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Chapter 198: Chapter 198

The desire for the Sharingan was not exclusive to Orochimaru.

Another old classmate of Orochimaru, who was also a scientist and viewed Gensou as his idol since childhood, had made it his life goal to become someone like him.

This rogue ninja, formerly of Konoha, had been fascinated with the various Kekkei Genkai and aspired to collect them as Gensou did.

In the mountains on the border between the Lands of Earth and Grass, Hiruko was conducting experiments on synthetic creatures on his operating table.

When he heard reports from his subordinates regarding the explosive news from the outside world, his bloodstained hands trembled as he gripped the shoulder of the messenger, his eyes burning with intensity as he demanded the information be repeated.

His subordinate complied and detailed the events once again.

After listening, Hiruko's mood visibly improved as he remarked, "I thought the only remaining Sharingan users were Kakashi, Sasuke, and Itachi. Who would have thought so many more would suddenly emerge? What a pleasant surprise."

To complete his Chimera Technique, Hiruko had selected five specific Kekkei Genkai, one of which was the Sharingan. He had secretly implanted a puppet technique on young Kakashi and had been targeting him ever since.

The reason he hadn't gone after the two true Uchiha was simple.

Itachi, who had wiped out his entire clan, was a terrifying force. Hiruko didn't dare provoke him.

As for Sasuke, Hiruko had considered it, but two years ago, Sasuke had aligned himself with Gensou.

And there was no way he was going to cross his childhood idol.

It's always best to pick the weakest target, and Kakashi was the softest option available.

But now, Hiruko had plenty more options.

Although these new Uchiha had also joined Gensou's faction, Gensou couldn't possibly protect all of them at once.

Hiruko could take one, relieve his idol of some of the burden—what more could a dedicated fan do?

"Just thinking about it makes me so happy!"

With so many fresh candidates, Hiruko's excitement grew as he resolved to accelerate the progress of his Chimera Technique.

Once he perfected it, he would proudly present his work to Gensou, hoping for his admiration. And if, by some chance, he could absorb Gensou himself into the Chimera, it would be the ultimate form of success.

Not everyone was as ambitious in their pursuit of the Sharingan.

Those without Uchiha blood who transplanted the Sharingan couldn't deactivate it, meaning their chakra was constantly being drained.

Even a genius like Kakashi, after implanting a single Sharingan, had to adjust his fighting style, becoming the infamous "50-50" Kakashi, with his limited chakra capacity becoming a unit of measurement.

For others, the cost was even greater.

In contrast, the Byakugan, which stood on par with the Sharingan, had no such limitations. Anyone could implant it and use it freely, just like the members of the Hyuga Clan.

It was because of this difference that the Hyuga Clan developed the Caged Bird Seal and divided the clan into the Main and Branch families, a practice that continues to this day.

That said...

While Orochimaru and Hiruko were focused on obtaining the Sharingan itself, most of the shinobi world's factions were more concerned with the growing power behind it: the influence of Gensou.

"Three Mangekyou Sharingan, twelve Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the long-hidden strength of the Hagoromo Clan... The combination of Uchiha and Hagoromo is now reminiscent of the days when the Uchiha and Senju jointly founded Konoha. Without realizing it, Gensou's power has grown this immense," said Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, frowning as he reviewed intelligence reports from Konoha in his office.

After the Five Kage Summit, they had all agreed, in appearance, to unite against Gensou. But in reality, Ōnoki—and likely others—had privately entertained the idea of forming secret alliances with Gensou to use him to their own advantage.

However, they had never found Gensou's whereabouts and had thus remained inactive.

Until now...

"This situation makes that impossible now," Ōnoki muttered, shaking his head.

If it were just Gensou alone, it wouldn't be a problem, no matter how powerful he was. He could not destabilize the rule of the hidden villages.

But now, with the combined might of both the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans, Gensou's forces were nearly as powerful as a Great Shinobi Village on their own.

When wolves get hungry, they want meat—not grass.

And the ninja under Gensou's command were hungry wolves, wielding immense power, who had once been cast aside and were now seeking to reclaim their place.

But the amount of meat on the table had always remained the same, and the people seated there had long since established a system of mutual benefit. There was no room for a disruptive outsider with a voracious appetite to join them.

To secretly align with Gensou now would be like inviting a wolf into the fold.

Having made up his mind, Ōnoki declared, "It's time to expand the jurisdiction and personnel of the joint investigation department. We can no longer operate in a fragmented manner like before. And we need to go all out!"

The Iwagakure forces quickly took action.

Meanwhile, Kirigakure, despite keeping a close eye on Gensou, had been slower to react to events on the continent due to their overseas location.

But just as they began to consider taking action, news of the Six-Tails Jinchuriki's defection shifted their focus, forcing them to urgently dispatch a team to retrieve him.

The Three-Tails had still not been recaptured, leaving only the Six-Tails to safeguard Kirigakure.

Given that Jinchuriki often served as decisive tools in times of war, Kirigakure couldn't afford to lose the Six-Tails.

Coincidentally, there had been a near-disaster in Kumogakure involving the Eight-Tails.

However, it wasn't due to defection. Instead, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, had attempted to slip away from the village to travel and perfect his musical skills.

It had been a close call.

The only reason Bee hadn't succeeded was that the Fourth Raikage, A, had just finished a two-year training regimen of intense study of various secret techniques from across the shinobi world. During a break, A had sought out his "brother" Bee for some bonding time, only to discover Bee sneaking off.

After a long chase, Killer Bee received a powerful lesson in sibling love from his brother's iron fists.

Following this, A locked Bee in Kumogakure's Thunder Valley to force him to reflect and train.

As for A himself, he returned to the Raikage's office, where intelligence from Konoha and a letter from Ōnoki had been gathering dust.

"Uchiha and Hagoromo..."

A scanned the Konoha intelligence reports and showed no outward reaction.

Unlike others, he had been wary of Gensou from the beginning.

Although he was somewhat surprised by the Uchiha's resurgence, he wasn't shocked. He had always suspected this day would come.

A then opened Ōnoki's letter and quickly skimmed through it. He snorted derisively, muttering:

"You were quiet earlier, and now you're trying to act. That old man Ōnoki always waits until things are slipping out of his control before scrambling to fix them."

Still, despite his irritation, A had no choice but to cooperate under the current circumstances.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages could fight among themselves all they wanted.

But they would never allow an outsider to take the spoils.

That had been true in the past, and it was still true now.

(End of Chapter)

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Chapter 199: Chapter 199

As the tides of conflict shifted, the shinobi villages of Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha, as well as Sunagakure, which had come to follow Konoha's lead, all began to take action in response to the growing threat of Gensou.

Naturally, the Akatsuki, ever watchful of the Great Nations, took note of these movements.

High atop the tower in Amegakure, hidden by a veil of rain, Pain gazed down upon the blurry village below. His expression was as indifferent as always.

"I can sense the coming of war," he muttered.

Beside him, Konan stood quietly and asked, "A war between the Five Great Nations and Gensou?"

"The major nations, who consider themselves the center of the world, will never peacefully relinquish their positions. They will continue to inflict the pain they've dealt to others upon any challenger, until those challengers kneel in agony and beg for mercy. It has always been this way," Pain coldly explained.

Amegakure had experienced this same pain long ago.

The once-mighty Hanzō of the Salamander had fought against the likes of Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure to free his country from being a battlefield for the major nations.

But in the end, even a "demigod" like Hanzō could not alter the will of the Great Nations.

The Five Great Nations would never allow a new power to rise among them.

Not even a demigod could change that, and neither could someone who once stood alongside the gods.

"Gensou's emergence is rather timely," Konan remarked, her thoughts mirroring those of Uchiha Obito. "If a war truly breaks out between Gensou and the Five Great Nations, it will give Akatsuki the perfect opportunity to quietly collect the tailed beasts."

After Itachi and Kisame's failure to capture the Nine-Tails, Akatsuki had been thrust into the spotlight of the Great Nations.

Although they had kept a lower profile over the past two years, the major shinobi villages remained vigilant.

If the Great Nations were to focus their efforts on Akatsuki, even with their S-rank criminals and Kage-level forces, Akatsuki would struggle to survive, let alone achieve their goal of collecting the tailed beasts.

Fortunately, a new threat had emerged: Gensou and the combined power of the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans.

This threat was far greater than Akatsuki, diverting the attention of the Great Nations.

However, Pain, self-proclaimed as a "god," had his own thoughts on Gensou. "In the end, Gensou is bound by the vision of mortals."

When Gensou had reappeared in the world, Pain had paid close attention, wondering if this man could disrupt his plans.

But after two years of watching, Pain had realized that Gensou seemed content to live quietly, showing little interest in world affairs.

Pain had briefly considered the possibility that Gensou was secretly laying the groundwork for something greater.

Yet now, it seemed clear that Gensou, like many before him, was merely consolidating his strength for a predictable, mortal goal. Most likely, he would unite the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans to challenge the Five Great Nations, aiming to secure his place as one of the rulers of the shinobi world.

In the end, Gensou sought only power and influence for himself and his people.

No matter how powerful someone was, as long as their actions were driven by self-interest, they would never be able to transcend the cycle of pain and conflict.

They could never grasp the vision needed to bring true peace to the world.

That was the role of a true "god."

Pain raised his head to the sky, looking up at the weeping heavens. "Send word to Sasori. Suspend the plan to attack Sunagakure and capture the One-Tails. He and Deidara are to focus on locating the Three-Tails."

"A major war is approaching, and Akatsuki must keep a low profile. The Jinchuriki of the One-Tails, Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails are all entrenched in the hidden villages. We'll capture them later. For now, focus our efforts on capturing the wild Three-Tails, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki who wanders outside the villages, and the Six-Tails Jinchuriki who recently defected."

Once they captured the Three, Five, and Six-Tails, and once the Great Nations were weakened by war, Akatsuki would move in swiftly to claim the remaining tailed beasts and unleash the ultimate weapon to achieve true peace.

Konan, ever loyal, had no objections. "Who will capture the Five-Tails and Six-Tails?" she asked.

"The Five-Tails will be dealt with by Kakuzu and Hidan. As for the Six-Tails, I'll handle it personally," Pain replied, extending his hand to feel the rain falling into his palm.

Soon, new orders were issued throughout Akatsuki.

Pain himself left Amegakure, though few noticed his departure.

Meanwhile, the streets and alleys of the village had seen an unusual increase in stray cats.

"Meow~~~"

One particularly scruffy-looking orange cat, its fur deliberately dirtied and its belly swollen with kittens, gazed up at the towering, pipe-covered buildings. It sniffed the air, catching the scent of gold.

Back at Gensou's bright, spacious laboratory, Sasuke, his eyes tightly wrapped in bandages, heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching and couldn't help but ask, "Gensou, is a war coming?"

"War? What makes you ask that?" Gensou replied, casting a surprised glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke explained, "The combined power of the Hagoromo and Uchiha clans is too great, especially with you leading them. Konoha and the other villages won't just sit idly by. After the way we marched through the village, Konoha won't take it lightly."

Gensou chuckled. "It's good that you're thinking about such things."

The Sasuke of old wouldn't have had room in his mind for anything beyond training and revenge.

Concepts like the status and interests of the shinobi villages or the causes of war wouldn't have even crossed his mind.

For Sasuke, growing stronger had been his sole focus.

But since Gensou had taken him under his wing, forcing him to read through the extensive archives of the Hagoromo clan, Sasuke's perspective had broadened significantly.

With more refinement, he would become a worthy leader for the Uchiha Clan in the future.

With that thought, Gensou nodded. "Indeed, war is coming."

Sasuke was about to speak, but Gensou's next words caught him off guard.

"But it won't be a war with the Five Great Nations."

Sasuke was confused. "If not with the Five Great Nations, then who?"

Gensou smiled faintly. "People often focus on what they can see—land, population, money, resources, even love and peace. But in truth, there's only one thing truly worth pursuing above all else."

"What's that?" Sasuke asked, intrigued.

"Eternity."

Gensou gazed at his own hand, slowly curling his fingers into a fist.

"Time brings change. Lands shift, populations grow and shrink, wealth comes and goes, resources are exhausted, and even love and peace are fleeting. No matter how great a hero, there comes a day when they die. No matter how perfect a system of governance, it eventually deteriorates. This cycle repeats endlessly—that is the law of the world."

"But only eternity can transcend that law and change everything."

"And so, yes, war is coming."

"The target... is Akatsuki."

(End of Chapter)

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