---
Meanwhile.
The Hatake Residence.
The Lightning Release clone sat in a room, mirroring the posture of the Fire Release clone-Fugaku-but instead of flames, he gathered lightning in his hands.
One black, one white-two balls of lightning occasionally collided, sparking streaks of gray electricity.
As the gray lightning flickered, the room's lights dimmed and brightened, filling the space with a sense of ominous desolation.
In the next room, Kakashi suddenly shivered awake, sensing a chill that roused him instantly.
Instinctively, Kakashi curled up, but quickly stopped-though he felt a coldness in his spirit, the temperature was normal, and his body was not cold.
"What kind of ninjutsu is Father developing?"
Kakashi glanced toward his father's room. Lately, he had been waking up at night from this "cold" sensation more than once.
He knew his father was working on a new jutsu but refused to tell him.
Still, this only made Kakashi more curious.
A technique that could chill one's spirit-he wondered what the final effect would be.
"Almost there!"
"White lightning and black lightning are showing signs of fusion."
The Lightning Release clone thought.
Once the two chakra types began to merge, it was only a matter of time before the new Lightning Release chakra formed.
He believed it wouldn't be long before a new Lightning Release ninjutsu chakra, born from the fusion of black and white lightning, could be condensed.
…
Land of Earth.
A rocky cave high in the mountains of Iwagakure.
Flickering candlelight illuminated the small cave.
Kenshi's Earth Release clone-Ishiiwa-sat cross-legged on a flat rock floor, eyes closed, expression focused.
At this moment, Ishiiwa's facial features had fully matured.
The boy he once was had grown into a handsome young man, even winning the heart of Iwagakure's most beautiful woman, Haido.
Tick-tick-tick… Around the Earth Release clone, countless marble-sized stones scattered on the ground, seemingly animated by some force, hopping continuously.
A heavy sensation swept over the clone.
Unknowingly, the hopping stones began moving toward Ishiiwa.
Outside the cave.
Sensing the ground's tremors, Haido turned with anticipation.
"Almost there!"
"When my junior brother's new ninjutsu is complete, those who call him cowardly and timid will see what it means to turn the tide."
Haido's beautiful eyes flickered with determination. Thinking of those who mocked her junior brother's ninjutsu development, she felt anger.
Were those fools so blind?
They didn't understand that the outcome of the Great Ninja War was never decided by ordinary ninja, but by the top-tier warriors.
The various Second and Third Hokage and other elite shinobi were the true arbiters of the war's fate.
The same was true in the Second Great Ninja War-ordinary ninja never stopped the conflict, but the emergence of top-tier warriors did.
The Legendary Sannin, White Fang of Konoha, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and other elite warriors.
It was their rise that stabilized the frontlines, preventing any Hidden Village from breaking through the defenses held by these elite.
Now, Iwagakure bore the brunt of the three great Hidden Villages' siege, especially Konoha and Kumogakure, focusing their forces on this single front-the largest since the first and second wars.
For Iwagakure, this was the most perilous time.
Her father's Dust Release was powerful, but he was only one man.
There were other strong shinobi in the village, but none compared to her father.
Thankfully, with two jinchūriki in the village, the enemy was cautious, allowing the village to hold out so far.
But the enemy wouldn't hesitate forever; eventually, they would reach the village.
When that time came, the village would be in grave danger.
The only way out was the emergence of a top-tier warrior comparable to her father-someone who could stabilize, or rather, break through a frontline.
That would immediately resolve the village's crisis, leaving only a slow grind. The village's destruction would become impossible.
At that point, the tacit alliance between Sunagakure, Konoha, and Kumogakure would naturally collapse.
Currently, the only one capable of reaching or surpassing her father's strength in the short term was her junior brother.
"Even Father said, if my junior brother's ninjutsu succeeds, not even he could defeat him."
"When that time comes… heh heh!"
Haido smiled to herself, eager to see the expressions of those who underestimated her junior brother when they witnessed his new ninjutsu.
…
Land of Water.
A small island.
Pure moonlight filtered through leaves onto a wooden cabin.
On the cabin's roof, Kenshi's Water Release clone-Hozuki Munetsuki-held a transparent water sphere, inside which floated a kunai.
Inside the water sphere, the kunai's smooth metal surface had vanished, replaced by a granular texture like sand clumped together, as if the kunai had been submerged in water for a long time.
Grain-sized metal particles flaked off the kunai.
The entire kunai looked as though its internal structure had been compromised, yet it hadn't rusted.
Splash!
The water sphere dispersed, and the kunai fell onto the wooden roof without the usual clink of metal hitting wood, instead sounding like sand dropping in water.
The metallic kunai scattered like sand on the roof.
"Almost there!"
The Water Release clone looked at the iron sand kunai at his feet, thinking to himself.
The permeability of Water Release was nearly at bloodline limit level, capable of penetrating metal and other materials. However, it took about an hour to fully permeate the metal, breaking it down into iron sand particles.
The permeability's strength wasn't sufficient yet and needed enhancement.
But the hardest part-penetrating metal-had been overcome; now it was a matter of time.
With this, Kenshi's five elemental clones had all made breakthroughs in developing single-nature bloodline limit ninjutsu for Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning.
Soon, the nature strength of Kenshi's five basic chakra types would all reach bloodline limit level.
Combined with his Rinnegan-level Yin Release chakra,
and the fusion of the seven basic chakra natures of the bloodline network, only Yang Release chakra remained.
Ultimately, it was Kenshi's own Yang Release holding back progress.
But that didn't matter; the dragon vein chakra was more important.
While Kenshi's original body worked on replicating the dragon vein chakra, his five elemental clones focused on steering the Three Great Ninja Wars back on track.
Konoha couldn't be allowed to have it easy.
Otherwise, what if Obito's Kamui didn't awaken?
Moreover, the Fire Release clone-Fugaku-also needed a great war to establish his prestige.
Konoha also needed a war to weaken the other clans outside the Uchiha, making Fugaku's clone's rise smoother.
Everything awaited the completion of the five elemental clones' chakra nature developments.
Before then, the Wind Release clone, having already reached bloodline limit level, could prepare in advance.
---
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