Naruto: Starting with the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline

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Chapter 109: Lunar Resonance

"Tch. What annoying mess do we have this time?"

Hidan's projection appeared on the palm of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—his tone as brash and irritating as ever.

But after glancing over at Pain, he cracked a wicked grin.

"I heard you guys lost. Tsk tsk, imagine screwing up an ambush."

His words made Kisame raise an eyebrow, though Uchiha Itachi and Pain remained calm and unaffected. After all, they knew exactly what kind of mental state Hidan operated under.

There was no point in arguing with a lunatic. Better to focus on more useful matters.

"The mission failed due to unexpected circumstances," Pain said coldly. "We were exposed earlier than anticipated—and we underestimated Gen Kitagawa's capabilities."

Pain's body had been fully repaired thanks to the Hell Path. His voice was as cold and detached as ever.

"Still, we accomplished our primary goal. But we must remain cautious—this is not the right time to go to war with Konoha."

"Tch."

Hidan clicked his tongue, lips twitching. He wanted to mock them—losing and still acting arrogant—but then remembered something: he had lost too.

So he shut his mouth.

"Besides that," Pain continued, "we must also resume our missions to divert Konoha's attention. And we'll need new members."

Seeing that no one else spoke, Pain went on.

"Deidara's mission failed, and our manpower remains incomplete. If any of you have suggestions for new recruits, now is the time."

Strong shinobi were essential for their future plans, and Pain (or rather, Nagato) understood this well. But figuring out who to recruit remained a difficult question.

There were plenty of missing-nin in the shinobi world, but those with strength and compatibility were few and far between.

Of course, for someone like him, it made little difference. But as a leader, he still had to consider the big picture.

"No specific recommendations for now," Black Zetsu spoke up, the one in charge of intelligence. "But there are candidates worth monitoring."

"Many powerful rogue ninja fled from Kirigakure—including former members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. They're potential targets."

"Aside from that, there are others—individuals who are well-hidden, yet formidable. Missing-nin from Konoha… and even remnants of the long-destroyed Land of Sky."

"All of them might be worth recruiting."

Missing-nin from Konoha?

Pain narrowed his eyes and glanced at Uchiha Itachi. He also thought of Orochimaru—and that Uchiha, Obito.

He couldn't help but notice just how high Konoha's defection rate was.

"You'll be in charge of monitoring these candidates," Pain instructed Zetsu. "Once they're deemed suitable, we'll handle the recruitment."

"Understood," Black Zetsu replied with a nod.

Pain then turned his attention to Kakuzu and Sasori.

"How are your recoveries coming along?"

"Mostly recovered," Kakuzu responded after a moment's thought, "but I still lack a few critical components."

"I need to find a skilled Wind Release user. That kind of chakra is rare and not easily obtained. Full recovery will take more time."

"Wind Release?" Sasori echoed, turning to glance at him.

Apparently, Kakuzu was thinking the same thing he was. Sasori, too, needed a Wind Release user—to craft a new human puppet.

Gen Kitagawa's Flying Thunder God technique was too troublesome. A single kunai bearing his seal could turn the tide if overlooked.

Especially when combined with that Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu. It was impossible to tell which target was real or fake, forcing them to treat every projectile as deadly.

Wind Release was the perfect counter to scatter and neutralize such tools.

"Don't tell me… he's going to compete with me for targets?"

Sasori frowned internally. Even within the same organization, everyone kept their secrets—especially big ones.

Just as no one knew the details of his puppet body and its core, he didn't know Kakuzu's hidden mechanics either.

"My Third Kazekage puppet is fully restored," Sasori said aloud, "but I've lost too many others. I'll need to go to the Land of Wind to restock."

"The Land of Wind, huh?" Kakuzu muttered.

That barren land was mostly desert and wastelands—but it was home to a high number of Wind Release users.

He glanced at Sasori, ideas forming in his mind.

That glance didn't go unnoticed—Sasori saw it too.

"Damn it. That bastard really is going to compete with me!"

—

Back in Konoha, peace had finally returned for a while.

Standing atop the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out over the bustling village and smiled.

"It's been a while since we've had some calm."

"And it's rare to have both of you back for the New Year," he added, glancing at Jiraiya and Tsunade. "Feels like we can finally celebrate properly."

"Too bad… someone's still missing," Jiraiya murmured, his tone soft.

He looked at Tsunade as he said it, and a heavy silence followed.

"…"

Sarutobi's fist clenched slightly.

Does this guy not know how to read the room? Just blurting out whatever pops into his head...

Still, in the end, he said nothing.

After all, he too felt the weight of that absence in his heart.

Jiraiya and Tsunade had both returned to Konoha for various reasons, but Orochimaru… he might never come back.

"Old man, I don't mean to spoil the mood, but what's the deal with that Uchiha Obito?"

Tsunade leaned on the railing, looking down at the bustling village below. Her expression was far from pleased.

"I know the village once experimented with my grandfather's cells, but didn't those projects get shut down? Why does Uchiha Obito have that kind of power?"

"We're still investigating," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with a heavy sigh. "But truth be told, we've long suspected one possibility…"

He didn't really want to discuss this now, but Tsunade's question left him little choice.

"The most likely culprit is Orochimaru. Those experiments back then were conducted by him and Danzo together. And he…"

"Orochimaru?"

Jiraiya frowned, stroking his chin. "I don't know... Obito's ideology is completely different. Even if someone like Orochimaru were manipulated, he wouldn't go down that path."

"Exactly. That's why I never said anything until now," Hiruzen nodded. While Orochimaru had changed, Hiruzen still understood parts of him.

Orochimaru had once been obsessed with learning all jutsu. Later, that desire twisted into something darker—a craving for forbidden knowledge and eternal life.

But even that wasn't remotely close to Obito's madness: his delusional goal of rewriting the entire shinobi world.

"They're nothing alike. So no, Obito's mastermind probably isn't Orochimaru—but that Wood Release ability... that might have some connection."

"Tch. That snake bastard's always been impossible to catch," Tsunade muttered, shaking her head.

Jiraiya let out a deep sigh. "We've run into him twice. We got valuable intel, but never managed to detain him. But old man, if he really worked with Danzo, maybe we can…"

"Danzo is still trying to reestablish contact with Hanzo of the Salamander," Hiruzen said after a moment of contemplation. "But yes, we should consider involving him more directly."

Danzo had been working hard on the Hanzo front—but with no results. The man didn't dare set foot in Amegakure himself, so he kept sending subordinates and letters. None had ever returned.

Hiruzen never truly intended to force Danzo into retirement. For all his flaws, Danzo's work was valuable. So it was only fair he should bear more responsibility now.

"Enough of this," Hiruzen finally said, waving a hand. "Let's just enjoy the New Year while we can."

Looking down at the vibrant Konoha streets, he smiled.

"There'll be plenty of trouble ahead, but for now, let's take a break. Oh, and Gen's birthday is coming up. Take him a gift on my behalf, will you?"

"Sure thing. I'll go get it ready," Jiraiya agreed without hesitation.

Except… he didn't move. Instead, he gave Hiruzen a puzzled look.

"What?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you were going?"

"You didn't give me any money. How am I supposed to buy anything?"

"…."

---

Late that night, Gen finally returned home after a busy day.

"Man, I got a lot of gifts today."

He looked around at the pile of presents, feeling genuinely surprised. Former classmates, old teachers, even Naruto had rallied the "Konoha Nine" to give him something. Guy, Kakashi, Jiraiya—even the Third Hokage had sent a gift.

"Looks like I'm pretty popular around here," he chuckled.

Gen truly felt at ease in Konoha now. Life had been rough in the past, but everything was different now.

"I'm basically the Hokage's golden child at this point."

Come to think of it—he'd made the Sixth Hokage eat crow, tricked the Third, snatched ramen from the Seventh, and even helped bring back the Fifth.

With a record like that, if he really did aim for the top one day, Naruto might actually cry!

"Well, we'll see what the main quest turns into. I've got over half a year left. Time to pass the Jōnin exam."

He didn't rush to unwrap his gifts. He could do that later. What intrigued him more was what kind of reward he might earn after completing the "Jōnin Promotion" quest.

And beyond that…

"What comes after Jōnin? Am I really going to make Naruto cry?"

His expression turned strange as he leaned forward with both hands propping up his chin. But just then, a strange sensation washed over him.

"…What is this feeling?"

Raising his head slightly, looked up at the sky—at the full moon glowing above.

Somehow, he could sense an unusual force emanating from the moon.

A power that… was resonating with his eyes, stirring the energy deep within them in perfect harmony.