Chapter 213: Temporal Chaos
"You're finally down. After living together for so long, is it really still that hard to adjust to one another?"
Franklin's calm words sounded exceptionally piercing to those present. Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto remained silent.
Uchiha Shisui let out a breath and looked seriously at Franklin.
"Lord Franklin, this kind of life is nothing but torment for us. Everyone in the clan is dead. Only the few of us are left, barely clinging to life.
"And now we're forced to stay together like this. For us, it really is nothing more than suffering."
Franklin naturally understood this. But if he didn't gather them together, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto would very likely choose to end their own lives.
At least now, both sons were still alive. And with Uchiha Shisui's eyes still intact, the future revival of the Uchiha clan was not entirely without hope.
"Mm… it is indeed torment. I came this time to tell you that these mutually tormenting days are over.
"After the Third Hokage dies, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, will return. Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto—you can return to Konoha.
"But after returning, you must temporarily join the Root organization and conceal your identities. Uchiha Sasuke needs the hatred born from your 'deaths' to continue growing.
"As for you, Uchiha Itachi, you'll naturally become Sasuke's target of revenge. I don't care about Uchiha glory or anything like that, but Uchiha Sasuke cannot be buried by history.
"How you choose is up to you.
"As for Uchiha Shisui, you'll return to Konoha as well. It's time for that guy Danzō to be buried along with the Uchiha clan. In the future, you'll take over as the head of Konoha's Root organization."
As Franklin laid out his arrangements one by one, the expressions of the four changed in different ways.
Dishes were placed on the table one after another. After serving rice for them, Franklin sat down beside the three girls.
Seeing Astraea's eyes shining brightly, Franklin had no intention of continuing the discussion.
"Come sit down. This is the last farewell meal.
"After this, each of you will have your own tasks. The next time we meet may very well be when the ninja world is unified.
"When that time comes, whether you choose to reunite and retire, or become part of the upper echelon of the Ninja State, that will be up to you."
With these words spoken, although the four held differing views toward Franklin, they still silently took their seats.
After all arrangements were concluded, Franklin and the three girls returned once more to the Hokage Rock.
Looking at the quiet, peaceful Konoha Village, Franklin's phantom separated from his body and flew straight toward Naruto.
Just as Franklin was preparing to take the three girls back home, several lines of black text abruptly appeared before his eyes, causing his brows to knit tightly.
[Large-scale temporal disruption detected. Time and space have entered a state of severe disorder. The spacetime coordinates of the Talent Awakener's main world have been lost.]
[Uchiha Madara's soul fragment has been slain by the Talent Awakener and has returned to the Naruto underworld. Edo Tensei is now possible.]
[Sub-mission 4: Summon Uchiha Madara. Persuade or conquer him to obtain the Dimensional Soul Division Technique.]
[Due to the loss of the Talent Awakener's main-world spacetime coordinates, a compatible task has been issued: The Myriad Worlds Journey Home.]
[Due to the extreme uniqueness of the Talent Awakener's main world, broad-direction searches are underway—combat, daily life, multi-heroine, Dimensional Tome fragments.
Large-world search in progress. Please acquire the Dimensional Soul Division Technique as soon as possible to locate the path home.]
After reading everything, Franklin's brows were tightly furrowed. This caused Ikaros, Nymph, and Astraea beside him to look at him with concern.
[Please rest assured, Talent Awakener. No matter how long the delay, once you return to the main world, the time will remain the same as when you departed. No temporal disorder will occur.]
Only when this final message appeared did Franklin finally let out a sigh of relief.
Suppressing the chaos in his heart, Franklin reviewed Sub-mission Four once more.
After confirming what he needed to do next, he had no intention of delaying. Finding the way home was the highest priority.
"Master… did something happen? Your expression right now is really scary."
Hearing Nymph's voice, Franklin took a deep breath and quickly calmed his turbulent emotions.
"It's nothing major. Things just happened a bit suddenly. Right now, we've lost the way home.
"Under normal circumstances, we would've been able to go back in another five years.
"But now… I'm not so sure. If we're lucky, maybe we won't need five years. If we're unlucky… then I don't know how long it'll take."
Hearing this, Ikaros immediately thought of the worst-case scenario and gently hugged Franklin's arm.
"Master… when we return to our world, will the time be the same as when we left? Or will something unexpected happen?"
Feeling Ikaros's concern, Franklin smiled and rubbed her head.
"Don't worry. As long as we can find our way back, the time will still be the same night I summoned you to that world."
Hearing this, Ikaros finally felt at ease. As long as nothing unexpected happened, Master's mood wouldn't deteriorate too badly.
"Looks like we'll be busy again. First, we need to find Nagato and Uchiha Obito. There are some things I'll need their help with."
Looking at the words "persuade or conquer" in Sub-mission Four, Franklin directly discarded the idea of persuasion.
He wasn't Naruto—he didn't have that kind of silver tongue.
And if he wanted to obtain the Dimensional Soul Division Technique, conquest was the only option.
But to conquer someone like Uchiha Madara, absolute brute-force suppression was meaningless.
Only by completely surpassing him in every way could Franklin earn his attention and his genuine acknowledgment.
But what exactly constituted "conquest," Franklin couldn't be certain.
Was he supposed to make Madara kneel and sing "Conquer"? Just imagining that scene made Franklin cough awkwardly. That was obviously impossible.
Most likely, he would need to defeat Madara in every aspect first, then crush him with overwhelming power.
As for mental defeat—Madara's ideals being impossible to achieve, while Franklin could accomplish them—that should count as conquest… probably.
After settling his thoughts, Franklin vanished with the three girls.
When they reappeared, Franklin was already beside Nagato.
Without giving him any time to ask questions, Franklin took him along and teleported again.
Inside the cave where Uchiha Madara had once resided, Uchiha Obito was currently living there alone.
With divine sense locking onto his position, in the next instant, all six of them arrived at the Valley of the End.
"Mr. Franklin, what is this about now? Where is this place? Why am I here?"
"Lord Franklin, what are you planning this time? Huh… this is the Valley of the End in Konoha? Why did you bring us here?"
Franklin ignored both of their questions.
After a brief moment of thought, he vanished once more.
When he reappeared, there was now an additional person beside him.
"Mr. Franklin, what exactly are you planning? Why bring me to Konoha's Valley of the End… hm? Nagato? And who is that?"