March 24th, Year 58 of the Hidden Leaf
Three months had passed since the rescue of the Uzumaki mother and daughter. Uzumaki Yukari's white hair had returned to its vibrant red hue, and even the bite marks were gradually healing.
Hyuga Gakuya couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable vitality of the Uzumaki clan. His own half-baked Sage Body couldn't compare.
Meanwhile, under Uchiha Izumi's guidance, Uzumaki Karin had begun her training in ninjutsu.
As for Gakuya himself, he had mastered techniques like Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists and the Heavenly Void Strike, secret arts of the Hyuga main family, while continuing to explore the potential of his Rinnegan.
...
One day, as Gakuya was deep in training, a figure appeared just outside the town—a man clad in a black cloak patterned with red clouds. Following Zetsu's markings, he'd arrived at Gakuya's residence.
Uchiha Izumi, who had been training Karin outdoors, was the first to notice the arrival. That cloak. That chakra. The familiar, suffocating aura of fear rushed over her like a wave.
Without hesitation, she nudged Karin. "Go inside. Get Gakuya-sama."
Startled by Izumi's serious tone, Karin didn't hesitate and ran toward the house.
Izumi pulled out a kunai and turned to face the man in black, fully expecting hostility—but he made no move to attack.
"I'm here to speak with Hyuga Gakuya," the man said calmly.
Sensing the chakra, Gakuya opened the door, greeted by Karin's anxious expression. He ruffled her red hair gently.
"So, Madara. What brings you here?" Gakuya asked, already having a hunch, especially after noticing the two eyes exposed behind the mask.
He had taken back his other Sharingan eye. That explained it. After their battle, he must've realized that fighting with just one eye wasn't enough.
"I've come to invite you to join Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki is an organization committed to bringing peace to the shinobi world—"
Gakuya cut him off, uninterested in the pitch. "I'm not interested. What you should be telling me is what you can offer me."
Obito didn't seem fazed by the interruption. "Then let me explain my plan first."
"Fine. But let's do it Sharingan to Sharingan," Gakuya said.
Obito activated his Mangekyō, and Gakuya followed suit. In the blink of an eye, both cast genjutsu on one another.
Their minds entered a blank, white mental space.
"In the beginning, there were no shinobi," Obito began. "A woman descended from the heavens…"
Images played out in Gakuya's vision as Obito spoke, retelling the origins of the shinobi world.
Of course, Gakuya already knew this story—more accurately than Obito ever could.
"The Rabbit Goddess was driven to the brink and consumed the fruit of the Divine Tree. Later, through the faith of the people, she gave birth to two sons—the Sage of Six Paths and his brother…"
Gakuya's interest visibly sharpened, and seeing this, Obito continued with more enthusiasm.
"The Sage of Six Paths and his brother sealed away their mother. The Divine Tree transformed into the Ten-Tails, which the Sage then sealed within himself…"
"When he died, the Sage split the Ten-Tails' power into nine tailed beasts. The husk of the Ten-Tails was sealed in the heavens…"
"And my plan," Obito said, "is to reunite all nine tailed beasts and become the new Sage of Six Paths. I'll cast a genjutsu from the moon—a technique called the Infinite Tsukuyomi. In that world, everyone will live in a perfect dream."
After hearing this highly embellished tale—where the Sage had turned into a power-hungry usurper—Gakuya gave a small smirk.
"Seems like we might have something to collaborate on."
"Oh?" Obito raised a brow. "Do tell."
"I want the fruit of the Divine Tree. Help you with your Eye of the Moon Plan? Sure. But you have to make the Tree bear a second fruit."
Of course, Gakuya had no intention of waiting around for that. What he really wanted was Kaguya's body—he intended to surpass the Sage himself.
Obito, seeing the spark of ambition in Gakuya's eyes, couldn't detect any falsehood.
"Of course. Once I become the second Sage of Six Paths, something like that is just a thought away."
Gakuya extended a hand. "Then I guess we'll be good allies."
Their hands clasped.
"We share common interests," Obito said.
Feigning ignorance, Gakuya asked, "One more thing, 'Madara.' What about the Rinnegan? Without it, isn't this all just talk?"
"I gave it to the leader of Akatsuki. He's a valuable pawn."
"I see."
...
Outside, Izumi, Karin, and Yukari could only stare, bewildered, as the two men stood frozen in place.
Then Gakuya opened his eyes, a smile on his lips.
"Izumi, Yukari, Karin—pack up. We're leaving."
Izumi and Yukari nodded, immediately moving to gather their things. Karin hesitated, a trace of reluctance in her eyes. For the first time in her life, she'd felt the warmth of a real home. Leaving it behind stung.
"Gakuya-sama… are we leaving this home forever?"
He tousled her hair again. "Of course not. Wherever I go—that's your home."
"…I understand."
Obito turned away, fading into a swirling vortex of space-time.
"The organization is in Amegakure. I'll be waiting there."
"And in Akatsuki, I go by the name Tobi. Don't forget it."
...
Before long, Gakuya and the three women had purchased a horse-drawn cart and set out for the Land of Rain.
Seated in the cart, Gakuya focused inward, sensing the chakra flowing through him. Ever since awakening the Rinnegan, his chakra nature had become complete.
He was now attempting to fuse multiple nature types—pursuing a deeper understanding of Kekkei Genkai fusion. On one past mission, he had acquired the corpse of a Kumogakure shinobi who wielded Storm Release. He had dissected it, studied it.
The original wielder had, over generations, altered his genetic makeup to pass on the technique. That meant the bloodline itself could be engineered.
Which also meant Gakuya could potentially create his own unique chakra release—a shortcut, he hoped, toward understanding and replicating advanced Kekkei Mōra like the Truth-Seeking Orbs.
...
This world's powers had a hierarchy:
Ninjutsu < Kekkei Genkai < Kekkei Tōta < Kekkei Mōra < Ōtsutsuki Techniques
Higher-tiered power didn't always guarantee strength—but it did guarantee a higher ceiling.
Ōtsutsuki-level jutsu could reshape the world. That was the kind of ability Gakuya sought.
His research was going nowhere for now, but he wasn't discouraged. One bite at a time. His growth so far had already been impressive.
Still, the lack of progress was starting to wear on him. He stepped out of the cart and walked up beside Izumi, who was guiding the horses.
"How much farther?" he asked.
Izumi glanced at the map. "We should reach the border of the Land of Rain by this afternoon."
Karin peeked out from the cart. "Gakuya-sama, why does it always rain in this country?"
"Because this country is weeping."
"It's… crying?"
Gakuya's eyes flickered. A vision flashed before him—what this place would look like in the near future. War would erupt here. Ever since he awakened the Rinnegan, his foresight had grown stronger. He would occasionally glimpse moments from the future… though he had no control over when.
"War is coming," he said quietly.
"Shouldn't we go to a major nation like the Land of Fire when war's about to start?" Karin asked. "Why come to a small place like this?"
"Don't worry," Gakuya replied. "This land has a god watching over it."
"A… god?" Karin tilted her head. Her only understanding of the term came from old statues and faith.
In Gakuya's mind's eye, another vision appeared—Pain, standing high above, unleashing Shinra Tensei and leveling the battlefield below.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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