Chapter 225: Teacher Konan

The Whirlpool Country, located to the east of the Land of Fire, is a small island nation founded by the once-prominent Uzumaki Clan.

However, it became history even before the Land of Fire.

Over twenty years ago, during the Second Great Ninja War, the Whirlpool Country was besieged and annihilated overnight by a coalition of nations.

The Uzumaki Clan, renowned in the shinobi world for their formidable sealing techniques, was decimated, leaving only a few scattered survivors throughout the ninja world.

Since that fateful battle, the island that once housed the Whirlpool Country has been a desolate graveyard, untouched for years.

Now, the sudden appearance of the One-Tail Shukaku in the ruins of the Whirlpool Country suggests a jinchūriki has gone berserk.

This news immediately unsettled the major ninja villages.

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Akatsuki organization was close to collecting all nine Tailed Beasts.

Although their plans were thwarted with the death of Pain, three jinchūriki still fell into their hands: the hosts of the One-Tail, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails.

When the Allied Shinobi Forces attacked and dismantled the Akatsuki in the Hidden Rain Village, the Akatsuki member known as "Angel" managed to escape with the three jinchūriki.

Since then, "Angel" Konan has been wanted by all major ninja villages.

Now, she's finally shown her hand.

Upon receiving the news, the major ninja villages promptly convened a remote video conference.

During the meeting, the Kage reached a consensus to temporarily set aside the Uchiha issue. The immediate priority was to capture Konan and retrieve the three jinchūriki.

After all, among the nine Tailed Beasts, the One-Tail, Seven-Tails, and Nine-Tails are among the most powerful.

Especially the Nine-Tails, whose power could easily obliterate a ninja village or even a country.

The consequences would be unimaginable if these three Tailed Beasts fell into the hands of the Uchiha Clan.

Therefore, to prevent the Uchiha from getting there first, each village dispatched their elite forces to the ruins of the Whirlpool Country immediately after the meeting.

Obito and his associates also received the news.

"After hiding for so long, she was in such a place," Obito mused, his eyes flashing. He immediately led Zetsu, Kisame, Kakuzu, and the controlled Four-Tails jinchūriki, Roshi, to the scene.

What he sought was not just the Tailed Beasts, but also the more crucial Rinnegan.

In the Land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village.

The past winter, although physically cold, was the warmest in years for many of the Mist's shinobi and villagers.

Under the leadership of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, the Mist was no longer the "Bloody Mist" of old but had adopted a policy of peace and openness.

In just a month, both the economy and population began to recover.

However, the previous Mizukage had left the Mist in a dire state. Most elite shinobi either died or fled, leaving only a fraction remaining.

To illustrate the severity of the talent drain: during the "Bloody Mist" era, Zabuza Momochi, known as the "Demon," killed all his peers during the graduation exam, causing a complete gap in that year's shinobi generation.

The once-famous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the village's ace, were now so depleted that they couldn't even muster three members.

This talent drain couldn't be resolved quickly and would take time.

Even with an optimistic estimate, it would take at least a decade for the Mist to return to its former glory.

Inside the spacious Mizukage's office.

Mei Terumī leaned back in her chair, rubbing her forehead, her expression weary.

Being the Mizukage wasn't as glamorous as many imagined. The relentless workload, day and night, was even more exhausting than being on the battlefield.

She had just participated in the remote video conference with the other Kage, where she was pressured to send Mist forces to the Whirlpool Country to corner Akatsuki's "Angel" Konan.

However, she firmly declined, reiterating that the Mist had no intention of participating in any form of warfare.

It wasn't that the Mist was particularly peace-loving; they simply couldn't afford any more losses.

At that moment, "Mizukage-sama."

An elder shinobi of the Mist, Ao, entered the office, accompanied by several young ninja, all promising talents.

They were there for an audience with the Mizukage.

"Let's begin," Mei nodded at Ao, her eyes curious as they settled on the young ninja before her.

"This brat is Hōzuki Suigetsu, the younger brother of Hōzuki Mangetsu. Despite his age, he's shown talent rivaling his brother's. Unfortunately, he's a bit impulsive," Ao said, pointing to a white-haired, purple-eyed boy.

"Hmph," Suigetsu huffed, showing sharp teeth, his demeanor defiant.

In contrast to Suigetsu's confidence, the blue-haired boy with black glasses beside him appeared much shyer, even avoiding Mei's gaze.

"This is Chōjūrō. Don't be fooled by his unassuming appearance; his ninja skills are top-notch," Ao praised, patting the blue-haired boy's head.

"I've heard of these two," Mei remarked.

Mei Terumī echoed, "Both Suigetsu and Chōjūrō are well-known prodigies in the Hidden Mist."

Then, her gaze shifted to the third young individual, a face she didn't recognize. Curiously, she inquired, "And who might this young lady be?"

"Ah... Mizukage-sama, you're mistaken. He's not a girl," Ao corrected with a hint of embarrassment.

Oh?

Upon closer inspection, Mei realized that indeed, it was a beautiful young man with feminine features and long black hair.

"His name is Haku. He was a street orphan, scavenging for food when a Mist shinobi found him and brought him to the village. He's the last of the Yuki Clan, possessing the rare Ice Release Kekkei Genkai," Ao introduced.

"Mizukage-sama, greetings," Haku greeted timidly, bowing his head.

So that's the story.

Mei, learning of Haku's tragic past, looked at the reserved young man with a sigh.

The Mist once had numerous Kekkei Genkai clans, second only to the Leaf. Unfortunately, during the "Bloody Mist" era, due to various reasons, most were nearly wiped out.

To Mei's knowledge, the Yuki Clan faced persecution because of their Ice Release, leading to their clan's downfall during the Mist's internal strife.

She had thought the Ice Release was lost, but it seemed the Yuki Clan's legacy lived on in Haku.

With that thought, Mei stood up, approached the young shinobi, and placed her hands on their shoulders.

"These young ones are the future of the Hidden Mist Village."

"Take them, protect and nurture them well. The next Mizukage might very well emerge from one of these three," she advised Ao solemnly.

"Oi, the Sixth Mizukage, will definitely be me!" Suigetsu immediately declared, eager to claim the title.

"If you want to be Mizukage, first fix that impulsive nature of yours," Ao retorted, giving Suigetsu a head knock.

With that, Ao bowed to Mei and left the office with the three young shinobi.

As soon as the door closed, the dignified Fifth Mizukage's expression changed. Her eyes revealed the Sharingan pattern.

She summoned a crow using a summoning jutsu and immediately relayed the news about the major ninja villages cornering Akatsuki's "Angel" Konan to her master.

Half a day later.

At the Mountain Graveyard.

A hoarse crow's call echoed outside. Inside, Dan slowly opened his eyes, stood up, and received the intel brought by the crow.

The One-Tail Shukaku went berserk?

Reading the report, Dan was slightly taken aback.

Did Konan fail to control Gaara?

But why would Konan hide with the three jinchūriki in the ruins of the Whirlpool Country? It wasn't an ideal hiding spot.

Dan sensed something amiss behind this event.

After some contemplation, he decided to temporarily halt his Sage training and venture out.

Not for the Tailed Beasts, but for the Rinnegan.

After all, in the original story, after Nagato's death, his Rinnegan was stolen by Obito. Dan wouldn't stand by and let that happen, putting himself at a disadvantage.

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

However, if events from the original story played out, regardless of how many explosive tags Konan had, Obito might not find it easy to evade using Kamui.

Because Dan was ready to outmaneuver Obito and take his right eye.

Thus, obtaining both Rinnegan eyes.

With that thought, Dan opened his left hand, revealing an eye on his palm. He unleashed a spatial force.

In an instant, he entered the Kamui dimension, moving swiftly, and departed the Mountain Graveyard alone.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the island of the Whirlpool Country.

In the ruins of the Hidden Eddy Village, within an abandoned room...

"Hmm..."

Lying in bed, Naruto Uzumaki groaned, slowly regaining consciousness from his unconscious state.

It felt like he had a long dream.

In that dream, he transformed into a massive nine-tailed fox demon, wreaking havoc in the Hidden Leaf Village, killing countless people.

The terrified screams of the villagers, the bodies and blood scattered everywhere, the buildings engulfed in flames and thick smoke...

It all felt like a nightmare.

What's terrifying is that this wasn't the first time Naruto had such a dream, and every time after, he would lose consciousness.

However, this time, he seemed to be unconscious for an unusually long period.

What... happened?

Although Naruto regained consciousness, he was horrified to find that he was still surrounded by darkness, barely making out a faint light.

Had he gone blind?

Panicking, Naruto quickly raised his hands to touch his eyes, only to feel thick bandages.

"You're awake."

At that moment, a cheerful voice sounded beside him.

Naruto sniffed, catching a sweet scent, a girl's fragrance, drawing closer.

Then, he felt someone helping him sit up.

"Who... who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Another cool voice came from the doorway, "Fu, help him remove the bandages."

Fu? Was that the girl's name?

"Alright, teacher."

Fu obediently responded, then whispered to Naruto, "When I remove the bandages, open your eyes slowly. The sudden brightness might be overwhelming."

After saying this, she carefully began to unwrap the bandages from Naruto's eyes.

Naruto did as instructed, slowly opening his eyes and adjusting to the brightness.

The first person he saw was a green-haired, dark-skinned girl, smiling warmly at him.

Naruto, who wasn't particularly popular with girls, shyly looked away.

Then, he looked towards the doorway, where "Teacher," as Fu had called her, stood. She was a blue-haired woman with a flower in her hair.

Her expression was cold, making her seem unapproachable. Her amber eyes stared intently at Naruto, making him feel pressured.

Apart from the two, in a corner of the room, a red-haired boy with the kanji for "love" on his forehead sat silently, seemingly resting.

"Who... who are you all? And where am I?" Naruto asked, more confused than ever.

Introducing herself, Fu patted her chest and said, "I'm Fu, the Seven-Tails jinchūriki from the Hidden Waterfall Village. Nice to meet you."

She then pointed to the red-haired boy in the corner and whispered to Naruto, "That's Gaara, the One-Tail jinchūriki from the Hidden Sand Village. He's got a terrible temper, so be careful around him."

As she spoke, the blue-haired woman, Konan, approached Naruto, examining his eyes closely.

Fu quickly stepped aside, introducing, "This is Teacher Konan. She saved us three from the Hidden Rain Village. Otherwise, we would've fallen into the hands of the Five Great Shinobi Countries and been used as tools for war. Just like how you used to live."

Teacher Konan?

Naruto looked up at the woman in front of him, his confusion deepening.

Konan, noticing Naruto's bewilderment, spoke in her cold voice:

"You are Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki from the Hidden Leaf. This place is the Hidden Eddy Village, your true home."

Nine-Tails... jinchūriki?

Naruto frowned. He had heard this term before but still didn't understand its meaning.

All he remembered was that in the Hidden Leaf, the masked ANBU Black Ops would always lower their voices and deliberately avoid him whenever they mentioned it.

As for the Hidden Eddy Village, Naruto had never even heard of it.

"No, I'm not from any Hidden Eddy Village. I'm an orphan from the Hidden Leaf Village. Even though everyone hated me, calling me the demon fox that brought disaster to the village..."

Naruto retorted, his voice trailing off.

Ever since he could remember, the label of the demon fox had haunted him. He was seen as a curse by the villagers, and none of his peers in the ninja academy wanted to befriend him.

Naruto had always lived in loneliness.

Thus, when discussing his past in front of strangers, he couldn't help but feel deeply inferior.

However, the words Konan spoke next completely shattered Naruto's understanding of his identity.