Chapter 354: The Ubiquitous Hagoromo Otsutsuki
Chapter 354: The Ubiquitous Hagoromo Otsutsuki
Konoha, the center of attention and the very heart of the ninja world, remained unchanged from its future counterpart, aside from the Hokage Monument that currently only bore three faces.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, though showing his age, still ruled with ambition and vigor. Danzo Shimura, ever-lurking in the shadows with designs on the Hokage's seat, was forced to bide his time, occasionally testing Hiruzen's limits.
"You will regret this, Hiruzen!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Bang! The heavy door slammed shut as Danzo, his proposal to expand the Root organization rejected once more, stormed out.
Hiruzen watched his old friend's angry departure, his expression unmoved as he brought a pipe to his lips.
He knew Danzo's ambitions all too well. As long as he remained Hokage, he would not let the power-hungry Danzo overstep his bounds.
As for why he didn't deal with Danzo preemptively, well, there was their long history to consider. Additionally, he had to admit that Danzo served as the perfect lightning rod, drawing attention and blame away from the Hokage's office.
The Hokage must be a beacon of light.
But reality was often shrouded in darkness.
Thus, the existence of the Root, buried deep in that darkness, was a necessary evil to keep the Hokage's hands clean.
Though sometimes, their actions caused harm to both the village and themselves.
Nonetheless, Hiruzen was confident he could keep them in check.
Nearly three decades of rule had given him an iron grip on Konoha. Nothing happened within the village without his knowledge or consent.
Except for one thing.
The suicide of White Fang.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed at the memory. He had allowed the rumors about Sakumo Hatake, who bore no lineage of the Hokage, to spread unchecked. Sakumo's standing in the village had grown too great, even surpassing that of the Sannin.
Hiruzen had intended to use this opportunity to knock him down a peg.
But who could have foreseen that the proud White Fang of Konoha would take his own life in the face of those rumors?
The event had shocked the village to its core and sent ripples of joy through the other ninja villages, particularly the Sand, which was now emboldened under the leadership of the Third Kazekage to test Konoha's borders.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long draw on his pipe. As the smoke threatened to obscure his features, he picked up a crystal ball and cast the Telescope Jutsu.
Soon, the image of a white-haired child came into view.
Kakashi Hatake, son of the White Fang, a graduate of the Ninja Academy at 5 and a Chunin at 6, was exceptionally talented and held the hopes of many.
"I hope you will become the next White Fang, Kakashi."
After watching Kakashi practice his blade techniques with his father's sword for a while, Hiruzen let out a soft sigh and dispelled the jutsu with a mix of expectation and regret.
Little did Hiruzen know that mere moments after he averted his gaze, a dark figure appeared at the edge of Kakashi's training ground.
"What a pity. He could have made an excellent vessel for darkness."
It was a shame that Kakashi lacked the Uchiha blood. Otherwise, Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu would have been ecstatic.
The figure slowly rose, expanding to reveal Hagoromo Otsutsuki.
Hagoromo regarded the young Kakashi with interest. He had always been curious about this boy.
Orphaned by the death of his mother and the suicide of his father, Kakashi had lost his two closest teammates, and his teacher and stepmother had also perished on the same day. And yet, despite having virtually all his loved ones taken from him, Kakashi had not succumbed to darkness. It was truly remarkable.
It was often said that Sasuke was the most well-adjusted of the Hokage.
But Kakashi should be included in that assessment as well.
No wonder they were master and apprentice.
Hagoromo turned to leave.
Kakashi, caught unawares, fell into a faint, his eyes rolling back.
Just as he had expected.
[Ding!]
[Main Mission: A Long-Awaited Reunion (Completed)]
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully defeated Jonin-level Teacher, Kakashi Hatake!]
[Mission Rewards: Standard Jonin-level Chakra; Proficiency-level Lightning-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation; Diluted Otsutsuki Clan Bloodline]
"Otsutsuki Clan bloodline."
From a thousand miles away, Yuyi Xuan Yue, who was currently touring the ninja world with Tsunade as his guide, enjoying a rare leisure time, closed his eyes and sensed the addition of a thread of Otsutsuki bloodline within his body.
It had no effect on him at all.
But for an ordinary ninja, it would definitely greatly enhance their innate talent.
"Very good, let's continue like this."
Yuyi Xuan Yue opened his eyes again, feeling rather pleased.
"Hey! I'm asking you, Xuan Yue, how long are you planning to stick with me?" At this moment, Tsunade, who was standing beside him, asked with an annoyed expression.
Yuyi Xuan Yue turned his head and looked at the mountain-like pile of coin purses that Shizune had been carrying, and replied, "You're the local tyrant, you have money. I'm an outsider, I don't. To have a good tour, of course, I'll have to keep following you."
Tsunade, who had traveled far and wide for many years, knew a lot of great places to eat and visit. Moreover, she had been winning bets during this period, so she had plenty of money to spend.
Yuyi Xuan Yue, who wanted to properly experience the current ninja world, naturally intended to stick with her.
He hadn't truly immersed himself in the mortal world for a long time, so this was a good opportunity to do so.
As for whether he would continue to stay after this experience?
Of course, he would return to his lofty perch in the heavens.
The pleasure of living a simple life in the countryside was only temporary.
If it were to last a lifetime, then it would be time to start a revolution.
Hearing this, Tsunade became even more annoyed.
Always taking money from others, she never thought that one day, someone would freeload off her, drinking and eating at her expense, and even proudly acting as if it were an honor.
And to make matters worse, she couldn't even beat him in a fight.
In the end, Tsunade could only appeal to his emotions and reason with him, saying,
"Xuan Yue, don't you have anything better to do?"
Yuyi Xuan Yue looked at Tsunade and said meaningfully,
"Who says I'm not doing anything important?"
At this moment,
Not only in Konoha, but also in various places like Lou Lan, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure, there were traces of Yuyi Xuan Yue's activities.
In a short period of time, while enjoying his tour, Yuyi Xuan Yue had already extended his influence throughout the ninja world.
This was an effortless task for someone at the Six Paths level, with no burden at all.
As time passed, intelligence from the ninja world gradually flowed into Yuyi Xuan Yue's main body.
Lou Lan.
Hovering in the air above the desert city, Yuyi Xuan Yue looked down with a puzzled expression.
"The dragon vein is not here!"
The Land of the Feather Robes.
Looking at the ruins that were somewhat familiar yet also somewhat foreign, Yuyi Xuan Yue remained silent for a moment before turning to leave.
The same person experiencing two different lives, perhaps the face remained the same, but in essence, they were no longer the same person.
This was true for an individual, a clan, and even more so for an entire world.
Yuyi Xuan Yue did not bother with futile efforts that would only bring him trouble.
Knowing where the Root was located, he turned and left.
Ninja World.
The numerous incarnations of Yuyi Xuan Yue sensed their surroundings.
"So, Otsutsuki clan, where are you?"
(There used to be a rumor when I was following Naruto that Kakashi in Naruto Shippuden would defect from Konoha and become a member of the Akatsuki organization. However, because Kakashi's popularity was too high, this idea was eventually rejected. I don't know if it's true or not.)
(End of Chapter)
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