Land of Fire.
Registration Area.
"What are you doing with your hands?"
Adjusting his hat, Uchiha Obito frowned at his clueless clanmate.
Busted?
"Nothing, just a habit."
Uchiha Itachi quickly pulled his twitching right hand back.
"Oh? Want me to scratch it for you?"
Obito glanced at him and asked. He may have once been called a fool, but when it came to basic ninja theory, he had clearly paid more attention than Itachi had during their time in Konoha.
At the very least, if Itachi had actually learned about advanced codes and cyphers, Obito wouldn't have needed to explain what he was doing.
But there was nothing he could do about it now.
Ever since Itachi joined Kara years ago, he had been working his way toward the inner circle, trying to uncover the so-called "truth of the ninja world" that Obito kept talking about.
Unfortunately, after countless attempts, Itachi realized it wasn't that simple.
Unlike the regular members—the scientists and lower-tier operatives—the inner circle had strange abilities, and they barely ever showed up in the ninja world except for meetings.
He had no way of getting close to them, let alone testing if Genjutsu worked on them.
But just a few days ago, things seemed to take a turn.
Jigen, the leader of Kara, finally gave him a chance to enter the inner circle.
He was assigned a special mission.
And throughout the mission, Obito was there, watching and evaluating him.
At first, Itachi thought it was just a test.
But as things went on, he started to feel like something was off.
Especially when a few strange individuals, calling themselves "Otsutsuki," started openly appearing in the inner circle.
After carefully testing the waters, he finally got Obito to reveal their identities and their purpose.
They were Kara's "reinforcements."
And their goal?
It seemed to be directly related to the mission he was carrying out—stirring up trouble in the Land of Waves to draw attention.
During their last meeting, those Otsutsuki had been impatiently asking about the progress.
That meant this whole thing was a setup.
And now that Itachi had figured out the pieces, his instincts as a spy kicked in.
He had to get the information out before Kara's plan succeeded.
As long as Konoha and the Sun God Kingdom didn't fall for the trap and kept their people away from the Land of Waves, those Otsutsuki would have no choice but to reveal themselves.
That would make things much easier.
Even if he got exposed and Kara hunted him down, he was prepared.
Every spy knew this day would come sooner or later.
He wasn't worried about himself.
As long as he could do something meaningful before he was caught, that was enough.
Of course, if Obito weren't keeping such a close eye on him, he could have used a secret technique to contact the Second Hokage directly.
But lately, Obito had been acting strange—constantly activating some weird state, rubbing the horn on his forehead.
Something was clearly wrong with his body.
Itachi suspected there was something going on, but he had no time to care.
Seeing Jiraiya in the distance reacting to his signal, Itachi let out a quiet breath of relief and turned to leave with Obito.
Once Itachi returned to normal, Obito didn't ask any more questions.
He activated Kamui, and the two of them disappeared back to the Land of Waves, returning to Itachi's assigned post—guarding against any outside ninja trying to investigate.
After a while, Obito suddenly spoke.
"If I actually stand out in the tournament, do you think he'll really give me what I want?"
"Probably."
Itachi thought for a moment before giving him a direct answer.
Since the Sun God Kingdom publicly declared that anyone could participate, they would have to follow through.
Otherwise, they'd only embarrass themselves.
But that was assuming Obito could actually win.
With so many powerful ninjas in the world, Itachi wasn't very optimistic about his chances.
"Like this?"
Obito didn't respond to Uchiha Itachi. His gaze flickered as he stared at a specific spot in the sky. As Isshiki's vessel, he could sense Isshiki's presence. He could clearly feel that Isshiki was watching both him and Uchiha Itachi. The reason Isshiki hadn't shown himself was likely because those people were right next to him.
Lately, every time Obito used the power of the mark, he felt a growing sense of unease. Even just now, when using space-time teleportation, he chose to rely on his own power instead of the mark's teleportation ability.
There was no other reason—he had started to realize something was off.
That so-called Chakra Fruit, which was supposed to grant any wish, was probably just another trick. He had the sinking feeling that he was being used again, especially after hearing what that man, who called himself Momoshiki and traveled with a servant, had said.
"You have terrible taste in choosing vessels."
In the sky, Momoshiki glanced down at the land below as if he had seen something disgusting. He deactivated his Byakugan and took a deep breath.
"Every time I look at your vessel, I feel sick to my stomach."
If this was supposed to be an "elegant" choice, then Momoshiki would rather do without such elegance.
"Time is short. I didn't have many options. You know that. There aren't many humans on this planet who meet the criteria."
Otsutsuki Isshiki let out a small sigh, feeling bitter inside.
"Little Momo is right, Little Ichi. Are you really okay with coming back to life in a... 'castrated' body? Sure, your wife back on the homeworld got tired of waiting and remarried ages ago, but your vessel is also, well... missing a certain part. Even if you return home, you won't be able to win her back."
Urashiki, carrying a strong hunch, burst into laughter. His usual irritating tone made Isshiki let out a cold snort.
That problem? Once he ate the Chakra Fruit, it would naturally regenerate. He just needed to endure a little while. As for that unfaithful woman back on the homeworld, he'd deal with her once he got back.
What a disgusting conversation.
"This topic ends here, Urashiki."
Momoshiki shot Urashiki a cold glare. He hated being called "Little Momo," but this idiot treated all his warnings like they were nothing.
Then he turned to Isshiki.
"If this 'Sun God Seal' you're talking about isn't as terrifying as you claim, I'll kill you myself."
As a noble Otsutsuki, Momoshiki saw the people of the ninja world as nothing more than lowly creatures. Normally, he would've acted however he pleased, but Isshiki had repeatedly urged him to stay calm and assess the power of the Sun God Seal before making a move.
His patience was limited. If he didn't see results that satisfied him, he wouldn't mind taking one less person into account when sharing the Chakra Fruit.
In truth, Uchiha Itachi's analysis wasn't far off.
After summoning Momoshiki and the other two, Otsutsuki Isshiki immediately revealed his plan.
He chose the Land of Waves, a small island nation, as the starting point. The goal was to take control of the area and attract outsiders to investigate. Then, according to the laws of the Sun God Alliance, any unusual situation in the Land of Waves would surely prompt the Sun God Guards to come and investigate.
Isshiki's plan was simple: once they arrived, he and his allies would strike together, aiming to capture some individuals who bore the Sun God Seal and seal them away for further research at Kara's base.
To ensure the plan went smoothly, he even made use of a certain mole within their organization, offering him a way to join the inner circle and luring him to the Land of Waves as bait.
Yes, Isshiki had known for a long time that Itachi had manipulated an outer-ring scientist to get himself into the organization. He had been keeping an eye on him ever since, waiting for the right moment to act. The Otsutsuki clan's sensitivity to chakra was beyond doubt. The Rinnegan was, after all, an advanced form of the Sharingan, and after years of dealing with Rinnegan-based techniques, there was no way Isshiki hadn't noticed Itachi's actions.
He had already factored in Itachi's secret information leaks to the village. However, contrary to Itachi's expectations, Isshiki believed that if Itachi hadn't passed on the intel, the Sun God Kingdom might not have taken the situation in the Land of Waves seriously. But now that Kara was involved, the Sun God Kingdom would definitely send a patrol squad to investigate.
It was all just a reverse deduction.
Ever since Hyuga Hitoshi had silently appeared behind him last time, Isshiki had realized that the man was beyond his ability to handle. Even if he fully resurrected using Obito's body, he wasn't confident he could defeat him.
People like that—when they knew they were being schemed against—wouldn't wait for the right moment to strike like Itachi believed. No, the Sun God Kingdom's warriors were far too arrogant for that. They would charge straight in, head-on, without hesitation.
This was Isshiki's reasoning and calculation.
He wanted to understand his enemy completely and secure victory. He wanted to analyze the source of their power.
If it were just him alone, he wouldn't dare provoke those with the Sun God Seal. But now that he had three allies, he was much more confident. As long as they captured a Sun God Seal wielder and studied their power, everything would become much easier. It was worth taking the risk.
"Just be patient and wait. Like I said before, since I invited you here to help, I'm prepared. The deal remains unchanged."
Otsutsuki Isshiki spoke calmly.
Neither Momoshiki nor Urashiki would act without something in return. What they wanted was obvious—the Ten Tails. But before the Ten Tails could grow into a Divine Tree, an Otsutsuki had to be sacrificed. Isshiki's offer was simple: he would serve as the sacrifice, and in return, when the Divine Tree bore its fruit a thousand years later, they would share it.
Besides, with Obito's mark, he could revive himself anyway. The only cost was... well, losing that part again. But since his wife had already remarried, it didn't matter.
"Interesting. Now I'm even more curious to see what kind of lowly creature managed to push you to this point."
Otsutsuki Momoshiki smirked. He knew Isshiki well. If he hadn't been truly shaken, there was no way he would be so cautious when dealing with a bunch of so-called "inferior beings."
It seemed Earthlings were more capable than he had expected. This might not be boring after all.
The Otsutsuki clan had existed for countless generations, draining the life from countless planets. They had encountered resistance before, but none had ever succeeded in overthrowing them. The clan had spread across the universe, with individual members ruling over entire planets. Some even played the role of "Moon Gods," experimenting with knockoff versions of the Chakra Fruit and trying new methods of power cultivation.
But in the end, none of them had ever challenged the Otsutsuki's rule.
There was no way a bunch of Earthlings could change that.
While the Otsutsuki were making their move, Uchiha Itachi, unaware, had once again become a pawn in their plans.
At the same time, Jiraiya had delivered his intel back to Konohagakure.
Inside the Hokage's office.
Fugaku, holding a long pipe, scanned Jiraiya from head to toe with a complicated expression.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, felt incredibly awkward standing there, staring at Fugaku, who had specifically grown a goatee.
The reason?
Looking at Fugaku now, everything from his posture to his habits was starting to resemble his old teacher.
But unlike his teacher, Fugaku hadn't turned against his own people. Instead, he had been managing the village exceptionally well. Seeing how fast Konoha had developed, Jiraiya couldn't help but respect him.
For the first time, he sincerely called him "Hokage-sama."
He had even heard that, all these years later, Fugaku still insisted on holding the Uchiha beauty contest and remained just as devoted as ever to licking the boots of the Sun God's Crown.
"Honestly, this intel is important."
Fugaku took a drag from his pipe and gestured for Jiraiya to sit down.
"But regarding the Kara organization, Hitoshi said he has his own plan. Also—"
Fugaku sighed slightly as he recalled the source of this information.
"Although Itachi is undercover in that organization for the sake of the ninja world and the village, he clearly overestimated himself again, thinking the burden of saving the ninja world is still on him."
"The fact that he's able to stay undercover there and even be assigned to participate in the ninja world tournament is already suspicious."
Being from the Uchiha clan, a former heir of the clan, and once a genius of Konohagakure, it was already incredible that he managed to join that organization despite being exiled.
And now he's even able to pass information back while signing up for the tournament? Do they really think their leader is a fool?
"You mean Itachi is being used? That they deliberately leaked the situation in the Land of Waves, using Itachi to confirm it, drawing our attention so we'd send more people to investigate?"
Jiraiya was sharp. Even though he had spent years wandering among women, analyzing intelligence was second nature to a ninja.
"Yeah, something like that. It's possible Itachi is already exposed, but he doesn't even realize it."
In short, Senju Itachi was played for a fool again.
Fugaku's expression darkened. He knocked on the table, and the secretary waiting at the door quickly stepped in.
"Where's Sasuke? Has he already left?"
Lately, Fugaku had been busy with the tournament preparations and didn't have much time to train Sasuke. Fortunately, the kid was independent and didn't cause trouble like Itachi always did. He was aware that Team 7 had taken on an unknown-level investigation mission in the Land of Waves.
"He just left, but he should still be catchable."
The secretary reported truthfully.
"He left from Hitoshi's place, right?"
After thinking for a moment, Fugaku asked again.
"Yes, someone saw him using the teleportation power of the Sun God Seal."
The secretary recalled.
"Then it shouldn't be a problem. My brother must think this trip isn't dangerous, so there's no need to worry."
Fugaku let out a breath of relief, but then he turned back to Jiraiya.
"As for Itachi being undercover in that organization, Tobirama mentioned it to me before. I'll contact him directly to remind him."
That was the right move.
Jiraiya nodded in understanding. With business done, he got up to leave. Konohagakure didn't need him for anything at the moment, so he was happy to take it easy. Now that he no longer held a grudge against the Uchiha, he found Fugaku had quite a few good qualities. He even thought they could become friends.
"Alright, my job here is done. Let's grab a drink sometime."
Once, they had been rivals, but now they could sit down and drink together. This change made Fugaku feel relieved, so he didn't brush it off. He set a time, then got back to work.
At the same time, Kakashi led Team 7 on their journey to the Land of Waves, officially beginning a mission that had nothing to do with the original story.
Sasuke, however, had no idea. After stopping by the Sun God Kingdom to meet his father and receiving his foolish brother's intelligence report, he unknowingly picked up a few tails following behind his team.
Things took an even more unexpected turn when Tobirama and Hashirama, after receiving the intel, ran into Uchiha Madara—who had been shadowing Team 7—leading to an incredibly awkward moment.
"Madara, so this is why you ditched your construction project? Turns out you came here to babysit the kids on vacation!"
Unlike his somewhat tense younger brother, Hashirama casually slung an arm around Madara's shoulder, greeting him with a grin.
"This is not a vacation."
Madara said calmly. Unlike when he had been resurrected with Edo Tensei, he had no intention of fighting Hashirama this time. He simply wanted to see his "little brother's" growth with his own eyes.
"Oh, come on. Just a bunch of cowards hiding in the shadows. No need to take it so seriously."
Hashirama patted Madara's shoulder and handed him a gourd of sake, then pointed toward a small stream in the distance.
"Come on, let Tobirama handle the tracking. He's here to save his little undercover agent anyway. Let's go have a drink over there. He can do all the work."
Without waiting for Madara's response, Hashirama grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him along while chatting away, his eyes full of nostalgia.
"Man, remember when we were kids? We used to see who could pee the farthest by the river. Hey, Madara, do you still get your pants wet when there's a headwind? I remember yours wasn't even two—mmph!"
Before he could finish, an enraged Madara clamped a hand over his mouth, his face flushed with fury.
"I can totally hit the other side now!"
You think I believe that?
Hashirama chuckled, giving Madara a knowing glance before eyeing his loincloth with amusement.
That was the last straw. Madara exploded. He yanked Hashirama along, stomping toward the stream while untying his belt, ready to prove his point.
These two idiots...
Tobirama, completely ignored, stood in silence for a long moment. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he held back—whatever he was about to say probably wouldn't have been appropriate.
Shaking his head, he left a signal on the ground before sighing and continuing to track Team 7.
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