"This is what it is."
Uchiha Obito was stunned. He hadn't expected things to turn out like this. His mind was finally starting to piece together some of the details. The chalcedony the boy supposedly found in the ruins wasn't actually discovered there—he had brought it with him.
His purpose must have been to lure out some greedy thieves, making them lower their guard before counterattacking. The middle-aged man who had attempted to steal it was clearly not someone easy to deal with, and the one who had feigned obedience had also concealed murderous intent.
But just when Obito thought everything had been decided, the explosive tag trap on the boy's body caused the supposed victor to vanish.
The ninja world was cruel—Obito knew that all too well.
But this was the first time he had witnessed such a scene firsthand.
Despite being a Konoha ninja for many years and completing numerous missions, his experiences had only scratched the surface. He had never before encountered such a direct display of human nature.
In contrast, Kakashi, who had spent time in Anbu, had far more knowledge of this kind of situation than Obito.
This incident left a deep impact on Obito, as well as on Rin and Itachi. Uchiha Itachi frowned as if in deep thought, while Rin covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"This is a land of disorder."
Uzumaki Raiden shook his head slightly, sighed, and then slowly walked toward the ruins.
"Master?" Uchiha Itachi was startled when Uzumaki Raiden moved, watching his back with confusion.
The sight of Raiden walking toward the center of the ruins immediately drew the attention of all the treasure hunters.
"I will take the last legacy of Uzumaki Village!"
Raiden's voice rang out loudly as he formed the "Wei" hand seal, sending a surge of powerful chakra into the ground.
As his chakra poured in, the ground trembled violently.
"What's happening?!"
"An earthquake?!"
"No, that red-haired guy is causing this! With that hair color, he must be from the Uzumaki clan!"
The treasure hunters watched as Uzumaki Raiden unleashed his chakra in the middle of the ruins, and they began to panic. Some ninja who believed in their own strength crept closer to Raiden, intending to steal whatever he unearthed. If Raiden found something valuable, they planned to take it. And if he found nothing, they would capture him instead.
"Om!!!!"
As Raiden continued injecting his chakra, the concealed barrier beneath the ruins finally activated. A deep, resonating hum echoed through the area, and bright light burst forth from beneath the rubble.
The ground's tremors grew even stronger.
"Open!"
Raiden shouted as an immense wave of chakra surged into the massive underground seal. A crack appeared in the ground beneath his feet, growing wider with the continued infusion of his chakra.
Before long, a long stairway leading into the darkness below was revealed. No one could see where it led.
The change caught everyone's attention. Some of the treasure hunters, eager for whatever might be inside, wasted no time jumping into the pit, racing toward the underground passage.
But before they could get far, a bolt of lightning shot from behind, striking them down instantly.
"It's so well-hidden, and it takes an immense amount of chakra to open."
"More than ten years ago, the only one who could have opened this seal was Grandma Mito, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Was this seal specifically designed for Grandma Mito?"
Uzumaki Raiden slowly lowered his hands. After knocking out a few reckless thieves, no one else dared to approach or step into the corridor.
"Kakashi, Obito, you two stay here."
With that order, Raiden slowly descended the stairs, walking into the depths of the corridor. The moment he stepped inside, rows of candles lining the walls flickered to life, as if welcoming him.
Raiden was surprised but kept his composure, continuing forward.
Above ground, as some treasure hunters prepared to follow, Kakashi and Uchiha Obito blocked their path. Obito activated his Sharingan.
"Nobody moves!"
"This is an order from the Fourth Hokage, Master Uzumaki Raiden!"
"If you take even half a step forward, don't blame me for what happens next!"
Facing such a large crowd, Kakashi felt a bit uneasy, so he invoked Raiden's name to intimidate them. Sure enough, at the mention of Uzumaki Raiden, the crowd hesitated. Some even backed away silently, likely heading off to report the news elsewhere.
Seeing how effective Raiden's name was, Kakashi and Obito both sighed in relief, then turned their attention back to the corridor.
The underground passage stretched deep into the earth. After nearly ten minutes of walking, Raiden reached its end—a massive stone door stood before him, covered in intricate sealing scripts. Another powerful barrier.
Raiden carefully examined the markings for a long time before forming a series of hand seals. Then, he cut his finger and pressed it against the stone wall.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As he whispered the words, the stone door vanished, revealing a pitch-black chamber beyond. The walls of the chamber were covered in complex sealing markings, which had been connected to the stone door. When the door disappeared, the marks lost their glow and faded.
"The seals inside this chamber were linked to the entrance. If the technique was performed incorrectly, the entire chamber would have been destroyed."
"The sealing technique on the door must be combined with summoning. If someone isn't proficient in fūinjutsu, they would never be able to open it."
Raiden let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting before stepping inside. The chamber wasn't particularly large, only about a dozen square meters, with a ceiling roughly four or five meters high.
The walls were lined with stone shelves, each packed with scrolls. Some shelves even held golden plates inscribed with dense rows of text.
Raiden picked up a gold plate, examined it briefly, then placed it back and began scanning the room.
"Sealing techniques… These are the lost techniques of the Uzumaki clan!"
"The story that the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques were burned when the village chief set himself on fire was a lie!"
"This hidden chamber was the real safeguard!"
"I'm afraid the chamber where he died was just a decoy."
"This is the true inheritance!"
"This is the legacy the Uzumaki clan left for Grandma Mito!"
Raiden stood among the secret techniques and scrolls, momentarily overwhelmed. The knowledge stored here far exceeded what he had inherited from Mito. This—this was the true wealth of the Uzumaki clan.
(End of Chapter)