Mufasa paused as the thought resurfaced, simple and direct.
He remembered Byakuya Kuchiki — the man suspected to be a splinter of Black Zetsu who had suddenly appeared in Sunagakure.
He just arrived under bizarre circumstances and was immediately taken to the research institute.
And based on the reports Mufasa received, the research had been extremely fruitful.
"His cells can replicate and grow indefinitely. As long as they have enough energy, they can multiply like plants — perfect raw materials," Kabuto explained.
That description fit exactly with the Spore Technique properties of the White Zetsu.
Unlike normal clones, the spores didn't vanish when the original host died. Before activation, they were completely undetectable.
Once triggered, they expanded into a white, stone-like swelling that wrapped around the host, absorbing chakra and even transferring it to others.
They could merge their body with the earth and vegetation, moving underground at high speed through plant roots and groundwater paths. During this movement, all traces of life were erased.
If someone inserted dead cells into the system, a spore-type warrior emerged almost immediately.
And blank warriors like these could be equipped with ninja weapon systems to turn them into combat units.
Mufasa imagined it simply:
A machine activating.
Chunks of biological material being fed in.
White Zetsu-like soldiers rolling out from the other end.
Mechanical arms attaching weapons along the conveyor belt.
Eyes opening.
Instant readiness for battle.
"Basically a living insect nest…" Mufasa muttered, a bit amused by the mental image.
But one issue still stood.
"How do we solve the energy problem?" he asked.
Kabuto already had an answer.
"According to the cell researchers, adding interstitial cells to the Zetsu cells boosts their vitality. They supply the energy needed for rapid division and reproduction."
Mufasa blinked once.
"Oh. Right. I already have intercolumnar cells… and researchers who specialize in all this."
Sometimes he really forgot how many ridiculous resources he had lying around.
"If I seal the interstitial cells into them, I'm basically finishing Obito's work," he said casually.
Not that it mattered — it wasn't protected by patents.
Besides, Obito had disappeared.
Itachi had already informed Mufasa about the Akatsuki's purge of traitors.
Only then did Mufasa realize he had accidentally caused a massive misunderstanding.
Obito — an actual villain — got labeled a traitor within a criminal organization.
"As for killing him in one hit… That's impossible," Mufasa muttered, not fully believing the report.
He was convinced Obito used Madara's fake-death technique.
He probably fled somewhere to scheme again.
"Maybe he's trying to grow White Zetsu too," Mufasa wondered aloud. "If he sees how big my army will be, he might actually cry."
Mufasa found the thought strangely amusing.
He had no idea that the scene Obito would eventually create was far more terrifying than any Zetsu army.
But for the moment, no one knew.
Rumors circulated about a coup in the peaceful Land of Tea. A new leader had taken over the Land of Tea.
The Land of Hot Springs was far overseas; aside from occasional tourists, almost no one paid attention to it.
That was where Obito began constructing something.
But instead of technology, he turned toward superstition.
Neither Mufasa nor the surrounding nations noticed.
By the time they did, it was already too late.
But that was a story for another time.
For now, Mufasa focused on Kabuto.
"Good. I support your idea," he said.
"And also — try experimenting with other kekkei genkai. You can create different types of ninjas depending on what bloodlines you mix in."
The Hashirama-cell White Zetsu variants were basically white canvas. Add yellow color it becomes a yellow canvas. Add red color it becomes a red canvas.
Science.
Make bold assumptions.
Test carefully.
Push further.
"One day, my Zetsu army won't just be white — it'll be colorful," Mufasa declared proudly.
Kabuto bowed. "We will begin research immediately."
"If you need any other kekkei genkai, ask Orochimaru," Mufasa added. "He's having the time of his life in the Land of Water. Island nations preserve biodiversity well. He's found plenty already."
Kabuto nodded and left.
Mufasa turned toward his next task.
"All Kamen Riders, locate a traveling caravan. Its owner is an elderly man with a ferret named Nerugui."
The Sixth Division Riders immediately began the search.
They found the caravan quickly.
An old man noticed a motorcycle blocking the road ahead.
The rider stepped off.
"Hello. I am Kamen Rider Kenzaki Kazuma from Sunagakure."
The old man instantly relaxed when he recognized the armor.
Kamen Riders were known worldwide for upholding justice.
"Do you need something from me?" the old man asked.
Kazuma nodded. "The Kazekage requests your presence."
The old man agreed.
Kazuma escorted him and Nerugui to Sunagakure.
The moment he arrived, Nerugui jumped into Temujin's arms, affection overflowing.
The old man was stunned.
Mufasa stepped forward.
"By now, you should understand Temujin is of royal blood."
The old man nodded slowly.
"It seems you truly know much about our past."
"I know enough," Mufasa replied. "I'm searching for the Gelel Stone vein. There should still be another one somewhere."
The old man's expression turned serious.
"The Gelel Stone's power destroyed our kingdom. Lord Kazekage, that stone is forbidden. It cannot be controlled. Sunagakure doesn't need it — you already possess great power."
Mufasa stroked his chin.
"You make a good point," he admitted. "But I still have a reason to find it."
"And that reason is?" the old man asked.
Mufasa smiled gently — the soft smile of a father.
"My daughter wants it."
The old man blinked.
"Your… daughter?"
He was referring to Saber Princess Altair, the entity inside the brainwave enhancement room.
Altair was a creation similar to a Susanoo — born from Mufasa's wild imagination and powerful brainwaves. What was originally an unconscious construct gained awareness through his mental energy.
Now, Altair existed as a thought-form, a being of pure consciousness.
She absorbed the mental waves of ninjas training in the chamber to strengthen herself.
But to obtain a physical body, she needed something else.
When Mufasa returned to Sunagakure with Gelel samples, her voice echoed in his mind:
"The Stone of Imagination… the Stone of Innocence… these can form bones."
"I need them."
To fully awaken, she also needed a Soul Stone to ignite a soul and a Philosopher's Stone to craft flesh.
What else could Mufasa — as a devoted father — do?
He had no choice but to find all three stones.
As for where the remaining two were?
He had absolutely no idea yet.
For his daughter's sake, the old caravan master dared not refuse—not when the request sounded so sincere and urgent.
And truly, anyone with common sense knew: when an aging father reached his limit, the fallout could be catastrophic.
So with a trembling sigh, the old caravan owner guided Mufasa and Temujin toward the mine hidden deep in the rugged mountains of Temujin's Continent.
Mufasa, Temujin, and the old man reached the mine's ancient entrance.
The old man fidgeted with his sleeves, glancing nervously at Mufasa.
Then—without warning—he rushed Temujin ahead and slammed his palm against a hidden switch.
CLANK—! The stone platform dropped like an elevator, carrying Temujin and the old man downward.
Mufasa remained above as the stone slab sealed shut.
He stood quietly, staring at the mechanism.
Then he smiled.
"Why…" he muttered softly. "Why are people always overthinking things?"
He tapped his foot.
The slab shattered instantly, collapsing like brittle clay.
Mufasa stepped off the edge and dropped into the darkness below.
He landed in a wide, abandoned mining shaft.
Its walls were covered with ancient carvings—abstract murals praising the power of the Gelel Stone.
Scenes depicted crops growing in seconds, desert springs bursting forth, mountains pushed aside by glowing stone‑lit hands… miracles impossible even for the best shinobi.
The old man hadn't expected Mufasa to appear so quickly.
He spun toward Temujin in panic.
"Prince Temujin! Quickly—use the ancient summoning jutsu! Call forth the Time‑Space Hole! Destroy the mine before that ambitious man gets it!"
His once‑positive view of Mufasa had flipped entirely.
'A daughter wanting a gift?'
'As if! How would his daughter even know about the Gelel veins? And what use is this ore to her?'
No—this was clearly an excuse. A ploy. The kind power‑hungry tyrants always used.
The old man trembled.
"The kingdom fell once because of this stone… we cannot let it happen again!"
He pushed Temujin desperately. "Summon it! Now!"
Temujin hesitated.
"Mufasa… doesn't seem like a villain. He hasn't harmed anyone without reason…"
"Bad men wear masks, prince," the old man pleaded. "The world depends on you. Hurry!"
Temujin swallowed hard.
'The world… depends on me?'
He pressed his hands together.
Chakra surged.
At the center of the mine, the air twisted.
A dark spiral opened—space distorting into a vortex.
The *Time‑Space Hole *materialized.
The moment it appeared, it began devouring everything—rock, air, light.
The old caravan master was swallowed instantly, vanishing with a horrified gasp.
Temujin was next—lifted helplessly from the floor, dragged toward the spiraling void.
Mufasa dropped from above just in time—and scowled.
"Oh, great. This was supposed to be a gift for my daughter."
"If this hole eats me, how am I supposed to explain that!?"
Sigh… "Fine. Time to fight time with time."
Fortunately, the one Temujin summoned was a small, unstable version of the legendary technique.
Mufasa could handle it.
He pressed his palms together.
Chakra and natural energy surged.
A tiny black hole—dense and silent—formed between his hands.
He thrust it forward.
The micro‑black hole flew into the maw of the Time‑Space Hole.
The two forces clashed.
A state of Quantum flux was triggered. The black hole spun in reverse, countering the cavern's pull.
Stones, murals—even the old man—began reappearing as the Cavern rewound reality.
Temujin fell to the ground, stunned.
He stared at Mufasa as if witnessing a god.
Mufasa didn't respond. All his focus was on controlling the volatile singularity.
One miscalculation, and the entire Shinobi world would collapse.
Silently, the duel of distortions continued.
The Cavern shrank.
The black hole expanded.
Mufasa broke into a sweat.
Then—finally—the Time‑Space Hole lost all energy.
Mufasa clapped his hands.
SMACK.
"Disappear."
Both holes vanished.
Mufasa staggered, gasping. The work of mere seconds had drained enough chakra to equal fighting for days.
His legs trembled.
The old man and Temujin could only stare.
"Y‑you… destroyed a spacetime rift…" the old man whispered.
Mufasa shot him a glare.
"If you weren't old, I'd have killed you for that stunt."
The old man paled.
Mufasa turned to Temujin.
"Listen, kid. Old people love to talk about 'saving the world.' But if that's what they want, they should do it—not dump the job on you."
"You haven't even enjoyed the world yet. Why should you be the one to defend it?"
Temujin lowered his head, unable to respond.
Mufasa exhaled. "We'll address your issues later."
He pointed at a stone gate.
"The Gelel vein is right behind that."
The old man nodded weakly.
Mufasa summoned worker shinobi.
"Dig it all up. Everything goes back to Sunagakure."
At the end of the day, only four or five tons of ore were extracted.
The downfall of the Temujin's Continent wasn't due to abusing the stones.
It was the opposite.
They overmined.
When the Gelel ran low, the kingdom could no longer fuel the dreams of its people.
The civilians believed the royalty were hoarding the stones… and revolted.
The truth was more tragic: the kingdom simply ran out.
The Gelel Stone was a stone of dreams.
Not a tool to reshape physical reality—not really.
It functioned more like a dream‑weaving matrix.
It created immersive fantasies so real that people could feel, taste, and transform within them.
If someone fantasized about becoming a werewolf or an ape… the dream made it feel real.
Fantasy bleeding into reality.
This was the power Saber Princess Altair sought.
She wanted to use the Gelel Stones and the world's collective imagination to build a physical vessel for herself.
Novels and manga about her—"The Great Adventure of Altair, the Ninja Princess"—had already spread through the ninja world.
Every dream about her became energy.
Every fantasy became fuel.
The stones were the foundation.
Altair would be the result.
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Word count: 2036
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