A Sage's Pursuit of Power

What is the most important thing in the world of Naruto?

Most people would instinctively say bloodlines. After all, Naruto is often referred to as a tale of legendary eyes, which are a form of kekkei genkai. Fundamentally, the story seems rooted in the power of heritage.

But Aoba saw deeper. The emphasis on bloodlines wasn't entirely wrong, but it was only the surface. The true core of this world was chakra.

This power was the thread running through the entire story.

Take the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki clans, for instance their legacies are tied to bloodlines. But Indra and Asura's lineage wasn't passed down through blood, it was through chakra.

These higher forms of inheritance relied on chakra, making it the true essence of the Naruto world. All stories in this universe revolved around it.

The Rinnegan might seem like a product of bloodlines, but at its core, it was still tied to chakra. It's worth remembering that Sasuke's Rinnegan in the original story wasn't the result of his heritage but was instead awakened directly by Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki using chakra.

Moreover, Aoba had always been curious: Why did Hagoromo give Sasuke only one Rinnegan? In the final battle, if Sasuke had two, wouldn't the fight have been far easier?

Hints about this were subtly revealed during the battle against Six Paths Madara. Sasuke's Rinnegan was implicitly stated to be more advanced than Madara's.

Judging from earlier battles, the gap between having one Rinnegan and having two was enormous.

When Madara had only one Rinnegan, he struggled against the combined efforts of the Allied Shinobi Forces. He could only use Limbo: Border Jail to create a single shadow. But once he acquired both Rinnegans, not only did his power surge, but Limbo allowed him to create five shadows.

What was intriguing, however, was that Sasuke, with just one Rinnegan, could easily see through the strongest stealth abilities of Limbo.

Additionally, the Rinnegan-exclusive jutsu Amenotejikara was already absurdly powerful. (There's a small detail in the anime: Sasuke initially used Amenotejikara to swap even air itself, allowing him to teleport his opponent without needing an anchor. But after a few episodes, this ability was seemingly nerfed, requiring him to exchange positions with something tangible. Two possibilities emerge: either his repeated use of the Rinnegan fatigued him, weakening the technique, or the Rinnegan's permissions were reduced. After all, it wasn't a power he awakened himself, and the highest authority likely didn't rest with him.)

Whether fighting Madara or Kaguya, Naruto and Sasuke faced immense challenges.

But considering Hagoromo's hands-on involvement in granting them their powers, it's clear he could influence the ninja world.

This raises an interesting question: why didn't Hagoromo intervene earlier? For instance, Madara was misled by Black Zetsu for decades. As another reincarnation of Indra, wouldn't a warning to Madara have resolved the issue and prevented the later chaos?

But Hagoromo didn't. Despite being a genius who awakened the Rinnegan on his own, Madara clearly wasn't favored by his "father." Instead, Hagoromo showed a clear preference for Hashirama and Naruto, both of whom were far less strategic.

At its core, the conflicts of the ninja world stemmed from the grudges of this one family. Aoba knew he was an outsider to these disputes. What seemed feasible in theory might not work for him simply because of his position as an outsider.

The ambush was set in the Land of Hot Springs. Aoba didn't know Obito's exact location, but the Land of Hot Springs, famous as a haven for recovery and relaxation, was a plausible hiding spot.

The Akatsuki members arrived, travel-worn, in the Land of Hot Springs. Meanwhile, Konoha's team had arrived earlier and meticulously prepared their ambush.

Although Aoba didn't intend to kill the remaining Akatsuki members, their dangerous potential warranted a luxurious lineup for the mission.

In addition to his own Team 7, Kakashi had brought six teams from the ANBU. On top of that, they had two powerhouse fighters: Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.

Among the six Akatsuki members, two were double agents, making the balance of power quite clear.

Sasuke had remained silent throughout the journey. His demeanor unsettled Naruto and Karin, who empathized with his pain but couldn't fully comprehend what it must feel like to confront the older brother who had massacred his clan.

Aoba noticed Sasuke's emotional turmoil but knew it couldn't be resolved. Hatred, after all, followed a certain trajectory.

When it remained below a certain threshold, hatred would fade over time. But once it crossed a critical line, it would fester and grow heavier with time.

Sasuke was undoubtedly in the latter category. The massacre of his clan was a wound time couldn't heal. Despite Aoba's efforts over the years to ease his emotions, the long-buried hatred had surged to the surface in this final moment, consuming Sasuke entirely.

Aoba could even sense that the intensity of Sasuke's emotions was causing his Sharingan's power to stir violently.

Suddenly, Karin, who had her eyes closed in concentration, opened them abruptly.

"They're here."

At that instant, Sasuke's aura flared momentarily, and his Susanoo almost manifested. However, he managed to regain control and suppress his emotions.

"Where is he?"

In the hot springs plaza of the Land of Hot Springs, six individuals exuded terrifying chakra. One of them even had a chakra level comparable to that of a tailed beast.

"Very good. Kakashi, proceed with the plan."

Kakashi led his team to handle the perimeter setup. In battles of this caliber, ordinary shinobi wouldn't be of much use.

The true combatants were Aoba, Kakashi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze. The other ANBU members were tasked with setting up barriers, providing sensory support, and handling auxiliary roles.

"Wait!" Karin suddenly spoke up, stopping the group.

"Something's wrong. There's another one. Someone else is at the plaza. Their chakra is even more terrifying."

"Another one?"

Aoba frowned slightly, then his expression shifted to one of surprise.

"Could it be...?"

At the hot springs plaza in the Land of Hot Springs, the six Akatsuki members were staring intently at a black-robed, masked man standing across from them.

"Itachi, your intel is really precise. We found this guy so easily," said one of the Akatsuki members.

Itachi nodded emotionlessly, but inside, he was frantically cursing the situation.

What the hell is going on? Wasn't the Rinnegan supposed to just be a diversion? Wasn't the plan for me to settle things with Sasuke and then take over Akatsuki? Why the hell is Obito actually here?!

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Currently on Chapter 294 - Subduing Toneri Ōtsutsuki