Land of Fire.
Emiya Shigen set off on his journey, accompanied by the two young shinobi.
Meanwhile, Hashirama Senju led a group of Anbu ninja, shadowing them from the nearby forest. Their objective was clear: to intercept Uchiha Madara, should he attempt to approach Emiya Shigen.
Strangely, however…
Madara had yet to appear.
This left Hashirama feeling uneasy. He began to wonder if Madara might take advantage of his absence to attack Konoha instead.
But Tobirama was convinced that Madara, having lost one of his Mangekyō Sharingan, would avoid Konoha. After all, the village was protected by Mito Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, whose sensory abilities were unparalleled. Madara would most likely prioritize pursuing Emiya Shigen.
"Could Tobirama have misjudged Madara's intentions?"
Hashirama and the Anbu trailed Emiya Shigen all the way to the border of the Land of Waterfalls, but they still hadn't found any trace of Madara. This caused Hashirama to doubt his brother's assessment.
Compared to Hashirama's unease…
Someone else was far more distressed: Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu, lurking underground as always, had been secretly tailing Madara. It had a hunch that after their unpleasant prior conflict, Madara might try some unconventional means to contact Emiya Shigen.
But this?
Certainly not this.
Black Zetsu watched in stunned disbelief as Madara infiltrated the Hidden Waterfall Village and used his Mangekyō Sharingan to take control of its leader. The leader then ordered his shinobi to ambush a squad entering the Land of Waterfalls—Shigen's squad.
"…"
Black Zetsu was dumbfounded.
What was Madara doing?
Why not just meet Emiya Shigen directly?
Did Madara honestly think these Waterfall shinobi could capture someone like Emiya Shigen? Together, they weren't even a match for one of Shigen's hands!
And yet…
Madara was completely confident.
This left Black Zetsu utterly baffled.
Did Madara plan to let the Waterfall shinobi attack Shigen, then swoop in heroically at the last moment to "rescue" him?
"What a pointless charade…"
Black Zetsu could only watch Madara's antics in exasperation. It wanted to warn Shigen, but the presence of the two Konoha youths complicated things. Black Zetsu couldn't afford to reveal itself just yet.
At the border of the Land of Waterfalls.
Emiya Shigen remained as calm as ever.
Danzō, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all. He knew there were Anbu nearby, shadowing them to ensure their safety in case of any enemy attacks.
The only one on high alert was Hiruzen.
The moment they left the Land of Fire, their squad was no longer under the protection of Konoha's reputation. Any trouble they encountered would have to be dealt with on their own.
"Lord Emiya," Hiruzen said, roasting a fish over a fire. "Why did we come to the Land of Waterfalls?"
"It doesn't matter where we go," Shigen replied without looking up, focused on writing in a medical scroll from their last stop. "I chose a direction at random. Maybe I'll come across a suitable ninja to pass on my medical knowledge. Or perhaps I'll find something I need."
"…"
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully.
"When will this journey end?" Danzō asked, frowning. He suddenly realized that such an aimless expedition could end up being a colossal waste of time.
"Ten years, perhaps," Shigen said, still engrossed in his scroll.
"…"
Both Hiruzen and Danzō froze. For teenagers, ten years was an unbearably long time.
"Don't worry."
Shigen put down his pen and carefully rolled up the scroll, addressing the two boys. "If either of you wants to return to Konoha, I'll make sure you're escorted back safely."
"Why would we leave?" Hiruzen said with a laugh, taking the scroll from Shigen and packing it away. With a grin, he nudged Danzō. "No one else in the world gets an opportunity like this—to travel with Lord Emiya!"
"…"
Danzō shot him a withering glare.
What was there to be happy about?
A journey of a few weeks or months was fine, but wasting ten years traveling with Shigen? That was hard to stomach.
"Relax."
Shigen took a blank scroll from Hiruzen's pack and continued, "Neither of you has the talent to be medical ninja. While I dislike conflict, this era is rife with violence. Peace cannot be achieved through words alone. Only strength can uphold one's ideals."
"…"
Danzō's breathing grew heavier.
"Lord Emiya, you're amazing!" Hiruzen exclaimed, sitting eagerly beside Shigen. He didn't hesitate to flatter him: "Please guide us in the future!"
"'Guide' might be too strong a word…"
Shigen tapped Hiruzen lightly on the head with his pen, his tone casual. "I don't have any particularly powerful techniques to teach. First, I'll need to assess your potential. Don't be disappointed if it's not much."
"…"
Danzō clenched his fists, suppressing his ambitions.
He was well aware that Shigen possessed something he desperately desired: the sealing technique capable of instantly elevating an ordinary ninja's power to new heights.
Just as Hiruzen was about to respond, his gaze sharpened. He turned abruptly toward the forest.
"Someone's coming!"
"That's impossible…"
Danzō's voice trailed off as he stared in disbelief at the group of Hidden Waterfall shinobi emerging from the trees.
Wasn't the perimeter supposed to be guarded by Konoha's Anbu? How had enemy shinobi managed to get so close—especially this group, who were radiating murderous intent?
In the forest.
The Konoha Anbu were nowhere to be found.
Two hours earlier, they had finally spotted their target.
"Lord Hokage!"
One of the Anbu noticed a faint red figure beneath a large tree and gestured for Hashirama's attention.
"Madara!"
Hashirama instantly recognized the figure.
As a lifelong friend and rival, Hashirama knew Madara's presence better than anyone. Without waiting for backup, he leapt forward.
"Lord Hokage!"
The Anbu scrambled to follow.
When the red-armored figure stepped into the open, everyone confirmed the identity of their target: Uchiha Madara.
However, when Madara noticed Hashirama and the Anbu closing in, he merely glanced at them coldly before vanishing into the distance, clearly avoiding a confrontation.
"Madara!"
Hashirama gave chase, with the Anbu trailing closely behind.
Some glanced back toward Shigen's group but ultimately prioritized their mission: assisting Hashirama in eliminating Madara, the greatest threat to Konoha.
As for Shigen…
Tobirama had emphasized that his strength alone was sufficient to subdue the Nine-Tails. There was little need to worry about his safety.
"Lord Emiya," Hiruzen said, gripping a kunai tightly as the Hidden Waterfall shinobi surrounded them. "These guys don't look friendly."
"Should we retreat?"
"I doubt we could," Shigen replied calmly, lifting his gaze without a trace of panic. He could sense that the Anbu had been drawn away by Madara's wood clone.
But the real Madara…
He was already lurking nearby, hidden among the Waterfall shinobi.
What was Madara planning?
Shigen couldn't quite figure it out but was certain these shinobi were acting under Madara's influence.
Madara…
Was he seriously about to stage such a clichéd farce?
Still, Madara wasn't the priority right now.
Shigen's eyes scanned the Waterfall shinobi, searching for something—or someone—that might explain his journey to the Land of Waterfalls.
"Kakuzu, attack!"
The Hidden Waterfall leader barked an order, his voice ringing out as he pointed toward Shigen.
"Kill that man. We'll handle the brats!"