The Land of Rivers was a small nation wedged between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, serving as a buffer zone. Its resources were better than the desert's, but far inferior to the Land of Fire's fertile soil. The Land of Fire had no interest in resources of that caliber, while taking it would put the Land of Wind directly against the Land of Fire's border. The Land of Wind lacked the strength to hold that outlying territory, so both sides tacitly left it alone as a buffer state.
In all of Hokage history, only one major event happened here: Konoha's Team 7, Team Kakashi, and Team 3, Team Guy, fought the Akatsuki members Deidara and Sasori of the Red Sands within the Land of Rivers—the battle to recover Gaara at the beginning of Shippuden. (Kakashi first used Kamui in the manga in the Land of Rivers... Back then, it was painfully slow and hard to land. Compared with his Kamui during the later Shinobi World War, it was practically in another dimension!)
Of course, the Land of Rivers had not officially been established yet. It was a gray area in the truest sense, where many unaffiliated ninja operated.
"All right, there we go. We're officially abroad... How does it feel?" Uzumaki Gamu asked Mito beside him after stepping into the Land of Rivers.
"Nothing special!" Mito replied calmly. During the ninja Warring States period, ninja cared more about their own ninja clans and felt little attachment to their countries. After all, they still fought other major ninja clans within the same country. Under those circumstances, it was hard to feel like a unified whole, and the concept of a nation struggled to take root!
"Fair enough... Well, let's keep going. The Land of Rivers feels pretty much like our Land of Fire. Nothing much to see!" Uzumaki Gamu led the way.
Then Mito asked, "Second Brother, what have you been doing with your hands all this way?" Although they were traveling for pleasure, Uzumaki Gamu's hands had never stopped fiddling with things.
Since Uzumaki Gamu no longer needed hand seals, Mito could not tell what he was working on. She only knew he was using ninjutsu.
"Well... Ninjutsu structure optimization!" Uzumaki Gamu answered.
"What... does that mean?" The term alone left Mito confused, so she wanted him to explain further.
Uzumaki Gamu thought for a moment and said, "...Optimizing ninjutsu structures?" A completely useless explanation.
"...You don't think reversing the order of a phrase counts as explaining it, do you?" Mito asked, her expression darkening.
"Hahaha, sorry, just teasing you a little~" Uzumaki Gamu waved a hand. "I'm adjusting the steps involved in activating ninjutsu, hoping to reduce the chakra they consume!" This was precisely the shortcoming he had discovered during his earlier fight with Madara!
Uzumaki Gamu's current fighting style revolved around unlimited firepower: no startup, no recovery, no cooldown, just endlessly firing off ninjutsu. He crushed his enemies beneath a relentless storm of attacks. Put simply, it was saturation bombardment!
It was a manifestation of firepower deficiency phobia, a distinctly Chinese tactical approach.
However, this approach also exposed Uzumaki Gamu's weakness: his chakra reserves still could not support that kind of play!
Of course, crushing ordinary people was no problem, but against absolute powerhouses like Hashirama and Madara, he fell far short!
Where exactly did he fall short? His stats could not match Hashirama's, and his mechanics could not match Madara's.
With his overwhelming chakra reserves, Hashirama's Wood Release could produce a Gundam-like Wood Human Technique. (The Wood Golem was currently Hashirama's strongest move-he definitely could not use True Several Thousand Hands yet.) Even if Uzumaki Gamu burned through all his chakra, he might not make a dent in that Wood Golem!
As for Madara's mechanics, there was Susanoo. His Mangekyo ability was unknown, but Susanoo, the new mechanic unlocked with the Mangekyo, was the very embodiment of destruction before Otsutsuki appeared. It was absurdly overpowered! (Hashirama: "...Really?")
Uzumaki Gamu had been able to breach the first-stage Susanoo's defenses earlier, but what if Madara activated its second or third stage? Beyond that, he would have no way to fight it!
Of course, victory was not entirely impossible. Unlike Hashirama, a stat monster without weaknesses, Madara had one serious problem: poor endurance. Using Susanoo too much could blind him. (This was documented when Sasuke's vision began blurring after intensive Susanoo use.) Once blind, Madara's combat strength would plummet!
Still, that issue aside, Uzumaki Gamu would struggle to defeat either of them!
So, without adding new mechanics, the first thing Uzumaki Gamu needed to do to keep pace with the other two was increase the number of ninjutsu he could use. (Uzumaki Gamu: "Is this where I say that line? Lady Tsunade, I've finally caught up to those two?... Uh, I don't have Koto-Sakura. Better forget that line. I should say... Little Tsunade, those two can't catch up to me anymore!")
There were only two ways to do that: increase supply and reduce expenditure!
What Uzumaki Gamu was doing now was reducing expenditure: optimizing the steps of casting ninjutsu to lower the chakra consumed by each technique, allowing him to use more of them!
With his atomic-level control, Uzumaki Gamu noticed that his previous ninjutsu usage involved unnecessary steps. Removing those steps and optimizing the entire process could drastically reduce chakra consumption!
After several days of research, Uzumaki Gamu had already lowered his ninjutsu chakra consumption to three-quarters of its original level. He had confirmed that this approach worked. As for how low he could ultimately get it... That would require further study!
Besides that method, Uzumaki Gamu also had an idea for increasing supply: improve the speed of chakra extraction!
The mixture of physical energy produced by the body's 130 trillion cells and spiritual energy was called "stamina." Stamina formed the foundation of taijutsu. Within the body, stamina was converted into chakra, and after extracting that chakra, ninja could use "techniques" through "hand seals."
Uzumaki Gamu's atomic-level control could now accelerate that process. Put plainly, his mana regeneration had become faster! Although he could not increase his total mana pool for now, faster regeneration would also let him use more ninjutsu!
Those were the two methods Uzumaki Gamu had thought of to improve his combat strength. Of course, there was actually an even more direct and efficient method: become a jinchūriki!
Capture a tailed beast to serve as his battery, and he would not need to bother with any of the above. He could just go all out!
Yet Uzumaki Gamu hesitated over such a simple, direct method!
Uzumaki Gamu cared about looks. If he had to choose among the Nine Tailed Beasts, he would definitely choose Nine-Tails. Strength and beauty-Nine-Tails had both, making him Uzumaki Gamu's dream beast! The others interested him much less. Of course, although Ten-Tails was a little ugly, considering its strength, he would not refuse if it wanted to be his tailed beast... (Ten-Tails: "What kind of daydream is that? You think you can control me?")
But if Nine-Tails was his dream beast, why not go straight after him?
Uzumaki Gamu had two concerns!
First, becoming a jinchūriki imposed a heavy mental burden. Until he reconciled with the tailed beast, he would constantly endure its negative emotions, potentially causing insomnia, excessive dreaming, and other unpleasant effects. Of course, sealing jutsu could theoretically solve that. (Uzumaki Gamu: "Slap two Four Symbols Seals on him, and how the hell is he supposed to bother me?")
Second... Nine-Tails would eventually become his sister's tailed beast, then be passed down to Kushina and Naruto... If Uzumaki Gamu simply took him, what would they do later?
Mito and Kushina might not mind, but Naruto...
Just look at how helpless thirty-two-year-old Naruto became after losing Nine-Tails. Taking him really would feel like letting his descendant down!
"Hey! I've got it. I can copy Minato!" An idea suddenly struck Uzumaki Gamu. Minato had split Nine-Tails in two, giving the Yang half to Naruto and taking the Yin half into the Impure World Reincarnation himself... Naruto had only started with half of Nine-Tails anyway, so why not just pass down half to him?
As for what the reincarnated Minato would use later... What a joke. If Uzumaki Gamu could live until then, there was no way Minato would die young! In that case, Minato would not need Yin Nine-Tails either, right, Minato? (Minato: "Yes, everything the founding master says is right!")
Mito looked in confusion at her brother, who was acting up again. "Second Brother, what crazy idea have you come up with this time?" No one knew a brother better than his sister. Mito could tell at a glance that Uzumaki Gamu was plotting something ridiculous again!
"I want to catch a tailed beast, seal it inside myself, and become a jinchūriki!" Uzumaki Gamu said, raising his thumb.
"...Are you serious?" Mito was a little dumbfounded. Why did he suddenly want to capture a tailed beast?
"Well, I need more power too... Oh, Mito, do you want Nine-Tails? I'm planning to capture him, then split him between us, half each~ What do you think?" Uzumaki Gamu asked.
"...Nine-Tails? Me? I don't need him, do I?" Mito asked in confusion. She did not particularly need tremendous power. What was the point of putting half of Nine-Tails inside her?
"Well, having a tailed beast with you would make you safer in these chaotic times! But..." A female jinchūriki's seal weakens dramatically during childbirth, and it also makes delivery harder. That means this plan has to wait until after Mito has children. Once he thought of that flaw, Uzumaki Gamu could only postpone his idea of using a tailed beast as a portable power bank!
Still, constantly worrying about his sister every day... Hmm... Was this guy actually a sister fanatic?
Well, those two brother fanatics, Hashirama and Madara, were no better~
Seeing Uzumaki Gamu suddenly fall silent, Mito was about to ask what he was thinking, but just then, she seemed to sense something and immediately said, "Second Brother!?"
"...Yes, a group has their eyes on us. Well, don't make a fuss. Let's see what they want first." Uzumaki Gamu's Six Eyes had spotted them too. With his 360-degree field of vision, combined with long-distance and X-ray vision, he could see the people spying on him without even turning his head!
Four people were spying on Uzumaki Gamu and Mito-a standard ninja squad! Well, Uzumaki Gamu could see chakra flowing through them, so there was no question they were ninja!
"Are they planning to attack us?" Mito's hand was already reaching for her kunai.
"Who knows? Well... They're only watching from a distance for now, so let them watch..." Uzumaki Gamu continued forward. "I'm curious whether they can provide a little entertainment!"
"...All right!" Mito lowered the hand reaching for her kunai. Since her second brother had said so, they would do it his way!
The two continued onward like that, reaching the Land of Wind's border at dusk.
The Land of Wind was the largest of the Five Great Nations, but desert covered most of its territory. Its low annual rainfall also left the country desperately short of water. Its people built villages around desert oases and lived there. Because they lacked resources for daily life, trade with the Land of Fire flourished, and they were its allies. Well... Allies who frequently opposed the Land of Fire!
A lone plume of smoke rose straight over the vast desert; above the long river, the setting sun hung round. Beneath the sunset, the dunes glowed in gradients of molten gold and rust red, as though heaven's palette had spilled across the boundless wilderness. The blazing crimson sun sank toward the horizon, stretching each grain of sand's shadow into a sharp spear that pierced the cooling sky.
"...It's beautiful!" Seeing such a scene for the first time, Mito exclaimed from the heart!
"Right? The desert is gorgeous at this hour, but... We can't keep going farther in!" Uzumaki Gamu prepared to rest where they were!
"Why?" Mito asked, puzzled.
"The desert has an enormous temperature difference between day and night. Daytime temperatures can reach forty to sixty degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures can plunge below zero, a difference of over forty degrees. This mainly results from the dry climate, the low specific heat capacity of sand and rock, and the lack of insulating cloud cover. Well... Fine, that was actually pointless. It only drops a few degrees below zero, so it won't affect us! The main thing is... Two members of the squad following us have circled into the desert!"
"...To get help?" Mito extended her senses. "So they're actually from the Land of Wind?" Since they were heading into the desert, they were probably from the Land of Wind!
"Maybe... Perhaps they're bandits from the Land of Wind, planning to rob us... No, in the desert, should we call them sand bandits?" Uzumaki Gamu speculated.
"Either way, they're our enemies, aren't they? Should we really be taking this so casually?" Mito said, speechless.
"Can't help it. I don't sense any threat. Still... Having them follow us for most of the day is getting tiresome. Let's take the initiative!" Uzumaki Gamu smiled faintly, and then... The earth beneath his feet suddenly shifted.
-Preparing ninja tools-
After seeing Uzumaki Gamu and Mito prepare to rest, the ninja squad that had been following them split into two groups. One returned to the desert to fetch reinforcements, while the other stayed to keep watching Uzumaki Gamu and Mito!
One of them said, "Captain, is that red-haired brat really the ninja with a thirty-five-million bounty? He looks way too young!"
The man addressed as captain took out a photograph and told the questioning squad member, "He only looks young... According to the black market's intelligence, he's already twenty. Looking about fifteen like that... Either he's underdeveloped or it's a disguise! Besides, our leader is only in his twenties, and isn't he as strong as a monster?"
The squad member sighed. "True, our leader is the best example. Still... Having a thirty-five-million bounty at twenty is impressive... Does he have any major accomplishments?"
"According to the intelligence, not long ago, he single-handedly repelled the combined forces of the Kaguya Clan and the Hozuki Clan... He defeated Hozuki Zangetsu head-on!"
The squad member exclaimed in surprise, "Oh~ I've heard of him. He's the Hozuki Clan's killing god... A terrifying man who kills without leaving a trace!"
"...I've never fought him, but he's been a renowned expert for years, so his strength should be genuine... That's why we have to wait for the others to arrive and attack together. Only then might we...?" The captain suddenly noticed something wrong.
A faint vibration came from underground.
He immediately leaped up in alarm, while his companion was dragged straight beneath the earth.
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu! This was another ninjutsu Uzumaki Gamu liked quite a bit.
"An enemy? When did they get around us?" The captain was shocked. Normally, he should have rescued his companion, but he could not even see the enemy... All he could do now was put some distance between them.
Just then, a chakra chain shot toward him. It was so fast that by the time he saw it, he could no longer dodge. The chain bound him immediately.
Damn it, my chakra's sealed? This is... The Uzumaki Clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains? Our targets? How did they discover us? The captain was knowledgeable enough to understand what had happened immediately. Now he was utterly baffled about how Uzumaki Gamu and Mito had discovered him!
Uzumaki Gamu and Mito walked over, and Uzumaki Gamu said to Mito, "Well, now I finally understand why other ninja clans fear our sealing jutsu... Your beyond-visual-range Adamantine Sealing Chains are downright sneaky!" Mito had the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, allowing her to sense people at a distance, and she could deploy her Adamantine Sealing Chains away from her body. She could simply restrain someone from beyond their visual range with chains that acted like homing missiles... It felt just like shooting down a Rafale with a PL-15. This was the difference between combat systems!
"Sneaky? Who describes their own ninja clan that way?" Mito said, speechless.
"I think it's fine... Well, time to extract some intelligence!" Uzumaki Gamu turned toward the two captives. "Hey, you two. Where are you ninja from, and why exactly have you been following us?"
The squad member dragged into the earth did not dare speak, while the captain said, "...We're just passing ninja. We weren't following you at all. You're the ones who attacked us out of nowhere. What do you want with us~?"
"Oh-ho~ Turning the tables, are we~? Hey, little sister, what should we do?" Uzumaki Gamu asked.
"We don't have interrogation skills. In that case... Do we just kill them?" Mito said. If they could not get any intelligence, these two were useless. Taking them back to the Clan Homeland for interrogation was out of the question; that would be a complete waste of time. So... They might as well kill them!
Her decisiveness mainly came from the fact that these two had ill intentions toward her second brother. There was no reason to show such people mercy. Killing them was perfectly fine.
"I think trading them for intelligence would be better... Still, I actually do have an interrogation method!" Uzumaki Gamu pulled the captain up, then used a ninjutsu on him. "Frog Transformation Technique!"
This ninjutsu could turn someone into a frog. The caster placed a hand on the target's forehead, halting the thought-images in their brain and turning them into a frog in an instant. The technique was used to threaten captured enemies during interrogation. Prisoners who personally witnessed their companions turn into frogs entered a state known as the frog chorus and involuntarily spilled all their intelligence. It truly was a terrifying technique for exposing information.
Just like that, Uzumaki Gamu turned the captain into a frog. Seeing it happen, the squad member was scared out of his wits and blurted out everything he knew in one breath.
"Whoa~~ The black market has put a bounty on my head? And it's thirty-five million? Why that amount?" Uzumaki Gamu asked in confusion.
The ninja world had a black market. It was the Shinobi World's underground economic and intelligence hub, a gray area outside the Five Great Nations' system. Blood, secrets, and souls were sold there, and the sole truth maintaining order was greed deeper than the night.
Although hidden villages had not appeared yet, the black market had already taken shape. After all, this was the most chaotic era in the Shinobi World. There was no way something like a black market would not exist!
As for why Uzumaki Gamu questioned the thirty-five-million figure... Mainly, he thought it undervalued him!
Throughout Hokage history, the most famous black-market bounty belonged to Asuma Sarutobi. His head, worth thirty-five million, became a standard unit of currency in Naruto fanfiction for a very long time!
Whenever money needed converting, it was often expressed in so many Asuma heads. Was that phrasing a little too dark?
Well, it was pretty dark for Asuma! For the readers, though... It was rather entertaining!
And for Uzumaki Gamu... His head was worth thirty-five million? He felt it seriously undervalued him!
I'm in the same league as Asuma? What a joke! Who does he think he is, sharing my bounty tier? Uh, Uzumaki Gamu simply thought Asuma was weak, didn't he? (Asuma: "...Your mother!! Forget it, I can't beat him. Getting angry won't help~")
Seeing Uzumaki Gamu's disdainful expression, Mito guessed what he was thinking and said, speechless, "Second Brother... Don't tell me you think the bounty isn't high enough?"
"...It really isn't. I should at least get three hundred million berries, right?" Uzumaki Gamu said, rubbing his chin.
Speechless, Mito knocked him on the head and said seriously, "Stop fooling around. This is a bounty. Lots of people will come after you!"
"Even without this bounty, plenty of people would come after me. Living in this era, you need some strength if you want to live freely!" Uzumaki Gamu said disdainfully. Who would dare climb a mountain of blades without the skills to back it up?
"...True!" Mito agreed with Uzumaki Gamu. At the same time, she understood why he wanted to capture a tailed beast. Clearly, her second brother had realized he was becoming a major figure and needed even greater power to roam freely across the Shinobi World.
If Uzumaki Gamu knew what Mito was thinking, he would probably say, "I'm not, I haven't, stop making things up!!"
The people around Uzumaki Gamu really seemed to love filling in the blanks!
Before you continue