Chapter 262 – Eternal Eyes and a New Era: The Age of the Ōtsutsuki
"Ao, anything?"
"Nothing yet."
Within the Land of Water, Terumī Mei and Ao led a small squad, combing carefully through the mist-shrouded terrain.
That strange chakra fluctuation had erupted not long ago. Even if they didn't yet understand the deeper nature hidden within it, they could feel its overwhelming power.
"Not a trace left behind?" Chōjūrō muttered nervously.
"Could it be Akatsuki again? After all, the Iwagakure incident—"
"Too early to say."
Ao shook his head, though his one good eye flicked toward Mei.
"Still… we should at least notify Konoha. We are allies, after all."
The words left him with a bitter taste.
In the old days, if the Five Great Villages encountered trouble tied to Akatsuki—an enemy with whom Kirigakure shared blood debts—his first thought would never have been "call Konoha." To think it now almost made him ashamed.
If the old generation knew, they'd be cursing him in their graves.
But times had changed. And so must their choices.
"…Notify Konoha?"
Mei hesitated, then slowly nodded.
"Fine. But first we finish our sweep. We can't lean on them for everything."
Ao sighed, rubbing his temple, then forced a wry smile.
"Damn this era. The shinobi world grows harder to recognize by the day."
"Tell me about it," Chōjūrō grumbled. "It feels like we're being left behind. A whole Iwagakure toppled by just one man…"
And then his voice dropped.
"…No, the scariest part is Konoha's Fifth Hokage, isn't it?"
At the mention of Kitagawa Gen, the squad fell silent.
The man was… monstrous. Terrifying in a way that defied belief.
Especially for Mei—she knew more than most of them, and what she knew only deepened her dread.
"…Enough. Let's move. Back to the mission."
Her tone broke the silence. Heads bowed, voices chorused:
"Yes, ma'am!"
No one wanted to linger on Gen. The gap between them and that man was simply too vast. Better not to think about it at all.
---
Elsewhere in the Land of Water, Kisame prowled with two reanimated comrades—Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki. Former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the mission here had inevitably drawn them in.
"Any sign?" Kisame asked lazily.
"None. Who knows where that brat Utakata disappeared to," Jūzō muttered.
Raiga frowned. "And that chakra surge earlier… it didn't feel right."
"What's this? Two dead men scared of a little flare?" Kisame smirked wide, shark teeth glinting.
"You don't need to worry. Die, and someone'll just summon you back. Honestly, I envy you."
"Then why don't you try it?"
Their cold stares made Kisame pause.
"…Because I enjoy being alive."
"Then shut it." Raiga snorted. Jūzō only chuckled darkly.
"Who knows. On this mission, maybe you'll bump into that Kitagawa Gen. That'd be the end of you."
"Not necessarily." Kisame's tone was disturbingly calm, unlike most who quivered at the name.
"Don't forget, Orochimaru sent reinforcements. If anyone dies first, it'll be them."
"Orochimaru…"
Both Jūzō and Raiga sneered in unison. They hated the man who had bound them with Edo Tensei, and the idea he might save Kisame only worsened their disgust.
---
On another coastline, Suigetsu scowled.
"Damn it. Back here again? And Zabuza still has my blade. What's the point?"
"It's a mission. Quiet down," Jūgo muttered.
"Mission, mission, always mission. You promised to help me reclaim my sword!" Suigetsu snapped.
"You want to die?"
Kimimaro, who had walked ahead in silence until now, halted abruptly. His pale eyes—Byakugan eyes—turned, pinning Suigetsu with killing intent.
"One more word against Lord Orochimaru, and I will kill you where you stand."
The suffocating aura made Suigetsu swallow hard. Brash though he was, he wasn't stupid.
Kimimaro finally turned back, voice cold.
"Save your energy for the task ahead. Here's a hint: our mission may bring us face to face with Kitagawa Gen. Conserve your strength for him."
Even Suigetsu paled at that.
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha, Gen himself hadn't stirred despite the surge in the Land of Water.
With Kisame in-country, he could travel there any time. But Obito was the true variable. Until that man moved, there was no rush.
"Especially since I've already locked onto the 'White Kāma.' He's still in the Land of Water. Nothing to worry about."
The massive Tenseigan hanging above gave him unparalleled reach. With it, he could track nearly anything… even unleash a literal orbital strike if he wished.
The convenience was staggering.
---
"This body… incredible."
Senju Tobirama finally spoke, flexing his hands.
"The increase in power is… beyond imagination. I may be stronger now than I was alive. Brother, what about you?"
"…Astounding," Hashirama admitted, clenching his fists.
"But I've had too little time to adjust. The power within this vessel… I haven't yet mastered it."
Gen's White Zetsu modifications weren't ordinary. Infused with both Yin and Yang Release, their new bodies were anything but easy to control.
After all, Hashirama reminded himself, he was technically still in a "dead" state. The subtle control he once had over his body could never quite match when he was alive.
"As for whether I'm stronger or weaker than in life… I can't say for sure."
"Doesn't matter," Tobirama cut him off, unconcerned. "Just focus on adapting. You'll get used to it."
He'd long wanted a new body, and now he finally had one—stronger than ever.
"By the way, Gen," Tobirama suddenly added, eyes narrowing with interest. "Didn't you say you were going to test Edo Tensei on the Fourth Hokage? How's that research going? Want me to help? Two minds are faster than one."
"No need," Gen replied with a faint grin, tilting his head. "I've already pieced most of it together. The Uzumaki archives gave me what I needed. All that's left is to gather the right materials and run a few experiments."
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his brows in surprise. "That fast? You were only holed up in the Uzumaki shrine for a few days. None of us found anything useful in all the years it's been sitting there."
Gen shrugged. "Call it luck. But right now, my attention's on Sasuke."
His smile thinned, and he turned to the others. "How is he doing?"
"Kakashi's with him," Tsunade answered. "He's undergone a full examination. His eyes are ready for surgical work… but the problem is this: how exactly do you 'transplant' Mangekyō eyes? We don't have much data."
"Indeed," Tobirama frowned. "Madara and Izuna simply swapped eyes directly. They didn't wait until Izuna was on his deathbed. Yet only when Izuna gifted his eyes did Madara's evolve."
Hashirama sighed, recalling. "I fought him. His power changed after Izuna's eyes—those eyes weren't the same anymore. They held both Madara's strength and Izuna's essence. Something fused."
"I see."
Gen rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It made sense. If Eternal Mangekyō were just a matter of swapping eyes, why hadn't every Uchiha sibling pair done it? Why only them?
And if it wasn't a simple swap… then why did Shisui's Kotoamatsukami have lingering influence on Itachi's transplanted eye?
"So perhaps… the Eternal Mangekyō is less about transplantation, and more about fusion?"
He tapped his chin, recalling old theories he'd once read.
"The Mangekyō might not even be complete to begin with. Look at Indra. His eyes opened as Eternal from the start—no degeneration, no blindness. But across a thousand years, the bloodline thinned. The once-whole power was split. Fragmented. By the time of modern Uchiha, the Eternal had degraded into the Mangekyō."
He smirked. "That would explain why only siblings' Mangekyō can merge back into the original form."
But maybe it didn't have to be brothers. History had only ever recorded brothers succeeding—that didn't mean others couldn't.
"If my theory's right, Sasuke won't be 'transplanting' anything. He'll be fusing."
The thought amused him. He tilted his head, curious to see what method Sasuke would use.
And then—
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[Sasuke's Exclusive Side Quest]
[The night gave me black eyes, but I made them burn red.]
Objective: Assist Sasuke in achieving the Eternal Mangekyō fusion.
[Exclusive side quests do not interfere with normal side quests.]
[New Side Quest Acquired]
[Before me, there are no equals.]
Objective: Defeat all enemies. Prove that no "Era of Eyes" or "Era of Seals" matters. For now begins the Age of the Ōtsutsuki!
"…Huh."
Gen blinked at the sudden cascade of missions, lost in thought.
And even as he processed it, Obito's lone figure appeared quietly at the borders of Konoha.