Izuna couldn't understand someone who lived for entertainment

In the Land of Fire, deep within the Primeval Forest, two figures darted between towering trees, colliding now and then in clashes of blades or Ninjutsu. Neither could gain the upper hand.

Interestingly, the Ninjutsu and taijutsu those two blurs used, and even their smallest movements and habits, were almost identical.

A closer look would reveal that the two combatants looked as though they had been cast from the same mold. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought someone was bored enough to fight his own clone.

"Time to end this!"

Uchiha Izuna leaped into the air, his hands rapidly forming hand seals as Chakra surged.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, fierce flames poured from Izuna's mouth, forming four fire dragons in midair that charged at the other Izuna from above, below, left, and right.

The other Izuna swiftly formed hand seals as well, unleashing the exact same Ninjutsu.

The eight fire dragons collided, and an enormous pillar of flame erupted within the forest.

From higher in the sky, however, one could see that a barrier enveloped the entire forest. From outside, nothing happening within it could be seen.

Click!

Izuna dropped from a tree with his long sword in hand, sheathed it, and glanced back at the devastated battlefield before heading toward the river.

Beside a small river, a young man sat in a chair with a fishing rod in hand, leisurely fishing.

"Hey, you're back. Five minutes faster than last time, too. Congratulations, congratulations."

Izuna walked over to the campfire, picked up a skewer of grilled fish, and began eating.

"There's nothing to celebrate. According to my plan, I should have finished this fight fifteen minutes faster than last time.

Your Dōjutsu, Mirror Beyond the Clouds, has grown stronger."

"Hahaha, maybe it improved just a tiny bit. More importantly, you've gotten stronger, Izuna, so the copy of you I created became stronger too."

"Tch. It can replicate every ability of anyone you see. How can such an absurd Dōjutsu exist in this world? Your Mangekyō clearly came from mine, yet both of my Mangekyō abilities enhance my own strength."

Izuna grumbled in displeasure. He knew perfectly well that after reviving him, Tetsuya had obtained all his abilities, including the Sharingan that the Uchiha Clan took such pride in.

But those eyes had clearly been his. Why had they awakened a Dōjutsu so much stronger than his own?

"Haha, don't be mad."

Tetsuya gave a couple of awkward laughs and jerked his fishing rod upward, pulling out a large, plump fish. He removed the hook and tossed the fish into the wooden bucket beside him as he spoke.

"No matter how powerful my Dōjutsu is, it still came from your Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, didn't it? That just proves how amazing your clan's eyes are.

As for why our Dōjutsu are different, that's easy to explain too. The Sharingan are eyes that reflect the heart."

He turned to Izuna.

"You're a proud Uchiha. All you think about is how to make yourself stronger.

I'm just a weak, pitiful merchant. Naturally, I wanted someone to protect me, so I awakened a Dōjutsu like this."

After hearing Tetsuya's words, Izuna suddenly lost his appetite for the grilled fish in his hand.

"What kind of bullshit is that? You, Chiba Tetsuya, weak and pitiful? Then what does that make me, when you're always half a move ahead of me?"

"Hehehe, I was just saying whatever came to mind. Don't take it to heart."

"Coo, coo!"

While the two chatted over grilled fish, a Ninja Pigeon flew over and landed on Tetsuya's shoulder. Tetsuya removed a note from its leg and began reading.

As he read the note's contents, the smile on Tetsuya's face widened.

"What is it? Did those two idiot Cloud Shadow ninja send you some interesting information again?"

Ever since they had taken control of those two idiot Cloud Shadow ninja, information had arrived from time to time.

Most of that information was trivial, and Tetsuya usually read it for entertainment.

"Yeah. Those two idiots sent word that an orphan of the Uzumaki Clan from the Land of Whirlpools has set out for Konoha. Cloud Shadow has taken an interest in her Uzumaki bloodline and plans to find an opportunity to sneak into Konoha and abduct her."

Tetsuya didn't need to guess to know that the Uzumaki orphan mentioned in the report had to be Kushina.

Judging by the timing, Mito Uzumaki probably couldn't hold on much longer.

To ensure that the Nine-Tails remained in Konoha, they had decided to bring Kushina there to become the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

"Hmph. Those brutes in Cloud Shadow only know how to steal. Back during the Warring States Period, the Land of Lightning was a gathering place for bandits. Now that they've founded a Shinobi Village, they've turned it into a bandit den."

"Yeah, you're not wrong. Looking at the things they've done, Kumogakure really is a bandit den."

As he spoke, Tetsuya stood and stretched.

"What? Are you heading back?"

"Yeah, back to Konoha for a bit."

"Is your Chiba Clan close to the Uzumaki Clan?"

Tetsuya thought for a moment before answering.

"We should be fairly close. After all, our Chiba Clan used to be a vassal of the Senju Clan, and the Senju and Uzumaki Clans have been allies since the Warring States Period."

"So you, the Chiba Clan's last surviving orphan, plan to go back and meet that Uzumaki orphan? And protect her from being abducted by Kumogakure while you're at it?"

Tetsuya tilted his head at Izuna, puzzled. All he had said was that he planned to return to Konoha. How had Izuna dreamed up so much from that?

Was this how geniuses viewed things? Did every simple matter that entered their heads get endlessly analyzed and embellished?

"What are you thinking? I just want to go back and watch the fun."

Kumogakure would abduct Kushina, then Minato would make his dazzling entrance, and the Tomato-and-Egg Duo would fall in love.

How could he miss such an iconic scene?

"Watch the fun?"

Izuna was momentarily speechless. Although he had spent a long time with Tetsuya, how could he put it? He still couldn't quite understand how Tetsuya's mind worked.

To be precise, Tetsuya's mind worked differently from that of anyone he had ever met.

After all, if anyone else possessed Tetsuya's tremendous strength, how many would choose to go into business and become a merchant?

And after learning that someone was coming to abduct a person, he neither went to warn anyone nor threatened Kumogakure to extract some benefit. He simply wanted to go back and watch the fun. How was Izuna supposed to understand that?