A severely injured Kusagakure ninja, on the verge of death, was brought to their clinic by his companions.
After examining him, Dosaku found that the injuries were far too severe; with his medical skills and the conditions available, there was no way to save him.
Just as he was about to declare that nothing could be done, his kind-hearted wife, Kicho, couldn't bear to watch a life fade away before her eyes.
She made a decision, and she let that dying Kusagakure ninja bite her arm.
A miracle occurred.
After biting Kicho's arm, the Kusagakure ninja's severe injuries visibly stabilized and began to recover.
The man was saved.
However, what followed was a disaster.
After recovering and returning to the village, the Kusagakure ninjas not only failed to repay the life-saving favor but instead reported Kicho's miraculous healing ability.
Soon, a squad of Kusagakure ninjas came to their door and, without explanation, attempted to forcibly take the couple away, clearly intending to control Kicho and possibly Dosaku's medical skills, as medical resources.
Resistance was futile.
Just as they were being escorted toward Kusagakure in despair, this samurai, carrying an exaggerated weapon and resembling a war god, descended from the sky and annihilated all the Kusagakure ninjas with overwhelming force.
"That's what happened."
Dosaku Uzumaki finished his account and bowed deeply once again.
Beside him, Kicho tightly held her husband's hand, fear still lingering in her eyes.
"I see."
Isshin nodded, his face showing little emotion, though inwardly he thought, as expected.
Red hair, healing ability, Kusagakure… it seemed that this couple was most likely the future parents of Karin.
"So what do you plan to do next?"
Dosaku Uzumaki and Kicho Uzumaki exchanged another glance, both showing the same confusion and helplessness.
They could no longer stay in the Village Hidden in the Grass.
As for other places… they had already endured the hardships of wandering, not to mention the possibility of other ninja villages or forces coveting Kicho's ability.
Seeing their silence, Isshin did not persuade them further. He simply hoisted his halberd onto his shoulder, turned, and walked toward the depths of the forest, leaving behind a sentence: "If you have nowhere to go, follow me. If you're willing, then keep up."
His pace was not fast, but he had no intention of waiting.
The couple exchanged another look, hesitation and unease intertwined in their eyes.
Should they continue wandering aimlessly, waiting for an unknown misfortune? Or follow this powerful, mysterious warrior who seemed to bear them no ill will?
In the end, Dosaku Uzumaki gritted his teeth and tightly grasped his wife's slightly cool hand.
"We'll follow him, Kicho." He said in a low voice, his gaze becoming firm. "At least this man saved our lives."
Kicho nodded, the fear in her red eyes receding slightly. Looking at the broad figure ahead, she softly gave a sound of agreement.
The two no longer hesitated. They stepped forward and followed the figure carrying the massive weapon, gradually disappearing into the dense forest.
...
Several days later, in the Village Hidden in the Grass, deep within an underground cavern.
The enormous demonic statue of the Outer Path stood silently in the center of the cavern like a dormant mountain.
From its torso extended countless root-like tubes, like blood vessels or vines, densely connecting to the withered figure at its base.
That was a person.
Or rather, more like a corpse dried by time. His gray-white hair almost dragged along the ground, his skin clung tightly to his bones, layered with wrinkles like the bark of an ancient tree.
Several thick tubular objects pierced into his back, firmly fixing him to the base of the statue.
He hung his head there, motionless, as if he had been dead for many years.
The cavern was so quiet that only the sound of dripping water remained.
"Madara-sama!!"
A white figure emerged from the rock wall; it was White Zetsu, wearing its usual carefree grin.
"Something big happened in Konoha!"
White Zetsu moved closer to the withered figure, excitement in its voice. "Something suuuper big!"
The corpse moved slightly, its eyelids trembling faintly.
Madara Uchiha slowly opened his eyes.
What kind of eyes were they?
Sharingan!
Yet the crimson, eerie Sharingan revealed a deep sense of age and cloudiness, as if time had worn away all its brilliance.
Still, beneath that murkiness, one could faintly glimpse the shadow of the man who once stood above the Shinobi World.
"What happened?"
Could it be that war was about to begin again?
This thought flashed through Madara Uchiha's mind, but White Zetsu's answer surprised him.
"It's Shinichi Higashino!"
White Zetsu waved its arms excitedly. "Madara-sama, remember that Shinichi Higashino I mentioned before? That kid from Konoha!"
Shinichi Higashino?
After four years, hearing this familiar name again, Madara Uchiha was momentarily dazed, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably back to that summer four years ago.
It was a very hot summer.
Even deep underground, where sunlight never reached, it seemed impossible to escape the heat. The air in the cavern was stifling, making one feel uneasy.
The sound of dripping water rang tirelessly, again and again, as if counting down the time for his decaying body.
He was too old.
So old that he could not remember how many years he had stayed here, so old that his skin clung to his bones as if he might fall apart at any moment, so old that he could only rely on the demonic statue of the Outer Path to maintain his last breath.
He was going to die.
Madara Uchiha knew this clearly. His body would not last much longer, yet what he needed to do was not finished.
The Eye of the Moon Plan! The Infinite Tsukuyomi!
A world without war, without pain, something only he could create.
Nagato.
That child of the Uzumaki Clan, possessing the eyes he had bestowed, when the time was right, Nagato would become the executor who gathered the tailed beasts, would use the Rinnegan to revive him, and would help him complete the plan.
But Madara Uchiha suddenly realized that perhaps one executor was not enough. He also needed a supervisor, or rather, a guide.
Someone who could supervise and guide Nagato, ensuring the plan did not deviate from its course. Someone who could keep watch over the plan even after his death.
So he sent White Zetsu out to take a look at the current Uchiha Clan in Konoha, to see if there was a suitable child.
"Madara-sama! Madara-sama! I'm back!"
White Zetsu emerged from the rock wall, a gleam of excitement on its face.
Madara Uchiha opened his eyes and looked at it.
"How are things with the Uchiha?"
White Zetsu scratched its head. "The Uchiha… I took a look, but there doesn't seem to be any particularly outstanding children. Just so-so."
Madara Uchiha's brows furrowed slightly.
No suitable child?
"But, Madara-sama!"
White Zetsu's voice suddenly rose, as if recalling something especially interesting. "I saw a really fun kid over at the Konoha Ninja Academy!"
"What kid?"
"His name is Shinichi Higashino! He just enrolled not long ago, but guess what? He actually carries a huge rock on his back to school every day!"
White Zetsu gestured excitedly. "That rock is enormous! Several times bigger than his whole body! And he just—"
"He keeps carrying it, keeps running!"
Madara Uchiha fell silent for a moment.
"That's it?"
"There's more! There's more!"
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