Chapter 185: Rematch with Madara Uchiha, Ice Release vs. Wood Release!
"And his dōjutsu power is far, far greater than mine. Could it be the legendary Eternal Mangekyō? No, impossible. The Eternal Mangekyō can only be obtained by transplanting the Mangekyō of a close sibling!"
Fugaku Uchiha's mind was in turmoil.
Genichi, however, was seriously reading the hidden content on the stone tablet. First, one needed the Sharingan's dōjutsu to read the true content, and only by progressing from a low to a high level, all the way to the Eternal Mangekyō, could one decipher everything. This was also a way of showing the Uchiha the heights their eyes could reach.
Next was the origin of Ninshū, the history that had been buried in the ninja world, the story of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the God Tree, and the Ten-Tails. It also revealed the origin of the Uchiha clan and their fraternal relationship with the Senju. Of course, in his view, perhaps what the Sage of Six Paths truly wanted to leave for the Uchiha was the truth of chakra: to use it as a link to achieve mutual understanding. It was clearly meant to guide the Uchiha down the right path.
However, even his dōjutsu power could not see the very last part of the content. But he didn't need to see it to know what it was: the two poles of yin and yang, two opposing forces achieving synergy to obtain the power of all creation. That is, the awakening of the Rinnegan. And the part that had been tampered with by Black Zetsu: the Eye of the Moon Plan, to become the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails and use the Rinnegan to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi to achieve peace.
But in his opinion, even if Black Zetsu hadn't tampered with it, it would have been difficult for the Uchiha to walk the correct path. Human nature was the most uncontrollable thing, especially for the Uchiha, who awakened their eyes through the special method of emotional shock. Otherwise, when the Sage of Six Paths was alive, his two sons would not have fought to the death.
"But the Sage couldn't have been that naive…" he thought to himself, but then his thoughts shifted again. "The Sage's own mind doesn't seem to have been quite normal. It's only reasonable that I can't resonate with his actions, right?"
The Sage wanted the world to understand each other, but he couldn't even understand his own mother first. Perhaps it was because of this that he created Ninshū, and then just watched as his sons fought to the death? Was his aged body unable to stop them at that time? Or…
Many thoughts occurred to him. Especially since he knew that the Sage had not truly passed away, had not gone to the Pure Land, but was watching the ninja world as a soul. With the power to give cheat-like abilities to Naruto and Sasuke, to summon so many Kage from the Pure Land, would it really have been that difficult for him to resolve the wars?
Did he not want temporary peace? Ninshū… A slight chill went down his back. The Sage of Six Paths… that guy is not a good person. Kaguya had treated the ninja world as her nursery. And the Sage? Had he treated it as a testing ground for his ideal nation, his own philosophy?
Fugaku, who had been watching him, saw the subtle changes in his expression and thought, It seems he is seeing more than I did.
The Sharingan on his forehead slowly closed. Genichi looked away from the tablet. "An interesting history. It really does hide a lot of things."
"It seems you have obtained a lot of different information, Genichi-kun," Fugaku said.
"Not much more than you. I'm missing some key pieces. I probably need the Eternal Mangekyō to see them," he said. "When Madara left Konoha back then, and later attacked it, it must have been related to this. He had awakened the Eternal Mangekyō; he had seen all the content."
"Clan Head Fugaku, are you interested in meeting this former clan head of yours with me?"
Fugaku's eyelid twitched, and his palms couldn't help but sweat a little. "Have you… have you already located him?"
Genichi nodded slightly and turned to look at him. "Bring a few of your clansmen along. Let them see a power that is far beyond that of a Kage."
"Are you confident you can defeat him?" Fugaku said in a deep voice.
"The current Madara is old and decrepit," he smiled. "What we are wary of is not him as he is now, but the things hidden in the depths. He has been dormant since the time of the First Hokage. No one knows what he has been doing in the shadows. Also, Danzō was not the only one who stole Sharingan on the battlefield. What Uchiha Tekka saw was not necessarily the truth."
"That is indeed true," Fugaku nodded. "But unfortunately, for Tekka, none of that matters anymore." Because that guy Danzō had indeed stolen Uchiha's eyes; that was a fact. So the truth of what Tekka had seen had become unimportant. What was important was that he may have awakened the Mangekyō, and he now held a grudge against both Konoha and the Uchiha clan. Genichi speculated that he was probably now immersed in the Eye of the Moon Plan, wanting to establish an Uchiha clan of his own liking.
Turning and leaving the Naka Shrine, he left a final word. "Prepare yourself, Clan Head Fugaku."
Fugaku stood in front of the shrine, his mind in turmoil for a long time. He of course understood Genichi's purpose: to awe those in the Uchiha who were getting restless. As the clan head, his feelings at this moment were a complicated mix, difficult to put into words.
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade, who had just returned from a drink, was frowning. Asuma had applied to go to the Daimyō's capital to become one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.
"Shizune, go and tell the Third about this," she said to the girl at the other desk.
"Will the Third agree?" she nodded and asked.
"Probably," Tsunade said after a moment's thought.
"Why?"
"The relationship between the village and the Daimyō's government is still a bit strained."
"It has nothing to do with that," Tsunade shook her head. "Let him go. He will understand in the future."
Shizune nodded, uncomprehending, and then went out to see Hiruzen in the advisor's office. He happened to be there today. And upon learning that his son was going to the Daimyō's capital, his expression was complicated, but he didn't think for long before nodding. "Shizune, let Tsunade decide for herself."
"Yes, Lord Third." This was, in effect, his approval of Asuma's application.
Genichi, who had returned home, did not know that Asuma had once again walked the old path of the original timeline. He sat at his desk, studying the data on Yin-Yang Release. This came from the Senju clan. There wasn't much, but it was very precious. After all, besides the disciples of the Sage of Six Paths, the only ones who truly possessed Yin-Yang Release were the wielders of the Rinnegan and the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails.
The Truth-Seeking Orbs… he mused.
Ice Release was Water + Wind + Yin. Scorch Release was Wind + Fire. Magnet Release was Wind + Earth and Lightning + Earth. The Mirror Eye was Yin + Yang. Wood Release was Water + Earth…
Counting his Kekkei Genkai, he had already encompassed all seven basic nature transformations. Perhaps he could try to form the Truth-Seeking Orbs now?
"It should be very difficult. Even a Kekkei Tōta is so hard, let alone a fusion of seven elements."
He sighed to himself, then had another thought. "I should stick to the original plan. First, I'll master a few more Kekkei Tōta. With proficiency in fusing three nature transformations, plus the experience of fusing so many Kekkei Genkai, and with their shared properties, perhaps fusing the Truth-Seeking Orbs will be much simpler."
The Wind-Earth-Lightning of Magnet Release, the Water-Earth-Yang of Wood Release, the Wind-Fire-Earth of Dust Release, plus the Wind-Water-Yin of Ice Release he had already mastered, conveniently encompassed all nature transformations.
Three Kekkei Tōta. Even if each one takes twenty years, I'll only need another six years at most. I'll set a small goal: master the Truth-Seeking Orbs before I turn twenty.
With a small goal in mind, he was even more motivated and continued to ponder the art of Yin-Yang Release.
That night, after dispelling all his clones and sorting through their memories, just as he was lying down to sleep, a figure walked into his room in the darkness.
"Lord Genichi…"
Ina, wearing pajamas, slipped into his arms like a mermaid. He subconsciously held her. "Woman, you are committing a crime," he said in a low voice.
She blushed slightly and said nothing, burying her head in his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and feeling an incomparable sense of peace.
In the prime of his youth, with a beauty in his arms, his "Gen-two" immediately rose in anger.
"Eek, Lord Genichi is being bad again," she gasped, and then reached out a hand.
"This woman is getting bolder and bolder," he gritted his teeth. Damn you, God of Harmony. However, he had thought of a way to avoid him.
As expected, soon Ina was as limp as a noodle, begging him for mercy in a small voice.
The next morning, she fled from the house under the kind smiles of his father and mother. Genichi carried out his physical training as usual, then created numerous shadow clones to continue his daily training and research.
After doing all this, he strolled out and came to Fugaku Uchiha's house. After waiting for a moment, an old, a middle-aged, and a young Uchiha arrived. They were surprised to see him, but they all greeted him, some calling him Genichi-kun, others Lord Genichi.
He nodded, didn't explain much, and placed a hand on each of them. Their bodies all began to float.
"The Third Tsuchikage's secret technique?" Fugaku was surprised.
"An Earth Release secret technique, the Light-Weight Rock Technique. It can lighten the mass of an object," he said, then raised a hand. He and the four Uchiha vanished, instantly teleporting outside the village. This was the Flying Thunder God Technique. While using the Light-Weight Rock Technique, he had left a bit of chakra in them.
After leaving the village, he led them flying north. He hadn't alerted Tsunade or the others. Anyway, he would be back by tomorrow at the latest. It wasn't like he was going to fight Madara to the death.
They flew through the air, easily crossing mountains and rivers.
Looking at the figure in front of them, the youngest, Uchiha Inabi, finally couldn't hold back and asked in a low voice, "Clan Head, what is our mission this time?" He was sixteen this year, the most impatient. But in reality, the older Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Shinjin, who was of the same generation as Hiruzen, were also curious. After all, for Shinjin, unless it was a time of large-scale war, he was at an age where he should be at home teaching the younger generation, not going out on missions.
"This is a top-secret mission," Fugaku said coolly. "I cannot reveal it for the time being. You will know when we get there."
They could only suppress their curiosity and focus on the journey.
They left the Land of Fire, then continued north, passing through the Land of Rice Fields and into the Land of Iron. After crossing the Land of Iron was the northern coastal country of the Land of Frost. The Mountain's Graveyard was in the north of the country, not far from the sea.
They did not fly quickly, only arriving in the north in the afternoon.
On a mountaintop, Genichi said to Fugaku and the others, "You will stay here." He then leaped down the mountain. At the bottom, he crouched down and placed his fingers on the ground, at the same time activating his Heaven's Eye.
Soon, he "saw" the skeletons of large animals and knew he was in the right place.
At the same time, deep underground, Aloe White Zetsu emerged from a wall, chattering, "Lord Madara, some very, very important news. That guy Kinoshita Genichi seems to have found us! He's outside right now, and seems to be using a sensory ninjutsu to find us."
"Oh?" Madara slowly opened his eyes. "He found this place? It seems he wants to fight me again. Interesting."
Spiral Zetsu, also hooked up to tubes, said, "Lord Madara, should we inform Uchiha Tekka?"
"Go," Madara slowly stood up. "This time, we'll take care of this little trouble."
Aloe White Zetsu accepted the order and left, quickly transmitting the message through the Zetsu network to Tekka in the Land of Rain. Spiral Zetsu, meanwhile, went forward and enveloped Madara's body. Then, a sound like a heartbeat was heard. The tubes connected to the Gedo Mazō pulsed, and a powerful force surged from it, into Spiral Zetsu, and then into Madara. For all these years, he had been relying on the Gedo Mazō to survive. Hashirama's cells could not make him live longer.
On the surface, Genichi stood up. He turned and saw a White Zetsu poke its head out and look at him.
So they're here. I just don't know if it's only Madara.
He smiled and waited silently. At the same time, on the mountaintop, Fugaku and the others also saw the Zetsu.
"It came out from underground. Does the enemy have a base underground?" Inabi said.
Fugaku didn't speak. Of the entire clan, only he knew about Madara. Now it remained to be seen if Genichi had the strength to fight him, even an aged him. Also, to confirm one thing: was that really Madara?
Suddenly, Fugaku's gaze hardened. "He's coming."
On the ground, Genichi turned. Not far away, the earth suddenly collapsed, and a rolling cloud of dust and smoke rose up. Activating his Mirror Eye, he saw a figure slowly walking out of the dust. It was the same familiar figure: Madara Uchiha, enveloped by Spiral Zetsu, the future Tobi.
"Only one person? As expected of Madara."
He raised his hand and formed a hand seal, enhancing himself with the other secret arts besides the ever-present Art of Pyo.
Madara stopped, turned his head to look at Fugaku and the others on the mountain, and smiled slightly. "The Uchiha. Is he trying to unite them this way?"
He turned back to Genichi. "To think that you found this place. Do you think you already have the strength to challenge me?"
"Although it's a bit like bullying an old man," Genichi smiled, "you were once the Asura of the Ninja World. I don't think it's unfair. Besides, I'm 13 now, still a child. An old man and a child. It's a fair fight."
"Interesting," Madara smiled. "In that case, then I will grant you your wish. And I'll give you a little surprise as a bonus."
With that, he formed hand seals.
"So he's using Wood Release first," Genichi understood.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
After completing the seals, he thrust his hands forward. In an instant, thick vines erupted from the ground and then, like dragons and pythons, grew and spread rapidly forward, forming an overwhelming tide in the blink of an eye.
Since the Zetsu's body had already been obtained, today he would test the power of Wood Release and let this junior witness the power of the God of Shinobi. This was a slightly wicked thought of his at the moment. This battle was probably his last before his revival. He could dance a little.
On the mountain, the moment the Wood Release appeared, Fugaku and the other four were all shocked.
"The First's Wood Release secret technique!"
"What kind of person is this guy, to have mastered Wood Release to this extent!" Uchiha Shinjin exclaimed. He had seen Hashirama before.
"Did he get the First's cells in that battle?" Fugaku thought. "Was it all planned?"
Yashiro and Inabi were dumbfounded, completely stunned by the overwhelming forest. Even though they were on the mountaintop, they felt as if they were about to be swallowed up at any moment. The overwhelming presence was too terrifying.
Watching Genichi's figure being submerged, Yashiro swallowed hard and came back to his senses. "Clan Head, we… shouldn't we go and help?"
"No," Fugaku said in a deep voice. "In this battle, we are only spectators."
On the ground, looking at the rolling green tide, Genichi opened his mouth and spat out a blast of cold air.
Ice Release: Absolute Zero Freeze!
A super-low temperature of -200 degrees Celsius swept out. Everything in its path—the earth, the plants, the moisture in the air, even gases like nitrogen—all froze or liquefied. The rapidly growing vines were also quickly covered in a layer of frost, and their growth rate plummeted, then stopped completely.
Wood Release relied on chakra converted into a source of life to allow the vines to grow rapidly, and at the same time, it could absorb the target's chakra and convert it into life force to make the vines grow and have a stronger binding ability. And as it happened, the super-low temperature of Ice Release had the ability to slow, and even reduce, the growth of life. And -200°C could destroy the cells of plants and animals in a very short time, killing them.
And so, the vines that encountered the cold air were quickly frozen. The surging green tide quickly stopped as the cold spread, and was soon covered in a layer of frost, which glittered brilliantly in the sun.
(End of Chapter)
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