It was precisely because Urashiki carried so many valuable treasures that Uchiha Kirin found himself both envious and determined to hunt him down. He was certain that Urashiki hadn't died in the chaotic energy burst, but had instead slipped through time and space.
With the simulator protecting him, Kirin wasn't worried about being killed during his childhood and facing true death.
Besides, given the heavily damaged state Urashiki had been in before time-traveling, there was no guarantee he could even beat Kirin at the age of three.
Still, Uchiha Kirin decided to pursue him.
If he could use the simulator to bring back "Karasuki" into reality, his plan to transcend the world would take a major leap forward!
Not to mention, the fish basket in Urashiki's hand, along with that small time-freezing box, were extraordinary artifacts. With them, he could retreat into the past and develop in secret…
...
However, Uchiha Kirin had no idea which point in time Urashiki had reached. So he decided to head to Mount Myōboku and visit the Great Toad Sage for answers.
Thus, a Limbo Clone took the cursed wedge obtained from Jashin—an object that could roughly locate Urashiki when activated with a jutsu.
As for this jutsu, a half-finished energy crafted by Jashin himself, Kirin only needed a glance to grasp it. With his knowledge of sealing techniques, he could even improve it further.
Such was the difference in perspective that came with a higher level of existence.
...
In Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage trembled as Uchiha Kirin appeared once again.
This ancestor again?! Last time, during the division of loot, he had killed him once, ruining thousands of years of planning. Was he back now to torment him even further?
The Toad Sage secretly called out to the Sage of Six Paths over and over again, but it was like tossing a pebble into the ocean—no reply ever came.
Clearly, the Sage of Six Paths was still asleep, digesting power, and had no time to care about the outside world.
Uchiha Kirin's presence grew closer and closer.
Even though it was only a Limbo Clone, and even though he didn't use any jutsu, the current him could clearly see the Toad Sage's nervous behavior and the hidden comms channel secretly trying to contact the Sage of Six Paths...
"If you won't help me find him, old toad, then I'll just take it myself!"
The Limbo Clone changed his appearance, waving Urashiki's fishing rod, occasionally flicking the hook out to draw in strands of natural energy from Mount Myōboku.
Before coming here, he had already tested it.
With his current level of strength, he could fully unleash the rod's true power—hooking the power of rules themselves!
In other words, there was no longer a need to play games of divine arts or shadow clones with the Toad Sage—no need to scheme about planting God Tree seeds on him.
Just one swing would be enough to shatter the time-based technique "Amenominaka" and claim the target's rules as his own.
And in that case, the Toad Sage would have no more value left at all.
Three... two... one!
The hook fell.
"Fine, fine! I'll help you look!"
The Toad Sage gave in with a helpless sigh as the hook stopped just one centimeter away from his face.
"Just... don't pick the wrong target. I'm not the only one here..."
As he spoke, another Limbo Clone traveling the Shinobi World appeared.
Right now, Kirin possessed several types of space-based divine techniques. His understanding of space was near divine—wherever he thought of, he could reach. There was nothing in the Shinobi World that could stop his steps anymore.
Prediction complete—time confirmed to be around the end of the Warring States Era, just before the founding of Konoha.
Uchiha Kirin was slightly surprised.
He had assumed Urashiki would travel to the childhood era of Naruto, Sasuke, or Neji, planning to eliminate them early.
Or perhaps Urashiki had already noticed his own abnormal presence and was planning to assassinate him before the age of three.
Yet unexpectedly, Urashiki had gone directly to the founding of Konoha—planning to wipe them all out in one go...
Uchiha Kirin immediately took action, bringing the Toad Sage with him to the Dragon Vein ruins in the Land of Wind—an ancient site saturated with the power of time and space.
Even as a Limbo Clone, his body was now overwhelmingly strong. He didn't fear being torn apart by the Dragon Vein's temporal energy—in fact, he could traverse it with just his body alone!
There was no need to seek out some unique opportunity or fluke for time-travel.
"Right here. When I count to three, jump in and you'll arrive at the correct time period. But remember, don't change too much—otherwise, we'll both—"
"Why are you so damn chatty, old toad?"
The Limbo Clone rolled his eyes and pulled out a black rod condensed from Truth-Seeking Orbs, jabbing it against the back of the Toad Sage's neck.
The six Limbo Clones shared a mental link with the main body. If the one sent to the past didn't return in ten minutes, this rod would pierce straight through!
Of course, if the Toad Sage did as requested, Uchiha Kirin wouldn't be stingy with his rewards.
He needed to reserve the power of rules to infuse into a new world—he didn't even have enough for himself, let alone to share. But other things, like God Tree branches, chakra metal, or rare energies—he wouldn't mind giving the Toad Sage a share.
Kirin had always been generous to those who helped him.
"Jump!"
At the end of the countdown, the moment the Toad Sage shouted, the Limbo Clone leapt straight into the Dragon Vein—
And vanished.
...
As he plunged into the Dragon Vein, the Limbo Clone found himself in an extraordinarily strange perspective.
From this point, he could see both his past and future selves—interlinked through the power of time, constantly swaying like an endless worm.
He strained his eyes toward the future—but saw his own future brutally severed by an unspeakable terror!
No—wait.
It wasn't just his future. The Toad Sage's, and even the entire Shinobi World's fate, within his field of vision, had all been permanently cut off by that same horrific presence...
It was as if the existence, though beyond comprehension and description, turned its "head" and looked straight at the Limbo Clone.
〖Warning! Warning!〗
〖System is under attack by unknown force. Defensive components damaged: 38.69%〗
"I can't look any longer!"
Fear gripped Uchiha Kirin's heart. Even the system was being damaged by this force. A warning even popped up mid-simulation.
His heartbeat grew erratic. He didn't even dare to think about the silhouette he'd seen within the Dragon Vein.
The Limbo Clone immediately wrapped himself in spatial barriers, completely sealing himself off from the outside world.
Only after a wave of dizziness and swirling chaos confirmed that he had successfully traveled to the past, did he finally release the barrier.
A translucent purple silhouette now stood in the middle of a bustling, crowded street.
Of course, that was from his perspective. Ordinary people couldn't see or touch a Limbo Clone at all.
Other than one unlucky person who smashed directly into his still-active spatial barrier, the rest passed through his body as if he weren't there at all.
"So this is...Rōran of the Warring States Era..."