After seeing off Obito Uchiha, Allen quickly traversed the Land of Fire, the most habitable region in the entire Shinobi world, and arrived once again in the Land of Waves, a mandatory waypoint for anyone traveling toward the Hidden Mist Village.
Compared to his last visit, the place had grown noticeably more prosperous and bustling.
The chaos of the Resistance movements sweeping the mainland and the terrifying ideologies aimed at overthrowing the rule of Daimyos and nobles had not yet reached this remote and underdeveloped island. Furthermore, the overall instability of the mainland had driven many wealthy merchants here to seek refuge, further accelerating commercial development.
At first glance, it bore the resemblance of a hidden utopia.
"The Land of Waves has truly become wealthy," Karin remarked with a slight sigh of emotion.
She remembered how life's necessities—grain, vegetables, and fruit—were once in such short supply that market shelves were usually stripped bare by nine in the morning. Now, the dazzling array of commodities and the abundance of food proved that after Gato was eliminated, the vitality this land deserved had finally been restored.
Geographically speaking, nearly all maritime transport connecting to the East must pass through the Land of Waves, making it a natural and vital maritime hub. Previously, Gato had held a death grip on this hub, preventing external forces from entering. Now, with its doors fully open, the Land of Waves had finally reclaimed its rightful position.
"This is only the beginning. It will get even better in the future."
Allen clearly understood the significance of a maritime hub better than most people in this world, and thus he was full of confidence regarding the Land of Waves' future. Even in a modern society, maritime shipping remains the primary and most cost-effective method of transport. Almost all bulk commodities are moved by ship, which is why import-export regulatory agencies are still referred to as "Customs."
In contrast, the "Second Young Master," Sasuke, was reminiscing about the time he was pinned to the ground and pummeled here. He asked through gritted teeth, "Why did you do that back then?"
"What?" Karin seemed startled for a moment, then an expression of sudden realization dawned on her. "Ah! You mean when you were still in Team 7 and came here on a mission with Kakashi."
"Answer my question!" Sasuke's expression was ferocious; he clearly still held a massive grudge over that incident.
Before Karin could speak, Allen explained with a smile: "Because of Danzo's orders, of course. At that time, I was still working under him. And what Danzo wanted most was to completely excise the 'wicked' bloodline of the Uchiha clan."
"You might not know this yet, but as far back as the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, there was deep-seated discrimination and wariness toward the Uchiha. He deliberately segregated you from the rest of the village and later imposed restriction after restriction. As the Second's disciples, both the Third and Danzo inherited their teacher's ideology and policies."
"Specifically, after the Nine-Tails incident, many people saw the unmistakable pattern of the Sharingan in the eyes of the strongest Tailed Beast. The Konoha high command took that pattern as proof that the Uchiha intended to revolt."
"Shisui and your older brother, Itachi, were actually spies planted within the Uchiha clan by Konoha. Shisui was too naive; despite awakening the incredibly powerful Genjutsu of the Mangekyō, he was easily manipulated by Danzo and met a tragic end. Itachi was relatively smarter; he chose to be a double agent. On one hand, he gathered intelligence on the Uchiha coup for the village; on the other, he gathered the high command's attitudes for your father."
"Ultimately, none of this could mend the irreparable rift. Considering the low probability of a successful coup and the dire situation that would follow such a success, he decided to protect you, the last bloodline of the Uchiha, by sacrificing the clan and siding with the village. Though it sounds foolish, it was indeed the optimal solution Itachi could derive based on the intelligence he had at the time. And the smartest thing he did was never truly trusting the Konoha high command from the very beginning."
"So... the root of the Uchiha massacre was planted as far back as the Second Hokage," Sasuke noted. He wasn't stupid, just a bit impulsive, and he immediately grasped the meaning of those words.
Allen nodded slightly. "Exactly. To be precise, it began with the ideological conflict between the First Hokage and Madara. Under Black Zetsu's instigation and manipulation, nearly all the flaws in the Uchiha character were exposed. Those same flaws are very evident in you as well. Don't forget, the Sharingan is an extreme manifestation of Yin Release, and the source of that change exists within your blood and genes, requiring powerful spiritual energy to awaken it. This is why more 'extreme' Uchiha find it easier to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"And what about you? How did you obtain the Mangekyō, or even the Rinnegan?" Sasuke asked, brow furrowed.
"My Hatsu is quite unique. Furthermore, I have consumed a special biological species called Chimera Ants, which allows me to perfectly manipulate genes, bloodlines, and various forms of life energy. Therefore, regardless of the Kekkei Genkai, as long as I obtain even a tiny bit of the subject's flesh and blood, I can immediately integrate it into myself."
As Allen explained, he scanned the docks for a suitable vessel. Just as he picked out a comfortable-looking medium-sized ship, a mature and alluring female figure caught his eye.
Green eyes, long brown hair, and an off-the-shoulder, low-cut blue robe... there was no mistaking her. It was none other than the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, who had just arrived from the Land of Water.
Simultaneously, Mei spotted Allen, who was making no effort to disguise himself. The two stared at each other for about ten seconds before a smile graced Mei's face. She proactively approached to greet him.
"Good evening, Allen-sama. I never imagined we would cross paths here. I am Mei Terumi, the envoy representing the Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Envoy?" Allen keenly caught the keyword.
"Yes. I wish to discuss the matter of the rogue Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata," Mei said, cutting straight to the point.
"Ah! I see. It seems the Mist is more sensible than I imagined. In that case, let's find a nice restaurant and talk over a meal," Allen invited with a smile.
"My thoughts exactly."
Mei completely ignored Karin, who was staring at her with intense hostility. She intimately linked her arm with Allen's and led him straight toward the nearest restaurant.
Seeing this, Sasuke couldn't help but mock Karin. "What, are you jealous? Not surprising. Who would like a gorilla girl like you?"
The words had barely left his mouth when…
BOOM!
Poor "Second Young Master" was sent flying by a single punch, crashing through two walls before finally coming to a halt.