Two months slipped by in the blink of an eye.
During this time, although Uchiha Gen hadn't completely taken Yūgao and Anko, he had gone as far as one could without crossing the final step. Between managing the Police Force, leading the Uchiha Clan, and overseeing village affairs, he still carved out time for his own training.
Yet, his focus was no longer on broadening his Ninjutsu repertoire. Instead, most of his effort poured into mastering the Soul-Soul Fruit, strengthening his physique, refining Sage Mode, and exploring elemental nature transformations.
As for Ninjutsu, he only studied three: the Spirit Transformation Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the Lightning Release Body Technique.
The first was a perfect match for the Soul-Soul Fruit. The stronger his soul became, the more infinite the potential of the Spirit Transformation Technique.
The second, a space–time Ninjutsu, possessed limitless possibilities, able to remain useful even in battles of the Six Paths level. For now, though, Gen's mastery lagged behind Minato's. He couldn't yet transport a Tailed Beast Ball through Flying Thunder God, leaving him room to grow.
The Lightning Release Body Technique was different. He didn't value its immediate boost in combat strength so much as the way it rebuilt and reinforced the body itself. Gen's pursuit was simple; if his soul grew to terrifying heights, his body must never become a burden. This was the bedrock of his future path.
Because unlike the "traditional" method of power progression, Gen had no interest in retracing Madara's or Sasuke's footsteps.
The old path was well-known; awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, fuse Asura's and Indra's chakra, awaken the Rinnegan, then hunt down Tailed Beasts to become either a pseudo–Ten-Tails Jinchūriki or the true vessel of the Ten-Tails. That was the cycle—an imitation of the Sage of Six Paths.
But the Sharingan was one bloodline, and the Rinnegan another. The Eternal Mangekyō was the apex of the Uchiha's path; the Rinnegan, in truth, was not its natural evolution. Without Asura's and Indra's chakra, there was no way to awaken it. Even Madara had required decades of preparation, finally opening the Rinnegan only in his twilight years. Sasuke, without Hagoromo's direct intervention, would likely never have awakened it at all.
And if the Uchiha of this world didn't even know that method? Their Eternal Mangekyō would remain their final peak.
Collecting Asura's and Indra's chakra was near-impossible. Even gathering Tailed Beasts was fraught with danger. Obito wanted them, Nagato wanted them, Black Zetsu schemed for them, and every great village guarded their own. Too many players, too much resistance.
Even becoming a pseudo–Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, while easier, left one leagues below the true form. To close that gap might take a lifetime, and even then, success was not guaranteed.
But Gen rejected that path entirely. To revert the Uchiha bloodline back to the Ōtsutsuki line was not glory—it was mimicry. True glory was forging a new road, raising the Uchiha bloodline until it stood equal to, or even surpassed, the Ōtsutsuki.
The later waves must rise higher than those before. The disciple must outshine the master.
For Gen, natural energy was the key. Chakra alone could never surpass the Ōtsutsuki. It was necessary to break the boundary of the chakra system, to step into something greater. Alongside that, the Soul-Soul Fruit and the immortal cultivation methods of his previous life would become his cornerstones.
Refining Essence into Qi. Refining Qi into Spirit. Refining Spirit into Void. Refining Void to join the Dao. These were the stages of his envisioned path, they do seem based on his past life's readings, however, it is at least better than stagnation.
His goal was to fuse the Uchiha bloodline, the Soul-Soul Fruit, and natural energy into a cultivation method uniquely his own—one that he would later simplify and spread among the Uchiha. Once his clan had mastered it and ruled the shinobi world, he would release it across all nations.
The world would transform into a realm of cultivators. United, they could resist the Ōtsutsuki, whose power was built upon chakra, but whose weakness was natural energy.
To Gen, natural energy was nothing less than the spiritual power of heaven and earth. The God Tree was merely a parasite, draining that energy and twisting it into chakra. If he reached the final stage of his envisioned path—Refining Void to join the Dao—he would merge body and soul into the very fabric of this world, becoming its Heavenly Dao, its will incarnate.
Then, when the Ōtsutsuki descended, the world itself would rise against them. Mountains, seas, skies, rivers, even every blade of grass would reject and assault them. Unless the Ōtsutsuki could obliterate a planet with a single blow, their end was certain.
And when the dust settled, with the Heavenly Dao awake and the world unified, peace could endure for as long as he wished.
Afterward, the shinobi world could combine immortal cultivation, chakra, and science to stride into the stars. The earth's resources were limited; the universe's were endless. One day, the Ōtsutsuki would no longer be the invaders—they would.
Of course, for now, this was all theory. A dream unspoken to anyone else. He had only just begun his first tentative steps toward creating an immortal cultivation method. Once Orochimaru returned with Sage Mode mastered, Gen intended to draw him into the project. It would stand alongside the immortality research project as one of the clan's highest-priority endeavors.
For Gen, that meant completion at any cost.
Chakra grew more exhausting the longer you used it. Senjutsu chakra felt lighter, almost replenishing, as it flowed. Spiritual power, properly cultivated, should feel ever more exhilarating, endlessly abundant. That was the principle guiding his research.
…
On the afternoon of March 8th, a rest day, Gen reclined in the courtyard of his home, eyes closed as though napping in the sun. In truth, he was guiding a wisp of natural energy through his meridians, carefully studying the transformations it wrought.
On the table beside him lay tea, fruit, and pastries. An open notebook sat among them, filled with dense lines of square characters—Chinese characters no one else in this world could read. In it, he recorded every sensation from his experiments.
Hearing footsteps, Gen slowly opened his eyes. He merged the natural energy within him with an equal measure of chakra, then exhaled softly. A stream of golden-white flame poured from his lips, curling around his teacup until the cooled tea was steaming again.
Shisui and Itachi entered together, both with unusually serious faces.
"Something happened?" Gen asked lightly, lifting the cup. "You both look far too grim."
"Clan Head," Shisui began, "Danzo contacted me."
"Gen-nii," Itachi added quietly, "he reached out to me as well."
Gen arched a brow. "Oh? And what did he say?"
"Nothing overt," Shisui replied. "He was just… very friendly. Too friendly. He praised me, spoke highly of my potential. I can't read his intent, and that unsettles me."
Itachi hesitated, then said, "He told me not only he but also the Hokage valued me. That I might become the Fifth or even Sixth Hokage someday. Gen-nii… could this mean the Konoha elders are ready to accept the Uchiha again?"
Gen motioned for them to sit. After a moment's thought, he said, "No. This is the elders realizing they can't deal with us directly. So they've shifted to a subtler tactic—divide and conquer. Uchiha against Uchiha."
His voice cooled. "With Shisui's prestige and your special standing, Itachi, if you two joined forces, you could oppose me. Perhaps the elders even hope to turn you against me, then have you strike me down yourselves. Once I'm gone, the rest of the clan would fall easily."
The two young men stiffened.
"Clan Head," Shisui said uneasily, "surely it isn't that extreme?"
"Shisui," Gen answered evenly, "never cling to naïve hopes. Always prepare for the worst. That way, whatever comes, you're ready."
"…Then I'll just avoid Danzo altogether."
"No. Don't avoid him. Meet with him, but shift your attitude—show that you're not fully rejecting him. Give him a sliver of hope. That way his schemes stay in the open, where I can control them. Unknown conspiracies are dangerous. Known ones are manageable."
The two nodded reluctantly.
"But one day," Shisui said, frowning, "he'll demand proof of our loyalty. We can't dance around him forever."
"You won't have to," Gen replied calmly. "I'll resolve it before then."
They accepted this, ate something to be polite, then departed.
When they were gone, Gen's expression darkened, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. Danzo's attempts to win over Shisui and Itachi, to corrupt them, echoed too closely the prelude to the Uchiha massacre. His patience thinned. Perhaps it was time to stop playing games with the elders and instead remove Danzo outright. Eliminate the problem at its root.
But such a move required absolute caution. Unless forced, he would not act personally.
Gradually, he let the killing intent fade, returning to his study of natural energy.
An hour later, his senses sharpened, and he turned his gaze toward the southeast corner of the courtyard.
From the bamboo there, a black-robed figure emerged, crossing swiftly to kneel before him and present a scroll.
Breaking the seal, Gen found it was a message from Suikazan Fuguki.
Pakura of the Sand was being sent as an envoy to the Mist. The Mist intended to kill her.
Gen had ordered Fuguki long ago to monitor Pakura's movements, to prevent her fate from repeating. And now, with the Konoha–Kumo truce shifting the balance of the war, the chance had come.
Konoha and Kumogakure had stepped back to recover, but Suna, Mist, and Iwa were still locked in smaller clashes. Everyone wanted peace now, except Obito, who still pushed the Mist toward conflict. Yet the tide was against him.
Of them all, the Sand desired peace most. Rasa had overreached, fighting Mist while still provoking Iwa. What began as Iwa posturing in alliance had turned into a genuine two-front war, and Suna lacked the high-end fighters to withstand it. Losses piled up.
To end the bloodshed, Rasa devised a cruel, calculated bargain: sacrifice Pakura.
Her Scorch Release devastated Mist's water-based forces. She had slain countless Mist shinobi and become infamous for it. Their hatred burned deep. After secret talks, Rasa struck a deal—her life in exchange for the war's end. Even Obito, pressed by the Mist's growing desire for peace, had to concede.
Pakura's death would not only appease the Mist but also ease Iwa's pressure, hastening peace on both fronts. For Rasa, it had an added benefit: removing a rival. Pakura's victories had earned her enormous prestige within the Sand, even the support of Chiyo. Rasa, who had clawed to power through schemes, saw her as a looming threat.
As Gen finished reading, a slow, knowing smile curved his lips.
At last—the opportunity to intervene in Sunagakure had arrived. And with it, a perfect chance to rid himself of Danzo as well.