Konoha.
Naruto, lost in his thoughts, walked on the streets. Ordinary civilians didn't pay much attention, but the ninjas seemed to avoid him like the plague, quietly moving away.
Now, with Naruto's heightened senses, he could clearly perceive the whispers and pointing of these ninjas behind his back.
"They're talking about Naruto, the guy who behaves recklessly, relying on his father being the Fourth Hokage."
"What's going on?"
"Don't you know? Let me tell you quietly, it's because this kid's father is the Fourth. If it were anyone else, they would have been..."
"It's Naruto, the one who secretly taught A-rank ninja techniques to others, even to a rogue ninja."
"They say this kid is fierce by nature, known as the 'accident ninja' who even caused the death of his own teammates. If he weren't the son of the Fourth Hokage, he would have been locked up in prison long ago."
Wherever he went these days, Naruto could sense the pointing and whispering from the villagers. He wanted to argue back, but facing the same rejecting eyes that he encountered in his childhood, he felt intimidated.
These looks reminded him of his childhood. Just as Naruto, feeling down, pushed open the door to his luxurious home, a figure with white hair appeared in the living room.
"Naruto, you're back."
Jiraiya sat in the living room, leisurely squinting his eyes, holding a cup of sake, completely engrossed in the pleasure of the drink.
"Pervy Sage."
Naruto, as if struck, weakly raised his hand and said, while Jiraiya, seemingly oblivious, teased: "Naruto, pack your things. We're going to Mount Myoboku for training."
"Training?"
Naruto, lacking his usual liveliness, showed only a faint curiosity.
Jiraiya, squinting and playing with his cup, said: "Right. The Fourth Great Ninja War is imminent. Once it breaks out, this war will be the most intense in nearly a hundred years."
"And you, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of the village, according to Nagato's information, Obito has already summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path with his Rinnegan. Your Nine-Tails is his target."
Hearing this, Naruto didn't shout but frowned and said in a serious tone: "Pervy Sage, what about Gaara?"
This time, Jiraiya showed a rare look of appreciation. It seems the recent hardships had contributed to Naruto's growth, as he had learned to think.
"Right, Gaara is also there. But Gaara is different, the power of the One-Tail Shukaku isn't that strong and not the main target. Also, Gaara and Shukaku get along well, making him a perfect Jinchuriki."
Continuing, Jiraiya looked meaningfully at Naruto, "Also, there's Uzumaki Karin, another Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. I can tell you, this girl managed to peacefully coexist with the Nine-Tails before Gaara, becoming a perfect Jinchuriki."
"So, once the war breaks out and the battlefield needs your power, Naruto, if you haven't mastered the Nine-Tails' power, it will be difficult to handle the danger."
Upon hearing this, Naruto showed a look of loss, speaking in a somewhat somber tone: "Pervy Sage, am I really that bad?"
At this moment, Jiraiya's face showed a complex expression, while Naruto sat by himself at the table, picking up a glass of water and drinking it with a disheartened mood.
"Everyone talks about me behind my back. I can feel it, their gazes, all I see is alienation, just like when I was a child. And some jealousy, too. I understand that it's because of what Sasuke said about me having all this thanks to my parents."
"Even among the Jinchuriki, I'm almost the worst one. Gaara and Karin are stronger than me, only I haven't grown at all over the years, just marking time."
The more Naruto spoke, the more agitated he became. He looked up at Jiraiya and said earnestly, "Pervy Sage, tell me! Am I wrong? Then what should I do?"
Facing Naruto's gaze, Jiraiya remained silent for a long while, savoring the sake in his mouth. After a considerable time, he finally spoke.
"Naruto, maybe you don't need to think so much. Just be yourself, be a qualified and simple ninja."
At this point, Jiraiya suddenly showed an exaggerated smile, "Naruto, I'm looking forward to seeing you get married and have children. I really wonder what kind of woman you'll marry."
"Pervy Sage." Distracted by Jiraiya's words, Naruto regained some of his energy and couldn't help showing a helpless look.
"Ha ha, come on Naruto, tell your teacher what kind of woman you like. I'll give you some advice."
"Pervy Sage!"
"Don't be shy, Naruto. Your father told you..."
And so, Naruto's life seemed to return to the beginning.
…
In a dark cave, Uchiha Obito lets out a cold laugh.
"Jie jie jie, it seems that the secret of the Rinnegan has been discovered by Uchiha Yoru. After all, Nagato still possesses one Rinnegan, and there's the freak Orochimaru in Konoha."
Zetzu hoarsely says, "Obito, most of Konoha's strong have rushed to the front lines, and Yoru has rarely been seen in the village lately. According to the intelligence, he claims to be practicing forbidden jutsu."
Hearing this, Obito sneers, "Forbidden jutsu! What forbidden jutsu does he, Uchiha Yoru, need to practice? He probably discovered the secret of the Rinnegan and is plotting in the dark."
Faced with Obito's speculation, Zetzu falls silent, eventually rasping, "Obito, Nagato led Rain Village to join Konoha. There was almost no news from him in Konoha, and then he went to the front lines."
"It's likely as you think; the secret of the Rinnegan has been exposed. Uchiha Yoru discovered that the Rinnegan is above the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Hmph! With Orochimaru there, it's normal for the Rinnegan, which contains the power of the Sharingan and Wood Release, to be discovered. I'm more interested in whether Yoru will succeed!"
Obito's eyes flash with anger, "Zetzu, tell me about the time Madara awakened the Rinnegan. I suspect Yoru is injecting himself with Hashirama cells in secret, and even now might be the best time to kill him."
"Obito, Madara awakened the Rinnegan at a great cost. After all, it involves Hashirama cells. Even if Yoru's body can handle it, he needs time to adapt to the cell's backlash."
Seeing Zetzu recounting Madara's awakening, Obito smirks.
"Injecting Hashirama cells, regardless of whether he can withstand the backlash, this is when Yoru is weakest. Maybe we can eliminate this greatest threat earlier."
"Obito! What do you plan to do?" Zetzu, worried, thinks of Yoru's dangerous potential.
After all, Obito never had an advantage over Yoru.
Obito coldly laughs, "Relax, I'm not that foolish. Yoru has been scheming since he was young. If he's hiding in the village and I attack suddenly, he must have tactics ready against me, especially since the sealing jutsu of the Uzumaki clan are in Konoha's hands."
Relieved to hear Obito isn't risking himself, Zetzu rasps, "Now, most of Konoha's ninjas have been dispatched to the front lines, leaving only a standard defense force behind."
"Especially the Jōnin, almost all have been sent to the front, like Kakashi, Gai, and Jiraiya."
Listening to Zetzu's report, Obito frowns and says, "What about Tsunade, Terumi Mei, and Pakura, the three Hokage? And how many Kage-level powers are left in Konoha?"
"Tsunade, Terumi Mei, and Pakura, as Hokage, are still in the village. According to intelligence, almost all Kage-level ninjas are sent to the front lines, leaving only Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke in the village."
Hearing this, Obito narrows his eyes, "Tsunade, Terumi Mei, Pakura, Itachi, Sasuke – five people! Three of Yoru's women, two of his disciples. This time, I want to see how long Yoru can hide!"
"Zetzu, continue to secretly investigate the movements of Konoha's ninjas at the front lines, especially the Kage-level ones. This time, I will invade Konoha!"
As Obito's left eye reveals a mysterious purple Rinnegan, he shows a bloodthirsty and fierce smile.
…
Konoha, underground root base.
In the vast and dark space, numerous barriers are set up all around.
Within this huge space, there is a monstrous creature with a terrifying appearance, resembling a giant humanoid with nine eyes, its color and body resembling dead wood, with ten column-like protrusions on its back.
At this moment, not all nine eyes are open, only half of them are.
This is precisely the Outer Path Demonic Statue, but compared to the original version, this one is slightly smaller.
In front of the huge Outer Path Demonic Statue, a giant golden Nine-Tails sits cross-legged, but this Nine-Tails looks somewhat malnourished.
"Damn it, if this continues, I'll be drained dry," the Nine-Tails grumbled loudly, opening its mouth in dissatisfaction. Wrapped in golden chakra, Uzumaki Karin glared at the Nine-Tails and reprimanded, "What's wrong with using a bit of your chakra, you stingy fox."
"A bit of chakra!" The Nine-Tails, now with its fox eyes wide open, looked at its shriveled and thinner body, roaring in frustration.
"Look with your own eyes, it's been three years! As soon as I recover my chakra, you drag me out here. This Outer Path Demonic Statue is nurtured from the chakra of the other eight Tailed Beasts. Initially, only a slit of the nine eyes were open, and now?"
Looking at the half-open nine eyes, Uzumaki Karin glared, "So what! For Lord Yoru, just use a bit of your chakra."
"Is this a bit? For these three years, whenever you had the chance, you brought me here to feed chakra to this thing!"
The Nine-Tails has had a bitter and sad three years, forced into a no-win situation. It's either be a laborer for three years or be absorbed by the Outer Path Demonic Statue. Even a fool knows which to choose.
In the end, it chose the former.
Karin and the Nine-Tails had another day of bickering, while in the lab, Orochimaru looked at the data with an excited smile.
"Yoru, it's almost ready. Though it's not in perfect condition, it's precisely because of this that the danger is minimized."
Orochimaru, watching the Outer Path Demonic Statue, looked at it as if it were a perfect piece of art, his golden snake-like eyes filled with admiration.
"A perfect Outer Path Demonic Statue is like a strong adult ninja, while this one is like a teenager. The risk is lower, and it matches perfectly with your technique, Yoru."
"Yoru, do you know? If this Outer Path Demonic Statue were any stronger, your Technique might not be able to absorb and merge with it. Instead, it would become like a Jinchuriki situation."
Saying this, Orochimaru shook his head in disdain.
"In my opinion, Jinchuriki are a failed creation. Although they can use the power of the Tailed Beasts, after all, it's not their own. But your Chimera Technique, Yoru, can merge the power of the Tailed Beasts into yourself."
"Even!" Orochimaru extended his tongue in a twisted manner, licking his lips greedily, looking at Uchiha Yoru's body.
"The cells in your body, who have awakened the power of Rinnegan, seem to have undergone a kind of devolution. I've discovered that your cells, Yoru, are somewhat similar to this monster, the Outer Path Demonic Statue. Haha! Yoru, do you know what this discovery means!'"
Watching the excited Orochimaru, Uchiha Yoru smiled. Orochimaru was indeed becoming more and more outrageous, but this was just right. This pure scientific mindset was key to their collaboration.
"What exactly happened a thousand years ago, and what's the deal with the Sage of Six Paths, we have no way of verifying. But I believe these secrets won't be hidden for long, and one day they will be uncovered by us."
As Uchiha Yoru spoke, Orochimaru's eyes showed admiration for a kindred spirit.
Both of them were of the same kind, obsessed with power, but too many people disapproved of their ideals, considering them heretical.
Although they were similar, even in their pursuit of the world's truths, their methods were different.
Orochimaru used scientific research and development, while Uchiha Yoru relied on power. Together, they were mutually beneficial, without any conflict.
"However, Yoru, the power of the Outer Path Demonic Statue is too immense. It's almost not of this world. According to analysis, the forbidden jutsu, Gedo Statue, needs at least three months for perfect integration!"
Orochimaru paused, revealing a twisted smile, "This means, Yoru, you need to stay here for these three months, while I constantly monitor the changes in your body."
"Understood."
Uchiha Yoru smiled, his long-planned goal was finally nearing completion.
Gedo Statue, or the Ten-Tails, sealed within to become its jinchūriki, to wield the power of the Six Paths? Becoming a jinchūriki, especially with the unstable elements of the Ten-Tails, Uchiha Yoru had his own plan from the start: to cultivate his own Ten-Tails.
Then, to merge and absorb this Ten-Tails, rather than becoming the so-called Ten-Tails jinchūriki.
The Ten-Tails is a unique creature of the Ōtsutsuki clan, both a sprout of the God Tree and the origin of chakra. There's even a theory that only by letting the Ten-Tails consume an Ōtsutsuki can it transform into the God Tree.
Thinking this, Uchiha Yoru smiled.