Lately, Mikoto Uchiha had been feeling as though she was being watched by some strange gaze.
This sensation wasn't hostile, nor was it surveillance—it felt more like...
Someone was secretly looking out for her.
Sure enough, within a few days, a pale-skinned, strangely elusive uncle began appearing at various bizarre moments.
None of the Uchiha clan members noticed how he appeared, not even the patrolling security teams.
Every time there was no one around...
He would suddenly emerge from the shadows, softly reminding her:
"When sunlight disperses the clouds, keep your heart calm."
"Fire Release and Vulpix's flames are fundamentally different... You must distinguish between temperature and will."
"Don't let the flames consume you; make the flames obey you."
These words carried no elaborate explanations, yet each one was remarkably precise.
After the initial shock, Mikoto quickly realized that this oddly colored uncle seemed to understand her power more deeply than anyone else.
As he continued to explain, demonstrate, and critique,
Mikoto's resonance with Vulpix soared dramatically.
What was once a Sunlight state that could only last for a few dozen seconds gradually stabilized to several minutes.
The way Fire Release burned became gentler and more precise, no longer scorching those around her.
Though grateful, Mikoto couldn't help but wonder:
"Uncle, who are you really?"
It wasn't until one day, when she broke through to the second stage of Sunlight, that the pale-skinned man suddenly stopped beating around the bush and spoke with an inexplicably solemn tone:
"I was actually sent by Lord Uchiha Madara."
Mikoto Uchiha's heart jolted.
Uchiha Madara.
That name was almost synonymous with myth within the clan.
Her grandfather, the elders in her family—which of them hadn't fought bloody battles under Madara's command?
The Uchiha's most glorious era was when Madara and Hashirama jointly founded the Hidden Leaf Village.
But she also knew that Uchiha Madara was dead.
Mikoto could hardly believe it: "Lord Madara... is still alive?"
The pale-skinned man nodded, revealing a strange yet gentle smile:
"He wants to see you."
Before Mikoto could ask why, he lightly touched her shoulder.
The world shifted in an instant.
...
Secret Lair in the Depths of Darkness
Mikoto felt the air turn abruptly cold.
There was no light here, no birdsong, no wind.
Only thick stone walls, damp moisture, and a mechanical-like hum deep within.
The pale-skinned man led her down a long staircase.
As light gradually appeared ahead, Mikoto finally saw a massive, ghastly pale monster.
Gedō Mazō.
That lifeless yet more terrifying than life pipeline, like a spiderweb, pierced into the humanoid figure on the central stone platform.
That figure had dark skin but radiated a powerful vitality.
His back was straight, his eyes steady.
Though his body was broken, his presence felt a hundred times heavier than any Uchiha elder.
White Zetsu's voice was respectful: "Lord Madara, I've brought Mikoto Uchiha."
Uchiha Madara slowly raised his head.
The young girl stood cautiously, her expression tense but not fearful.
Madara's lips slowly curved upward.
That smile held no cruelty, no ambition.
It was more like a long-awaited, genuine sense of relief.
He gazed at Mikoto as if seeing through her to the glorious days of the Uchiha clan.
A low voice echoed through the nest:
"Very good."
In that instant, Mikoto felt as if her very soul had been laid bare.
It was as though Madara had glimpsed some hidden potential deep within her Sharingan, Chakra, and bloodline.
Madara spoke slowly:
"Would you... be willing to chat with me for a while?"
Mikoto Uchiha remained silent for a moment before asking, "Are you truly Lord Madara?"
Uchiha Madara smiled faintly: "What do you think?"
The sheer arrogance in his tone at that moment made Mikoto Uchiha nod without hesitation.
At the Flame Gym, winds howled fiercely.
Red stood atop the highest observation platform, his robes flapping violently in the gale, yet his expression remained as calm as ever.
This land was located at the forefront of the Bellflower Mountains, bordering the Land of Wind and Land of Rain.
Here, dry and humid climates interwove, temperature differences between day and night were extreme, and air currents were highly unstable.
To others, this was merely barren wasteland;
But for the Flame Gym, this place represented enormous energy consumption.
Red understood better than anyone that what allowed the Flame Gym to stand here wasn't the terrain, but the continuous power supply from the World Tree underground.
However, the World Tree's current primary task was incubating two Mythical Ninja Beast Eggs.
Their existence resembled whirlpools at the heart of an ocean, automatically drawing energy from the World Tree.
As the Gym Leader, Red had to personally divert the attention of various ninja villages.
Achieving the purpose of being a disruptive element.
Yet...
Recently, the World Tree's expansion had been too rapid, pushing Red's personal consumption to its limit.
He raised his hand, detecting a faint but distinct tearing sensation from deep within his body.
The flow of Chakra resembled a dried riverbed, intermittent and broken.
Even his skin briefly flashed with barely visible cracks.
Red took a deep breath, showing no trace of fear, not even furrowing his brow.
It wasn't time to fall yet.
His eyes looked into the distance, piercing through the sandstorm.
There, the earth was trembling.
Dust clouds billowed violently.
The Sand Ninjas had arrived.
Not scout teams, not covert probes, but a full two hundred regular troops!
Leading them were dozens of Sand Ninja Puppeteers, wearing control devices with different markings. The metallic clanking during their march made the very air feel grating.
This formed a stark contrast to the Hidden Leaf Village's cautious approach.
The Sand Ninjas' style was simple and brutal, directly preparing to crush this strange Flame Gym.
When the main force halted, their leader stepped forward.
It was Chiyo's eldest son, Iemitsu.
Iemitsu was one of the top puppet commanders within the Sand Ninjas,
His wife, Chiyo's personal disciple, was equally skilled in puppet techniques.
Now, Iemitsu looked toward the Flame Gym. "So this... is that mysterious gym."
"The Kazekage has ordered its destruction at any cost."
Iemitsu closed his eyes, speaking in an utterly frigid tone:
"Deploy formation, prepare to attack."
"Target: the gym."
The Sand Ninja forces rapidly spread out.
Numerous puppets were unleashed - Mechanical Beasts, blade-shaped puppets, Sealing Insect Boxes of various sizes emerging from the dust like tidal waves advancing forward.
Iemitsu raised his hand and waved, dozens of Control Scrolls scattering into the air, automatically unfurling behind him.
Boom!
The entire desert seemed to awaken like an enraged giant beast.
And high above the Flame Gym, Red remained standing straight and tall.
The wind blew through his cracked skin, yet his gaze remained unshaken.
"Finally here."
He murmured softly.
Flames rose in his palm like a prelude to a deity's descent.
The World Tree Root Veins around the Flame Gym began to writhe, as if responding to Red's will.
The wind and sand howled wildly.
Flames surged upward.
Red slowly appeared at the forefront of the Gym.
On the other side, beneath the World Tree, two Mythical Ninja Beast Eggs entered a new stage of hatching.
Their surfaces had grown three times larger than before.
Their size continued to expand.
Shiroishi stood under the World Tree, sensing the impending battle at the Flame Gym.
"Red, I'm counting on you."
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