Reborn into Naruto World with Tenseigan

Following the unproductive Five Kage conferences on the kidnapping of Killer Bee and Utakata, all those from the Konoha side convened in the Hokage’s Office. As Kuroto settled into his seat, Kakashi wasted no time in questioning him, “Kuroto… where have you been these past three days?”

“I was attempting to trace the potential trail Sasori and the other members of the Akatsuki Organization might have taken to return to their base,” Kuroto replied.

However, this was a fabrication. In reality, he had been occupied with transferring the Giant Tenseigan of the Hyuga Clan to the Ancor Vantian. Not wanting to take any risks concerning the Tenseigan, Kuroto had delayed his return to the village. As soon as he did return, he was immediately drawn into the Five Kage Conference.

Kakashi muttered, “Is that so?” and then fixed Kuroto with a suspicious gaze, questioning, “And… when you left on that night, what did you mean by ‘Let’s not abandon hope just yet’?”

The connection between Kuroto’s departure and his cryptic words, along with Yama’s appearance at the Akatsuki Organization’s base providing an opportunity to rescue Naruto, left Kakashi suspicious. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact link, but Kuroto’s words, “if—an opportunity, however slim, presents itself—utilize every ounce of your strength to rescue Naruto,” echoed in Kakashi’s mind. The circumstances at the Akatsuki base seemed to align with what Kuroto had anticipated.

Faced with Kakashi’s scrutinizing gaze, Kuroto was caught off guard. “What do you mean?” he asked, then proceeded to explain, “I simply felt that we shouldn’t give up on rescuing Naruto. That’s why I tried to trace Sasori and other Akatsuki members, hoping to find their base of operations for a potential rescue. However, when I reached their base, it was nothing but a devastated land. I only learned of the situation after returning to the village.”

“Is that so?” Kakashi muttered, wearing a thoughtful expression.

Kuroto nodded in acknowledgment and asked Kakashi, “You seem to have something on your mind… do you want to talk about it?”

After a brief moment of silence, Kakashi exchanged glances with Elder Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade-hime, and Elder Koharu before turning to Kuroto with a serious expression. “Kuroto… we’ve uncovered something crucial about the leader of Amatsukami.”

Observing Kakashi’s solemn demeanor, Kuroto realized that the fabricated information he had fed Nagato to deceive him had also been heard by Kakashi. Amused by the situation, Kuroto pondered for a moment before questioning Kakashi, “What did you discover about Yama?”

Kakashi issued a cautionary note, “You need to be mentally prepared, as this information is quite unbelievable. It involves the potential identity of Yama, and, well, it’s rather unique.” He then lowered his voice, adopting a mysterious tone, “Yama is a descendant of the legendary Ōtsutsuki Clan!”

“The Ōtsutsuki Clan, huh?” Kuroto muttered, displaying surprise. Internally, he pondered, ‘Perhaps this is not incorrect information. Considering my ancestry and the extent to which I have unlocked my genetics, I should be considered an Ōtsutsuki to some extent, right?’

During Kuroto’s contemplative silence, Elder Hiruzen provided clarification. “It is said that the founder of the Shinobi World, the Sage of Six Paths, was a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Various powerful Shinobi Clans, such as the Uchiha, the Senju, and the Uzumaki, carry the blood of the Ōtsutsuki Clan as descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.”

Seated beside Elder Hiruzen, Tsunade-hime nodded in agreement. “Yes, based on what I’ve heard from the elders during my childhood, the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan do carry the blood of the Sage of Six Paths. Although I’m not absolutely certain, it’s possible for the Uchiha Clan as well.”

The existence of the Sage of Six Paths, whether real or a mere myth, remains an enigma for most people. However, for individuals hailing from distinguished Shinobi Clans like Senju Tsunade, such information isn’t as elusive. Millennia-old great Shinobi Clans, including the Senju, have meticulously preserved their genealogies, passing down these records within their families.

Furthermore, the undeniable truth is that individuals from the Senju, the Uzumaki, and the Uchiha Clans consistently exhibit talents that surpass those of shinobi from other clans. This isn’t the sole aspect; the fact that they are considered descendants of the Sage of Six Paths sheds light on the emergence of extraordinary individuals with godly strength, such as Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and Uzumaki Nagato, within these three distinguished Shinobi Clans.

Elder Hiruzen continued to provide insight, stating, “The Ōtsutsuki Clan is quite mysterious, and its members seem to be born with incredibly powerful abilities. While we lack precise details, there are records of a battle that transpired a millennium ago. During that time, a formidable creature threatened to destroy the world. The Sage of Six Paths engaged in a months-long battle against this creature, resulting in significant devastation to the planet. Ultimately, the Sage of Six Paths emerged victorious, bringing peace to the world. Subsequently, he founded a sect that evolved into the Shinobi World we are familiar with today. The accuracy of this narrative, and to what extent it might be embellished, is challenging to verify. Nonetheless, there should be some truth to it.”

“I see,” nodded Kuroto, acknowledging the information. He remarked, “So it appears that Yama and the other members of Amatsukami are truly remarkable individuals with mysterious backgrounds.”

The others concurred, stating, “It seems so.”

Just when Kuroto thought the conversation was concluding, Kakashi hurriedly introduced another topic. “Actually, in the earlier Five Kage conference… even though I explained the process of rescuing Naruto… there’s a piece of information I withheld. This involves the conversation between Yama and Nagato, and it seems to involve the Hyuga Clan.”

Pretending surprise, Kuroto inquired, “What do you mean, Kakashi?”

Kakashi continued, “Kuroto… the name Hyuga Aoki should ring a bell, right?”

Kuroto nodded, responding, “Yes, he’s the guy who tried to defect not long ago but was executed.”

“Yes, him,” Kakashi affirmed. “Actually… he didn’t die upon being executed, at least I believe that he did not die at that time based on the content of the conversation I heard between Yama and Nagato.” He paused to let the information sink in and explained, “Somehow, Hyuga Aoki managed to break free from the Caged Bird Seal of the Hyuga Clan and entered a cooperative relationship with the Akatsuki Organization. He harbors a grudge against Yama and even attempted to fight against him, likely resulting in his death. Yama later assumed his identity and infiltrated Akatsuki’s base of operations, assisting me in rescuing Naruto.”

“That’s…” Kuroto muttered, feigning surprise.

Elder Hiruzen intervened, saying, “Kuroto-kun, you should understand what this means!” He adopted a serious tone and continued, “Why was Hyuga Aoki able to escape execution and break free of the Caged Bird Seal? Additionally, we believe that it was Aoki who opened the ‘Box of Bliss’ and released Satori. How did he attain such power? Moreover, why did he harbor a grudge against Yama? All these answers are probably hidden within the Hyuga Clan.”

Internalizing Elder Hiruzen’s astute observations, Kuroto narrowed his eyes and thought, ‘As always, he is really experienced at grasping the crux of the matter in no time.’

Acknowledging that Elder Hiruzen had discerned the central issue and identified the right direction for investigation, Kuroto understood he couldn’t let his guard down. He nodded with a solemn expression, saying, “Alright, I will investigate Aoki’s matter within the Clan.”

Noting Kuroto’s seriousness, Elder Hiruzen nodded in agreement. He then asked casually, “By the way, how did you manage to break the seal Minato had placed on the Rōran and take the Ryūmyaku?”

The moment Elder Hiruzen posed this question, everyone looked at Kuroto with curiosity.

It must not be forgotten that Ryūmyaku is not a piece of brick that can be taken away at will. Beyond the fact that Yondaime Hokage had placed a seal to prevent misuse, Ryūmyaku, unlike tailed beasts, was never ‘alive.’ There’s no way to make it cooperate. Furthermore, the Ryūmyaku that Kuroto possesses seems to have a sense of self and appears to be alive. Based on their knowledge, such a phenomenon shouldn’t be possible.

Yet, Kuroto managed to achieve this feat. This raised curiosity about how Kuroto accomplished it, especially considering he was only a Special Jonin.

Elder Hiruzen, being the longest-serving Hokage, had been contemplating this for the past two days. His extensive knowledge of Konoha allowed him to be aware of the forbidden ninjutsu resulting from an ‘Artificial Tailed Beast Creation Project’ initiated by Nidaime Hokage. Although the plan was ambitious, it was halted due to various issues.

Despite the discontinuation of the project, the forbidden ninjutsu associated with the ‘Artificial Tailed Beast Creation Project’ was likely archived within the forbidden section of the Ninjutsu Archives.

At the time when Kuroto was a Special Jonin and had just joined the Anbu, Elder Hiruzen doesn’t believe Kuroto should have had access to the knowledge of this project or the scroll recording of the forbidden Jutsu. However, the reality contradicts this assumption. Somehow, Kuroto not only learned about the project but also obtained all the necessary information to create an artificial-tailed beast.

Elder Hiruzen can only surmise that the person who could have provided Kuroto with this information is Orochimaru. The master-disciple relationship shared between Orochimaru and Kuroto is no secret, making it plausible for Orochimaru to inform Kuroto about the project and even lend him the scroll.