Chapter Sixty-Three: The Lord of Terra (Part One)

Time passed, and a week later, the entire atmosphere in the Hidden Leaf Village was fraught with tension. After all, this time, the village did not choose to compromise with the Cloud Hidden’s Kamoi incident, but instead took a firm stand. The Cloud Hidden delegation had already been expelled, and the village had sent a formal protest demanding reparations.

What was truly astonishing, however, was that the protest sent to the Cloud Hidden Village seemed to disappear without a trace, like a drop of water vanishing into the sea—there was not the slightest ripple in response. The Cloud Hidden made no reply, and the Raikage, A, avoided any mention of the delegation’s expulsion, as if nothing had ever happened.

This attitude, while shocking to all, also allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. If the famously hot-tempered Raikage was willing to let the matter drop, then it seemed that war might yet be averted.

In truth, Uchiha Li had already anticipated such a response from the Cloud Hidden, so he was not particularly surprised. Unlike in the original story, the Hidden Leaf was not so weak that it could not support a war—after all, the Fourth Hokage was still alive. Moreover, on the surface, the village had gained the power of Uchiha Fugaku’s Mangekyo Sharingan. Even though the Uchiha and the village did not see eye to eye, if war truly broke out, the Uchiha would certainly take to the battlefield.

In such a scenario, if the Hidden Leaf chose to fight to the bitter end, the Cloud Hidden would fare no better and would only make things easier for other ninja villages. The Raikage, though quick-tempered, was not a fool; considering all factors, it was only natural that he chose silence when he could not force the Leaf into submission.

From Uchiha Li’s perspective, everything Kamoi did was simply a test from the Cloud Hidden. This time, their probing had failed utterly in the face of the Leaf’s resolve.

Now, in the deep silence of the night, the moon hung high in the sky. Uchiha Li locked himself in his room, holding a document in his hand. This intelligence report had been delivered to him that afternoon by a messenger from Uchiha Fugaku, and it contained news regarding the Wandering People.

Nearly a week had passed since the Uchiha had dispatched many agents, employing black market bounties and other means, and finally managed to obtain some useful information. Although they had only located several merchant caravans suspected of being the Wandering People, and it would require Li himself to confirm their identity, having a target was already enough—he felt an eagerness to set out as soon as possible.

However, he did not rush. This mission was too important, and for the sake of caution, he intended to bring Shisui along. Moreover, he would not simply ask Shisui for help as an individual; he planned to assign the mission under his identity as Terra’s leader.

As luck would have it, over the past few days, he had thoroughly explored Terra’s communication functions and discovered some new authorities within Terra. This would be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate them. Of course, before doing so, he needed a proper disguise—the image of the leader must be maintained.

With this in mind, Uchiha Li took out a cloak and a mask. Both had been specially crafted over the past few days, and he had made more than a dozen sets, intending them for future Terra members. All the cloaks were identical in style—pure black, with the word “Terra” engraved in gold. For secrecy, he had inscribed sealing techniques on the cloaks, enough to block most detection methods—even the Byakugan could not see through them. They also masked scent, making them imperceptible even to ninja beasts.

The masks had different patterns for identification, each bearing its own sealing technique. On his own leader’s mask, he had added black goggles to prevent anyone within the organization from recognizing him by his eyes. The other masks lacked this feature, since as a regular member working in the field, he could not always avoid using the distinctive powers of the Mangekyo or Susanoo. If they were used, it would be obvious to suspect the Uchiha, so there was no need to conceal the eyes.

Once he donned the mask and cloak, Uchiha Li’s entire demeanor changed, exuding an aura of authority and mystery. “Perfect. I hope Shisui won’t be too frightened,” he murmured, satisfied by his reflection in the mirror, and then activated Terra’s teleportation array.

Arriving in Terra’s realm, Uchiha Li reached out and gently touched the statue of Bacal. Instantly, a white light flashed over the statue and disappeared in a blink.

...

In the Uchiha district, at Shisui’s home.

Shisui sat in his room, elbows on his knees, gazing at the moon outside his window. “Since the Cloud Hidden has chosen silence, the village is safe from war, at least for now. Still, when will the clan and the village truly become one…”

With nothing pressing at hand, his mind wandered over the recent events in the village. Soon, his thoughts turned to Uchiha Li, and a note of resolve appeared in his expression.

“It’s possible. As long as Li is here, and with the mysterious Terra as well… Still, I wonder, what kind of existence is Terra’s leader, truly?”

As the words left his lips, he suddenly felt a pulling sensation envelop him, and in an instant, he was gone.

...

Within Terra’s realm.

Shisui experienced the by-now-familiar dizziness, but quickly regained his senses. Looking ahead, he saw a mysterious figure shrouded in mist, cloaked and masked.

“You are… Terra’s leader?” Shisui was momentarily stunned, then, realizing what had happened, spoke with a trace of nervousness and unease. To be transported to Terra’s realm without warning—even though it was not his first time—gave him quite a shock. And now, confronted by a mysterious presence he could not see through, his apprehension only grew.

Uchiha Li deliberately paused for several seconds, then replied in a calm, disguised voice, “This is my world. Here, I am called ‘the God of Creation,’ ‘the Great Will,’ or ‘the Lord of Terra.’”

Tilting his head slightly, he continued in a deep, resonant tone, “But since you have inherited Bacal, it is not wrong to address me as Leader.”

So it really was Terra’s leader!

Hearing the reply, Shisui felt a weight lift from his heart. He had suspected he was being summoned by the leader, but until now, it was only speculation. Now, with confirmation, he felt reassured; after all, he too was a member of Terra.

“But ‘God of Creation,’ ‘Great Will,’ and ‘Lord of Terra’—such extraordinary titles for a leader!” he thought with some awe. Glancing around, Shisui hesitated before asking, “Leader, has Li not been summoned?”

Suppressing a laugh, Uchiha Li replied in a solemn tone, “He has already been summoned by me. This time, I have called you here specifically.”

Shisui straightened, attentive and serious. “Is there something you need my help with?”

“No rush. Let us sit and talk,” Uchiha Li said, waving his hand in a gesture he had recently mastered as part of his new authorities. With a subtle movement, the white mist in Terra’s realm began to swirl, startling Shisui.

In a matter of moments, Shisui watched as the mist around them took shape, gradually solidifying into two white chairs, their surfaces traced with irregular patterns, as if carved from ivory.

Staring at this sudden display, Shisui was left speechless for a long time…