February 11, 7:00 AM.
While deep in his training, Hyuga Yu suddenly sensed a gaze spying on him from the shadows. It was filled with intense malice, yet laced with an inexplicable sense of hope.
He halted his training and activated his Byakugan, shifting to a god's-eye perspective. He scanned a seven-kilometer radius, thoroughly searching every inch of the small town.
However, he found absolutely nothing.
Part of the reason was that his Byakugan was currently evolving, causing severe distortion and heavy afterimages in his vision. But another reason was that the spy's concealment technique was exceptionally brilliant—making it highly difficult for Yu to detect with his current sensory methods.
Aside from the Akagan, things that the Byakugan could not see through in the shinobi world fell into only three categories.
The first was using the geographical environment for layered cover, such as a solid rock stratum over a hundred meters thick. Without a unique ability to shift the visual focus like Hinata Hyuga, an ordinary Byakugan would find it hard to see through.
The second was a sealing barrier specifically developed to counter the Byakugan. By disrupting the flow of chakra, it shielded against the Byakugan's X-ray vision. This didn't require much technical skill; generally, as long as the sealing jutsu's level was high enough and its scale large enough, it could achieve a similar effect.
And the third category was a single technique—White Zetsu's Substitution Technique.
After pondering in place for a moment, Yu's eyes flickered slightly. He knew very well that White Zetsu constantly monitored the Akatsuki's movements. After all, Nagato's Rinnegan was vital to Madara Uchiha's Eye of the Moon Plan. Before this, Yu had never been able to track White Zetsu's whereabouts, and with White Zetsu's capabilities, it was impossible for Yu to notice him either.
Thus, Yu had simply ignored him.
But at a time like this, the sudden appearance of such a spying gaze made Yu instantly sense that something beyond his control had occurred.
In the afternoon, Yahiko, who was busy pushing forward the peace talks with Hanzo, suddenly approached Yu alongside Konan and Nagato.
"Are you saying a guy claiming to be Madara Uchiha found you?"
Yu frowned and looked at Yahiko. "And he also said he came to guide Nagato because he awakened the Rinnegan?"
Yahiko nodded, a cautious expression on his face. "That guy reeks of conspiracy. I felt like he approached us just to exploit Nagato, so I rejected him immediately. However, he told us he would wait for us at the exact same time every day in the cavern outside the town..."
Hearing this, Yu knit his brows slightly. The "Madara Uchiha" Yahiko spoke of was undoubtedly Obito Uchiha after experiencing the incident where Kakashi ran Rin Nohara through the chest.
But...
Even though he had passed the intel to Minato Namikaze, forcing him to drop everything and rush to rescue Rin Nohara, had it still failed to alter the fact that Obito Uchiha fell to darkness?
Of course, this was within Yu's expectations. After all, Madara Uchiha was the mastermind plotting behind the scenes, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had contingency plans against Minato Namikaze.
Still, he was somewhat curious. With Minato Namikaze's intervention, what was the ultimate outcome of the incident? Had some established events been rewritten?
With this thought, Yu looked at Yahiko and asked, "So, what do you want from me by coming here?"
Yahiko first looked at Nagato, exchanging a glance with him. Then, Nagato stepped forward and said to Yu, "Even though you don't have the Rinnegan, you possess the same 'Deva Path' power as I do. So, Tennin, do you know something?"
"I want to learn more about these eyes of mine from you."
Yu quickly shook his head. He couldn't be certain if Madara Uchiha was dead at this point. Furthermore, revealing too much information to Nagato while under White Zetsu's constant surveillance would likely invite unnecessary trouble. However, after a brief thought, he followed the topic raised by Yahiko and Nagato.
Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. "I don't know much about it either. But since you mentioned 'Madara Uchiha'..."
"I think... that guy definitely knows a lot of inside information."
"Why don't we just go and ask the person involved directly?"
Hearing this, the Akatsuki trio looked at each other. They agreed that leaving such a hidden danger unaddressed wasn't a good option either.
They made plans to head to the designated location with Yu at the same time tomorrow to test the waters of this "Madara Uchiha."
Soon after the Akatsuki trio left, Yu pondered for a moment. He fished out a signal flare from his ninja tool pouch and launched it into the sky.
This was a signal flare used within Root to confirm each other's positions.
It had been half a month since he was separated from the Root forces. Given Root's efficiency, they had likely confirmed his location long ago. The reason Terai hadn't come to report to him directly was probably because he saw that Yu had infiltrated Akatsuki and feared disrupting his plans.
Before long, a conspicuous plume of red smoke rose above the small town.
That night, a special operations unit from Konoha's Root—led by Terai, Yamato, and Shin from the Tennin squad—tracked down Yu, who was still buried deep in his training.
At the same time, they brought a massive amount of intelligence regarding recent events in the shinobi world. For instance, the aftermath of Minato Namikaze's rescue mission for Rin Nohara.
"A week ago, on February 3rd, Minato Namikaze departed from Konoha to the eastern front to rescue his student, Rin Nohara."
"Taking only a single day, on the evening of February 4th, Minato Namikaze located Kakashi Hatake just as he was about to kill Rin Nohara."
"However, by the time Minato Namikaze discovered them and prevented them from killing each other, the Three-Tails had already been sealed inside Rin Nohara's body..."
"Rin Nohara was merely an ordinary medical ninja. Once freed from the suppression of the Mist Village's sealing jutsu, her strength was entirely insufficient to become a qualified Jinchuriki for the Three-Tails. The Tailed Beast was on the verge of breaking the seal."
"Minato Namikaze made a swift decision, attempting to use a sealing jutsu to forcibly lock the Three-Tails inside Rin Nohara."
"Unfortunately..."
At this point, Terai stopped speaking.
Yu looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly. "Is Rin Nohara dead?"
"Even with Minato Namikaze's expertise in sealing jutsu, he couldn't seal the Three-Tails?"
Terai shook his head. "The sealing succeeded."
"However, during the sealing process, Rin Nohara went berserk on the spot, entering a semi-tailed beast state. Her entire skin was severely burned, and her body was horribly twisted and deformed during the transformation. After the sealing was complete, she couldn't harness the Tailed Beast's power to heal herself under a seal of that caliber. Her body suffered catastrophic trauma, and her consciousness faded away."
"Minato Namikaze immediately brought Rin Nohara back to Konoha and admitted her to the Konoha Hospital."
"Following an emergency surgical rescue by the high-ranking members of the Medical Department and Lady Tsunade, Rin Nohara barely clung to life—but she has become a 'living dead.'"
Yu felt a bit surprised and raised an eyebrow. "A living dead?"
"Just like the shinobi you handled in the Corpse Disposal Unit two months ago... identical."
Yu understood instantly.
The so-called "living dead" referred to those whose lives were barely maintained by various forbidden drugs with massive side effects. They endured agony far exceeding that of ordinary casualties, their lives constantly sliding toward the brink of death.
Even the leadership of the Medical Unit was completely helpless against such patients.
The victims themselves could only wait in vain for death under such circumstances.
With this in mind, Yu found it strange. No matter what, Minato Namikaze had arrived in time and technically saved Rin Nohara. Then what was the deal with this self-proclaimed "Madara Uchiha," the already blackened Obito Uchiha?
He looked at Terai, signaling him to continue. Terai nodded and resumed his report. "Rin Nohara became a 'living dead,' but... her condition is not optimistic."
"There is also a dispute within the village regarding how to handle her."
"If left alone, Rin Nohara's vital signs will gradually decay until death, just like those other living dead."
"When a Jinchuriki faces death, the seal inside them weakens alongside their declining physical state. Under these circumstances—"
"The Three-Tails will inevitably do everything it can to shatter the seal the moment Rin Nohara dies, manifesting directly within Konoha Village and causing massive destruction."
"However, the Medical Unit leadership has no solution for Rin Nohara's situation. Some elders in the Konoha high command have even... proposed releasing the Three-Tails from her body out in the wild to handle it ahead of time, preventing the Tailed Beast from devastating Konoha."
"And then, select another candidate to serve as the Three-Tails Jinchuriki..."
There was no need to guess. The elder who made this proposal was most likely Yu's current cheap mentor, Danzo Shimura.
If nothing went awry, he would also propose that Root take custody of the new Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
Yu pinched his chin, falling into thought. Forcing Obito Uchiha to watch Rin Nohara slowly wither away bit by bit was indeed a potent psychological blow. Still, he felt it was missing a final spark...
At that moment, Terai paused before continuing his report. "Just as the village was locked in endless arguments over the Three-Tails inside Rin Nohara,"
"On February 7th, the Mist Village sent a diplomatic envoy, bringing the ceasefire conditions from the temporary Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi."
"The Mist is willing to implement a ceasefire with Konoha on the Land of Fire's eastern front, acknowledge their defeat, and pay massive war reparations."
"But the condition is—"
"They demand that Konoha return the Three-Tails. Otherwise, the Mist will continue the war until they reclaim it."
The fingers pinching Yu's chin paused. His gaze sharpened as he looked at Terai. Terai let out a slow breath at that moment and said quietly, "The village's current stance is leaning toward... agreeing to the Mist's conditions!"
Yu narrowed his eyes. "In other words, Rin Nohara absolutely has to die?"
Hearing this, Terai nodded. "After all, even Lady Tsunade can't save her, which basically pronounces Rin Nohara's death sentence!"
Yu nodded, expressing his regrets, and intended to resume his training.
"However," Terai suddenly looked back at Yu and stopped him. "There is another rumor circulating in the village right now."
"They say the 'living dead' are not entirely beyond saving. At least, during the Shinobi World War, an Anbu ninja who had become a 'living dead' was dragged back from the clutches of the Grim Reaper by Konoha's Medical Unit."
"And you happen to know the medical ninja who saved his life..."
"Are you talking about... me?"
Yu's footsteps halted, and he turned his head in surprise.
Terai nodded and gave a shrugged smile. "If there's anyone in the entire shinobi world whose surgical skills are so formidable that they can save someone even Lady Tsunade couldn't..."
"It has to be you, Tennin!"
"Because of this, Kakashi Hatake has already gone to Lord Danzo to beg. According to the Root ninja on the scene, he is even willing to trade his own life if it means getting you to perform surgery on Rin Nohara..."
Yu thought for a bit and asked, "How much time does Rin Nohara have left?"
Terai immediately replied, "According to the Medical Unit's assessment, given that girl's physical state, she can last three months at most."
Yu calculated the room for maneuver available within this timeframe and nodded. "Then let him wait."
"As for right now... I don't have the time."
Terai chuckled. "Lord Danzo gave the exact same reply."
At this moment, Yu finally understood what that strange gaze he felt in the morning was all about.
However, Yu had no intention of rushing back to Konoha immediately to perform surgery on Rin Nohara. Injuries of that magnitude—severe full-body burns and physical deformation under a semi-tailed beast state—had already crossed the boundaries of orthopedics into the realm of metaphysics. Without a massive amount of Tailed Beast chakra paired with Yang Release nature transformation, it was basically an impossible cure. Yu hadn't even fully figured out his own Yang Release nature transformation yet, so what could he possibly use to save her?
Putting Rin Nohara's matter aside for the time being, Yu continued to focus on the immediate tasks at hand—
The peace talks with Iwagakure had not yet begun, and the peace talks between the two factions within the Land of Rain were scheduled for the 17th. In a timeline completely divergent from the original story, these peace talks were ostensibly between Akatsuki and Hanzo. In reality, it was a clash between Yu, who pulled the strings behind Akatsuki, and Iwagakure over the ownership of the Land of Rain.
Counting the days, Iwagakure should be starting to turn up the heat on him soon.
Regarding this, Yu only hoped they wouldn't interfere with his training, which was currently nearing its conclusion—his body had begun to gradually adapt to his skyrocketing regenerative abilities. The rate of cellular proliferation began to stabilize after breaking through his current physical limits. The impact of this passive Yang Release nature transformation on his body entered its second phase:
The modification of organ adaptability.
After acquiring the three keys to opening the gates of the Six Paths level, Yu's understanding of his own three chakra natures had elevated to another level. Aside from being able to manifest the black receivers of Yin-Yang Release with his bare hands, the greater harvest of reaching this tier was actually a more profound comprehension of the Tenseigan Chakra Mode used by Toneri Otsutsuki.
The core of the Tenseigan Chakra Mode lay in the highly efficient utilization of the Tenseigan Chakra Orbs. To fully unleash the power of these Chakra Orbs, the cooperation of the body was required.
To put it in simple terms, the Tenseigan Chakra Orbs were akin to the cards for a Rider Belt in Kamen Rider—the key to unleashing powerful commands.
The body cloaked in pale green chakra was akin to the Rider Belt itself, forming a highly efficient recycling system to break down and harness the power of the Tenseigan Chakra Orbs.
When the two combined, one could wield this monumental power inherited through bloodlines.
Just like now, Yu slowly lifted his left hand, listening to the surging, thunderous beating of the cyan gemstone heart within his chest. Blood glowing with a faint cyan shimmer rapidly coursed toward his palm.
Above the fingertips of his left hand, beams of cyan radiance rose inch by inch until they completely enveloped his entire left palm and forearm.
In this state, Yu could unleash about one-tenth of the power of a Tenseigan Chakra Orb through his left hand!
And when Yu directed this newly generated surge of blood into his head and eyes—in an instant, the entire world slowed down before him!
At that very moment, Yu's pristine white eyes emitted two brilliant beams of cyan light from the inside out—accompanied by the sudden throbbing and bulging of the veins around his eyes!
As his seven-kilometer god's-eye perspective unfolded, countless cyan points of light rose up, resembling fireflies dancing in the dead of night. Immediately after, these "fireflies" swiftly soared, converged, and combined, as if superimposing a pure cyan world on top of the current reality.
At this instant, the massive blurring afterimages in Yu's field of vision began to vanish, seemingly transforming into a channel connecting the two worlds.
Meanwhile, the overlapping cyan world in his eyes silently accelerated by exactly one second!
In a flash, the entire world within a seven-kilometer radius accelerated by a single second!
A colossal tidal wave of information from the "future" simultaneously flooded into Yu's mind!
The useful, the useless, the complex, and the chaotic—even the exact next position where every single grain of sand would be blown by the wind became crystal clear. Insects lifting their mouthparts, leaves trembling slightly, and even the path of the wind were outlined into textured patterns by the cyan points of light...
Countless cyan light points in the alternate world pulsed frantically at this moment. In a split second, the real world in Yu's eyes was packed to the brim with innumerable cyan points of light, labeling an infinity of data!
Shivering, flying, leaping, writhing—
Simultaneously, they threw open a terrifying, monstrous maw named "Information," lunging and snapping at Yu like a roaring tsunami!
Yu's face twisted in sudden, sheer shock!
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