"So, Itachi Uchiha is dead?"
"Yes."
"Damn it! Why did you kill him?!"
"..."
"Breaking his limbs and bringing him back to endure pain wouldn't have been better?"
"..."
"Now look what you've done! We have to worry about his Impure World Reincarnation. Sasuke, I'm deeply disappointed in you!"
In Konohagakure's ANBU headquarters, Sasuke bowed his head as Tobirama Senju berated him relentlessly.
Sasuke pursed his lips, knowing full well that his teacher had a tendency to scold him, though he couldn't quite understand why.
Still, despite the harsh reprimands, he learned a great deal from Tobirama—perhaps this was simply his form of tough love?
But why did these words sound so familiar?
Not just Sasuke, but Kakashi and Jiraiya also remained silent, both instinctively glancing at Kitagawa Minamoto, who stood nearby with his arms crossed.
These two really were cut from the same cloth...
"Enough. The man is dead; what's the point of dwelling on it now?"
Hashirama Senju couldn't help but interject, sighing as he spoke.
"Besides, no matter how you look at it, this was a tragedy. If only—"
"Shut up! Stop making things worse at a time like this!"
Tobirama immediately cut off his elder brother.
Sasuke wasn't just any Uchiha now—he was an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Tobirama didn't want his brother's sentimental ramblings to complicate matters further.
"I know your eyes have evolved, but don't get cocky. You still have a long way to go, though you are indeed becoming a capable shinobi."
"Yes, I won't let it go to my head."
Sasuke nodded earnestly, his voice firm.
"Itachi Uchiha's resurrection through Impure World Reincarnation remains a concern. My mission is far from over. Besides, with Senior Minamoto as my role model, I have no reason to feel arrogant."
Sasuke's sincere words earned nods of approval from everyone present.
Such a mindset was indeed commendable!
Though, using Kitagawa Minamoto as a role model—one would need to carefully choose which aspects to emulate...
"Keep working hard. We all believe in you."
Kitagawa Minamoto patted Sasuke's shoulder before pondering for a moment.
"But your eyes remain a concern. According to the Second Hokage's records, the Mangekyō Sharingan becomes increasingly problematic with use. While we have solutions, there's still—"
"Are you referring to Madara Uchiha?"
Tobirama, ever perceptive, immediately understood what Kitagawa Minamoto was hinting at.
"Madara Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan was indeed peculiar. His eyes underwent a transformation, which involved someone else."
"You mean Izuna?"
Hashirama perked up as memories of the past surfaced.
"Madara mentioned that his eyes were his brother's, and his brother was—"
"Enough! Why are you so irritating?"
Tobirama abruptly interrupted his brother's reminiscing, especially as he noticed Hashirama glancing meaningfully at Sasuke.
This made Tobirama even more exasperated.
"During the Warring States period, it was kill-or-be-killed. No one could escape that fate. But it did give us some insight..."
"You mean..."
Sasuke furrowed his brows.
"Using Itachi Uchiha's eyes? I refuse! I don't want that man's eyes!"
"Hey, Sasuke, you—"
"My current eyes have no issues, and we have alternative solutions. I don't want that man to witness the future even after death!"
Clearly, Sasuke was vehemently opposed to the idea.
He had no desire to use Itachi Uchiha's eyes for any enhancement. His feelings toward Itachi were filled with nothing but loathing.
Tobirama found himself at a loss, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Kakashi and Jiraiya remained silent as well—this wasn't a matter they could easily weigh in on.
As for Tsunade, she wasn't particularly concerned about such issues. She hadn't even bothered to attend the meeting, already planning which tavern to visit later.
"For now, let's leave Sasuke be."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been unable to get a word in, finally spoke up to smooth things over.
At this point, he was simply counting the days until retirement, content to act as a mediator.
"I agree. While I believe in making full use of resources, this can wait."
Kitagawa Minamoto chimed in at the right moment, patting Sasuke's shoulder as he added,
"After all, the man is dead. Not extracting every last bit of value would be a waste. But alas, Konohagakure's education system..."
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's words left everyone except Tobirama momentarily speechless.
The person least qualified to make such a remark was probably him.
Fortunately, Kitagawa Minamoto didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked curiously,
"By the way, did you find the Uchiha Stone Tablet while we were on the mission?"
"We've retrieved all the stone tablets."
Tobirama, no longer fixated on the previous topic, responded directly.
"Now that you're back, you can examine them thoroughly, especially the one found in the underground chamber."
"Perfect. Sasuke and Kakashi can take a closer look at what's written there."
Kitagawa Minamoto perked up, though he wasn't particularly interested in the tablet itself.
But as an optimal tool for shifting focus away from "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki," he intended to make full use of it!
Not to mention, he was curious about what Black Zetsu was up to.
"You know I don't have a Sharingan, right? I can't read it."
Kitagawa Minamoto thought to himself, though he knew he didn't actually need the Sharingan to decipher it.
As a pure Ōtsutsuki, if Black Zetsu could directly see the contents, why couldn't he?
Plus, he had the Tenseigan!
"Even without looking, I already know what's written there."
With a flash, the group appeared in the Uchiha district.
Looking at the empty streets and dimly lit houses, Sasuke couldn't help but murmur softly.
"I did it... Everyone, I did it."
Killing Itachi Uchiha held profound significance for him.
"Let's start with this one. This tablet was hidden the deepest."
Tobirama wasted no time. Once they reached the secret chamber of Naka Shrine, he spoke up.
"It aligns with what Madara Uchiha mentioned. Take a look and see if you find anything."
"Understood."
Sasuke and Kakashi both nodded, activating their Mangekyō Sharingan to examine the tablet closely.
Jiraiya observed curiously, while Kitagawa Minamoto remained silent, watching intently.
As he had suspected, he didn't need any special tools to decipher it.
Moreover, he quickly noticed subtle differences in the text's appearance across various sections of the tablet.
"This is..."
After a moment, Sasuke's expression turned strange.
Not just him—Kakashi's face showed a similar reaction, prompting Tobirama to ask in confusion.
"What's wrong? What did you see?"
"Uh, we did see something. The tablet is divided into sections, and it appears to have been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths."
Kakashi spoke with a hint of bewilderment, and Sasuke continued.
"The first section resembles a legend. It talks about a Rabbit Goddess who wreaked havoc on the ninja world, forcing the Sage of Six Paths and his brother to seal her away together."
"Left behind by the Sage of Six Paths?"
Sasuke's words left everyone stunned, especially the mention of the Sage having a brother.
"Yes. Though the details are sparse and may have been omitted, that's indeed how it's recorded."
Sasuke nodded, his expression growing hesitant.
"As for the second section, it says..."
"What does it say?"
Tobirama urged him to continue.
"It says the Sage of Six Paths had two sons: Indra and Asura. They inherited Yin Release and Yang Release respectively."
"Hmm?"
Sasuke's revelation left everyone except Kitagawa Minamoto momentarily dumbfounded.
Hiruzen and Jiraiya had no knowledge of the Sage's two sons, nor of Indra and Asura.
The Senju brothers and Tsunade, however, were different—Hashirama even whispered to Tobirama,
"Hey, our records mention that Asura is our ancestor, right?"
"You're an irredeemable idiot!"
Tobirama rubbed his temples, speaking in frustration.
"Yes, according to the records, Asura is our ancestor. But I never expected this!"
Tobirama truly hadn't anticipated this revelation.
Historical accounts had mentioned their lineage as descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, but there had been no solid evidence.
Now, it seemed undeniable!
And not just them—even the Uchiha?
"So, the Uchiha's ancestor was actually our ancestor's blood brother!"
Hashirama's eyes lit up with excitement.
"No wonder when I first met Madara, I felt—"
"Stop talking already!"
Tobirama couldn't take it anymore.
He had always found it difficult to reconcile the idea that their ancestor could be blood brothers with the Uchiha's ancestor, whom he considered inherently malevolent.
"Blood brothers..."
This discovery left Sasuke conflicted.
Over the past three years, he had learned much about history, including the changes brought about by Hashirama.
But who would have thought their ancestors were brothers?
"Is fratricide our destiny?"
Sasuke couldn't help but think of his recent battle with Itachi, falling into deep contemplation.
"What about the rest? What else does it say?"
Hashirama, now brimming with curiosity, grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and urged him to continue.
"This section also mentions the Sage of Six Paths' concerns about Indra and his descendants, as well as..."
Sasuke sighed deeply before continuing,
"A new solution the Sage devised to address these concerns. However, I can't decipher the remaining text."
With that, Sasuke closed his eyes, and Kakashi followed suit, unable to continue reading.
Deciphering the tablet's contents had taken a significant toll on them.
And the information revealed thus far was already earth-shattering!
"Can't read further?"
Tobirama asked in confusion, but Kitagawa Minamoto spoke first.
"It's likely due to the limitations of their eyes. You mentioned that Madara Uchiha's Mangekyō underwent significant changes, which suggests..."
"There's an even more powerful eye beyond the Mangekyō—like Madara's pair?"
Hashirama chimed in, and Tobirama nodded.
"Unless someone possesses eyes like his, deciphering the rest is impossible."
Their words drew everyone's attention to Sasuke, making him visibly uncomfortable.
"Let's drop this topic for now."
Fortunately, Kitagawa Minamoto intervened to ease the tension.
"While we didn't learn much about Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki, the other information is substantial. Who would have thought the Uchiha and Senju shared such a history?"
"Indeed. It's hard to believe."
Hiruzen, having lived through the era of Senju-Uchiha conflict, was deeply impacted by the revelation.
Even as a child, he had been aware of the animosity between the two clans.
But who could have imagined they were connected in such a way?
"It's truly astonishing."
Kakashi and Jiraiya were equally shaken, struggling to process the implications.
Meanwhile, Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking,
"I've heard the Senju and Uzumaki are distant relatives. Does that mean Sasuke and Naruto could be considered brothers?"
"I'm brothers with that idiot?"
Before anyone else could respond, Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yet, for some reason, he felt like the idea wasn't entirely unpleasant...
"Who knows? Such matters are difficult to determine."
Tobirama, visibly pained, clearly didn't want to continue this discussion.
"Still, we now have a direction for further investigation. We need to uncover the Sage of Six Paths' new plan."
"And perhaps learn more about his brother as well."
Kitagawa Minamoto added, knowing the tablet's revelations would serve his purposes well.
After all, the more chaotic the ninja world became, the better it was for him.
"Additionally, we should investigate why the ancestors of the Senju and Uchiha fought in the first place."
"Agreed. That's definitely worth exploring!"
Hashirama, ever enthusiastic, voiced his agreement.
"Hmph."
Tobirama wasn't pleased, letting out a cold snort.
"I bet it was the Uchiha ancestor who did something wrong, leading to all this conflict!"
"Hmph."
Sasuke scoffed softly, silently expressing his dissent.
"By the way, shouldn't we also search the Senju clan thoroughly?"
Kitagawa Minamoto asked with a puzzled expression.
"The Uchiha have their tablets, so shouldn't the Senju have theirs?"
"Uh..."
Hashirama fell into deep thought, while Tobirama frowned.
Kitagawa Minamoto continued,
"The Sage of Six Paths wouldn't be so biased, would he? Leaving tablets for the Uchiha but not for the Senju?"
"..."
Tobirama's face darkened. What kind of nonsense was this kid spouting?
"Could it be that Asura envied the Sage's favoritism toward Indra, leading to the current conflict between their descendants?"
"Hiss—"
"If that's the case, then it's truly terrifying."
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's words left everyone speechless, their eyes filled with incredulous disbelief.
Even Tobirama seemed momentarily dazed, though he quickly noticed the reactions around him.
Especially Sasuke, whose widened eyes held a mix of excitement and affirmation, causing Tobirama's expression to darken further.
"Stop spouting nonsense! I'll uncover the truth myself!"
Tobirama shouted, though even he wasn't sure what to say next.
Everything they had learned tonight had shaken him deeply.
The Uchiha and Senju were brothers?
The Sage of Six Paths had a brother?
And...
The wars between the Senju and Uchiha—could they really have stemmed from such a petty cause?
"No way! Absolutely not!"
Tobirama gritted his teeth, vowing to uncover the truth even if he had to dig up every inch of ground.
If nothing was found, he'd simply alter history and claim it was lost—no harm in that!
"Alright, let's investigate thoroughly. I'm heading back now."
Kitagawa Minamoto stretched lazily, smiling as he prepared to leave.
The unveiling of the tablets would undoubtedly bring about significant changes, and he was content to watch it all unfold.
For now, his priority was his reward—he had been anticipating insights into Yin-Yang Release for a long time.
(End of Chapter)
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