Chapter 207 – Uchiha's Stone Tablet, Senju's Tree Bark?
For three whole years, Kitagawa Gen had kept a low profile.
But now—he was more than ready to move again.
Especially since, in these three years, his strength had grown tremendously.
The deeper his bloodline developed, the more difficult it became to progress. Yet he never stopped.
"Studying the texts hidden on the moon, developing my kekkei genkai, and even experimenting with the fusion of bloodline limits…"
The lunar archives contained far more than he expected—records, techniques, research notes.
Among them, he had even stumbled upon a simplified version of Kaguya's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack!
"Kaguya's original technique was one complete whole, but these people clearly couldn't wield it, so someone broke it down and simplified it? Interesting…"
Whatever the case, the discoveries were immensely valuable—perfect for him to study.
Especially with the power of his Ōtsutsuki lineage, he now had more tools than ever.
"Not just that. The records on Yin Release and Yang Release were astonishingly complete as well."
The deeper he delved into the moon's secrets, the more he realized—it was a treasure trove.
His body and his bloodline were also a treasure, without question.
But how to maximize that potential, how to use every ounce of it wisely—that was the real challenge.
And the lunar knowledge was the key to solving it.
"My grasp of Yin and Yang Release has advanced tremendously. At this rate, I might even be able to ignite the Flame of Life, just like Naruto."
The thought made Gen smirk.
"On top of that, my bloodline development has advanced further, my chakra control is stable, and the integration is progressing smoothly. Everything is moving in the right direction."
But still—there was something that puzzled him. His Truth-Seeking Orbs.
He had already manifested them, which wasn't too surprising.
After all, his power was at the proper level, and the orbs were considered a technique, not a bloodline fusion.
"Then why… do I only have three?"
He couldn't figure it out. Perhaps his bloodline development wasn't complete, or maybe his mastery of Yin–Yang Release wasn't deep enough.
Still, he knew he was moving forward. In fact, he even began to entertain a new, daring idea.
"Should I start targeting actual Ōtsutsuki?"
He had no intention of devouring the chakra of entire worlds.
But the Ōtsutsuki themselves… they were prime resources.
"They'll make their move eventually. For now, the silence is only too unnatural."
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily.
"It's not just Akatsuki. That Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, is too quiet as well. Such silence makes him unpredictable."
"Indeed. A calm surface only hides a storm. And once it erupts, it will be catastrophic."
Senju Tobirama spoke bluntly, casting a glance at his elder brother before continuing:
"Especially that Ōtsutsuki. Compared to Akatsuki, he is the greater threat. I've been investigating him."
"Huh? Weren't you supposed to be buried in your Edo Tensei research?"
Hashirama tilted his head, curiosity shining in his eyes.
"What, don't tell me you've been slacking off?"
"You idiot! You're the one slacking off!"
Tobirama nearly lost his composure.
He was working day and night—researching, digging through records, assisting Tsunade, even helping with Konoha's policies.
Frankly, one Tobirama was worth ten people.
It was thanks to his strong support of Kitagawa Gen that many of the newer reforms had even taken root.
Yes, sometimes he thought Gen's methods were extreme—but they were always for the village.
Unlike his elder brother, who spent most of his time wandering around aimlessly and occasionally making a nuisance of himself.
More than once, Tobirama had been tempted to cancel his brother's Edo Tensei altogether.
"My Edo Tensei research has made progress. The problem lies in the vessels. For people like us, I haven't yet found suitable containers. But for others, it should work."
"Then start with the ones you can summon."
Gen cut in directly.
Nowadays, Hiruzen was increasingly allowing him to take the lead on major policies—though final approval still required discussion.
"Even with our tight defenses, the drain on manpower is huge. Summoning a few to bolster us isn't a bad idea."
"No objection from me. Prepare the list."
Tobirama agreed, though his gaze flickered toward Sasuke—who frowned and kept silent.
Of course Sasuke longed to summon his parents, even the entire Uchiha clan.
But until he defeated Itachi, he felt unworthy to face them.
So he chose to wait.
"Tch, using that technique again…" Hashirama muttered under his breath. At least he didn't object outright; he knew its necessity.
"Then it's settled. Let's move to another topic."
Gen smiled, steering the meeting back on track.
Akatsuki was on the move, and Black Zetsu was constantly "guiding" events. He couldn't afford to sit idle.
Besides, the world's eyes were too fixated on him alone.
He needed to shift that attention elsewhere.
"Lord Second, what's your assessment of Ōtsutsuki Genshiki?"
"Frankly, I believe he's already revealed his true aim."
Tobirama's words carried weight, and it was clear he had studied the matter thoroughly.
"His target is the Tailed Beasts. Even if only their chakra, his ambition is terrifying. I have no choice but to assume the worst—he may be after the Ten-Tails' power."
"The Ten-Tails?"
"That's right. Many so-called legends can't be dismissed anymore. We've already seen the Rinnegan. That creature was like a god."
"…"
"Beyond that, I suspect Akatsuki's goals overlap with his. Otherwise, why would they keep clashing endlessly?"
"…"
Gen's lips twitched. Sometimes, geniuses like Tobirama were just too sharp for comfort.
"At least we're thinking along the same lines."
"Hmm? So you agree?"
Tobirama nodded with rare admiration.
"As expected of you."
"…I can't tell if that's praise or an insult." Gen shook his head, continuing:
"Following that thought, I've begun some investigations. The Rinnegan belonged to the Sage of Six Paths, and legend says both Uchiha and Senju are his descendants. Which led me to…"
"A valid angle."
Tobirama stroked his chin—something he hadn't considered.
"And indeed, I found something. According to records, the Uchiha possess a stone tablet engraved with hidden secrets. Whether it's real or not, I don't know."
"Uchiha? A stone tablet?"
Sasuke frowned. He had never heard of such a thing.
But Hashirama's eyes suddenly lit up.
"A tablet… Yes! Madara mentioned it once. He said the Uchiha had a peculiar stone stele, readable only by the Sharingan!"
"…What?"
Sasuke froze, and the others looked equally stunned.
So it was real?
And Madara had told Hashirama himself?
"You bastard! Why didn't you ever tell me?!"
Tobirama's face darkened, while Hashirama simply shrugged.
"Why should I? You don't even have a Sharingan."
"…"
"Honestly, if Gen hadn't brought it up, I'd have forgotten too."
"…"
Tobirama rubbed his temples. With a brother like this, no wonder he had headaches.
He turned to his "good disciple" instead.
"Sasuke, were you aware of this?"
"Uh… no, I wasn't." Sasuke admitted awkwardly.
But then Hashirama spoke again:
"Madara said it was in some shrine. He even invited me to see it, but I refused—I don't have a Sharingan, after all."
"…"
Both Tobirama and Sasuke fell into silence.
For a moment, they both questioned whether Hashirama was secretly an Uchiha himself.
Everyone else could only sigh. Truly, the bond between the First Hokage and Madara was… complicated.
"…Since it really exists, let's track it down."
Gen finally broke the awkward silence.
"There might be secrets on that stone we can't afford to ignore. Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei—I'll need your help."
"No problem."
The two nodded in unison.
Then Gen cast a playful glance at Tobirama.
"Speaking of which… if the Uchiha hid secrets in a stone tablet, maybe the Senju clan has something too. Like… tree bark?"
"…I wouldn't know. I was never clan head."
Tobirama shot a dark glare at his elder brother, but Hashirama simply shook his head, looking just as clueless.
"I don't know either. No one ever told me."
"You didn't forget, did you?"
"I said I don't know!"
"…."
Seemingly at a loss for words with his brother, Tobirama sighed and shook his head.
"Forget it. I'd better go check things myself. Relying on you is hopeless."
"Hmph."
Hashirama snorted lightly. Gen noticed the faint flicker of irritation in Tobirama and quickly stepped in to interrupt the exchange.
"Since everything's clear now, I think we need to be cautious of both Akatsuki and Ōtsutsuki Genshiki, especially concerning—"
"The Seven-Tails?"
Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen got a chance to speak. He looked a bit troubled.
"The Takigakure people have been politely refusing our proposals for three years, and nothing significant has happened. It's really troublesome."
"I remember Obito once invaded Takigakure, supposedly to go after the Seven-Tails. But Gen, you stopped him," Kakashi said, glancing toward Gen, who immediately nodded.
"Exactly. But it's been too quiet since then, so I couldn't be certain."
"We never should have sold the Tailed Beast in the first place. And Gen, you really shouldn't have stopped them either," Tobirama said, glaring at his elder brother before continuing.
"Why don't we pretend to be Akatsuki and attack them? You'll never understand pain unless you take a hit!"
"I like that idea!"
Gen's eyes lit up. Though Tobirama's suggestion was devious, it appealed to him perfectly.
"Teacher, this isn't appropriate. It's too extreme," Hiruzen said, clearly uneasy. He frowned in thought for a moment before continuing:
"Perhaps we should send a delegation instead. That way, it's better for everyone."
"A delegation?"
Hiruzen's suggestion seemed to put everyone at ease, even Gen nodded in agreement.
He already had the Seven-Tails' chakra. This time, the goal was Akatsuki. The method didn't matter too much.
Just then, he noticed a sudden system notification.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen caught his teacher's displeased glance and forced a wry smile.
"Strictly speaking, they have been attacked," he added.
"Well… that's not necessarily a bad thing,"
"…."