Uchiha Itachi.
Shūichi had no intention of teaching him personally, even though he had high hopes for Itachi.
The boy was still too young.
Shisui was more than capable of guiding him; there was no rush.
Similarly, Shūichi didn't personally oversee the Sage Mode training for Kitsuchi, Darui, and Yugito. Instead, he left the task to his shadow clones.
---
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
After breakfast one day, Shūichi opened a space-time gate in the courtyard, taking Konan with him as they stepped through together.
They emerged in the western region of the Shinobi Continent, an uninhabited wasteland.
Standing atop a barren mountain, Shūichi and Konan surveyed their surroundings. The desolation stretched endlessly—truly a place where even birds wouldn't linger.
"So, this is the site where the Sage of Six Paths and his brother battled Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?" Konan asked.
Shūichi shook his head. "It's just an area affected by the battle."
"The core battleground isn't here, but this place will suffice."
With that, Shūichi raised his hand. A black orb quickly materialized in his open palm, swelling in size.
In moments, a sphere as large as a basketball had formed—but it wasn't done.
Smaller black orbs separated from the main one, resulting in a configuration of one large orb surrounded by four smaller ones.
The five spheres ascended into the sky. Under Konan's gaze, the smaller orbs moved further from the central one, beginning to orbit it like planets around a sun.
Clap!
Shūichi brought his hands together.
Chibaku Tensei!
The five orbs released dazzling white light, scouring the land below.
A moment later, the ground began to quake as the barren mountain crumbled, and massive chunks of earth broke free, rising into the sky toward the orbs.
A gigantic sphere rapidly took shape, growing larger and ascending higher.
After about an hour, Shūichi estimated the meteorite's diameter to exceed 200 kilometers. He halted the jutsu, leaving the massive sphere suspended at an altitude of 20,000 meters—right within the stratosphere.
"Konan, let's go."
Shūichi wrapped an arm around Konan's slender waist, and the two vanished from their spot, reappearing inside the meteorite.
"This is…"
Konan looked around in shock. "Is the interior of the moon like this too?"
Shūichi chuckled. "Maybe."
The interior of the meteorite was barren, and since they were floating, Konan could see parts of its natural form.
Looking up, she noticed a "sun."
"That sun—was it created by ninjutsu?" Konan asked.
Shūichi nodded. "It's the largest of the Chibaku Tensei spheres."
The other four had fused into the meteorite to stabilize the internal space.
The crust was 10 kilometers thick, leaving the internal spherical space with a diameter of 80 kilometers.
Though far smaller than the moon, it was more than sufficient to serve as the Alliance's temporary headquarters.
As they landed, Konan asked, "Shūichi, how will we solve the issue of water here?"
Shūichi smiled and countered, "What do you think?"
Konan replied, "For now, we could use space-time ninjutsu to transfer water here. But in the long run, we'll need a stable water source."
"It's currently the rainy season in the Land of Rain, but how would we direct that water into this interior?"
Shūichi gave her a thumbs-up, smiling. "I've been considering drawing natural water sources from the Land of Rain."
"As for how to channel it inside—don't underestimate water's ability to permeate."
"Rainwater falling on the meteorite can seep in naturally, and in the process, it'll even get filtered."
"Of course, we'll need to make some additional arrangements on the exterior."
Konan thought for a moment. "Does that include planting trees outside?"
Shūichi grinned and kissed her firmly on the lips. "Smart as always!"
Konan rolled her eyes at him.
Shūichi laughed. "It's almost time. You stay here; I'll transfer the meteorite to Konoha."
Konan nodded, and Shūichi vanished, reappearing on the meteorite's surface.
---
Meanwhile.
Above the northern mountains of Konoha, Ōnoki hovered in the air, holding a Flying Thunder God kunai.
The next moment, the massive meteorite appeared beside him—its edge brushing dangerously close to his face, mere millimeters away.
Ōnoki froze, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Too close!
At the same time, atop the Hokage Rock, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Raikage, and others widened their eyes in shock.
"It's enormous…"
Several ANBU ninja couldn't help but exclaim.
The colossal meteorite hanging over Konoha quickly caught the attention of its villagers. Countless people stopped in their tracks, gazing upward.
Many shinobi leapt onto rooftops to get a better view.
Fortunately, this had been announced in advance, so there was no panic—only animated discussions among the villagers and ninjas.
"As expected of Lord Shūichi!"
"Incredible!"
"By the way, if that massive meteorite fell, wouldn't it destroy all of Konoha?"
"Idiot! Lord Shūichi would never let that happen."
"But still, how will we live up there if it's the Alliance Headquarters?"
"I'm sure Lord Shūichi has already considered that."
---
In the Sky
Shūichi appeared beside Ōnoki as a space-time gate materialized. "Tsuchikage, please head inside first."
Ōnoki nodded, flying into the gate. Emerging on the other side near Konan, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I didn't expect the base to be inside…" he muttered, realizing Shūichi had kept this detail hidden earlier.
Konan explained, "At such a high altitude, the exterior isn't suitable for habitation."
Ōnoki nodded again, just as Minato Namikaze, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Fourth Raikage, the Fourth Kazekage, the Fifth Mizukage, and General Mifune all walked through the space-time gate.
General Mifune glanced around in awe. "This is truly a godlike ability!"
Appearing alongside Kakashi and Yamato, Shūichi smiled. "If I were a god, it wouldn't need to be this complicated."
General Mifune quickly replied, "Lord Shūichi, you're far too modest."
Hashirama Senju chuckled. "Shūichi, are we planting trees next?"
Shūichi nodded. "Exactly, though first we need to bring in some water sources."
He turned to Minato, Tobirama, and Kakashi. "We'll use the Flying Thunder God technique to transfer some water here."
Minato immediately understood. "You mean that lightning-conduction trick?"
Shūichi nodded. "I've already placed the necessary markers."
"I'll link everyone's chakra shortly to enhance our sensory range."
Tobirama, eager to proceed, nodded. "Let's get started!"
Shūichi signaled, and the next moment, Minato, Tobirama, and Kakashi disappeared, reappearing at different points in the interior space—east, west, and north.
The maneuver left Ōnoki and the others stunned.
Is this a new space-time ninjutsu?
Shūichi offered no explanation. Although he hadn't yet mastered Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Amenominaka, he'd made some progress.
By using the markers he'd previously placed on Minato, Kakashi, and Tobirama, Shūichi could directly relocate them within his sensory range.
This advanced version of Flying Thunder God eliminated the need to mark the destination, relying instead on enhanced sensory positioning.
Once everyone reached their assigned locations, Shūichi raised a hand, activating electromagnetic sensory perception and linking to the others through his Flying Thunder God markers.
Kakashi couldn't hide his amazement. "This level of perception… We must be in the Land of Rain!"
Minato smiled in admiration. "As expected of Kekkei Tōta combined with Sage Mode. Truly extraordinary!"
This sensory ability far surpassed that of the previous war's combined sensory forces.
Even Tobirama marveled. "This perception surpasses both my brother's and mine by far."
Shūichi's voice echoed. "We're ready. Let's begin!"
At his signal, water surged from beneath the feet of Shūichi, Minato, Kakashi, and Tobirama, spreading rapidly outward.
In no time, four lakes of varying sizes formed.
Minato and Kakashi finished first, both breathing heavily. Soon after, Tobirama stopped as well, his chakra recovery unable to keep pace with its consumption.
Shūichi, too, ceased drawing water once he deemed it sufficient.
Next, he led the group in creating rivers branching out from the lakes, ensuring water flow to prevent stagnation and converge elsewhere.
This was only the initial stage, ensuring a water cycle would eventually form. For now, it was enough to support the upcoming tree planting.
Although they could technically plant trees without a water source, sustainable life required one.
Hashirama, Ōnoki, and Hiruzen, all proficient in Earth Release, joined forces with Kakashi and Yamato. Together, they quickly shaped the landscape.
Shūichi's shadow clones replenished their chakra as needed, keeping the process smooth.
As the rivers converged into a fifth lake, the group gathered there.
"First Hokage," Shūichi said, "from here, we'll radiate outward."
Hashirama nodded, smiling. "Are we covering the entire land?"
Shūichi nodded. "That's the goal."
Yamato's eye twitched. This is going to be a monumental task.
The area here is no small one.
Even Hashirama Senju felt a hint of pressure and remarked, "This is quite the project. It seems we'll have to work a little harder."
The Fourth Kazekage added, "Surely we don't have to finish it all at once, right?"
Shūichi Hoshita smiled. "Don't worry, it's manageable."
"Also, Third Hokage, Tsuchikage, Kakashi, and Yamato, I'll need your help using Earth Release to create some more complex terrain."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "No problem."
Ōnoki agreed. "Let's split up and get to work!"
Hiruzen called out, "Kakashi, come with me!"
The three immediately set off.
Minato Namikaze quickly asked, "Shūichi, is there anything we can help with?"
Shūichi replied, "Sensei, not at the moment. But later, when it comes to organizing this place, I'll leave the headaches to you Kages."
The Fourth Kazekage nodded. "That's only fair."
He glanced at Ōnoki, who was raising sections of the ground, and couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. What he had witnessed today gave him immense confidence in Shūichi's earlier proposal to transform the deserts of the Land of Wind.
"Shūichi, let's begin!" Hashirama said as sage markings appeared around his eyes, indicating he had entered Sage Mode.
Yamato activated the seal Shūichi had given him, and lotus patterns blossomed across his body as he formed hand signs.
Without moving, Shūichi simply said, "Begin!"
Rumble!
The ground shook violently as massive trees burst from the earth, spreading outward in a sweeping fan shape, covering the terrain like a tidal wave of green.
Immediately after, Hashirama and Yamato activated their Wood Release techniques.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
Together, the trio's Wood Release covered everything except for the rivers and lakes.
However, to the observers like the Fourth Raikage, the differences in contribution were evident.
Shūichi's technique alone covered two-thirds of the area. Of the remaining third, Hashirama's portion accounted for three-quarters, while Yamato managed the rest.
Moreover, the size and height of the trees varied significantly.
The trees created by Shūichi and Hashirama were massive, but Yamato's were noticeably smaller.
Even with the seal's support, Yamato's Wood Release couldn't compare to Shūichi's, let alone Hashirama's, even in his reanimated state.
Still, Minato could tell Yamato's Wood Release had vastly improved compared to before.
On a newly risen hill, Ōnoki wiped sweat from his brow as he gazed at the forest spreading like a green tidal wave. He couldn't help but marvel, "What an incredible feat."
He had never considered using ninjutsu in such a way.
Time passed slowly.
Yamato was the first to stop, his chakra nearly depleted. He couldn't continue without moving to another area to maintain efficiency.
Seeing this, Shūichi summoned the Nine-Tails directly.
The miniature version of Kurama appeared, momentarily stunned by the sudden summoning. When he noticed Minato's gaze on him, he quickly grew to full size, growling, "Shūichi, stop summoning me so suddenly!"
Especially with so many people watching!
Suppressing his laughter, Shūichi said, "Kurama, quickly replenish Yamato's chakra. We're creating a miniature world here!"
Kurama's attention shifted as he observed the expanding forest and the surroundings. "You… is this the inside of a Chibaku Tensei?"
Shūichi nodded. "That's right. This will be the Ninja Alliance's headquarters."
Kurama withdrew his gaze and remarked, "The old man would've been deeply impressed!"
As he spoke, one of his tails rested on Yamato, channeling chakra into him after refining it.
"So powerful… as expected of the Nine-Tails!"
Yamato's pale complexion quickly turned rosy, his earlier exhaustion replaced by a surge of vitality.
Wait, I'm full already!
Yamato quickly exclaimed, "Kurama, I'm full!"
(End of Chapter)
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