Memories of Uzushio Village

The Uzushio Village Ruins lay on an isolated island out at sea. Once a thriving settlement of the Uzumaki Clan, it now held nothing but crumbling walls, shrouded in sea mist.

It was dusk when Lin Ye arrived by boat. Through the Mind's Eye System, he sensed a powerful sealing barrier enveloping the entire island. Only those with the Uzumaki bloodline or a special mark could enter.

He bit his finger and drew the Uzumaki Clan's crest on the barrier in blood. The barrier opened, revealing what lay within-not ruins, but an illusion. It showed Uzushio Village before its destruction: bustling streets, laughing children, and ninja practicing sealing jutsu.

"This is... a memory barrier." Lin Ye understood. Before their destruction, the Uzumaki Clan had used one final sealing jutsu to preserve the village's memories, waiting for their descendants to awaken them.

He headed toward the ancestral shrine at the center of the village. Inside stood memorial tablets honoring generations of clan leaders. At the very top rested a scroll-a relic left by Mito Uzumaki.

Lin Ye took down the scroll and opened it. Written on it in Mito's hand were these words:

"To those who come after the Uzumaki Clan:

If you are reading this scroll, Uzushio Village must no longer exist. Do not grieve. This is fate.

The Uzumaki Clan inherited the Sage of Six Paths' sealing jutsu, but that inheritance also brought disaster upon us. The nations coveted our sealing jutsu. During the Shinobi World War, Uzushio Village was besieged and ultimately destroyed.

My greatest regret is that I could not protect our people or pass down our complete sealing arts. But I have sealed all the Uzumaki Clan's knowledge of sealing jutsu within this scroll, along with... a secret.

The secret of Kāma.

Ōtsutsuki Isshiki engraved Kāma in Indra's eyes, but he also left a contingency within Asura-a Counter-Kāma, meant to oppose Isshiki. The Uzumaki Clan descends from Asura, and all of us carry fragments of the Counter-Kāma within our bodies. Gather every fragment, and you can create a complete Counter-Kāma to eliminate Kāma once and for all.

But the Counter-Kāma fragments are scattered among members of the Uzumaki Clan. Karin carries one, I carry one, and other surviving members carry them as well. Find them and gather the fragments, and you can save Indra's reincarnation.

Finally, I have sealed my chakra consciousness within this scroll. When you need me, channel chakra into it. I will appear and teach you the complete Adamantine Sealing Chains.

May the will of the Uzumaki never fade.

-Mito Uzumaki"

At the end of the scroll was a sealing formula. Lin Ye channeled chakra into it, and the formula lit up. The spectral image of a red-haired woman appeared-a young Mito Uzumaki.

"Hello, successor." Mito smiled. "You belong to the Uchiha Clan, yet you have come seeking the Uzumaki legacy. How interesting."

"I need power to protect the people who matter to me and break the curse," Lin Ye said.

"I can sense Uzumaki chakra within you. Karin gave it to you, didn't she?" Mito asked. "Is that child still alive?"

"She is, but she's fallen into a deep sleep. I need to fulfill 1,000 unfulfilled wishes to awaken her."

"The Wish System... I see. So you are that 'variable.'" Mito nodded. "Then I will teach you the complete Adamantine Sealing Chains. But be careful. This technique consumes your life force. Overusing it will shorten your life."

"I understand."

Mito's spectral image formed hand seals, and a flood of knowledge poured into Lin Ye's mind. It was not just the Adamantine Sealing Chains, but every sealing jutsu of the Uzumaki Clan: the Four Symbols Seal, the Eight Trigrams Seal, the Reaper Death Seal, the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, and the ultimate technique-Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei.

"This is the technique used to seal Kaguya, but you need the Rinnegan to perform it," Mito said. "Once you synthesize the Rinnegan, you can use it. For now, master the basics."

Lin Ye trained in the shrine for seven days and seven nights. The Mind's Eye System allowed him to control his chakra precisely despite his blindness, and he progressed at astonishing speed. By the seventh day, he could perform the complete Adamantine Sealing Chains, summoning eight chakra chains.

"You have considerable talent," Mito said approvingly. "But it isn't enough yet. To truly master it, you need actual combat. There is a trial ground on this island where an Ancient Sea Beast is sealed. Go defeat it using sealing jutsu."

"Yes."

The trial ground lay inside a sea cave at the northern end of the island. As Lin Ye entered, the Ancient Sea Beast awoke-a gigantic octopus with eight tentacles, each rivaling a tailed beast.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Eight chains shot out and wrapped around the octopus's tentacles. But the octopus was too strong, and the chains began to snap. Gritting his teeth, Lin Ye used the Eight Trigrams Seal he had just learned, but the octopus sprayed ink, disrupting the seal.

"Kamui!"

He used what little eye power he had left to wrench off one of the octopus's tentacles. The octopus shrieked, but its other tentacles lashed toward him. Lin Ye dodged with the Body Flicker Technique, but the cave was cramped, and he was soon forced into a corner.

No other choice... I'll use that move.

He bit both thumbs and drew a complex formula across his chest-a variation of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal that would seal everything around him, with his own body at its center. But the price was that he might be sealed along with it.

Just then, a voice rang out. "Bind it with the Adamantine Sealing Chains, immobilize it with the Eight Trigrams Seal, strip away its chakra with the Four Symbols Seal, and finally transport its core with Kamui. That is a complete battle strategy."

It was Mito's voice. She was guiding him.

Lin Ye followed her instructions. The Adamantine Sealing Chains restrained the octopus's movements, the Eight Trigrams Seal halted its chakra flow, and the Four Symbols Seal stripped away its power. Finally, he used Kamui to transport the octopus's core-its heart-outside its body.

The octopus collapsed, dissolved into seawater, and vanished. It had been a chakra construct all along.

"Very good. You passed." Mito's spectral image appeared. "Now I will give you my final gift."

She pressed a hand against Lin Ye's forehead, and a warm stream of chakra flowed into him. He felt heat building in his blind eyes as his sight returned. Though it was only thirty percent restored, he could see again.

"This is the Uzumaki Clan's life force. It can temporarily repair your eyes, but true recovery will require you to synthesize the Rinnegan," Mito said. "Also, I can sense Uzumaki survivors elsewhere. There is a red-haired girl in the Land of Snow to the north, and an old woman who runs a tavern in the Land of Tea to the south. Find them and gather the Counter-Kāma fragments."

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Mito."

"Go, child. We leave the future of the Shinobi World in your hands."

Mito's spectral image faded, and the scroll crumbled to ash. Lin Ye left the shrine and glanced back at the illusion of Uzushio Village. The illusion was fading, but the will of the Uzumaki would live on.

He departed by boat. Aboard it, he took stock of his gains.

[Unfulfilled wish "Mito Uzumaki's Request" completed. Obtained Rinnegan Fragment ×50]

[Current Rinnegan Fragments: 350/1000]

[Unfulfilled wishes completed: 312/1344]

[Obtained complete Adamantine Sealing Chains. Sealing jutsu level increased to "Grandmaster"]

[Vision restored to 30%. Can switch between the Mind's Eye System and eyesight]

[New quest: Find other Uzumaki survivors and gather the Counter-Kāma fragments (0/3)]

He still needed 650 fragments and 688 unfulfilled wishes. Time was running short, but now he had a direction.

His next stop was the Land of Snow, where he would search for the second Uzumaki survivor.

Shortly after he left, a black ship arrived at Uzushio Village. Obito and Black Zetsu were aboard.

"We're one step too late," Obito said. "He took Mito's legacy."

"It doesn't matter. The Counter-Kāma fragments can only be used once they've all been gathered, and he only has one," Black Zetsu said. "Besides, Orochimaru has sent word. He's found a way to accelerate Kāma's awakening."

"What way?"

"Stimulate it with a tailed beast's chakra. Didn't we capture half of the Eight-Tails? With that, we can forcibly awaken the Kāma inside Sasuke and turn him into Isshiki's vessel."

"But Sasuke is at Mount Myōboku, under Jiraiya's protection."

"Then lure him out. Use Itachi as bait, and Sasuke will come." Black Zetsu gave a sinister chuckle. "And Orochimaru says he has a new toy that's perfect for dealing with Uchiha Ye."

"What toy?"

"You'll find out when the time comes."

The black ship turned and sailed out into the depths of the ocean.

A storm was gathering.

Lin Ye knew nothing of it. He stood at the bow, gazing at the distant horizon, the rising sun reflected in his eyes.

A new journey had begun.