Chapter 49: Sage's Return
Six months passed in the timeless realm of Shikkotsu Forest.
Uchiha Raizen's attributes had undergone a metamorphosis. With no other ninjutsu to pick up, he had spent every day harvesting the abundant, high-level Sage chakra fragments. Combined with his dedicated training, his reserves had swelled to a terrifying degree. He had finally felt a plateau, a sign that his current growth phase within the forest was complete.
He sought out the Great Slug Sage to bid her farewell.
"Great Sage," he began, bowing respectfully. "Before I leave, I have a question. There is a clan, friends of mine, whose bodies have mutated due to long-term exposure to untamed Sage chakra. When they transform..." He detailed the Fūma clan's affliction, hoping for a solution.
"A clan so uniquely attuned to natural energy... they are indeed connected to us by fate," Katsuyu's voice echoed in his mind. "Take this." A large bucket of her glistening mucus manifested before him. "Have them ingest a small amount regularly. Within a year, they will gain control over their transformations. However, advise them to use it sparingly. Without a Yang nature to balance it, the transformation will still shorten their lifespans."
Uchiha Raizen stared at the bucket with profound internal resistance. If not for his system's storage function, he would have flatly refused.
"Thank you, Great Sage. I will take my leave now. But... how do I return?" He realized he had no idea how to get back.
"You return the same way you arrived. Simply reverse the process. Reverse Summoning Technique... begin!"
As her voice faded, a summoning array flared to life beneath his feet. This time, he didn't scream, merely bracing himself as he was pulled through the dimensional rift.
A few seconds later, he was standing firmly on solid ground, breathing the familiar air of the human world.
So that's what a reverse summoning feels like. Not bad.
He stretched, his body feeling light and powerful, though his complexion was sallow and he had lost weight. A half-year diet of forest vegetation and slug-approved nutrients had left him looking gaunt, but the immense power thrumming within him was undeniable.
He looked around. He was back at the abandoned Fūma clan settlement. It was completely empty.
Has it really been six months? What's happened in my absence? A major war?
A sense of urgency gripped him. He activated the Body Flicker Technique, moving at a speed that would have been impossible for him before, heading straight for the Uchiha compound.
When he arrived, the streets were eerily quiet, with far fewer clansmen than usual. Then, a familiar, unwelcome figure came into view.
"Uchiha Hakusai? What are you doing here? What's happened? Where is everyone?" Uchiha Raizen demanded.
"Who do you think you are, to question me?" Hakusai retorted with his trademark sneer.
"I am the Sixteenth Elder," Uchiha Raizen stated coldly, donning his formal elder's vestment. "If you do not answer, I will have you disciplined for insubordination."
"You...! Fine!" Hakusai relented, his bravado crumbling under the authority of the office. He quickly explained the situation: the Hyūga clan had launched a surprise attack on the Uchiha, inflicting heavy casualties. Among the dead were Uchiha Madara's younger brothers. A furious Uchiha Tajima had mobilized the clan's forces and marched on the Hyūga, and the conflict had been raging for two months. The Fūma clan had been conscripted to fight as well.
Hearing this, Uchiha Raizen's blood ran cold. He immediately went home to reassure his family of his safety, then forced Uchiha Hakusai to lead him directly to the front lines. The war had found him, and he was no longer the boy who had left six months ago. He was a Sage, and he was ready to fight.