Deep within a secluded and remote cave in the Land of Rivers, Shang Qi sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to concentrate as he worked hard to recover his Chakra.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was deep and piercing, as if it could penetrate the stone walls of the cave.
Immediately afterward, he reached into his robes and carefully took out a pair of Byakugan preserved in a test tube.
This Byakugan was renowned throughout the Shinobi World, naturally possessing extraordinary insight. It could pierce through deceptive mists, precisely capturing solid objects, distant movements, and even the otherwise invisible flow of Chakra.
Shang Qi's own True Sight Eye possessed similarly heaven-defying abilities, capable of discerning the essence of all things so that nothing in the world could hide from it.
After pondering for a long time, Shang Qi concluded that if these two were fused, they would undoubtedly unleash earth-shattering might. He immediately decided to integrate the Byakugan into his True Sight Eye.
He took a deep breath, and the Chakra around his body began to surge slowly, coursing like a nimble stream through his meridian pathways and gathering in the Synthesis Hand.
Clutching the Byakugan tightly in his hand without the slightest hesitation, Shang Qi pressed it directly over his own eyes.
In an instant, he felt a buzzing sensation in his head, as though the entire heaven and earth were spinning wildly.
The heavens and earth, mountains and rivers, wind and clouds—the operating laws of all things in the world unfolded before his eyes without reservation, like a vast and boundless scroll. The intricate pathways and exquisite, mysterious principles flooded into his mind all at once.
At the same time, a searing pain shot from his eyes straight into his brain. The agony spread rapidly, making his head feel as though it were about to split apart.
Shang Qi clenched his teeth tightly, veins bulging on his forehead. Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down, and his body trembled slightly, but through sheer willpower, he endured the excruciating fusion process.
When the piercing pain gradually subsided, Shang Qi slowly opened his eyes and found the world before him completely renewed.
At this moment, his field of vision seemed vastly expanded. The distant end of the cave, once out of reach, was now clearly visible; the texture of every rock and the fuzz of every patch of moss were as if right before his eyes.
Looking closer still, the internal structure of the surrounding soil and stone, along with the minute flow of Chakra within his body, became as clear as a stream under the daylight.
Following this fusion, during combat, even if an enemy made the slightest finger movement or quietly gathered Chakra to launch an attack, it could not escape his eyes. Even the most seemingly ferocious attacks revealed all their flaws and weaknesses before him.
As for hidden traps, mechanisms, or bewildering illusions, they were mere child's play, easily seen through and pierced.
In terms of exploration and research, the complex and arcane barrier arrays appeared as transparent models, and the principles behind the composition of items could be thoroughly dissected.
Yet, blessings and misfortunes have always been intertwined in this world.
While this formidable insight gave Shang Qi the upper hand, it also brought a troublesome dilemma.
Information surged into his mind like a roaring tide, constantly causing his head to swell with splitting pain, bringing him close to overload.
Every time he fully activated the True Sight Eye, a massive wave of information flooded his mind like a torrential flood. His brain felt like an overloaded circuit, nearing a "meltdown," while his body felt as though it were carrying a crushing weight, utterly exhausted. Furthermore, his spirit was battered and teetered on the verge of collapse amid this endless perception.
Shang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, struggling to adapt to the various changes brought by the True Sight Eye. He knew he had to comprehensively improve himself next—whether it was physical robustness, mental resilience, or the depth and vastness of his Chakra, not a single one could be neglected.
Moreover, he needed to widely study various kinds of Ninjutsu, especially Fuinjutsu.
In this Shinobi World, Fuinjutsu was everywhere, ranging from everyday sealing scrolls used to store items and secrets, to techniques capable of imprisoning primeval giant beasts like Tailed Beasts, and even the earth-shattering feat of sealing the progenitor of the Shinobi World—none of these could do without Fuinjutsu.
When it came to Fuinjutsu, the most famous by far were the Uzumaki clan of the Land of Whirlpools. Relying on their unique bloodline talent, the clan members brought out the full might of Fuinjutsu.
Back in the day, relying on their unique shinobi abilities coupled with their uniquely advantageous geographical conditions, the Land of Whirlpools steadily maintained its independence. Its people lived and worked in peace and contentment, its shinobi grew increasingly powerful, and the land presented a scene of prosperity.
Alas, this dazzling prosperity attracted the covetous desires of other nations.
The surrounding major powers coveted the powerful Kekkei Genkai of the Land of Whirlpools and its exquisite Fuinjutsu, plotting to make them their own, bring them under their command, and use them as sharp weapons to dominate the Shinobi World.
Thus, the fires of war raged, smoke filled the air, and the Land of Whirlpools sank into a long and tragic quagmire of war.
Major battles, like fierce beasts, constantly gnawed at the foundations of the Land of Whirlpools. Its national strength gradually withered away in this day-after-day consumption, and its former glory ceased to exist.
In the end, under the joint and relentless assault of the major powers, the Land of Whirlpools was unable to resist and suffered utter destruction. The surviving members of the Uzumaki clan were forced to leave their homeland, become displaced, and scatter across the Shinobi World.
In Shang Qi's mind, he clearly remembered the locations where the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan persisted, as recorded in the original work:
Konoha Village in the Land of Fire, where Uzumaki Kushina grew up;
The Land of Rain, Nagato's hometown, a place of a checkered fate;
The Land of Grass, where clan members also concealed themselves—presumably where senior Karin had taken root.
Judging by the timeline of the ongoing Second Shinobi World War, Uzumaki Kushina in Konoha Village must have already graduated smoothly from the ninja academy.
However, Shang Qi had just locked horns with Konoha Village on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers, thoroughly offending them.
At this juncture, rushing blindly into the Land of Fire would undoubtedly be walking right into a trap. Before even entering the village, he would likely be surrounded and intercepted by Konoha shinobi, so the Land of Fire was definitely out of the question.
As for the Land of Rain, its location was awkward. Wedged between the three major powers of Earth, Wind, and Fire, it had become the primary battlefield of this war, with artillery roaring and slaughter continuing endlessly.
Shang Qi knew that Nagato's parents had likely already been brutally slaughtered in the flames of this chaotic war and had passed away to Yomi.
As for himself, having previously left a note when running away from the Sunagakure faction, he was technically considered a rogue ninja from a regulatory standpoint.
He had no idea what Sunagakure's current attitude toward him was, nor how Elder Chiyo of the Land of Rain would deal with him if she found out about this.
On one side was hostility with Konoha, and on the other was his sensitive status. If he rashly stepped into the Land of Rain right now, he would likely become the target of both sides and find himself surrounded by enemies on all fronts. Thus, the Land of Rain was equally off-limits.
After much deliberation, only the Land of Grass held a glimmer of hope. Perhaps he could trace the remnants of the Uzumaki clan there, and with good luck, run into Karin's ancestors or parents.
Having made up his mind, Shang Qi set the Land of Grass as the target for his next stop.
He opened a crumpled map, only to furrow his brow once more: traveling from the Land of Rivers to the Land of Grass inevitably required crossing right through the Land of Rain. This was going to be tricky.
With no other choice, Shang Qi had to figure out a way to disguise himself, hoping only to hoodwink people and sneak safely through the Land of Rain.
First, he fussed for a long time with a windproof cloak designed to match the color of sand, patching, mending, and applying paint. After a flurry of tinkering,
he turned it into a black waterproof rain cloak with the collar pulled high to strictly cover his mouth and nose, leaving only his eyes exposed.
Next, he found a pair of wide, light-brown toad-style sunglasses and put them on. His entire demeanor transformed instantly, to the point that no one looking at him would recognize his original appearance.
Then, Shang Qi bought a waterproof travel backpack, stuffed a few sets of clothes inside, and added a medical toolkit to disguise his identity, making people think he was merely a traveling healer.
The scroll containing the Qiongqi Puppet was placed in his waist pouch and hidden underneath the travel backpack to ensure he could reach out and pull it out for combat at any moment.
The Burrowing Rat puppet could silently tunnel underground to scout ahead,
while the Four-Winged Bird puppet would soar high into the sky, remaining vigilant of movements from all directions.
Everything prepared, Shang Qi stepped with firm strides into the territory of the Land of Rain.