While Sand Hidden and Konoha prepared for war, on another part of the Ninja World continent.
*Thud!*
A dumbbell crashed to the ground. The young Killer B panted, mumbling an incoherent rap to hype himself up.
Compared to when Cloud Hidden Village's current A-B duo had just formed, Killer B was much more muscular now.
Though not yet as brawny and powerful as the Raikage, his muscles had already become well-defined.
"Bee! Get up and keep going! We have to get stronger to shoulder the village's future!"
Fourth Raikage A shouted at Killer B while lifting weights nearby.
He was still bothered by what had happened a year ago.
He and his dad had teamed up, giving it almost everything they had, yet the guy from Sand Village, who was even younger than him, had escaped completely unscathed.
His strength was far superior to his own, even slightly stronger than his dad's!
Fourth Raikage A could accept a difference in strength between himself and others, but he couldn't accept such a vast disparity.
Now, both of them were candidates to be their respective village's Kage, so they were inevitably compared.
That's why he was desperate to become stronger.
It wasn't just him; the entire A-B duo was a partnership where one's success benefited both and one's failure harmed both. If he couldn't surpass someone alone, then the A-B duo together should at least be able to.
"Alright, let Bee rest for a bit."
A steady, booming voice sounded as the Third Raikage lifted the curtain and entered the gym.
"Dad? What are you doing here? Where's that old man from Sand Village? Are you guys done talking?"
"Ebizo has already left."
"So, are we helping Sand Hidden or Konoha?"
Fourth Raikage A asked.
The Third Raikage replied, "We'll help whoever wins."
"How is that different from what you said before, Dad?"
For Cloud Hidden Village, it was always best for the other ninja villages to keep each other in check.
If Sand Hidden had the upper hand, they'd help Konoha. If Konoha had the upper hand, they'd help Sand Hidden.
"Things are different now. Sand Village is trying to sideline the Daimyo. If they succeed, it means the Ninja World's traditional ninja village system will change. When a ninja village completely breaks free from the Daimyo's shackles, how fast can it develop? You just need to look at Sand Village over the past two years to know. Not to mention they'll also control all the wealth and resources accumulated by the entire Land of Wind in the future.
At that point, every ninja village in the Ninja World, if they don't want to be left behind by Sand Village, will be forced to change. That will be a feat as significant as Senju Hashirama establishing the ninja village system."
"What if Sand Village fails then?"
"That means this new system lacks sufficient stability and cannot replace the old one. It's merely a fleeting product of a special historical period.
We don't need to emulate it. Sand Village will pay the price for their actions, swept into the dustbin of history by every Daimyo who fears such a system. And the Land of Wind will be carved up by other nations. If it can even become a small country like the Land of Hot Water, that'll be a good outcome."
The Third Raikage adopted a sagely expression as he spoke to his son.
"Uh, I sort of get it, but you definitely learned that from Dodai-sensei, Dad."
"How did you know?"
"Even if you could understand all that, you don't have the ability to articulate it that way."
...
While the Raikage father and son conversed, on the coast of the Land of Lightning, Ebizo, accompanied by several Sand Village ninja, boarded a large ship with some fresh water and food.
They would then sail around the Land of Fire's sphere of influence to reach the Land of Water, heading to Hidden Mist Village to visit the newly appointed Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
In the distance, off the coast, a Pitcher Plant slowly emerged.
Uchiha Madara, already in the Land of Water, had received the news even before Ebizo's arrival.
"The Sand Hidden envoy is almost here? I never thought all their commotion would rewrite the Ninja World's situation like this."
Yagura Karatachi, his eyes vacant, stood quietly at the table, wearing the Mizukage's robes. In front of him sat Uchiha Madara, connected to a White Zetsu.
It was as if Uchiha Madara was the true Mizukage here, and Yagura was merely a humble subordinate.
"Lord Madara, you can't blame Sand Village for this! If it weren't for your despicable and shameless meddling, disguising the clones of your main body as the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, this war wouldn't have even happened!"
The White Zetsu who delivered the message excitedly gesticulated, but Uchiha Madara glared at it with his three-tomoe Sharingan, killing it with Genjutsu.
"Lord Madara, White Zetsu with strength approaching Jonin level are difficult to cultivate. A lesson would have been enough; there was no need to kill it. Moreover, your body is so weak now; it's no longer suitable for you to act."
Black Zetsu slowly emerged from Uchiha Madara's body, its voice hoarse.
"Hmph, it's merely a crude imitation of Hashirama. Killing it is nothing. But you're right, this decaying body can barely hold on. I must instigate the war quickly, send the Uchiha to the battlefield, and select a suitable successor."
Uchiha Madara felt his increasingly frail body and spoke coldly.
To awaken the Rinnegan, his body had expended too much life force. Even extracting Chakra was no longer as smooth as it was in his youth, and his strength had greatly diminished.
If he had his full power from back then, with his arrogant and domineering personality, how could he allow himself to hide in the darkness for decades like a rat, playing these schemes?
The long passage of time, his aging body, and weakened power had caused the former Ninja World's Asura to lose some of his spirit.
He was growing increasingly impatient, eager to reignite his spirit with the fervor of his youth and then launch the Eye of the Moon Plan to create a perfect world.
"I understand, Lord Madara. So, the next step is for Yagura and Ebizo to meet and then send troops to Konoha? How many would be suitable?"
Uchiha Madara replied, "Send everyone who can be sent. After all, the Land of Water is isolated overseas, and no one can attack it. We need to escalate the intensity of the war as quickly as possible. Only when that brat from the Sarutobi family loses his composure will he agree to let the Uchiha appear on the battlefield in large numbers."
"Yes, but the Daimyo also has concerns about this. It seems they want us to attack the Sand Village."
Black Zetsu emerged from Uchiha Madara's body, flowing like liquid into Yagura's form, controlling Yagura as he asked.
The next challenge was facing Ebizo, a rather cunning individual. A Yagura controlled by Genjutsu might lack initiative, and there aren't many intelligent White Zetsu, so he would have to step in for now.
"Then we'll just replace the Daimyo of the Land of Water with a White Zetsu. Perfect. That way, we'll have enough military funds to arm the Hidden Mist Village and put even more pressure on Konoha."
Uchiha Madara closed his crimson eyes, saying nothing more.
He was too weak; just speaking for a moment had already made him feel fatigued.
...
...
In the Marvel Universe, Qingshui was also growing quite impatient.
This was because the Ancient One had told him that it was time to go to the Altos Dimension.
According to the old man, Altos was an archmage who had almost unified science and magic. His combat power was even comparable to some Dimensional Demon Gods, and his work, the Book of Altos, was a treasure no less significant than the Darkhold or the Book of Vishanti.
"Old man, when are we leaving?" Qingshui asked the Ancient One with a grin.
"Tch, I'm getting old. My shoulder... it feels a bit sore," the Ancient One mumbled, half-lying on a beach chair on a Hawaiian beach.
The old man was wearing a short, yellowish-brown monk robe on his upper body and colorful beach shorts on his lower half. He was sipping iced fruit juice and wearing sunglasses, looking utterly relaxed.
A layer of shimmering green Yang Release Chakra condensed in Qingshui's palm and pressed onto the Ancient One's shoulder.
"Hiss... that feels good! My feet feel a bit..."
"Old man, I advise you not to be ungrateful."
Bones creaked, and Qingshui's expression instantly turned cold.
"Ow! That hurts!"
The Ancient One winced but didn't move Qingshui's hand.
Though it hurt, a continuous stream of Yang Release Chakra, enhanced by the Mind Stone, was soothing his ancient body, which had endured centuries of dark energy erosion.
Even if it couldn't stop the decay of his physical body, it could at least prevent the Ancient One from suffering pain while alive due to his body's inability to withstand the increasingly profound dark energy.
Even though he knew and had accepted that he would die in the near future, the Ancient One didn't try to change it.
Because he had to try his best to guide this world's timeline in the best possible direction.
A few minutes later.
"I'm an old man who'll be dead in less than two years, and you're not even cutting me any slack! I'll tell you, but you have to make the new planner adjust the drop rates in the game!" the Ancient One grumbled, rubbing his shoulder angrily at Qingshui.
"Alright, hurry up. If you die, I'll definitely burn you a high-spec gaming computer."
"Remember to burn me one every year. Electronic components get updated very quickly. Also, every issue of Shonen Jump manga, every issue of Playboy magazine, and, oh, remember to deposit money into my various game accounts every month. I don't need too much, just enough to max out the monthly cards and all the gacha events. Anyway, for you, it's just a bit of money and some data..."
The old bastard was truly shameless.
"You'll be dead. Do you still need them?"
"Hey, death doesn't mean non-existence, kid. You're still too green; you haven't seen the true face of the multiverse yet."
The Ancient One took off his sunglasses, slurped down the rest of his juice, and put down his crossed legs.
Heh, he'd latched onto a power greater than the Vishanti. Death had no impact on him; he just wouldn't be around here anymore.
Just thinking that in less than two years, he would be free from all these troubles, the Ancient One couldn't help but hum lightly.
A greenish-yellow light emanated from the Ancient One, transforming his clothing into something ancient and mysterious.
A purplish-red robe and crown, a golden sash, and an inner black lining adorned with several unknown Magic Tools. The Eye of Agamotto on his chest glowed faintly, making the small old man appear profound and dignified, looking like a true archmage.
This was the Sorcerer Supreme, revered by all in the magical world.
"How about it? Don't I look impressive now, old man?" the Ancient One chuckled, looking at Qingshui.
The aura of a reclusive master was instantly shattered by the Ancient One's mischievous smile.
"You look like one of those unfortunate souls from a late medieval witch hunt."
"Young people just don't understand aesthetics. These clothes are antiques, from the Wanli era."
"Yours look as new as if they were made last week."
"Because I used the Time Stone to restore them to how they looked when they were first produced."
The Ancient One chuckled, then used his Sling Ring to open a portal.
"Let's go."
"Go where?"
"Asgard. Yggdrasil is a node connecting the physical world with higher dimensions. It just so happens that a Sorcerer Supreme from another universe needs to go to Altos soon. He's calculated more precise coordinates for the Altos Dimension. You'll need to be near Yggdrasil, using its power, and under Vishanti's guidance, to meet up with him and reach Altos."
"Using Yggdrasil's power?"
As Qingshui wondered this, he took off the Eye of Watt from his chest and handed it to the Ancient One for safekeeping.
Once an Infinity Stone leaves its native universe, it loses its power. Taking it out would just make it a useless rock, pretty at best.
It's entirely possible that the moment an Infinity Stone is taken out, another corresponding Infinity Stone forms in some corner of the universe the next second, and the original one would turn into a worthless rock if brought back.
The Ancient One had told Qingshui all this.
Successive Sorcerer Supremes had guarded the Time Stone for millennia, giving them a deep understanding of the Infinity Stones.
Among the people Qingshui knew, only the Ancient One truly had the ability to guard an Infinity Stone.
"Exactly. If you learn astral projection, you can travel through endless space-time with your soul and explore the multiverse, because a spirit body has no mass, no physical form. But to bring your body, your Magic Tools, and even your armor, you'll need extremely powerful energy, strong enough to break through this universe."
The Ancient One took the Eye of Watt and hung it around his neck, then used the Eye of Watt's built-in Genjutsu ability to conceal it.
Over eighty percent of the Eye of Watt's design was based on the Eye of Agamotto, so it was quick and easy for the Ancient One to use.
"Even paying Vishanti for this would be very costly. So the best option is to go through Odin, using the power of Yggdrasil. We only need to pay Vishanti for guiding the way."
"Won't that put us in Odin's debt?"
"It will, but it's more cost-effective, because Odin also needs help with something right now."
"I understand."
Qingshui nodded slightly and followed the Ancient One into the shimmering portal to Asgard.
Having the Time Stone certainly made planning things convenient.
On the other side of the portal, the Asgardians had already detected the anomaly. The Palace Guards were on alert, defensively positioned, while others were sent to report.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// beta.randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------