Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

This also greatly affected the grass ninja under their command.

"Heh, if it were truly just a mere weapon of war, what right would it have to be called the most valued treasure of the Sage of Six Paths? Although Lord Uru is the leader of our Kusagakure, he still doesn't understand our village's history as well as the four elders. The Box of Link is a wish-granting machine that can fulfill any wish. Of course, any wish has certain limitations; for example, it certainly can't completely destroy the world. But this machine can grant people unparalleled power, and even the wish to resurrect the dead can be fulfilled. Mammoth-kun, don't you want to resurrect Lord Uru!?"

Like a devil's whisper, as Yanli's highly seductive words fell, it was clear that Mammoth's pupils contracted again, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

The Resurrection Technique is a technique that involves the highest forbidden realm. It can be said that in the thousand-year history since the birth of ninjas, there has never been a shortage of people who have studied this technique. Humans are ultimately afraid of death. They want eternity, they want to be able to resurrect their loved ones, and so on!

Despite his seemingly unreliable appearance, Mammoth has an incredibly deep bond with his father, Pulu. If there were even the slightest possibility of resurrecting his father, he would take that step without hesitation.

At this moment, Mammoth was completely tempted. If the Chest of Elysium really had such power, even if the probability was only one percent or even one in ten thousand, Mammoth would be willing to take the gamble!

Mammoth could be indifferent to others, but his own father was the person he cherished most. The thought of having the possibility of resurrecting his father clearly caused Mammoth to be unable to suppress the turmoil deep within his heart!

"Resurrection!? You're serious!?"

Mammoth stared fiercely at Yan Li in the opposite position.

"Hehe, do you think the four elders would need to deceive you on this matter? Mammoth-kun, this concerns the core interests of our Kusagakure! You must understand, our Kusagakure almost dominated the ninja world with the Box of Paradise. Is that something a mere tailed beast could do? Don't worry, Mammoth-kun, as long as you agree to cooperate with the elders, your wish can be fulfilled. The sacrifices and other costs have already been prepared in advance; now we just need to wait for the right time!"

Yan Li smiled slightly and said.

"time?"

"Yes, otherwise do you think this Box of Bliss can be used casually? The selection of offerings requires careful and meticulous consideration; they must perfectly meet the conditions. However, you don't need to worry about any of this, Mammoth-kun. You just need to do your job on the Cloud Village side. In two years, or at most three years, the elders will be able to make all the preparations. Moreover, the Cloud Village's attitude is that they will probably not start taking action until at least two years later. At that time, it will be the time for our Grass Village to be revived!"

Yan Li said with a smile.

Just as the Fourth Raikage A and Tsuchikage valued Mammoth's appeal as the son of Uryu, the four remaining elders of Kusagakure felt the same way. Although they held high positions and wielded great power, Uryu was the true leader of Kusagakure. In terms of prestige among ordinary Kusagakure ninja, Uryu was undoubtedly superior. Even though Uryu had been completely defeated and Mammoth was now a fugitive, he still held this identity. If the four elders wanted to realize their ambitions, make Kusagakure the most powerful place in the ninja world, and become the most powerful people in the ninja world themselves, they had to win over Mammoth!

The 'hope of resurrection' offered here is the most tempting condition.

The mammoth fell completely silent at that moment, but this silence lasted only a few seconds. When the mammoth raised its eyelids again, a faint crimson color could be clearly seen deep in its pupils.

"I understand. I will definitely cooperate with the elders' actions, but please remember that my father is the leader of Kusagakure!"

"Hehe, that's only natural, Mammoth!"

Mammoth's seemingly resolute tone brought a hint of joy to Yan Li's face, and he nodded emphatically in response.

"Well then, that's all for today. I'll go back immediately and report this good news to the elders. Also, the Cloud Ninja's defenses are still very tight, so please be extremely careful and cautious, Mammoth!"

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me, I understand it myself!"

Mammoth gave a soft snort.

"Then, I'll take my leave of rudeness!"

Yan Li chuckled softly, and then his figure slowly disappeared, completely vanishing into the darkness!

'A wish-granting machine of all possibilities? Just you wait, Father, I will resurrect you! So what about Kumogakure? So what about the Four Elders? They all want to use me, don't they? Then let's see who's more cunning!'

In this dimly lit room.

Mammoth clenched his fists tightly, a chilling glint in his eyes, and murmured to himself from the depths of his heart.

Everyone can make a calculation, and everyone has their own ambitions and plans. But who can ultimately realize their plans depends not only on their own efforts, but also on whether God will favor them!

In any case, Mammoth had no way out. Even if it was just for that last theoretical possibility, Mammoth would fearlessly step forward, even if there was an abyss ahead!

Whether the Fourth Raikage, who wanted to use the mammoth, and the four elders of Kusagakure who moved the Box of Elysium ahead of time will be devoured by the mammoth in the future is an unknown!

Planning and preparation among all parties.

This is not a peaceful year; in fact, it should be described as a turbulent one. The 51st year of Konoha is also coming to an end. It can be said that since Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha signed peace agreements and ended the state of war, the entire ninja world has finally entered a truly peaceful environment.

Whether it's a large country or a small country.

People can finally breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to welcome the New Year. This is a rare New Year in which people from all countries can enjoy peace!

This was a rare opportunity for the Uchiha clan, or more accurately, for them, to relax during the New Year. After all, before the clan left Konoha, they were constantly scheming against the higher-ups. The New Year after the Nine-Tails' attack was even more miserable. The New Year in 50 was the moment the clan decided to leave Konoha, and the entire clan entered a period of wandering, so there was no way to celebrate the New Year. In 51, although the clan had stabilized, they had only been in Iwagakure for a year.

Everyone in the clan was still in the process of getting familiar with and adapting. Not to mention the few pessimists, even the most optimistic clansmen, including Shoji, lived cautiously, really afraid that the scene in Konoha would repeat itself. But as things stabilized step by step over 51 years, a full two years passed, and it can be said that the Uchiha clan had initially taken root and survived in Iwagakure!

Shoji was completely free of his last worry. He was now 100% certain that his Tsuchikage truly valued him highly. Even if Shoji thought it was impossible, he could at least sense that his Tsuchikage was genuinely grooming him as the next successor, and not just the fifth generation, but with a high probability that he would become the fourth generation!

After all, considering the plot of the original work, the possibility of him succeeding as the Fourth Tsuchikage is really very high. At this point, Shoji no longer needs to worry about the clan's adaptability in the village. They, the Uchiha clan, can openly say that they are the Uchiha clan of Iwagakure!

Ordinary clan members can gradually feel the recognition and acceptance of others in the village. Not only Shoji, but also Yatsushiro, Kogahara, Inahime, Tetsuka and other clan members have made other friends in the village one after another. The clan can be said to have completely integrated into Iwagakure. The worry on the faces of the clan members has completely disappeared, and what is revealed is a full sense of security and happiness!

This is the kind of life the Uchiha clan once wanted most!

Especially for the elderly, children, women and kids in the clan, a stable life is the best!

Therefore, as the New Year of 52 was approaching, a very joyful atmosphere was spreading throughout the Uchiha clan. Lanterns and decorations were being put up inside and outside Iwagakure, and every household had hung up some festive items related to the New Year!

Moreover, this year is truly peaceful across the ninja world, unlike the past few years when there were minor skirmishes here or there. Most importantly, the friction between Kumogakure and Konoha, which lasted for several years, has finally come to an end. Onoki also ordered the Jonin to arrange the corresponding shifts and guard duties in advance, so that all the Iwa ninjas could enjoy a relaxing vacation as much as possible.

Even for the Iwa ninja stationed on the border who couldn't return to rest, Onoki made sure that the Jonin teams made proper arrangements to entertain the troops, so that this New Year would be a relatively peaceful one where they could relax a little.

During these rare few days of holiday, Jiang Si spent almost all his time at home helping his grandmother with housework and buying New Year's essentials such as buckwheat noodles. He truly enjoyed a peaceful and ordinary New Year.

Then, at the very moment the New Year's bell rang.

When time flips back to the 52nd year of Konoha in the original story.

As Jiang Si, accompanied by his younger brother and sister, went to pay homage to the gods for the New Year, he felt a strange energy fluctuation as the morning sun shone upon the earth.

'So this is the true nature of natural energy?'

The bottleneck that had been impossible to break through for so long was suddenly understood at this moment. It might be due to the influence of the environment, the result of accumulated experience over time, or the changes brought about by opening the Eternal Eye.

But regardless of the factor.

On the morning of January 1st, Konoha 52.

Shoji was able to fully sense the enormous natural energy surrounding his body. Compared to before, when he could only vaguely sense it and was unable to absorb even a trace of it to convert into Sage Chakra, this breakthrough was a major milestone. Even though there was still a considerable distance to go before he could successfully absorb the natural energy, fully refine the Sage Chakra, and enter the complete Sage Mode!

But being able to clearly sense natural energy is already the most crucial breakthrough from 0 to 1!

The next step is simply to accumulate time and unlock this achievement through continuous hard work and training. Moreover, Shoji's goal is not just to enter Sage Mode in a peaceful environment, or to use the Shadow Clone Technique like Naruto to sneak into Sage Mode, but to regard Hashirama Senju as his target!

It must be done 100%, unconditionally, and instantly enter Sage Mode!

Only this kind of immortal mode.

That is the true immortal!

That is the true strength that the general can rely on.

'Everything is really going so smoothly!'

Gazing at the rising sun in the distance, a faint joy appeared in Jiang Si's eyes. He had already obtained the Eternal Eye, and his Sage Art had also achieved a crucial breakthrough at this critical juncture. The two powers that he could best control at this stage had also opened up new realms. This was truly great news for Jiang Si!

While mastering Sage Mode is no easy feat—even after reaching the initial level, complete mastery would take years, and reaching the level of Hashirama Senju would be extremely difficult—to put it bluntly, although this is Shoji's ultimate goal, simply mastering Sage Mode and entering Sage Mode, even the kind that Naruto initially entered from a frozen state, would be sufficient for Shoji's use!

The Shadow Clone Technique is a luxury for most ninjas, but for Shoji, it is definitely something he can afford to use. Of course, it can't compare to Naruto, a freak. Without considering the Nine-Tails' chakra, the amount of chakra in the main body is a hundred times that of Kakashi!

General Jiang certainly doesn't have that kind of capital.

However, the Uchiha clan's overall chakra reserves are not low; otherwise, how could they activate Susanoo? How could they use those unique eye techniques? Moreover, Shoji's chakra reserves are among the highest in the Uchiha clan.

The chakra consumption of techniques like Shadow Clone Jutsu is manageable for Shoji. At worst, he can learn from Naruto and prepare some Shadow Clones in advance, placing them in a secret, quiet space to absorb natural energy, refine Sage Chakra, and then use the Summoning Jutsu to summon them back to his main body, dispel the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and obtain Sage Chakra!

Naruto has the help of the toads of Mount Myōboku.

Shoji also has the assistance of the cat clan, who are contracted with the Uchiha clan generation after generation. Although the cat clan, which is contracted with the Uchiha clan generation after generation, has no combat ability at all, they can only provide the Uchiha clan with necessary intelligence, special weapons and medicines.

Of course, not everyone in the Uchiha clan has a summoning contract with the ninja cat clan. These ninja cats are not originally used for combat, but are an important part of the Uchiha clan's logistics and intelligence. Generally speaking, only the clan leader and a very few other important members of the clan will form a contract with the ninja cat clan!

This is also for the convenience of communication.

Of course, besides the summoning contract, the clan also has other means of communication. After all, the Ninja Cat Clan does not live in a special summoning world, but exists in the real world. This can be seen in the original work when Sasuke, before his final battle with Itachi, took Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo and others to the ruins where the Ninja Cat Clan lived. Moreover, Sasuke had obviously contacted Granny Cat in advance before arriving!

However, Sasuke's summoning contract was inherited from Orochimaru from the Orochi clan of Ryuchi Cave, which is enough to prove it!

'Looks like I'll need to visit Grandma Cat's place soon. What a great start to the new year!'

Jiang Si thought silently to himself.

390. The General's Plans and Reverse Spirit Communication Technique

After the short New Year holiday.

Shoji also returned to his post. Due to the unexpected breakthrough on the first day of the new year, Shoji revised his training plan. Previously, he felt that he needed to take a long-term view of Sage Mode training and prioritize adapting to his Eternal Eye power. At that moment, Shoji changed his arrangements.

He felt that the two could be carried out simultaneously. The most important point was that he wanted to see if the Eternal Eye would really benefit his cultivation of immortal arts. If the evolution of the eye made him more sensitive to natural energy, then he would have even more reason to cultivate the two at the same time.

In this way, it is very likely that the training efficiency of both aspects can be accelerated at the same time. Jiang Si is already eager to see how terrifying the power of the Perfect Susanoo will be when he enters Sage Mode, activates the Eternal Eye, and directly releases the power of the Perfect Susanoo. You should know that under Sage Mode, the ninja who enters this mode can improve all aspects of his qualities. To give the most direct example, the same technique, the same person, will release at least twice the power in Sage Mode compared to normal mode!

Shoji wasn't sure if Sage Chakra had a similar amplifying effect on Susanoo, or on his own unique eye techniques. The original work didn't seem to explicitly mention this either, but it was definitely something worth trying. Maybe the principle was the same? He knew that his ability to break through his limits on that day and easily sense the vast natural energy around him was indeed related to the awakening of the Eternal Eye!

If this conjecture can be verified, my cultivation will become much smoother.

Therefore, before this, I must make some preparations, such as purchasing some necessary tools and medicines. Who knows what accidents might happen during the training, especially the special scrolls used to summon shadow clones for cultivating Sage Mode chakra. Although Iwagakure should also have them, it is best to obtain these things through the ninja cat clan that I have a contract with!

Of course, some necessary work and administrative matters also need to be arranged in advance before setting off, including arrangements with Yakushi Kabuto. This kid's experimental progress has far exceeded Shoji's expectations. Not long after the first phase of the experimental goal was achieved, he has further completed the experimental requirements assigned by Shoji in the following month!

It must be said that talented people learn things much faster than ordinary people, which surprised and delighted Shoji.

And although it was only three or four months, Shoji had already grasped some of Kabuto Yakushi's psychological state. After all, Kabuto Yakushi was only thirteen or fourteen years old at this time. Even though he was much more mature than his peers due to his years of spy career, he was still a young boy!

Therefore, Shoji plans to be a little bolder and speed up the arrangements for Kabuto Yakushi.

"This is your next task, Dou: analyze the characteristics of this cell and then make it possible to replicate the same cell!"

In the Uchiha clan's private laboratory, Shoji looked at Kabuto Yakushi standing in front of him, pointed to a set of Wood Release cells of the First Hokage on the table, and said with a very serious expression, "After obtaining the First Hokage's Wood Release cells and some important activity data from Orochimaru, Shoji began to study them on his own, and has been doing so for two years now."

This occurred before the great war broke out between the three major ninja villages.

Shoji barely managed to absorb the part of Orochimaru's teachings and further activate and replicate the First Hokage's Wood Release cells. This was actually far beyond Shoji's expectations. You should know that he was initially prepared to waste all of these Wood Release cells without any results, and he was thinking that one day he would have to go back to that 'Uncle Snake' for an in-depth conversation!

The Wood Release cells that could be successfully replicated by this unexpected means that Shoji no longer needs to worry about the problem of 'experimental materials'. He had spent a year and a half to achieve this, even with some key auxiliary data.

Shoji wanted to see what Kabuto Yakushi could achieve with a base of almost zero. That's right, Shoji neither intended to tell Kabuto directly that it was the First Hokage's cell, nor did he intend to give Kabuto the part of the information Orochimaru had given him for reference!

The previous experimental plan included having Kabuto Yakushi conduct research on replicating ordinary ninja cells. Now, they are going straight to the most difficult research. Although the dimensional gap is a bit exaggerated, Shoji really wants to see just how far Kabuto Yakushi's talent can go in this area!

"This cell? What terrifying vitality! Lord Jiang Si, whose cell is this? Could it be the cell of Lord Lao Zi or Lord Han from the village?!"

Kabuto gently picked up the culture bottle on the table and carefully examined the cells inside. His perception slowly attached itself to the bottle, sensing the vibrant life force emanating from the cells. This was unlike any cell he had ever encountered in his previous experiments. No, to be precise, it was completely different, as if they were not even on the same level!

The first thought that flashed through my mind was of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki in my own ninja village.

Kabuto's eyes lit up, and he blurted out the answer.

Kabuto was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a laugh and said, "No, Kabuto, this cell has nothing to do with Old Man Zi or Han-san. It's just a human cell, and it has nothing to do with tailed beasts or any special creatures. You don't need to ask whose cell it is for now. Your task is to fully analyze this cell, then conduct research on its activation, and eventually be able to completely replicate it!"