A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Until recently, no one could have imagined that the ninja world would eventually be divided between Kirigakure and Konoha.

Kirigakure's rise was completely different from Konoha's. While Aoba Kamikawa was undeniably dominant, Tsunade and Konoha still maintained a sense of decorum.

Kirigakure, however, was different. No one could have predicted that the village would come under the control of a legendary figure from decades ago.

Even more shocking was how ruthless Madara Uchiha proved to be. On the third day after deciding to act, he launched an attack on the Land of Lightning.

At that time, Kumogakure was in disarray. The Fourth Raikage's sudden death had left the village unprepared.

Most critically, Kumogakure had lost its three strongest fighters: the Raikage, the Eight-Tails, and the Two-Tails, as well as a significant portion of its elite forces. If not for its lingering reputation, Kumogakure might have already fallen to second-tier status.

However, Kumogakure's foundation remained. Its secret techniques and jutsu were well-preserved, and given time, it could have rebuilt its strength.

That is, if someone could stabilize the situation, protect its lands, and guide its recovery.

In the original timeline, Darui eventually succeeded the Raikage and stabilized the village.

But that was under different circumstances, when the Fourth Raikage had paved the way for him.

Now, with the Fourth Raikage's sudden death, Darui's status as a bodyguard wasn't enough to earn the respect of others.

Amid Kumogakure's internal turmoil, Madara struck.

Without its elite forces, Kumogakure stood no chance against Madara in his current state. Even without the Mangekyō Sharingan or Rinnegan, Madara wielding just the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was already at the pinnacle of conventional ninja power.

Within a single day, Kumogakure fell.

Many ninjas died in battle; some fled and became wandering ninjas, while others surrendered to Madara.

In a village like Kumogakure, which revered strength, losing to Madara, even choosing to follow him was somewhat understandable.

This swift campaign significantly bolstered Kirigakure's power, not only by absorbing Kumogakure's resources but also by gaining access to its jutsu and secret techniques. The results were immediate.

In Konoha, Aoba chuckled softly as he read the intelligence report delivered by the Anbu.

Tsunade, sitting nearby, glanced at him.

"Kirigakure has annexed Kumogakure and greatly strengthened itself. Do you really not feel the slightest sense of crisis?"

"Haha, Madara is still stuck in those old-fashioned methods... Expanding through war. But training ninjas isn't something that happens overnight. Even the Uchiha Clan couldn't produce elite ninjas in a single day.

If Madara is defeated or dies, everything he's built will collapse instantly. That kind of strength doesn't worry me at all. In fact, the more he operates like this, the less we have to be concerned about him.

Right now, our real focus should be on Obito. As long as he remains in hiding, we can't afford to let our guard down."

Aoba truly didn't feel threatened by Madara. From the moment Madara began his efforts to rebuild Kirigakure, Aoba understood his intent: the proud man wanted to surpass him even in governance.

If Madara were to reclaim his Rinnegan, Aoba would genuinely stand no chance.

Based on the original timeline, even Sage-Mode-enhanced Naruto, with Six Paths power, could only barely sense Madara's Limbo: Border Jail. Without an equivalent or superior Rinnegan, there was no way to counter that ability.

As for Obito, he might not seem as threatening as Madara. After all, he wasn't the original owner of the Rinnegan and had been seriously injured in their previous battle.

But Aoba's concern for Obito had reached its peak. He suspected there was a deeper, hidden reason for Obito's victory that day... Something far more dangerous.

This variable, triggered by his own interference, hadn't appeared in the original timeline. It was the most dangerous butterfly effect he had caused, one that could easily lead to his destruction.

To confirm his suspicions, the best course of action was to find Obito and reclaim the Rinnegan. But that was easier said than done.

Even with Konoha's current strength and the full efforts of the Anbu, they had found no trace of Obito. It was an ominous sign.

Meanwhile, the fusion of Aoba's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was progressing painfully slowly. He could feel the progress bar moving forward, but it seemed suppressed by some mysterious force.

Knowing that rushing wouldn't help, Aoba shifted his focus to another area of training.

....

In the deepest part of Konoha's prison, in a simple cell, Yugito Nii lay idly on her bed, lost in thought.

She had been captured by Konoha for some time now. Initially, she had braced herself for torture, interrogation, or even the extraction of her Tailed Beast.

Yet, after being locked in prison, no one paid her any attention.

If it weren't for the punctual delivery of her meals, she might have thought she'd been forgotten entirely.

She had tried to escape but quickly realized that Konoha's sealing team was leagues above Kumogakure's. She couldn't manipulate her chakra, let alone communicate with the Tailed Beast inside her.

And so, all she could do was wait.

Until today, when the nightmare of Kumogakure, the man who had captured her, Aoba Kamikawa appeared before her.

"Have you come to kill me?"

"Why would you think that? Do you feel like you're in any danger of being killed here?"

"Heh, I'm a Jinchūriki. You're not killing me, nor are you extracting my Tailed Beast. What exactly do you want?"

Yugito noted that Aoba had come alone. If they intended to extract her Tailed Beast, it wouldn't just be him. So, she deduced he wasn't here to kill her.

"Whether you believe it or not, I have no intention of killing you. In fact, I'm here today to tell you some news: Kumogakure has fallen."

Yugito remained silent for a while before suddenly jumping up and lunging at Aoba.

"You're lying to me, aren't you? It's impossible. Even if Konoha is stronger than Kumogakure, there's no way you could destroy it in such a short time. Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"

"I have no reason to lie about something like this. And let me clarify: it wasn't Konoha that destroyed Kumogakure, it was Kirigakure."

"Kirigakure? That's even more impossible. Kirigakure could never defeat Kumogakure."

Though Yugito was a Jinchūriki, her status in Kumogakure was nowhere near that of the Raikage's brother, Killer Bee.

Both were Jinchūriki, but while Killer Bee was also a high-ranking member of the village leadership, Yugito was merely regarded as a weapon of war. The two were not comparable.

"Anyone who knows me knows that I don't joke about things like this."

Yugito froze. Deep down, she already knew the truth from the moment Aoba spoke, but her heart refused to accept it.

After a long pause, she finally lifted her head with great difficulty.

"So now what? With Kumogakure destroyed, are you planning to make me a weapon for Konoha?"

"Heh, young lady, you might not believe me when I say this, but Konoha has no interest in the power of the Tailed Beast inside you. Still, you do have some value. Come with me."

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Currently on Chapter 284 - Die, Aoba Kamikawa!