Chapter 148: Uchiha Tatsuhata Runs Into a Wall
Minato surveyed their surroundings, looking at the massive destruction the two Wood Humans' battle had wrought across all directions. He couldn't help sighing. "Hyuga Clan Head, we'll be facing major trouble ahead!"
An elusive, hard-to-guard-against supreme assassin who could also launch frontal assaults, contending head-on with Konoha's White Yaksha—plus mastery of creating extremely difficult-to-handle puppets.
Such an enemy posed not only lethal threats to the vast majority of individuals but also enormous trouble even for a village filled with powerful experts.
Minato only needed to exercise his sufficiently clever brain slightly to foresee various troublesome, vexing futures.
Ritsu's face bore a smile. He shook his head. "Trouble has always existed. It's just that no one perceived it before. Of course, you could also say our luck is poor—trouble lurking in darkness all along has now erupted."
Minato was struck speechless.
He had to admit the correctness of Ritsu's statement. This fog-inducing trouble couldn't possibly have suddenly burst from stone. Rather, it had appeared long ago, continuously hiding in darkness while developing and growing.
"Then why now?"
After contemplating several seconds, Minato raised his brow and asked, "Why not earlier in the past or further in the future? Why precisely now has this trouble erupted?"
Ritsu shrugged quite easily. "Who knows? These questions you're asking me—I can't answer them either, Hokage-sama! Only by capturing him or them can we obtain answers from his or their mouths or brains, right?"
"Don't know?"
Minato looked deeply at Ritsu. His intuition told him the Hyuga Clan Head seemed to know more. However, he didn't attempt forcing interrogation. He only said, "Hyuga Clan Head, do you think this unknown Uchiha wearing a tiger mask might have some connection to the missing Torajiro?"
Regardless of what reasons prompted Ritsu to choose concealment, the Hyuga clan's interests aligned with the village's. He wasn't worried Ritsu would do things detrimental to the village. So there was no need to interrogate Ritsu at the cost of damaging their friendly relationship.
Moreover, if Ritsu truly refused to speak no matter what, he had absolutely no methods anyway. So rather than make such harmful-exceeds-beneficial attempts from the start—better not to.
Hearing Minato's speculation, Ritsu's face showed complete agreement. He nodded repeatedly. "Hokage-sama, you think so too? I also feel this fellow very likely has some connection to the missing Uchiha Torajiro. Perhaps he might even be Uchiha Torajiro himself..."
"That shouldn't be possible. Though I can't see his face, I know Uchiha Torajiro. Their body types differ too much. Torajiro isn't that tall. Moreover, his speech patterns and tone are completely different."
"Not necessarily. People change."
Ritsu casually rebutted.
Just like in the original historical trajectory—during the Nine-Tails incident, Minato also hadn't recognized the attacker as his good student Uchiha Obito. Much less this Uchiha Torajiro he merely "knew"?
However, thinking it over, Ritsu felt the possibility of it being Uchiha Torajiro was indeed slim. If this was Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu's chosen chess piece, prolonged contact was inevitable. He'd necessarily undergo an entire process of temptation and brainwashing until completely dyed black before qualifying.
The missing Uchiha Torajiro apparently hadn't had prolonged contact with Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu. It should be impossible to complete brainwashing and eye-awakening operations in such brief time.
Perhaps Uchiha Torajiro's ecological niche in this disturbance was "Nohara Rin"—a living sacrifice sent to the altar to stimulate the true chess piece's eye awakening.
"People change?"
Minato murmured once. He didn't debate this topic where everyone could reasonably argue with Ritsu. Instead, he said, "I'll arrange for people to investigate that masked man's identity later. We should head back now."
This operation overall proved fairly successful. Though a Uchiha who'd mastered Wood Release and awakened the so-called Mangekyō Sharingan had emerged and they'd failed to capture him, the investigation mission could essentially be called perfectly completed.
They'd confirmed that besides the openly known Great Shinobi Villages, an enemy lurking in darkness bearing tremendous malice toward Konoha existed!
What needed doing next was swiftly returning to the village, informing the village jonin of this discovery, and making targeted arrangements as much as possible based on today's gathered intelligence.
Also, upon returning, he must thoroughly investigate this Mangekyō Sharingan's intelligence. Simultaneously, today's encounter reminded him he couldn't simply bury himself in paperwork. Merely staying busy handling village affairs didn't equal fulfilling Hokage duties. Protecting the village was the Hokage's greatest responsibility. He still needed to continue striving to enhance his own strength.
Forget other considerations—without Ritsu's help today, if he'd faced alone this Uchiha who'd mastered Wood Release, he definitely wouldn't have so easily forced retreat. He might even have been forced to retreat himself. Mount Myōboku's great toads might not necessarily handle that terrifying Wood Human.
Hearing Minato's words, Ritsu had no objections. He said frankly, "Whatever orders Hokage-sama gives. Whether returning to the village or leveling the Cloud ninja camp—I have no objections."
His mood was quite good.
Uchiha Tatsuhata's appearance made him realize Uchiha Obito had most likely truly exited the shinobi world's grand stage. Meaning he needn't consider countering that nauseating Mangekyō Sharingan ocular jutsu—Kamui—anymore.
Though this unknown Uchiha apparently also mastered formidable ocular jutsu, he still felt "Kamui," which could phase one's body intangible, was more nauseating and difficult to handle.
"Leveling the Cloud ninja camp... truly a tempting proposal!" Minato's face showed a complex, helpless smile.
He instinctively turned his head, casting his gaze toward the northeast. The Cloud ninja had stationed thousands of ninja at the Land of Frost's border, displaying a posture of potentially invading southward at any moment. Yet they just wouldn't act—merely confronting across a border line, tying down thousands of their own ninja plus numerous elites including Jiraiya-sensei.
After careful consideration, he still shook his head. "Let's return first!"
At this time, Aburame Shigure and others also rushed over. This Aburame clan's strongest member had no major issues. The injuries from being deflected by Susanoo earlier weren't severe—just minor scrapes and bruises.
Approximately twenty kilometers away in the northeast direction—less than ten kilometers from the northern Yu no Kuni border—in mountain forests, Uchiha Tatsuhata emerged from a large tree trunk.
Immediately after, White Zetsu Abu also emerged.
After using Toyoakitsushihime on White Zetsu Abu, Uchiha Tatsuhata had mastered Mayfly Technique. Moreover, because both his legs and left arm were transplanted from White Zetsu, he could smoothly deploy Mayfly Technique without obstruction. He no longer needed to wear White Zetsu Abu. Relying only on himself, he could move unobstructed through mountain forests and vegetation.
The moment White Zetsu Abu appeared, he urgently asked, "Tatsuhata, Tatsuhata, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Uchiha Tatsuhata waved his hand while sitting down on a lightning-struck dead tree trunk lying nearby. He released a long breath. His tense expression also relaxed and eased.
Then he stared at the yin-yang faced pitcher plant emerging beside him and asked aloud, "Black Zetsu, what's the deal with that White Yaksha? Why does he also have Wood Release? Moreover, why is his Wood Release so formidable?"
"According to our investigation, Hyuga Ritsu practiced some forbidden technique capable of seizing others' bloodline limits. Previously, due to White Zetsu acting carelessly, Hyuga Ritsu captured two White Zetsu. Not only him—even his teacher Hiruko also used that forbidden technique to seize Wood Release bloodline limit from White Zetsu. As for why his Wood Release is so formidable..."
Reaching this point, Black Zetsu paused before continuing, "I can only say he possesses extremely high talent in Yang Release!"
Wood Release bloodline limit's foundation was combining earth and water attribute chakra. But if only this, then Wood Release would be no different from Ice Release, Boil Release, Explosion Release, and other bloodline limits formed by fusing two attribute chakras—nothing particularly formidable.
What truly made Wood Release transcend other bloodline limits originated from "Yang Release." The First Hokage blended Yang Release power with Wood Release. Only then came Wood Release capable of beating down tailed beasts.
Strictly speaking, Senju Hashirama's Wood Release already counted as "Dust Release"-like Kekkei Tōta—fusing three different attribute chakras.
Black Zetsu looked at the silent Uchiha Tatsuhata, then asked, "So? Now you know the Five Great Shinobi Villages aren't easy to handle?"
"Hmph!"
Uchiha Tatsuhata snorted quite displeasedly but still said, "I admit I somewhat underestimated Konoha."
Previously, he'd merely been an unremarkable small-timer in Konoha Village's Uchiha clan. Moreover, being immersed within made clearly seeing Konoha's strength difficult. After his power explosively grew, his mentality became unbalanced. He didn't even regard Konoha or Konoha Village's top elites seriously anymore.
But cold, merciless reality shattered his inflated, unbalanced mentality. Whether Yellow Flash or White Yaksha, both were undoubtedly the shinobi world's current top-tier powerhouses.
If single combat, he figured facing either Yellow Flash or White Yaksha alone, he might still have victory possibilities. But the two working together truly proved somewhat overwhelming. It made him feel heavy pressure—completely unable to see hopes of fighting and winning. Precisely because of this, he'd decisively chosen escape.
"Speaking of which, why not summon 'Madara'?"
Black Zetsu asked curiously.
This "Madara" he mentioned naturally didn't refer to the decrepit Uchiha Madara but rather Uchiha Madara's replica.
Uchiha Tatsuhata glanced sidelong at the large pitcher plant beside him. Without courtesy, he said, "Even releasing Uchiha Madara's replica—what use would it serve? It's merely a replica possessing three-tomoe Sharingan. It can't even use Susanoo. What purpose could it serve?"
With Uchiha Madara's permission, he'd used his ocular jutsu Toyoakitsushihime to copy Uchiha Madara's chakra. He successfully copied the vast majority of techniques Uchiha Madara mastered—whether ninjutsu, genjutsu, or forbidden techniques, all were included.
However—
Whether because Uchiha Madara gouging out his own Rinnegan caused his own chakra to become incomplete and deficient, or because Toyoakitsushihime this ocular jutsu had upper limits and restrictions—the replica Uchiha Madara he created not only hadn't awakened Rinnegan but hadn't even awakened Mangekyō Sharingan. It only possessed three-tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Tatsuhata felt quite disappointed about this. The gap between this and his envisioned situation was somewhat large.
Uchiha Madara felt there were no problems. Such heaven-defying ocular jutsu having numerous restrictions was very normal. If these restrictions didn't exist—that would truly warrant suspecting whether he'd fallen into genjutsu.
In any case, Uchiha Tatsuhata hadn't released replica Uchiha Madara during the earlier battle. He'd just used replica Sawai for probing when Ritsu using Wood Human Technique pressed forward, forcing him to likewise use Wood Human Technique for combat.
Precisely the overwhelming martial might Ritsu displayed made him feel that even releasing replica Uchiha Madara wouldn't change anything. Thus, he'd quite decisively chosen retreat and escape.
Black Zetsu looked at Uchiha Tatsuhata. He very much wanted to say: You're underestimating Uchiha Madara too much. Even just a replica definitely isn't as useless as you imagine. If replica Uchiha Madara had been released earlier, you might not have needed to flee like this.
But the words reached his lips. After careful reconsideration, he felt Uchiha Tatsuhata suffering setbacks like this wasn't necessarily bad. Only after hitting walls would he learn caution, avoiding easily squandering his life through arrogant overconfidence.
He didn't care about Uchiha Tatsuhata's life or death. But if Uchiha Tatsuhata's death ruined his plans—that was absolutely unacceptable.
Thus, Black Zetsu said, "Though your actions exposed your existence, clarifying Konoha's formidability isn't wasted effort. It's just that going forward, you probably can't deal with Nagato and them while bearing Uchiha Madara's name. Tatsuhata, what do you plan to do next?"
Hearing Black Zetsu's inquiry, Uchiha Tatsuhata fell into contemplation.
After running into a wall before Yellow Flash and White Yaksha, his heated brain indeed cooled down. He realized he couldn't rely on brute force to easily level the Five Great Shinobi Villages and complete the nine tailed beasts' collection work.
"Black Zetsu, what suggestions do you have?"
After Uchiha Tatsuhata contemplated briefly without obtaining answers, he directed his gaze toward the pitcher plant yin-yang face beside him, inquiring of this embodiment of Uchiha Madara's will.
After he'd completed copying Uchiha Madara's chakra, Uchiha Madara confirmed through questioning that he'd truly mastered all his techniques. Without any hesitation, Madara had pulled out the tubes connecting him to the Gedo Statue, ending his prolonged, miserable existence.
So Uchiha Tatsuhata now had no way to seek advice from Uchiha Madara. Fortunately, Black Zetsu—this embodiment of Uchiha Madara's will—accompanied him, able to provide help.
Black Zetsu didn't hesitate. As though long prepared, he immediately answered, "My suggestion is you should now use your ocular jutsu to copy more powerful fighters' chakra. After gathering numerous powerful fighters' replicas under your command, you can cooperate with Nagato and begin the tailed beast collection work!"
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