A few days later.
In a spacious backyard somewhere within the Uchiha clan territory.
A four-year-old boy repeatedly swung his small fists toward a teenage boy, who kept retreating and dodging the attacks. Occasionally, the older boy raised a hand, speaking calmly while avoiding blows:
"Attacks aimed at vital points need to be more forceful. The feints have to look more convincing."
Smack!
Kaede caught Uchiha Itachi's elbow and gently lifted him, tossing him backward.
Itachi flipped and landed a short distance away, sweat forming on his brow as he caught his breath lightly.
"Yes, Sensei."
"That's enough for today. From here on, train by yourself."
Kaede nodded to Itachi, then smiled faintly.
"Honestly, at just four years old, you're already quite impressive. I probably wasn't at your level when I was your age."
"Age isn't what matters..." Itachi looked up at Kaede, respect shining in his eyes as he spoke earnestly. "It's all about effort. You reached the top of the ninja world so young because you must have worked far harder than anyone else."
"Hm."
"That's true."
Kaede smiled softly and turned to leave.
Since moving into the Uchiha clan lands, two days ago, Uchiha Fugaku had asked Kaede to personally guide Itachi's training. Though frankly, any Jōnin could have handled a four-year-old like Itachi, he wasn't at the point of needing Kaede's direct instruction yet. It was more like Itachi was formally taking Kaede as his master.
Sasuke was Kakashi's student.
Itachi was Kaede's.
The two brothers were thus mentors to the other two siblings.
After leaving Itachi's training yard, Kaede returned to his quarters. Outside, Kakashi was practicing taijutsu in the courtyard. Kaede paused, then said, "Kakashi, in a few days, head over to Rōran and deliver this for me."
He handed Kakashi a specially crafted Flying Thunder God kunai.
It wasn't Namikaze Minato's original design, this one looked different. It was Kaede's own Flying Thunder God kunai, custom-made within the Uchiha clan over the past few days.
"Flying Thunder God kunai..." Kakashi took the kunai, then suddenly asked, "Why me?"
Kaede shrugged. "Because I have other matters to attend to, and you're free anyway."
Next, he planned to set off for the Ryūchi Cave.
First, to acquire the Sage Techniques of the Ryūchi Cave, then the Sage Techniques of the Shikkotsu Forest, and finally the Sage Techniques of Mount Myoboku.
He had already obtained the coordinates for the Ryūchi Cave and the Shikkotsu Forest from Orochimaru and Tsunade, respectively, and two days ago, Jiraiya had given him the coordinates for Mount Myoboku.
Lacking sensory ability was a major weakness.
This had long limited his tracking capabilities, special teleportation techniques and substitution jutsus could easily make him lose track.
He wouldn't meddle in Konoha's affairs for now. Regardless of whether the Nine-Tails would attack, the threat from the blackened Uchiha Obito and the missing Uchiha Madara were matters he needed to handle. Without enough sensory prowess, it would be difficult.
If he ever faced the peak form of Hashirama Senju now, most likely neither would gain the upper hand.
Hashirama's Wood Release was no challenge for him and in a prolonged fight, he would win, but he couldn't distinguish Wood Clones, and Hashirama could always withdraw at will.
Once he mastered Sage Mode, everything would change. He would gain sensory abilities rivaling those of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Furthermore, mastering the Three Great Sage Modes would give him a strong chance of developing a Sage Body. Once he had that, his body could contain a Tailed Beast's chakra, including the Nine-Tails.
At that point, if he became the jinchuriki of a Tailed Beast, all his weaknesses in genjutsu and soul techniques would be resolved.
Then...
He could set his sights on the Six Paths!
Kaede never let his guard down, knowing the Sage of Six Paths was always watching the world. Though the Sage now followed a policy of non-interference, Kaede, an anomaly with a Illusory Clock, was something different.
It was hard to say the Sage would simply watch idly. If the Sage ever acted, a Six Paths-level presence would immediately appear in the ninja world.
So...
Without reaching the Six Paths level, he was still far from being truly fearless.
Kakashi rolled his eyes and glanced at the Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand, unable to hold back:
"Big brother, you seem awfully interested in Rōran. You and the Queen of Rōran wouldn't happen to..."
Before he could finish, a finger shot toward his forehead.
Thwack!
Kakashi tried to dodge, but the finger was too fast. It hit his forehead, sending him stumbling backward.
"No more nonsense. Just go."
Kaede withdrew his finger.
Sending Kakashi to Rōran serve another purpose, since Kaede planned to leave Konoha soon, having Kakashi away was a good way to avoid trouble.
After dispatching Kakashi, Kaede briefly informed Uchiha Fugaku about his trip, then left Konoha with Rin.
They traveled east.
About half a month later, they reached the location of the Ryūchi Cave.
"The Ryūchi Cave is in a place like this? Feels so eerie..." Rin followed Kaede closely, looking at the strange mountain range shrouded in thick mist. She couldn't help but use a bit of chakra to dispel the chill around them.
The area was an ominous mountain range wrapped in dense fog, and she had the faint sensation of being watched.
"It's been a while since I last saw that snake," the voice of the Three-Tails echoed in Rin's mind.
Startled, Rin asked, "Huh? That snake?"
"Yeah, the one you all call the White Snake Sage."
The leaders of the Three Great Sacred Lands, the White Snake Sage, the Toad Sage, and the Slug Sage, were beings from a millennium ago, existing even before the Sage of Six Paths. They were older than the Tailed Beasts, who all knew each other well.
But their relationships varied. For example, the Nine-Tails hated the Toad Sage intensely and had only average relations with the other two.
Kaede extended a hand and grasped a small cluster of mist in the air.
The mist quickly dispersed between his fingers.
"A semi-real, semi-illusory domain constructed with natural energy. Just as Orochimaru-sensei described, it's not a genjutsu targeting individuals, but a pervasive barrier…"
Kaede murmured to himself calmly and pressed onward.
Meanwhile, in the shadows,
Three pairs of eyes watched Kaede closely.
A graceful figure flickered faintly within the mist.
"Ah, more humans are coming again…"
"They don't look lost, though."
"Hehe, this time I get to go first. They're my snack, so don't even think about sharing."
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