Uchiha's Taijutsu Supreme

High in the skies, Fuma and his companions overlooked the earth below. They laughed and bantered as though they held the power to shape the world with their words, exuding an air of confidence.

But in truth, neither Orochimaru, Minato, nor Fuma, the man bearing the Uchiha name, could see anything at all.

These men were merely killing time, waiting for Kushina to complete her task. Their idle chatter was nothing more than a way to fend off boredom.

The Uchiha fortress floated ten thousand meters above the ground. At such a height, even the renowned Byakugan of the Hyuga clan was of little use.

For Kushina, however, equipped with the Kagura Mind's Eye, this vast distance was no obstacle. If she pushed her ability to its limits, she could pinpoint chakra signatures within tens of kilometers, akin to a living radar.

Thus, while the others chatted, the poor "Red Hot Habanero" furrowed her brows, fully concentrating on detecting chakra across the land below.

"Ugh, why can't the Uzumaki clan have their moment of glory already?" she grumbled internally.

A moment later, Kushina opened her eyes, her expression complicated. She spoke in a tone laced with both concern and intrigue:

"The Land of Water has descended into chaos. Root, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure ninjas are all present, alongside several from smaller nations. Some are already clashing on the battlefield."

She hesitated briefly before adding uncertainly, "But what's odd is that I've detected an extraordinarily unique chakra signature. It's unlike anything I've encountered before in the ninja world."

She described it further: "It feels noble, heavy, cold—but the amount of chakra is strangely small. It's contradictory…"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of interest flashing in his serpentine eyes. His raspy voice carried a hint of excitement as he surveyed the vast landscape below.

"A noble chakra, you say? Heh… interesting."

"Instead of letting such an intriguing presence roam aimlessly through the ninja world, why don't we invite it here as a guest? Perhaps it might prove useful for my research."

Kushina shook her head, stopping Orochimaru's eager musings.

"It's difficult to track that individual," she explained. "Their chakra signal is intermittent and scattered across wide distances, resembling the way Minato-kun's Flying Thunder God technique operates. They likely possess some form of spatial teleportation."

"What a shame," Orochimaru sighed, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Such a rare specimen… I'm growing tired of this body."

Orochimaru's unfiltered expression of his desires didn't elicit any alarm from the group. To them, it was as mundane as discussing dinner plans.

Under Fuma's leadership, trust among his allies had reached an extraordinary level.

They respected each other's ambitions and offered mutual support without the interference of moralistic lectures like, "That's inhumane, it's wrong, everything should be for Konoha…"

Orochimaru was a man of ambition, and if presented with an opportunity to achieve greatness, he would seize it without hesitation.

Rather than painstakingly pushing the limits of his current body, Orochimaru saw greater potential in replacing it with a superior vessel.

His true talent lay in his relentless pursuit of scientific and ninjutsu innovation, though his body was merely above average by ninja world standards.

In recent days, Orochimaru had openly discussed his development of the "Living Corpse Reincarnation" technique with Fuma and the others, asking them to keep an eye out for suitable vessels.

Fuma had also warned Orochimaru of the technique's risks, advising him to remain cautious and not let his greed cloud his judgment.

Such a soul-transferring jutsu carried the inherent danger of weakening one's own soul through repeated clashes and takeovers, potentially resulting in irreversible damage.

Orochimaru had accepted Fuma's advice graciously, promising to tread carefully.

Now, with allies he trusted implicitly, Orochimaru could choose an ideal target, have the group incapacitate them, and then flawlessly claim the new vessel.

This approach was far better than his original timeline, where he resorted to subpar bodies, wasting the purity of his soul in the process.

Fuma's gaze sharpened as he considered Kushina's report. For those familiar with the true history of the ninja world, her description evoked an immediate association.

"A noble chakra…" Fuma mused. "That can only mean one thing—the Otsutsuki clan."

Fuma lifted his head, his eyes drifting toward the tranquil full moon hanging silently in the sky.

"Is it a descendant of Hamura from the moon, or perhaps the lingering soul of Isshiki, wounded by Kaguya and left to roam the ninja world?"

In the grand cosmic scheme, the planet hosting the ninja world was merely one of many cultivated by the Otsutsuki. Yet it stood out as a battleground of unparalleled intensity.

The actions of Kaguya Otsutsuki—consuming the chakra fruit, scattering her bloodline, and betraying her clan—had sown discord that reverberated across generations.

Even among the Otsutsuki, consuming a chakra fruit was rare, as most were returned to the main family for further cultivation. But Kaguya's defiance elevated her descendants' bloodline to the point of rivaling ordinary Otsutsuki.

Her son Hamura, who inherited the Byakugan, had taken his people to the moon to guard the Gedo Statue, preserving the purity of their lineage.

This lineage would eventually produce figures like Toneri, capable of rivaling even main family members like Urashiki.

In comparison, the so-called Kages of the ninja world were merely small fish in a pond, oblivious to the storm awaiting them.

Fuma's thoughts lingered on these distant yet inevitable threats. Unlike the fleeting conflicts of the five great nations, the Otsutsuki posed a challenge of existential proportions.

Turning to Orochimaru and Minato, Fuma issued his judgment.

"For now, we'll postpone the assassination of the Third Mizukage. The ninja world's attention is already focused on the Land of Water, with tensions escalating toward war."

"Revealing ourselves now would not only provoke Kirigakure but also turn the other villages against us."

Orochimaru nodded, his ambition momentarily tempered by reason.

"Agreed," Minato added. "Killing the Third Mizukage isn't urgent. He's just a Jinchuriki for the Three-Tails; he doesn't pose a significant threat."

Fuma continued, "We should focus on destabilizing Kirigakure from within. I'll deploy Uchiha clan members skilled in genjutsu to manipulate their forces, pushing the Mizukage into further paranoia. The goal is to isolate the Land of Water completely."

Minato then shared his own intelligence.

"According to reports from the Uchiha clan, Konoha is also on edge. The Third Hokage has declared a state of emergency and is strengthening security."

"The only explanation is that Uzumaki Mito's life is nearing its end, and preparations for the Nine-Tails' transfer are underway."

Neither Orochimaru, Minato, nor Fuma shied away from discussing their plans openly. Their voices carried clearly across the fortress, inspiring a mixture of awe and fear among their subordinates.

To the Kirigakure defectors, the Third Mizukage—a figure they once feared—was reduced to a mere pawn in Fuma's grand strategy.

Among them, only Kushina hesitated, conflicted by the mention of Mito, who had once shown her kindness. But looking at her beloved husband and the resolute Fuma, she pressed her lips together and said nothing.

"Mito-sama," she thought, "I've found a new family. Please don't blame me. I have the right to pursue my happiness."

"I'll live a happy life with Minato, have many adorable children, and restore the Uzumaki clan to its former glory. That's what you would have wanted, right?"

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