Ninjutsu proficiency, had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan, and was rated fourth in the Fire Nation's official assessment. His overall score was the highest of his generation—seven places above Naruto.
And this was Sasuke without any enhancements, with far fewer educational resources compared to Naruto.
Before they were sent to other worlds, each child had to undergo special training or enhancement. Naruto and Yoko, being Kain's biological children, could bypass this due to their inherited bloodline—but others, like Sasuke, would need additional support.
Kain also intended to help Sasuke awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, and eventually replace his eyes with Uchiha Itachi's. Kain didn't particularly like the abilities tied to those eyes, and by now, Itachi's Sharingan were practically part of Kain's private collection.
After spending some time with Mikoto, Kain accompanied her to pick up Chiwa from school. For once, he played the role of a good father—just for a day. When there were no major missions or developments, this was how he liked to spend his time: peacefully.
After all, he had risked his life venturing into unknown worlds just to enjoy days like this. And now, he had achieved that.
Two days later...
Kain arrived at the Dragon Vein.
Naruto and Kakashi had been out of contact for two days. Even though Kain repeatedly assured Kushina that Naruto was completely safe, her maternal instincts wouldn't allow her to rest.
Eventually, she forced Kain to go check in person—threatening to cancel all his future "benefits" if he refused.
Left with no choice, Kain used Apparition to instantly teleport to the Dragon Vein.
Before Naruto was born, Kain had used a magic rune—obtained from another world—to seal off the Dragon Vein's energy. Most of the Loulan people had since joined the Fire Federation, and only a small number remained behind.
Although the area was technically a restricted zone, there were no actual guards. After Queen Sara left, even the locals stopped watching over it.
Now that Kakashi and Naruto had returned, Kain could deactivate the runes and begin preparations to project the Holy Grail.
He took out the pre-made Holy Grail projection, and after waiting for over half a day, the runes around the Dragon Vein suddenly lit up with a blinding glow. Moments later, two figures emerged from the light.
Upon seeing Kain, one of them immediately stood and saluted.
"My lord."
"Kakashi, thank you for your hard work. It must've been a headache looking after that idiot Naruto," Kain joked.
Naruto, who stood up beside him, immediately protested, "What the heck, Dad! I worked really hard on this mission too!"
"Oh? Your mother's been complaining non-stop for two days. This time I won't intercede on your behalf, so you're on your own."
Kain's words made Naruto panic. He had been counting on his father to smooth things over—but then remembered that when it came to Kushina, even his dad had no say.
He began mentally strategizing: Should I ask Aunt Tsunade? Or maybe Aunt Nonō…?
Kain said to both Kakashi and Naruto, "Alright, let's head back. Naruto, you won't be doing these kinds of missions anymore. Instead, go learn about Chamber of Commerce operations with Yoko. I'll assign you a new task soon."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "A new mission? It's rare for you to assign something personally! What is it?"
"You'll find out soon. I promise—it won't disappoint."
Kain then placed a hand on each of their shoulders. In the next instant, space twisted, and the three of them returned to the capital of the Fire Federation.
After safely dropping them off, Kain returned to the Dragon Vein, erased all the old magic runes, and opened a small gap in the seal. He then placed the Holy Grail projection at the opening.
"Now to connect the Dragon Vein to the Holy Grail projection," he muttered to himself. "But it would be even better if I had more energy sources…"
As he arranged the projection, Kain thought about potential alternatives.
The first thing that came to mind was the Ten Tails—still in the hands of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
With the Biomechanical Warriors and the Red Queen scanning every inch of the world, there was no way Ōtsutsuki Isshiki could remain hidden forever—unless he had been using space-time ninjutsu non-stop.
But even then, the Red Queen's network was closing in.
But that Ten Tails is too small—probably not as good as the Dragon Veins. Still, it can produce another Six Paths-level powerhouse. Even if Tsunade and Kushina aren't needed, Nonō and Mikoto could still become Ten Tails Jinchūriki.
"Could the Pure Land have infinite chakra? After all, the chakra used in Impure World Reincarnation seems to come from the Pure Land…"
With this thought, Kain suddenly considered having Orochimaru study the source of the Pure Land's chakra. If its secret could be uncovered, it might lead to a massive, untapped energy source.
After all, the number of people the Holy Grail Projection can carry—and the power they can use—demands enormous energy. Besides the Holy Grail in the Kamui dimension, other worlds also require energy support.
The main reason more people weren't allowed to use the Projection Holy Grail in the Resident evil World was due to the issue of energy limitations.
"Orochimaru, I need to talk to you. Also… who is this?"
As soon as Kain arrived at Orochimaru's base, he noticed a strange person standing beside him—someone who looked almost identical to Orochimaru, yet gave off a completely different feeling.
"This is my successor," Orochimaru replied casually. "It's been a while. What brings you here this time? Did you bring me something interesting?"
"There's a particular bug I'll leave outside for you later," Kain said. "It's still alive, but you'll need to kill it immediately and dissect it into as many pieces as possible."
Kain had been thinking: sand worms from desertified world was good for Orochimaru's research. If he could develop a gene-enhancement serum based on their biology, the gain would be significant.
"I heard Uchiha Madara is with you?"
"His Impure World Reincarnation body hasn't been awakened since it was summoned," Orochimaru replied. "That's why Black Zetsu is still without an ally. Are you planning to use Madara?"
Kain shook his head. "No. Using Uchiha Madara is too troublesome. What I really want is for you to study the Pure Land. The Impure World Reincarnated bodies seem to possess an endless supply of chakra. And since chakra can't be created from nothing, it stands to reason that there must be an immense source feeding it."
"So, you're suspecting the Pure Land?" Orochimaru murmured, intrigued. "You may be onto something. I've never given that aspect much thought. But if you're right… then the chakra in those bodies is likely drawn from the souls of the dead accumulated over thousands of years."
Orochimaru stroked his chin, eyes gleaming with curiosity. He had long desired to research massive energy sources. But with the Tailed Beasts all collected by Kain and the Dragon Veins sealed, he'd been forced to study only natural energy.
It was one of his long-standing regrets.
The child standing beside him was a clone bred from various superior cell lines. With perfectly integrated bloodlines and constitutions, the clone could absorb natural energy without side effects—and had even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at just six years old.
Unfortunately, according to Orochimaru's calculations, the clone required a massive energy source to grow further. He had been planning to approach Kushina for Nine Tails chakra. But now, Kain's suggestion about the Pure Land felt like a timely blessing—charcoal in the snow.
"I understand. I'll begin researching the Pure Land soon," Orochimaru said. "But you'll need to handle Tsunade for me."
"Stop her, huh? I'll go talk to her and Nawaki. But be respectful to both of them," Kain replied.
"I know, I know," Orochimaru waved dismissively, clearly more focused on the exciting new research.