Three days later, Gekko Chizan had already flown out of the Land of Earth, making sure to escape without getting entangled with Iwagakure.
He even flew all the way north, only turning east after reaching the coast.
It wasn't until he saw the world before him turn into a vast field of white, sneezing several times in a row, that he realized—where on earth had he ended up?
"Chizan, I can feel the presence of my fragment. Its chakra is already very weak."
"Should we go back and replenish it?"
Chōmei's voice suddenly rang out, making Gekko Chizan freeze. Very quickly, he figured out where he was.
The northern coast of the Land of Waterfalls… and that white expanse ahead must be the Land of Frost?
To think he had traveled this far in just three days.
"Alright, let's make a stop in Takigakure. At least we'll be far from the war."
With that, Gekko Chizan set his sights on the Land of Waterfalls.
...
At the same time, because of his actions, the Tsuchikage's office in the Land of Earth was thrown into chaos.
"Impossible! That guy is already dead!"
"Absolutely impossible! The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, already killed him!"
"How could he possibly appear again?!"
Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, slammed the desk in front of him into pieces. His chest heaved with rough breaths, his face twisted in madness.
Standing before him were several jōnin who had just returned, among them Kitsuchi.
Seeing the Tsuchikage, so out of control, Kitsuchi was shocked. But he still took a step forward, his voice firm as he spoke:
"Tsuchikage-sama, it's true. I saw the Sharingan with my own eyes, and watched as my comrades fell under Genjutsu. The enemy only used one Fire Release, plus that blue skeletal form, and dealt our forces a devastating blow."
"And the other squad was also caught in Genjutsu, then torn apart by swarms of snakes—that's why so many died."
Ōnoki's face grew strained at his words.
Fire Release… that man's specialty was Fire Release. Once unleashed, it erupted like a volcanic explosion.
And that blue skeleton… that was obviously Susanoo, his signature technique!
Back then, he and his master had been utterly crushed by that skeletal colossus.
Damn it! Damn it all!
"Move out! Everyone still able to fight, come with me—I'll investigate the scene myself!"
Ōnoki absolutely refused to believe that man could appear again.
Even if he had to go in person, so be it.
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama!"
Ōnoki shoved open the window, slapping his hand against the men in front of him.
"Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique!"
The reason Ōnoki could fly was all thanks to this unique Earth Release technique.
Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique reduced the weight of objects, allowing for flight and acceleration—though at the cost of strength.
As the technique took effect, Kitsuchi and the others instantly felt lighter, floating into the air one by one as they followed Ōnoki toward the battlefield.
At the same time, Gekko Chizan received a familiar notification.
[Ding! Because the host impersonated Uchiha Madara in the Land of Earth, it stirred Tsuchikage Ōnoki's traumatic nightmare and drove him into a frenzy. Special reward granted: Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!]
On the road to the Land of Waterfalls, Gekko Chizan stopped in his tracks, a flash of surprise crossing his face.
He wasn't surprised to get a reward—he knew full well how much pressure Uchiha Madara put on Ōnoki.
But the reward itself was interesting. The Three-Scales Ōnoki had three main techniques aside from his terrifying Dust Release, a kekkei tōta.
Light-Weight Rock granted flight. Added-Weight Rock was the counterbalance. After all, if you lightened weight too much, you needed to add it back, or you couldn't even land.
On top of that, it was useful in taijutsu exchanges—increasing weight meant increasing destructive power.
This was a truly powerful Earth Release jutsu, one not just anyone could master. Across the entire shinobi world, only Ōnoki had ever learned it.
"Chizan, what's wrong? Why did you stop?"
"It's nothing, Chōmei. Let's go. Takigakure's waterfall is just ahead."
Suppressing the surge of joy inside him, Gekko Chizan fixed his gaze on the waterfall just within reach.
"We're back again, Chōmei. Doesn't it feel familiar?"
"Just shut up. Seeing this waterfall already annoys me. Let's hurry and finish this, then get out of here."
Gekko Chizan chuckled and, activating Flying Thunder God, blinked straight into Takigakure.
Even with the war raging, Takigakure was peaceful. They had no part in the Five Great Nations' conflicts and didn't care to.
With Transparent Release active, Gekko Chizan easily reached the sealed cavern.
Seeing the guards still stationed outside, he smirked and simply walked right in.
He'd done this before—he was well-practiced.
"Chōmei, let's begin."
"Alright. I'll inject chakra into it now."
As Chōmei poured chakra into the insect husk, his aura once again filled the cavern.
Soon, the process was complete. Gekko Chizan was ready to leave at once—there were guards outside, after all, and he had no intention of lingering.
"Chōmei, after all these years, how have they not noticed something strange about you?"
"Tch, what's so strange? I'm a bug, aren't I? Bugs hibernate! What's weird about me, the Seven-Tails, hibernating a little longer?"
Chōmei's tone grew indignant. Just as Gekko Chizan frowned in confusion, Chōmei continued:
"I'll tell you what. Back when Senju Hashirama found me, I was in the middle of hibernating. That bastard didn't even give me a chance—he just attacked!"
"Before I even knew what was happening, a bunch of wooden constructs rained down on me and pinned me. Who was I supposed to complain to?!"
Gekko Chizan burst out laughing.
But his worries faded. After all, if a bug was asleep and not causing trouble, wasn't that a good thing?
So long as Takigakure didn't catch on, everything was fine.
Having finished up in Takigakure, Gekko Chizan set off once more. But just as he left the Land of Waterfalls, the unexpected struck.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Frenzy!"
Raging torrents of water surged from all directions. Seven or eight dragons roared, their fanged maws lunging to tear him apart.
"Damn it! Who's there?!"
"I'll fly!"
The sudden attack startled Gekko Chizan—this was a terrifying scene.
Exploding Water Colliding Wave? At that scale? Who could wield such Water Release?
Still uncertain, Gekko Chizan tried to take flight and dodge—but things didn't go his way.
Just as he lifted off the ground, a massive umbrella-like construct descended from the sky, shimmering with blue waves of energy that trapped him inside, pressing him down.
"Bastards! Who the hell are you?!"