Impure World Reincarnation

October 3, Konoha Year 58

Kirigakure announced to the outside world that the Fourth Mizukage had died of a serious illness. They withdrew from the Leaf-Cloud War and submitted a letter of surrender.

Konoha and Kumogakure were delighted. Without making things difficult for Kirigakure, they allowed peace talks to proceed.

Hyuga Kei knew that Ao had likely discovered and broken Uchiha Obito's genjutsu ahead of time. To prevent himself from being controlled by Obito again, Yagura had committed suicide, taking the Three-Tails within him down with him.

If the Akatsuki Organization wanted to capture the Three-Tails, they could only wait another three years.

March 9, Konoha Year 59

Having lost a major source of support, Sunagakure and Iwagakure could no longer hold out and submitted letters for peace talks.

There were constant twists and turns along the way, with the War Hawk Faction and Peace Faction in both Konoha and Kumogakure arguing without end.

April 20, Konoha Year 59

Tired of the endless military expenditures, the daimyo of the Five Great Nations jointly pressured the ninja villages to end the meaningless war.

The Kage Summit was held in the Land of Iron, where peace was formally negotiated. It ended with Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure paying war reparations.

The Fourth Great Ninja War had lasted a year before ending hastily.

Meanwhile, far away in the Land of Rain, Hyuga Kei's life returned to normal. He entered a period of training, while the bonds between those at home and Uchiha Hikari grew ever deeper.

Even his thoughts of taking revenge on the ninja world had become rare. Every day, he went to and from school with Karin, already so content that he had forgotten all else.

As Hyuga Kei sat cross-legged, digesting the Tenseigan pupil power, Zetsu emerged from the ground with a scroll in his hand.

"A mission from the leader. Orochimaru has appeared in the Land of Rice. The leader orders you to kill him."

Hyuga Kei did not open his eyes. "Understood. Put the mission scroll on the ground."

Black Zetsu silently observed the chakra fluctuations emanating from Hyuga Kei's body, guessing that Hyuga Kei was already more than halfway through digesting the Tenseigan.

Only after Black Zetsu left did Hyuga Kei rise, pick up the scroll from the ground, and read its contents.

"Orochimaru... perhaps he can become a useful piece on my board."

A peculiar gleam flashed in Hyuga Kei's eyes. Kimimaro under Orochimaru's command was an essential condition for bloodline evolution.

Although Kimimaro was extremely loyal to Orochimaru, Hyuga Kei lacked nothing when it came to methods of brainwashing. If his Mangekyo's Soul Wash would not work, there was still the Tenseigan's Spirit Orb. And if all else failed, there was Uchiha Hikari's Yachihoko.

Orochimaru's soul had undergone multiple reincarnations and was extremely fragile, making him especially easy to control.

After explaining the situation to Uchiha Izumi, who was cleaning the house, Hyuga Kei planned to head to the Land of Rice alone.

Riding the Puppet Hawk, Hyuga Kei quickly arrived at the location recorded on the scroll.

Hyuga Kei looked at the cave before him. "So this is Orochimaru's snake den?"

Activating the Tenseigan, he indeed saw countless tunnels packed densely within.

"Looks like we have guests." Two dark figures slowly emerged from the cave.

Seeing the two people emerge from the cave, Hyuga Kei could not help but curl his lips. Both were excellent pieces.

One wore a white robe and radiated a cold, sinister aura. It was Orochimaru. The other was Kabuto Yakushi, the future sage.

"Akatsuki sent you, didn't they?" Orochimaru looked at the red-cloud robe on Hyuga Kei. "Why don't I know you? You must be someone who joined later. There's no future in following an organization like Akatsuki. Why not follow me—"

Before he could finish, Hyuga Kei removed his conical hat, revealing a delicate face that still carried a trace of youthful immaturity.

At the sight of that face, Orochimaru's eyes widened. His tongue greedily swept across the corner of his mouth. "You're Hyuga Kei, the Hyuga clansman who absorbed countless Byakugan and awakened the Uchiha Mangekyo."

"How did you do it? You absorbed so many bloodline limits, yet suffered no backlash."

If there was anyone in the current ninja world who fascinated Orochimaru the most, it was undoubtedly the person before him.

He possessed both the powerful evolved bloodline of the Byakugan and the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan.

Orochimaru was thrilled. He had been searching for Hyuga Kei's whereabouts not long ago, yet now Hyuga Kei had delivered himself right to his doorstep. "Since you're here, leave your life behind!"

He had carefully prepared many gifts for Hyuga Kei.

Orochimaru suddenly slapped the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Four white coffins rose from the ground.

Hyuga Kei was secretly alarmed as well. With so many of them, it seemed Orochimaru had not been idle during the years since leaving Akatsuki.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The coffin lids flew open and slammed heavily into the ground. Four figures slowly stepped out, while the coffins behind them gradually vanished.

"First Hokage Senju Hashirama, Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, Third Kazekage, Third Raikage A." Orochimaru said excitedly, "These are the opponents I selected for you. Hyuga Kei, let me see your strength!"

Tobirama Senju turned around and saw Orochimaru's excited face. "Using my jutsu recklessly, brat, are you a Leaf Village ninja?"

Senju Hashirama complained to his younger brother, "I told you not to develop jutsu that desecrate the dead. Now it's being used on us."

The Third Kazekage silently watched it all, knowing that he had been exploited.

The Third Raikage turned to look at the somewhat familiar face. He had seen it in intelligence reports before. "Damn it. You're Orochimaru of Konoha. How dare you use me?"

Orochimaru gave a strange smile. "That would be me."

Hyuga Kei said calmly, "Allow me to introduce you, Kage. Behind you stands Orochimaru, a rogue ninja of Konoha and disciple of the Third Hokage."

"And before you stands Hyuga Kei, another rogue ninja of Konoha."

The Third Kazekage abruptly mocked the two Hokage of Konoha. "Konoha truly is overflowing with talent."

There was no small amount of resentment in his words. During his lifetime, Konoha had produced genius after genius. Its Kage-level experts alone included the Konoha Sannin, the Yellow Flash, and the Konoha White Fang.

Tobirama Senju said, "You're a Hyuga clansman?"

Hyuga Kei explained to the dead men, "The current Konoha no longer has the Uchiha, Hyuga, or Senju. Their clans have all been wiped out, leaving only a few scattered survivors."

"They're all gone..." Hashirama scratched his head, then finally smiled in relief. "Perhaps that's for the best. Then Konoha must belong to civilian ninja now, right?"

Before Hyuga Kei could answer, Orochimaru could not resist belittling his teacher. "Now it belongs to the Sarutobi clan. From the Hokage to the Anbu Captain and the hospital director, they are all Sarutobi clan members."

"That monkey..." Tobirama no longer knew what to say. Perhaps Sarutobi Hiruzen had his own difficulties.

"Chat time is over. Now it's time to fight." Orochimaru sneered as he shoved kunai bearing Fuinjutsu into the backs of the four men's heads. "Hand your bodies over to me!"

The four powerful men had their self-awareness erased and became true puppets.

Hyuga Kei frowned at the four people before him, unsure how far Orochimaru had developed his Impure World Reincarnation.

But seeing that Hashirama and Tobirama showed no power to resist the Impure World Reincarnation, Hyuga Kei knew these men were definitely not at the peak of their strength from when they were alive.

He had underestimated Orochimaru. He had not expected his research to have progressed so quickly. Hyuga Kei would have to use all his strength as well; one careless mistake, and he might fall into a trap.

"You should feel honored that you're about to witness... my strongest form." Hyuga Kei activated the Tenseigan, revealing a pair of beautiful azure eyes like a galaxy.

In an instant, vast and mighty chakra surged from Hyuga Kei's body, which became tightly enveloped in manifested cyan chakra.

Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

With a wave of his hand, three black Truth-Seeking Orbs condensed behind Hyuga Kei. They were the final product of all his painstaking efforts over this long period. It had taken an enormous amount of chakra to barely form three, but they were more than enough against enemies like these.

"Wood Release: Birth of Verdant Forest!" Hashirama gathered his strength and clapped his hands together. In an instant, trees began growing wildly within a hundred-meter radius.

Just as Hyuga Kei was about to rise into the air, a massive black cube of Sand Iron crashed down toward him from above.

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Creation!"

Tobirama Senju threw several kunai, instantly appearing beside Hyuga Kei and thrusting a Spiral Water Blade at him.

"Flying Thunder God!"

With the aid of Senju Hashirama's trees, the Third Raikage also appeared almost directly behind Hyuga Kei. Clad in Lightning Armor, he extended a single finger.

"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite!"