Gradually Transforming into the Appearance of Menma
After realizing that Zabuza Momochi and Mangetsu Hōzuki had arrived on the island of their own accord, Naruto left the administrative building of Uzushio Village. He entrusted its affairs to Homon and Shisui Uchiha, giving them full authority to manage the village's internal matters.
After all, he still had to train—spending most of his time dealing with governance was out of the question.
As long as he became strong enough, he could steer Uzushio Village's future direction and adjust based on real-world conditions. Regardless of how outdated his own ideas seemed, they were still more progressive than those of the Five Great Nations.
Soon, Naruto reached the highest point of Uzushio Village, gazing at the settlement below, lost in thought.
The former Uzumaki clan patriarch had always claimed Naruto lacked talent in fūinjutsu. However, judging by how effortlessly he sealed Mangetsu Hōzuki, it was clear he possessed the strength of an elite jōnin purely through sealing techniques.
It was evident the old patriarch had either deceived him or simply refused to acknowledge that Naruto's talent surpassed his own.
Naruto was well-versed in handling such stubborn elders, but the patriarch was long dead. There was no reason to dwell on the past or be sentimental about the turbulent ninja world.
The patriarch's only lingering obsession had likely been the revival of the Uzumaki clan.
From this perspective, Naruto felt little connection to him. He wasn't Uchiha Itachi—he lacked the resolve to sacrifice himself for a cause. Unlike Itachi, he had no intention of self-destruction or leading a life devoid of heirs.
After venting his frustrations, Naruto felt lighter. His gaze shifted toward Kirigakure, contemplating the village's future strategies.
Economic development posed no real issue—the Land of Whirlpools was already a key trading hub. However, its dominant position had been usurped by the Land of Waves. Regaining control would be relatively straightforward.
The real challenge lay in recruiting skilled personnel, which meant relying on Konoha and Kirigakure.
Konoha had recently absorbed a wave of Uchiha refugees, requiring time to stabilize. That left Kirigakure as the primary target—particularly since the village housed the Three-Tails and Six-Tails.
Kurama had once hinted that if Naruto got close to the other tailed beasts, he could potentially harness their chakra for himself. Theoretically, they found him more tolerable than most jinchūriki.
Naruto suspected Kurama's sudden interest stemmed from witnessing White Zetsu's existence. Yet, out of sheer pride, the fox refused to voice its concerns.
For Kurama, being sealed inside a jinchūriki was a temporary prison at worst. But if the Ten-Tails were revived, the tailed beasts would be devoured, their very consciousness erased.
Naruto respected Kurama's secrecy—though he already knew the fox's greatest fears.
He even knew how Kurama instinctively positioned its tails when it slept.
Naturally, he had no objections to strengthening himself with Nine-Tails' chakra. No one would refuse greater power.
However, establishing contact with the Three-Tails and Six-Tails posed a major risk.
Any attempt to reach the tailed beasts would likely attract the attention of Obito Uchiha and Nagato. Fighting either alone was difficult enough—facing both together would be suicidal.
His strength was still lacking; he had yet to reach the super-kage level.
Just then, a notification rang in his mind.
"Shisui's favorability toward you has reached 'trust.' You have gained experience in using the Sharingan. This is a gift from Shisui, who should have perished, to the great Master Menma!"
Naruto received a reward from the favorability system. As always, the system's rewards felt underwhelming—this time, it was simply Shisui's training memories related to the Sharingan.
Given that Shisui was already under his command, obtaining such knowledge firsthand would have been easy.
Still, Naruto appreciated the title "Great Master Menma." It had a nice ring to it.
He created shadow clones to stand guard, then activated the Sharingan experience reward. A flood of training memories surged into his mind, flashing like a disjointed slideshow.
Hours later, Naruto reopened his eyes. His Sharingan activated involuntarily.
Shisui's memories had nearly overwhelmed him. Fortunately, he adapted, and Kotoamatsukami's rejection of him had diminished significantly. He could now deactivate the Sharingan at will.
However, since his mismatched eye colors were too conspicuous, he still needed to wear colored contact lenses in public.
Reflecting on his situation, Naruto began analyzing the mechanics behind the favorability system's rewards.
Initially, he assumed the system was based purely on emotional bonds. But now, it seemed more like a measure of recognition.
High favorability alone wasn't enough—he had to align with the other person's expectations and embody their ideals.
Additionally, Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) didn't appear to be part of this system. The same uncertainty applied to chakra projections.
After all, the old patriarch of the Uzumaki clan likely held him in high regard.
As for Namikaze Minato… that was a different matter. Homon, in particular, remained skeptical of Naruto's leadership. If time permitted, perhaps he could have the old patriarch persuade Homon and assign him the duty of reviving the Uzumaki clan.
---
Inside the Mizukage Building
As always, Obito Uchiha played his role to perfection. He had the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, draft another absurd decree before personally stamping it with the Mizukage's seal. The document was then handed off to a waiting member of Kirigakure's Anbu.
The Anbu agent accepted it solemnly and exited the chamber, casting a final glance at Yagura before leaving.
He couldn't comprehend why Mizukage-sama secluded himself. The village was in turmoil, yet he refused to assert control, acting more like a puppet than a leader.
However, the Anbu quickly dismissed this blasphemous thought.
Kirigakure revered strength, and Yagura—once the strongest ninja in the village—couldn't possibly be a puppet. Otherwise, Kirigakure would become a laughingstock.
Obito observed the Anbu's reaction but paid it no mind.
To him, Kirigakure was nothing more than a breeding ground for rogue shinobi. The more chaotic it became, the better it served Akatsuki's interests.
In this regard, Obito was an exemplary member of the Akatsuki—relentlessly advancing the Moon's Eye Plan.
Just then, another report arrived.
Kisame Hoshigaki, the Anbu captain, had failed in his assassination attempt on the Daimyō of the Land of Water and subsequently defected from Kirigakure.
For a shinobi, assassinating the Mizukage was one thing—but targeting the feudal lord was akin to betraying the entire economic foundation of the ninja world. Without hesitation, Kirigakure's leadership branded Kisame an S-rank missing-nin.
Obito wasn't surprised.
He had orchestrated the assassination attempt himself, ensuring Kisame's inevitable defection. Soon, Kisame would "accidentally" cross paths with Akatsuki, and the recruitment would proceed as planned.
After dismissing his subordinates, Obito pondered which Kirigakure jōnin to lure next.
Zabuza Momochi and Mangetsu Hōzuki were excellent candidates. However, Mangetsu's lineage—descended from the Second Mizukage—complicated matters. His family still held deep political influence in Kirigakure.
Suddenly, Obito sensed a familiar chakra approaching.
A uniquely patterned White Zetsu emerged from the ground, expressionless.
"Lord Madara, Zabuza and Mangetsu have vanished. They left Kirigakure."
Obito's eyes narrowed.
"They defected? Where did they go?"
White Zetsu paused before answering,
"The last trace of their presence was in the Land of Whirlpools. Since then, they've disappeared…"
"The Land of Whirlpools? Did the Uchiha there capture them?"
Obito's expression darkened.
He had dismissed Shisui's faction in Uzushio Village as irrelevant.
Now, it seemed he had underestimated them.
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