Chapter 113: Leaf Year 61
Leaf Year 61, January 1st.
For everyone else, today was a delightful occasion to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.
However, for the Five Kage and their bodyguards, it was a day dedicated to travel.
To prevent any unforeseen circumstances and to maintain the upper hand, the Five Kage Summit would not be hosted within the borders of any of the five great nations.
Therefore, mirroring the original narrative, the Five Kage Summit utilized the Land of Iron as its venue, with the esteemed General Mifune of the Land of Iron invited to preside as the summit's host.
Only the Land of Iron, whose strength rivaled but remained just below that of the five great ninja villages, possessed the necessary authority to safeguard the Five Kage and command their respect.
No sooner had Samui's team departed Konoha than Tsunade, accompanied by her two personal guards, embarked on their journey to the Land of Iron the following day.
And her two escorts were none other than Izayoi and Hatake Kakashi.
"Wood Release is truly convenient."
Under the cloak of night, the trio of Tsunade, Izayoi, and Kakashi rested in the wilderness.
Seated within a wooden dwelling conjured by Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique, Hatake Kakashi, savoring roasted meat from their hunt, remarked to Izayoi with admiration, "Your Wood Release surpasses even Yamato's. As expected, an experimental subject can't compare to the genuine Senju lineage."
Before Izayoi could respond, Tsunade, who was heartily gnawing on a wild boar leg, offered a proud smile. "While I haven't witnessed that Wood Release experiment, Wood Release isn't just any ordinary Kekkei Genkai. Ohnoki's Dust Release is a Kekkei Tota, a fusion of three nature transformations, whereas Wood Release seemingly combines Water and Earth Release nature transformations. But its most crucial core lies in Yang Release chakra."
"When it comes to the potency of life force and Yang Release chakra, none can stand against the Senju and Uzumaki clans, not even the Akimichi clan. Let alone that Wood Release experiment, even you, Kakashi, with your once formidable chakra and accidental acquisition of Wood Release, cannot rival Izayoi's Wood Release. The disparity in your Yang Release chakra is simply too vast."
Having spoken, Tsunade instinctively reached out to pat Izayoi's shoulder, only for him to sidestep with a look of utter disdain.
Glancing at the grease staining her hand, Tsunade resumed her enthusiastic gnawing on the wild boar, adding in a muffled tone, "Furthermore, Izayoi awakened the bloodlines of both the Senju and Uzumaki clans simultaneously. He not only inherited his grandfather's Wood Release but also the two unique abilities of the Uzumaki clan. The purity of his bloodline might even surpass his grandfather's."
Hatake Kakashi's eyes flickered with understanding as he looked meaningfully at Izayoi. "Is that the reason Sasuke awakened Wood Release?"
"Sasuke also awakened Wood Release?" Tsunade was slightly taken aback, her gaze instinctively turning towards Izayoi. "Did you transplant your cells into Sasuke?"
"Mhm."
Izayoi nodded subtly, lying without a flicker of hesitation. "The Uchiha Itachi's return to the village had a profound impact on Sasuke. If I hadn't lent him a hand, I truly feared he would succumb to Orochimaru's enticements and stray down a perilous path."
"It just so happened that several years ago, my Sensory Perception detected a rather intriguing chakra," Izayoi continued, a playful smile gracing his lips. "That individual's chakra remarkably possessed the aura of both the Sharingan and Wood Release, and unlike Kakashi-senpai, whose chakra undergoes constant depletion, his chakra not only avoided continuous drain but even achieved a state of mutual equilibrium."
"Furthermore, considering the legacies of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, I harbored a hypothesis that the powers of Wood Release and the Sharingan might possess the ability to counterbalance each other, enabling an individual to wield both simultaneously."
"As it turns out, my conjecture proved accurate."
Izayoi directed a smile towards Hatake Kakashi. "Sasuke's current strength shouldn't have disappointed you, wouldn't you agree?"
"Disappointed? It's far beyond mere lack of disappointment," Hatake Kakashi murmured with a hint of awe. "If this trajectory continues, I sense that before long, I will no longer be a match for Sasuke. Once the Chunin Exams in the first half of the year conclude, perhaps I can follow Kurenai's example and entrust Team 7 to his care."
Tsunade, however, furrowed her brow in contemplation for a moment before fixing her gaze on Hatake Kakashi's left eye concealed by his headband. "Since Wood Release can suppress the power of the Sharingan, wouldn't you consider transplanting Izayoi's cells, just as Sasuke did?"
"No, my ocular prowess doesn't compare to Sasuke's. It's best to maintain the status quo," Hatake Kakashi replied with a shake of his head.
Having witnessed the successive loss of those around him, Hatake Kakashi had lost the yearning for greater strength.
Now, with the emergence of the promising new generation – Izayoi, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto – there was no need for him to court further risk.
Contentment with the present was preferable.
As if sensing Hatake Kakashi's underlying thoughts, Tsunade refrained from further persuasion.
Truthfully, the fact that this man hadn't succumbed to darkness and betrayal, or even left the village as she once did, had already surpassed Tsunade's expectations.
Following their evening meal, Tsunade once again coaxed Izayoi and Hatake Kakashi into a game of Old Maid.
Seeing that Tsunade was intent on gifting him money, Hatake Kakashi naturally wouldn't refuse.
A chance to earn some funds to further support Jiraiya-sama's Paradise.
Izayoi, as the significant creditor, felt similarly inclined.
Moreover, should Tsunade achieve a resounding victory, it would signify the emergence of events even he couldn't readily control.
...
The Land of Iron, bordering the Land of Rice Fields, lay to the north of the Land of Fire.
However, unlike the Land of Rice Fields, accessible by traversing a stretch of forest and plains, the Land of Iron possessed a more severe geographical landscape, bearing some resemblance to the Land of Rivers, yet distinct in its own way.
While both were characterized by continuous mountain ranges, the Land of Iron exhibited a peculiar climate, perpetually blanketed in snow, with snow-capped mountains dominating the scenery.
Especially now, in the heart of winter, the accumulated snow posed a significant challenge to ninja employing the Body Flicker Technique.
Even for the trio of Tsunade, Izayoi, and Kakashi, it took more than two days to journey from Konoha to the Land of Iron.
"Tsunade-sama, it has been a long time."
Mifune, having received word of their arrival, promptly came to greet Tsunade. His respectful address differed from that used for the other Kage, employing the more common "-sama."
"Mifune, I almost didn't recognize you."
Looking at Mifune, with whom she had interacted during the Second Ninja World War, Tsunade remarked with a touch of nostalgia.
"Time waits for no one, yet Tsunade-sama's beauty remains undiminished."
"Hahaha... that's my unique technique, are you envious?"
After exchanging pleasantries with Mifune at the entrance for a brief while, Tsunade inquired, "How many have arrived? I wouldn't be the first, would I?"
"Raikage-sama and Tsuchikage-sama have already arrived," Mifune replied truthfully. "Only Kazekage-sama and Mizukage-sama remain."
"Not entirely unexpected," Tsunade nodded slightly, then, as if a thought had just struck her, her expression turned slightly disdainful. "The Sand Village hasn't selected the Fifth Kazekage yet. It will likely be that old hag Chiyo coming this time. I really don't want to see that old poison woman."
Mifune offered an awkward smile, then, catching sight of Izayoi, who was unusually clad in a green flak jacket for this formal occasion, his eyes lit up. "Is this Izayoi-sama?"
"Not bad, the reputation of my junior has even reached your neutral country," Tsunade chuckled, then introduced Izayoi to Mifune. "This old fellow is Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron and the leader of the samurai. You might have dealings with him in the future."
These words also served to introduce Izayoi to Mifune: This is our future Sixth Hokage.
"General Mifune," Izayoi said politely, offering a slight bow.
"Truly young and promising. This old one has grown up hearing tales of Lord Hashirama and always wished to meet him, alas, that wish remained unfulfilled," Mifune said with a smile. "I hope that in my lifetime, I may yet witness such a glorious era again."
As the leader of a neutral nation, Mifune was undoubtedly among those who most eagerly anticipated Izayoi's growth and deeply desired peace in the ninja world.
Izayoi responded with a silent smile.
Following the initial greetings, Mifune invited Tsunade and her companions into the city, arranging accommodations for them at the general's residence.
Two days later, the representatives of the Sand Village and the Mist Village arrived in succession, and the Five Kage Summit commenced in the conference hall of the Land of Iron.
A beam of light descended, illuminating a solitary table.
Upon the table rested five straw hats of varying hues, each inscribed with a character: Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning.
These five characters represented not only the five fundamental elements of chakra nature but also the five great nations that held dominion over this world.
The beam of light expanded, revealing the six figures seated around the table, four men and two women.
They were the Fourth Raikage, who had initiated the Five Kage Summit; Mifune, invited to preside as the summit's host; Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village; Chiyo, the acting Kazekage of the Sand Village; Ohnoki, the Third Tsuchikage of the Stone Village; and Gengetsu Hozuki, who, while not the acting Mizukage, held a position of equal standing within the Mist Village.
Further back, in the audience gallery, stood a multitude of samurai and the personal guards of the five great ninja villages.
Tsunade's guards were Izayoi and Hatake Kakashi; Chiyo's were Maki and Gaara; Ohnoki's were Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi; the Fourth Raikage's were Darui and C; and Gengetsu's were Mei Terumi and Ao.
Observing Ao seated beside Mei Terumi, Izayoi leaned towards Hatake Kakashi, who had shed his usual indolence for a serious demeanor, and asked with feigned ignorance, "Is that the guy with the eye patch, the 'Byakugan Killer' from the gold-ranked wanted list?"
"Mhm."
Hatake Kakashi nodded, offering a quiet caution, "This is a neutral country. Don't do anything rash."
"I was merely asking," Izayoi replied with a smile.
Just as Izayoi was scrutinizing Ao, the bodyguards of the other great ninja villages were also covertly assessing this Wood Release ninja.
After all, before the bounties of Sasori of the Red Sand and Pain of the Six Paths reached their zenith, Izayoi had held the top position in the black market rankings.
Similarly, before Akatsuki crossed certain lines, all the great ninja villages had unanimously considered Izayoi to be the greatest threat of the future.
Gaara's gaze towards Izayoi was complex, as if recalling the scenes of the Konoha Crush.
Temari, on the other hand, thought of Hinata, wondering about the current strength of that white-eyed girl whose figure defied both logic and her age.
Mei Terumi, now twenty-eight and exuding a mature, older sisterly aura, murmured softly, "Is that young man Izayoi? I heard he only graduated last March. He doesn't quite look the part!"
Ao's right temple throbbed with a visible vein. His gaze pierced through the black eye patch, scrutinizing Izayoi. The eye visible on the left flickered slightly as he murmured, "His chakra is incredibly potent, on par with the One-Tail Jinchuriki of the Sand Village."
"Already rivaling a Jinchuriki at this age? What will become of him when he matures!" Mei Terumi's expression instantly grew serious.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next generation of Five Kage would include both her and Izayoi.
The mere thought of her future rival being a monster like Izayoi filled Mei Terumi, even as the possessor of a rare dual Kekkei Genkai, with a considerable sense of pressure.
Meanwhile, the Five Kage had begun their exchange.
"Gengetsu-dono, I never anticipated that the representative of the Mist Village would be you. This truly takes me by surprise."
Ohnoki, gazing at the nearly ninety-year-old Gengetsu, expressed astonishment outwardly while harboring a certain suspicion within.
He wasn't alone in this; the other Kage shared a similar sentiment.
After all, Chiyo beside them served as a prime example.
Gengetsu offered no pretense, stating frankly, "Mizukage-sama has passed away. This old man has come to the Five Kage Summit representing the Mist Village for the sake of Akatsuki."
"Could it be..."
Tsunade and the others' expressions shifted with unease.
"Indeed, Mizukage-sama met his end at the hands of Akatsuki," Gengetsu confirmed. "Even the Bloody Mist Village era was orchestrated by Akatsuki. Mizukage-sama had been under the control of Akatsuki's genjutsu for a long time."
"So that's how it is..."
A wave of understanding washed over everyone as they finally grasped the true reason behind the Mist Village's brutal ninja training methods.
It wasn't to cultivate killing machines, but because the Fourth Mizukage had been manipulated by someone's genjutsu.
"What kind of genjutsu can control a Kage, and a perfect Jinchuriki at that?"
Chiyo's sudden question drew everyone's attention towards Tsunade.
Tsunade's expression was grim, not because she felt they suspected Konoha, but because she was reminded of the Nine-Tails' rampage thirteen years prior.
The abilities capable of suppressing the Tailed Beasts were few: Wood Release was one, the Uchiha clan's Sharingan was another, and the Uzumaki clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains were also among them.
With sufficient power, it was also possible.
For instance, the Third Raikage of the Cloud Village could fight the rampaging Eight-Tails to a standstill.
However, among these abilities, only the Uchiha clan's Sharingan possessed a genjutsu capable of even controlling the Tailed Beasts.
Yet, the Sharingan capable of such a feat had to be the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan.
Thirteen years ago, Uchiha Itachi was merely a child.
Clearly, the Nine-Tails' attack back then likely had another mastermind pulling the strings.
Furthermore, the records indicated that everyone involved in assisting Kushina Uzumaki during childbirth that year had perished.
Nevertheless, Tsunade stated with a stern tone, "The Sharingan's genjutsu can indeed control the Tailed Beasts, but that requires at least the Uchiha clan's legendary Mangekyo Sharingan. Moreover, the timeline of the Bloody Mist Village doesn't align with Uchiha Itachi's age. Considering the unknown capabilities of the Sage's Eyes, we cannot rule out the possibility that those eyes could also control the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki."
"The possibility of the Sage's Eyes is slim," Gengetsu countered, shaking his head. "According to Ao's Byakugan observations, the Yin Release chakra controlling Mizukage-sama bears a striking resemblance to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan."
Thump! The Fourth Raikage, who had remained silent until now, slammed his hand heavily on the table, startling his guards behind him. They stood up abruptly, instantly positioning themselves behind their respective Kage, their eyes darting warily at each other, ready to act at a moment's notice.
"It's you Konoha again!"
The Fourth Raikage shot to his feet, pointing an accusing finger at Tsunade. "First it was Shimura Danzo and the Root organization, and now it's the Uchiha clan's Mangekyo Sharingan! Hokage, you must give me an explanation!"
"Is your brain also made of muscle? What does this have to do with our Konoha!" Tsunade retorted, a vein throbbing on her forehead. "I know the Cloud Village was destroyed, and you're understandably upset, but you need to understand that Konoha is also a victim here."
"The Uchiha clan has been extinct for years. The only remaining descendant with the Mangekyo Sharingan is Uchiha Itachi, and the timeline of his joining Akatsuki doesn't match the timeline of the Bloody Mist Village. If Akatsuki is truly responsible, then either Akatsuki possesses two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan, or the Sage's Eyes can indeed control the Tailed Beasts, and only after Uchiha Itachi joined Akatsuki did the leader of Akatsuki assign this task to Uchiha Itachi, ultimately leading to its accidental discovery."
"Of course... it's also possible that Akatsuki isn't responsible at all."
"What do you mean?"
Tsunade's final words successfully diverted the Five Kage's attention.
They weren't fools and instantly grasped Tsunade's implication.
All eyes were now fixed intently on Tsunade, awaiting her subsequent explanation.
Tsunade didn't mince words, crossing her arms and adopting a serious demeanor. "What I'm about to say might sound somewhat unbelievable, and you might find it hard to accept, but it's best if you remember it."
"According to the information gathered by Jiraiya, there isn't just one pair of Sage's Eyes, but two pairs."
"Nani? How is that possible!"
The Five Kage's expressions underwent a sudden and drastic shift, disbelief etched on their faces.
One pair of Sage's Eyes already possessed the extraordinary power to obliterate the Cloud Village. If two pairs truly existed, wouldn't that mean that the ninja world currently harbored two such forces of unimaginable power?
Had they somehow regressed to the era decades ago, the age of the God of Ninja and the Asura of the Ninja World?
Tsunade paid their astonishment no heed and continued, "This information was obtained by Jiraiya through a Shadow Clone infiltrating the Rain Village. His Shadow Clone even engaged in a conversation with the leader of Akatsuki, and the information regarding the second pair of Rinnegan was divulged to him by the latter."
"Furthermore, the Rinnegan also possesses the ability to create puppets. However, Rinnegan puppets have a distinct characteristic: their bodies are adorned with numerous black rods, and their eyes take on the shape of the Rinnegan. This doesn't align with the puppets that invaded Konoha and the Cloud Village."
"A puppet army, isn't that Sasori of the Red Sand's ability?" the Fourth Raikage interjected, his brow furrowed deeply. "And can we truly trust the words of the Akatsuki leader?"
"That's why I haven't placed complete faith in it, but..."
Tsunade fixed her gaze on Chiyo, whose face was now pale, and asked, "Puppet masters, is it truly possible to control hundreds or even thousands of puppets without relying on chakra threads, and also provide them with such vast amounts of chakra? Moreover, are you puppet masters adept at ninjutsu?"
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Raikage's expression shifted once more, finally grasping a crucial piece of information.
That's right!
Such immense chakra, and the effortless command of five elemental ninjutsu, as well as ninjutsu and forbidden techniques that the original user wouldn't have known...
If the master of that puppet army was indeed Sasori of the Red Sand, wouldn't that imply that, besides being a master puppeteer, the opponent was also a master of ninjutsu, possessing an enormous reserve of chakra?
Chiyo, realizing that someone was attempting to frame her grandson, shook her head. "Puppets are a puppet master's weapons; they cannot stray too far from the puppeteer. Even if Magnet Release allows for remote control of metal, it requires a significant amount of chakra and the range isn't extensive. This kind of wireless puppet and puppets releasing ninjutsu are simply outside the realm of puppetry."
"However, the Rinnegan's puppets are wireless puppets," Tsunade stated definitively. "Jiraiya witnessed it firsthand: Rinnegan puppets using ninjutsu and summoning techniques. However, the Akatsuki leader's puppets don't match the characteristics of the puppets that invaded Konoha and the Cloud Village."
"According to Jiraiya's deduction, the mysterious individual possessing the second pair of Rinnegan is masquerading as Akatsuki to commit these acts, with the aim of igniting the flames of war in the ninja world and using the five great ninja villages to deal with the leader of Akatsuki."
"They are both aiming to eliminate each other, perhaps to make their own Rinnegan unique, or perhaps to争夺 something, something only the possessors of the Rinnegan know, something that could even completely shatter the balance of the ninja world."
The Five Kage remained silent, their expressions shifting between uncertainty and contemplation.
There was no other way; the sheer volume of information was overwhelming.
If it were just Akatsuki, they could still potentially join forces to confront them, given that their main base was in the Rain Village.
But if the Konoha Crush, as well as the incidents in the Cloud and Mist Villages, were truly the work of a third, mysterious party, then weren't they all just pawns in a larger game?
If they fought each other to the brink of exhaustion, how would they then cope with the sudden intervention of this third force?
(End of this chapter)
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