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The Land of Fire, established during the early days of the Warring States period, was a nation born amidst chaos.
In its initial stages, the Daimyo's were enthusiastic about hiring the fragmented ninja clans from the former Shinobi Sect (Ninshū) to combat other nations.
However, due to the immense destruction caused by ninja battles, the five great nations gradually segregated the worldly wars from the Shinobi world.
The Land of Fire, blessed with abundant resources and a favorable living environment, became the first nation in the history of the Shinobi world to establish a unified Hidden Village.
Following the foundation of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water all emulated this model, establishing their own Hidden Villages. Thus began an era where the five great nations dominated and unified the Shinobi world.
Beyond the future Hidden Leaf Village, the Land of Fire boasted many unique architectural structures, such as the numerous temples scattered throughout the nation. Among them, the most renowned and largest was the Fire Temple, a relic passed down from ancient times.
On this particular day, the Fire Temple welcomed two unusual guests.
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On the long staircase leading up to the temple, Uchiha Madara gazed at the towering structure before him.
"Is that thing really sealed here?" he asked.
"Of course," Kyosuke replied with a faint smile, his mind clearly calculating something unknown.
Seeing this, Madara shook his head in exasperation. From a long time ago, he had found it impossible to see through his friend's thoughts.
Before arriving at the Fire Temple, the two had discreetly met with the recently returned Hyūga Yayoi.
It was only then that Madara learned that the most outstanding young ninja of the Hyūga clan had long since become one of Kyosuke's subordinates.
Madara was further astonished by the transplantation of Sage Body cells, a revelation that shook him to his core.
Over the years of battle, Madara's eyesight had indeed deteriorated significantly. He had assumed Kyosuke would face the same problem, only to discover that his friend had already found an excellent solution.
Taking advantage of the moment, Kyosuke also disclosed the existence of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, explaining that it might be the ultimate form of the Sharingan.
Predictably, Madara showed no interest in this revelation. To him, Izuna's significance far surpassed any notion of the Eternal Eye.
Thanks to Yayoi's exceptional scientific expertise, the fusion of cells within Madara progressed remarkably smoothly.
Within just a few days, he had completely fused the cells, leaving an indelible mark of Kyosuke's presence on his right atrium.
If not for the urgency to head to the Fire Temple, Madara might have considered trying to practice Sage Mode.
It seemed that, no matter how the storyline changes, certain patterns of thought remain unchanged.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the resurrected Madara absorbed a massive amount of Sage Chakra from the reanimated Hashirama.
Though clearly elated, he still pretended to be indifferent.
Regardless, Uchiha Madara at this moment was undoubtedly stronger than ever before.
As for the impact on the storyline, Kyosuke had long since ceased to care.
To put it bluntly, the final boss on this stage of Earth was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. As long as she didn't appear, everything else seemed manageable.
At the very least, Kyousuke was confident in dealing with any crisis other than Ōtsutsuki Kaguya herself.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?
He was just a dying figure clinging to survival. Without consuming a Chakra Fruit, he couldn't even achieve immortality.
Even if Kyosuke stood right before him, Isshiki wouldn't dare make a move.
And by the time Isshiki found a suitable vessel for reincarnation, who knew how many years would have passed?
By then, Kyosuke might be strong enough to crush Kaguya single-handedly—why would he fear a being who didn't even dare to interfere in the Shinobi world's processes?
Some beings seem alive, but in truth, they died thousands of years ago. This description suited Ōtsutsuki Isshiki perfectly.
"I have nothing to fear from him," Kyosuke declared with an unwavering conviction.
---
Thus, upon meeting the abbot of the Fire Temple, accompanied by the monk Jigen, Kyosuke's expression became particularly interesting.
"Kyosuke-dono, it has been many years. How have you been?" Jigen greeted him cordially.
Uchiha Madara cast a sidelong glance at his companion. He hadn't noticed before, but Kyosuke's social circle was unexpectedly vast.
Hyūga Yayoi was one thing, but now even a random monk from a remote temple knew him.
Madara couldn't help but wonder what Kyosuke was doing during his frequent venture. Could he be preparing to become a monk?
Harboring malicious curiosity, Madara was about to retract his gaze when he suddenly noticed a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of tension on Kyosuke's face.
Was he... nervous?!
This discovery surprised Madara greatly.
Seizing the moment while no one noticed, he discreetly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, employing the soul-related ability of his right eye.
Having transplanted Sage Body cells, Madara's lost ocular power was gradually recovering.
He even felt that his total ocular power was slowly increasing over time.
Although the process was slow, taking at least twenty to thirty years for significant changes, it was progress nonetheless.
With his ocular power no longer an issue, Madara could use his Mangekyō abilities without restraint. If he wished, he could summon Susano'o even without activating his Mangekyō Sharingan.
This was because the power of the Sharingan had long since been deeply imprinted on his very soul. As long as his soul endured, Madara could even achieve extraordinary feats like leaving his physical body as a spirit.
In this soul state, he could still perform slightly weakened versions of his ninjutsu.
In other words, the enhancement from the Sage Body cells made Madara's strength far beyond terrifying.
However, this newfound confidence didn't last long.
Upon probing, Madara could never have imagined that an ordinary monk in the Fire Temple would possess a soul so overwhelmingly powerful it dwarfed that of everyone present combined.
For a brief moment, he wondered if his vision was playing tricks on him.
The terrifying, mountain-like presence—was that something a human could possess?
---
Inside the grand hall of the Fire Temple.
With the visit of the Uchiha clan leader, the abbot naturally extended the highest courtesy in his reception.
This was not like the era of the Hidden Leaf, where protocol and rules governed everything, leaving little room for chaos.
During the Warring States period, things were entirely different.
If the two before him were angered, the Uchiha army could swiftly descend upon the temple, and slaughter everyone within.
It wasn't wisdom that made the abbot so accommodating—it was fear of the two gods standing before him.
Little did he know, the two men's thoughts were already far from him.
Casting a sidelong glance at Kyōsuke, who was eloquently engaging the abbot, Madara slowly relaxed his clenched fists, though his gaze occasionally and deliberately swept over the young monk.
To his surprise, the monk seemed aware of his attention. In an unintentional moment, their eyes met.
"Hmph." The prideful Dance King would never allow himself to be intimidated.
When the monk returned his gaze, Madara scoffed coldly and sharply asked, "The Fire Temple truly lives up to its reputation if even an ordinary monk like you is so extraordinary. What is your name?"
"Jigen," the monk replied with a faint smile, showing no sign of offense.
Centuries of practice had shaped Jigen into a courteous and composed figure, someone who knew when to advance and retreat.
Even someone as formidable as Uchiha Madara couldn't find fault with him in conversation.
"Well, an ordinary monk indeed," Madara remarked, shaking his head as if to dismiss the matter.
Regardless of who the man truly was, the priority was to complete their mission.
"Abbot, I am here to borrow the Nine-Tails."
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[IMAGE]
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[Chapter End's]
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