"Forget it, let's not talk about this."
Kakashi had no idea what Kitagawa Gen was thinking. He rubbed at his brow and spoke.
"Let's hurry back. Although we ran into unexpected events this time, the mission was still completed."
"Indeed."
Jiraiya nodded, then smiled as he added.
"And we even over-completed it. Not a single one of us ended up in the hospital."
"Really?"
Kitagawa Gen raised an eyebrow. If Sasuke's hospitalization for an eye transplant didn't count, then indeed no one seemed to be injured this time?
He considered whether to do something deliberately, to maintain the necessity of this 'curse's' existence.
'Forget it, let's just go back early.'
Kitagawa Gen shook his head, finally smiling as he abandoned the thought.
"Happens that I've also gained something from this battle. Going back early will let me think it over carefully."
"Gained something again?"
But his words left Kakashi somewhat surprised, and Jiraiya's face was full of astonishment.
"You bastard, your talent is way too unbelievable, isn't it?"
"Not bad."
Kitagawa Gen gave a light laugh. Truthfully, even he was somewhat surprised at his harvest this time.
[Side Mission Completed: Three years—do you know what I've been through these three years?]
[Reward Obtained: Rinnegan Yin-Yang Release Comprehension]
Seeing this reward, Kitagawa Gen was momentarily stunned, as he didn't quite understand what this thing was at first.
Especially regarding ocular abilities, they were basically concentrated in the realm of 'Yin Release.'
Now suddenly appearing was a 'Yin-Yang Release,' and what's more a comprehension—this left him momentarily stunned.
But once he properly understood this reward, he immediately realized what it meant.
'This is the Rinnegan's control over Yin-Yang Release, as well as the comprehension of how 'Yin-Yang Release' fuses in the operation of these eyes.'
The Rinnegan and the Tenseigan were both ultimate eyes; naturally, both required the interweaving of 'Yin Release' and 'Yang Release' to exist.
Only that the 'functional' orientation of the two was different, and to a certain degree, their developments diverged.
The Tenseigan, in Kitagawa Gen's case, was truly an 'Eye of Numbers' in the strictest sense, eyes of inexhaustible explosive power.
As for the Rinnegan—he didn't know exactly how Nagato's had been—but in a certain sense, the Rinnegan itself was an 'Eye of Mechanisms.'
These eyes' use and development of Yin-Yang Release would likely be vastly different from Kitagawa Gen's!
'Giving me this kind of reward will be of tremendous help to my 'Kekkei Mōra' plan.'
Now that Kitagawa Gen's bloodline development had reached this step, what he needed to do was find a way to obtain Indra's and Asura's chakra, as well as the power of the Tailed Beasts, wait for the Ōtsutsuki to arrive, and then—
'Develop the Kekkei Mōra!'
The Tailed Beasts were the least urgent—those Ōtsutsuki rushing over would truly take time.
But as for Indra's and Asura's chakra, and even the Kekkei Mōra, he had to think of a way.
'Those people like Nagato really are super stable blood bags—farm them however much you like, and they're always there.'
Kitagawa Gen was actually genuinely grateful to Nagato and the members of Akatsuki. If not for their beliefs being firm as bedrock and their wills so unwavering—
How could they possibly have provided him with nourishment without end, how could they have constantly poured out their 'sweat and effort,' steadily raising his strength?
'You'd better keep on bleeding and sweating, otherwise how could I improve so quickly?'
At times, Kitagawa Gen even felt he ought to be strung up on a lamppost.
Forcing Nagato and the others to act as 'coolies,' endlessly bleeding and sweating, burning themselves out, endlessly benefiting him.
But at least they were still alive!
Alive—isn't that good?
'I really am kindhearted after all.'
...
"So, Uchiha Itachi is dead?"
"Yes."
"Damn it! Why did you kill him?!"
"…"
"Wouldn't it have been better to break his arms and legs and bring him back alive, make him suffer?"
"…"
"Now look what's happened, and we still have to watch out for his Impure World Reincarnation. Sasuke, I'm far too disappointed in you!"
Within Konohagakure, inside the Anbu base.
Sasuke lowered his head, getting an earful from Senju Tobirama, which made him purse his lips.
He knew this sensei of his liked to scold him, though he didn't know why.
But scolding or not, he could still learn a lot from it. Perhaps this was a kind of strictness?
It was just that… why did these words sound so familiar?
Not only him, but Kakashi and Jiraiya also fell silent.
Both of them couldn't help but glance toward Kitagawa Gen, who stood to the side with arms crossed.
These two really were no different at all.
"Enough, the man is dead, what good is saying all this now?"
Senju Hashirama couldn't help speaking, sighing as he did.
"And however you look at it, this is a tragedy. If not for—"
"Shut up, will you? Don't cause me trouble at a time like this!"
Senju Tobirama instantly cut off his big brother.
Sasuke was no longer just any Uchiha—he was a Mangekyō Uchiha!
He definitely didn't want his brother making things harder for him right now.
"I know your eyes have been elevated, but don't grow arrogant. Your path is still long. Still, you truly have become a shinobi who can stand on his own."
"Yes, I won't grow arrogant."
Sasuke nodded earnestly, speaking in a solemn tone.
"Uchiha Itachi's Impure World Reincarnation is still present. My mission is far from finished. And with Gen-senpai as my model, I have no reason at all to feel proud."
Sasuke's words were sincere, which made those present all nod slightly.
With such a mindset, it was indeed very good!
It was just that… taking Kitagawa Gen as a model, one had to carefully choose the right side to emulate.
"Work hard—we all believe in you."
Kitagawa Gen patted Sasuke's shoulder, then, after a moment's thought, spoke.
"But your eyes remain a problem. The Second's records state that the more the Mangekyō is used, the more issues arise. We do have a method, but—"
"You mean Uchiha Madara, don't you?"
Senju Tobirama, who knew Kitagawa Gen best, instantly grasped what he was hinting at.
"Uchiha Madara's Mangekyō was indeed very peculiar. His eyes underwent a transformation, and another person was involved in it."
"You're talking about Izuna, aren't you?"
Recalling the past, Senju Hashirama suddenly grew spirited.
"Madara's eyes did undergo a strange transformation. He once said his eyes were his brother's, and his brother was—"
"Enough! Why are you so damn irritating?"
Senju Tobirama immediately cut off his brother's 'nonsense,' especially when he saw him about to look toward Sasuke. That made it even harder for him to hold back.
"In the Warring States era, it was kill or be killed—no one could escape such a fate. But he did leave us an insight…"
"You mean to say…"
Sasuke furrowed his brows.
"Use Uchiha Itachi's eyes? I refuse! I don't want to use that man's eyes!"
"Hey, Sasuke, you—"
"My eyes have no problems right now, and we have a solution. I don't want that kind of guy to still be able to see everything in the future after death!"
Clearly, Sasuke was especially repelled by this matter.
He absolutely had no intention of using Uchiha Itachi's eyes to gain some sort of enhancement. Toward Uchiha Itachi, he was filled with loathing.
Senju Tobirama, seeing this, felt a bit of a headache, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Kakashi and Jiraiya remained silent. This wasn't something they could comment on.
As for Tsunade, she didn't care much about this at all—she wasn't even willing to attend the meeting seriously, already thinking of which tavern to go to afterward.
"In that case, if Sasuke is fine, then let's just leave it for now."
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been unable to get a word in, stepped in to smooth things over. At this point, he was just counting down the days to retirement, playing the role of a buffer.
"I think so too. Although, I also feel it's best to make use of everything."
Kitagawa Gen spoke up at the right moment, patting Sasuke on the shoulder as he said: "After all, the man is dead. If we don't squeeze out the last drop of value, it'd be a pity. It's just… Konohagakure's education, sigh~"
"…?"
Kitagawa Gen's words made everyone present, except Senju Tobirama, fall into faint silence.
Of all people, shouldn't you be the last one to say such a thing?
Fortunately, Kitagawa Gen didn't continue dwelling on that, instead asking with curiosity: "By the way, during the time we were out on missions, did you manage to find the Uchiha stone tablets?"
"We've already recovered all of them."
Senju Tobirama didn't linger on the previous topic, directly speaking.
"Now that you're back, you can examine them carefully—especially the one we found in an underground chamber."
"That's just right. Sasuke and Kakashi can take a good look at what's actually written inside."
Kitagawa Gen immediately grew energized, though in truth he had little interest in the stone tablets.
But as the best means to divert matters onto 'Ōtsutsuki Genshiki,' he definitely intended to make full use of them!
Not to mention, he was curious about what exactly Black Zetsu was up to.
'Don't you know I don't have Sharingan, so I can't see it?'
Kitagawa Gen muttered inwardly, though he knew full well he didn't need Sharingan at all to see it!
As a pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki, if Black Zetsu could directly read it, why couldn't he?
All the more when he also had the Tenseigan!
'Even without looking, I already know what's written on it…'
With a flash of movement, they were already within the Uchiha compound.
Looking at the desolate streets, at the rows of dim houses, Sasuke couldn't help murmuring softly: "I did it… everyone, I did it."
Killing Uchiha Itachi carried a weight of enormous meaning for him.
"Let's look at this one first. This tablet was hidden the deepest."
Senju Tobirama wasted no words. Only after arriving at the secret chamber of the Naka Shrine did he speak.
"And it matches best with what Uchiha Madara once said. Take a look and see if you notice anything."
"Yes."
Sasuke and Kakashi both nodded, opening their Mangekyō and beginning to examine it seriously.
Jiraiya studied it curiously, while Kitagawa Gen stood in silence, watching as well.
Just as he had guessed, he truly did not need any other means to see it.
Moreover, he clearly noticed slight differences in the traces of writing across parts of the tablets.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---