In the Land of Fire, Kitagawa Gen's figure suddenly flashed into view within a secluded mountain valley.
"Finally, I can stretch my legs a bit."
Standing atop a tall tree, he gazed over the dense forest bathed in moonlight and gave his neck a gentle twist.
He had spent nearly a month tying up loose ends in Konoha. With most matters settled and a shadow clone left behind to cover for him, he'd wasted no time slipping away.
The past month had been surprisingly fulfilling. Aside from teaming up with Kakashi and mingling with other jōnin, he hadn't forgotten to procure a few valuable items from Hiruzen.
"I've heard that kekkei genkai can actually be achieved through chakra fusion, so I want to prepare and try it for myself."
That was the line he'd prepared in advance for Hiruzen when asked about his motives.
"Besides, I have extremely precise chakra control. Maybe I can study more ninjutsu from other nature types—it'll make my experiments easier."
"I understand. While I have to say your approach is risky, I'm still willing to support you."
Hiruzen didn't hesitate much before giving his full support—but not without a word of caution.
"If you experience anything unusual, don't act on your own. Inform me immediately—or Kakashi, Jiraiya, even Tsunade."
"As long as we're around, even if we can't help you succeed, we'll ensure your safety. Understood, Gen?"
To be fair, Hiruzen truly had treated him well. Sure, part of that was because he was considered "directly under the Hokage," but much of it came down to Gen's own behavior.
"If I shouted something like, 'I dream of becoming Hokage!' right now, he'd probably double down and start 'grinding' me."
Kitagawa Gen double-checked his direction as he darted forward, thoughts racing.
"Actually… I probably don't even need to say it. He's probably already got the idea."
He recalled the scrolls he'd obtained—jutsu for every elemental affinity, countless insights and notes, even records from the First Hokage, and techniques from the Second.
It made him swallow hard. Oddly enough, Hiruzen had made a point of telling him to study the Second Hokage's techniques more thoroughly.
"Second Hokage's Water Release… genjutsu… even some of his more unique insights."
Are you trying to mold me into the Second Hokage?
Do I seem that devious to you?
"You wicked old monkey… the way you insult me is downright filthy."
He grumbled inwardly, but truthfully, Kitagawa Gen accepted it with enthusiasm.
In fact, the past month had largely been spent enhancing his Yin Release and Yang Release techniques while diving deep into everything Hiruzen had given him.
At this rate, he figured he could base his "public image" entirely on the Second Hokage—white hair, short sword, Flying Thunder God—why not?
Aside from a bunch of chaotic Forbidden Techniques, he was already able to master most of them to a decent level.
"And besides, I'm not as insidious as he is."
Kitagawa Gen had a fairly clear understanding of himself.
He gave a small shake of his head, brushing away those tangled thoughts immediately.
As the Fire Temple came into view in the distance, he slowed to a stop and pulled out a scroll.
[Poof—]
With a burst of smoke, a mask appeared in his hand, along with a long white robe styled with Indra chakra patterns.
"That should do."
Once he'd fully suited up, Gen formed a one-handed seal. Instantly, a curtain of water shimmered into existence before him.
He gazed at his reflection in the water and gave a satisfied nod. Then, extending his hand, he sent a small pulse of chakra through his palm.
[Bzzzz—]
Under the surge of his chakra, a black rod slowly materialized in his grasp.
"So this is all I can manage for now... Still, it's enough."
He weighed the rod carefully, then gave a slight nod of approval.
"Well then—let's begin."
...
Sparse stars dotted the moonlit sky above the Fire Temple's meditation chambers.
"Sora, are you alright?"
Chiriku, who had been overseeing Sora's training, suddenly saw the boy collapse to the ground, his face twisted in agony. Concerned, he stepped forward.
Sora was still a trainee shinobi monk of the Fire Temple, but he also had another identity—he was the son of Kazuma, a former member of the "Twelve Guardian Ninja."
And sealed within Sora's body was a sinister power. When it erupted once in the past, it not only shattered the Fire Temple's defenses—
—it nearly destroyed the temple and several nearby villages as well. That incident had made Sora a pariah among the temple's residents.
If not for Chiriku's protection, Sora would've been cast out long ago.
"I don't know what's happening, but inside me—"
Sora forced out the words through clenched teeth. Though he was hot-headed and struggled with social interaction, he knew who genuinely cared about him.
"It's like… that monster inside me… is afraid of something."
"Afraid?"
The word made Chiriku freeze. A flicker of unease surfaced in his heart. After a brief pause, he made up his mind and picked Sora up.
"I'm taking you somewhere safe. Something's wrong here. I'll find someone to help seal the creature inside you before it spirals out of control."
Holding Sora in his arms, Chiriku swiftly made his way out of the meditation hall toward the underground chamber. But just then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, sensing something—
His head shot up.
"What... is that?"
There, suspended in the moonlight, floated a masked figure in white, silently watching them from above.
"So this is where you've been hiding."
The man spoke with calm indifference—and the moment his voice rang out, the pain within Sora surged violently, his body trembling uncontrollably in Chiriku's arms.
A red chakra had already begun to rise from Sora's body, spreading visibly over his skin like a burning mist.
"Who are you? What is your goal?"
Chiriku's voice sharpened, his instincts screaming that the person before him was dangerous beyond reason.
"Is your target... Sora?"
"Yes. And no."
The masked figure shook his head slowly.
"I'm simply here to reclaim something hidden inside him. Something that was originally mine."
The Nine-Tails' chakra...
Chiriku didn't respond, but his thoughts were racing. The masked man seemed unbothered by his silence.
"Besides, that thing is only causing him pain while sealed inside. Returning it to its rightful owner would be best, wouldn't it?"
"What if I refuse?"
After a long pause, Chiriku finally spoke.
"And who are you, really?!"
"Refuse...? That's unfortunate."
The floating figure sighed faintly, and in the next instant, he raised the black rod in his hand and gently stabbed it toward the night sky.
[Bzzz—]
Suddenly, the sky above cracked like glass. A vast, web-like pattern of fractures spread across the air, shimmering like a spiderweb.
The barrier—one that had supposedly never been breached—shattered like broken glass and rained down silently.
"That was the Iron Wall Barrier Seal… And it just shattered like that?!"
Chiriku stared in disbelief. The barrier that was said to be unbreakable had been destroyed again—and with such ease?
The soundless collapse sent a ripple through the entire temple. The explosion of chakra had drawn the attention of everyone.
Yet the masked figure simply floated downward with calm composure, looking down at Chiriku from above.
"Nice barrier. But not nearly as tough as I imagined. Also…"
"You may call me… Ōtsutsuki Genshiki."
...
"Still haven't found what you're looking for?"
Not far from the Fire Temple, deep in the surrounding forest, Uchiha Obito stared at Uchiha Itachi with visible impatience.
Itachi had refused to use Kamui to teleport here, insisting on searching the area step by step. After all this time, they still hadn't found anything. Obito was starting to think Itachi was wasting his time.
"I told you already—the intel I received was incomplete. I need time."
Itachi remained calm, his eyes cold as ever as he shot a glance at Obito.
"Weren't you here to evaluate a newcomer? Why not go do that instead?"
"Funny you say that. The one I need to test is close by—and I've got more than enough information on him. I can just go straight there."
Obito let out a snort.
"So for now, I'm sticking with you. Let's see if you—hmm?"
Before he could finish, his eyes widened sharply.
It wasn't just him—Itachi and Kisame had also turned their eyes toward the Fire Temple in the distance.
A powerful surge of chakra was radiating faintly from that direction. And not just any chakra…
"The Nine-Tails' chakra? What the hell is going on?!"
...
The night sky hung silent, the full moon high above.
Tonight's moon was unusually bright. Its silver-white light spilled across the earth, casting a cold, desolate glow.
At that moment, Chiriku—and the monks who had just rushed out of their quarters—stood in stunned silence.
Most of the monks were simply bewildered, overwhelmed by what they were seeing. Their eyes were wide with disbelief as they stared at the shattered barrier and the mysterious figure floating in the air.
But Chiriku's gaze had turned sharp—both wary and dangerous.
"Otsutsuki Genshiki?"
He'd been active in the shinobi world for quite some time, yet he had never heard such a name before.
And yet, the man standing before him gave off an indescribable sense of danger.
'He even said that the Nine-Tails' chakra belongs to him… What the hell is going on?'
"Argh!"
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a sudden roar tore through the air.
Sora's chakra surged violently—more terrifying than ever. His entire body was now wrapped in red chakra.
'Oh? That's quite the reaction. Even more intense than Naruto's back then.'
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow as he observed the scene. He had seen something similar in Naruto once before.
But that Nine-Tails had at least retained a sliver of reason. The chakra construct before him—while having grown impressively strong—was utterly mindless.
'Only raw savagery, huh?'
With that thought, Kitagawa Gen began descending toward the ground—only for Chiriku to step in and block his way.
"Oh? So it seems you're still not planning to let me reclaim what's rightfully mine?"
"I don't know who you are, and I don't know what your goal is."
Chiriku's expression hardened. He raised his voice, his tone resolute.
"But Sora is a member of Fire Temple. What's inside him is extremely dangerous. No matter what, I won't let you succeed!"
"All of you—I'll hold him off. You protect Sora. We absolutely cannot let him have his way!"
"Yes, sir!"
The monks responded in unison. No matter how they personally felt about Sora, they immediately moved to shield him, forming a defensive formation and pulling him back.
'…How troublesome.'
Kitagawa Gen let out a quiet sigh. He gazed at Chiriku, now bracing himself for battle, and spoke softly.
"You know, I really didn't want to fight."
As he spoke, a change began to ripple through his aura. His eyes turned into streams of glowing blue light.
With chakra roaring through his body, an invisible pressure slammed down on everyone present like a physical weight.
"What… what kind of monster is this…"
Chiriku was no pushover, but even he was overwhelmed by the sheer force bearing down on him. He wasn't like the others Gen had dealt with before—but it didn't matter.
"Because…"
The fierce wind generated by Gen's chakra stirred the surrounding forest, trees creaking under the strain. His voice rang out again.
"…It's hard, you know. Holding back just enough to avoid crushing ants beneath your foot."
"Not good!"
Just as those words landed, Chiriku felt something go wrong—terribly wrong.
It was as if an invisible force had seized him, yanking his entire body forward uncontrollably.
"Damn it!"
There was no time to react. He was already being pulled straight toward Kitagawa Gen—who calmly flicked the black rod in his hand—
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