Kakashi stood there in a daze, unable to move for a long time.
Clearly, the conversation he just had with Uchiha Akira had a tremendous impact on him.
Was it possible? Could Obito still be alive?
Could he have been alive all these years, and even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?
It was something Kakashi had never imagined before. But now, after thinking about his own left eye, the clues were there. It really did seem like irrefutable proof that Obito was still alive.
This would explain why his Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyō despite him never going through the kind of trauma usually required.
The truth was that the evolution didn't stem from Kakashi himself but from Obito's side.
After standing silently for what felt like an eternity, Kakashi left Konoha's graveyard, his mind spinning in confusion.
"Wait… He's just going to leave like that?"
"He didn't even ask me who Obito is?"
"Shouldn't he at least ask me about Obito's current situation?"
"Or maybe… he doesn't realize that I actually know about Obito's whereabouts?"
As Kakashi walked away, Akira couldn't help but wonder. His mind was filled with thoughts, unsure why Kakashi didn't press him for more information.
Well, it seems this news had a huge impact on Kakashi. He probably needs some time to process it. I'll just give him space to accept it on his own, Akira thought to himself as he glanced one last time at Rin's grave before turning away.
Although the idea of using Edo Tensei to resurrect Rin as a way to confront Obito was tempting, Akira knew better than to dig up a grave in broad daylight.
The conversation with Kakashi was just a brief detour. Akira's days continued in peace, his focus shifting back to Hinata's recovery. He was pleased to see that her condition was improving steadily.
After several more days of recuperation, Hinata's body had almost fully healed. Though still slim and delicate, she no longer had the skeletal, fragile look she had when she was first injured.
Seeing such visible progress filled Akira's heart with joy.
Two days later, after ensuring Hinata was stable, Akira bid farewell to Fugaku and the others, preparing to leave Konoha once again.
When Fugaku asked why he was leaving, Akira gave no detailed explanation, simply saying that he wanted to get some fresh air.
Given Akira's status and strength, there was no issue with him leaving the village whenever he pleased. He quickly obtained a travel permit and, with Konan by his side, set off from the village.
Having someone like Konan, who possessed Kage-level strength, with him made Akira feel more at ease. He preferred to keep her close, where he could personally keep an eye on her.
After departing from Konoha, although Akira claimed he was just wandering around, his path took him directly southeast—toward the Mist Village.
"You're heading toward the Mist Village?" Konan asked, noticing their direction with a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Yes, we're going to pay the Mist Village a visit," Akira confirmed without hesitation.
"What are you planning to do in the Mist Village?" Konan asked, curious about his true intentions.
Indeed, it was strange that Akira would suddenly decide to head for the Mist Village. Konan wasn't buying the idea that it was just a casual trip.
"I'm taking you to meet some old acquaintances," Akira replied with a smile.
"Old acquaintances? Are they members of Akatsuki? Is this about the Three-Tails?" Konan quickly pieced together the likely reason for their journey.
Akira didn't confirm or deny it, but his smile gave her all the answers she needed.
It wasn't far from Konoha to the Land of Water, but the tricky part was that the Land of Water was an island nation, requiring them to travel by sea.
After four or five days of travel, Akira and Konan reached the coastline.
Originally, Akira had been somewhat curious about the Land of Waves. With the butterfly effect caused by his actions, he wondered if the Great Naruto Bridge had ever been successfully completed.
However, traveling to the Land of Waves would add an extra day to their journey, so Akira decided against taking that detour.
Reaching the coastline, Akira clapped his hands together, and with a quick use of Wood Release, he created a small wooden boat.
After boarding the boat with Konan, Akira dipped his hand into the water, forming a Rasengan with his chakra.
The Rasengan acted as a makeshift propeller, propelling the boat forward like a speeding marlin toward the Mist Village.
During these days, Akira had been focusing on training his jutsu through his life simulations. Learning from Naruto, he had mastered the basic Rasengan, a non-elemental, seal-less jutsu. Akira had even thought about incorporating elemental chakras like lightning, water, or fire into the Rasengan to develop his own unique version.
Unfortunately, Akira's talent for developing jutsu was rather lacking, so progress on that front had been slow.
"You've really found a way to put Rasengan to creative use, huh? Using an A-rank jutsu to power a boat—only you could come up with something like this," Konan remarked as she sat at the bow of the boat, feeling the wind in her face as they sped across the water.
As one of Jiraiya's former students, Konan naturally recognized the Rasengan.
An A-rank jutsu used as a boat engine? Only someone like Uchiha Akira would think of that.
At the stern of the boat, as Akira continued to control the Rasengan, he had a sudden urge to sing a familiar tune.
"Sister, you sit in the bow, and brother, I walk along the shore, in love and harmony…"
No, he shook his head. That song wasn't fitting at all. First, Konan wasn't his sister. Second, singing something like this would only make sense if he were sailing with Hinata. Singing it with Konan would make him seem like a scumbag, wouldn't it?
After three days of traveling by sea, with Akira using Rasengan to power the boat almost the entire time, they finally reached the borders of the Land of Water.
"What's your business here?" Two Mist Village ninja suddenly emerged from the water, blocking their path as they entered the Land of Water's territory.
"Wait a minute… Coral horns on the forehead? You're Uchiha Akira!" one of the Mist ninjas exclaimed, their expressions changing as they recognized Akira.
"That's right," Akira responded calmly.
"Uchiha Akira, sir, what brings you to the Land of Water?" After recognizing Akira, the Mist ninja's attitude immediately became more respectful.
There was no choice. Uchiha Akira's reputation had spread far and wide across the shinobi world, particularly after he had cut off the Tsuchikage's leg seven years ago. More recently, he had gained even more fame, being recognized as one of the strongest men in the shinobi world.
Just look at the feats he has accomplished recently.
First, he had fought off an Akatsuki attack during the Jōnin exams, using a legendary jutsu known as "deep forest emergence."
Afterward, he went to the Sand Village, where he helped them fend off an Akatsuki assault. During that battle, his combination of Susanoo and Wood Release had shaken the entire shinobi world.
And the latest news? Akira had even paid a visit to the Stone Village, demanding reparations for their role in the Akatsuki attack on Konoha. He had extorted a huge sum from them and, before leaving, used his Wood Release to reshape the terrain, transforming the barren hills around the Stone Village into a lush green landscape.
Such feats had left the entire shinobi world in awe of his chakra reserves and strength.
Now, he had arrived in the Land of Water.
"Don't worry, I'm not heading to the Mist Village. I'm just passing through the Land of Water for some personal business. I have no hostile intentions," Akira reassured them.
"In that case, would you allow me to guide you?" one of the Mist ninjas offered.
Though he said he wanted to act as a guide, his real intent was likely to keep an eye on Akira.
After all, while they couldn't stop a shinobi of Akira's caliber from doing anything he wanted, it was still better to keep track of his movements than to let him wander the country unchecked.
"That's fine," Akira replied, agreeing to the offer without any resistance. He knew that refusing wouldn't stop the Mist Village from monitoring him from a distance, so it was better to let someone follow him openly.
As the Mist ninja accompanied them, the other quickly rushed off to inform the higher-ups in the Mist Village of Akira's arrival.
Uchiha Akira, one of the strongest men in the shinobi world, had entered the Land of Water.
The entire upper echelon of the Mist Village was immediately thrown into a state of shock…
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Next bonus chapter if we reach 700 Powerstone
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 285+ at patreon.com/Emik01.