Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

After learning about Uchiha Sogen's actions in the Daimyo's mansion over the past month or so,

Looking at Uchiha Sogen's series of illustrious achievements, he remained silent for a long time.

He was acutely aware that he was no match for this man. If he wanted to fight against such a monster and defeat him, he needed greater power. Therefore, he set his sights on the forbidden techniques possessed by the Earth Spider Clan.

prior to,

In the forbidden book "Records of Forbidden Techniques" in the Imperial Palace's forbidden library, he saw some information about the forbidden technique possessed by the Tsuchigumo clan. He saw a record of the Enjo-gyōsha using the forbidden technique passed down through generations of the Tsuchigumo clan to destroy a town. The level of destructive power was second to none among the many forbidden techniques.

He was immediately smitten.

After defecting from Daming Prefecture, he was already thinking about how to seize the forbidden techniques of the Earth Spider Clan.

Just as he began investigating detailed intelligence about the Tsuchigumo clan and preparing to formulate an invasion plan,

The forbidden technique holder of the Tsuchigumo clan, En no Gyōja, suddenly left the Tsuchigumo clan's territory, Katsuragi Mountain, taking only a follower and a little girl with him to the Daimyo's residence. This made him immediately realize that this was a good opportunity to seize the forbidden technique. To be honest, the Tsuchigumo clan is an ancient family that has been passed down for hundreds of years, and the various barriers and traps in Katsuragi Mountain are not so easy to break through.

Just then, the traveler voluntarily left the heavily guarded tortoise shell.

There's no need to worry about how to break through Katsuragi Mountain's defenses. As long as we intercept the En no Gyōsha halfway there and manage to capture the elderly En no Gyōsha, it's equivalent to acquiring the Tsuchigumo clan's forbidden technique with unparalleled destructive power.

"Hey, Kazuma, are we just going to sit here like idiots and wait?"

Kogitsunemaru grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Having been detained in the hospital for over a month, he was eager to use his beloved knife to take the head of his prey, rather than staying in this long-abandoned village twenty kilometers away from Daming Prefecture.

"If you want to go to Daming Prefecture to die, I won't stop you."

Kazuma didn't even glance at Kogitsunemaru, sitting motionless on the veranda, maintaining a Zen meditation posture to hone his mental will.

"Kogitsunemaru, don't do anything reckless. Going to the Daimyo's residence now is just courting death."

Kamanosuke shouted.

There's a monster lurking in Daming Prefecture and won't leave.

Let alone going back to Daming Prefecture, they wouldn't even dare to get close to it. If they were caught red-handed, they probably wouldn't be able to escape.

"Hmph! Utterly boring."

Kogitsunemaru strode out with his beloved sword in hand, but he didn't actually go to the daimyo's mansion alone. Instead, he went to the nearby forest to find wild beasts to practice his swordsmanship. This was an abandoned village with no human habitation around it, but wild beasts such as bears, tigers, and wild boars often appeared.

He's just belligerent and combative.

He's not a stubborn fool who only knows how to charge forward.

The others didn't bother to care what Kogitsunemaru was doing. They had been teammates for so long, and they knew what kind of person Kogitsunemaru was. Besides, Kamanosuke had already spoken up, so there was no need for them to worry about it.

You'd be better off focusing on your spiritual practice than wasting time on this.

They were making every effort to prepare for the possible operation that might come at any time. This abandoned village was only twenty kilometers away from the daimyo prefecture, so they could quickly receive intelligence from the daimyo prefecture. As soon as they discovered that the Enma no Kōzō had left the daimyo prefecture, they would launch an operation.

of course,

To ensure that we don't provoke the 'Flame Demon' who is currently squatting in Daimyo Prefecture playing a trick to intimidate the heroes, we definitely can't make a move near Daimyo Prefecture. As long as we don't let the Envoy return to the Tsuchigumo clan's lair at Mount Katsuragi, there are many places along the way suitable for an ambush.

Kamanosuke watched Kogitsunemaru's figure disappear from sight and shook his head helplessly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kazuma meditating.

Then shift your gaze.

Then they saw Tianmu practicing his perception technique, his whole body wrapped in dazzling lightning, and strange smoke rising from an old house not far away. Zizi was trying to concoct a new poison. He himself was carrying heavy stones on his back, squatting and standing up repeatedly, doing his best to temper his body.

"Being an enemy of Konoha... that's certainly a tough job!"

Kamanosuke sighed inwardly.

Even though they haven't had any real conflict with Konoha yet, that invisible pressure has already quietly fallen on the shoulders of each of them. Even Kogitsunemaru, who kept complaining about being bored, was no exception. Wasn't he also out in the forest looking for prey to practice his sword?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Daming Mansion.

The traveler stayed in this bustling city for a week, mainly to take his granddaughter, who had hardly ever left Mount Katsuragi, on a tour, hoping to broaden her horizons and prevent her from being confined to Mount Katsuragi.

Upon seeing Hotaru's curious expression about everything,

He became even more determined to send Hotaru to the Konoha Ninja Academy. He couldn't let Hotaru be confined to Mount Katsuragi for her entire life. Hotaru wasn't the kind of exceptional talent who could shine brightly in any environment. A good environment for Hotaru to grow up in was extremely important.

Dark clouds suddenly gathered at noon today and lingered over Daming Prefecture. Strong winds shook the flowers, plants and trees planted in the courtyard. A rainstorm struck Daming Prefecture and the surrounding area within ten kilometers with lightning speed. However, summer rainstorms come and go quickly.

Less than half an hour later,

The downpour stopped abruptly.

"Senior Tsuchigumo, are you going out again this afternoon?"

In the tea room, with its doors open to the courtyard, Sogen was chatting and drinking tea with En no Gyōsha.

Although the Traveler was too old and not in particularly good health to engage in sparring, it did not prevent them from communicating through language. The Traveler would not so easily reveal information about the forbidden and secret techniques passed down through generations of his clan.

but,

It would be helpful for him to share his personal insights on the cultivation of Yang Dun and Yin Dun.

Their clan's secret technique, known as the "Word Binding Technique," is quite unique. While its essence is indeed Yin Release, its variations involve Yang Release and the transformations of the five chakra natures, making it a rather complex and profound secret technique.

The warrior was not the kind of rigid, inflexible, and stubborn person who strictly adhered to the rules.

The old man, who was older than the entire history of Konoha, understood the importance of building a good relationship with the Hokage, especially since he was preparing to send his granddaughter, Tsuchigumo Hotaru, to the Konoha Ninja Academy. En no Gyoza, while keeping the core secrets of his family's secret techniques a secret, shared as much of his life's experience in Yang Release and Yin Release as possible.

Even when feeling well,

He even personally demonstrated the "Word Binding Technique" several times.

This brought Zongxian considerable benefits.

"I'm not going out. The rain has stopped, but the wind is still quite strong. The doctor advised me to avoid overexerting myself, as this old body of mine is no better off. If possible, I'd like to take care of Ying for as long as possible." Yi Zhi Xing Zhe held his rough pottery teacup, enjoying the warmth of the hot tea inside.

"It's better not to go out. If nothing unexpected happens, we can still watch the excitement later."

"Oh? Who are you sparring with today?"

The traveler asked with great interest.

These days, he, his granddaughter Tsuchigumo Hotaru, and his attendant Dunbei are temporarily staying in the embassy rooms in Konoha. In this short week, they have already witnessed three sparring matches between Sogen and some of the most famous ninjas in the Land of Fire.

"Land".

Zongxian took a sip of tea and said.

“Jiriku... those Twelve Guardian Ninja? If I remember correctly, they are ninja monks from the Fire Temple?” Although En no Gyoza has stayed in Mount Katsuragi for the past few years and hasn’t gone out much, he still keeps up with the news from the outside world. Naturally, he couldn’t be unaware of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, a shining brand promoted by the Fire Daimyo.

Even if you didn't know before, you know now.

After all, not long ago there was an internal conflict among the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, with four members dying and six defecting, leaving only two members... They went from 'Twelve Guardians' to 'Two Guardians', cutting off the whole number and leaving only a fraction.

Even though the official forces of the Land of Fire are trying their best to downplay the matter, to be honest, those who need to know already know what really happened.

"That's right, I arranged to have a spar with him this afternoon."

That's what they say.

However, the sparring match with Jiraiya was not initiated by Sogen. The Fire Temple is a staunch ally of Konoha, and Jiraiya's initiative to deliver intelligence and invite reinforcements to Konoha proves that he is a good friend of Konoha. There was no need for Sogen to challenge Jiraiya. It was only yesterday evening that Jiraiya personally came to challenge him to a duel.

Zongxian had no reason to refuse.

I agreed.

He didn't know if Jiriku had any deeper meaning in doing this. Was it a hint from the Fire Lord to challenge him and test him? Or was it Jiriku's own idea...? But no matter what the reason was, Zongxian didn't care. He had no reason to refuse the opportunity to personally experience the talents of the Fire Temple's immortals.

"The Temple of Fire!"

A look of nostalgia appeared on the traveler's face.

That's how old people are. As they live longer, they inevitably accumulate a wealth of life experiences. Mentioning any place or name can trigger and awaken a part of their memories. Clearly, En no Gyōkyō and Hō no Tōji also had some connection.

"Has Your Excellency, the Hokage, ever visited the Iron Wall of the Fire Temple's seal?"

"I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."

The Iron Wall Sealing the Temple of Fire

Known as an impregnable barrier, it is quite a "famous" place in the Land of Fire. Every year, many people go to the Fire Temple for no other reason than to try to break through its iron seal and become famous throughout the world.

Of course, up to now,

I have never heard of anyone breaking through the iron seal.

"If you have the chance, you can go and take a look. That sealing iron wall is a very interesting thing, as is the talent of the Fire Temple's Sage Clan... They are all very interesting. Our clan's forbidden techniques cannot be passed on to outsiders, not even with the clan leader's permission. However, the talent of the Fire Temple's Sage Clan has the same foundation as our clan's forbidden techniques. With the Hokage assisting your talents, you can study it carefully, and perhaps you can really gain something."

Because it involved the forbidden techniques of the Earth Spider Clan, the Traveler's words were not very detailed and were somewhat vague.

However, Zongxian understood exactly what the En no Gyōja was talking about.

The forbidden techniques of the Tsuchigumo clan and the immortal techniques of the Fire Temple are said to have the same foundation, meaning that both of them utilize natural energy to a certain extent and can be considered as the prototype of immortal techniques, or as another form of immortal techniques.

He wasn't sure either; he was just speculating.

"I will definitely visit the Fire Temple if I have the chance."

Zongxian smiled and agreed.

Immortal arts,

This is also an important part of the future plan.

Although he hasn't officially started practicing Sage Mode yet, because he hasn't mastered any method that would allow him to do so, and the three holy lands are elusive and hard to find, he can't very well lose face and go looking for Jiraiya, can he? That's a last resort. Before that, he can still try other possibilities.

The immortal talent of the Fire Temple is one of those rare possibilities.

While they were talking,

Moonlight Gale hurried over, saying that Earth Continent had arrived.

[277. Chapter 275: A Talented Immortal]

"Dilu, you look quite well today." Zongxian looked at the young monk who walked into the tea room, and after observing him for a moment, he found that the other man's complexion was much better than when they met yesterday evening. Although there was still a hint of fatigue in the corners of his eyes and brows, overall there was no major problem.

"I had an appointment to spar with the Hokage's assistant, so I dared not be careless. I started to recuperate after returning last night."

Di Lu answered very honestly.

He wasn't arrogant enough to plan to face the [Flame Demon] while exhausted and weary.