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Uchiha Kiyo escaped from the illusion in an instant.
Even Uchiha Madara was surprised.
He could sense what was happening within the illusion and had set the conditions for its release.
For Uchiha Kiyo to break free so quickly meant he had fully accepted the illusion's premise and fulfilled its conditions with an almost unnatural decisiveness.
This indicated that the other party was genuinely sincere about the transaction.
Though Madara was surprised by such sincerity, it also reassured him.
Perhaps it was due to his own overwhelming presence and charisma?
Well, it didn't really matter. This guy would act when the time came.
After a moment of silence, Black Zetsu finally processed what had just happened.
"Wait… Izanami can be used like this?"
A mere Three Tomoe Sharingan was the price for such an outcome.
"That's actually insane!"
Uchiha Kiyo was also surprised at Madara's decisiveness. After all, a fully matured Sharingan wasn't something to be given away so easily.
This could only mean one thing—there were a lot of spare Sharingan here.
Had Madara gathered the Uchiha Clan's resources over the years?
"Uh… Senior, since there are so many Three Tomoe Sharingan here… can I add another pair to the deal?"
Uchiha Kiyo asked tentatively.
Uchiha Madara: …
Ignoring Kiyo's shameless request, Madara simply turned to Black Zetsu.
Understanding his intent, Black Zetsu silently pulled out a test tube filled with nutrient solution. Inside was a fully preserved pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan.
At the same time, he also brought out the other items Uchiha Kiyo had requested: a scroll containing Uchiha Clan techniques and a document.
The scroll was a space-sealed archive containing all the Uchiha Clan's known ninjutsu at the time of Madara's defection.
"Finally!"
Izanagi and Izanami—the two great illusions of the Uchiha Clan!
"Farewell!"
With his prize in hand, Uchiha Kiyo wasted no time. Activating his Earth Movement Technique, he vanished instantly.
"Lord Madara, are you really just going to give away these things so easily?"
Although the trade seemed profitable, it didn't feel necessary.
Was it really just to solidify future plans?
"You don't understand."
Madara's voice was calm but firm.
"The moment we first met, that boy gave me an unsettling feeling. It wasn't fear, but… something close to wariness."
"Even with my current weakened state, I am far beyond an ordinary shinobi. For someone to make me feel even a slight sense of threat… it speaks volumes about their strength."
"Furthermore, he showed no fear. That means he has absolute confidence in his ability to escape."
"In such a scenario, the smarter move is to let things play out smoothly."
Madara was ruthless and domineering but not reckless. He never provoked an enemy without a reason.
For the sake of his dream, he had hidden in this underground tomb for over twenty years. If his secrecy was compromised because of unnecessary hostility toward Uchiha Kiyo, it would be an unforgivable mistake.
---
Once above ground, Uchiha Kiyo carefully scanned his surroundings.
No one was following him.
There were no tracking seals, no transcribed markings—nothing left behind.
Only then did he relax.
"Damn, I was worried about my research on the Sharingan, but Black Zetsu delivered everything on a silver platter."
"Not only did I get Madara's research materials, but I even got an extra pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan."
"And on top of that, Izanagi and Izanami! I had originally planned to sneak into Konoha to obtain these, but this saves me a ton of effort."
He was more than satisfied with this haul.
As for what he had to pay?
Uchiha Kiyo didn't mind at all.
It wasn't as if he wouldn't have intervened regardless.
Kaguya's personality was too erratic. After thousands of years of imprisonment, she wouldn't be thinking rationally upon her return.
The Fourth Great Ninja War was a historic event. There was no way he was going to sit that out!
So whether he made the deal or not, he would have interfered with Kaguya's resurrection.
Unless, of course, he was so overwhelmingly powerful that it didn't matter.
But that was a thought for the future.
"Alright, let's head back to base and analyze all this new intel. But first, I need to retrieve the Lava Chakra from my clone."
---
Though the Earth and Stone Clone had managed to escape, it was still being pursued by Iwagakure.
Despite having many tricks up its sleeve, it wasn't strong enough to evade them indefinitely.
It was better to retrieve the clone and remove all traces.
Activating the Annihilation Recovery Technique, Kiyo connected with the clone and obtained its current location.
The Earth and Stone Clone responded immediately.
It had found a hidden cave near the mountains surrounding Iwagakure and set up isolation barriers. It had remained undetected so far.
"Good, no complications."
One day later.
Taking the long route to avoid Iwagakure's surveillance, Uchiha Kiyo finally arrived at the hidden cave.
It was well-hidden.
Even with direct memory from the clone, it had taken him a full day to find it—though most of that time had been spent avoiding detection.
"The Lava Chakra."
The first thing Kiyo did upon arriving was extend his hand.
"Here. The magma infused with Lava Release Chakra hasn't been refined yet. I left it to you so you could use the process to further your research."
"Yeah right. You were just too lazy to refine it yourself!"
Kiyo internally rolled his eyes at the excuse.
Still, refining it himself wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He could use this opportunity to study the nature of Lava Release more closely.
After all, the transformation of Lava Release into actual molten magma was a unique phenomenon.
Having never seen real magma before, experiencing it firsthand could improve his understanding.
"Do you want me to extract you from here?"
It seemed like the clone wasn't in a rush to leave.
"Not necessary. I'll stay for now.
Even though my operation failed, I gained valuable intel on Iwagakure.
If I remain hidden until they lower their guard, I can infiltrate the village again.
Unlike Ma Jia's situation, if I do this right, I can stay undercover indefinitely."
Furthermore, the Konoha and Rain Country clones had limited ways of updating information.
If he could establish himself in Iwagakure, he'd be an invaluable source of intel.
Kiyo considered the plan.
It made sense.
The secret techniques of Iwagakure could prove useful in the future.
But…
"Why do I feel like this guy just wants an excuse to slack off?"
"Fine, do as you wish.
But I'm warning you—don't slack off.
Make sure you continue improving your Earth Release techniques."
The Earth and Stone Clone: Why does this feel like a teacher handing out homework…?
With that settled, Uchiha Kiyo didn't linger.
Avoiding Iwagakure's patrols, he made his way out of the region.
However, instead of heading straight back to his base, he had another destination in mind.
The Land of Lightning.
Ninjas who trained on water developed a unique sense of balance and chakra control, and this journey would refine his ability to traverse water surfaces efficiently.
His real objective, however, was the Lightning Country's underground black market.
Kumo's Raikage was the undisputed master of Lightning Release, with techniques that had reached unparalleled heights.
To fully master Lightning Release, Kiyo needed a vast array of reference techniques.
While the Uchiha scrolls contained a few Lightning Release jutsu, they weren't enough.
And the best place to acquire new techniques?
The black market.
His plan wasn't to steal or attack—he wasn't reckless enough to provoke the entire underground network.
But with the right strategies, he could acquire the Lightning Release jutsu he needed… without making unnecessary enemies.
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