Chapter 543: Closing the Space-Time Passage
After Aono Shinichi and the others successfully (and temporarily) derailed Riori Uzumaki's plan to teach Neji's group the Fire Row Technique, Ishiro waved the six children over to his side.
"Shinichi, Shizuka, Rion."
Ishiro handed a massive scroll to Aono Shinichi. "This contains the detailed histories of every large-scale war the village has participated in since its founding."
He then handed a ninja pack to Shizuka Minamoto. "This contains ability descriptions for every known ninjutsu, even ones our village doesn't possess."
Finally, he gave a third scroll to Rion. "This records the processes of classic small-scale battles from all across the shinobi world. Some involved our own people, so they're very detailed. Others are just based on hearsay."
He added, "By the way, it includes several of Riori's battles. Her 'Fire Row' has been so devastating on the battlefield that it's also listed as a classic tactic."
Hearing this, Riori, who had been pouting, immediately perked up. She stared intently at the scroll in Rion's hand.
Ishiro signaled for Rion to give Riori what she wanted.
As soon as she had the scroll detailing her glorious combat record, Riori completely forgot about her teaching duties. She bolted off, scroll in hand, to find Akino Atsumi and her other friends to share the joy.
Ishiro turned his attention back to Aono Shinichi's group. "You three are smart, so I won't say much else. First, read all of this. Once you've expanded your knowledge, I'll show you these jutsu in detail."
"Study well, discuss it. I chose you based on your shogi and xiangqi skills, but you all have different strengths. Learn from each other, cover your weaknesses, and then each of you write a report for me to check."
The three of them clutched their new materials and nodded seriously.
Ishiro added, "My expectation is for you to become tactical or strategic ninja. But you can't neglect your fundamentals. You must complete the basic training I set, which is the entry homework for all my disciples."
"Yes, Ishiro-sensei!" The three agreed and went off to the side to analyze the data.
Ishiro then looked at Kurotsuchi. "Kurotsuchi, your main affinity is Earth. For now, focus all your energy on practicing Earth Release. Once you can use A-rank Earth Release, you can consider developing other affinities."
"Starting tomorrow, you will go on missions with Riori-sensei. Your two teammates have other things to study, so you will be the main combat force on missions. Sometimes, you may have to go on missions alone with Riori-sensei. Don't throw a childish fit."
Kurotsuchi glanced enviously at her two teammates, then listlessly replied, "Yes, sir."
Ishiro handed her a scroll. "These are my notes from my early days of learning Earth Release. Start with this. If you perform well, I can give you an even more advanced set of notes. Those were written by the one person in the last few hundred years who has walked the furthest on the path of a ninja."
"But, one condition. Even though you're the Third's granddaughter, you must acquire all future jutsu by exchanging mission contributions at the Contribution Office. You already have many privileges; there will be no more special treatment."
Kurotsuchi said grudgingly, "I know, I know."
She wasn't actually opposed to this. She wanted to become an outstanding ninja through her own abilities, not just be "the Third Tsuchikage's granddaughter."
Ishiro's gaze fell on Karin. "Karin, your main focus remains medical ninjutsu. You must guarantee that half your time is spent studying it. You can skip missions with your Riori-sensei if necessary to do so."
Karin beamed. "I understand, Ishiro-sensei!" She was overjoyed at the prospect of fewer missions with her unreliable "sensei."
As for my good friend Kurotsuchi... sorry, I can barely save myself. You're on your own!
But Ishiro added, "However, you can't neglect your other training, either. The basics are mandatory. Also, I have a sensory jutsu for you. Learn it, and after you do, write down your insights. Then, I have another assignment for you: improve it."
Karin was flustered. She had never trained in sensory jutsu. "Ishiro-sensei, but I've never... I can write the report, but improving it? Isn't that asking too much?"
Ishiro said, "Relax. I believe you can do it. Don't forget, you're a genius in my eyes."
Hearing his confidence in her, Karin nodded firmly. "I understand, Ishiro-sensei! I'll do my best!"
Ishiro nodded, giving her an encouraging look. Of course he believed she could do it; he had been envious of the terrifying power of her Kagura Mind's Eye for years. He had even named his own super S-rank sensory jutsu after hers.
Finally, he looked at Neji. "Neji, you know your situation. I've already told you what you need to do. I won't say more. Keep up your recent training."
Neji immediately replied, "Thank you, Lord Tsuchikage. I understand what to do."
Looking at Neji's determined gaze, Ishiro nodded. I've spent so much time and energy on Neji. I hope it wasn't a waste.
So far, Ishiro could at least confirm that Neji's "re-education" was proceeding smoothly. But it wasn't enough. The most critical step—breaking the Caged Bird seal—was yet to come, and it could not have any mistakes.
Ishiro had spent far more than just time on Neji. Most of the data acquired from Orochimaru had been for Neji. He had even given him the spirit weapon, the Yata Mirror, all to secure his loyalty.
Not far away, Aono Shinichi, Shizuka Minamoto, and Rion overheard his conversations with Karin and Neji and exchanged surprised looks.
Aono Shinichi said, "Karin Uzumaki also calls him 'sensei.' It seems she was already his disciple."
"And Neji Hyūga is also very familiar with him. It's like Ishiro-sensei has been managing his training plan all along."
Shizuka Minamoto nodded. "It must be. Ishiro-sensei takes on quirky students like us because normal teachers can't bring out our special talents. But as Tsuchikage, he must also be concerned with the growth of the village's top geniuses."
Rion agreed. "That makes sense. Like back in the day, the Academy had two top students, Akio Wada and Lord Deidara. It's said they both received Ishiro-sensei's guidance."
Shizuka added, "Yes, I heard that too. Ishiro-sensei took on six students from Akio Wada's year, and all six were unremarkable. And from Lord Deidara's year, it was Riori-senpai's squad, and all three of them were far less talented than Lord Deidara. The rumor is that both Akio Wada and Lord Deidara only became Elite Jonin because of Ishiro-sensei's guidance. Some even say Lord Deidara only became Kage-level thanks to him."
Aono Shinichi sighed. "Yeah. Neji's group is just like Lord Deidara back then. Their talent is far beyond their peers. Especially Neji Hyūga... I heard that last year, he was already stronger than the top graduate of that year's class."
Shizuka Minamoto smiled. "Stop sighing. We're Ishiro-sensei's disciples now, too. He told us we can't neglect our normal training while we study tactics. So, even though they're geniuses, we can't lose to them. Didn't you hear? Karin Uzumaki has to learn medical ninjutsu and her other training. And it sounds like she has a third project, sensory ninjutsu. Her training load is way higher than ours!"
Rion nodded firmly. "Let's work hard, then."
The three of them stopped paying attention to Ishiro's group and focused on their new materials.
A few days later, in Akino Atsumi's lab, Ishiro held the plan she had written for repairing the space-time passage.
After reading it, he felt completely lost. He didn't understand a single word.
He tossed the plan aside. "Akino, when can we leave?"
Akino Atsumi rolled her eyes. I told you you wouldn't understand. Why are you so stubborn?
She gave him some face and went along with it. "We can leave now. Are we flying again?"
Ishiro shook his head. "This time, we'll go directly via your Hiraishin. Orochimaru's Snake Pit Village definitely can't compare to Konoha, but I still feel... going to the Land of Fire is fine, but going to Orochimaru's territory, we should be careful. Flying over there is too conspicuous. Hiraishin is stealthier."
Akino nodded. "Where to?"
Ishiro had placed Akino's Hiraishin kunai in corners all across the shinobi world and given her a map of all of them, which she had long since memorized.
Ishiro thought for a moment. "Go to position fifty-seven. It's in the Land of Whirlpools, but it's a good distance from both the Snake Pit and Uzushiogakure. He won't detect us there. We can sneak in."
Akino Atsumi nodded, grabbed her prepared materials, and formed the seals, teleporting them both to coordinate #57.
The world blurred and reformed. Akino looked down at an unremarkable stone.
On one side of the stone was a fireball pattern, but its color was identical to the rock. It was impossible to spot without close inspection.
She remembered this stone. It was one of the markers she had made to Ishiro's specifications. Most of the coordinates Ishiro had set up were like this: carved on stones, trees, or the ground, with a focus on blending in naturally.
Ishiro used his Mind's Eye to scan above and below, then found a route free of humans and snakes.
He used his Porcelain Release to fly himself and Akino at a low altitude, heading straight for Uzushiogakure.
After a long flight, they arrived near the village.
Ishiro said, "There are many small snakes ahead. It seems Orochimaru places a high value on this area. I'll set up a sensory-blocking barrier first."
He made several shadow clones, which dispersed around the space-time passage and erected a barrier.
Once inside, Ishiro used his porcelain fuinjutsu to seal all the hidden snakes. With his Mind's Eye pinpointing them, every attack was a stealth takedown. The entire process was silent.
Once all the snakes were sealed, he and Akino approached the passage.
"Akino, it's all you."
Akino nodded. First, she tossed a large number of Hiraishin kunai into the passage. These were made of refined iron; even with the immense gravity, their structure wouldn't be destroyed. Having learned from the Kamui dimension, this would give them coordinates if they ever needed to return.
Then, she began her "repair."
Ishiro had expected her to weave some sort of net over the passage.
Instead, she did the opposite. Using a method he didn't understand, she began to "break" the edges of the space-time passage.
A bizarre scene occurred. After she had broken a full circle around the rim, the passage began to close.
Ishiro, watching this, couldn't help but ask about the principle.
Akino explained, "Ishiro-sensei, I analyzed it. This passage's existence isn't a natural phenomenon. Someone used a special method to fix the space at the edges. I just broke the 'fix,' and now it's repairing itself naturally."
Ishiro had always assumed the seal on this passage was to prevent it from expanding. Now he knew he was wrong.
The person who sealed it wasn't trying to stop the two worlds from connecting; they were trying to stop them from disconnecting.
Ishiro nodded, then frowned. "So, you're saying the creator of this passage has space-time ninjutsu skills far beyond yours?"
Akino thought for a moment. "Ishiro-sensei, I have a theory. Maybe this passage wasn't created by ninjutsu."
Ishiro was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Akino smiled. "I suspect it was some kind of dōjutsu."
Ishiro was pensive. "You mean, like a Mangekyō Sharingan? What's your reasoning?"
Akino said, "My reasoning is that this passage is too natural."
"Ishiro-sensei, based on your teachings and my own research, I've concluded that what ninja call 'ninjutsu' is just a crude application of the rules of the world. It always leaves obvious, artificial traces."
"But dōjutsu... they seem to utilize the rules directly. That's why their abilities often seem so natural."
Ishiro looked at Akino, surprised. "Akino, what have you been studying all this time? You seem to have a pretty good grasp on the nature of chakra."
Akino giggled. "Of course! Space-time ninjutsu is perhaps the ability closest to those rules. To study it, I have to think about these deep, profound things."
Ishiro nodded. "Is there anything else you need to do?"
Akino shook her head. "No. But I want to watch it close. I didn't get a clear look that time in the Land of Fire."
"Alright," Ishiro said. "You study. I'll stand guard."
Half a day later.
In Orochimaru's underground base, half a country away.
Orochimaru suddenly sensed something. He summoned a small snake.
The snake appeared. "Lord Orochimaru, the snakes at Uzushiogakure... it's past their time, and they have not returned to Ryūchi Cave. Reverse-summoning also failed. The Great Sages suspect someone has sealed all the snakes in that area. And the seal is high-level; it's blocking the summoning jutsu."
Orochimaru's eyebrow shot up. The name "Ishiro" immediately popped into his mind.
He chuckled, "Kabuto... it seems the Tsuchikage has officially declared me an enemy and is already making his move."
Kabuto Yakushi didn't stop his work. "Lord Orochimaru, if your experiments continue, you will eventually be an enemy of the entire shinobi world."
Orochimaru smiled. Kabuto understands me so well. I love that cold attitude.
"Kabuto, I'm going to go 'chat' with the Tsuchikage. You record the experiment data."
With that, Orochimaru sank into the ground.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto's hands never stopped moving.
...
Orochimaru arrived at Uzushiogakure alone. Before he even got close, he spotted Ishiro standing by the barrier.
"Careless. He found me." Ishiro didn't want a premature conflict with Orochimaru.
Especially since Orochimaru hadn't yet started collecting Tailed Beasts for Black Zetsu. They weren't at a point of no return. And Ishiro himself was too busy to be distracted.
He watched Orochimaru slow down and stop a kilometer away.
Ishiro said, "You've switched bodies? Is that body... Akira Hyūga of the branch family?"
Orochimaru smiled. "I must thank you for your cooperation, Tsuchikage-dono."
His body contorted, and he reverted to the form of Akira Hyūga. He had a pair of unactivated Byakugan, and his forehead was smooth.
Ishiro said, "You're too kind, Orochimaru-senpai. What brings you here in such a hurry?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Did you forget, Tsuchikage-dono? You already traded this space-time passage to me."
Ishiro smiled. "How could I forget? I was just... chasing a monster, half-black, half-white. It fled into that passage. I was afraid to follow, so I brought someone to seal it. Have you seen such a creature in the Land of Whirlpools, Orochimaru-senpai?"
Orochimaru was silent for a moment. "I have. My lab has even studied the black part. The results were inconclusive."
Hearing this, Ishiro's mind stirred. Orochimaru is studying Black Zetsu's body? Did he capture him? Or was this a condition of their partnership?
He mused, "Orochimaru-senpai, did you find a way to separate the black monster?"
Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "You mean...?"
Ishiro said, "This black monster once actively split off a tiny piece of its body to track my location."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed. He had studied Black Zetsu, but Black Zetsu was a creature of pure Yin Release, Kaguya's will. Orochimaru had been unable to cut him, with ninjutsu or taijutsu. The experiments had led nowhere.
So, Black Zetsu can split himself at will. Orochimaru licked his lips. The desire to return to his lab intensified.
But first, one more thing.
Orochimaru suddenly formed hand seals and summoned six coffins.
Ishiro said, "Are we starting a war, Orochimaru-senpai?"
Orochimaru grinned. "Not at all. As you once said... I just want to see if you still have the 'qualifications' to cooperate with me as an equal. Just a small test. If you die to these corpses, then you were never qualified."
Ishiro frowned, remembering the words he had used years ago when he was simultaneously screwing Orochimaru over and shamelessly cooperating with him.
He really holds a grudge.
Ishiro let out a long breath and slowly floated into the air. "If you insist, senpai... then let's play."
Orochimaru's smile widened. The next moment, the coffin lids fell away, and six figures stepped out.
They looked around, still dazed.
Ishiro's eyes scanned them. He muttered their names: "Hashirama Senju... Tobirama Senju... Jiraiya... Hanzō... Chiyo... and Pakura."
(End of Chapter)
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