Chapter 368: Izuna Uchiha
Land of Rain.
"Kinkaku was a success, but Ginkaku failed? I see..."
This is a problem...
Dana fell into deep thought after receiving the report from the Cloud Spire.
There were only three possibilities for an Edo Tensei failure:
The caster is incompetent. This could be ruled out; Tobirama Senju was the creator of the technique.
The remains were wrong. Perhaps they took animal bones or some other non-human remains. This was also unlikely; the remains of the Gold and Silver Brothers had been specifically preserved decades ago. While it was possible someone had stolen a piece, a total mix-up was improbable, as the samples were taken directly during their autopsies.
The soul is not in the Pure Land. Whether the soul had already been reanimated, sealed, or consumed by the Reaper (Shinigami) was unknown.
"Nine times out of ten, we were beaten to the punch!"
Dana suspected Orochimaru had leaked the secrets of Edo Tensei, though he wasn't sure if it happened before or after Konoha's defeat.
It's more likely it happened before the surrender, Dana mused. After the surrender, Konoha was fitted with Zetsu detection arrays, and Orochimaru was placed under heavy surveillance.
If Ginkaku had been reanimated, then Madara certainly was as well... and likely other powerful entities.
How did Black Zetsu move this quickly...?
If Black Zetsu's goal was to save his mother via the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he was still miles away from succeeding. The Federation controlled four of the nine Tailed Beasts, including the heavy hitters—the Seven, Eight, and Nine-Tails. Without those, how could he launch the plan? With the power of love?
Is he planning a major move, or is he just preparing for the future?
Thinking of this, Dana issued a new order to the Cloud Spire.
"Investigate the western combat zones. Search for any traces of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki. Additionally, have Kirigakure report on the status of the Six-Tails and warn them to be extremely vigilant."
If Black Zetsu really was starting to collect Tailed Beasts this early, Dana had to stop him, regardless of the mastermind's specific endgame.
"Dana-kun, how has your tour of the Hidden Rain been these past few days?"
Dana snapped back to reality. He had been conducting a mental meeting for so long that he'd forgotten he was currently drinking tea with Hanzo the Salamander.
Well... he was drinking tea. Hanzo was just watching, as he couldn't remove his mask.
In Dana's philosophy, as long as he wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment belonged to someone else. besides, it wasn't like Dana had initiated the tea session.
Having stayed in the Land of Rain for two more days, the new Heavenly Transfer base was complete. Dana's group prepared to return to Cloud City via the rainbow lights.
"The Rain Village has developed rapidly these last few years," Dana noted. "I remember during the First Joint Chunin Exams, most of the expansion areas were still empty."
Hanzo replied with uncharacteristic humility, his voice muffled by his mask. "It is still far behind Cloud City. I hear your city is like something out of a legend. A pity I haven't had the time to see it for myself."
Dana smiled. "The opportunity will come. On the day the Rain Village and the Land of Rain join the Federation, the Cloud Spire will prepare the most formal of ceremonies for you."
Hanzo offered a kind smile. "Then this old man will look forward to it. Hahaha."
This trip had been uneventful. Fortunately, Hanzo was free of Genjutsu. With the mandatory 72-hour screening mechanism now in place, the probability of him being puppeted in the future would drop significantly.
Dana led Kayo, Kushina, and Nagato to the newly constructed Heavenly Transfer base.
"Well then, after troubling you for so many days, I shall take my leave, Amekage-dono."
"Safe travels, Dana-kun!"
Dana nodded and prepared to step onto the transmission platform.
Suddenly, an urgent call from the Cloud Spire echoed in his mind via the slug.
"Dana-sama! Near the border of the Land of Iron and Land of Rice Fields—active combat zone—suspected Tailed Beast Bomb explosion detected!"
Dana's expression froze. "Is it our troops?"
"No report from our side yet! Local units are investigating the area!"
"Send me the coordinates immediately!"
Twelve minutes earlier.
Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, was lying on a large rock, leisurely resting his eyes.
Over the past six months, Iwagakure had become increasingly unhinged, and Roshi found the village's new direction distasteful. Always bold and stubborn, he had begun to ignore specific orders while only listening to broad announcements. The village had ordered him to conduct harassment missions, but he had found a secluded valley to slack off in for half a month.
He was even beginning to consider just walking away from it all.
Since childhood, he had been a Jinchuriki—feared, ostracized, and guarded against. It was only after his counterparts in the Cloud achieved legendary battle records that his own village started treating him with a semblance of respect.
But the naturally stubborn Roshi wouldn't change his mind easily. He wasn't like Han, that young brat whom Onoki had brainwashed into a hot-blooded patriot ready to die for the village.
"The wild fruit this season tastes terrible... I wish I could find a deer or a rabbit," Roshi muttered.
Recalling the taste of roasted venison, his mouth watered.
Suddenly, Roshi's ears twitched. He performed a "carp kip-up," snapping to a standing position.
A stranger had entered the valley.
It was a ninja wearing a heavy cloak, with a katana strapped to his waist.
Roshi noticed a symbol on the man's clothes—one he recognized all too well.
"The Uchiha Clan?"
He narrowed his eyes, shifting into a defensive stance. "Hey! Konoha brat. I don't want to fight. Your village was crushed by the Cloud; I imagine you aren't happy about it either. How about we leave each other in peace?"
The man stopped a few paces away. "Why must the Uchiha always be associated with Konoha...? I really cannot adapt to this world..."
Roshi frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The man slowly drew his katana, holding it horizontally before him.
"Roshi, Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails. Forgive me, but you're coming with me."
In the next instant, the man's eyes turned a brilliant, bleeding red.
The moment he saw that crimson flash, Roshi snapped his head down. The Uchiha were famous across the world; avoiding eye contact was the first rule of survival.
However, as he looked down, he felt a sudden, violent gale.
A blade fell. It was a deep strike, cutting almost to the bone.
Roshi was sent flying. Thanks to a Jinchuriki's supernatural durability, he didn't lose his ability to resist. Instantly, lava-like chakra bubbled up, covering his entire body.
But while he was still in mid-air, he saw the man catch up to him. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second.
In that brief moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl. The complex, wheel-like patterns in the crimson eyes were clearly visible.
Crap!
The thought had barely formed before Roshi plummeted into a Genjutsu.
His body went limp, his consciousness fading instantly.
Upon landing, the man sheathed his sword. The intricate patterns in his red eyes faded back to normal.
"A Jinchuriki... a strange existence," Izuna Uchiha murmured. He felt utterly foreign to this era. As the genius of the Uchiha second only to Madara, he had died before the Hidden Village era began. He was a complete relic of the past, unable to grasp the concept of "villages" and confused by much of the modern world.
Just as Izuna prepared to take the unconscious Roshi away, an anomaly occurred.
Massive amounts of lava suddenly erupted from Roshi's body, forcing Izuna to leap back.
The comatose Roshi suddenly exploded into motion, his form entering a Version 2 Tailed Beast transformation. He opened his maw and fired a Tailed Beast Bomb point-blank.
BOOM!
The earth-shattering explosion leveled the peaceful valley in an instant.
Izuna managed to escape at the last possible millisecond, but half of his body was obliterated by the blast.
I see... Izuna thought. Without eyes like my brother's, controlling a Jinchuriki with Genjutsu is difficult... Is this one of their strengths?
Roshi, having broken the illusion with the help of the Four-Tails (Son Goku), stared in shock at the man whose half-body had vanished, yet was calmly and slowly regenerating as if nothing had happened.
"What kind of monster are you...?" Roshi asked, his face pale.
Izuna's body finished reforming. He slowly drew his katana once more.
"I suppose you could call me... the living dead."
Just as Roshi was weighing whether to stand his ground or flee, a figure flew in from the horizon.
A man wrapped entirely in bandages hovered in the air. A pair of purple Rinnegan scanned the area before he spoke to Izuna.
"Encountering trouble? I knew we should have struck together. Madara-sama's side is likely already finished."
Izuna shook his head. "My apologies. I am unfamiliar with these 'Jinchuriki.' If I have delayed my brother, then let us finish this together."
Roshi stood frozen, his jaw dropping in disbelief.
"Se... Second Tsuchikage-sama (Mū)! What is the meaning of this?!"