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Gensou extended his right hand, palm facing upward.
Under the power of Yin-Yang Release, a small pitch-black sphere, about the size of a ping-pong ball, appeared in his hand, different from the black rods he had created before.
The first step, using Yin-Yang Release to create the form, was complete.
The second step was to infuse the black sphere with the high-density chakra of the seven attributes: Yin, Yang, Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Lightning.
With a thought, Gensou directed the chakras of all seven attributes into the sphere created by the Yin-Yang Release.
This was no easy task.
It required an incredibly deep understanding and mastery of the nature transformations of all seven chakra attributes, to bring them together peacefully without triggering the inherent instability caused by their conflicting natures.
Even for an expert like Gensou, this step took considerable time and intense focus. He dared not be distracted for even a moment.
Despite his efforts, only a few seconds after completing the second step, the black sphere, now infused with the seven chakra attributes, became highly unstable.
After a brief tremor, the sphere suddenly exploded.
A deafening roar echoed through the room.
The seemingly small black sphere unleashed power equivalent to an S-rank jutsu in that instant.
Prepared for this outcome, Gensou pressed his hand down, using Dark Release to absorb the entire force of the explosion.
Afterward, aside from the papers on the desk being blown around by the residual shockwave, everything in the laboratory remained untouched.
"Still not working, huh?" Gensou sighed softly.
What he had just attempted was the creation of a special jutsu known as the "Truth-Seeking Ball."
The Truth-Seeking Balls were the black, floating orbs that automatically hovered behind those who had reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
They could take the form of black spheres or freely change into various weapons for the user's use.
Because they contained the full power of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, the Truth-Seeking Balls could easily surpass the power of both Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta.
It's important to note that Truth-Seeking Balls were not part of the Kekkei Mōra, but were instead categorized as "ninjutsu" in the Book of Formations.
While those who ascended to the Sage of Six Paths level would naturally generate Truth-Seeking Balls, it was also theoretically possible to create them through the mastery of all seven chakra attributes.
For example, the young Hagoromo and Hamura were able to create Truth-Seeking Balls.
But in the entire shinobi world, only these two had ever been able to create them.
Up until the conclusion of Shippuden, no one else had even touched upon this domain.
Gensou's recent attempt had ended in failure as well.
However, compared to others in the shinobi world who hadn't even come close, Gensou, who had mastered Yin-Yang Release and had deep knowledge of the seven chakra attributes, was the closest to succeeding.
"The fusion of the seven chakra attributes is still somewhat unrefined. My understanding of the Yin and Yang attributes is also lacking. Fortunately, these are flaws that I can identify and address," Gensou reflected.
With more time and experiments, he was confident he would eventually become the only person in the current shinobi world to master the Truth-Seeking Balls.
When that time came, his power would reach new heights.
"Right, the black sphere structure used in the storage phase of the Wrathful Heaven Forbidden Technique, which balances chakra and natural energy, might offer some insights. I should see if it can be applied to the Truth-Seeking Balls."
"The Mangekyō Sharingan has been very effective in studying the nature transformation of Yin chakra, so I need to continue that work. I shouldn't neglect Yang Release either. Perhaps I should consider researching Hashirama's cells..."
"After my journey to the Land of Fire, I've gained many new insights into senjutsu. It's time to make some real progress on that front."
Time!
What Gensou needed most now was time—plenty of it.
When the Warring States period ended and the ninja villages were first established, if the Five Kage hadn't acted so quickly and given him more time to grow, the outcome at the Valley of the End would have been different.
In a true sense, Gensou was only twenty-five years old, in the prime of a ninja's career, not even at his full peak yet.
Having learned from the defeat at the Valley of the End, Gensou, now living his second life, understood one crucial thing.
Power struggles, ideals, and revenge were not his most urgent concerns.
What he truly needed was time.
Unlike other ninjas, whose progress would eventually plateau, his own potential had no limits. As long as he continued to methodically complete his training, everything would eventually fall under his control without him needing to deal with other distractions.
So, after a brief excursion to secure certain items and divert the attention of Konoha and the shinobi world away from the Land of Keys to avoid unnecessary trouble, Gensou entrusted the matters of Jōmae Village and the Hagoromo Clan to the elders and other subordinates, focusing entirely on his own training.
However, this peace and progress didn't last long.
In the middle of his latest attempt to create a Truth-Seeking Ball, Gensou suddenly stopped. His gaze shifted to the Mangekyō Sharingan soaking in a container nearby.
In that instant, he had sharply sensed an unusual fluctuation from the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With his vast knowledge, Gensou was certain there was no trick left within the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Unless...
A thought occurred to him, and his expression changed.
He gestured, and a fully recovered clone appeared before him.
Following Gensou's instructions, the clone removed the white spiral mask from its face, took the Mangekyō Sharingan from the container, and inserted it into its right eye socket. The black, blade-shaped Mangekyō Sharingan quickly spun to life.
"I've found the source of the fluctuation," the clone said, its gaze piercing through walls and obstacles, focusing on a specific direction.
It could sense the presence of someone closely related to the Mangekyō Sharingan in its right eye, who was rapidly approaching.
"So, that's the other Mangekyō Sharingan of Shisui?" Gensou quickly deduced.
Although he hadn't anticipated the strong connection between the two Mangekyō Sharingan, he wasn't entirely surprised. After all, when Uchiha Obito's Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō, Kakashi's Sharingan had evolved in tandem.
"Interesting," Gensou remarked calmly, not about the Mangekyō Sharingan itself, but about the person wielding it.
Judging by their pace, they were clearly tracking him.
This was unexpected.
In that case, it was worth meeting them.
Gensou glanced at the clone, which had reinserted the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The clone then moved, disappearing from the laboratory in an instant.
(End of Chapter)
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Ding ding ding~~
The wind continued to blow fiercely, turning the once gentle sound of the wind chimes into a more intense melody.
Itachi had been searching for some time.
The Kisame who had been following him had unknowingly been led away by Itachi's crow clone under the influence of his genjutsu.
Just as Kisame had learned a lot about Itachi during their time together, Itachi had also studied Kisame closely.
Under the genjutsu of Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, no matter how vigilant Kisame was, there were always moments when he would fall for it during their peaceful interactions.
This wasn't the first time Itachi had left Kisame's side.
Especially when it concerned Sasuke.
Although Itachi got along well with Kisame and the latter respected him, Itachi had long suspected that Kisame was placed by his side for another purpose.
There were some things better left unknown to him.
Itachi glanced at the crow perched on his left shoulder.
In its left eye socket was also the black, blade-shaped Mangekyō Sharingan—Shisui's other Mangekyō Sharingan.
Before Shisui had jumped off the cliff to his death, he had entrusted this eye to Itachi.
The two Mangekyō Sharingan from the same person shared a hidden connection.
Using this connection and his own Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi had set out to search.
Unlike his initial decision to let Sasuke follow Gensou without interference, Itachi had grown uneasy upon learning that Sasuke was drifting further away from Konoha and that Gensou possessed another Mangekyō Sharingan with the same ability, "Kotoamatsukami."
No matter how others viewed him, Itachi's seemingly cold exterior hid deep, genuine feelings for Sasuke and Konoha.
Even if these feelings were expressed in ways that others found unbelievable and difficult to accept.
But for Itachi, both Sasuke and Konoha held extremely important places in his heart.
It was one thing for Sasuke to seek power from Gensou, but now he was in severe conflict with Konoha, a situation that seemed irreconcilable—something Itachi could not ignore.
Just as in the original story, where he left the crow with Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan inside Naruto, to use "Kotoamatsukami" to turn Sasuke back to protecting Konoha if he continued on a destructive path, Itachi now felt compelled to act.
If possible, Itachi did not want to use "Kotoamatsukami" to alter his younger brother's mind.
But just because he didn't want to, didn't mean others wouldn't.
Given that Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan was capable of "Kotoamatsukami," Itachi knew its potential very well.
Therefore, for Sasuke and for Konoha, he had to investigate personally and decide what to do next.
Time passed swiftly.
Following the faint connection between Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi sped through the vast interior of the Land of Fire, heading towards the unknown.
Suddenly, he halted and lifted his gaze, looking towards the horizon.
"I've been found."
Itachi calmly acknowledged the reality.
Just as he could track them through the hidden connection between the Mangekyō Sharingan, the other party could trace him back as well.
It seemed they didn't want him to find their base and had come to meet him instead.
Itachi decided not to waste any effort and waited quietly where he was.
Within less than a minute, a sound of something cutting through the air approached and stopped in front of Itachi.
"Uchiha Itachi."
A man wearing a blue Uchiha robe and a white spiral mask appeared before Itachi. Glancing briefly at Itachi's black cloak with red clouds, he spoke in a low tone, "You've got some nerve."
Itachi looked at the newcomer.
He matched the description of the person said to be by Sasuke's side.
Moreover, Itachi noticed that the crow on his shoulder, with Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan in its left eye, was staring directly at the man's mask.
As expected, the Mangekyō Sharingan this person had was indeed Shisui's other eye.
Just as Itachi had suspected.
With a stoic expression, Itachi asked, "So, are you Hagoromo Gensou? Or one of the survivors who left the village back then?"
"Survivors?"
Gensou didn't answer Itachi's question, but instead responded with surprise, "It seems you know quite a lot."
The "survivors" clearly referred to Izumi and the others.
Gensou had assumed Itachi was unaware of this.
But now it seemed that Itachi had known for a long time.
Indeed, Itachi had suspected that some Uchiha clan members had been secretly taken away from Konoha.
After all, the number of death certificates issued within the clan during those years was slightly higher than usual, especially when one of them was someone Itachi knew very well—Uchiha Izumi.
The reason Itachi hadn't killed them all back then wasn't out of kindness, but because those people had essentially severed their ties with Konoha.
Since they were no longer part of Konoha, and the higher-ups hadn't objected, there was no need to wield the blade.
Ignoring those people could be considered Itachi's way of preserving a final remnant of the Uchiha, even if it wasn't under Konoha's banner.
However, looking at things now, that small act of mercy had left him with considerable trouble.
Itachi looked at the man again.
Because of the mask blocking his view and the altered voice, he couldn't discern the man's expression.
If this person was indeed one of those survivors, it meant they had all allied with Hagoromo Gensou.
Sasuke was now with them as well.
No wonder Sasuke's attitude towards Konoha had changed so drastically.
Itachi's gaze lowered slightly.
Things were progressing in the direction he had least wanted.
"Do you regret not killing those survivors back then?" Gensou, noticing Itachi's change in expression, asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Just a bunch of deserters, no longer worthy of my concern," Itachi replied coldly as he removed the hat from his head.
"But as for you, you are now worthy."
Itachi raised his eyes, and the three-tomoe Sharingan spun, instantly evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan, as he coldly declared, "I'm taking that Mangekyō Sharingan from you!"
Whether it was to change Sasuke's mind or for the sake of Konoha, Itachi couldn't allow the "Kotoamatsukami" ability to remain in the hands of the person before him—Hagoromo Gensou or otherwise.
Itachi had already made up his mind to reclaim Shisui's other eye and extract any necessary information from this man.
Coincidentally, seeing Itachi come to him, Gensou also decided to collect both of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan.
"It's time for the sinner of the Uchiha clan to atone for his sins."
(End of Chapter)
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