"You don't have to explain anymore, Isamu. I understand everything now. As long as you returned safely… that's enough."
"Thank you, Tsunade…"
Hearing the strange exchange between the two, Garuda and the others looked utterly confused. They couldn't make sense of what they were talking about.
"Lord Isamu, what exactly are you two talking about? We didn't understand a single word."
"Shizune, don't ask about things you shouldn't."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
After flying at high speed for some time, Isamu and the others finally arrived at the northern border of the Land of Fire—the place where he had once risen to prominence.
Looking at the forest before her, Tsunade sighed.
"I never expected the battlefield from back then to recover completely. There's not even a trace left. It's almost miraculous."
"Restoring everything always comes at a price," Isamu replied softly. "Especially when you're restoring something on this scale. The price paid was enormous. If luck hadn't been on my side… this place would've become my grave."
Thinking back to the battle where he had stood alone against the Five Great Nations and the Child of Prophecy, Senju Hashirama, Isamu couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
"I've always wanted to ask you something," Tsunade said.
"Why did you do all of that back then? It couldn't have been solely for the Uchiha… could it?"
"The Uchiha were part of the reason."
"But they weren't the main reason."
"I thought as much." Tsunade nodded. "You aren't the type of person who would oppose the entire world just for the Uchiha. Can you tell me the real reason now?"
After a brief silence, Isamu answered.
"I accepted a mandatory mission from… something."
"I can't explain any further than that."
"Although it was dangerous, it also offered tremendous benefits."
"And besides…"
"I had promised Elder Xinyang that I would restore the Uchiha's former glory."
"With my clan standing behind me and everything falling into place, I chose to move forward."
"That's why I made that decision."
"A mandatory mission from… something?"
Tsunade frowned.
"It sounds like you're carrying secrets you can't reveal."
She smiled faintly.
"If you don't want to talk about it now, I won't force you."
"I only hope that one day you'll be able to tell me—and your family—the whole truth."
"I will."
"That day will come."
With that, Isamu stepped forward.
Feeling the familiar fluctuations of space and time before him, countless emotions welled up inside him.
"I never thought…"
"That after so many years, I'd return here again."
"This time…"
"I'll finally see all of you again."
"Elder…"
"Zhan…"
"Feng…"
"Gao Li…"
As he spoke, the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan emerged within his eyes.
The moment it activated, the concealed barrier protecting the entrance to the Small World slowly revealed itself.
Garuda stared in amazement.
"There's actually a barrier here? And judging from its aura… it's anything but ordinary."
"Of course it isn't."
Isamu smiled.
"I created it myself after my strength underwent a qualitative leap."
"It contains both the Power of Time and the Power of Space."
"Unless someone possesses strength far beyond mine, breaking it by force is impossible."
"Even I have to use my full power to open it."
The nine tomoe in his Rinnegan began spinning rapidly.
A pillar of black light shot into the heavens.
Along with it, the Power of Time manifested physically.
Once again, the colossal Wheel of Time descended upon the world.
Garuda, Tsunade, Shizune, and Itachi all stared upward with wide eyes.
The enormous wheel suspended in the sky left them speechless.
As it appeared, the true form of the barrier protecting the Small World was finally revealed.
It resembled another gigantic Wheel of Time.
Seeing that everything was ready, Isamu poured Chakra into the heavenly wheel.
Far away, the five Xuanyuan Clan clones suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Since Isamu had concentrated all his Chakra elsewhere, they temporarily lost their source of power and reverted to lifeless corpses.
"Ultimate Time Manipulation—Sealing Evil Reversal!"
The Wheel of Time slowly completed a single rotation.
A beam of black light descended from the sky, striking the barrier.
"Release."
As Isamu's voice echoed through the forest, the barrier dissolved.
In its place appeared a swirling gateway of light.
Once everything was complete, Isamu deactivated his Rinnegan.
The Wheel of Time vanished from the sky.
The Xuanyuan Clan clones gradually recovered their strength and silently rose to their feet once more.
Still staring at the empty sky, Garuda finally asked,
"Isamu, what exactly was that thing just now?"
Everyone else turned toward him with equally curious expressions.
"Oh?"
"You mean that?"
"That's the power residing within my eyes."
"Using today's terminology, you could call it a dōjutsu."
"Whenever necessary, I can manifest that power into physical form."
"What kind of power is it?"
Isamu smiled.
"So many questions."
"You should know that excessive curiosity can be dangerous."
"Still…"
"Since there are no outsiders here today, I'll tell you."
"The power residing within these eyes…"
"…is the Power of Time."
"And the giant wheel you saw…"
"…is the Wheel of Time."
"It is the complete manifestation of my power."
Tsunade, Shizune, and Itachi listened as though they were hearing an unbelievable legend.
After all, manipulating time was something they believed only gods could accomplish.
Garuda looked at him in astonishment.
"The Power of Time…"
"No wonder you're so powerful."
"With a power like that, it'd be strange if you weren't."
"But time is a force that shouldn't even exist in this world."
"How did you obtain it?"
Isamu chuckled.
"You silly girl."
"Far too many questions."
"You don't need to think very hard to realize that's one of my greatest secrets."
"And since it's a secret…"
"…why would I tell you so easily?"
He pointed toward the glowing portal.
"The passage is open."
"Let's go."
With that, Isamu stepped into the gateway first.
Garuda, Tsunade, Shizune, and Itachi quickly followed.
Once they had entered, the five Xuanyuan Clan clones immediately took up positions outside the portal as guards.
Now that the barrier had been lifted, anyone could theoretically enter.
Isamu would never allow outsiders to trespass upon Uchiha territory.
After emerging from the passage, they found themselves standing within a dense forest.
At first glance, it looked no different from the one outside.
Shizune blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Why are we still in a forest?"
"Did we come to the wrong place?"
Garuda carefully sensed her surroundings before speaking.
"No."
"We're definitely somewhere else."
"I can feel it…"
"This space is completely separate from the outside world."
Isamu smiled.
"Your perception is correct."
"This is a Small World that I created with my own power."
"It exists as an independent world."
"Apart from its size, it's almost identical to the outside Ninja World."
As he spoke, Isamu led everyone deeper into the forest, one step at a time.