RADG: Chapter 108/109

Chapter 108: Takamagahara and the Temple of the Gods

Yami appeared in a blood-colored space.

The moon in the sky hung very close to the ground. It was a blood moon, suspended high above, and the surface of the moon had the same pattern as Yami's Mangekyō.

The space itself wasn't very large, with a radius of only about 20 kilometers—nowhere near the size of the Forest of Death.

Yami walked forward. The terrain was rugged, closely resembling the Gobi Desert environment in the Land of Earth, with strange boulders scattered along the path.

At the center of this blood-colored world stood a mountain over a thousand meters tall.

There was a palace built halfway up the mountain."The plaque above the palace gate bore the engraved characters: "Tsukuyomi Myō."

This was the manifestation of his eye technique.

The technique was called Takamagahara, the legendary dwelling place of the gods in this world.

Mangekyō was known as the eye of the soul. The awakened eye technique often reflected the user's innermost desires and emotional state when the eyes were first opened.

Uchiha Shisui wished to change the village and clan's current state, so he awakened Kotoamatsukami, which could alter a person's will. Uchiha Obito, having witnessed the death of Nohara Rin, developed a strong desire to escape reality and awakened Kamui.

Uchiha Itachi nominally inherited Shisui's will but couldn't accept the clan's corruption, thus he obtained the black flames of Amaterasu that burned all sins and Tsukuyomi, which placed his dream within illusions.

As for Yami, his mindset was completely different from the others.

With an external plugin like the [Shinobi Bond System], he understood that he was destined to become the most unpredictable existence in the world.

Moreover, he was an "outsider." Even though he had lived here for over ten years, he still felt a faint detachment from this world.

That made him constantly look down on the people of this world from a higher perspective.

So it wasn't surprising that he awakened a high-dimensional world like Takamagahara.

The pupil techniques of both eyes were called Takamagahara.

The left eye's effect was similar to Kamui. It could hollow his body and allow him to enter his own personal dimension, isolating him from all attacks.

The activation speed was near-instantaneous, but against opponents with the speed of Six Paths Madara, some preparation was still required.

Unlike Kamui, not only could he enter Takamagahara himself, he could also summon a projection of Takamagahara into the ninja world, creating a domain—Domain 01.

Within the domain, he could enhance his strength, speed, and even improve the effects of ninjutsu. It also restricted the enemy's abilities by 2 percent.

The difference between enhancement and suppression was very noticeable.

The only drawback was that the domain was centered on himself and the range was quite small, only about 20 meters.

It was unknown whether the range could expand as he gained familiarity with the eye technique and his pupil power grew.

As for the right eye technique, since Takamagahara was the dwelling of the gods, it was capable of containing divine powers. For Yami, this eye was essentially a copying technique.

Whether it was Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Kotoamatsukami—as long as he witnessed them being used, he could copy and manifest them within the Takamagahara, turning them into his own techniques.

He had already obtained Tsukuyomi from Uchiha Itachi, and could use it freely now.

The power depended solely on his pupil strength, not the original user's power.

One eye technique served as a life-saving buff, while the other was a more comprehensive ability. As long as he copied enough techniques, he would essentially wield all Mangekyō abilities, vastly enriching his means of attack.

This was undoubtedly the most unresolvable Mangekyō Sharingan ability.

Unfortunately…

After enjoying the moment for a bit, Yami sighed.

A massive amount of chakra surged from his body, rapidly forming bones and muscles. In the blink of an eye, a sky-blue giant stood in place like a demon.

In Susanoo's initial form, rib bones and a skeletal arm would form around the user, just a basic application.

In the first stage, the skeleton became complete, forming the upper body, enhancing both defense and attack.

In the second stage, flesh and armor formed, and Susanoo gained long-range attack options besides just punches, such as Yasaka Magatama or the Maga Ancient Bow.

In the third stage, the armor evolved into Crow Tengu Armor, enhancing both defense and attack even further. At this stage, Yami's exclusive weapons were the Kusanagi Sword and the Imperial Coin Spear.

The so-called imperial coin referred to the ceremonial coin thread used in shrine rituals, and the spearhead was spiral-shaped.

Both were offensive weapons that ignored defense completely.

In the fourth stage, Susanoo could finally stand upright, but the Crow Tengu Armor disappeared. It resembled the second form but achieved a balance between speed and strength, although lacking the same overwhelming offensive and defensive power.

This was already a level beyond what an ordinary Mangekyō could reach.

As for the fifth stage, that was true godlike power, the complete Susanoo in its God of War form, capable of altering landscapes with a single swing, to the point where ordinary people couldn't even fathom resisting.

That was absolute power. Only those at the same level could stand against it.

Yami's current limit was stage four. If he wanted to unlock the final God of War form, he still needed more experience with his eyes.

Even though he had already awakened the Eternal Mangekyō, the eye pattern had changed to a straight bar.

The so-called straight bar pattern was the characteristic of the Eternal Mangekyō—composed of two patterns merged, without the usual comma shapes.

But his pupil power hadn't yet been trained to the limit and was still gradually growing, nourished by blood and the body.

It was like a wooden barrel suddenly becoming a hundred meters tall, but the water inside was only ten meters deep. He needed to keep adding more water until it was full.

"Take it slow. It doesn't matter how long it takes."

After a walk around Takamagahara, Yami returned to his room and soon fell asleep.

The news of the Uchiha massacre couldn't be hidden for long. Soon after the top brass reached a consensus, the news spread.

All the jōnin-level shinobi in the village excluding Yami were summoned to the Hokage building.

Hiruzen announced that Uchiha Itachi was now classified as a Konoha S-rank missing-nin, placing all blame on him.

As for the masked man, Hiruzen didn't share any information with the others.

For no other reason than this man's ability to control the Nine Tails. His existence was classified as top secret.

The reactions were mixed. Hyūga Hiashi, sitting in the front row, lowered his head with a horrified expression.

He remembered his previous conversation with Yami.

Hiashi had thought the village would simply increase pressure on the Uchiha, not wipe them out completely…

No, it was better to say Uchiha Itachi was too ruthless. Hiashi believed the village certainly had a disgraceful role in the events of that night, but without Itachi's involvement, things wouldn't have gone so quietly.

Originally, Hiruzen's plan was to push Danzō, Root, and Yami into the spotlight to draw attention away from the rest, and then pacify the other clans by disbanding Root so they wouldn't overthink things.

But now he could no longer afford to do that.

With Dust Release, Scorch Release, Flying Thunder God, and vast chakra reserves from Senju blood, Yami's deterrent force was at its peak and Konoha was at its weakest point in history.

Just as Yami had warned: If he defected today, other villages would swarm into the Land of Fire like wild dogs, biting off chunks of its flesh.

So Hiruzen could only lay the leftover "cake" from the Uchiha clan's destruction on the table and divide it among the other clans.

After redistributing the benefits, at least on the surface, none of the clans raised objections about the Uchiha massacre. They were all too busy enjoying their new assets.

Hiruzen also took over the Police Force's intelligence and assigned some members from the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. The rest of the vacancies were filled with his own people.

Although the Police Force was a hot potato, it still held considerable power. As long as he didn't hoard it all, the Hokage would win no matter what.

But Hiruzen couldn't truly relax.

He had no card to restrain Yami, and no matter how many resources he controlled, he still felt uneasy.

He needed someone capable of checking Yami's power.

After resting in the village for a day, Yami accepted a border patrol mission the next morning and left the village, heading to the base where Uchiha Shisui was stationed.

Taking care of dozens of unconscious people was no easy task. When Yami arrived, Shisui was pouring nutrient fluid into each person's mouth one by one.

Yami waved a hand. "No need. Wake them all up."

Then he tossed over a small vial.

"This is… I can't even tell which elder it belonged to. Anyway, it's a pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan. Replace yours with these."

Without hesitation, Shisui dug out his eyes and installed the new ones.

Yami reached out and performed Healing Jutsu to aid recovery. The eyes soon adapted perfectly.

Perhaps because of his Uchiha bloodline, the eyes were different from Kakashi's—they could open and close at will, as if they had always belonged to him. "Can you still activate Mangekyō?" Yami asked.

Shisui tried but shook his head with a hint of regret. "Not right now. Three Tomoe is my limit."

Then he smiled, eyes full of hope. "But who knows? Maybe if I get stimulated again… like killing Itachi myself, I might succeed in awakening it."

Yami's expression twitched.

Ever since that night, Shisui had become a completely different person.

The more he had loved Itachi before, the more he now wanted to kill him.

This wasn't a hint anymore—it was a clear, unrestrained declaration.

"We'll talk later. Wake them up. We're leaving soon."

Shisui nodded and formed seals. Before long, the unconscious people began to wake up.

Still dazed, they slowly regained clarity. But the horror of that night still lingered, and they kept repeating one name.

"Uchiha Itachi!"

The hatred in their voices sent chills down the spine. Many had tears of blood in their eyes.

Shisui clenched his fists. The grief in his chest surged again, but he still stepped forward to let them understand their current situation.

Ten minutes later, everyone had quieted down and now turned to look at Yami, who sat casually at a table.

He was shaking his legs, completely relaxed, as if he couldn't empathize with them at all.

But that was normal. Empathy was the biggest lie in the world. Unless you experienced something yourself, you'd never truly understand someone else's feelings.

"As expected of the Uchiha. Able to calm down and listen to me in such a short time."

Yami swept his eyes across the 40-plus survivors, staring into their eyes.

"Everything Shisui told you just now is true. But I want to add one more thing."

"The original plan of the Uchiha high command was rebellion. Itachi was the one who slaughtered the clan under my grandfather Danzō's persuasion."

Shisui's expression changed. He had deliberately skipped this part to avoid the survivors resenting Yami and throwing their lives away in vain.

Why did Yami bring it up?

Ignoring the change in atmosphere, Yami continued as if nothing had happened. "At the time, the old man gave him two choices."

"One, pretend to know nothing, join the rebellion, and fight to the end. Winner takes all."

"Two, cooperate with a mysterious figure, also a Uchiha who calls himself Uchiha Madara and kill everyone. That way, the clan's reputation wouldn't be tarnished. More importantly… his little brother Uchiha Sasuke could live peacefully in the village."

"So in essence, Uchiha Itachi traded your lives for a deal with the village."

The clan members' hatred for Itachi deepened.

His brother's life mattered, but theirs didn't?

"I'm telling you this so you can understand the cause and effect."

"You're a group of abandoned people."

"Whether it was Konoha's high command, or Itachi, or Fugaku, none of them ever considered you."

Yami jumped down from the table and patted the head of a crying child.

"Don't cry. Want revenge?"

"Yes!"

The boy, just eight or nine years old, had already awakened the Sharingan. The hatred in his voice could freeze the air.

"Follow me. You'll get your chance. But the enemy can only be Uchiha Itachi."

"As for Konoha, the sins of the top brass were planted during the First Hokage's era and expanded by the Second. Even if you want revenge, you won't get the chance."

"I promise you, once Uchiha Itachi is dead, you'll be able to walk the ninja world proudly and restore the clan's name. But in exchange…"

"From now on, you and your descendants will serve under me."

"Anyone who agrees, stand up now."

As soon as he finished, the oldest woman among the survivors slowly rose.

"Lord Yami, I've lived long enough. It wouldn't have mattered if I'd died that night."

"But since I survived, please let me see Itachi's death with my own eyes. Otherwise… I'll die full of regret!"

"Grandma Sumi…"

Shisui's tears finally fell.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 109: Kisame’s Choice

All 42 surviving Uchiha stood up, silently expressing their resolve.

The children didn't fully understand, but they knew the murderer was Uchiha Itachi. The adults, however, understood the broader picture and acknowledged that Yami was right.

The story was a tangled one, rooted too far in the past, and beyond their control.

But the only clear executioner and beneficiary was Uchiha Itachi.

Killing him would at least bring comfort to the souls of their fallen clansmen and families in the afterlife.

Yami looked around.

Not bad. No one was pretending—not for now, at least.

Whether anyone would betray in the future would need to be observed carefully.

He placed Flying Thunder God marks on all of them. It was both a means of teleportation and a tracking method. If any of them betrayed him, no matter how far they ran, there would be no escape.

Yami formed a hand seal, summoned multiple Shadow Clones, surrounded the group, and activated the Flying Thunder God formation.

After executing the jutsu three consecutive times, the group traveled from the northwest of Konoha to a coastal port in the southeast.

Uchiha Shisui couldn't help but marvel. "Yami, your Flying Thunder God Technique is getting more and more refined."

To teleport this many people across such long distances required not just massive chakra reserves, but deep understanding of the technique.

Yami didn't pay the compliment any mind. "Don't butter me up. I know exactly how strong I am."

Shisui's mouth twitched.

"Let's go. The boat's ready."

"Where are we headed?" Shisui asked curiously. He still didn't know what Yami's long-term plan was.

"Land of Snow."

While Yami was leading the group to his rear base, far away in the Land of Water, Yakushi Kabuto was faithfully carrying out the tasks he had been assigned by Yami.

Hoshigaki Kisame, a member of Kirigakure's Anbu, was born in the infamous Blood Mist Village. Every ninja who graduated from Kirigakure had blood on their hands.

Kisame was extremely gifted. Not only did he possess a massive chakra pool, but he was also highly proficient in Water Release, swordsmanship, and taijutsu.

This attracted the attention of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Fuguki Suikazan, and Kisame was soon brought into the village's special assassination unit.

After several missions, Kisame, who once thought he could start anew, realized this place was no different from the academy.

In the academy, one had to kill their classmates to graduate.

After becoming a ninja, most missions involved killing their own comrades. To protect village secrets, he had to eliminate fellow shinobi who either betrayed or were at risk of being captured.

Over time, Kisame's heart grew numb and conflicted.

Was this the inescapable fate of all shinobi?

After finishing another mission, Kisame returned home. He paused when he noticed an extra scroll on the table. He picked it up, read it, then summoned a shark and fed it the scroll without emotion.

This type of scroll had been appearing for months.

At first, it was filled with empty flattery and attempted persuasion. Kisame dismissed it as a clumsy recruitment attempt from another village.

But gradually, the scrolls discussed the value and meaning of being a ninja. Many of the words resonated deeply with him.

Even so, he never acted on them.

This time, however, the scroll openly invited him to serve a mysterious master and escape his inner confusion.

So the real purpose had finally been revealed.

Kisame sneered and cast the scroll aside.

The next day, Kisame received a mission from Fuguki Suikazan. He was to carry out a covert information exchange with Kumo.

Konoha's shinobi were watching, so the operation had to be conducted with utmost secrecy.

Kisame was assigned as both the supervisor and the executor.

Even though he had laid traps and erased all traces, things still didn't go as planned.

Konoha's Morino Ibiki had anticipated their retreat route and successfully ambushed them.

During the escape, Kisame found himself on a cliff's edge. In order to protect the mission, he once again raised his blade against his own team, stabbing each comrade without hesitation. He halted in front of the last one.

A female ninja, unlike most in the Land of Water, who had been cheerful and had once promised to treat him to a meal after the mission.

Knowing what was coming, she didn't resist. She simply looked down at the blade in her chest.

Her final words struck Kisame like thunder.

"Your life must be so hard…"

Kisame completed the mission and returned to the village. He was rewarded.

Another familiar scroll appeared.

This time, after reading it, he didn't throw it away.

Soon after, Kirigakure's direct Anbu told him that Fuguki Suikazan had committed treason and passed information to an enemy nation. Kisame was ordered to eliminate his superior.

He found it laughable.

Fuguki had always ordered him to kill their own comrades for the village's sake, yet now he himself had betrayed the village?

What a joke this world was.

Everyone was a hypocrite. Himself included.

So Kisame carried out the mission without hesitation. He killed Fuguki Suikazan and took possession of Samehada.

As he prepared to leave, someone unexpected appeared in the corridor.

"Good work, Kisame."

Though the man looked like a young boy, Kisame didn't dare take him lightly.

This was Kirigakure's Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. Despite his youthful appearance, he was elderly and had grandchildren.

He was powerful and a perfect jinchūriki of the Three Tails, able to control the tailed beast completely.

"From now on, you're my subordinate."

Kisame bared his shark-like teeth in a grin. "Until the day you dispose of me, Fourth Mizukage."

"I know the kind of person you are. You've carried out countless dirty missions for the village."

"But only someone like you understands how fake this world truly is."

Again, it hit home...

Kisame lowered his head. His face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

"Let me release you from the false pain."

A masked man with long hair emerged from behind the Mizukage. Kisame instinctively gripped Samehada.

"Who are you?"

"I am Uchiha Madara. From now on, you'll fight by my side."

As the voice fell, Sharingan light flashed in both the masked man's and Yagura's eyes.

"I knew it... this world really is fake."

Kisame slowly lowered his arms, surrendering to the illusion.

Back in his room, he didn't see another scroll this time—but a white-haired boy wearing glasses.

"So you were the spy all along… Kabuto."

He recognized the young man as Yakushi Kabuto, an inconspicuous medical-nin in the village.

Because he kept a low profile and knew medical ninjutsu, nobody bothered him. Even Mist shinobi needed doctors.

"I've been waiting a long time," Kabuto greeted respectfully.

Samehada swung down with a roar of wind, landing on Kabuto's shoulder in an instant. Kisame could have taken off his head with ease.

Yet Kabuto's expression remained unchanged.

"Please calm down. This is just a clone. Destroying me won't harm my original body. I think you'll want to hear the news I bring."

Kisame scoffed and lowered Samehada.

"Which village are you from?"

"I'm from Konoha."

Kabuto replied humbly, "But I'm only here on behalf of my master. What I do has nothing to do with Konoha. The information I sent earlier was a show of sincerity. You must have confirmed its accuracy."

"You won't even tell me your master's name. Is that what you call sincerity?"

"You'll naturally find out once you join us. I don't dare reveal that information without permission."

"Hmph."

Kisame scoffed again.

Everything that had happened so far had already been predicted in the previous scrolls—the Mizukage being controlled, the appearance and recruitment by the masked man…

"This is from my master." Kabuto respectfully offered a scroll.

Kisame took it and opened it. His shark-like eyes narrowed after reading the contents.

[In this cruel ninja world, the important thing isn't survival—it's understanding why we live.]

[Follow me, and you will see the real world, where you will never again need to raise your blade against your comrades.]

After a long silence, Kisame crushed the scroll.

A world where you never stab your comrades…

Perhaps these words wouldn't mean much to others, wouldn't even move them.

But to Kisame, they struck a deep chord.

Because that was exactly what he longed for.

To be a proper ninja, to fight with his comrades for a true purpose. To wield his blade and ninjutsu only against enemies, even if it cost him his life.

But even such a simple wish was unattainable in Kirigakure.

Someone he had never met, yet who understood him completely.

Kisame grew more and more interested in this "master" Kabuto spoke of.

"Kabuto, let me ask you a few things."

Kisame suddenly asked, "This master of yours, he's from Konoha, right?"

Kabuto hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

Kisame grinned. "But judging from how you speak, he doesn't seem very loyal to Konoha. How can someone like that deserve my loyalty?"

"Because he has a higher ideal." Kabuto's eyes burned with conviction.

"The village and the clan are both outdated constructs. One day, my master will change the entire world."

"What about you?" Kisame found this more and more amusing. "Why do you serve him?"

"A twelve-year-old child went deep into enemy territory as a spy. What did he promise you that made you so loyal?"

"It wasn't a promise."

Kabuto shook his head solemnly. "He gave me meaning. He gave me a chance to use my power to protect those I care about. I think you know how precious that is."

Kisame stared at him, stunned.

He saw the similarities between them… and also their differences.

There was light in Kabuto's eyes.

At that moment, Kisame finally made his decision.

Since this person already knows so much… I'll see for myself what this "truth" and "ideal" really are.

"Tell me, Kabuto, what does your master want me to do?"

---

Land of Snow

After seven days at sea, Yami and the last surviving Uchiha finally arrived in the Land of Snow.

Before disembarking, he used the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique to modify the memories of all the sailors to avoid future complications.

Not because he was worried about people finding out and causing trouble.

He just wanted to reveal them at a more… interesting time. That would be far more entertaining.

They boarded a train to Kazahana City and soon arrived at the capital.

After several years of recovery, the destruction caused by Dotō Kazahana's rebellion had been completely repaired. The sun and moon now shone peacefully.

Upon arriving at the palace, Yami encountered Asama, who had just stepped out.

Seeing Yami appear so suddenly, Asama was stunned, then overjoyed. "Yami, what brings you here?"

In recent years, Yami had only come to the Land of Snow twice. This was the first time in a long while.

"I need to speak with Lord Sōsetsu."

"He's in the palace. Come, I'll take you to him."

Asama led Yami in. They soon met Sōsetsu Kazahana without issue.

He was surprised by Yami's sudden visit. After a brief greeting, Yami got straight to the point.

The surviving Uchiha were settled in the ruins of Snow Village. After training, they would also take on missions for the Land of Snow.

Sōsetsu agreed without hesitation.

After the destruction at Kumo, he had already formed a cooperative relationship with Yami. A Root team had been stationed in the Land of Snow, rotating annually. A few more people wouldn't make a difference.

As for so-called national sovereignty, that was beside the point. Yami didn't care about this small border country, and even if he did, they had no power to resist.

An entire Snow ninja village had been wiped out. What could a bunch of palace guards do?

With the right mindset, Sōsetsu had already let go of such concerns.

All he wanted now was to develop the economy, improve the lives of her people, and watch his beloved daughter grow up. Nothing else mattered.

As they discussed daily supply logistics, a figure suddenly burst into the palace.

Koyuki ran toward Yami with sparkling eyes and dove into his arms.

"Yami-sama!"

Crash.

Sōsetsu's smile froze.

He didn't care about national sovereignty…

But that was his only daughter!

(To be continued.)