— — — — — —
"By the way, Mom, how much longer do you think it'll take for your Sharingan to fully evolve into the Eternal Mangekyo?"
Kaito suddenly turned to ask his mother.
For the past three years, her bloodline and Sharingan had been nourished by the Life Force Technique, the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique, and the Sharingan Meditation Method.
He could sense her ocular power steadily growing stronger, yet she hadn't fully transformed it yet. Her super-Kage-level strength was supported by other aspects, not by the Eternal Mangekyo.
But once she awakened it, he figured her power would likely skyrocket to the peak of super-Kage-level.
"That... probably another six months to a year," she estimated. "It's not that fast."
"Bloodline restoration and ocular power transformation aren't easy processes. This kind of thing can't be rushed."
She paused before advising, "You and Mikoto. I hope both of you can directly evolve your Sharingan from three-tomoe straight into the Eternal Mangekyo."
"That way, your potential should be even greater. Unlike me, who has to spend more time compensating for lost potential."
Uchiha Naori spoke earnestly, her tone filled with concern.
Rushing to unlock the Mangekyo prematurely was a mistake she hoped they wouldn't repeat. The natural progression to the Eternal Mangekyo was the right path.
"Got it," Kaito and Mikoto nodded together.
"I've always planned it that way," Kaito added confidently. "That's why I've been holding back on unlocking my Mangekyo, even though I've had the capability for a while."
"I've been focusing on expanding my Sharingan's potential and purifying my bloodline to its fullest."
"If I wanted to, with my physical and mental strength, I could've forced the Mangekyo open ages ago."
For ordinary Uchiha, this might've been nearly impossible. But for someone like Kaito, it would've been child's play.
"Same here!" Mikoto laughed. "If it weren't for Kaito's advice, I might've rushed into unlocking my Mangekyo too."
"Right now, I don't even need it to improve my strength. Otherwise, I could unlock it anytime—I can feel that much."
When your physique, mental energy, and bloodline reach a certain level, the signs become obvious.
"Good, that's reassuring," Naori said with relief.
Kaito grinned slyly, "Actually, I didn't just share this advice with Mikoto."
"Oh?" Naori looked at him curiously.
"I've told the same thing to all the Uchiha I've made contracts with," he revealed. "Otherwise, why do you think none of them have awakened their Mangekyo in the past few years, despite having the potential?"
"It's not because they lack ability, right?"
Naori raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I see! I hadn't thought about it before, but now it's clear—it's all part of your plan!"
"Smart. With the techniques you've provided them, they'll be able to awaken their Eternal Mangekyo eventually. And since those methods greatly enhance their overall strength, they don't need to rush into it either."
"That's the most stable approach. If we want to conquer the One Piece world in the future, we'll need a trustworthy and powerful force by our side."
"Exactly!" Kaito nodded. "The Uchiha have immense potential, and with proper nurturing, they'll become invaluable assets."
The One Piece world was vast. Without enough high-level combat power, controlling it—even with dominance—wouldn't be enough.
But knowing her son, Naori figured he wasn't the type to settle for ruling through sheer intimidation. A complete and unified world was probably what Kaito truly wanted.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast at Kaito's home, Tsunade was ready to head to the frontlines.
"Ugh! Once I'm out there, who knows when I'll get to enjoy food like this again?" Tsunade complained.
"Daily training will probably just mean living off high-grade nutrient pills," she grumbled as she prepared to leave.
Honestly, if it were up to her, she wouldn't even go to the frontlines.
Fighting and killing? Not her thing. But for the sake of the family and Kaito, she had no choice.
Kaito smirked. "Come on, sensei. Why don't you just teleport to the One Piece world for a meal whenever you feel like it?"
"With the bases we've set up over there, you've got access to kitchens stocked with Sea King and beast meat 24/7. You really think you'll go hungry?"
"Use your Shadow Clones! Don't let the old ways of the battlefield trap your thinking."
"Hell, you could even teleport back here for meals if you wanted to. This Spatial Gate is there for a reason—just make sure no one sees you."
By now, they'd explored and lit up a large portion of the map in both the ninja and One Piece worlds.
Maybe soon enough, Kaito would have access to just about anywhere in the ninja world at a moment's notice.
"Wait, that's true!" Tsunade clapped her hands together as if the idea had just struck her.
"How did I forget about that?"
Then she glared at Kaito. "This is your fault! If it weren't for all the missions you've dragged me on lately, I wouldn't have fallen into this old mindset!"
"Huh? How is this my fault?" Kaito said, baffled.
"Besides, haven't we been doing exactly that? Every chance we get, we head over to the One Piece world for food and rest. Are you seriously forgetting that?"
"Tsuna-nee, did you lose your memory or something?"
Tsunade: "..."
It seemed like she really had.
So, did her brain suddenly get foggy? No way that was possible.
She immediately put on a fierce expression, waved her hand dismissively, and said, "I don't care. It's still your fault!"
"Whatever! I'm not wasting my time arguing with you. I'm heading out now. See you on the battlefield!"
After saying that, Tsunade disappeared in a flash.
She left behind a completely exasperated Kaito.
"Seriously... I've never seen someone so stubborn."
He shook his head in disbelief.
"Pfft!"
Kushina and Mikoto, standing nearby, couldn't hold back their laughter.
— — —
Over the next two days, Kaito and the others spent their time immersed in training.
By the third day, before they could head to the Hokage's office, an ANBU operative arrived with a message. The Hokage had summoned them for a mission.
"Wow, it's like he's worried we might back out. This is so obvious it's almost laughable," Kaito commented as he acknowledged the message and prepared to leave with Kushina, Mikoto, and Minato.
As they walked, Kaito communicated telepathically to the group.
"Yeah, definitely," Kushina replied with a scornful look. "Still, since he's decided to make a move, we won't have any guilt taking action against him or his clan later."
"This actually works in our favor."
"Plus," she added, "we were planning to go to the frontlines anyway. Kaito, you need to build enough reputation and earn sufficient merits to position yourself for becoming Hokage in the future."
"Exactly," Minato and Mikoto chimed in telepathically, nodding in agreement.
Even Minato had long seen through the Third Hokage's true nature. He had no objections to taking him down.
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage's office. Standing outside the door, they pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Greetings, Lord Hokage!"
Upon entering, the four of them gave a polite bow to the Third Hokage as a greeting.
They immediately noticed another person present: a tall, white-haired man with a ponytail.
This man had a gentle smile, but his presence was sharp, like an unsheathed sword.
"Kakashi's dad... Hatake Sakumo?"
All four of them immediately recognized him. They had heard of him long ago and were curious to meet him in person.
Kaito, Minato, and Mikoto were especially eager to observe his kenjutsu and compare it to the swordsmanship techniques from the One Piece world.
But now wasn't the time for that. They pushed those thoughts aside for the moment.
"You're here," the Third Hokage said with a false smile as he looked at them.
But this time, he didn't waste words. After all, he was already planning to get rid of them.
He immediately handed Kaito a mission scroll and said, "This is your task."
"In a few days, a batch of critical supplies needs to be delivered to the frontlines. We'll need multiple ninja squads to escort it, and you'll be one of them."
"This is Hatake Sakumo. From here on out, you'll be working under him."
"For this escort mission, he's in charge."
"Normally, a supply escort wouldn't require someone of Sakumo's caliber. But recently, one shipment had been intercepted by Sand ninja."
"This batch of supplies can't be lost—failure will jeopardize the frontlines."
"More importantly, this shipment includes a large amount of rare nutritional pills, Uchiha antidotes, and restorative elixirs—a recent delivery from the Uchiha."
"Worth two billion ryo ,so it is no small matter."
The Third Hokage was really worried. If this batch were stolen, it would take at least a month to restock, even if he paid out of pocket.
The only other option would be for the Uchiha to dip into their family reserves—a highly unlikely scenario.
The Uchiha had publicly declared that their monthly allocations were set, with no extras. Going back on that would damage their credibility.
Sakumo himself had returned recently because his wife had just given birth.
Yes, Hatake Kakashi had been born five days ago.
Unfortunately, even though he cherished his time at home, Sakumo couldn't extend his leave.
Reluctantly, he had to head back to the battlefield.
— — —
"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Hatake Sakumo. I've heard about your talents and reputation. It's great to finally meet you in person."
"Let's work well together."
Kaito and the others nodded, waving their hands modestly. "Sakumo-san, you're too kind. We should be the ones asking for your guidance."
"We're still young and might make mistakes along the way. Please feel free to correct us."
Though Kaito was already stronger than Sakumo, an elite-level shinobi, no one else knew that.
So, staying humble and leaving a good impression was essential.
Kaito also wanted to seize the opportunity to build Sakumo's trust and goodwill for the future.
Sakumo was an upright and honest person.
If he couldn't be brought over to their side now, Kaito worried that Sakumo might one day become an obstacle, following the Third Hokage's orders to oppose them.
That would be a waste.
Kaito had plans to groom Sakumo and send him to the One Piece world to shine—maybe even face off against swordsmen like Mihawk.
And, of course, Kakashi was also worth investing.
.
.
.