Senju Tobirama (Wanderer), Namikaze Minato (Youth)

[Ding! Obtained ninjas: "Uchiha Sasuke (Susanoo)," "Shimura Danzō," "Young Minato," "Senju Tobirama (Wanderer)," "Shinki," "Uchiha Sasuke (Sharingan)," "Ao"]

He opened Senju Tobirama (Wanderer)'s panel—

[Current Character: Senju Tobirama (Wanderer) (A)]

[Quality: A-rank Ninja (Kage Level) (Three Stars) (0/60)]

[Traits]: Senju Bloodline, Calm Mind, Water-Attribute Chakra, Space-Time Ninjutsu Adaptation, Wanderer Intuition, Swordsmanship Mastery, Iron Will]

[Skills: Swallow Reversal, Swallow Reversal: Circulation, Draw Sword: Rondo, Iaijutsu, Iaijutsu: Circulation, Water Style: Flowing Ripple Slash (Ultimate)]

Uchiha Jun's breathing stopped for a moment.

Reaching Kage Level through swordsmanship alone was impressive. The last person who had been that badass was the Haku Fang of Konoha—Hatake Sakumo—who had recently been cyberbullied to death by Konoha's rabble.

"I never expected the Wanderer Series to have Kage Level strength. Once I pull that 'shield dog' in the future, I'll see whether it's stronger or the Six Paths of Pain are!"

He put away Senju Tobirama (Wanderer)'s data panel. With the Kage Level swordsmanship Tobirama provided, he would finally have something he could openly display when he returned to the village.

After all, Second Pillar (Susanoo)'s strengths all lay in those Mangekyō Sharingan. If he revealed them, the only pair of Mangekyō in the entire Shinobi World would make plenty of people bare their fangs.

He could not speak for others, but Ōnoki would definitely bare his fangs.

If it also drew Sarutobi Hiruzen's wariness, and the two formed some kind of "two smiling tigers, two blacktip sharks" bond, plotting to kill Uchiha Jun would become troublesome.

Young Minato needed even less explanation. The golden combination of the Rasengan and Flying Thunder God was certainly powerful, but Uchiha Jun had no way to explain where either of them had come from.

He could barely pass off the Rasengan as something he had learned at a glance through "magnetic-field powerhouse-level comprehension," but Flying Thunder God was impossible to explain.

With Senju Tobirama's swordsmanship, though, Uchiha Jun could rightfully enter Konoha's upper ranks.

After that, whether he seized Konoha's forbidden techniques or pushed out Sarutobi Hiruzen to become one of Konoha's young generals would all depend on a single thought from Uchiha Jun!

"Swordsmanship. Next is Namikaze Minato!"

Uchiha Jun's gaze then fell upon Young Minato.

As someone who had fought Namikaze Minato not long ago, Uchiha Jun could be said to have the greatest authority in the entire Shinobi World when it came to Flying Thunder God.

During their previous battle, Uchiha Jun had taken more than one Flying Raijin Slash. At that same rate of being hit, if it had been Uchiha Izuna instead—

Senju Tobirama would not even have needed to confirm the results with Madara Uchiha afterward. He could have reached the conclusion on the spot.

If not for the divine power of Izanagi, Uchiha Jun would have long since become a sieve.

At this point in time, Namikaze Minato already possessed Kage Level combat power!

His talent could only be described as terrifying.

The only ones who could rival him were the two Genin of the future, along with the "enemies from the heavens" and "technology and ruthless tricks" that came afterward.

[Current Character: Young Minato]

[Quality: A-rank Ninja (Kage Level) (2/60)]

[Traits]: Flying Thunder God Talent, Rasengan Mastery, Accelerated Neural Reflexes, Wind-Attribute Chakra, Lightning-Fast Tactical Thinking, Will to Protect, Ninjutsu Mastery

[Skills]: Flying Swallow Dance Flash Shadow Split-Zero Style, Gale Super Flash Split-Space Rasengan, Gale Super Flash Split-Space Rasengan: Second Stage, Flying Raijin Counter, Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Three (Ultimate)]

"...Hm? The maximum Flying Thunder God distance is only fifty kilometers? Tch, looks like Namikaze Minato hadn't developed Flying Thunder God to its peak at this stage."

"At this stage, Flying Thunder God can only perform short-range, high-frequency flashes. Long-distance teleportation consumes an enormous amount of chakra."

After equipping Young Minato's template and sensing it for a moment, Uchiha Jun found that although Flying Thunder God was powerful at this stage, it could not pull off the ridiculous moves of "going-home Minato."

To achieve "going-home Minato," he would probably have to wait for Namikaze Minato's S-rank form.

Even so, Young Minato's strength could still be considered T0 tier in the current Shinobi World.

"Next up, it's Skeleton Dog time! Woohoo!"

He put away the panel and looked toward the Skeleton Lord he had been eagerly awaiting.

Back when he had been Jun back in his previous life, Uchiha Jun had loved using the skeleton to tear people apart. With chakra, he would pop his ultimate in the middle of the match, and his proficiency was no lower than with Young Minato!

[Current Character: Second Pillar (Susanoo)]

[Quality: A-rank Ninja (Kage Level) (2/60)]

[Traits]: Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo Mastery, Lightning Style Specialization, Ocular Power Consumption (Side Effect), Sasuke Uchiha-style Swordsmanship

[Skills]: Susanoo, Inferno Style: Kagutsuchi, Amaterasu, Chidori Blade Thrust, Susanoo: Pierce (Ultimate)]

After closing the panel, Uchiha Jun rolled his shoulders.

"Enough."

Uchiha Jun opened his eyes, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.

No, he could not get carried away yet.

Strong Kage Level strength might let him "eat beef" in the current version, but if he slacked off, before long he would be kicked to death like a dog on the roadside!

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the restlessness in his heart, stood up, and took Uchiha Hikari's soft little hand. She had been vigilantly watching their surroundings the entire time.

Sunlight shone upon his face, warm and soothing.

The distant sky was a deep blue. Several birds swept past the clouds, leaving behind a string of clear chirps.

"You've worked hard. Come on, I'll take you to Tanzaku Town!"

"Mm..."

Uchiha Hikari did not shake off the hand holding hers. A faint blush appeared on her face as she let Uchiha Jun lead her onward.

Tanzaku Town.

One of the Land of Fire's most famous pleasure districts, it was lively with song and dance all year round, awash in dazzling lights and lavish indulgence.

The shops lining both sides of the streets hung colorful cloth banners. Grilled meat, takoyaki, dorayaki, fried noodles, oden, roasted sweet potatoes... the aromas of every kind of food mingled together.

They permeated the air with a rich scent that stirred the appetite.

Standing at the entrance to Tanzaku Town, Uchiha Hikari looked like a crashed computer. Her mind had completely frozen.

Her eyes were wide open, the bustling stores and endless streams of people on both sides of the street reflected in her pupils.

Such a sight could not be found in the Warring States Period, where the average person did not live past thirty, where the living environment could not exactly be called peaceful and prosperous but could certainly be called a landscape of misery, and where even Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama could not protect their own little brothers!

She could not even have imagined it!

"Th-this is..."

Uchiha Hikari's voice trembled slightly. Her tone carried the confusion and curiosity proper to a child her age, emotions she had never shown since awakening.

"This is Tanzaku Town."

Uchiha Jun stood beside her with both hands in his pockets, an idle smile at his lips.

"The Land of Fire's most famous entertainment district. Food, drinks, fun—everything in one place. You were sealed away for so long, so I brought you here today to broaden your horizons and help you adjust to the new environment."

Uchiha Hikari's throat bobbed. She wanted to say something, but her lips moved several times before she finally uttered just one word.

"...Hungry."

Uchiha Jun paused, then could not help laughing.

"Alright, alright. Come on, I'll take you to eat first! We'll try everything! Then I'll take you to other countries to sample their local cuisine too!"

Uchiha Jun took Uchiha Hikari's hand, passed through the crowd, and entered the street selling food.

Grilled squid, takoyaki, tri-colored dango, candied apples, fried noodles, cotton candy... every single one was something Hikari had seen and tasted for the first time.

Her expression changed from initial shock to curiosity, then finally to satisfaction. The sheer range of expressions made Uchiha Jun sigh inwardly—

She really is just a little girl, after all.

She had been sealed in darkness for who knew how many years.

Just then, a disturbance suddenly erupted from the crowd ahead.

"Get lost! Are you blind?!"

A rough voice rang out, accompanied by a scream and the sharp crash of something breaking.

Uchiha Jun frowned slightly and pulled Uchiha Hikari aside to avoid the commotion.

Not far ahead, three men dressed as rogue ninjas had surrounded an elderly dango vendor. Dango and shattered porcelain plates littered the ground. The old man sat on the ground clutching his forehead, blood seeping through his fingers.

"You old bastard, collecting protection money is us showing you respect, and you fucking dare refuse to pay?"

The rogue ninja in the lead raised his foot, about to kick the old man.

The surrounding pedestrians hurriedly moved aside. Not a single person dared step forward to stop him.

Uchiha Jun's gaze darkened slightly.

He had been having a perfectly good time playing in some corner, only for this kind of crap to pop up. These bastards had clearly earned themselves a death sentence!

He was just about to cast a Mangekyō genjutsu and let these three little punks experience dying by the Secondary Son Path when he suddenly felt Uchiha Hikari's body beside him tense sharply.

Turning his head, he saw her staring at the three rogue ninjas. The crimson Sharingan that had just been filled with curiosity and delight had become cold and sharp.

Her Sharingan had activated unconsciously.

The Mangekyō slowly rotated within her pupils, emitting an eerie glow.

"What is it?"

Uchiha Jun asked quietly. At the same time, he placed one hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Uchiha Hikari's body trembled faintly. Then she raised her head and looked at Uchiha Jun.

"Nothing... They just reminded me of those Uchiha from the Warring States Period."

Her voice was cold, too cold for a little girl who had just been eating candied apples.

Uchiha Jun smiled when he heard that and said,

"Do what you want. I've got your back."

With strong Kage Level strength, killing a few rogue ninjas was nothing. Even flipping Tanzaku Town upside down would not be a big deal.

Why had Uchiha Jun attacked the Daimyo Palace and caused such a spectacle?

Wasn't it so he could "eat beef" without restraint!

Upon hearing that, Uchiha Hikari looked at Uchiha Jun gratefully, then stepped forward.

The three rogue ninjas were about to leave when they suddenly saw a black-haired girl in a gray kimono, with delicate features, blocking their path.

The rogue ninja in the lead froze for a moment, then revealed a lecherous grin.

"Yo? Where did this little girl come from? She's pretty cute—ugh?"

Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly went blank.

At that instant, Uchiha Hikari's Sharingan met his gaze.

Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique.

The rogue ninja's body abruptly stiffened. His pupils dilated, and his lips began trembling uncontrollably, as though he had seen something unimaginably terrifying.