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"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
"Die!"
On a certain mountain road, a volley of thundering booms and thwacking thumps rang out.
A young girl in a kimono, just over 1.4 meters tall, was battling a group of wandering ronin dressed in robes and wielding katana.
Her slender little hand gave a casual wave, launching a swirling current of air that roared outward—
Or she dashed forward in a flash, her small fist hitting an enemy's abdomen. A burst of chakra exploded on impact, blasting through the foe's back like a shock wave.
In an instant, the enemy flew dozens of meters away, smashing into the mountainside and instantly dying.
In just a few exchanges, the girl easily wiped out more than a dozen of these bandit-ronin, punishing them severely for taking her lightly.
"Onii-chan, how did I do?"
Having easily disposed of the roadside assailants, Hanabi trotted up to Izayoi with a bright, eager look, as if awaiting his praise.
Izayoi patted her on the head without stinting in his compliments: "Against enemies, that was exactly the right amount of decisiveness. You did great."
"Ehehe…"
Hanabi's face lit up with a laugh, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
Nearby, the client also spoke admiringly,
"Marvelous as ever, Lord Izayoi. Even your student is so outstanding."
Right now, the client felt like he was dreaming.
He never imagined that for a mere C-rank escort mission, the ninja who'd taken the assignment would turn out to be the one publicly recognized as the strongest in the five major villages.
Paying the fee for a C-rank mission, yet hiring the super-spec fighter who far surpasses the Five Kage—this was the ultimate sense of security.
Unless Madara Uchiha or the leader of the Akatsuki, or Ōtsutsuki Toneri came to rob him, who could possibly kill him?
"You overpraise me. Let's continue on."
"Yes, sir!"
And so the convoy resumed its journey.
Hanabi split off a shadow clone to stand guard, Byakugan active, while her real body ducked into a carriage.
Among the so-called "Four Great Super-Spec Shinobi," Izayoi no longer bothered with trivial tasks of a typical hired shinobi.
Were it not for wanting to train his little sister-in-law, with his fortune and status, Izayoi would have been too lazy to accept any mission at all.
Even if he did take a job, he wasn't going to inconvenience himself.
Hence for an escort mission like this, he'd prepared a private carriage for personal comfort, letting Hanabi handle the grunt work.
Naturally, the client had zero complaints—he was just thrilled to have Izayoi himself on a mission that only cost a C-rank fee.
Whether or not Hanabi was outside fighting and Izayoi demanded the caravan keep going so she could spar with bandits—who would dare object?
Moments before, that gang of bandit-ronin demonstrated it perfectly.
After witnessing Hanabi's skill, the client was completely at ease. Even if she only used a single shadow clone, they still felt no worry at all.
Inside the spacious, lavishly furnished carriage, Izayoi lay sideways on a "Sealy Mattress" conjured by his chakra orbs, diligently studying a journal.
All the text was in archaic script, translated into a somewhat cryptic style—a personal notebook left by Ōtsutsuki Hamura, describing the complete Yin–Yang Release.
Even in Izayoi's past life, practically no one would be able to read it. So, in this world, it was an impenetrable "cipher."
But to Izayoi, it was a veritable treasure trove—no different from stumbling on "hidden stash." The timing could not have been better or more valuable.
So long as he mastered it thoroughly, his understanding of Yin–Yang Release would soar, and his "chakra orb" technique would reach new heights.
In time, he could likely create his own Truth-Seeking Balls or open Spatial Pathways—and perhaps even artificially craft a Sage Mode.
He was captivated.
Just then, a voice interrupted his reading:
"Onii-chan, whatcha looking at?"
A small head popped out from beneath his blanket—Hanabi leaned into Izayoi's arms, trying to read along.
Seeing the text—some parts half-recognizable, while most were totally incomprehensible—Hanabi's Byakugan almost turned swirly as she finally blurted:
"Is this a code you're cracking? I can read a little, but it won't piece together at all?"
Izayoi didn't answer. He simply patted her cheek, then gently scolded: "You're supposed to be on guard, not sneaking in here. Why're you leaving the client's protection?"
"Tehehe, I left a shadow clone out there. My Byakugan sees everything, so it's fine. I was worried you'd be lonely, Onii-chan—came in to keep you company."
"Not needed."
Izayoi flipped off the blanket and lightly swatted Hanabi's bottom.
"Going on missions outside the village is about honing your vigilance and survival skills. Until you experience it fully, how will you handle the wilderness exam in the Chūnin Tests? Now go keep watch on the client properly!"
"Onii-chan, you're mean!" Hanabi pouted but obediently hopped down.
She was an early bloomer who understood the shift in Izayoi's tone—he rarely used such seriousness or sharpness with her. Usually, he spoiled her rotten, so a mild rebuke was enough to make her comply without further fuss.
And though in the end, he usually gave way to her anyway, Hanabi hated to disappoint him.
After all, besides being Izayoi's little sister-in-law, she was also his only student. She refused to bring him shame.
So Hanabi canceled her shadow clone and set about guarding properly—though she kept using Byakugan to peek at him from afar.
…
Two months later.
In that interval, the ninja world remained peaceful, locked in a tense equilibrium thanks to the four super-spec ninjas. Surprisingly, the most active group turned out to be the Akatsuki, who had once kept a low profile.
With Tobi's mask gone, Akatsuki became the most renowned group in the ninja world, bolstered by Madara Uchiha and Nagato. Their presence eclipsed even the Five Great Shinobi Villages in intimidation.
Even if someone had a bounty placed on them and got killed by Kakuzu, the Five Great Shinobi Villages could only grit their teeth—no one dared assault the real base at Amegakure.
So the Five Kage each decreed that if any squads encountered Akatsuki, they had permission to abandon their mission. No punishment awaited them upon return.
This turned every Akatsuki member into a sort of "untouchable," akin to how Minato was once recognized. Their prominence soared.
With Nagato and Konan returning, Amegakure also thrived. As many cunning observers reasoned that no new "Endgame Battle" was likely soon—previously, only Toneri and Nagato were the super-spec ninjas, so they fought.
Now, with Ame holding two of them, plus Toneri and Izayoi acting independently, there was no immediate impetus for big conflict.
Yes, if Toneri joined with Izayoi to attack Amegakure, Konoha would surely get involved. That scenario would make massive waves. So in the near term, none expected it to occur, yielding an uneasy "Hashirama-era tranquility."
Merchants poured in, investing in the city's reconstruction, lured by the open land and the idea that—since no bystanders died in the Endgame Battle—Amegakure was safer than ever. And so the hidden village soon grew lively.
If left alone, this peace might align with Nagato's dream. But in his heart—and in the hearts of every Kage, as well as the top-tier small nations—no one believed it would last. Just as with the old "God of Shinobi's" era, it could end abruptly. With superhuman power lurking, the next conflict might erupt at any time.
Having entrusted Amegakure back to Nagato and Konan, Madara Uchiha now roamed the map with his wood clones, scouring for relics.
He read massive amounts of archaeological notes, deciphering all manner of ancient scripts. He exhumed countless tombs. Compared to original-canon Kabuto's doings, Madara's was a much greater mania.
Still, the White Zetsu clones had no clue what exactly Madara sought. Black Zetsu felt ever more uneasy—Madara's wood clone maintained a relentless watch, never relaxing. Being an artificial life form made from Yin–Yang Release, the wood clone neither tired nor seemed to share mental strain with the real body. Only when its chakra supply wore out would it vanish. But so long as Madara found chakra to replenish it, that was moot.
Hence, for two months, Black Zetsu had scurried along with Madara's real body and/or wood clones, with no rest. He dreaded that some secret gambit was afoot, yet dared not break away lest it appear as betrayal and invite immediate suspicion.
…
Land of Demons, a desolate region on a remote frontier. By some odd influence, the skies were eternally overcast, winds howling gloomily, much like how Amegakure sees constant rain. Beneath a rocky mountain rose a centuries-old temple hidden from the world.
Despite its remote location, samurai bearing swords and bows stood guard, watchful as if this temple was of supreme significance. None lowered their guard.
Suddenly, as if some invisible force descended, these well-trained soldiers—elites among common folk—turned blank-eyed. Their eyelids drooped, heads nodding in sudden heaviness. One after another they collapsed unconscious.
From the shadows emerged a solitary figure.
"So this is the place?"
Madara Uchiha narrowed his Rinnegan eyes at the temple. He murmured, "What a strange energy pulse and seal. This is unlike any other site I've seen."
Without hesitation, Madara Uchiha vanished into the temple's interior.
Before him was a glowing white altar, ringed by a barrier of brilliant light. At its center stood a colossal shrine sealed by a stone door plastered in talismanic papers.
Looking carefully, Madara saw that each slip of paper contained a special power: "Mōryō," from the Land of Demons.
He used Human Path to try absorbing the talismans' priestess power, then gave a slight start as he realized how unusual that energy was—bearing some faint familiarity.
"Resembles Yin–Yang Release… So I've come to the right place after all." Madara smirked, raising his hand and unleashing gravitational force. The sealed stone door parted open, revealing a huge mass of dark purple energy.
That purple haze, almost alive, rushed forward like it wanted to invade Madara's body. Yet it abruptly halted, trembling with fright.
"An energy creature like a Tailed Beast?" Madara murmured. "Interesting."
In a somewhat echoing voice, that mass of energy spoke warily: "You—why do you have the Rinnegan?"
"So you do speak," said Madara, a brow lifting. "You must have been sealed for quite some time by a prior priestess, right? Are you telling me you still kept track of the outside world?"
"What do you mean outside world? Isn't the Rinnegan the Sage's Eye?" asked the purple mass.
"You've met the Sage of Six Paths?" Madara responded in surprise.
"Of course."
It answered with pride, "I am Chimō, an immortal presence from antiquity. Merge with me, and you'll gain eternal life!"
Madara frowned ever so slightly at its brazenness but probed further:
"Then do you know Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"
"Kaguya? Who is that?"
"The mother of the Sage of Six Paths."
"She had a name?" the mass exclaimed in surprise.
"…"
Madara felt exasperated. He tried another angle:
"What about the Rabbit Goddess?"
"How do you— Wait, you mean Rabbit Goddess? She absolutely existed. Freed mankind from war, shining on the land like the morning sun. Everyone in ancient times knew it," the mass rattled on. "But after that… in my memory, the Rabbit Goddess vanished, and humanity somehow entered the ninja era under the Sage of Six Paths."
Madara grew more uneasy. If the "Rabbit Goddess" truly existed, then Kaguya might well be real. The illusions from Ōtsutsuki Toneri might not be just illusions. Kaguya was indeed the source of chakra. The Sage was her son. Possibly, the entire storyline about "Infinite Tsukuyomi being used to spawn White Zetsu" was correct. That would imply Black Zetsu…
Now more confused than ever, Madara pressed:
"Did she live in some special land or country?"
"I recall… maybe some place known as 'Land of Ancestors'?" the purple mass guessed uncertainly.
Madara nodded thoughtfully, yet not fully satisfied. He raised a hand to yank the mass close with Gravity, letting it seep partly into his body. Not unlike trying to read a Tailed Beast's mind with Human Path, it did not work.
Disappointed, Madara withdrew, pressed the mass back into the shrine, and replaced the talismans. The mass howled:
"Take me with you! I can bestow you a legion of phantom soldiers, real immortality—together we can rule the world as the Rabbit Goddess once did!"
"Not interested," Madara said curtly, sealing it up once more. Then he strode out, manifested Complete-Body Susanoo, and soared skyward to keep searching for the "Land of Ancestors."
Once he left, the purple mass grew silent. Unbeknownst to Madara, in the mountains behind him, a handful of minor silhouettes were peeping. One wore white robes, hair also white, the head of a faction who recognized the dark aura. They hurried off to break the seal after he had gone.
Thus awakened the demon Chimō, bringing chaos to the Land of Demons once more—and had Madara known, he might have gone back for a second lesson. But by then, he was long gone.
~~~
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