The two sides did not truly know each other. Yahiko had no idea about Uchiha Kiyo's real identity. However, from the way the conversation progressed, they had found common ground rooted in ideology.
"Before that, you need to have enough strength."
Uchiha Kiyo's cold and firm statement interrupted Yahiko's passionate declaration.
Yahiko felt deflated.
He understood. He was merely at the threshold of the shadow-level tier. He hadn't even surpassed Hanzo of the Salamander, let alone gained true recognition as a powerhouse. How could he speak confidently about changing the world?
"Even though you were taught by Jiraiya and have a solid foundation, you're still lacking too much in terms of inheritance."
That was the truth. Yahiko and his comrades were not Konoha shinobi. Despite being direct disciples of a Sannin, they were still outsiders. Many of Konoha's core techniques were inaccessible to them. Even Jiraiya's personally created techniques—like the Wild Lion's Mane—were too advanced or too personal to teach effectively to all three students.
Still, Jiraiya was a remarkable teacher. Under his guidance, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had all reached the shadow-level threshold. Naruto and Minato also followed that lineage, both rising to become exceptional figures in their own right.
But a strong foundation wasn't enough to ascend to the peak.
Uchiha Kiyo understood that all too well.
Hadn't he also started with a solid foundation in his youth?
He had been diligent since childhood, absorbing every detail in the clan's reference rooms. Sealing techniques, for instance, weren't hard to learn at the basic level. But to achieve high-level mastery in fūinjutsu that produced precise and potent effects? That required far more than just knowledge—it required inherited technique and breakthrough creativity. Uchiha Kiyo had to build complex seals through layering and painstaking trial and error.
It was effective—but inefficient.
It was a matter of doing more with less.
Yahiko and the others had similarly developed through patchwork learning. They frequently purchased jutsu from the black market, and their organization, Akatsuki, funded much of their growth. But even with Akatsuki's backing, it was an expensive and often fruitless endeavor.
In truth, their strength today was mostly the result of their own hard-earned growth and developed techniques.
That, in itself, was a testament to their talent.
Nagato was in a class of his own, of course. But Konan and Yahiko were exceptional geniuses in their own right.
"Let me see your strength," Yahiko said.
His eyes sharpened with determination. He had moved past his moment of self-doubt. Now he needed to witness the power of the man who had resurrected him—this man who wielded such mysterious abilities.
Uchiha Kiyo did not refuse.
A demonstration might help Yahiko understand just how far he had to go—and perhaps show him a higher peak to reach for.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"
Yahiko had noticed earlier that the island was surrounded by sea, making it an ideal battlefield for Water Release techniques. Still, unsure of Uchiha Kiyo's affinities, he chose a mid-level jutsu that wouldn't overextend his chakra reserves—a cautious opening.
The chakra barrier surrounding the island had already been expanded long ago. Yahiko's use of seawater had no effect on it, and Uchiha Kiyo made no move to stop him.
"Yōton: Yōgan Kakyū no Jutsu."
To counter Yahiko's water dragon, Uchiha Kiyo formed a lava fireball in his hand—highly condensed and spinning with violent intensity. He thrust it forward.
The massive stream of water crashed into the spinning magma, but instead of being extinguished, the lava ball absorbed the impact through its rotation. The fireball disrupted the flow, flinging boiling water outward in a wall-like spray, radiating from Uchiha Kiyo's extended palm.
"A bloodline limit?"
Yahiko narrowed his eyes.
"But Lava Release, though powerful, is still weak to Water Release. If I can maintain pressure, I have a chance."
He felt a sliver of confidence rising.
But Uchiha Kiyo saw through him instantly.
Yahiko had misunderstood the point.
The message wasn't that Lava Release would overpower Water Release—but that even when countered, Uchiha Kiyo could still dismantle an attack with ease. He was demonstrating overwhelming control, not elemental superiority.
Sighing inwardly, Uchiha Kiyo prepared another technique.
"Suiton: Suishōdan no Jutsu!"
A stream of spiraling water began to coil around Yahiko, rising upward like a vortex.
But Uchiha Kiyo didn't let him finish.
"Hyōton: Senri no Hyōketsu."
With swift seals, Uchiha Kiyo formed an ice spear infused with dense chakra and hurled it into the spinning water.
The moment it made contact, a wave of frost radiated outward, freezing the entire structure around Yahiko in a thick cocoon of ice.
"Ice Release!"
Yahiko's voice cracked with disbelief.
"That's impossible! No ninja has ever possessed two bloodline limits!"
Throughout the known history of the ninja world, not a single documented shinobi had naturally awakened two separate kekkei genkai. For a moment, Yahiko felt his worldview begin to crumble.
And yet, Uchiha Kiyo offered no explanation.
"Fūton: Kiryūdan."
Condensing wind chakra into a sharp-edged disc, he launched it.
The spinning blade sliced the frozen vortex with surgical precision. The glacier cracked along a flawless seam, the top half sliding off and shattering against the ground.
"Qi Yuan Slash...!"
Yahiko's jaw clenched.
That technique—he knew it.
It was a signature move of Tuishi, one of the Akatsuki's top shadow-level agents. He had used it to sever the Eight-Tails in a legendary battle. Even Ma Jia, another powerhouse, was known to wield it.
And now this man did too.
What did it mean?
The implications raced through Yahiko's mind. Tuishi, Ma Jia, and now Uchiha Kiyo—they all shared this same technique. Were they part of the same organization?
He recalled the reports.
Yes—Tuishi had mentioned something. An organization called "The Immortals."
Uchiha Kiyo wasn't done.
"Gundam Mode."
Uchiha Kiyo called upon natural energy. Neutral, pure, and overwhelming in scale—it coalesced into a colossal humanoid figure, fifty meters tall and glowing with azure light.
Controlling the giant with finesse, Uchiha Kiyo swung a massive fist downward.
Boom!
Yahiko was knocked off his feet, his body crashing against the ground and carving a trench into the terrain.
"Tch... As expected of the Fūma Clan," Uchiha Kiyo muttered.
Yahiko, an orphan of the once-proud Fūma Clan, had inherited the clan's legendary physical resilience. Aside from the Kaguya of the corpse bone vein, few could rival them in sheer toughness.
But the battle was over.
Uchiha Kiyo had overwhelmed him from beginning to end.
Deactivating the giant, he vanished from sight—then reappeared directly in front of Yahiko in an instant.
"How about it? Do you acknowledge this strength?"
Yahiko was still struggling to rise when the voice echoed beside him, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
So fast!
That wasn't simple movement speed. That was...
"Space-Time Ninjutsu!"
He looked up, stunned. The man had crushed him without even using his spatial abilities. If he'd included them from the beginning…
Yahiko's pride shattered completely.
So this is what a true powerhouse looks like.
He had been deluding himself. While he was chasing the legend of Hashirama Senju, this man had already reached or perhaps even surpassed that level. In front of such strength, Yahiko's own ambitions seemed laughable.
This wasn't a mere shadow-level shinobi.
It was someone who had broken through that level entirely.
As he replayed the battle in his mind, Yahiko noticed how Uchiha Kiyo's techniques had all flowed with natural ease—yet each was devastating in its own right.
Such seamless power.
What kind of realm was this?
A new thought crept into his mind.
If Uchiha Kiyo was this powerful... then why hide? Why remain in the shadows? Was peace truly so hard to achieve that even someone like this couldn't do it alone?
Or... was he simply cautious of being overwhelmed?
But how many would it take to bring him down?
Dozens? Hundreds?
It was hard to say.
What was clear was this—he was in a completely different league.
At last, Uchiha Kiyo spoke again.
"I think you've figured it out.
The Immortal Organization doesn't consist of just me, or Tuishi, or Ma Jia. There are others. I won't reveal their identities to you just yet.
What you need to know is this—our organization is powerful.
And our goal… is the peace of the ninja world."
A pause.
"Congratulations. From this moment, you are a member of the Immortal Organization."
There was no need for Yahiko's consent.
It was an honor—one that needed no invitation.
Yahiko didn't protest.
He had already accepted the truth.
An organization with such power and ideals… led by such a man...
Why would he refuse?
Thus, the Immortal Organization welcomed its first new member.
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