Uchiha Gate: From Konoha to One Piece

— — — — — — — 

"Sure thing!"

Kaito smiled and nodded. "That would be for the best! Saves me from a lot of talking!"

"Oh, by the way! Kaito, when will your self-created Sage Chakra Technique be perfected?"

At this moment, Uchiha Naori spoke up, eager to ask.

She wanted to start practicing as soon as possible, to improve her strength quickly and break into the Six Paths level. The sooner she reached that point, the less she'd have to worry about her son.

Not being at the Six Paths level made everyone feel restrained, as if their hands were tied. It was frustrating and inconvenient.

Hearing this, Mikoto and the others also turned their eyes to Kaito.

Who wouldn't want to accelerate their growth, evolve their very essence, and step into a higher level of power?

"Hmm..."

Kaito paused to think before smiling and saying, "It'll take at least another month or so to make it to the minor mastery level."

"By then, it should be refined enough for you all to start practicing!"

"Oh, right! But there's a catch—your proficiency with the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique and the Meditation Method must both reach the minor achievement level, at the very least. Otherwise, I'm afraid it won't work."

"If you try to cultivate it without meeting those standards, you'll likely fail," Kaito explained with a faint smile.

"At the very least, that version of the Sage Chakra Condensation Technique will require that much!"

"Ultimately, this method relies on using spiritual energy to forcibly envelop and refine natural energy into Sage Chakra during the process of circulation. Without sufficient spiritual energy to suppress the turbulence of natural energy, your meridians simply can't handle the strain."

"If your proficiency in the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique is inadequate, your meridian strength and circulation skills will also fall short, making it impossible to succeed."

"Of course, if you want to practice the Myoboku Mountain version of Sage Mode without external assistance, that's also an option!"

"As long as your Meditation Method reaches perfection, allowing you to reliably enter a state of harmony with nature, you can attempt it."

"Once your Chakra reserves are high enough, your natural energy affinity is sufficient, or your spiritual energy is strong enough, you could potentially forcefully fuse Sage Chakra and step into the entry-level stage of Sage Mode."

"How about it? Want to give it a try? That's probably how the First Hokage did it!"

"Though, to be fair, the First Hokage's spiritual energy might not have been up to par, but his top-tier Sage Body and absurdly high natural energy affinity made the fusion process significantly easier for him."

"Honestly, Hashirama was truly a chosen one of his era."

"..."

"Forget it!"

The group including Naori shook their heads decisively.

"A perfected Meditation Method isn't something that's easy to achieve!" Minato said.

"We'll wait for your Sage Chakra Technique to be ready."

After all, most of them had already developed both the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique and the Meditation Method to at least the minor mastery level.

Uchiha Naori, on the other hand, had already pushed her Meditation Method to perfection and was close to reaching the grand perfection stage. Her talent and comprehension in this area were indeed exceptional.

But even she wasn't interested in the Mount Myoboku method.

It couldn't completely refine Sage Chakra for personal use, nor could it be fully controlled. Moreover, it couldn't be permanently stored in the body as part of one's foundational strength.

She was willing to wait for Kaito to perfect his method, even if it took a month.

"Alright! Let's reconsider this in a month!"

Kaito nodded with a smile.

He had expected this outcome.

Frankly, he would've made the same choice in their shoes.

— — —

After finishing breakfast, Kaito didn't immediately head off to find the First Hokage or Orochimaru. Instead, he joined Tsunade and the others for their morning training at the Shimotsuki Village base in the Pirate world.

Once he completed his daily training of techniques like the Eternal Life technique, Tsunade urged him to move on. Leaving the Pirate world, Kaito returned to the Ninja World and went straight to the old district.

There, he found Senju Hashirama working alongside Tobirama, using Wood Release and Earth Release to flatten land and construct new houses and streets.

Naturally, Uchiha Madara was also there, helping out. Though his face made it clear he wasn't thrilled about it.

"Grandpa! We need to talk about something. Come home with us for a bit!" Tsunade called out as she approached.

"Oh?"

Hashirama stopped what he was doing and looked over curiously.

"What's the matter?"

Then, noticing Kaito beside Tsunade, Hashirama smiled and waved cheerfully.

"Hey! The Fourth Hokage is here too! Got something to discuss with me? You could've just said so! No need to drag little Tsunade along, hahaha!"

Kaito rolled his eyes slightly. "Something like that. Anyway, come with us. It's something good for you."

Without further explanation, Kaito teleported directly to Hashirama's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Before Hashirama could react, Kaito transported them away.

Tsunade followed closely, leaving Madara behind with a sour expression.

"This brat! I'm still your elder, you know! Not even a single greeting? How rude!" Madara grumbled.

Then again, considering his history of trying to kill everyone, it wasn't surprising that Kaito wasn't particularly polite to him.

Unless, of course, the day came when Madara willingly accepted a contract with Kaito, in which case their dynamic might shift slightly.

But for now? No chance.

— — —

Meanwhile, Kaito and Hashirama arrived at the Senju compound's courtyard.

Tsunade appeared moments later.

"Huh? What are you all doing here?"

Inside the courtyard, Uzumaki Mito and Senju Nawaki were present and immediately turned curious when they saw Kaito and Hashirama.

At this moment, both Uzumaki Mito and Nawaki were present, and they curiously asked the question as soon as they saw the visitors.

It was worth mentioning that Nawaki had also entered into a contract long ago. His current strength was at least at the level of a jōnin—pretty impressive.

"I came to discuss the matter of forming a contract with our first Hokage," Kaito replied with a smile.

"Oh! That's great news!"

Both Uzumaki Mito and Nawaki were visibly delighted upon hearing this.

This was definitely a good thing! They were curious to see if there would be any significant changes after Hashirama, the revived First Hokage, entered the contract.

"Contract? What contract? Kaito, are you trying to make some kind of deal with me?"

Hashirama scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled as he asked.

Without hesitation, Kaito explained the pros and cons of the contract to Hashirama.

Following that, Tsunade and the others took turns trying to persuade him.

Tsunade: "Grandpa, this is a fantastic opportunity! Just agree already. We've all formed contracts with Kaito!"

Uzumaki Mito: "Exactly! There's no need to overthink it. Just agree!"

Nawaki: "Grandpa, hurry up! You'll see the benefits once it's done. Hehe, it'll definitely surprise you!"

"Is that so?"

Hashirama scratched the back of his head again, then nodded. "If you're all saying it's a good thing, then let's do it. I don't see any harm in trying."

"A little restriction isn't really an issue for me."

"So, what do I need to do?"

Hashirama looked at Kaito as he asked.

Kaito didn't waste time. He conjured an intricate contract rune from his brow and sent it floating toward the First Hokage. He then explained the steps for forming the contract.

After listening, Hashirama reached out and touched the rune as instructed.

When a voice echoed in his mind, he chose to accept without hesitation.

The next moment, the rune merged into the core of his soul at his brow.

A soft hum resonated, and the rune released a radiant glow and energy wave, stabilizing Hashirama's soul completely.

The damage his soul had sustained from lingering in the living world vanished entirely.

Even the deathly aura lingering in his soul was swept away by the rune.

Furthermore, the connection and imprint his soul had with the Pure Land of the Afterlife were enveloped and sealed by the rune's glow and energy.

It didn't sever or erase the link outright. Instead, it encapsulated it and disguised its presence, making it undetectable.

As a result, Hashirama's soul was no longer under the influence or control of the Pure Land.

Though the connection technically still existed, it had been rendered utterly meaningless.

Hashirama felt an immense relief, as if a refreshing rain had washed over him. He felt rejuvenated, as though he had been reborn.

"This feeling…"

Hashirama marveled at the transformation, sensing the contract rune within his soul. His eyes were filled with astonishment and joy.

Before he could say anything to Kaito, a torrent of information flooded into his mind—details about the past and future of the Pirate world, as well as fragments of the past and future from the Ninja world.

In addition, numerous amazing techniques created and mastered by Kaito surged into his consciousness.

Overwhelmed, Hashirama had to close his eyes to process everything. His expression revealed his inner turmoil and amazement.

— — —

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Pure Land…

The Sage of Six Paths sat cross-legged in mid-air, a staff resting on his lap. With his eyes closed, he was absorbing souls power and chakra from the Pure Land.

He remained completely unaware of the changes happening to Hashirama.

However, Kaito, through the feedback from the contract rune within Hashirama's soul, had already discerned the situation.

Realizing the link and imprint had been dealt with, Kaito nodded to himself.

"As I thought, the Sage of Six Paths has placed measures on the souls of the deceased ninja—at least the powerful ones."

"It seems there's a big issue with the Pure Land, and the Sage of Six Paths is also problematic."

"Luckily, I planned ahead and adjusted the contract rune's effects for Hashirama."

"If the rune had outright severed the link and imprint with the Pure Land, it might have alerted the Sage of Six Paths!"

"But…"

Kaito pondered further. "Hashirama and Madara, the previous reincarnations of Indra and Asura, are both dead now. The next reincarnations could appear at any moment."

"I wonder if the Sage of Six Paths will personally monitor the ninja world during this time?"

"Hopefully, he won't. Hopefully, the reincarnations are delayed by a few years…"

"Or maybe he's relying on the Toad Sages to observe the world?"

"If not, he might notice something unusual."

"Even if he doesn't uncover everything, he could still detect some anomalies."

"Damn it! If I had known, I would've waited a few more years before killing Madara!"

Kaito admitted to himself that he felt a hint of regret.

Now, his only choice was to hope for a delay in the reincarnations of Indra and Asura.

At the same time, he had to work hard on his training to break through to the Six Paths level.

"Hmm… Maybe I should also find stronger, more compatible Devil Fruits for my mother, lady Mito, and the first Hokage, removing their flaws and risks before letting them eat them. That would quickly boost their power."

Kaito saw potential in this idea.

He decided to discuss it with them later to see what they thought about Devil Fruits.

With their strength, even if the desired fruits had already been consumed by someone else, it wouldn't be an issue for most users.

As long as it wasn't someone like Whitebeard or a top-ranking Navy officer, they'd likely be able to handle it.

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