Surging Undercurrents

"So this is Iwagakure!"

A vague sigh escaped his lips as he walked along the wide street, looking Uchiha Genso with barely concealed curiosity.

The sturdy stone houses were neatly arranged on both sides of the street. Passersby couldn't help but look at Uchiha Genso, who was surrounded by a group of Stone Ninja, with curiosity. They didn't get too close, but just watched from a distance.

The style of Iwagakure is very distinctive. Most of the men are tall and burly, with strong bodies like iron towers. Among them, the Stone Ninja named Kitsuchi, who led Jonin way, is the most imposing. His height of more than two meters is very intimidating. He is a head taller and half a chest taller than Uchiha Genso. Even the women are mostly tall.

The colors red and ochre intertwine in the eyes; it seems that everyone here likes to use these two colors. Not only are the ninja costumes uniform, but the residents' clothing and attire also mostly use these two colors. However, the combination of these two colors in different ways creates a unique and interesting effect.

Very unique!

This was the first time that Uchiha Genso, who was born in Konoha, had ever seen such an unusual sight.

He hadn't been away from Konoha for very long, and his operations with Zetsu mostly took place in the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire, so he hadn't had the chance to see much of the scenery.

The hatred in their hearts was suppressed in that instant; the lively spirit of a young person is not something that can be easily extinguished.

"This is your first time visiting the Land of Earth, envoy!" The question was phrased with an affirmative tone. Kitsuchi deliberately slowed his pace and walked alongside Uchiha Genso. "I imagine Kirigakure must be completely different from Iwagakure. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see the village hidden in the mist... By the way, could you tell me what Kirigakure is like?"

Bearing the title of 'Envoy of Kirigakure', Uchiha Genso's eye twitched.

He had never been to the Land of Water; the documents in his hand were given to him by Zetsu, and this question left him somewhat at a loss.

"Cannot."

After much deliberation, Uchiha Genso responded coldly in an instant, his icy aura that kept people at a distance truly reminiscent of the Kirigakure Mist Ninja!

"Ha, it was my rashness."

The request was rejected, but Kitsuchi wasn't angry; he just smiled magnanimously.

The envoy from Kirigakure in front of him gave him a strange feeling. Kitsuchi knew very well that he was not as smart as his deceased older brother. He was rather slow-witted and was often scolded by his father for being a blockhead who didn't know how to get things right. Not only had he not mastered the Dust Release, but the Kekkei Mōra was also extremely difficult to obtain.

However, he hadn't even awakened the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai of the Mizuryu clan.

Therefore, he was once regarded as a waste and a loser, but he did not get discouraged. Instead, he trained hard step by step and became one of the top masters in Iwagakure with his superb Earth Release.

His success was due to hard work and a bit of intuition. He trusted his intuition, and believed that this intuition was far more important than the effort he put in.

His intuition told him that there was something wrong with this so-called envoy from Kirigakure!

Even if the other party possesses the seal of the Fourth Mizukage and the signature of their Daimyo of the Land of Earth.

After that, no one spoke. They walked quietly down the street. Wherever the group passed, the noise naturally subsided. The militaristic management methods practiced by Iwagakure naturally gave way to Kitsuchi and his group of Jonin.

The group was quite strong, moving with incredible speed. The once distant Tsuchikage Building was soon in sight, almost within reach.

Without ascending the tower, Uchiha Genso subtly changed the color of his eyes, a flash of scarlet light passing by unnoticed by Kitsuchi and the others.

In that instant, he saw a Chakra fluctuation upstairs that was refined to the extreme. It was very similar to the aura of Uzumaki Katsuki that he had secretly spied on. It was powerful and terrifying, like a sharp sword hanging over one's head, making people feel fear!

"Your Excellency, Lord Tsuchikage is waiting for you."

As Uchiha Genso walked upstairs to meet the Third Tsuchikage...

Deep underground in a remote valley of a small country, the Senju Zen, his eyes wrapped in bandages, is kicking a wooden stake.

Unable to see, his world was filled with unchanging darkness; from the day he gave up his sight, he never saw the light again.

However, he felt no regret, only anticipation. Although he still couldn't see, he could clearly feel how powerful those eyes, which were not originally his, were. An incredibly strong, corrosive power was released from his eyes and mingled with his bloodline.

For a period of time, he felt as if his head was being poked by a thousand iron spikes; the pain almost drove him to the brink of collapse.

Fortunately, Zetsu hadn't lied to him; the Wood Release bloodline did indeed have compatible characteristics with those eyes. After enduring the initial pain, he gradually felt much better and slowly began to experience the power contained within them.

He has been able to get out of bed and move around in the past two days. Apart from not being able to remove the bandages yet, he has no more obstacles in walking, sitting, or lying down.

Using his honed perception, he went to the training ground to practice his Taijutsu.

The wooden stakes thudded with each blow.

Taijutsu are the foundation of everything; only with a strong physique can one better survive on the battlefield. Senju Zen knew this principle.

Whether it's Wood Release or Eye Technique, both require a sufficiently powerful container to unleash their full potential.

"Nine hundred and sixty-five, nine hundred and sixty-six, nine hundred and sixty-seven..."

He silently counted in his mind until he reached 'one thousand' before stopping. Senju Zen shook his slightly sore and numb legs, feeling a little regretful that he hadn't had the chance to learn Tsunade's superhuman strength technique.

Super Strength is a unique technique developed by Tsunade, and it can be called an unparalleled weapon in Taijutsu combat. Although they are from the same clan, apart from Nawaki, no one else has been able to learn Super Strength from Tsunade.

"Shinra Tensei!"

He raised his right hand, aimed it at a pile of stones in the corner, and skillfully made a loose clenching motion.

During this time, he truly felt the power of the Rinnegan filling his body, and even his mind naturally gained many wonderful Ninjutsu that could only be performed with the Rinnegan, which made him even more overjoyed.

The only regret is that he hasn't yet mastered how to control this power. It's like a bottle full of water; he doesn't know how to open the cap and pour out the water.

Therefore, he was constantly trying to tap into the immense power hidden within him.

The stones piled in the corner were carved directly from the wall by White Zetsu. The smallest piece was the size of a human head and weighed over twenty kilograms. However, at this moment, under the attraction of Senju Zen, the smallest stone was trembling. (To be continued)