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Yagura Karatachi sat limply on the ground, as if he had completely lost consciousness, his eyes wide as he stared blankly ahead, seemingly unable to maintain awareness.
In the illusion just now, he had witnessed countless shocking, terrifying, breathtaking, and even completely incomprehensible scenes.
He saw the blade in Sawara Kiri's hand, covered in flames, suddenly retract to an extreme degree, forming a weapon that looked like a mottled, charred piece of dead wood.
After he uttered the incantation "Bankai: Zanka no Tachi," that seemingly unusable, Deprecated blade, at the moment it was swung, erupted with a magnificent blaze that swallowed the boundless sky.
It was a blade capable of engulfing the human world, with a temperature alone exceeding fifteen million degrees Celsius, comparable to the high temperature near the core of the sun's inner layer.
Simply maintaining its release could potentially destroy the entire world.
A seemingly ordinary swing of the blade obliterated tens of kilometers of land in an instant, and the Ninja standing in the forest were reduced to countless ashes.
He saw Sawara Kiri standing on the surface of the sea, facing the familiar island in front of him.
Countless Hidden Mist Ninja stood on the shore as if facing a formidable enemy, collectively launching a nearly suicidal charge towards him, roaring as they crossed the sea, attempting to engulf him with various Water Release Ninjutsu.
However, he stood like an island rooted in the sea, unwavering no matter how he was struck, merely watching mockingly as everyone rushed towards him.
Finally, he suddenly shouted, "Tremor-Tremor Fruit!" Then, he extended his fist and, with a 'thud,' punched the air walls on both sides. In the void, clusters of spiderweb-like cracks continuously spread, and with a series of crackling sounds, endless ripples radiated outwards from him.
The next moment, the entire sea surface, along with the island supporting Hidden Mist Village, was instantly overturned by this irresistible, violent tremor.
A monstrous, surging tsunami rapidly engulfed the entire Hidden Mist and countless Hidden Mist Ninja.
He saw time flowing backward, space twisting;
He saw a punch unleash ripples;
He saw tens of thousands of tons of giants, called Ultraman, flying at dozens of Mach;
He saw Sawara Kiri transform into a magical girl;
He saw, he saw, he saw, he saw—
Countless images flashed through his mind, and Yagura Karatachi, under the constant mental pressure of being seemingly present, was almost unable to bear it.
He began to genuinely believe that all of this was an illusion fabricated by the man in front of him to conquer his mind, like a movie.
"Fake!"
"Hahahahaha—"
"It's all fake!!!"
He suddenly cried out in a loss of composure: "Kaguya Ren, you damned liar! Traitor—! All these images are made up by you!!!"
"I've seen through your tricks!"
However, Sawara Kiri merely casually replayed the scene of him directly blowing up Shukaku, the Ichibi, some time ago in his mind.
"Is that so?"
Yellow sand filled the sky, cursed monsters.
The massive body seemed to merge with the entire desert, spewing out Tailed Beast Balls of terrifying power with a mad roar.
Yagura Karatachi had seen Tailed Beasts before.
Three-Tails Isobu and Six-Tails Saiken were the most highly valued weapons in Hidden Mist Village throughout its history.
However, that full-power Biju Bomb was instantly pulverized into a spreading cluster of Chakra light points the moment a purplish-red glow flashed.
"..."
Yagura Karatachi couldn't help but be stunned.
He seemed momentarily speechless.
That was a scene recorded in the internal reports.
[Ichibi Jinchuriki's abdomen pierced, deceased]
In this entire Ninja World, while not many people could subdue Tailed Beasts, they were never few.
However, there was a significant difference between subduing one Tailed Beast and another.
Fighting the Eight-Tails until exhaustion like the Third Raikage was one method, and then there was the guy like the First Hokage back then, operating a Wood Golem gundam, holding down the Nine-Tailed's head with one hand and a Biju Bomb with the other, while loudly proclaiming: "Nine-Tailed, you are truly too powerful, you must be sealed!"
Could the two be compared?
Yagura Karatachi thought not.
His voice became somewhat hoarse, as if he was gradually calming down in the face of the cruel reality. He struggled to raise his head, looking at the man who was always smiling gently, and whispered:
"How, exactly, did you do that?"
Whether it was hysteria or disbelief.
He was now a person on the verge of death. Whatever happened later, any information he could gain now was a bonus.
Yagura Karatachi didn't realize when he said this that his resolve had already begun to waver.
"It's not just this spatial Ninjutsu."
"And, and those techniques you showed me just now, what exactly were those—"
Sawara Kiri slowly bent down, meeting his eyes filled with longing and curiosity, and gave Yagura Karatachi the answer he least wanted to hear:
"Those are all scenes that 'Future Me' has seen, Lord Yagura."
Yagura Karatachi's pupils constricted.
Before he could ask anything further, Sawara Kiri already spoke on his own:
"Ever since I was young, for some unknown reason, I've been able to see many, many scenes different from this era."
"Some are of me sacrificing for Hidden Mist, some are of me being killed by people from Hidden Mist, and some are of me dying meaninglessly on the battlefield."
"Because there was so much to see, the things worth learning naturally became more and more numerous, so much so that by the age of ten or so, in an environment like Konoha where no one specifically taught me, I already possessed abilities surpassing those of ordinary Jonin."
"As my strength increased, the powers I could learn also grew stronger and stronger, to the point where mere mortals like you cannot comprehend them—"
Sawara Kiri turned around, smiling as he looked at him: "I can understand your feelings, Lord Yagura."
"..."
Yagura Karatachi stared at him blankly.
So that's it?
So that's it!!
No wonder, he, an ordinary Kaguya Clan Ninja, a half-grown child discarded as a disposable item, could preserve himself and hide his identity in an environment like Konoha.
No wonder he, despite his young age, possessed such profound cunning capable of hiding for ten years, and such exquisite Fire Release and swordsmanship, honed as if through countless years of experience.
No wonder he could independently develop such an offensive and defensive spatial Ninjutsu that surpassed the understanding of the current era.
If it was seen from the 'future'...
All these illogical things suddenly made perfect sense.
But how could such an absurd thing happen in the world? And why did it befall this man?
If it were me...
Almost uncontrollably, this thought arose in Yagura Karatachi's mind.
Then whether it's the Village's problems or future obstacles, or even the major direction of development, and also, also...
This kind of unwillingness, as if encountering a cheat, seemed to engulf Yagura Karatachi's entire being.
But then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he abruptly looked up, staring directly at Sawara Kiri:
"Wait, wait—"
"You said those were different futures?!"
"But, but why is it that in every scene you were in, you were slaughtering Ninja from other Villages?"
"That's illogical!"
Yagura Karatachi suddenly questioned loudly, looking at Sawara Kiri with fright.
Normally, upon realizing that Sawara Kiri was a Ninja as formidable as the First Hokage of old, as long as the leaders of the other Villages at that time were still sane enough, they would not become his enemies.
Submitting and developing peacefully.
That should be the true path of that era.
But why?
Yagura Karatachi stared at Sawara Kiri.
A bright smile suddenly spread across the handsome, sunny face of the young man:
"It seems you've already figured it out."
Yagura Karatachi's expression suddenly stiffened.
Sawara Kiri, however, completely disregarded his feelings, continuing in a gentle tone:
"That's right, it's exactly as you think."
"No matter which worldline, I intend to embark on a path of completely destroying other Ninja Villages."
"This current world is far too chaotic."
"Powerful forces that should be used for accelerated development are instead used by Ninja to kill each other. Don't you think that's an extremely foolish practice?"
"Because of the existence of such versatile power, the development of all disciplines—biology, chemistry, environment, materials—has almost no limits. Even beasts can gain human intelligence through this power—"
"Yet humans, conversely, act like beasts."
Having said this, Sawara Kiri turned his head to look at the stiff-faced Yagura Karatachi, his voice calm:
"I want to end this chaotic era."
"I don't intend to change anyone's ideology, nor do I intend to reason with them. Only material annihilation can clear all the weeds."
"I am destined to be the strongest of this era."
"However, I will not be as soft-hearted as Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara."
"—They were simply too gentle."
Yagura Karatachi listened to him, but only felt his throat dry, unable to speak in a hoarse voice:
"You lunatic!"
"Do you know how many people are in the other Ninja Villages? Do you know how many people you will kill to achieve this goal?"
Sawara Kiri looked at him strangely and asked in return: "Have you calculated how many Ninja have died on the battlefield since the establishment of the Ninja Villages?"
"Is it worth eradicating one generation to exchange for at least five generations of peace in the future?"
"Have you truly pondered this question?"
Yagura Karatachi was stunned.
But as he began to delve deeper into Sawara Kiri's line of thought, and after calculating a simple result and data model based on the current natural birth rate, death rate, and Ninja casualty rate, Yagura Karatachi suddenly felt—his own mind might also be having problems.
This isn't a difference in numbers, but rather—
But rather?
Among these potential victims, would there be people he cared about?
At this moment, Yagura Karatachi suddenly realized his own narrow-mindedness.
Putting himself in others' shoes, he almost instinctively blurted out: "Could it be... could it be that you don't have anyone you care about in Hidden Mist? You are a Ninja of the Kaguya Clan!"
Sawara Kiri looked at him with a very puzzled gaze and asked: "Are you referring to the Fourth Elder of the family who pushed me out for selection and training because he didn't want his second son to be chosen as a spy?"
"Or the Clan Leader who pretended not to know when he saw the missing persons list?"
"Or perhaps the Kaguya Clan, who only enjoys fighting, breaking each other's bones for fun, and doesn't care about others' lives or their own?"
Ah.
That look of seeing an enemy.
It's over.
Yagura Karatachi finally gave up hope of persuading him, and couldn't help but subconsciously imagine the day when the people in the Village would be completely slaughtered in the future, a tragic smile appearing on his face.
Sawara Kiri patted his shoulder, his tone gentle: "Look on the bright side, Lord Yagura."
"Believe me, be my spy."
"You are not going to destroy Hidden Mist; quite the opposite, you are the hero who endures humiliation and burdens, sacrificing everything to preserve the last embers of Hidden Mist."
Upon hearing this last sentence, a faint, insignificant light suddenly flickered in the depths of Yagura Karatachi's eyes.
This was just a fleeting light, caught by Sawara Kiri.
Yagura Karatachi sat there in deep thought for a long time.
Finally, he took a deep breath.
"My mission has failed. Even if I could go back, I would definitely be executed by the Village. What good is it for you to tell me all this now, when I'm already a dead man?"
"Even if you want to cooperate with me, you must give me a way out."
Cooperation, not being an undercover agent.
And it was only limited cooperation, not a spy unilaterally controlled.
Yagura Karatachi thought to himself, but his resolve had unknowingly begun to waver.
He had already accepted the reality that 'Sawara Kiri is destined to become the strongest in this era, and is about to destroy the entire Ninja World except for Konoha.'
Looking at his dejected appearance, a smile slowly appeared on Sawara Kiri's face.
"Who said your mission failed?"
"No, quite the opposite."
"Your mission was very successful, and it confirmed that Sealing Technique is still effective against 'Kaguya Ren', but because there were multiple Anbu teams hidden around the target, you didn't have time to achieve further results and were forced to retreat in one go."
He spoke eloquently, as if everything he said was an established fact.
Sawara Kiri looked at him, his expression calm:
"Believe me, Yagura-kun."
"When you first return to the Village, you might be imprisoned, but soon after, you will be elevated to the heavens by the entire Hidden Mist, becoming the ultimate trump card in the hearts of everyone in Hidden Mist Village."
"You will become the hero of Hidden Mist."
Yagura Karatachi subconsciously murmured: "I will become the hero of Hidden Mist?"
Even though he had fallen to such a state?
"Yes, a hero."
Sawara Kiri's voice deepened slowly as he repeated it in his ear.
Like the whisper of a devil, seducing hearts.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Shimura Danzo raised his head, accompanied by several Root Ninja, and stood before the tunnel, observing it for a few moments before letting out a disdainful snort:
"The secret base I built for Root, to be used for such a purpose?"
"Utilization of waste."
"That's truly your style."
As he observed the entrance, Homura Mitokado, who was beside him, also observed him.
Eyes, arms.
All the previous defects had been healed by some unknown means, and the Root Ninja accompanying him all had Chakra reactions he had never seen before.
All of this would require an unknown amount of resources.
Danzo, this guy, was indeed the one with the deepest pockets among their Advisors.
Besides that, his aura had also changed a lot.
Arrogant, confident, spirited.
As if he had returned to his youth.
No.
To be precise, his current Chakra reaction was indeed much stronger than before.
Is it because of that arm?
Homura Mitokado's gaze swept over inadvertently, yet he still appeared as if he hadn't discovered anything—if it were during the time Hiruzen was still awake, Danzo's increase in strength might have threatened the balance of the Advisor Group.
But now, the threat of the Substitute Hokage Council was growing, already bringing the Advisor Group to a dispensable point. The power of each of them had been severely eroded, and it was even unknown whether the Advisor Group would still exist in the near future.
At this time, Danzo's increase in strength, on the contrary, became good news for them.
Homura Mitokado thought this to himself, and then spoke casually:
"Alright."
"At a time like this, don't make sarcastic remarks."
"Hmph."
Only then did Danzo stop speaking further, giving a light snort, and walked ahead confidently into the secret base as if returning home.
Soon, he stopped in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The lights in the stone chamber were still bright.
However, the man who once possessed awe-inspiring prestige had already become a withered husk on this stone platform, awaiting death.
Shimura Danzo looked at this scene indifferently.
To say that he felt nothing in his heart was impossible; in fact, quite the opposite.
Man is not grass; how can he be without emotion?
Even he, who had long dedicated himself to darkness, had for a long time yearned and longed for the position of being able to stand in the sunlight—to be precise, he still yearned for it even now, and at the same time, his feelings about Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision back then were complex.
Not being the first to step forward when Tobirama chose to stay behind was the regret of his life.
To compensate for that regret, he chose the most dangerous and difficult path among Ninja, a path shrouded in shadow, attempting to atone for his past cowardice.
But now, the person who should have stood in the sunlight once again chose the path of sacrifice, lying here, while he, the man of darkness, struggled like an earthworm burrowing deep in the mud, surviving in his current state.
This strong sense of contrast inexplicably ignited a baseless anger within him.
But gradually, as he watched him lie there, this intense anger inexplicably vanished, turning into the same indifference as at the very beginning.
"..."
"Hiruzen."
"You fool, how long will you continue to humiliate me?"
"But it doesn't matter."
Shimura Danzo watched him quietly, his pale arm, hidden beneath layers of bandages, gradually showed bulging veins, clenching into a tight fist, his voice cold:
"Just the Third Raikage."
"Just wait a little longer, until the control experiment of that arm succeeds, and I will let him witness what the true power of the 'God of Shinobi' is."
"At that time, I will seize victory and replace your position."
"Then, I will show you how a true Hokage should conduct affairs."
He came here and watched quietly for a long time, as if only to make such a declaration.
After all these long-desired words were spoken, Shimura Danzo's gaze lingered for a long time on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face, which was obscured by the medical Sealing Technique, then he turned his back, remaining silent for a long time:
"..."
"Hiruzen, I am the Hokage."
Only this time, no one contradicted him as they used to.
Shimura Danzo walked out of the stone chamber in silence.
"Homura, tell me about the current situation."
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