Land of Valleys.
A country with almost no presence in the world of shinobi. It was so insignificant that most maps didn't even bother marking its existence. Tucked away between the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning, its territory was no more than a black speck, a place where barely anyone lived. But judging this land by its size alone would be a grave mistake.
Despite its obscurity, it harbored medical techniques so advanced that even Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, had been left astonished.
Just over a year ago, after leaving Konohagakure behind and setting off on her travels with her disciple Shizune, Tsunade had come across a man.
His name was Victor. He claimed to loathe the unending shinobi wars and had dedicated his life to developing medical ninjutsu aimed at restoring those crippled by battle. His approach centered on exploring the regenerative abilities within human cells.
When he learned that Tsunade, the most revered medical ninja in the shinobi world, had left her village, he didn't hesitate. Boldly, Victor approached her and invited her to join him in the Land of Valleys to collaborate on researching regenerative medical technology.
Though Tsunade initially refused, Victor's vision stirred something within her. In the end, she agreed and brought Shizune with her to assist in developing a revolutionary technique that could enable human tissue to autonomously regenerate.
Though the Land of Valleys had astonishing advancements in medicine, it lacked understanding of chakra and medical ninjutsu. Tsunade's arrival changed that overnight. Her expertise bridged the gap, and the progress of their research accelerated dramatically.
However, more than a year passed, and despite their efforts to stimulate autonomous tissue regeneration using activated human DNA, they had yet to see any real success.
Now, Tsunade was preparing to leave.
The reason was straightforward. She had received a message from Jiraiya, telling her that Minato had officially become the Fourth Hokage and expressing his hope that she would return to lend her strength.
Although she had left Konohagakure in anger a year ago, Tsunade could never sever her bond with the village entirely. This was, after all, the village her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, had founded. With the old man stepping down and Minato taking the helm, Tsunade saw a new opportunity, a chance to shape the village's future once more. And of course, Jiraiya had added in the letter that Konohagakure now faced threats that required someone of her power and experience.
The Land of Valleys had originally planned a farewell ceremony for her, but Tsunade declined. Without ceremony or attention, she and Shizune quietly departed, slipping away as master and disciple.
---
In a fog-draped building poised at the edge of a canyon...
A short, middle-aged man knelt respectfully before a robed figure clad like a monk.
The monk appeared refined and composed, draped in a clean white cloak. Beside him stood a white table, elegantly arranged with red wine and dessert.
"So it failed again? Even with Tsunade's help, you still couldn't achieve it?"
The monk's voice was calm, but the question made cold sweat drip down the man's temples.
"Lord Jigen, while we haven't succeeded, it wasn't without progress. I've come to realize that the key to creating artificial humans doesn't lie in the technique alone, it's in the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. If you can provide me with his cells, I'm confident I can produce an artificial human that meets your expectations."
Yes, this so-called monk was none other than Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. A thousand years ago, he had been ambushed and betrayed by Kaguya, forcing him to parasitize the body of a monk named Jigen.
Ever since, Isshiki had struggled across the centuries to find a proper vessel for resurrection. But time and again, his efforts had failed. None of the hosts he encountered could endure the crushing weight of his vast chakra, just like Jigen himself, whose body was slowly deteriorating.
Thus began his pursuit of artificial humans.
He wanted to create a flawless vessel, one capable of completely containing and withstanding his chakra. And yet, despite countless experiments, the results were always the same, failure.
"Hashirama Senju's cells, is it? Victor, do you truly believe I have the power right now to seize the First Hokage's DNA from Konohagakure?"
Jigen didn't bother to conceal his current weakness. Despite this, he remained immeasurably more powerful than Victor, who instantly trembled harder under his piercing gaze.
"B-but if that's the case..."
"Enough. At this moment, it's simply not possible."
"Then..."
"I know what you want to say. But the Kazekage from Sunagakure isn't an option either. I can't afford to reveal myself. Kaguya's son scattered the chakra of the Ten-Tails across the shinobi world. Even if I made my move now, it would be impossible to cultivate a God Tree and bear a Chakra Fruit fast enough. It would all be for nothing."
"I... I understand."
Though unwilling, Victor nodded.
"That will be all. You may leave."
"Yes, sir!"
As Victor withdrew, Jigen slowly lifted his eyes toward the heavens, his face warped with hatred.
"Kaguya... you vile woman. Just wait. Once I resurrect, I'll turn you into my sustenance. But now that I think about it, I suppose I should thank you. If not for your betrayal, I never would've realized how unique the energy of this world truly is. Even someone like you was able to reach such terrifying power. If I consume this planet... then maybe, maybe I could attain the realm of Shibai, shed this wretched body, and become a true god..."
But in that very instant, something changed.
Jigen suddenly sensed it, the mark engraved on his body, the Kāma, began to pulse and activate on its own. Black lines spread across his entire frame, and one of his eyes shifted into a bizarre, unfamiliar form, a black eye, pulsating with alien energy.
"What... what is this?"
Through this transformed eye, Jigen saw something strange. In the great expanse of the world, the colossal chakra mass representing the Ten-Tails had begun to shift. A segment of it was detaching from the whole, swelling outward like a blister on the surface.
---
At that very moment, Jigen wasn't the only one who felt the shift.
Deep within Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage suddenly raised her head, flicking her tongue to taste the energy that had surged through the world. The three shrine maidens at her side, startled by her sudden movement, leaned in.
"What is it, White Snake Sage sama?"
The ancient sage's eyes narrowed slowly, her voice low and grave.
"So... he's finally taken action. He's begun targeting the Tailed Beasts. If that's the case, then Hagoromo won't stay silent much longer."
"!!!"
Far away in Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage stirred from his deep slumber, his ancient eyes opening with solemn clarity.
"The world has strayed completely into the unknown. Hagoromo... what path will you choose now?"
Fukasaku and Shima, who had been quietly keeping watch nearby, exchanged bewildered glances.
"What's going on? Why did the Great Toad Sage wake up all of a sudden?"
"Did the old man wake up confused again? What's this cryptic rambling about fate and Hagoromo...?"
---
In Konohagakure, that same day, two women felt it as well.
Kushina Uzumaki, the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Mikoto Uchiha, wife of the Uchiha clan head, were both struck by a wave of dizziness and nausea so intense it left them momentarily breathless.
"We must guide fate back onto its destined path..."
Meanwhile, in Sunagakure's Dragon Oasis, a quiet miracle was unfolding.
Shukaku, his form now compacted to human size after being nearly drained of chakra, stood beside the equally diminished Four Tails and Six Tails, their eyes fixed on the astonishing sight before them. After Shukaku's Chakra Fruit had been offered to the Divine Tree rooted in the Dragon Oasis, the entire forest responded with violent vigor. Trees erupted like geysers from the ground, the entire expanse swelling and growing as though boiling from within.
At that same moment, Rasa sensed it too. The enormous chakra sphere representing the Ten Tails had begun to shift. But it wasn't purifying the Ten Tails' chakra, as he had hoped. Instead, a separate chakra sphere, one that distinctly belonged to Shukaku, had peeled away from the Ten Tails' vast reservoir.
As for Shukaku himself, despite being nearly emptied of chakra, his form and temperament remained largely the same. Yet when Bunpuku, his Jinchūriki, tapped into Shukaku's power again, something astonishing occurred.
Bunpuku entered an entirely new state of transformation.
His body became cloaked in luminous, violet patterned chakra, its color mirroring Shukaku's markings. The transformation bore a striking resemblance to Naruto's Nine Tails Chakra Mode. But this... this was Shukaku's own variation, a unique One Tail Chakra Mode, glowing with formidable energy and power unlike anything seen before.