Chapter 364: The Sage of Six Paths’ Sage Body

Chapter 364: Chapter 364: The Sage of Six Paths’ Sage Body

Whether in the original timeline or this one, Akatsuki had never been truly united internally.

There was an enormous rift between the organization’s two central figures, Nagato and Obito. Each guarded against the other, constantly wary of what the other might do, causing Akatsuki to vaguely split into two factions—Nagato’s faction and Obito’s faction.

It was precisely because of this rift that Nagato had always kept firm control over the Gedo Statue. He would rather offer himself as a sacrifice to sustain the Gedo Statue than allow Obito to interfere in matters concerning it.

Likewise, Obito had always kept hidden the many powerful forbidden technique and secret techniques he had inherited from Uchiha Madara, as well as the various biological technologies related to the First Hokage’s cells, never sharing any of them with Nagato.

In the original timeline, this rift persisted all the way until Nagato died in Konoha, never once disappearing.

That was because both Nagato and Obito were exceedingly arrogant, regarding everyone else as beneath them.

One proclaimed himself a god and sought to suppress the entire shinobi world through his own power, establishing a world of everlasting peace.

The other was utterly self-centered, disregarding the wishes of everyone around him as he attempted to use the Eye of the Moon Plan to create an entirely new world within a dream, seeking an elusive peace inside that illusory dream.

Without overwhelming external pressure, there was simply no possibility that two people like them would ever compromise with each other.

However, this joint surprise attack by Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure, coupled with Hyuga Kagami’s forceful intervention on behalf of Kamigami, had given Akatsuki an unprecedented sense of crisis.

Nagato and Obito had no choice but to finally set aside their differences.

"Can Nagato successfully assimilate the First Hokage’s cells?"

This question lingered in Hyuga Kagami’s mind.

He carefully analyzed the few people in the shinobi world who had successfully transplanted the First Hokage’s cells and discovered an objective pattern. Aside from Yamato, the extraordinarily lucky anomaly who had survived Orochimaru’s experiments, everyone else who had successfully transplanted the First Hokage’s cells seemed to have some connection to the Uchiha clan’s Sharingan.

For instance, the first person to successfully transplant the First Hokage’s cells, Uchiha Madara, was an Uchiha powerhouse who possessed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

After successfully transplanting the First Hokage’s cells, Uchiha Madara not only acquired the First Hokage’s unique Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, but even managed, when he was old and nearing death, to evolve his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan into the Rinnegan.

The second person to successfully transplant the First Hokage’s cells was also an Uchiha.

He was none other than Akatsuki’s Uchiha Obito.

Perhaps it was because Obito’s Sharingan had only reached the Mangekyo Sharingan, perhaps because he possessed only one Sharingan, or perhaps because his ocular power was insufficient and he lacked Indra’s chakra.

Whatever the reason, although Obito gained tremendous vitality, seemingly inexhaustible ocular power, and even the First Hokage’s unique Wood Release Kekkei Genkai after successfully transplanting the First Hokage’s cells, his gains were still nowhere near as great as Uchiha Madara’s.

The Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye socket showed no signs whatsoever of evolving into the Rinnegan.

The third person to successfully transplant the First Hokage’s cells was the leader of Konoha’s Root, Shimura Danzo.

Although he was not an Uchiha, the key that allowed his body to control the First Hokage’s cells was still the Sharingan.

However, because he did not possess Uchiha blood, he required a greater number of Sharingan to balance the First Hokage’s cells and suppress their erosion of his body.

This was also why, in the original timeline, when he fought Sasuke using the forbidden technique Izanagi, the moment he exhausted the Sharingan embedded in his arm, the First Hokage’s cells immediately began to backfire, nearly transforming his entire body into a massive tree.

If not for the fact that he still had one of Shisui’s Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye socket, allowing him to barely suppress the backlash from the First Hokage’s cells, he probably would not even have had the chance to use the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique.

"As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Nagato already possesses a Sage Body no weaker than that of the Senju clan. On top of that, he transplanted the Rinnegan, whose ocular power far surpasses even the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan..."

At this thought, Hyuga Kagami came to a conclusion.

If there was anyone in the shinobi world for whom transplanting the First Hokage’s cells posed the least risk, it was undoubtedly Nagato.

After all, the Rinnegan contained both Indra’s chakra and Asura’s chakra. Using it to suppress the First Hokage’s cells was practically a matter of course.

Hyuga Kagami clicked his tongue. "What a shame I couldn’t kill Nagato earlier!"

The Uzumaki and Senju clans were distant relatives, sharing the same ancestral origin. If their bloodlines were traced all the way back, both could be traced to the Sage of Six Paths from the age of myth. There was no doubt about that.

It was precisely because of this that, when there was no suitable host among the Senju clan, Asura’s reincarnated chakra chose Uzumaki Naruto of the Uzumaki clan instead.

The Uzumaki clan’s Sage Body possessed tremendous vitality, enormous chakra reserves, and an innate aptitude for sealing Tailed Beasts, among various other extraordinary traits. As a result, they were the finest candidates in the shinobi world for becoming jinchuriki, and Konoha’s successive jinchuriki had all been members of the Uzumaki clan.

The Senju clan’s Sage Body likewise possessed tremendous vitality and enormous chakra reserves, but in addition, it had an exceptional affinity with the Divine Tree.

If a Senju shinobi could achieve a nature transformation fusion between the Yang-nature chakra of their Sage Body, Water-nature chakra, and Earth-nature chakra, they would gain the ability to wield the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

Without the Yang-nature chakra unique to the Senju clan’s Sage Body, however, even if someone else managed to fuse Water-nature chakra and Earth-nature chakra, the resulting Kekkei Genkai would be Lava Release rather than Wood Release.

In other words, to wield the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, one had to either possess the bloodline of the Senju clan or transplant the First Hokage’s cells.

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to master the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai simply by relying on the nature transformation fusion of Water-nature chakra and Earth-nature chakra.

Therefore, if Nagato, as a member of the Uzumaki clan, were to transplant the First Hokage’s cells, acquire the Senju clan’s Sage Body, and fuse with the Yang-nature chakra contained within that Sage Body, he would simultaneously gain the power to suppress Tailed Beasts and an affinity with the Divine Tree.

In that case, not only would he be able to wield the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai that restrained Tailed Beasts, he would also be able to control the Gedo Statue—the Divine Tree in another form—with far greater ease.

Thus, if the Sage Bodies of the Senju and Uzumaki clans were fused together, the resulting Sage Body would be the closest possible to that of the Sage of Six Paths, nearly comparable to Otsutsuki Asura, who had directly inherited the Sage of Six Paths’ Sage Body.

Pulling back his wandering thoughts, Hyuga Kagami stopped thinking about Nagato.

No matter what kind of Sage Body Nagato ultimately obtained, it held little significance in the face of Hyuga Kagami’s Kekkei Mora Plan.

As long as Hyuga Kagami could successfully complete his Kekkei Mora Plan and fuse chakra of all seven natures—Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements—then even against Otsutsuki Kaguya, he would possess the strength to fight her.

There was therefore no need for him to be overly wary of Nagato.

Right now, Hyuga Kagami’s only true enemy was none other than time!

However, after his earlier analysis, an idea occurred to him.

If Shisui’s eyesight had truly deteriorated severely and he was already on the verge of blindness, then having Shisui attempt to transplant the First Hokage’s cells might not be a bad option.

After all, Uchiha Madara had succeeded.

Uchiha Obito had succeeded as well.

Even Danzo had managed it.

There was no reason why Shisui, who possessed both Uchiha blood and a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, would be unable to do the same.

Of course, Hyuga Kagami would not hide the risks involved from Shisui. In the end, the choice would still depend on Shisui himself.

......

Within Amegakure.

While the Allied Forces were busy preparing to withdraw, Itachi, disguised as Hyuga Kagami, quietly slipped into the village and concealed himself beneath a pile of ruins.

As fellow members of Kamigami, Shisui and Itachi had exchanged quite a bit of information in private.

From Shisui, Itachi had learned that most of the missions Shisui carried out for Kamigami were not assassinations, surprise attacks, or anything of that sort.

Instead, his task was usually to disguise himself as Hyuga Kagami and serve as a decoy to divert attention away from the real Hyuga Kagami.

Because of this, Itachi had previously asked Shisui for advice on disguises, as well as the various details he needed to pay attention to while impersonating someone.

Thanks to all that groundwork in private, Itachi completed the impersonation without difficulty. He deliberately allowed himself to be discovered by Team 11 beneath the ruins and, with Shisui covering for him, smoothly blended back into the team.

However, what Itachi had not expected was that, during the withdrawal, the Third Hokage would summon him over and ask whether he had seen the Akatsuki member wearing the single-eyed spiral mask.

Clearly, the Third Hokage hoped to use Hyuga Kagami’s Byakugan to uncover Obito’s true identity.

Completely unaware of the truth, Itachi could only shake his head.

The Third Hokage was somewhat disappointed, but he did not criticize Itachi, who was disguised as Hyuga Kagami, too harshly.

After all, Akatsuki’s strength had far exceeded his expectations. From his perspective, the fact that Hyuga Kagami had managed to survive at all was already an impressive feat.

Not long afterward, the Allied Forces withdrew from the Land of Rain.

After returning to the Land of Fire, the three Kage held a lengthy secret discussion. Following that, the Fourth Raikage and Fourth Kazekage each departed the Land of Fire with the remnants of their forces and returned to their respective villages.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, set out once again in search of Tsunade, bringing the poisoned Elder Chiyo and several Sunagakure shinobi with him.

And as the three Kage led their surviving forces back to their respective villages, the news of Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure’s joint surprise attack against Akatsuki was finally made public.

Naturally, the first to be shaken by the news were the three Great Shinobi Villages themselves—Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure.

When they learned that the Third Hokage had concealed the operation from the village and led an elite ANBU force in a joint surprise attack against Akatsuki alongside Kumogakure and Sunagakure, Konoha’s Council of Elders immediately voiced fierce protests.

Danzo, in particular, furiously demanded to know why the Third Hokage had kept the operation hidden from them.

Faced with the anger of the Council of Elders, the Third Hokage had nothing to say in his defense.

The heavy losses suffered by the ANBU directly under his command had reduced the Third Hokage’s control over the village to its lowest point. Coupled with the damage to his prestige caused by the failure of the surprise attack, he was no longer in a position to take a hard stance against the Council of Elders.

Fortunately, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were both old acquaintances of the Third Hokage. After their initial anger subsided, they did not continue pressuring him.

As for Danzo, his own hands were hardly clean.

The sordid affair in which he had joined forces with Hanzo to plot against Yahiko, the former leader of Akatsuki, would never withstand serious scrutiny. The fact that Akatsuki had become what it was today was directly connected to him.

So after venting his anger for a while, Danzo knew better than to push the matter any further and restrained himself.

Taking a deep draw from his pipe, the Third Hokage said wearily, "This time, I underestimated the enemy far too much."

Koharu Utatane frowned deeply. "Hiruzen, even with you joining forces with the Raikage and Kazekage, you still couldn’t deal with Akatsuki? They’re nothing more than an organization of rogue ninja. They actually managed to hold off all three of you?"

Over the decades since the shinobi village system had been established, the leadership of the Five Great Shinobi Villages had gradually developed the habit of regarding only one another as equal opponents. Smaller shinobi villages and independent organizations were simply beneath their notice.

Therefore, when Koharu Utatane learned that the joint surprise attack by Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure had ended in failure, her first reaction was that the whole thing sounded utterly absurd!

The Third Hokage nodded and gave them a detailed account of the entire surprise attack, omitting only the fact that Obito possessed the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

Danzo’s eyes flickered after hearing the account. "Hiruko was able to fight the Raikage single-handedly?"

The Third Hokage nodded. "That’s right. In fact, Hiruko actually had the upper hand!"

Hiruko’s Sharingan, along with his Swift Release, Steel Release, and the others, were all Kekkei Genkai. After successfully fusing these Kekkei Genkai into himself, he could activate them with ease without placing too great a burden on his body.

The Fourth Raikage’s Lightning Release Chakra Mode, on the other hand, was an advanced application of Lightning Release and was closer in nature to a secret technique.

If the Fourth Raikage wanted to keep up with the bizarre speed granted by Hiruko’s Swift Release while simultaneously resisting the chakra absorption of Hiruko’s Dark Release, he had no choice but to push his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its absolute limit, placing an enormous burden on his body.

Therefore, if the Fourth Raikage could not defeat Hiruko quickly, the longer the battle dragged on, the more unfavorable it would become for him.

Homura Mitokado pushed up the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and said solemnly, "Since we can’t defeat them through brute force, perhaps we can make use of the conflict between Kamigami and Akatsuki."

The Third Hokage nodded in agreement.

How exactly to use Kamigami against Akatsuki was something he was already considering.

Danzo proposed, "We can no longer treat Akatsuki as an ordinary organization of rogue ninja. We should gather the full strength of the village and strike them with overwhelming force!"

The Third Hokage said, "I’ve already sent out the orders. A Jonin Council meeting will be convened shortly!"

Danzo sneered. "After the Third Shinobi World War ended, many shinobi from the village’s prominent clans chose to retire despite still being relatively young, leaving us short-handed. Hiruzen, this time you should take a firmer stance and order those retired shinobi from the major clans to return and continue serving the village!"

"Agreed!"

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado voiced their agreement in unison.

As advisors, they could naturally see exactly what Danzo was scheming.

However, weakening the village’s powerful shinobi clans while supporting civilian-born shinobi had always been the stance of the Hokage’s faction, so the two of them were perfectly happy to go along with it.

Besides, the village truly was suffering from a shortage of manpower at the moment. That was a fact, not some excuse they had casually fabricated.

After pondering for a moment, the Third Hokage nodded as well.

Just as Danzo was secretly feeling pleased with himself, the Third Hokage suddenly turned toward him and asked with a cold gaze, "Is there anything about the First Hokage’s cell transplantation experiments that you’ve been hiding from me?"