Uchiha’s God of Muscle - Chapter 224

The Land of Whirlpools was a small island nation located to the east of the Land of Fire, established by the Uzumaki Clan. However, it had become a part of history even earlier than the Land of Fire.

Over twenty years ago, during the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Whirlpools was besieged by various nations and destroyed in a single night. The Uzumaki Clan, renowned for its powerful sealing techniques, was annihilated, leaving only a few scattered members throughout the ninja world.

Since that battle, the island where the Land of Whirlpools once stood had become a desolate burial ground, untouched for many years.

The appearance of Shukaku, the One-Tail, at the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools suggested that its Jinchūriki had lost control and gone berserk.

This news quickly alarmed the major ninja villages.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Akatsuki organization nearly succeeded in capturing all nine Tailed Beasts. Although the Akatsuki’s plans fell apart with the death of Pain, three Jinchūriki remained in their possession: the hosts of the One-Tail, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails.

When the Allied Shinobi Forces invaded Amegakure and destroyed the Akatsuki, the woman code-named “Angel” managed to escape, taking the three Jinchūriki with her.

From that moment, Konan, the “Angel,” had been on the run, wanted by the major ninja villages.

Now, she had finally been forced into the open.

The major ninja villages immediately held a remote video conference upon receiving the news.

In the meeting, the Kage of each village agreed to set aside the Uchiha issue temporarily. The priority was to capture Konan and reclaim the three Jinchūriki.

After all, the One-Tail, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails were among the strongest of the nine Tailed Beasts. Especially the Nine-Tails, whose power could easily destroy a village or even a country.

If these three Tailed Beasts fell into the hands of the Uchiha clan, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Thus, to prevent the Uchiha from getting to them first, each village dispatched elite units to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools immediately after the meeting.

Obito and his group also received the news.

“So, she has been hiding in such a place all this time,” Obito mused, his eyes gleaming. He immediately led Zetsu, Kisame, Kakuzu, and the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi, whom he controlled, to the Land of Whirlpools.

He sought the Tailed Beasts and something even more important—the Rinnegan.

Kirigakure experienced a physically cold but emotionally warm winter in the Land of Water. Under the leadership of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, Kirigakure had implemented peaceful and open policies, transforming from the “Bloody Mist” to a thriving village.

The economy and population had shown signs of recovery in just a month.

However, the previous Mizukage left Kirigakure in shambles, with elite ninjas either dead or gone and the village with few resources.

The talent drain was severe. For example, the “Demon” Zabuza Momochi killed all his classmates during his graduation exam, creating a significant gap in that year’s ninja ranks.

The once-renowned Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were now reduced to less than three.

Rebuilding Kirigakure’s strength would take a long time, possibly over ten years.

In the spacious Mizukage office, Mei Terumi sat back in her chair, rubbing her forehead with a weary expression.

Holding the position of Mizukage wasn’t as glamorous as many imagined. The constant high-pressure work was exhausting, even more so than being on the battlefield.

Recently, she had participated in the remote video conference with the other four Kage, who demanded that Kirigakure send troops to the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools to hunt down Konan, the Akatsuki’s Angel.

Mei had refused without hesitation, reiterating that Kirigakure had no intention of engaging in any form of warfare.

This wasn’t due to a newfound love of peace but rather the harsh reality that Kirigakure lacked the manpower for further conflict.

At that moment, an elder ninja named Ao entered the office, accompanied by several young ninjas, promising prospects for the village.

They were there to meet the Mizukage.

“Let’s begin,” Mei said to Ao, glancing at the youngsters.

“This boy is Suigetsu Hozuki’s younger brother, Mangetsu Hozuki,” Ao said, pointing to a white-haired, purple-eyed boy. “He’s already showing talent that rivals his brother’s, though he’s a bit impulsive.”

“Humph,” Mangetsu grunted, baring sharp teeth in defiance.

Unlike the confident Mangetsu, the blue-haired, bespectacled boy next to him was shy, barely able to look Mei in the eye.

“This is Chojuro. He may not look like much, but his ninjutsu talent is exceptional,” Ao said, patting the boy’s head.

“I’ve heard of these two,” Mei said, acknowledging the notable young talents.

Then she turned her attention to the third child, a girl she didn’t recognize. “And this girl is…?”

“Um, Mizukage-sama, that’s not a girl,” Ao corrected, embarrassed.

Oh?

Mei looked closer and realized the beautiful, long-haired figure was indeed a boy.

“His name is Haku. He was found scavenging for food on the streets and brought back to the village. He’s the last of the Yuki clan, possessing the rare Ice Release Kekkei Genkai,” Ao explained.

“Mizukage-sama, hello,” Haku said shyly, bowing.

So that’s how it is, Mei thought, sighing inwardly at the boy’s plight.

Kirigakure once had many clans with Kekkei Genkai, second only to Konoha. Unfortunately, during the “Bloody Mist” era, most were wiped out due to various reasons.

The Yuki clan was targeted for their Ice Release, facing jealousy and persecution, leading to their near extinction during Kirigakure’s civil strife.

It was thought Ice Release had vanished, but Haku was the last member of the Yuki clan.

Mei stood and approached the youngsters, placing a hand on their shoulders.

These children were Kirigakure’s future.

“Take them and protect them well,” she instructed Ao. “The next Mizukage might come from these kids.”

“I’ll be the next Mizukage!” Mangetsu declared, eager to claim the title.

“Fix your impulsive nature first,” Ao scolded, flicking Mangetsu’s forehead.

With a bow to Mei, Ao led the children out.

As the door closed, Mei’s dignified expression faded, her eyes revealing the Sharingan pattern.

Boom!

Using a summoning jutsu, she called forth a crow to deliver the message about the hunt for Konan to her master.

Half a day later, in the Mountain Graveyard:

Ka!

A hoarse caw outside the window roused Dan. He stood and received the crow’s message.

Shukaku rampaging?

Reading the details, Dan was slightly surprised.

Had Konan lost control of Gaara?

But why would Konan hide with three Jinchūriki in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools? It was not an ideal hiding place.

Sensing something amiss, Dan decided to pause his Sage Mode training and investigate.

His interest was not just in the Tailed Beasts but in the Rinnegan.

In the original timeline, Nagato’s Rinnegan was taken by Obito after his death. Dan couldn’t let that happen, as it would disadvantage him.

He wondered how many explosive tags Konan had prepared this time. Six billion?

Regardless, if the original story repeated itself, Obito wouldn’t easily escape with Kamui this time.

Dan intended to take Obito’s right eye to complete the set of Kamui Sharingan.

With that thought, he opened his left hand, focusing his Kamui eye, releasing spatial energy.

Swish.

He entered the Kamui dimension, moving swiftly towards the Land of Whirlpools.

Meanwhile, on the island in the Land of Whirlpools:

At the ruins of the Uzushiogakure, in an abandoned room:

Ugh…

Naruto Uzumaki groaned, slowly waking from unconsciousness.

He felt like he’d had a long dream.

In the dream, he had become a giant nine-tailed fox, rampaging through Konoha, killing many people.

The screams, the corpses, the blood, the burning buildings, and the smoke—all seemed like a nightmare.

What was worse, this wasn’t the first time Naruto had such a dream. Each time, he would lose consciousness.

This time, he seemed to have been out longer than usual.

What happened…?

Though he regained consciousness, Naruto realized he couldn’t see, only perceiving a faint light through the darkness.

Had he gone blind?

Panicked, he touched his eyes, finding thick bandages.

“You’re awake.”

A cheerful voice suddenly spoke beside him.

Naruto smelled a sweet fragrance, the scent of a girl, getting closer.

She helped him sit up.

“Who are you?” Naruto asked nervously.

At that moment, a cold voice came from outside the door. “Fuu, remove his bandages.”

Fuu? Is that the girl’s name?

“Yes, teacher.”

Fuu obediently replied

, then told Naruto, “Open your eyes slowly, or the light might be too much at once.”

She carefully unwrapped the bandages.

Naruto followed her advice, gradually adjusting to the light.

He first saw a green-haired, dark-skinned girl smiling at him.

Unused to female attention, Naruto looked away, embarrassed.

He then looked towards the door, seeing the “teacher” Fuu mentioned—a blue-haired woman with a flower in her hair, her expression cold, her amber eyes intense.

In the corner, a red-haired boy with the word “love” on his forehead sat quietly, seemingly resting.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Naruto asked, even more confused.

“My name is Fuu, Jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails from Takigakure. Nice to meet you,” Fuu introduced herself cheerfully.

She then pointed to the red-haired boy. “He’s Gaara, Jinchūriki of the One-Tail from Sunagakure. He’s got a bad temper, so be careful not to provoke him.”

Fuu’s expression showed she had experienced Gaara’s wrath.

As Fuu spoke, the blue-haired woman approached, looking closely at Naruto’s eyes.

Fuu stepped aside. “This is Teacher Konan. She rescued us from Amegakure. Otherwise, we’d be tools for war, like how you used to live.”

Teacher Konan?

Naruto stared at the woman, still confused.

Konan noticed his confusion and spoke coolly:

“You are Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails from Konoha. This is Uzushiogakure, your true home.”

Nine-Tails… Jinchūriki?

Naruto frowned. He had heard the term before but never understood it.

In Konoha, ANBU whispered the term, avoiding his hearing.

As for Uzushiogakure, he had never heard of it.

“No, I’m just an orphan from Konoha. Though everyone hates me, calling me a demon fox bringing disaster…”

Naruto’s voice trailed off, filled with self-doubt and sadness.

Since he could remember, he had been called a demon fox, seen as a curse. No one wanted to befriend him at the ninja academy.

Naruto lived in loneliness.

So, speaking of his background made him deeply self-conscious.

But Konan’s next words turned Naruto’s world upside down.