"Ao, have you found anything?"
"Not yet."
In the Land of Water, Mei Terumi and Ao led a team searching tirelessly for something.
The unique Chakra fluctuations that had erupted in the Land of Water couldn't escape their notice.
Though they didn't fully understand the deeper, hidden meaning behind this Chakra, they were keenly aware of its immense power.
"Not a single trace?"
Chōjūrō muttered nervously under his breath.
"Could it be the Akatsuki? After all, over in Iwagakure..."
"We can't confirm that yet."
Ao shook his head, glancing at Mei Terumi.
"Still, I think we should inform Konohagakure. After all, they're our allies."
When Ao said this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
For one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages to encounter trouble—especially trouble involving their mortal enemies, the Akatsuki—and then immediately think of informing Konohagakure, their greatest rival for decades?
If the older generation of shinobi heard this, they might rise from their graves in outrage.
But times had changed, and so too must their methods.
"Inform Konohagakure?"
Mei Terumi pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, but let's continue searching first. We can't rely on them for everything."
"True."
Ao rubbed his temples, then chuckled wryly.
"Honestly, the shinobi world is becoming harder to understand."
"Exactly. It feels like we've been left behind. Imagine—an entire village like Iwagakure being taken down by one person."
Chōjūrō added, his voice tinged with unease.
"Though, the most terrifying one might be Konohagakure's Fifth Hokage..."
At the mention of Kitagawa Minamoto, everyone fell silent.
The Fifth Hokage was undeniably powerful—almost inhumanly so.
Mei Terumi, having witnessed more of his abilities, understood his terrifying strength better than anyone else.
"Enough talk about him. Let's focus on the mission."
After a while, Mei Terumi shook her head and spoke. The group quickly nodded in agreement.
"Yes!"
Whenever Kitagawa Minamoto's name was mentioned, it drained the morale of everyone present.
The disparity in strength was simply overwhelming. Discussing him further would only demoralize them.
"Such people are best left unmentioned..."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Land of Water, Kisame Hoshigaki couldn't help but ask Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki,
"Have you found anything?"
As former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, they couldn't avoid missions involving Kirigakure.
"Not yet. Who knows where Yutaka ran off to."
Jūzō Biwa shook his head. Raiga Kurosuki, however, seemed intrigued.
"And what about those Chakra fluctuations earlier? Something feels off about them."
"You two dead men afraid of this?"
Kisame grinned wickedly, his expression mocking them as he spoke.
"You're already dead, so there's nothing to worry about. Someone will just summon you back anyway. Honestly, I envy you."
"Then why don't you go die?"
Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki both shot Kisame a cold glare, causing him to pause momentarily.
"If I can stay alive, I won't go looking for death."
"Then stop spouting nonsense."
Raiga Kurosuki snorted, while Jūzō Biwa chuckled.
"Speaking of which, if we encounter Kitagawa Minamoto during our mission, you might not live to tell the tale."
"That's not a given."
Unlike others who trembled at the mere mention of Kitagawa Minamoto, Kisame remained unfazed.
"Don't forget, Orochimaru sent reinforcements. If anyone dies, it'll be them first."
"Hmph, Orochimaru..."
At the mention of Orochimaru, both Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki snorted coldly.
They harbored deep resentment toward the man who had used the Impure World Reincarnation to summon them.
The thought that those reinforcements might save Kisame only added to their irritation.
Elsewhere in the Land of Water, Suigetsu Hōzuki grumbled in frustration,
"Why are we back here again? Zabuza isn't even here with my sword—what's the point of returning?"
"We're here for the mission. Also, keep quiet."
Jūgo glanced at Suigetsu and advised him calmly, much to Suigetsu's annoyance.
"Stop lecturing me! You promised to help me find my sword, but all we've done is chase meaningless tasks. It's infuriating!"
"Do you want to die?"
Suigetsu's complaints caused Kimimaro, who had been walking silently ahead, to halt abruptly.
Turning around, his Byakugan locked onto Suigetsu with a deadly glare.
"If I hear you complain about Orochimaru-sama again, I'll kill you!"
Faced with Kimimaro's intense killing intent, Suigetsu swallowed nervously.
Though impulsive by nature, Suigetsu was also cautious and wouldn't dare provoke Kimimaro further.
"Stop wasting words, and don't complain unnecessarily."
Seeing Suigetsu quiet down, Kimimaro turned back, his gaze softening slightly.
"Save your energy for the mission. Here's a hint: we might encounter Kitagawa Minamoto during this task, so conserve your strength for him."
Unbeknownst to Kitagawa Minamoto, he had become synonymous with "disaster" in the minds of many.
At that moment, he was still in Konohagakure, unperturbed by the Chakra fluctuations in the Land of Water.
To him, Kisame was already in the Land of Water, and reaching him would be easy.
Moreover, Obito Uchiha was the key player. Since Obito hadn't made his move yet, there was no need for Minamoto to rush.
"Especially that 'White Kāma'—I've already locked onto it. It's still in the Land of Water, so there's no need for concern."
With the massive Tenseigan at his disposal, Kitagawa Minamoto could easily track critical targets.
If he wanted, he could even fire a "space-based cannon" and obliterate everything in advance!
The convenience brought by the giant Tenseigan was immeasurable.
"This body is truly remarkable."
While Minamoto was lost in thought, Tobirama Senju suddenly spoke.
"The enhancements this body provides are unimaginable. I suspect my current strength surpasses what I had in life. Brother, how are you feeling?"
"It's incredible."
Hashirama Senju replied, clenching his fists before continuing.
"But the adaptation period has been too short. I haven't fully mastered the power within this body."
The White Zetsu body provided by Minamoto was extraordinary, imbued with Yin Release and Yang Release.
For Hashirama, it was not easy to fully control.
Moreover, as a reanimated shinobi, his fine control over the body was naturally inferior to when he was alive.
"As for how it compares to my living self... it's hard to say."
"Don't overthink it. Just focus on adapting."
Tobirama Senju dismissed the concerns, thrilled to have finally gotten a new body—one even better than before!
"By the way, Minamoto, you mentioned attempting to reanimate the Fourth Hokage. How's that coming along?"
Tobirama was particularly interested in the idea of "Five Hokage United," so he paid close attention to the matter.
"Would you like me to help with the research? It might speed things up."
"No need. I've already figured most of it out."
Minamoto snapped out of his thoughts, tilting his head with a smile.
"The Uzumaki clan's records provided the answers. Now it's just a matter of finding the right materials for verification."
"You work fast."
Hiruzen Sarutobi expressed his surprise. He remembered Minamoto spending only a few days at the Uzumaki clan's abandoned archives, yet he had already made progress.
After all, those archives had been in Konohagakure for years, and no one had discovered anything significant.
"It's alright. But right now, my main focus is on Sasuke."
Minamoto chuckled, then asked curiously,
"How is he doing?"
"Kakashi is with him. He's undergone a full examination, and his eyes should be ready for some procedures."
Tsunade chimed in, her voice calm yet thoughtful.
"However, there's a problem: how do we 'transplant' the Mangekyō Sharingan? It's a major challenge, as our knowledge is limited."
"Indeed."
Tobirama nodded, frowning as he spoke.
"Simply swapping eyes wouldn't work. Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha didn't exchange eyes until Izuna was dying, and even then, it was a transfer, not a swap."
"Exactly. When I fought Madara, I could sense that his power had changed. His eyes weren't the same as before. They contained his own strength, as well as Izuna's. Very peculiar eyes."
Hashirama added, sighing softly.
"I see."
Minamoto nodded thoughtfully. He had long suspected that the Uchiha clan's eye transplants weren't as simple as they seemed.
As Tobirama mentioned, if transplanting eyes were enough to create the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, why didn't Madara and Izuna do so earlier?
Yet if it wasn't a transplant, how did Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami work through Itachi's eyes?
"So, is the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan actually a fusion?"
Minamoto stroked his chin, recalling theories he had read long ago.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is inherently incomplete?"
The Sage of Six Paths aside, Indra awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan directly, without suffering from the drawbacks of excessive usage.
But over time, the situation changed—likely due to centuries of diluted bloodlines.
Eventually, the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was split apart.
"This explains why the Mangekyō Sharingan of siblings can form the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
Of course, it didn't necessarily have to be siblings; it just seemed to work that way in recorded cases.
"If my theory is correct, then Sasuke doesn't need a 'transplant'—he needs a 'fusion.'"
Minamoto tilted his head, curious about how Sasuke would proceed.
Just then, his System activated.
[Exclusive Side Quest: Sasuke Mission 3] [The night gave me black eyes, but I made them red.] [Complete Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan fusion.] [Exclusive Side Quests do not interfere with regular Side Quests.]
[New Side Quest Acquired] [Before Me, None Shall Stand.] [Defeat all enemies and make them realize—whatever era of eyes or tattoos they claim, this is the era of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.]
"..."
Seeing the sudden influx of quests, Minamoto paused, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Obito Uchiha had quietly arrived outside Konohagakure.
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