Chapter 18

The pale visitor - Part 2

"Shishui?" The Third Hokage stood up slowly, surprise and shock evident in his voice. While neither he nor his comrades could sense anyone here, it seemed that the eyes that was said to transcend the cycle oif the world could see the spirits that still wandered the mortal plane. "Can you see his spirit, Naruto?" He asked, wonder evident in his voice.

"Yeah." Naruto gulped. Shisui's appearance did not ease his fear of ghosts. However, this was a man both he and Konoha owed a great debt to.

"It's great to meet you, sir." Naruto bowed low. He could feel the adults in the room also get up and imitate the gesture out of respect to the fallen shinobi.

"Shisui Uchiha," The Third Hokage said, recovering from his shock. "On behalf of Konoha, I apologize for the crimes of Danzo Shimura. He has paid for his treachery with his life. I only regret not uncovering his true nature sooner."

Shisui gave a gracious bow as he faced his past comrades with a melancholy smile.

"Can you hear us?" Naruto asked the ghost curiously.

"Oh, I hear you just fine," Shisui replied, his tone light despite the circumstances. "It's just my eyes that are missing. But yeah, we spirits have our own way of perceiving the world—it's not that different from that of humans." He turned to speak to the Hokage, though only Naruto could understand. "I know you can't hear me, but thank you—for bringing that bastard to justice. I almost crossed to the Pure Land in relief when I found out about that. But there's still work left for me... I had stayed behind to watch over my remaining eye."

"He says he'd like to thank you for bringing Danzo to justice. Wait-" Naruto immediately turned to Shisui. "How can I hear you? You don't have a body, right?"

Shisui smiled slightly. "Good question. Well, my speech isn't exactly 'speech,' since, you know, I'm lacking certain essentials like vocal cords." He tapped his throat. "I suppose your Rinnegan picks up on the vibrations of my spirit or something along those lines, translating it into words."

Naruto nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense…" His brow furrowed as he continued, "So, how do you feel about all this? I mean, I ended up absorbing your other Sharingan too. I'm not sure if that's what you wanted."

"Anything was better than Danzo keeping it," Shisui said with a deep, knowing sigh. "And honestly, you're a far better outcome than I could have hoped for. Just promise me one thing: use that power to protect Konoha and bring peace. Then I'll be ready to cross over into the Pure Land." He held up a hand before Naruto could respond. "But don't promise just yet—I've still got a few things to share."

Naruto waited curiously for Shisui to continue.

"To think you actually awakened the Rinnegan!" Shisui grinned, his excitement showing. "The Uchiha stone tablet mentions the Rinnegan as the final evolution of the Sharingan. It says the power of the Uchiha and Senju must combine to create it. I never imagined an Uzumaki could unlock it too."

"The Uchiha stone tablet?" Naruto asked, intrigued.

"Ah, Sasuke never told you about it, did he?" Shisui shook his head with a faint smile. "It's a monument handed down by the Sage of the Six Paths. With those eyes, you should be able to read it fully. The tablet's secrets are said to reveal themselves only to the Rinnegan." Shisui's gaze turned thoughtful. "I can tell you what I could read, at least."

Naruto waited with bated breath. This was a great opportunity to hear the Uchiha side of the Rinnegan's history. Sensing the atmosphere, the others in the room also watched in silence.

"I am a monk who has traveled the world and preached the virtues of chakra. My name is Hagoromo Otsutsuki, also known as the sage of the six paths. This tablet bares my legacy and is meant to pass my will to my descendents. The extent to which my descendents understand my will shall be constrained by the extent of their ocular powers, for I fear that too much knowledge on an unprepared mind shall not have the intended effect.

Seeking stability, one god divided into yin and yang, these opposing two acting together to obtain all things in creation. From their dance of harmony and discord, the heavens and earth were born. Light and shadow, mind and body, male and female, night and day, Izanagi and Izanami. Together, they shaped mountains, rivers, and all life forms. The primordial elements emerged, each arising from different balances of the opposing forces. Thus, from the unity of one, the diversity of all emerged, creating this world sustained by their eternal conflict."

Shisui frowned. "Then it gets murky. There's a part I couldn't fully decipher. It talks about a ten-tailed beast and how the Sage sealed it away. It mentions gathering the chakra of the tailed beasts and... something about using genjutsu to control the world."

"What?" Naruto frowned. "That doesn't sound like something the Sage would've wanted."

"Well, we don't know, do we?" Shisui replied, shrugging slightly. "Personally, if putting everyone under a genjutsu could keep the peace, I'd consider it. It's not ideal, but…"

"But they'd lose their free will!" Naruto shot back, his voice rising. "How could that be real peace if nobody's even choosing it? What's the point if no one can actually enjoy it?"

Shisui sighed, a hint of resignation on his face. "Look, it's not perfect. I get that. And I wouldn't call it true peace either. But maybe the Sage just saw it as a way to stop immediate violence—a temporary solution."

Naruto crossed his arms, his expression hard. "I still don't buy it. The Sage didn't want people to be controlled; he wanted them to understand each other through ninshuu. I met him when I first awakened the Rinnegan. He just wanted everyone to connect, not to fight or dominate."

Shisui blinked, genuinely taken aback. "Wait… you actually met the Sage of the Six Paths? Seriously?" He let that sink in for a moment, then chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that's something I didn't see coming. But if that's true, then why would the tablet talk about world control with genjutsu?"

Naruto's frown deepened as he thought it over. "It's an Uchiha clan artifact, right? So maybe… maybe the Sage didn't write that part. What if someone else—maybe Indra, the Sage's son—added it? If Indra was the ancestor of the Uchiha, it's possible he twisted his father's message."

Shisui's eyes widened in immediate protest. "Whoa, whoa—hold on a second! You're not pinning this on the Uchiha too! That's way too convenient!"

Naruto was taken aback by the outburst. "Where did that come from?"

Shisui sighed, his expression softening. "Sorry, Naruto. It wasn't fair to snap at you. It's just… the village blamed the Uchiha for so much. The Nine-Tails' attack, and every problem that came after. That blame created tensions, and eventually led to… well, the planning of the coup. That's where it all started. My plan to prevent it was based on the tablet's message—to use a powerful genjutsu to influence everyone and keep the peace. My Kotoamatsukami could've done that…"

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on…" Naruto said loudly. "Coup? What coup?"

Behind him, Naruto didn't see the Third Hokage wiping his brow, clearly uncomfortable, while Jiraiya shook his head with a resigned sigh. Tsunade's eyes narrowed, watching the exchange closely.

"Well, I'm sure this will be a pleasant conversation." Minato grimaced.

Naruto plopped down on the sofa, absorbing the revelations from Shisui. It turns out the Uchiha massacre was an inside job. All things considered, he shouldn't be this surprised. His dad had hinted at something like this before. Speaking of his dad, Minato was standing nearby, watching him with a look of concern and faint nervousness. The Third Hokage and Jiraiya had made their exits earlier—Hiruzen excusing himself with mutterings about "village duties" but noticeably avoiding Naruto's gaze. Jiraiya had simply shaken his head, giving Naruto a pat on the shoulder before following his teacher out the door.

Naruto exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. "So, Itachi... just went through with it?"

Shisui's expression twisted with pain. "Yeah... not how I'd hoped things would go. But, knowing Itachi, he did what he thought was the only option left."

Naruto's face darkened. "Even the little kids?"

Shisui's ghost seemed to waver for a moment, as if weighed down by his own regret. "I was there that night. The masked man you keep mentioning—he's the one who killed most of the civilians and some of the shinobi. Itachi… he did what was left."

Naruto clenched his fists, anger bubbling up inside him. "This is seriously... seriously messed up." His eyes flickered toward Minato, his voice rough with frustration. "Why did the old man—why did the Third let Danzo get away with all this?" He paused. "If it was you, would you have punished Danzo?"

"No one would have planned a coup if he was alive." Shisui shook his head. "They would have to be suicidal to do that. Even if half of the clan were able to use Izanagi, it would all be meaningless if they get cut down as fast as they get revived."

Minato couldn't hear Shisui's defense, so he considered the question and gave his honest answer. "I don't wish to speak ill of Lord Third, especially since you are a shinobi under his command. But I believe I would have handled things differently. If I found Danzo culpable of authorizing such a mission, he would be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

Naruto took in his father's words, feeling a measure of reassurance but also a deep sadness. This wasn't just a dark chapter of the village's history—it was a wound that still bled. He turned to Tsunade, his face hesitant as he wanted to repeat the question to the Hokage candidate.

"There's no point mulling over who would have done what, brat. Every Hokage makes mistakes," Tsunade said in a resigned tone. "My grandfather thought he was doing the right thing when he sold the Tailed Beasts to the other nations. That decision came back to bite us. And my grand-uncle Tobirama? He thought assigning the Uchiha to the police force was a way to integrate them... but it only isolated them further from both the civilians and shinobi. Nobody's perfect. Not even the Hokage. People make mistakes. It's part of being human."

Naruto grimaced, not liking the fact that the mistake of one could have deep implications on the life and death of many. For the first time in his life, he questioned his deep-seated desire to be Hokage. Would becoming Hokage really be worth it if it meant carrying decisions that could mess up whole families, entire clans—even generations? The title suddenly felt heavier, loaded with more than just strength or being the village's leader.

"Sooo…" Shisui began, settling into a mock-sitting position on the sofa beside Naruto, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "What's the story with Lord Minato and Lady Kushina being back? I haven't really been keeping up—I mostly stick with Itachi, since he's my biggest regret. I only showed up now because I sensed something happening with my other eye."

Naruto looked at Shisui, intrigued. "Uh… how much do you actually know about what happened after you… y'know…?"

"I never fully moved on," Shisui admitted, looking a bit sheepish. "At first, I hung around to see how the Uchiha situation played out. Then, I wanted to keep an eye on Sasuke and check in on what Itachi would decide. Recently, I felt a strong pull. At first, I thought it was you finally awakening the Sharingan. Imagine my shock when I realized that it was the Rinnegan that was awakened!" He shook his head in amazement. "I came back to watch the chuunin exams, and things went south real quick. While Orochimaru's forces were attacking, I was rushing around, trying to make sense of it all. I was switching between checking on you and Lord Hokage -because let's face it, it's not everyday you get to see a legendary shinobi in action. And after the dust settled, I checked back on you—and bam! There they were: Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina."

"So, basically, they sorta, like, stuffed part of their consciousness or whatever into the Nine-Tails' seal. So when me and Granny Mito went to chat with the Nine-Tails, they were already there! We started talking, but they said their chakra was running out fast, and I was like, no way am I letting that happen. So I used the Rinnegan to check out their chakra, figured out how it worked, then changed my own chakra and used it to boost theirs. Then dad asked me to make shadow clones while imitating his chakra, and he was able to transfer his consciousness into it."

Shisui stared, processing what Naruto had described. Even medical ninjas infused chakra into patients, but Naruto's method sounded way more efficient. Maybe Naruto was the only one who could pull it off. "Wow… so, could you maybe try imitating my chakra?"

Naruto frowned. "But you're, well, a spirit now—you don't have chakra…"

"No, I mean, when you absorbed my Sharingan. It held my normal chakra too, not just the ocular one. You must have felt it… maybe enough to copy it?"

"That's… worth a shot, I guess…." Naruto said thoughtfully. "But it's tricky. I didn't really get a long look at it. It'd be like trying to make a meal after tasting it just once."

Shisui thought for a moment, then his face lit up. "Wait! I kept some of my stuff stored in the Uchiha compound. There are old seals with samples of my chakra in my house. No one's touched it since the massacre."

"It's a long shot," Naruto said, "but yeah, it could work. Only problem is, Sasuke's out of town, but he'd definitely notice if someone intruded the compound. Won't there be protective seals and stuff?"

"Then ask Lord Fourth! He can be in and out before anyone notices, and he'd be able to deal with any protection we have."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Good idea! Dad!"

"Yes, Naruto?" Minato sat opposite to them, trying to piece together the one-sided conversation between his son and a deceased spirit.

"Can you break into the Uchiha clan compound and steal Shisui's stuff?"

"Can I? Yes. But the question is, should I?" Minato said with a hint of humor.

"Shisui thinks if I get a feel for his chakra, I can try creating a clone of him, like with you and Mom."

"Well, it's worth a try then." Minato nodded, disappearing in the next instant.

"I didn't really think he had seals within the Uchiha compound." Shisui paled. "But I suppose that's expected if he had even bugged ROOT. Is no place safe from that man?"

"That's my dad!" Naruto cheered.

Within a minute, Minato was back, placing two scrolls on the table.

"Ooh, my swords! Perfect!" Shisui grinned as he recognized them, looking almost alive for a moment.

Naruto placed his hands on the seal, channeling a thin thread of his chakra into it. This coaxed out a trace of Shisui's chakra from within, allowing the seal to check for a match. If the seal recognized his chakra as identical to Shisui's, it would unlock. Carefully observing Shisui's chakra signature, Naruto adjusted his own to mimic it. A moment later, the seal unraveled, and a shiny blade appeared on the table.

"Whoa… I can use my powers like a chakra lockpick!" Naruto muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

"That's so unfair!" Shisui groaned, shaking his head. "I feel like my privacy's being invaded. Try the other one, then."

Now more confident, Naruto repeated the process and unsealed the second scroll, revealing another sword.

"Okay, I think I got it. Shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto created a clone while imitating Shisui's chakra. A moment later, a shadow clone was created. However, it toppled over, lifeless.

"Ouch. I was worried that might happen," Shisui grimaced. "My consciousness is kinda… stuck with the spirit."

Naruto frowned, deep in thought. If he could see Shisui's spirit, maybe he could also… interact with it?

"Hold up. Let me try something," Naruto said, reaching out toward Shisui.

"Hey! What are you—Eeek!" Shisui yelped as he felt something actually grab him for the first time since he'd died. Naruto, undeterred, pulled Shisui's spirit forward and shoved it directly into the lifeless clone. Stepping back, he watched, anticipation written all over his face.

The clone, which had been slumped on the floor, stirred, and Shisui sat up, looking dazed. "Whoa… I think it actually worked! But why does everything look so dark?"

Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh, crap… you don't have eyes!" Unfortunately, it seemed that whatever spirit sense Shisui had didn't work inside a physical body.

Tsunade shook her head in disbelief as she finished integrating two of the "spare" Sharingan confiscated from Danzo's stash into the body of Shisui's clone.

"I just performed an eye replacement on a clone," she muttered, still wrapping her mind around the strange task. "If this clone ever dispels, those Sharingan will become useless."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Shisui replied dryly, blinking his eyes open. A spark of recognition lit his expression. "These are Mangekyou," he observed automatically.

"Don't activate them!" Tsunade warned sharply. "You'd drain every bit of your chakra in an instant."

Shisui sighed. "I may be a lot of things, Lady Tsunade, but I'm not an idiot." He stood up, testing his vision as he glanced around. "Vision's not great, though. Whoever had these really ran them down. My guess? Cousin Inabi."

"When did Inabi-san awaken the Mangekyou?" Minato asked, clearly intrigued.

Shisui looked uncomfortable. "A few Uchiha… well, they decided they'd 'strengthen the clan' on their own before the coup. Fugaku chose not to punish them, even though what they did was… unforgivable."

Minato's eyebrows rose, realizing what that implied. It didn't take much to piece together the lengths some Uchiha would go for power. His suspicions about the clan's volatility felt more justified, though he kept his thoughts to himself.

Tsunade, her curiosity piqued, turned to Shisui. "How many spirits are lingering around Konoha like you?"

"Hmmm… Well, there are a few Uchiha lingering around, but they aren't exactly the friendly type," Shisui said with a wry smile. "I suppose 'vengeful spirits' would be a more accurate description for them. Most spirits only stick around for about a decade, maybe a bit longer. That's what some of the older ones told me, anyway. There were hundreds of spirits after the massacre in the beginning, and plenty after the Nine Tails' attack, too. But those who lingered from that time started fading away a few years back.

"There was one exception, though—Lord Sakumo. He held on for about eighteen years, staying until Kakashi-san finally left the ANBU for good. I sensed him fading around the time when I first met him, but… I've got this feeling he hasn't completely moved on yet. Besides him, I don't know of any others who've lasted that long, at least none that I've crossed paths with. Some spirits spend time in the spirit realm before moving on entirely. Not everyone is here all the time."

"I see." Tsunade looked a little upset and hurriedly left the room. Mito watched her go, understanding the quiet grief that had surfaced.

"Oh, right! There's that ancient ghost in the Uchiha clan—how could I forget about him?" Shisui smacked his forehead. "He never speaks to anyone, just lingers there. All the other spirits say he's been around since Konoha's founding."

"Uh… what does he look like?" Naruto asked, a little uneasy.

"Well, like an Uchiha, I guess. He's always hanging around the Uchiha stone tablet. But don't worry, it's not Madara—we all know what he looked like," Shisui replied, reassuringly.

Naruto exchanged a look with Minato, both of them arriving at the same thought: this mysterious ghost was probably Indra.

Minato's expression turned serious. "You mentioned you stayed close to Itachi. Can you tell me anything about his situation?"

Shisui's face darkened. "Itachi's a mess. He's mentally wrecked, clinging to the idea of Sasuke one day avenging the clan by killing him." Shisui's fists clenched, the injustice of it all evident in his eyes. "From what I can tell, that guy calling himself Madara has been threatening Itachi, using Sasuke as leverage. So… Itachi's basically forced to play along with whatever plan Madara's cooking up."

"Please tell us everything you know about this impostor Madara and the Akatsuki," Minato pressed, seizing the opportunity to gather intel from their unexpected spirit-turned-spy.

"Well, I don't know much about Akatsuki's inner workings, since they rarely gather all together," Shisui began. "Itachi and Kisame use some kind of astral projection to talk with the others, so they're rarely all in one place. As far as I know, the leader's a guy called Pein. Word is, he's incredibly powerful, and somehow he has the Rinnegan, just like you." Shisui glanced at Naruto, his eyes a bit wary of the Rinnegan's power. "But from what I've overheard between Itachi and 'Madara,' it sounds like this Madara is the one really calling the shots from the shadows. And get this—he's planning to have bounties put on Lady Mito and Naruto. He also mentioned having some control over the Fourth Mizukage. I think he's got the Mizukage under a genjutsu, maybe something similar to mine."

"That's… troubling," Minato replied, his face darkening. "That would mean at least one Jinchuuriki is likely under their control. Do you know who else is in Akatsuki?"

"I've seen a strange guy named Zetsu back when Itachi and Kisame were planning to ambush you. He's… well, not exactly human. One side of him is black, the other white, and he's got a split personality to top it off. He's their main spy, and he's close to Madara—almost like Madara's eyes and ears. He can travel underground and is quite fast. Besides him, I've heard the names of other members: Deidara from Iwa's explosion corps, Sasori of the Red Sand, someone named Kakuzu, a maniac named Hidan, Pein, and a woman who's always with Pein."

Minato's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "The Akatsuki's leader, Pein… that might be Nagato, one of Jiraiya-sensei's former students. He also had a female student named Konan, which could be the woman by Pein's side. If Yahiko is with them too, he may be involved behind the scenes." He paused, lost in thought. "Anything else?"

Shisui grimaced. "They're focused on gathering money for now, probably to fund their plans. They've told their members that they'll use the tailed beasts as weapons to control all war and profit from it. But that sounds like a cover to me—Madara might have a different goal entirely. If he's going by Uchiha ideals, he may be following the path set out by the Uchiha stone tablet. I'd heard that the real Madara spent a suspicious amount of time in front of that tablet before he left the village… he even showed it to the First Hokage."

"The Tailed Beasts might be the power source for this genjutsu the tablet mentions…" Minato mused, his frown deepening. "Naruto, Kurama might know something about this. But whether he'll be willing to talk is another story."

Naruto nodded. "I'll give it a shot. I'll go alone this time." Naruto said, remembering that Kurama wasn't particularly fond of his parents. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, Naruto was surprised to find himself not in the usual dark, narrow tunnel. Naruto now stood in a vast, barren expanse that stretched into a distant, hazy horizon. The ground beside him looked like an ancient, dry riverbed, cracked and etched with patterns of age, though a faint, glowing stream still wound its way through the stones. Peering closer, Naruto realized that the "water" was not water at all—it was chakra, trickling like an ancient lifeblood through the land.

As his eyes followed the flow of chakra upstream, he noticed an enormous, withered tree looming in the distance, its presence both ominous and awe-inspiring. The tree's bark was dried and rugged, and nine massive roots extended from its base, sprawling across the landscape like ancient, skeletal arms. Resting atop the largest root, he could make out the unmistakable silhouette of a fox.

Naruto took flight towards the tree. As he neared, he could see a gaping hollow in the tree's base, from which the chakra stream originated. Deciding to investigate it later, Naruto focused on the largest root where Kurama rested.

The fox was no longer confined within iron bars; instead, a glowing, spectral chain connected him to the tree's root. His eyes opened, sharp and gleaming, fixing on Naruto as he approached. A deep, quiet fury simmered there, but it was suppressed. Perhaps, out of respect for the sage's wishes.

"Seeking an easy answer, are we?" The fox looked at his captor, not bothering to hide resentment from his tone.

Naruto didn't flinch. "Look, the way I see it, neither of us wants to end up under the control of that fake Madara's genjutsu, right?"

"It hardly makes a difference." Kurama snorted, his tone dismissive. "Your chains are not more comfortable than his genjutsu."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, unfazed by the fox's bitterness. "Is it really?" He asked skeptically. "I'd rather be locked up than be used like a puppet."

Kurama's lips curled in a slight, mocking grin. "That's because you fear that you may be used to hurt others. Whereas I… relish it."

"No, you wouldn't," Naruto replied immediately, his voice firm. "You respected the Sage, and he wouldn't want that. He saw more in you."

The fox's gaze flickered, and for a moment, his expression softened, but only slightly. "My father was a great man," Kurama said, his voice quieter but edged with bitterness. "But he was naive. He trusted too easily in the goodness of humanity. And what did that earn him? Humans turned his gifts into tools for bloodshed."

"There were people who tried to honor his legacy," Naruto argued, thinking of Konoha's past. "The First Hokage, for one."

Kurama's eyes flashed with sudden anger. "Don't get me started on that fool," he growled, his tone low and dangerous. "He's the reason all of us are chained, enslaved. He sold us off to other villages one by one, thinking it would bring peace. But all it did was feed the flames of war."

Naruto winced, realizing he'd hit a nerve. "Maybe… maybe you could look at his intentions, not just what came after."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Kurama shook his head. "I, too, believe in peace, but on my terms. Ridding the world of shinobi would bring peace—and I would be the one to enforce it."

"But you'd be killing indiscriminately," Naruto said, his voice rising. "That's not peace—that's just… destruction."

Kurama's gaze didn't waver. "Your father was a pacifist. Hashirama was a pacifist. Itachi Uchiha and even Madara called themselves pacifists. Yet, each of them has killed more people than I have in ten centuries." His eyes bore into Naruto's, daring him to argue.

Naruto clenched his fists, struggling to find a counter. Kurama wasn't wrong—it was a brutal truth, one with no simple answer. Yet, he knew Kurama's path wasn't the right one either.

"I'm not saying I have all the answers," Naruto said, his voice calmer but resolute. "But I want to try, at least. I want to do better. So please… help me. I'm not asking for your power. Just tell me what I'm up against."

Kurama looked at Naruto for a long moment before coming to a decision. "I don't know as much as you think I do. But I can tell you one thing. This organization that's after the tailed beasts… there's a good chance the one among them with the Rinnegan has already summoned the Gedo Mazo from the moon."

"The what now?"

Kurama snorted. "The Gedo Mazo—the body of the Ten Tails. If they're gathering tailed beasts and plan to cast a genjutsu powerful enough to control everyone, it would require an almost infinite supply of chakra. A jutsu like that could only be cast by my father or someone nearly as powerful. Meaning, they need to revive the Ten Tails and become its Jinchuuriki. Most likely, they're sealing the chakra from the tailed beasts within the Gedo Mazo to bring the Ten Tails back."

Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. "Wait… how can they even summon it from the moon? Does that mean I could summon it too, since I have the Rinnegan?"

Kurama shook his head. "If they hadn't done it already, you might have had a chance. The summoning requires the Rinnegan, and whoever summoned it first would have bound themselves to the Gedo Mazo. You could try to summon it, but even if it fails, they'd instantly know from the statue's reaction that another Rinnegan user exists."

Naruto swallowed, understanding the risk. "Thanks for the warning," he said, sincerely.

"Consider it a gift," Kurama replied. "For not pestering me too much."

Naruto glanced around, then hesitated. "Uh… anything you know about this tree?" he asked, gesturing to the massive, ancient roots around them.

"Nope. No clue what this is."

"And the Ten Tails? What it was like? What are its strengths and weaknesses?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. "The Ten Tails… That being has been called many names throughout history. Ameno-Hitotsu-no-Kami, Datara, Deidarabotchi… ancient names spoken in hushed tones by those who feared its legend. I don't know how he compares to the Kami you've met—those are beings beyond my knowledge. But this… this one I know, for I've heard of him from my father."

"The Ten Tails is more than a monster. It's a living calamity—the source of all chakra and the rawest, most ancient force in existence. They say it drank oceans dry, split the earth, and raised mountains with just a shift of its body. There's no being more powerful, and as far as I know…" he looked Naruto in the eye, "...it has no weaknesses."

Naruto's throat went dry. "Then… how did the Sage of Six Paths even stop it?"

Kurama pondered the question for a moment. "I don't know the full story. My father told me it took everything the Sage had to seal the beast's chakra inside himself and trap its empty husk within the moon."

Naruto gulped, a cold fear settling in his chest. "So… this thing isn't just powerful. It's almost unstoppable."

A low rumble built in Kurama's chest, his voice barely above a growl. "It's beyond what you can imagine, brat. If those fools succeed in reviving it… there won't be a world left to save."

"Well," Naruto said shakily. "We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen. Easy peasy." He flashed Kurama a grin that he hoped was a confident one, and disappeared from the mindscape after thanking him.

When Naruto was finally gone, Kurama let out a low rumble as he settled down to resume his sleep. "Entertaining, but too naive for his own good," he muttered, his eyes drooping shut.

Naruto opened his eyes back in the real world, just in time to catch Shisui shoveling food into his mouth. Kushina's cooking had clearly made an impression on their unexpected guest.

"So…" Shisui managed between bites, "what does the fox say?"

"The Akatsuki might have the body of the Ten Tails, and they're probably planning to revive it by sealing all the tailed beasts inside. If they succeed, they could create a new Ten Tails Jinchuuriki to cast that insanely powerful genjutsu you mentioned."

Shisui gulped down his food, his face looking grim. "I figured it might be something like that, but I never imagined they're trying to make a jinchuuriki of the ten tails."

"This is beyond the scale of anything attempted in recent history." Minato said, pondering over the implications.

Naruto glanced at Minato, a hint of worry crossing his face. "By the way, Dad—the seal looks different now. Did you notice?"

Minato closed his eyes, focusing briefly, then opened them with a slight frown. "Yes… there's something ominous about that tree."

"Even Kurama doesn't know what it is," Naruto added, a hint of unease in his voice.

"Nine roots, for nine tailed beasts. One tree, representing chakra. The innumerable branches represent the chakra branching out to the world from the original source, that is the ten tails. As the ten tails is no longer present, there are nine roots to represent the tailed beasts." Minato said, trying to decode the metaphor. "The river shows the chakra flowing from the nine tails into your system, Naruto. That is part of the seal's design. The metaphor is far from complete, though, and I don't understand most of it."

"That's an awesome insight!" Kushina exclaimed. Minato grinned sheepishly.

Shisui listened closely, his gaze flicking between Naruto and Minato as they spoke. This tree sounded ominous, even if he hadn't seen it himself. "If this tree has suddenly popped up in Naruto's mind, it seems too much to be a coincidence. My money is on the Rinnegan being involved, somehow. It's pretty clear that's going to be crucial going forward, since the Akatsuki wants to resurrect the ten-tails." He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if reminding himself of his temporary existence. "So, what's the plan now? I'd like to help in any way I can. Now that I have a body, I don't feel the compelling need to return to the afterlife anymore. But that might change when this clone dispels, though."

"If that's the case, we welcome you to stay behind and help us deal with the Akatsuki." Minato smiled. "We've been working on some durability and chakra storage seals to make our clones more useful. We will do the same for you, Shisui."

"And Lady Mito's been researching ways to improve the Uzumaki clan's Heaven's Seal of Absorption. With her adjustments, it could allow us to draw in small, controlled amounts of natural chakra to keep our reserves up. As we lack a chakra system, that will come in handy. But she's still having trouble with it, though. That snake Orochimaru's cursed seal is a bastardized version of it." Kushina said, trailing off distastefully at the end.

"In the meantime, I will protect your body with a durability seal." MMinato stepped forward, flipping through a series of hand signs before pressing his palm against Shisui's chest. The seal spread out in intricate, glowing lines. Shisui watched the seal spread in fascination.

"Looks like it's working perfectly," Shisui said, testing it by lightly grazing his arm with a kunai. The blade skidded harmlessly over the surface, leaving no mark. He chuckled, impressed. "A reinforcement seal. Now that's something."

"Keep in mind, the protection depends on your chakra reserves. It'll only last as long as you have the chakra to sustain it." Minato cautioned.

Shisui nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "That's fine by me. I don't usually plan on getting hit anyway." He gave Minato a playful grin. "Quick on my feet, remember?"

Minato's eyes twinkled with a hint of challenge. "We'll need to put that to the test sometime. I never did get the chance to see just how fast you really are."

"I hope I don't disappoint." Shisui grinned, accepting the challenge.

Kushina turned to Naruto, her eyes bright with anticipation. "So, Naruto…" she began, "ready to see what that improved Rinnegan can really do?'

"Hell yes I do!" Naruto cheered.

Once again, the Uzumaki-Senju family plus Shisui gathered in the Senju training grounds. Naruto stood in the center, while the others stood in a loose semicircle around him.

"Okay, here goes." Naruto focussed on his ocular chakra and tried to identify the different streams emanating from it. Vaguely, he could sense the six paths spoken of in the Senju records, now that it has been pointed out to him and his Rinnegan had strengthened with the influx of the remaining mangekyou's chakra.

"I think I'll try the Asura path first? Physical abilities, was it?" Naruto pulled on the stream of chakra that felt the most yang-heavy, and thought of what kind of augmentation might be possible with it. He was immediately reminded of Tsunade's signature super strength.

Naruto directed the distinct stream of chakra towards his right fist and willing it to strengthen. 'This will either be awesome or it'll hurt like a bitch.' "Hiiiyyyaah!" Naruto exclaimed, swinging down with all his might.

The moment his fist connected with the ground, a shockwave erupted outward, hurling dust and chunks of earth in every direction. The earth trembled beneath him, leaving a crater several feet deep where his fist had struck.

"Holy shit!" Shisui cursed as he zipped backwards, avoiding the raining projectiles. Minato simply teleported out of range with Kushina in tow. Tsunade jumped back, her face slightly impressed as she viewed the resultant crater. Mito pulled herself back using a chain, amused and nostalgic at the same time. She was reminded of the time little Tsuna had first demonstrated her strength jutsu.

"OUCH!" Naruto cradled his shoulder as the recoil reverberated through his arm. "That hurts like hell!"

"Don't be such a wuss," Tsunade snorted, walking over to him and giving his shoulder a light slap.

"Eeeow!" Naruto yelped, louder this time. "That hurt more than the dislocation!"

"Good. Maybe next time, you'll use your brain before trying something that reckless. I expected better from you," she said, raising an eyebrow. "As an almost-medic, you should've known this would happen."

"I reinforced my arm but forgot about the shoulder," Naruto admitted, stifling a sniffle. He glanced back at the crater, a smirk creeping onto his face. "But it was awesome, right?"

Tsunade looked at the crater, then shrugged. "Almost as big as the ones I could make when I was half your age. Congrats—you hit as hard as a six-year-old girl."

"A six year old monster." Naruto muttered as he rubbed his shoulder to ease the pain.

Tsunade just laughed, her amusement ringing through the training grounds as she walked back to her spot.

"Be more careful next time, Naruto." Kushina said worriedly. "Don't be so reckless! But that was awesome!"

"Try increasing your running speed," Minato suggested. "And don't forget to boost your reflexes, too."

"Okay." Naruto took a deep breath, healing chakra disappearing from his hand as he healed some of the residual muscle injury. He was glad he could do at least that much now, since Tsunade seemed to relish his misfortune.

Channeling the Asura Path's chakra down to his legs and along his spinal cord, Naruto said a silent prayer and broke into a sprint.

"Whoa!" The speed caught him by surprise, nearly doubling his usual pace. He wove through the dense canopy with ease, ducking branches and leaping over tangled roots without breaking stride. An exhilarated laugh burst from him as he pushed a bit faster, only to notice that his reflexes were starting to lag behind. Deciding not to risk it and make a fool of himself, Naruto reduced his speed and circled back to his starting point. He'd need to work more to further control this power and improve his speed.

"Try testing your regeneration next," Tsunade said, a mischievous glint in her eyes that was just shy of sadistic.

"That might not be the best idea," Kushina interjected, her voice a little worried.

Minato gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Better to find out now than in the middle of a battle."

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Naruto said, slashing a kunai into his right palm without hesitation.

"By the sage, the kid doesn't hesitate!" Shisui said, gaping at the blood gushing from Naruto's palm. Tsunade froze at the sight, suddenly realizing that this may not have been a good idea.

Naruto noticed Tsunade's reaction, but didn't want to rub it in her face as he knew what she had been through. Instead, he focussed on the Asura path's chakra and redirected it towards his hand, his will conveying the intent to heal the wound as fast as possible. His eyes widened when he realized that the wound was closing, and it was closing fast. His healing was already quite fast thanks to the Nine Tails, but this level of healing was even beyond that.

"T-that's incredible!" Tsunade's jaw dropped as she watched the wound disappear. The speed was beyond anything she'd seen outside of mitotic regeneration. "How much chakra did that consume?"

"Feels about the same as using medical ninjutsu to heal this," Naruto replied, flexing his now-healed fingers.

"That's completely overpowered!" Tsunade said, half protesting and half amazed. Naruto shot her a cheeky grin in response.

"Enhance your eyesight with it," Shisui suggested, intrigue sparking in his eyes.

Seeing the potential, Naruto directed the chakra flow to his Rinnegan, focusing on the lens and retina. His vision shifted abruptly, and he staggered at the sudden change.

He now had an expanded field of view, almost two hundred and seventy degrees, using both eyes. When he narrowed his focus on an object, it came into razor-sharp detail, but he could instantly switch to a wider perspective as needed. Naruto mentally filed away a note to test the enhancement of his other senses later.

"It worked," he said, breaking into a wide grin. "My field of view is way broader now, though it's probably not on par with a Byakugan."

"Let's test the animal path next," Minato suggested.

"Okay." Naruto nodded. He tugged on one of the strings of chakra he could most associate with the purported abilities of the animal path, and slammed his palm onto the ground with an intent to summon something. A bird, perhaps? Flying summons were rare.

A cloud of smoke signified that something had indeed happened. As it dissipated, everyone's eyes widened at the creature now standing before them. It was a colossal bird, its jagged yellow beak gleaming ominously, and it had an unusual trio of wings and legs. Naruto stumbled back, craning his neck to take in the massive summon.

For a moment, no one spoke. Naruto stared at the bird, who gazed right back with dead eyes. Naruto noted that the bird's beak looked quite powerful, and it looked like it could fly quite fast.

"Wicked," Naruto breathed. He cleared his throat. "Uh… hi?"

The bird cocked its head, as if surveying the minuscule creature before it. Naruto had the distinct impression that intelligence wasn't this summon's strong suit.

"Can you understand me?" he asked cautiously.

After a long pause, the bird gave a single, deliberate nod.

"Will you do what I say?"

Another slow nod followed, almost robotic in its response.

Naruto grinned, turning to the onlookers. "I think that counts as a success, right?"

"You can say that again," Kushina muttered, unable to tear her eyes from the massive creature.

"No kidding," Tsunade added, her gaze sweeping over the bird's wingspan. "It's even bigger than Bunta."

Directing his gaze back at the unholy beast, Naruto's mind raced with the idea of taking flight on the giant bird's back. The sheer thrill of soaring over Konoha was tempting, but he quickly dismissed it; such a spectacle would draw every shinobi's attention like a flare in the night sky. He sighed, pushing the thought away.

"It takes a lot of chakra to summon," Naruto noted, a hint of fatigue slipping into his voice. He could feel the drain in his reserves, a large chunk of energy siphoned off when the bird appeared. In the regular summoning jutsu, it was him who decided how much chakra would be sacrificed. However, he didn't seem to have that kind of control yet over the animal path's abilities.

Deciding to continue his exploration of the Rinnegan and leave the specifics for later, Naruto withdrew his chakra and dismissed the bird. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got a good chunk of his chakra back. It was similar to summoning a shadow clone—A good chunk of the chakra would rejoin him, minus some loss depending on the distance it traveled and the chakra already consumed by the clone.

"Well, that was something," Shisui said, a grin spreading across his face. "What's next?"

"Now for the Preta path." Naruto decided, tugging on the yin heavy branch of his ocular chakra.

"Wait!" Tsunade said suddenly. "The Ghost transformation is a dangerous technique, and this ability seems to have characteristics similar to that. Let me find Dan's old records on it before you try anything. Attempting it without understanding could be disastrous."

"Okay." Naruto nodded, a little nervous about what might have happened if he got the technique wrong. "Next up, Naraka path." Naruto tugged on the remaining unidentified path and slammed his hands on the ground once again, nervously wondering what the king of hell would look like.

A ring of purple flames erupted before him, forming a towering circle that seemed to warp the air with its heat. The first thing to breach the veil was a massive black crown with three prongs, each jagged and imposing. Set beneath it were thick white eyebrows locked into an eternal scowl. Eyes bearing the unmistakable ripple pattern of the Rinnegan opened, followed by a broad, flat nose. Its mouth gaped, revealing rows of sharp, fang-like teeth and a tongue that shimmered an unnatural purple.

"Right. Seeyouguyslater. Bye!" Shisui was a blur as he bolted out of sight, his retreat swift as soon as he caught sight of the monstrosity that had emerged. Minato, Kushina, and even Mito were visibly shaken, while Tsunade's eyes stayed fixed on the creature, her fear palpable.

Naruto blinked, taken aback by the reactions of the legendary shinobi. He didn't feel threatened by it in the least, however it seemed like it exuded an aura of fear for others -especially those that were staying behind after their death. "I don't think it's actually the King of Hell. It doesn't feel like a kami," he said, tapping the construct's head for emphasis. "It's more like a chakra construct—a physical representation of the Naraka Path."

"Well, that is a relief." Mito said, a touch of humor coloring her tone. "For a moment, it seemed as if it had come to forcibly drag me to the afterlife."

"It certainly feels ominous." Tsunade agreed, eyeing the being warily. Privately, she wondered how far Naruto was from being an actual god, given what she had witnessed so far.

"So… um. We need a volunteer to test its healing abilities." Naruto said awkwardly. "I can test it on myself, but I would still have Kurama's healing even if I cut off the Rinnegan assisted healing…" He trailed off.

"Well, we really only have one choice." Mito said, her eyes lingering on Tsunade. "Only one other person actually possesses a physical body that can take damage or does not recover on its own."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Tsunade grumbled but stepped forward, taking out a scalpel infused with glowing blue chakra. With practiced precision, she made a clean cut across her left hand, severing it neatly.

Tsunade threw the detached hand to Kushina, whose face was turning pale. "Hold this for me," Tsunade said, almost nonchalantly.

"Eek!" Kushina shrieked, eyes wide as she caught the detached hand before it hit the ground and watched the medical ninja with wide eyes. Looking supremely unconcerned, Tsunade walked back to stand in front of the king of hell. Naruto noted that she avoided looking at the gushing blood directly.

"This had better work, brat. What now?"

"Let's see." Naruto willed the entity beside him to heal Tsunade. The King of Hell's large purple tongue shot out, grabbing Tsunade with surprising speed. She stiffened momentarily but allowed herself to be drawn into its gaping maw.

Naruto watched anxiously as the King of Hell closed its mouth for a moment before opening it again. Tsunade walked out, stretching and inspecting the newly healed hand. Naruto then dismissed the summon, much to the onlookers' relief.

"That was disgusting." She declared. "Effective, but disgusting." She nodded towards Kushina. "Looks like I won't be needing that anymore."

Kushina held the detached hand at arm's length, her face twisted with mild disgust. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Just burn it or something." Tsunade said with a shrug.

"I'll take care of it," Naruto said, taking the hand from a grateful Kushina. A quick fire-style Rasengan disintegrated it to ash.

"I suppose that concludes the demonstration." Minato exhaled, the tension easing. "I don't want to test the devastation ability of the Deva path anywhere near Konoha, so we will go somewhere else for that later, Naruto."

"There's a lot to unpack and think over." Kushina agreed.

"Great. I'm exhausted," Naruto admitted, slumping slightly. "And for the first time in a while, I'm nearly out of chakra." His eyes suddenly widened as an idea struck him. "Wait—do you think this thing could heal Lee?"

Tsunade's brows arched as she considered the possibility. "It's likely. If it works, you'll put my medical skills to shame. But it's worth trying. We'd need to keep him unconscious during the procedure to protect your secret. And also make sure that Lee doesn't wake up due to the healing even though he's sedated beforehand. We'll need more tests before we go that far."

Naruto's grin spread, the exhaustion momentarily forgotten. The thought of helping Lee made every moment of training worth it.