Three days later.
Konohagakure, Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen looked troubled, and the expression on Sakumo's face wasn't any better.
"You're saying Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin have been out of contact for six days?"
Sakumo nodded. "We found traces of their battle in the southwest region of the Land of Rain, but no bodies."
Hiruzen let out a small breath. The relationship between Konoha and Uzushiogakure had only just stabilized; if a situation like this spread now… even though Iwagakure would be the one at fault, Akio might very well pin the blame back on Konoha again.
"Have Kagami search for them personally. If they've been captured by Iwa-nin, redeem them no matter the price!" Hiruzen instructed. He gritted his teeth. "And if they're… dead, we must recover the bodies!"
But Sakumo didn't immediately move.
"Hokage-sama, I'll go."
Hiruzen paused for a second. Sakumo continued, "Kakashi's condition is… off. I'm worried."
Hiruzen understood and nodded. "Alright. You go."
…
At the same time
A hidden structure somewhere in the Land of Rain.
Obito slowly opened his hazy eyes. The scene before him came into focus.
"Obito, you're awake?"
Rin's smiling face appeared above him. Obito blinked in confusion. "Is this… heaven?"
"Kid, this is no heaven. How long are you planning to sleep?"
Ringo Ameyuri walked over with an amused smile, but with her jagged teeth and the three-centimeter scar on her right cheek, that smile looked more frightening than anything.
"It's… hell…"
Obito's eyes rolled back and he passed out again.
Ringo Ameyuri: "…"
Rin scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Obito's physical injuries have mostly healed, but his mental trauma hasn't. He can't handle any shock…"
Ringo Ameyuri: "…"
Did I… shock him?
Rin had awakened two days earlier and had been taking care of Obito ever since.
Now that he finally seemed better, she turned to Yahiko. "Big Brother Yahiko, I'd like to send a message back to Konoha to let them know we're safe. They must be worried."
"If you want to take him back, I won't stop you," Yahiko replied.
Rin shook her head. "I'll decide once Obito wakes up."
…
Uzushiogakure.
Over the last three days, Akio had already convinced himself: even if someone used Impure World Reincarnation on Jitou, it was nearly impossible for him to open the Eight Inner Gates Formation and battle him.
Even Orochimaru as he was now wouldn't be able to control Jitou during the moment he opened the Eight Inner Gates.
Feeling slightly relieved, he started observing Kushina's "child-rearing."
It was… very entertaining.
Kushina's method of teaching Naruto was simple, nagging.
Relentless, unstoppable nagging.
On the 998th time she pointed at Akio and told Naruto to call him "Ancestor," Naruto finally surrendered.
The nickname "Old Pig Bowl" survived less than a week.
Technically speaking, from Kushina's side, Naruto should call him Great-Great-Grandfather.
But from Minato's side, the generational gap was six levels apart, which would make Naruto a generation younger than Itachi.
So after combining both lines… being five generations apart, "Ancestor" was correct.
Akio had never noticed that Kushina could be this naggy.
Naruto's little "trouble-making skills" couldn't handle it, bit by bit he became "well-behaved" and "quiet."
Of course, judging by his constantly darting little eyes, Akio figured the boy was just holding it in, preparing something big.
Life was peaceful for a few days. Akio went back and forth between Sara's home and Kushina's home, while Nagato and Konan were busy.
With Kirigakure's surrender, there was plenty of work to handle.
October passed like this. In early November, Nagato came to find him.
"The war reparations from Kirigakure still haven't arrived?"
Akio frowned. That shouldn't be the case.
They had already suffered heavy losses in the war, and by now, news of him still being alive should have reached them. How would they dare "default"?
Nagato shook his head. "No movement at all. According to intel, something seems to have happened within Kirigakure."
"Internal trouble?" Akio paused, fragments of memory flashing in his mind.
"Kirigakure… Kaguya clan rebellion, Kimimaro, Orochimaru… what was it again?"
After a long moment, Akio shook his head. He couldn't recall the exact details, but if it was the Kaguya clan rebellion, then he might actually be able to catch Orochimaru.
He hadn't fought Madara for ten days, his hands were itching.
"Don't worry about Kirigakure for now. I'm going."
Nagato was startled. "Master, you don't have to personally go. I can"
"There's something else. I'll go."
Nagato didn't argue further. Akio told him to notify the others, then vanished on the spot.
…
Coastline of the Land of Water.
The area, scarred by the recent war, lay in ruin.
Akio didn't rush to Kirigakure. Instead, he walked along the coast twice, trying to gather information from the reconstruction teams.
"So it really is internal conflict?"
After weaving together the intel, Akio came to a conclusion.
Since the Fourth Mizukage, had taken office, the Blood Mist era had essentially ended.
After all, he himself was a wielder of a kekkei genkai, he couldn't exactly continue persecuting kekkei genkai clans.
But misunderstandings built over years couldn't disappear easily.
Most Kirigakure shinobi still harbored deep suspicion toward kekkei genkai clans.
This war had resulted in losses far beyond anyone's expectations, pushing certain remnants of kekkei genkai clans toward rebellion. The Mizukage's position had become unstable.
Fortunately, even the remaining kekkei genkai clans were far from united, especially the most chaotic among them… the Kaguya clan.
"Kaguya clan, huh…"
After using genjutsu to probe for clues, Akio arrived at the Kaguya clan's compound.
After multiple wars and the Blood Mist policies, the once-mighty clan had only about twenty chakra signatures left.
The strongest among them was merely at jōnin level.
Sensing carefully, Akio located one slightly unusual chakra presence in a corner of the compound.
"Shikotsumyaku… Kimimaro?"
He found a dungeon, with a lone guard outside. Akio slipped inside effortlessly.
Hidden within space, he watched the young Kimimaro.
"White hair, two red marks on the forehead… a pretty handsome little kid," Akio muttered.
Kimimaro was gripping a bone spike, stabbing it repeatedly into a human-shaped sculpture on the wall while murmuring:
"This world… does it have a god? If there is a god, why am I locked up here?"
Akio glanced at the sculpture, it looked familiar.
Then he looked at the boy.
A mischievous idea rose.
The next second, as Kimimaro thrust the bone spike forward, a hand reached out of the wall and grabbed it.
"Don't stab me. It hurts."
Akio transformed into the sculpture's shape and climbed out from inside.
Kimimaro didn't panic, he simply widened his eyes.
"You… are you a god?"
Akio froze.
"Ah yes, yes, I am."
Kimimaro: "…"
Doesn't look like it.
---
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