After moving far away from Takigakure, Uchiha Kaede's long and agile figure swiftly moved along the rugged mountain path like a black bolt of lightning.
He finally stopped only after confirming that he could no longer hear the noisy chaos of Takigakure behind him.
At this moment, he was in a secluded valley, surrounded by towering peaks that pierced the clouds, and the mist swirling around the mountains seemed to cast a mysterious veil over the landscape.
Kaede slightly narrowed his deep, sharp eyes, and his expression became exceptionally focused.
He began to condense his Chakra. His hands quickly formed hand signs, his movements as smooth as flowing water, and complex and mysterious seals rapidly changed at his fingertips.
As the seals were completed, a powerful and immense surge of Chakra erupted centered around him, spreading out in all directions like a raging tide.
This Chakra seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, quickly gathering behind him.
In the space behind him, light flickered, and Chakra continuously gathered and merged, gradually forming a pair of small wings.
The outline of the wings became clearer, shining brightly with an ethereal blue light. These Chakra-formed wings were none other than the Wings of the Seven-Tails!
They stretched out, like a mysterious bird about to take flight, containing endless power and agility.
However, they were not solid, but rather a Chakra construct similar to those used by Hoshigakure.
Even so, they possessed an astonishing texture and realistic form, seemingly indistinguishable from real wings, only lacking a substantial feel.
As a gentle breeze swept past, the Chakra wings actually trembled slightly like real feathers, refracting colorful light—beautiful yet emanating an air of impenetrable mystery.
A slight smile curved Kaede's lips. After absorbing the Seven-Tails, he had essentially become a miniature Seven-Tails himself, so using Chakra to condense wings was naturally not a problem.
He crouched slightly, then suddenly exerted force, pushing off the ground with both feet, launching himself into the air like an arrow leaving the bowstring.
At the same time, he skillfully manipulated the wings behind him. The pair of Chakra Wings gently flapped, instantly creating a powerful gust of air that made the surrounding vegetation rustle.
Aided by the wings, Kaede's body soared straight toward the sky, like a light bird.
He flew higher and higher. The ground beneath his feet gradually became tiny, and the mountains and rivers appeared below him like an exquisite sandbox model.
Takigakure, which had just experienced chaos and turmoil, now turned into a small black dot, hidden within the vast land.
Kaede overlooked everything, and a unique feeling surged in his heart. No wonder humans always yearned for flight; this feeling of freedom was intoxicating.
As he continued to climb, the air became increasingly thin and cold, but this was nothing to Kaede, who possessed formidable strength.
He continued to propel the Wings of the Seven-Tails, flying toward the unknown sky in the distance, as if searching for something, or perhaps just purely enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of soaring through the heavens.
Ahead of him, the clouds were piled thick like layers of white cotton candy, and he plunged into them without hesitation.
In an instant, everything around him was enveloped by the vast white clouds and mist, and his vision became blurry, but Kaede, relying on his refined perception of Chakra, steadily maintained control of his flight path.
After an unknown amount of time, when he broke through the thick layer of clouds, his vision suddenly cleared. A sapphire-blue sky appeared before him, and sunlight poured down on him without reservation.
His figure also began to descend gradually; lingering here for too long was not advisable.
As the altitude dropped, the scenery below gradually became clear. The vast land reappeared before his eyes, and mountains, rivers, and forests slowly unfolded like a scroll painting.
Just as he was looking down at the ground, searching for a suitable landing spot, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a few small dots.
Before long, he saw several figures gathered in a clearing in the forest—they were Sand Ninja resting.
Kaede silently manipulated his wings, gently landing in the dense foliage of a nearby large tree like a nimble bird, perfectly concealing his figure. He then focused his attention, listening to the conversation of the Sand Ninja below.
"Phew, we can finally rest for a bit. Rushing all this way has been exhausting," one Sand Ninja said, heavily panting while taking off his heavy backpack and sitting down on the ground.
"That's right, but the mission is important. We need to hurry and reach Konoha Village," another Sand Ninja agreed, taking out a canteen from his pack and gulping down several mouthfuls of water.
Konoha? They are also going to Konoha? Kaede's expression was strange. He recalled the mission he had executed with Kakashi. Could they also be here to demand an explanation?
After all, he had injured Rasa. This made things interesting. He really wanted to see what the Konoha higher-ups would do if they didn't hand anyone over.
Would they hand over Kakashi too? Kaede found it amusing. His current strength meant he didn't fear anyone; he now had the ability to overturn the table.
Thinking of this, he changed his mind, deciding to secretly return to Konoha first to see what moves the Hokage would make.
Relying on the flying ability granted by the Wings of the Seven-Tails, which were condensed from Chakra, Uchiha Kaede rushed toward Konoha Village at an extremely high speed.
Along the way, he was like an agile bird, tracing graceful arcs across the sky. The wind roared past his ears, and the mountains and rivers below rapidly receded behind him.
Before long, Uchiha Kaede saw the iconic, massive Hokage Rock of Konoha Village in the distance, standing behind the Village like a silent guardian.
Kaede did not enter Konoha Village directly through the main gate, but instead quietly landed in a hidden patch of woods surrounding the Village.
He suppressed his presence, blending into the shadows of the forest. Relying on his familiarity with Konoha Village's terrain and his own superb stealth techniques, he cautiously infiltrated the interior of the Village.
Finally, he successfully snuck into the Uchiha Clan Compound. He first checked on his parents outside his home to ensure they were safe, choosing not to enter.
Kaede, knowing the way well, walked toward the depths of the Compound. Before long, he arrived at the courtyard where the Great Elder resided.
He first cautiously observed his surroundings, and only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he silently climb over the wall and enter the courtyard.
At this moment, the Great Elder was alone inside the house, reading an ancient scroll by the faint lamplight, his expression focused and slightly solemn.
Uchiha Kaede quietly walked to the door and slipped inside.
The Great Elder inside the room immediately became alert, quickly putting away the scroll in his hand, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
"Great Elder, it's me," Kaede replied in a hushed voice.
"Huh?!" Uchiha Setsuna immediately stood up, looking at Kaede before him in disbelief.
"Kaede! You're back!" the Great Elder exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, Great Elder. I returned in secret this time," Kaede nodded. "I want to understand the current situation of the Uchiha."
!! Uchiha Setsuna's pupils contracted as he stared at Uchiha Kaede.
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