When Masashi pulled his hand out of the White Zetsu e's chest for the st time, he had a sudden, bizarre craving.

  Kushiyaki would be perfect right now... maybe some grilled meat skewers...

  Anyway, it had taken quite a while.

  He finally uood the meaning of chakra exhaustion limits. His muscles trembled slightly, a clear sign he'd pushed beyond his usual boundaries.

  Of course, it wasn't the kind of plete depletiohere was not a drop left, but the fatigue was real.

  "There's a pce to bathe here," Bck Zetsu helpfully reminded him from the side.

  While her he nor White Zetsu needed a bath, this was once where Madara had lived, and Madara certainly required one.

  He was hoping Masashi could take another small step forward here. After all, his progress so far had been quite satisfactory.

  One had to admit, Uchiha who awakeheir Sharingan to the three-tomoe stage were generally not g in talent.

  Now, Masashi had already mastered what he had taught him. The speed of his chakra manipution had improved dramatically, and his trol was being increasingly refined.

  "With your current progress, achieving Mangekyō-level power without the usual drawbacks is possible," Bck Zetsu observed.

  "And without the emotional trauma," Masashi replied, stretg his sore muscles. "That's the iing part."

  Of course, to reach Bck Zetsu's level would require relentless practice.

  In this aspect, he owerless. His abilities were innate, directly bestowed by Kaguya. He didn't require training and couldn't train even if he wao.

  As he had told Masashi, he could only point him in the right dire but couldn't directly make him stronger.

  Based on Masashi's progress i days, he estimated that he would take him at least several years to fully grasp the teiques he had imparted.

  By that time, with the enha of his chakra properties, Masashi's ocur power should be able to break through Bck Zetsu's current limits, equating in quality to a Mangekyō Sharingan.

  At that point, he would essentially bee a new form of the Eye of Indra and be capable of using Susanoo.

  In the meantime, Bck Zetsu could take the opportunity to observe closely. After waiting a thousand years, what were a few more years? Akatsuki needed development anyway; besides Nagato, the others were essentially useless.

  Relying oo collect the tailed beasts would be futile—they'd get obliterated in no time.

  Akatsuki didn't even have a proper base of operatio. Sihat brat Yahiko's death, years had passed. The outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War had merely eased some of Akatsuki's pressures, allowing them to finally start resembling an anization.

  Before the war, Nagato had essentially been in hiding.

  As expected, non-Uchiha were just less effective. Despite having the Rinnegan, he wasn't even doing as well as Obito, who had at least mao take over Kiri in no time.

  Bck Zetsu observed as Masashi stood up.

  "You could absorb more, you know," he suggested. "Your trol has improved signifitly."

  Masashi had been very restrained with each White Zetsu e he targeted. Initially, it could be attributed to his ck of familiarity, requiring Bck Zetsu's repeated assistao prevent corrosion. But ter, he had clearly crossed that threshold and could indepely extract chakra from the es.

  It was just… painstakingly slow.

  "And end up like that guy?" Masashi g the first White Zetsu e, which still y nearby, its chest now slowly rising and falling.

  "Not necessarily. Sustainable development is key—just a bit from eae. And they aren't humans. They don't die that easily."

  "But close enough. Besides their unique appearahere's not much difference." Masashi dismissed the matter casually.

  "Oh! Oh! Speaking of differences," White Zetsu bounced excitedly, "humans are so iing! Did you know their poop—"

  "Actually," Masashi cut in, "if you're so fasated, green means you're eating too many leafy vegetables, and bck could mean internal bleeding. That's the kind of intel you should be gathering."

  White Zetsu's eyes widened with genuine curiosity. "Really? What about—"

  "That's enough bathroom sce for today." Masashi's tone was light but final.

  White Zetsu slumped dramatically.

  "Anything happening outside?" Masashi asked as he loosened up, easing his fatigue.

  He'd asked this during training, and White Zetsu had patted its chest, promising to keep a.

  "Nothing at all. No one es here."

  "Then it's time for me to head back." Masashi nodded, preparing to leave.

  "Not resting first?" Bck Zetsu asked.

  "I'm out of dango. It's been a week out there, you know." Masashi sighed. "Your pce is det, but the basic amenities are seriously g. Totally inhumane."

  As he spoke, he checked to ensure he hadn't left anything behind, then started retrag his steps.

  Bck Zetsu had no choice but to follow, calling White Zetsu to tag along.

  "Oh, almost fot." Masashi suddenly stopped and looked back at the two figures behind him.

  "My oil mp—did I leave it around here?"

  "Ah, I thought you didn't want it and put it back."

  "Fine. ime I e, refill it for me, will you? It's pitch b here." Masashi shook his head, looking exasperated.

  Re-entering the dark corridor, he used his fire jutsu to jure a small fireball fht.

  White Zetsu instinctively backed away, sensing something ominous.

  Bck Zetsu, however, remained unfazed; anything not of Yin-Yang Release couldn't harm him.

  Along the way, it even exged a few more words with Masashi, essentially reaffirming their io stay in touch.

  As for why... Was the Uchiha still in dire straits?

  Believing that or pretending to didn't matter. Either way, the two had reached a sensus.

  Masashi didn't think Bck Zetsu was easy to fool, but if he could take advantage of it, why not?

  Bck Zetsu cared even less. He knew Masashi's thoughts but was fident it could eventually turn him into a willing pawn.

  Uchihas always started this way—only to end up more zealous than eveicipated.

  Back at Madara's makeshift ICU, Masashi stopped using his fire jutsu. He exited the cave the same way he entered, first telep to the rock wall and then back to the surface.

  Fresh air filled his lungs, reinvigorating him.

  It was still nighttime, the stars scattered across the sky.

  Not sure what time it really was, Masashi had only one desire now: a good bath followed by a long sleep.

  After that, he'd return to Konoha to various matters.

  Since he was already in Kusa, he decided to rest in a nearby town. He'd passed one before reag the Kannabi Bridge and still remembered the location.

  When the Kusa ninjas had e to verify the situation earlier, they'd given him something like a letter of introdu.

  This letter would allow him to enjoy aodations and meals in town.

  Masashi wasn't worried about leaving a trail of his presence.

  He was "looking for a legacy," after all. It was only natural to visit a few pces.

  With a swish, he darted off toward the own.

  ---

  Masashi zily opened his eyes. He slowly sat up in bed, scratg his messy hair, stretg, and yawning.

  Body's recovered well from yesterday's chakra drain.

  He rolled out of bed and took off his clothes. Then, he walked into the bathroom. After a thh wash, he felt rejuvenated and put on the new clothes he had bought the night before.

  The old clothes were stored in a sealing scroll.

  That was a satisfying sleep.

  Pulling open the curtains, he saw the faint light of dawn. The streets were silent; at this hour, most people were still asleep. Through the window, he could see the town's yout clearly.

  This was an inn iown.

  After leaving the Kannabi Bridge, he had ehis town, bought some clothes, and found the best inn in town. With a tap of an introdu letter, he secured a room a straight to bed.

  Of course, before sleeping, he had casually set up a barrier. Three-yer dete field, chakra suppression seal at the ers, and a touch of genjutsu to make the room feel empty.

  Standard procedure.

  The world was full of dangers, and one had to stay vigint when sleeping.

  In case this was a shady establishment, he o be ready to fire off a Great Fireball Jutsu at a moment's notice.

  Since his food pills had run out and there wasn't even a street vendor open at this hour, Masashi checked out of the inn at the front desk and headed directly back to the vilge.

  Though he was wearing clothes from Kusa, the forehead protector on his head ensured he passed unhindered.

  This was the deterrent power of the Great Shinobi Vilges.

  In times of war, this wouldn't matter, but in times of peace, being a in of a Great Shinobi Vilge was better than being the leader of a small one.

  Currently, his chakra trol and circution speed had doubled since before heading to the Kannabi Bridge. Though his overall power hadn't signifitly increased, he could run faster, and his Body Flicker had finally reached the level of his first life.

  The greatest takeaway from the Kannabi Bridge was that he had corrected a misuanding he'd long held.

  Previously, he thought that abilities like the Senju's body and Sharingan were cheats.

  Now, he realized that every ninja had a cheat code: chakra.

  It was like a mobile game: pay-to-win, medium spenders, low spenders, and free pyers existed.

  Even so, individual skill mattered; if you were clumsy, no cheat deviutor would save you from losing to someone using basic teiques.

  But a cheat was still a cheat, and it had one name: chakra!

  His first-life research had been on the right track. Strip away the fancy teiques, and all miracles came down to chakra itself.

  It was just a matter of ability not being up to par.

  Bck Zetsu had been uedly generous this time. Uhe st enter, where he was all talk, this time, he had actually delivered.

  Masashi figured Bck Zetsu must have been seriously irritated by Obito somewhere. Otherwise, the 180-degree shift in attitude was hard to expin.

  With the wind whistling past, he seemed like a gust of wind himself, crossing the borders into the Land of Fire and rag into Konoha's territory.

  Here, someone finally stopped him.

  Not a familiar face, but clearly a Konoha ninja.

  "Halt! Oh?" The person's surprised expression showed reition of Masashi. "Masashi? What brings you here..."

  The guard wore the uniform of the Police Force but was not an Uchiha.

  Instead, it was a Hyūga.

  After all, outside the Hyūga o one else in Konoha walked around with a pair of Byakugan openly dispyed.

  Ao had mao acquire a Byakugan otlefield, but he guarded it like a treasure, plete with seals to prevent it from being stolen. That was the only recorded case of a non-Hyūga ninja possessing a Byakugan.

  "I visited Kusa; my clothes got dirty, so I ged," Masashi expined while curiously the other. "The Hyūga joihe Police Force?"

  "Yes, with the Hokage's approval," replied the Hyūga ninja, nervous about how this might sit with a promi Uchiha like Masashi.

  But his s were mispced.

  "So the finally wised up..." Masashi sighed. "As expected, the leader is reliable when he isn't messing around with calligraphy."

  The Hyūga ninja blinked in fusion. "???"

  Although he didn't fully uand, it seemed the Uchiha powerhouse had no objes.

  Relieved, he nodded.

  "Thank you for your uanding. I'll let you proceed."

  "Thanks. Take care." With that, Masashi vanished in a fsh, leaving only a faint silhouette visible to the Hyūga's Byakugan.

  "No wonder he's called the White Ghost—a true master of speed..." the young Hyūga recruit muttered as he resumed patrol duty.

  Masashi, now far ahead, didn't catch that ent. If he had, learning that the niame White Ghost was gaining tra would have upset him.

  Once a niame spreads, there's no ging it.

  In no time, the silhouette of Konoha came into view, along with the bustling flow of people at the vilge gates.

  He passed through the croaused at the gate. The Konoha ninja on duty quickly processed his entry.

  Onside, Masashi returo the Uchiha district to ge out of his Kusa outfit before heading to the Hokage Tower.

  By the time he appeared in the Hokage's office, he had resumed the formal demeanor expected of a Konoha shinobi.

  "Masashi, thank you for your hard work," Minato greeted warmly, p him a cup of tea. "Try this; I heard you're fond of tea."

  Masashi studied Minato's ear expression. No hidden meanings with this one.

  Relieved, he took the cup.

  This man was famously henpecked; he wouldn't even know modern sng about "spilling tea" or stirring up drama. It made their iions refreshingly simple.

  He sipped the tea—an unfamiliar fvor.

  Had Minato stopped moog off Fugaku's tea stash? Did this mean a pay raise or bonus for the Hokage?

  "This tea is excellent," Masashi remarked.

  "Right? I s while dining at the Hyūga . I k was good tea at first gnce."

  As if... You just thought it was expensive.

  Ever since being Hokage, Minato's ine had plummeted, to the point of pilfering tea from the Hyūga.

  "Shall I report now?"

  "Please, have a seat," Minato said, taking a spot on the sofa and p himself a cup.

  "After thh iigation, the so-called 'legacy' appears to be a fabrication. The traces of Senju Muzo have pletely disappeared from this world."

  "That doesn't sound like good news," Minato sighed. "The vilge had hoped to bury him in the Hero's Cemetery."

  "Being id to rest far away isn't necessarily a bad thing," Masashi said, putting down his cup. "Hokage-sama, regarding this matter, why not gather the ied parties ale things in one go? It'll stop the endless specution."

  "When would you prefer?"

  "Since I'm back, any day is fine."

  "Uood. I'll inform you once arras are made."