The sunset pierced through the clouds, casting a warm glow on Shisui's pale face. The orange hues reflected in his eyes as he softly asked, "If I remember correctly, hasn't the Six Paths Ninja Tools been lost for a long time?"
The Six Paths Ninja Tools had been lost since the First Great Ninja War.
They were buried in history along with the Second Raikage and the Second Hokage of Konoha. Over the years, Kumogakure (the Village Hidden in the Clouds) never gave up searching for the Six Paths Ninja Tools, but neither the Second nor the Third Great Ninja War saw their reappearance. It seemed that the village still hadn't recovered their lost treasures.
"I found a clue in the Third Hokage's memories."
Sougen casually dropped a bombshell, leaving Shisui stunned. What did he mean by discovering clues in Hiruzen Sarutobi's memories? Even though Shisui no longer held the same respect for the Third Hokage, spying on a Hokage's memories—especially one who wasn't like Danzo—still felt highly improper.
"Don't worry. Sarutobi was pretty tough on himself; he set up plenty of seals in his mind. I only managed to glimpse a fraction of his memories, and I didn't see anything related to the Scroll of Seals. I was hoping to find the Flying Thunder God technique though. With your skills, Shisui, I'm pretty sure you could master it."
Shisui's emotions were easy to read, and Sougen wasn't lying. Sarutobi's mind was protected by powerful seals that destroyed many secrets before he could access them. Only bits and pieces of relatively unimportant information remained.
One clue led to the Six Paths Ninja Tools.
After the death of the First Hokage, the peace treaty among the Five Great Nations gradually broke down, leading to the First Great Ninja War. Four Kage, including the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, lost their lives during that brutal conflict.
Tobirama met his end during an ambush at a peace summit with the Raikage, where he was attacked by two legendary warriors from Kumogakure.
Both the Second Raikage and Tobirama, known as the "Fastest Ninja," died in that battle. However, Tobirama, despite his abilities, didn't flee immediately but instead stayed behind to cover the retreat of his students and subordinates. The exact details of his final battle remain unknown.
In reality, Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God technique to return to Konoha with severe injuries. But the wounds inflicted by Kumogakure's two legendary warriors were fatal, and it was only thanks to the Senju clan's strong vitality that he even made it back.
Tobirama barely had time to leave two final messages before passing away. Sougen saw the memory through Sarutobi's eyes: "Little monkey, I left Ginkaku at sea. Kinkaku won't last long either... They are no longer a threat. From now on, Konoha is in your hands!"
The final battle between Tobirama and the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku took place at sea.
Sougen wasn't surprised—Tobirama, as the master of the Flying Thunder God technique, would logically lead the enemy away from Konoha to protect his students. Sarutobi had secretly investigated this battle, where the brothers killed the Second Raikage using the Six Paths Ninja Tools. This left an unforgettable impression on Sarutobi. He was deeply interested in those tools.
Unfortunately, his investigation bore no results.
The sea was too vast, and after expending significant resources, all Sarutobi could do was determine that the tools might be on one of the islands in the Land of Water. However, the outbreak of the Second Great Ninja War left him no time or manpower to pursue the matter further.
Until now—
This memory, long sealed in Sarutobi's mind, had been unearthed by Sougen.
Shisui didn't know how to respond.
The Flying Thunder God technique certainly piqued his interest. As a master of the Body Flicker Technique, Shisui was fascinated by space-time jutsu. However, in the past, he never had access to such elite techniques. No matter how great the merits of the Uchiha, they were never granted access to the Scroll of Seals.
To Sougen, it made sense. The Scroll of Seals contained forbidden techniques developed by the Second Hokage, and it had nothing to do with the Uchiha. If he were in Sarutobi's shoes, Sougen might have made the same decision.
"Although I didn't manage to get the Flying Thunder God technique from Sarutobi's mind, Konoha today isn't what it was in his time. With your contributions, and if I pull a few strings, you should qualify to access the Scroll of Seals. Then, you might have a chance to learn the Flying Thunder God technique."
Sougen continued.
Uchiha Shisui, famed for his mastery of the Body Flicker technique, combined with the Flying Thunder God technique—what would that lead to? Sougen was eager to find out.
Shisui was left speechless. He coughed lightly and said, "Let's discuss the Flying Thunder God technique later. If I don't have enough merits, I'll earn more. You want me to search for these Six Paths Ninja Tools? Are they in the Land of Water?"
"There's a possibility! Honestly, I'm not sure if they're there or if Kumogakure already found them but haven't found a suitable user, like the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku. Maybe that's why they've kept them hidden."
Even Sougen's memories weren't omniscient.
Much had been lost to time, and many events were distorted by history. The past could only serve as a reference, not a guide.
"There's also a chance they haven't been found. The Land of Water is controlled by Kirigakure, and Kumogakure can't act openly there. There are many possibilities. I can't say for sure. You should just go and give it a try."
"If the tools are still there, I'll bring them back."
Shisui readily agreed.
The task seemed much more manageable than the risky plans to overthrow the Hokage. Even if it seemed like a personal request from Sougen, it felt like a welcome change.
Sougen handed him a scroll. "This contains all the places where the tools might be. Check those areas, but if you can't find anything, don't worry. This is just my personal request, not a clan order. If you don't want to go, just let me know."
"You're only asking me that now?" Shisui laughed as he accepted the scroll.
He carefully put it away, then Sougen added, "I'll find a reason to let you operate freely, but Kirigakure will send people to track and monitor you. Be cautious of them and of the enemy lurking in the shadows."
"I'll be careful," Shisui nodded seriously.
Though he didn't consider Kirigakure much of a threat, he knew he had to be wary of the enemy claiming to be Uchiha Madara and their allies.
"Good!"
Sougen nodded lightly.
Shisui was his best bet to recover the Six Paths Ninja Tools—if they still existed and hadn't already been taken.
(End of Chapter)