Two months later.
"Finally… it worked. This must be Uzumaki Ashina, right?"
Yuzuru gazed at the white-haired old man standing before him and, for the first time in a long while, felt genuine relief.
According to his memories, this appearance indeed matched Uzumaki Ashina's. There shouldn't be any mistake… right?
For two entire months, he had done nothing but repeatedly use the Edo Tensei, reviving members of the Uzumaki clan one by one in order to identify their true identities.
There had been mistakes along the way.
Several elderly men with features similar to Ashina's had been mistaken for him, only for Yuzuru to later realize that they were nothing more than embarrassing false alarms.
Let's hope this time it's the real one.
Staring at the white-haired elder with his eyes still closed, Yuzuru took a deep breath and prepared to awaken him.
The sacrificial body he had prepared for Uzumaki Ashina was merely that of a chūnin. This ensured that even if Ashina managed to break free from Yuzuru's control, he would not possess enough power to pose a real threat.
No matter how powerful a veteran from the Warring States Era might have been, once brought into the present world, he would still be subject to severe limitations.
The strength of an Edo Tensei body depended largely on the quality of its vessel. Only bodies on the level of a White Zetsu could allow a Kage-class shinobi to fully display the power they once had in life.
Although reanimated bodies possessed infinite chakra, the difference was like comparing a faucet one centimeter wide to one a meter wide: both had an endless water supply, but the amount of water they could release was worlds apart.
As the jutsu activated, the tightly shut eyes of the white-haired elder slowly opened.
"This is…?"
For a moment, he couldn't comprehend the situation. He looked down at his hands, then at his body, and immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"I've been summoned to the world of the living? Using a summoning contract… This kind of technique feels familiar. Tobirama… that brat…"
"Senior Ashina, welcome to the present world. This is the fifty-second year since the founding of Konoha."
Yuzuru's voice echoed in his ears. Only then did Uzumaki Ashina raise his head and carefully observe the young man who had summoned him.
"Fifty-two years… So that much time has already passed?"
He sighed softly.
"How lamentable. Then tell me—what is your purpose in using such a profane technique to summon a dead man?"
Despite fully grasping his situation, Ashina remained remarkably calm, showing no panic or shock.
As expected of someone who had weathered countless storms in life.
Still, he acted.
Placing his right hand against his chest, black sealing formulas flickered across his body for a brief instant.
Yuzuru immediately felt the connection between them sever.
He had lost control over Uzumaki Ashina.
"A contract-severing seal… Even with such a severely restricted body, he can still use it."
Yuzuru showed no surprise.
Though he could no longer control him, that didn't mean he was helpless. At the very least, he could dispel the Edo Tensei and send the former Uzumaki clan leader back to the Pure Land.
"A decisive move, Senior Ashina. But considering the power of your current vessel, I advise you not to act recklessly."
Yuzuru once again wore his signature gentle smile.
"So this is a threat? How rude of a junior."
Ashina frowned.
"Has no one ever told you that your fake smile is extremely irritating?"
"Huh?"
Yuzuru rested his chin on his hand, looking thoughtful.
"But everyone says my smile is very gentle… Were they lying to me?"
"That's enough."
Ashina sighed as he adjusted to the unfamiliar body.
"I'll ask once more: why did you summon me with this technique?"
Just as Yuzuru had said, this body severely limited the power Ashina could exert.
"You'll learn my purpose soon enough," Yuzuru replied calmly.
"But before that, I should tell you what has happened over the years."
"For example… the complete annihilation of the Uzumaki clan."
Seeing Ashina's expression finally change, Yuzuru smiled from the bottom of his heart.
"The annihilation?!"
The aged voice rose sharply.
"Easy, easy. Let's take things one at a time."
Ashina clenched his fists, his expression turning icy cold. It was clear that he still cared deeply about the fate of his clan.
"Let's start with what happened after your death. Senju Hashirama became Hokage, and not long after, Uchiha Madara left Konoha…"
"After Hashirama's death, the position passed to Tobirama. It was during this period that the First Great Ninja War broke out…"
"With Tobirama's death, the title of Hokage was inherited by his disciple, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Thus began the era of the Third Hokage…"
"The Land of Rain attempted to rise as a sixth great nation, but was quickly crushed by the intervention of the major powers and became a battlefield…"
"While Konoha, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Amegakure were locked in conflict, Kumogakure allied with Kirigakure and launched a war against the Land of Whirlpools…"
"Konoha sent no reinforcements. It only took a little girl away. Soon after… the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed."
Yuzuru recounted everything he knew in detail. As Ashina listened, his expression grew darker and darker.
The Land of Whirlpools had fallen.
The Uzumaki clan had been exterminated.
Its survivors scattered and forced to wander the ninja world.
And Konoha… had not extended a helping hand?
Instead, it had only taken a single child?
Back then, the Uzumaki clan had formally allied with Konoha and gifted the village countless invaluable sealing techniques.
How could everything have changed so drastically in just a few decades?
It was also worth noting that, during that time, the pressure on Konoha at the Land of Rain battlefield had not been especially severe.
Konoha was not incapable of aiding the Land of Whirlpools.
At its peak, the village possessed enough strength to fight on two—or even three—fronts simultaneously.
"Oh, and there's one more thing," Yuzuru added meaningfully.
"Over the years, Konoha's ninja have also killed some surviving members of the Uzumaki clan. Whether this was ordered by the higher-ups, I can't say."
This wasn't slander. Nagato's parents had indeed been killed by Konoha ninja.
Perhaps it had been an accident… but Yuzuru had no intention of speaking kindly of Konoha now. He needed to gain Ashina's favor.
Every word Yuzuru spoke was true. Yet by selectively presenting the truth, he slowly guided Ashina's thoughts.
Ashina came to understand one crucial fact:
The current Konoha was no longer the Konoha he once knew.
Power was no longer in the hands of the Senju clan, but instead held by the Sarutobi clan—once the Senju's subordinates.
And the Senju clan… had also faded into history.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan—their old enemies—still existed.
This was something Uzumaki Ashina found extremely difficult to accept.
Had Yuzuru not made it clear that the Uchiha were also heavily oppressed in Konoha, Ashina might have believed they had seized control of the village.
If it were Madara—or someone who inherited his will—who ruled Konoha, the destruction of the Uzumaki clan would have been entirely expected.
After finishing his account, Yuzuru fell silent.
After a long while, Ashina spoke in a deep, heavy voice.
"Boy of the Hyūga clan… words alone are not enough. How can I prove that what you say is true?"
"That's not a problem," Yuzuru replied with a calm smile.
"I have all the time in the world. If you don't believe me, I can accompany you on a journey through the ninja world—so you can see with your own eyes what it's like today."
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