-----
"Alright! The tests are complete! The Sky Island matter can be set aside for now!"
"Next, you all should focus on training and improving your strength!"
"Once the Ninja Hawk, Kuro, completes the map of Warship Island, we'll proceed!"
"That should be done by tomorrow!"
"When the time comes, I'll take you to search for the Dragon Bones and a true Millennium Dragon!"
"For now, let's head back!"
Uchiha Jiri waved her hand, urging everyone to move along.
"Got it!"
Kaito and the others nodded eagerly. With a few swishes of teleportation magic, they left the area and returned to Upper Yard on Sky Island to continue their training.
After finishing her morning training session, Uchiha Jiri teleported directly back to the ninja world to handle clan affairs.
---
Two days later, at the Uchiha residence
"Is the Uchiha Magical Shell Store ready? When will it open?"
Uchiha Jiri asked the second elder.
In recent days, the first batch of magical shells had been purchased from Skypiea.
They had all kinds—Fire-breathing Shells, Sound Shells, Impact Shells, and more.
Each type came in quantities of no less than several hundred.
Jiri had bought them all.
The payment? Mainly soil, with some trades involving salt, minerals, and food supplies.
She had prepared everything in advance and completed the transaction with ease.
"It's all set! We should be able to open by tomorrow," the second elder said confidently. "Honestly, these magical shells are really practical! They can be used in everyday life, so I imagine they'll sell like hotcakes."
He wanted to ask where these items came from.
They clearly weren't like anything from the ninja world, at least not something he'd ever heard of.
But since it involved Jiri's secrets, he wisely refrained.
After all, as long as his granddaughter, Mikoto received Jiri's exceptional guidance, that was enough.
"Good."
Jiri nodded in satisfaction. "Open the store as soon as possible and establish another Uchiha business venture!"
"Make sure to assign two people to maintain order, and have the nearby police force patrol the area frequently to prevent any trouble."
She aimed to use these unique products and commercial strategies to strengthen the Uchihas' ties with other ninja clans.
Gradually, this would improve their reputation in the village.
It would also pave the way for Kaito's future rise to the position of Hokage.
If Kaito could one day become Hokage, earning goodwill from the villagers would be much easier.
By then, the Uchihas wouldn't be as short-staffed and could form contracts with a large number of capable ninjas.
These ninjas could then be sent to explore and build a foothold in the pirate world, preparing for Kaito's future dominance there.
"I understand!"
The second elder nodded. "With the Uchiha's current strength, we don't fear anyone! Even the Third Hokage and Danzo have been unusually quiet lately, thanks to you, Great Elder!"
"Don't let your guard down," Jiri said, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Arrogance and complacency are fatal flaws."
"Even if we eliminate Sarutobi Hiruzen in the future, we must never relax our vigilance—let alone now, when they haven't suffered any real losses."
"Have you forgotten how the Senju clan fell into decline over the years?"
"The ninja world is growing more tense by the day, and a new war could break out at any moment."
"If we don't want the Uchihas to repeat the Senju's fate, everyone needs to stay alert, train hard, and strengthen themselves. This isn't just advice for you, Second Elder—it applies to everyone here."
"After you return, make sure to warn the younger clan members. Got it?"
Recently, the clan had grown restless, and Jiri felt compelled to remind them often.
It couldn't be helped—the Uchihas were naturally proud and impulsive.
Fortunately, Kaito had already finished writing a new curriculum for ideological training.
Jiri had reviewed it and found it excellent.
She hoped the courses would help the clan members become more level-headed and disciplined.
"Understood! We'll take care of it!"
The elders straightened up, realizing the truth in her words. They agreed to address the growing Arrogance among the clan.
Indeed, now wasn't the time to relax.
Even if the Third Hokage and Danzo had restrained themselves recently, they were still lurking, waiting for an opportunity.
"Good. That's all for today. I'll be busy for the next two days, so keep an eye on things yourselves!"
"I'll leave a shadow clone at home. If anything urgent comes up, contact me."
"Meeting adjourned!"
After giving her final instructions, Jiri dismissed the elders.
Once they were gone, she activated the house's barrier, created a shadow clone to stay behind, and teleported away.
---
The next moment, she appeared on Drum Island, at Kureha's place.
By now, Kaito and the others were already there waiting.
Kaito was asking Kureha, "Miss Kureha, if we had the blood of a living Millennium Dragon, could it replace the Dragon Bone as the main ingredient for the longevity medicine?"
"Hmm?"
Kureha looked at Kaito with surprise and asked:
"You found a real living Millennium Dragon?"
"That's impossible! Those creatures are incredibly rare! Most people won't see one in their entire lifetime!"
The Millennium Dragons have no fixed habitat; they wander across the world, mostly soaring high in the skies and rarely landing near inhabited areas.
"I did find an old, living Millennium Dragon," Kaito confirmed with a nod. "The question is, can you do it or not?"
If possible, he didn't want to hunt down the Millennium Dragon just for its bones. Even if it would die naturally in a decade or so, killing such a highly intelligent creature didn't sit well with him.
Of course, there were probably plenty of dragon bones under the seas near Warship Island. However, Kaito wasn't sure if the prolonged exposure to water had rendered them ineffective.
If they were useless, he'd really have no choice but to consider the living dragon as an option.
"Damn, kid, you're amazing!"
Kureha's eyes lit up with excitement. "To think you could find such a creature—what luck!"
"Living dragon blood can actually replace dragon bones as an ingredient for longevity pills. The effect might even be better!"
"Back in my day, I never came across a living Millennium Dragon; otherwise, I would've cracked the secret long ago!"
"So, where's this dragon you're talking about? Would it be okay to take me along to see it?"
"I'm really curious about a creature like that."
"Sure thing! You've helped me a lot, after all," Kaito agreed without hesitation.
Having Kureha as backup wouldn't hurt either. He knew better than to underestimate her.
Someone who'd lived over a hundred years, traveled the world, and still brimmed with energy couldn't be simple.
"Ha! Thanks a lot!" Kureha grinned happily. "Don't worry, I won't try to steal anything from you!"
"In fact, if you ever have any questions, you can come to me!"
"Consider this my favor to you!"
"If you're interested, I can even work with you to research how to use dragon blood to make better longevity medicine."
"As payment, just give me three pills when it's all done!"
She had already taken two longevity pills made from dragon bones, extending her life by 75 years. Even though her lifespan was still long, she didn't mind adding more years.
She was also chasing a breakthrough in medicine, hoping to find a way to elevate her life to a whole new level—perhaps even achieve true immortality.
"Deal! As long as you help make plenty of longevity pills, I'm good," Kaito said with a smile.
If dragon blood really worked, the number of longevity pills they could produce would skyrocket.
Of course, he wouldn't kill the dragon. At most, he'd occasionally draw some blood from it, which might even improve its circulation.
In return, he could also promise to help the dragon regain its memories and reunite with its kin.
He already knew how to do that, after all.
As for whether summoning the dragon's kin a decade early would cause problems?
Kaito figured it wouldn't.
Compared to the Millennium Dragon's lifespan, a few years early or late didn't really make a difference.
Besides, who knew? If not for this dragon's old age and dementia, it might have already called its kin long ago.
"Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go now!" Kureha got up immediately, quickly packing a few essentials into her bag before turning to Kaito.
"Let's move!"
Kaito grabbed her arm, nodded to Uchiha Jiri and the others, then activated his ability. With a thought, he teleported both himself and Kureha to a spot halfway up Warship Island.
"Wow, you can teleport with people? So, where are we now? Care to explain?"
Kureha looked around in awe at their surroundings, marveling at Kaito's teleportation ability.
At the same time, her Observation Haki activated without her even realizing it, scanning the entire island in an instant.
Before Kaito could respond, she gasped and looked toward the mountain's peak.
"Unbelievable! There really is a Millennium Dragon here! And it's an old one too—so old it's forgotten its past!"
"Huh?" Kaito stared at her in surprise. "How do you know all that? Observation Haki?"
"Yep, Observation Haki! I already had a conversation with the dragon," Kureha confirmed with a nod.
Everyone around them couldn't help but gasp.
"Just how strong is your Observation Haki?" Kaito asked, astonished.
"You can sense things from this far away and even communicate with the dragon directly?"
"Wait, don't tell me you've mastered the ability to hear the Voice of All Things?"
Maybe he'd been underestimating Kureha this whole time—this woman was full of surprises!
"Heh, close enough!" Kureha chuckled.
"But the true Voice of All Things is a natural ability—it can't be learned."
"Of course, some people might develop something similar through training. Like the Swordmasters who can cut through steel—they've achieved a weaker version of it."
"I see!" Kaito nodded in understanding.
"In that case, since you can communicate with the dragon, this will be much easier!"
"Let's go meet the dragon!" he said, leading the group as they climbed to the mountain's summit.
Eventually, they reached a cave where they saw a massive creature with green feathers sprawled on the ground.
The dragon's head was bald, and its eyes were dull and cloudy.
When it noticed Kaito and the others entering, it barely moved, just lying there and watching them silently.
Kaito stepped forward and said, "Sir Dragon, I can help you regain your lost memories and remember your mission. Would you like to try?"
At his words, the dragon's cloudy eyes suddenly gleamed with dazzling light.
In an instant, its dull gaze turned sharp and full of life.
It glanced at Kureha, who walked up to Kaito and relayed the dragon's response:
"It says if you can really do that, it's willing to do everything in its power to repay you!"
"Great!" Kaito nodded, satisfied. "All I'll need afterward is some of your blood."
Kureha translated, "It agrees!"
"Alright!"
Seeing the dragon's goodwill at 54 points, Kaito stepped forward confidently. He placed his hand on the dragon's head and used his spiritual power to transmit visions of its future—calling its kin, building a nest, and raising offspring.
The dragon's eyes brightened even further as the images unlocked its buried memories.
At that moment, it remembered everything, including its purpose.
.
.
.