Time and space turned, the stars shifted.
Kaede vanished from the ninja world.
The moment he stepped into the Time-Space Gate, a hazy figure appeared outside the God Tree. From the God Tree walked out a person identical in appearance to Kaede.
This was a clone Kaede had left behind for unforeseen circumstances. Normally, it would never be activated—only when his true body was absent would it awaken.
The power of this clone even surpassed that of the legendary Senju Hashirama. Guarding this world in Kaede's stead was more than enough.
With the Sage of Six Paths unable to intervene and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki reduced to a pitiful, fleeing wretch, the clone now faced no one capable of matching it.
The clone opened its eyes, scanning the surroundings, briefly closing them to think before fully understanding the situation.
At this moment, Ōnoki, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the others were watching him. None dared to step forward. The fear Kaede inspired in them was too overwhelming—Ōnoki knew he would never forget that crushing pressure. Compared to Hashirama, Kaede's might was on an entirely different level.
"What are you all doing here?" the clone asked indifferently.
"My lord, that person…" Tsunade began cautiously.
"It has nothing to do with you. Just a hiding rat. Hmph… if he wants to play a so-called cat-and-mouse game, I'll indulge him."
The clone smirked. If in the past Isshiki had posed a threat, now he was nothing more than a troublesome rodent.
"You all just focus on your training. Anything else has nothing to do with you."
The moment those words fell, the crushing pressure returned, stifling everyone's breath. None dared say more.
Meanwhile, the real Kaede stepped out from the other side of the Time-Space Gate. The portal's opening sent ripples through the air, space itself trembling violently.
[System prompt: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki has not yet arrived here. The host may set up preparations in advance.]
A grin formed on Kaede's face. "As expected."
Of course, he had to make his plans before the enemy arrived. Still, he needed to know exactly when he was. To avoid prematurely altering the timeline, Kaede donned a black cloak, concealing his identity, and began walking toward the nearest settlement.
Only in a town could he make contact with people.
Elsewhere…
Uchiha Madara's mood was especially heavy. He had once regarded that mushroom-headed boy as a friend—only to learn he was from the Uchiha's mortal enemy, the Senju clan.
Though they shared a dream of protecting their loved ones and founding a village, the enmity between their clans was not something they could change. In the end, friendship had to give way to the blood feud.
"Brother, you…"
Uchiha Izuna had noticed Madara's low spirits in recent days. Even during training, his brother would lose focus—something the Madara of old would never allow. And today, he hadn't even come to train, intending to leave the clan grounds altogether.
"It's you, Izuna. I just want to clear my head." Madara smiled gently.
At this time, Madara was still just a boy in his early teens—far from the terrifying man he would become. His strength was not yet at its peak, only having awakened a single tomoe in his Sharingan.
"Brother, I know it's hard with what Father and I have done. But you have to remember—the Senju have always been our enemies. They'll use anything to deceive us. No matter how good your private relationship may be… in the end, they're not family."
Izuna understood why Madara was troubled and gave him this reminder.
"I know, Izuna. Don't worry—I understand what I should and shouldn't do." Madara nodded helplessly, then left the clan grounds, wandering into the forest.
As he walked, he saw a strange phenomenon in the sky and felt an immense power—only for a brief moment, but enough to shake him.
"That's the Uchiha's power."
Spitting out the grass stem he'd been chewing, Madara sprinted toward where Kaede had landed.
But in the forest behind him, some dangerous individuals had also set their sights on him.
"Anyone here?" Madara called as he reached the spot where the forest abruptly ended.
His mouth nearly dropped to the ground. There were no signs of battle—yet the trees were gone, cleared in a perfect circle.
If nothing unusual had happened here, he'd eat a ten-kilo rock on the spot.
"Strange… in such a short time, battle traces couldn't be erased this cleanly."
Frowning, Madara took a few steps forward—and his instincts screamed danger.
In the next instant, his body twisted at an impossible angle, narrowly avoiding kunai and shuriken launched from the forest. They struck a tree with such force they sank deep into the wood—whoever attacked wanted him dead.
Madara flipped and landed with elegance, back to the trees, kunai in hand, no wasted movement.
"Who dares attack me? Show yourselves! Don't hide like cowards!"
Every muscle tensed as he scanned for the assailants. Were they Senju? Another clan? Who was leading them?
"Hahaha… as expected of an Uchiha. That crisis sense of yours truly surpasses anything we can match."
Clapping echoed from the forest. A moment later, more than ten people emerged.
Each wore the symbol of the Hagoromo clan.
"So it's you…" Madara's voice dropped.
The Hagoromo were yet another clan hostile to the Uchiha.
(End of Chapter)
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