Yamato (Tenzō) stepped through the flowerbed, crushing the last remaining blossoms underfoot, leaving clear imprints in the soft soil.
He entered the now-empty cat dwelling.
Inside, only a few worn straw mats remained, along with several empty clay jars and a few stray tufts of cat fur scattered in the corners.
“Wood Release: Root Reconnaissance.”
Forming hand seals, he crouched and pressed his palm to the ground.
Countless fine wooden roots spread outward from his hand, writhing like living things as they burrowed underground, extending in all directions.
They pierced through foundations, probed into storage rooms, climbed along beams—scanning every inch of the structure, inside and out.
After a while, as his chakra faded, the roots dissolved.
Tenzō stood up, dusted off his hands, and walked outside.
At the village entrance, the Root forces had already assembled.
“Report, Danzo-sama.”
Tenzō approached Danzo Shimura and knelt on one knee.
“According to Wood Release detection, the entire village has been evacuated.
No valuable items remain.
Estimated evacuation time: three to five hours ago.”
“Danzo-sama.”
At nearly the same moment, Aburame Ryoma stepped forward.
A faint black haze hovered around him—on closer inspection, it was a swarm of kikaichū insects.
“The insects have locked onto residual scent and chakra traces.
Direction: northwest.”
“Northwest…”
Danzo unfurled a map of the shinobi world, his finger sliding from Konoha’s position toward the northwest.
“The Land of Smoke… the Land of Frost…”
After the Third Shinobi War, the Five Great Nations had signed agreements dividing spheres of influence.
Konoha stationed forces in the Land of Smoke and the Land of Hot Water.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure maintained troops in the neighboring Land of Frost.
It was a delicate balance.
“They’re trying to pass through the Land of Smoke… and enter Kumogakure territory in the Land of Frost.”
Danzo’s eyes narrowed.
“Once they cross into Kumogakure’s domain, we can’t openly pursue them.
Those brutes have always coveted the Sharingan.”
He turned to Yamanaka Fū.
“Use the mobile transmitter.
Contact the Konoha commander stationed in the Land of Smoke.”
“Order them—”
“First, increase border patrols.
Prevent Kumogakure from crossing over to assist.”
“Second, establish a blockade within the Land of Smoke.
Stop the Uchiha remnants from crossing.
If targets are spotted—intercept by any means necessary.
Dead or alive.”
Then he turned again.
“Aburame Torune, stay behind to protect Yamanaka Fū until the message is delivered.
Then regroup with the main force.”
“The rest of you—move out!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Root forces surged through the forest.
At their speed, the trees on both sides blurred and fell away.
Then—
As they broke through the forest’s edge—
A vast crimson river appeared before them, stretching endlessly across the horizon.
“The Red River…”
Danzo halted, narrowing his lone eye.
As Konoha’s intelligence chief, he knew the geography of the shinobi world intimately.
This river originated in the Amegakure region.
Moist sea winds swept northward, passing through narrow nations and gathering over the Land of Rain, forming endless rainfall.
Streams converged along the borders of the Land of Fire, eventually merging into this massive river.
It flowed through the Land of Fire, passed the Land of Hot Water, and emptied into the northern sea.
Its crimson color came from iron-rich algae growing along its mid and lower reaches—staining the entire river blood-red.
“Report, Danzo-sama.
The trail disappears here.”
Ryoma stood at the riverbank, his expression grim.
“…As expected.”
Danzo stared at the flowing water.
Fugaku’s intention was obvious—use the river to erase scent and tracks.
But it was pointless.
Because Konoha forces were also stationed in the Land of Hot Water.
Combined with those in the Land of Smoke, they formed a pincer.
To Danzo, this was nothing more than the desperate struggle of the Uchiha remnants.
“The main force will rest here.”
“Inuzuka Ryoma—take your teams and search along the river.
Fugaku is moving with over three hundred people.
Even underground, they need food, water, air.
As long as they move—they’ll leave traces.”
“Yamanaka Fū, send another message to the Land of Hot Water forces.
Increase vigilance.
Pay special attention to caves near the border—they may try to infiltrate the Land of Frost through underground routes.”
Meanwhile—
In the Land of Hot Water.
Inside a natural underground cavern.
The cavern was vast—large enough to house hundreds.
Under the glow of campfires, stalactites reflected dim yellow light.
Scattered across the ground were steaming hot springs, their mist rising into the air.
More than three hundred Uchiha had settled here temporarily.
On a raised ledge—
Uchiha Fugaku stood, looking down at the crowd.
Most of them soaked in the hot springs.
The water masked their scent, preventing tracking—and soothed both body and mind.
Especially the elderly and the weak.
Though Fugaku’s clones had carried them the entire way, the journey had still been exhausting.
Only the naturally strong constitution of the Uchiha had allowed them to endure it—ordinary people would’ve collapsed long ago.
“Fugaku… are you alright?”
Uchiha Mikoto asked softly.
Along the slope, Uchiha Mikoto followed after him, coming to her husband’s side.
She wrapped her arm around his, her eyes filled with concern.
Looking at Uchiha Fugaku’s pale face, she couldn’t help recalling what had just happened—hundreds of shadow clones dispersing at once.
His body had swayed, almost collapsing.
Though he steadied himself quickly, that fleeting moment of weakness hadn’t escaped her notice.
“I’m fine.”
Fugaku smiled, tightening his grip on her hand, then raised a finger to point at his right eye.
“With this… I won’t have any problems.”
Mikoto blinked, curiosity surfacing.
“What exactly does it do?”
“You want to know?”
Fugaku glanced around.
For the moment, everything was stable.
“Come with me.”
Without waiting, he took her hand and led her down the slope, deeper into the cave.
“Grandma, isn’t Fugaku-sama afraid of the dark?
Why is he going further in?
It’s so dark there…”
From the hot spring, Tamaki watched the two figures disappear into the shadows and asked curiously.
Seated on a rock by the water, Neko Granny puffed on her pipe and smiled faintly, shaking her head.
“Afraid of the dark?
No… he probably likes it more.”
“Why?”
“When you grow up… you’ll understand.”
She didn’t elaborate, only inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
Her sense of smell, sharpened by her connection to the ninja cats, picked up things others couldn’t.
For instance—
That peculiar scent clinging to Fugaku.
Not quite a smell… more like a pheromone.
The kind only wild cats in heat would give off.
And behind such an intense signal…
Was a body overflowing with vitality.
In all her years, she had seen many shinobi, many strange bloodline abilities—but never someone whose life force was this abundant, almost spilling over.
The conclusion was simple.
Fugaku’s Mangekyō ability… was tied to life force itself.
Of course, she would never share that information.
Some knowledge… gets people killed.
Deep within the cave, Mikoto’s slightly embarrassed voice echoed faintly—
“Fugaku… have you lost your mind…”
But soon, the words faded into suppressed murmurs.
Time passed.
Eventually, everything fell quiet again.
Fugaku and Mikoto sat together in the hot spring, their bodies close.
Mikoto leaned against his chest, her cheeks flushed.
Strangely, the exhaustion from their long escape was rapidly fading.
She felt lighter—more energized.
Only her legs felt a little weak.
“So… Fugaku… what exactly is going on?”
She lifted her head, looking at his silhouette in the darkness.
As a former jōnin, she could clearly sense the changes in her body.
Fugaku gently ran his fingers through her damp hair.
“In simple terms… my right eye can generate limitless life force.”
“Life force?”
“Yes.
It constantly repairs my body.”
“The strain from reverse summoning, the mental backlash from multiple shadow clones—so long as I don’t die instantly, this life force restores me completely.”
He tapped his left eye.
“On one condition.”
“My left eye must provide enough chakra.”
“It devours energy and converts it into chakra, while the right eye consumes chakra to produce life force.”
“The two together…”
He smiled faintly.
“As long as my chakra doesn’t run dry, I’m practically immortal.”
“…I can even channel that life force into others.”
Mikoto’s face reddened again at his wording.
She turned slightly, scooping up some hot spring water to rinse her mouth before stepping out to dress.
“Of course… there’s a price.”
Fugaku’s gaze lingered briefly before he continued.
“What price?”
She turned back, worry returning to her eyes.
“One side effect… is heightened desire.”
“…You’re impossible.”
“I’m serious.”
He chuckled.
“For shinobi, that’s manageable.
Restraint is basic training.”
“The real cost…”
His tone grew more serious.
“After using my right eye twice today, I finally confirmed it.”
“This ability—Takamimusubi—gives me near-infinite life force.
It even restores my Mangekyō, meaning I don’t have to worry about blindness like normal users.”
“But…”
“That life force is too strong.
Too pure.”
“Like fire.
Like boiling oil.”
“When it reaches a certain level, it starts to ‘evaporate’ the soul.”
“You remember what we learned—the soul is essentially yin-type chakra.”
“When exposed to excessive yang-type chakra… it begins to dissipate.”
“And once it reaches a threshold—”
“It’s like a tree uprooted from the ground.”
“The soul loses its foundation… and is dragged into the Pure Land.”
Mikoto’s expression tightened.
“…The First Hokage experiments…”
“You remember?”
“Yes.
Orochimaru and Danzo’s Root.”
“Most subjects died—devoured by the First Hokage’s cells.
Even after death, those cells retained terrifying vitality.”
He exhaled softly.
“Thinking about it now… it may be the same principle.”
“Hashirama Senju might not have died from injuries… but from overwhelming life force.”
“…Then you—”
“Relax.”
Fugaku stood, stepping out of the water.
“I’ve already found a solution.”
“…With your help.”
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
He leaned closer, whispering something into her ear.
Mikoto’s face flushed even deeper.
“…Really?”
After a moment, she pushed him lightly, her gaze wavering.
“You’d better not be lying… or else…”
She raised her fist in mock threat.
“I’m not lying.”
He smiled.
“I transfer my excess yang chakra into you.
A woman’s soul naturally leans more toward yin—your spirit tempers that energy, making it stable.”
“Then I draw it back through my left eye.”
“It nourishes my soul… keeping it balanced with my body.”
“…I see…”
Mikoto nodded slowly.
Combined with what she had just experienced, she could tell he wasn’t lying.
After a moment’s hesitation, she bit her lip—
Then turned around, placing her hands against the wall.
“…Then…”
“…Treat yourself again.”
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