Chapter 81: Time Travel

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After witnessing Pain unleash the Super Shinra Tensei, Onoki was left numb with shock.

"Did I say something wrong? You destroyed half my village?"

Pain's devastating attack had obliterated much of the village, leaving countless bodies buried beneath the rubble. Floating above the wreckage, Pain observed the scene with calm, emotionless eyes.

"To create a perfect world, sacrifices are necessary. Their deaths are not in vain."

From now on, the people of the Earth Country would harbor deep hatred toward Pain. He had taken their families, their loved ones.

As he floated above them, Pain pondered whether he should finish the job and kill everyone who remained.

But he didn't. Just as Onoki was about to retaliate, Pain suddenly vanished before his eyes.

---

At the same time, in Amegakure, Nagato slammed his hand on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Instantly, the Deva Path Pain, who had been in the Earth Country, was summoned back.

Pain, now standing by Nagato's side, half-raised his head to look at the sky. "The road to peace is still long."

By the river in Amegakure, Nagato was walking alongside Konan when he suddenly felt a wave of weakness wash over him. His body swayed, as if all his strength had been drained.

Pain, connected to Nagato through the black receivers, still shared chakra with him.

The power required to perform the Super Shinra Tensei was immense, far beyond what Yahiko's chakra alone could handle.

Nagato had also contributed his chakra, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Ever since Yahiko's resurrection, the control of the Six Paths of Pain had passed into Yahiko's hands, which is why Nagato now felt so depleted.

Konan noticed Nagato's sudden change. "Nagato, what's wrong?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Nagato's cheeks were sunken, and his once vibrant red hair had dulled. He forced a weak smile. "I'm fine. I just need some rest."

But in truth, he knew that he might need to find another Jinchūriki to replenish his chakra soon.

Years of being drained by the Gedo Statue had left Nagato's body with lasting damage, but as long as he could maintain a steady supply of chakra, he would manage.

---

Meanwhile, in Iwagakure, at the temple where Jigen was located, the Super Shinra Tensei had left the temple in ruins.

However, the powerful chakra released by the technique had triggered something hidden within the temple.

As Jigen looked at the small, hovering, and constantly spinning turtle-like object, he sneered, "Goodbye, this time period!"

Without hesitation, Jigen stepped into the area influenced by the turtle.

When he opened his eyes again, Jigen found himself in another time and space. He wasn't sure what era he had arrived in, but at least he had escaped the dangers of the previous time.

In this new timeline, there existed "another self."

---

Back in Konoha, within the Uchiha clan, Sasuke felt a growing unease.

It felt like something was slipping out of his control.

Finally, the Uchiha police force brought him news.

"Young Patriarch, we've received word from our agents in the Earth Country. There's a temple there, and someone matching the description from the portrait has been spotted!"

Sasuke's eyes lit up with determination. "Good! I'll go to the Earth Country at once!"

---

Konoha had its spies in every nation across the ninja world. Once, these spies reported directly to the higher-ups of Konoha, but the Uchiha had since taken control of this power.

Upon receiving the intel, Sasuke immediately set out for the Earth Country.

When Sasuke arrived at the temple, all he found was a turtle suspended in mid-air.

Sasuke recognized it instantly: it was the tool of the Ōtsutsuki clan!

With a grim expression, Sasuke made up his mind. Without a word, he stepped into the tool's range.

Whatever the cause may be, he would travel back in time and eliminate Ōtsutsuki first!

---

The power of time is unpredictable. Sasuke knew this well. If he wasn't careful, his actions in this time could cause him to disappear without a trace.

Even the slightest alteration in the timeline—like his parents, Mikoto and Fugaku, marrying a day later—could lead to drastic changes.

Itachi and he might never be born. Or perhaps, they would exist with different names and identities.

After a dizzying sensation, Sasuke found himself in a dense, lush forest.

In the timeline he had entered, everything seemed unfamiliar.

As Sasuke's presence in the past solidified, the tool stopped reacting.

---

Sasuke looked around the forest in confusion. "Where am I?"

This forest seemed untouched, as if it had never been developed.

Suddenly, two kunai hurtled toward Sasuke, cutting through the air with deadly speed!

Reacting instinctively, a purple Susanoo appeared around Sasuke, blocking the kunai.

In an instant, Sasuke located the attacker—a young man with black hair, lying on a tree trunk, his body covered in wounds, as if he was waiting for death.

In a flash, Sasuke was standing before the young man. There was something oddly familiar about him, though Sasuke was certain they had never met.

"I have questions for you," Sasuke demanded.

The young man's eyes lit up with hope at the sight of the Susanoo. "That's Susanoo! You're an Uchiha too, aren't you?"

"'Too'?" Sasuke echoed, suspicious. "What's your name?"

"Uchiha," the young man replied weakly. "I saw your Susanoo. You're one of us, aren't you? Why haven't I seen you before?"

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Where am I?" Sasuke asked, trying to piece together the puzzle.

The young man answered, "We're in the Land of Fire, where else?"

Sasuke's suspicion deepened. "The Land of Fire… But what about Konoha?"

"Konoha? I've never heard of that," the young man replied, puzzled.

Sasuke's heart raced as realization dawned on him. He had traveled back to a time before the Hidden Leaf Village had even been founded!

He had arrived too early.

Still, there was no reason to fear.

Sasuke questioned the young Uchiha further, gathering information about the current era. There was no specific name for this period; people simply called it the Warring States Period.

In the Land of Fire, clans waged constant battles over power and territory. The two most powerful clans were the Uchiha and the Senju, ancient enemies locked in a bitter rivalry.

The young Uchiha's injuries had been inflicted by members of the Senju clan.

When he first saw Sasuke, he assumed he was an enemy and attacked out of desperation. But upon seeing Sasuke's Susanoo, he realized Sasuke was one of his own.

And with that, the "Mangekyō Sharingan" was activated!

This Uchiha was one of the strongest in the clan, yet he had never seen Sasuke before.

But it didn't matter.

Sasuke and his Susanoo were undeniable proof of his Uchiha heritage.

Sasuke didn't want to get entangled in the conflict between the Uchiha and Senju clans.

He was aware that any interference might alter the course of history, potentially causing him to vanish.

But he was an Uchiha, and in this era, the Uchiha clan was one of the most powerful families in the ninja world. To find Jigen, Sasuke knew he'd need the power of the Uchiha clan.

After all, one person's strength is limited.

Sasuke adjusted his hair to cover his left eye, hiding the Rinnegan, and left only his right eye exposed. The Rinnegan couldn't be concealed any other way.

Sasuke turned to the young Uchiha beside him and said, "Take me to the Uchiha clan. I also want to return to my clan!"

The young Uchiha, full of excitement, responded eagerly, "Okay, okay!"

If he brought back a clan member who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, the clan leader would surely reward him!

At this time, the Uchiha clan was led by Uchiha Tajima. The clan's number one genius was Tajima's eldest son, Uchiha Madara.

Madara had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan at a young age.

Although others envied him, Madara was far from happy about his eyes.

Each promotion of the Sharingan was marked by the loss or betrayal of those closest to him.

The current Uchiha relied on pain as the catalyst for their power.

In truth, emotions like excitement and happiness could also trigger the evolution of the Sharingan, but this was much harder to achieve.

Most Uchiha were unaware of this.

The young Uchiha guided Sasuke through the Uchiha clan's territory. As Sasuke looked around at the familiar landscape, a wave of nostalgia swept over him.

Another Uchiha member, upon seeing Sasuke, greeted him respectfully, "Master!"

The young Uchiha turned back to Sasuke, confused, "Are you the Master?"

The young man who resembled Sasuke was none other than Uchiha Izuna, Tajima's second son and Madara's younger brother.

Sasuke bore an uncanny resemblance to Izuna, almost as if they were twins.

The young Uchiha hurried them along, using sound to guide his way. Sasuke replied, "I'm not the Master. My name is Sasuke."

Just then, a commotion erupted within the Uchiha clan!

Sasuke saw Uchiha Madara rushing out of the inner hall, followed by several Uchiha carrying the gravely injured Tajima.

"Young Patriarch, Young Master, the Patriarch... he's dying!"

Madara and Izuna knelt before Tajima, who had a massive wound in his abdomen and was on the verge of death.

Tajima weakly spoke to Madara, "Madara, the one who killed me is from the Senju clan. Remember to avenge me...!"

With those final words, Tajima passed away.

Madara didn't scream, but blood-red tears streamed down his face. In his eyes, the Three Tomoe Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyō Sharingan!

Izuna's eyes also transformed, awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan as well.

Tajima's death had caused his two sons to unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan. In the Uchiha clan, death had a grim, twisted value.

In the battle between Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima, both had inflicted fatal wounds upon each other, leading to their deaths.

On that day, Uchiha Madara became the leader of the Uchiha clan, while Senju Hashirama ascended as the leader of the Senju clan.

The two, once childhood friends, now found themselves on opposing sides, their bond severed by the brutal realities of their positions.

After assuming leadership, Madara listened to the young Uchiha's account of the new clan member he had brought back. The newcomer's name was Sasuke, a name Madara had never heard before.

Curious, Madara decided to meet Sasuke.

When Madara laid eyes on Sasuke, he was stunned. The resemblance to Izuna was uncanny, as if they had been carved from the same mold!

But Madara was immediately on guard.

In this era, trust was a luxury few could afford, especially in a world where survival often depended on suspicion and caution.

Madara couldn't help but wonder if this was some elaborate scheme against the Uchiha.

No matter how much Sasuke tried to explain, Madara decided to imprison him temporarily.

Sasuke didn't dare to resist. After all, he was standing before Madara and Izuna—two formidable figures in history. Even the Uchiha guards were a force to be reckoned with.

Sasuke knew that if he misstepped, he could disrupt the timeline disastrously. If he accidentally killed someone important, it would create enormous problems.

So, Sasuke allowed himself to be bound, knowing that these restraints couldn't truly hold him.

As three Uchiha members tied Sasuke with ropes, his figure suddenly disappeared, replaced by Izuna.

The real Sasuke reappeared beside Madara.

Izuna, now free, was completely bewildered. "What the—why are you tying me up?"

The Uchiha members looked at each other in confusion. "Huh?"

Madara's eyes narrowed as he turned to Sasuke. "You are not Izuna!"

An intense aura flared up around Madara, his power so great that it blew Sasuke's hair back, revealing his Rinnegan.

Madara's pupils shrank as he silently activated his Sharingan, turning the large pupils in his eyes black.

On the outside, Madara appeared calm, but inside, his mind was racing. He was certain he wasn't mistaken—those were not Sharingan, but Rinnegan!

The Uchiha Stone Tablet had foretold of the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths: the Rinnegan.

Madara ordered the Uchiha members, "Untie Izuna! Prepare a house for Sasuke and ensure he's well cared for."

Madara's view of Sasuke had shifted entirely.

Before Sasuke could speak, Madara interrupted him, "Don't call me 'senpai'; I'm not qualified for such a title. I just want to know—where did you get that eye? And do you harbor any hostility toward the Uchiha?"

Sasuke glanced around, and Madara quickly understood. "Everyone, leave us."

Izuna hesitated, "Brother, I want to stay too."

Madara nodded, granting his brother's request.

Once everyone else had left, Sasuke turned to Madara. "I come from a different time and space, and these eyes are my proof. I want to make a deal with you."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "A deal?"

Sasuke nodded. "You help me find someone—I'm here to hunt him down. In exchange, I can tell you the secret of the Rinnegan."

Madara's gaze sharpened. "Deal."

Madara's ambitions extended far beyond the Mangekyō Sharingan. If he could unlock the secret of the Rinnegan, everything would be worth it.

According to the Uchiha Stone Tablet, the Uchiha clan had a deep, unbreakable connection to the Sage of Six Paths.