Uchiha Gate: From Konoha to One Piece

— — — — —

Uchiha Naori secretly called Uchiha Zen over.

To avoid detection by the Third Hokage and his allies, she specifically had Zen use a shadow clone and transformation jutsu to sneak over.

After a meticulous and detailed discussion, they came up with dozens of contingency plans for various battlefield scenarios. Zen, Tsunade, and even Kaito committed them to memory.

Naturally, Kaito made sure to remember everything as well—after all, this time he, Mikoto, Minato, and even Nawaki would all be heading to the battlefield one after another.

With that, they completed their preparations and submitted their application for action.

"For now, we'll leave the discussion here," Naori concluded. "Moving forward, we'll adjust our strategies in real-time using the communication space based on changes in the battlefield situation."

"Our ultimate goal is to completely annihilate the Sarutobi and Shimura clans' elites stationed on the frontlines, trap Danzo, and pin their deaths on the Rain, Rock, or Sand shinobi. Even if the Third suspects the truth, he won't find any evidence."

Mito and the others nodded in agreement.

Mito specifically reminded Tsunade, "You'll be participating this time as well. Remember to stay in touch with Zen through the communication space and coordinate with him."

"Understood!" Tsunade nodded quickly. She didn't need to be told—this was personal for her.

She still wanted revenge for the Senju who died in the First Shinobi War, for Nawaki, who would have been betrayed in the original timeline, and for her own future, which had been left in chaos.

This time, she wouldn't hold back because of any sentimental attachment to her old teacher.

Mito then turned to Uzumaki Ashina. "What about you? Who will lead the Uzumaki clan's forces in this operation?"

"Hm..." Ashina thought for a moment before replying, "Let's have Kushina's father, my son Uzumaki Daichi, lead the team."

"He's also a contracted ally, so it'll be easier and more reliable that way."

"The rest of the Uzumaki clan's adult shinobi haven't interacted with Kaito much, so their favorability level is too low to establish a contract."

"Meanwhile, the younger generation has plenty of potential candidates, but they lack the strength or reputation needed for this mission. Daichi is our best option."

"I'll talk to him when I return and have him contact Zen and Tsunade through the communication space."

Daichi had only managed to earn enough favorability points because of his connection to Kushina.

"Daichi, huh? That works," Mito said approvingly. She turned to Tsunade and Zen, adding, "You two heard him. Make sure the three of you discuss this further later."

"Yes!" Tsunade and Zen replied immediately.

"For now, let's call it a day," Mito said with a nod. Then she turned to Kaito and the others. "Get ready to graduate early. Nawaki will be joining this mission as well."

"Do you have any preferences for your team leader? Should we assign someone from our three clans?"

"Uh..."

Kaito and the others exchanged looks before Kaito replied, "How about having Tsunade lead us? I'm her student, after all, so it makes sense. The Third should approve, right?"

"As for Nawaki, isn't he Orochimaru's student? It makes sense for Orochimaru to handle his arrangements."

"But ideally, Nawaki's team should include at least one contracted Uchiha and one Uzumaki as teammates. There are some qualified candidates among those preparing for early graduation—just pick two strong ones."

It wasn't that Kaito didn't want Nawaki on his team, but his group was already large enough. Adding Nawaki wouldn't be practical.

"That works," Mito said, glancing at Tsunade. When Tsunade nodded, Mito added, "With the emergency teleportation ability in place, we don't have to worry about Nawaki's safety."

"But something tells me you have a bigger plan in mind," she said, looking at Kaito knowingly. "Leaving Nawaki with Orochimaru—is this your way of trying to strengthen ties with him and increase his favorability for a potential contract?"

Mito, knowing a lot about the future, understood the value of Orochimaru despite his descent into madness. His brilliance as a researcher could greatly benefit Konoha and the shinobi world as a whole.

"Ha! I can't hide anything from you, Lady Mito!" Kaito chuckled. "That's exactly my plan!"

"Orochimaru is tough to approach. Without a good reason, getting close to him could backfire and make him suspicious, which would hurt my chances of building a good rapport."

"Nawaki provides the perfect opportunity to ease his guard and lay the groundwork for a contract."

"In comparison, even leveraging Tsunade's relationship with him wouldn't be as effective."

That's why Kaito had refrained from using Tsunade to contact Orochimaru over the years. The few times they met were during the Sannin's gatherings, where Tsunade had casually introduced him as her promising student.

Those brief interactions left a decent impression on Orochimaru.

As for Jiraiya?

He was even harder to deal with.

Jiraiya's loyalty to the Third Hokage ran deep, and his personality was far too stubborn.

While he seemed carefree on the surface, he was inflexible when it came to important matters, making it nearly impossible to sway him.

Adding to the challenge, Jiraiya was under the influence of Mount Myoboku's elder toad and its prophecy, making him unsuitable for recruitment at this time.

He might even leak Kaito's secrets to the elder toad.

Moreover, Jiraiya's value didn't match Orochimaru's. At best, Jiraiya could serve as a top-tier fighter, but Kaito already had plenty of those in the pipeline.

With the new generation from the three clans growing stronger thanks to his amazing techniques and chakra refining methods Kaito had introduced, Konoha would soon have no shortage of elite shinobi.

"Exactly!" Tsunade agreed, giving Kaito an approving look. "You really seem to understand Orochimaru, even though you've barely interacted with him."

"I hope you can recruit him soon and keep him from going down the wrong path."

"Honestly, his behavior has been getting worse over the years."

"He's already delving into immortality research and even started working with Danzo."

"If nothing changes, it'll only get harder to reach him, let alone gain his trust."

Over the years, Tsunade's strength had skyrocketed with Kaito's help, propelling her to Kage-level. Her rapid progress had put immense pressure on both Orochimaru and Jiraiya, forcing them to keep up.

But everyone had their limits.

While Jiraiya had Sage Mode to push his boundaries, Orochimaru had already failed at mastering it.

This failure might drive him to more extreme measures, something Tsunade hoped to avoid.

"I feel the same way," Kaito nodded.

He planned to use Nawaki to gradually build a relationship with Orochimaru, then lure him in with enticing resources, eventually leading to a contract.

Once contracted, Kaito would share some of his secrets and send Orochimaru to explore the One Piece world.

By combining the resources and technology of both worlds, Orochimaru could create incredible innovations.

Kaito mused further, "Speaking of science and talent, I should find time to visit the North Blue and locate Germa 66. Their lineage factor research, artificial humans, and battle suit technology could be invaluable."

"Eventually, I could even seek out Vegapunk and explore his innovations."

"Also the Karakuri island (Mechanical Island)—it's definitely worth investigating!"

Kaito thought to himself. 'There's still so much to prepare for in the future!'

"By the way!"

Suddenly, Tsunade glanced at Mikoto and the others, then asked curiously, "Kaito, are you planning to team up with Mikoto, Kushina, and Minato?"

"If that's the case, wouldn't you have one extra person on your team?"

"How about assigning one of them to Nawaki's team?"

Normally, rookie teams are composed of three people plus a supervising teacher.

"Let's not," Kaito immediately shook his head and replied, "The four of us are already used to working together. There's no need to split up!"

"Besides, Tsunade-sis, you're about to head to the frontlines to take on a crucial role, right? You won't have much time to guide us anyway!"

"Later, we'll likely have to act independently."

"If we split now, we'll be short a person when that time comes."

"So having an extra person now works out perfectly, doesn't it?"

The Hidden Leaf (Konoha) had already declared war on the Hidden Rain.

By the time the troops reached the frontlines, full-scale combat wouldn't be more than half a month away.

Considering the early skirmishes, reconnaissance, and negotiations, it wouldn't take more than two months at most.

So, even if Tsunade delayed her deployment to train them, it wouldn't last more than two months.

"That's true!"

Hearing Kaito's explanation, Tsunade suddenly realized and gave him a thumbs-up. "You're pretty sharp, kid!"

"Alright then, it's decided! I'll talk to the old man later and finalize the arrangements."

"Mm! While you're at it, bring Orochimaru along and sort out Nawaki's team too!"

"Got it. Meeting adjourned! Everyone, go about your business!"

Uchiha Naori and Uzumaki Mito exchanged knowing smiles and waved everyone off.

The group dispersed quickly, each going their separate ways.

Tsunade headed straight to find Orochimaru, while Kaito and his crew returned to the Pirate World to continue their training.

— — —

In Shimotsuki Village, at the Isshin Dojo:

"Huh? Kaito, is it true there's a war starting in your world? Won't it be dangerous? Are you guys participating?"

Hearing them talk about the war while training, Kuina couldn't help but ask with worry written all over her face.

"Yeah, isn't war dangerous?"

Tashigi chimed in, nodding with concern.

Three years had passed, and the two girls had grown a lot. They started training under Kaito and his group three years ago.

Initially, due to their young age, they focused on nurturing techniques for a year.

Only after turning five did they begin more intensive training.

"Haha! Don't worry about us!"

Kaito chuckled as he paused his movements and patted their heads. "Don't forget, we've got our life-saving teleportation function, Space-Time Gate. Even if we run into real danger, we'll be fine!"

"War is something we'll have to face sooner or later. We're already old enough to handle it!"

"But as for you two, keep working hard, alright?"

In the future, if they wanted to explore the Pirate World or help Kaito, fighting—even in wars—was inevitable.

"Alright," Kuina and Tashigi nodded, though a bit downcast. "We'll train hard and do our best to help you one day, Kaito."

"Haha! That's the spirit. Now, get back to training!"

Kaito laughed, patting their heads again before sending them off.

"Kaito, you guys be careful out there!"

"When we're a bit older, we'll come and help too."

At that moment, Nami, Nojiko, Kaya, Ace, and Sabo all expressed their concern.

That's right—after raising their affection levels to 80 and forming a contract, these little ones frequently joined Kaito's group for training.

Of course, they also trained in places like Skypiea, Drum Island, or various beast islands for variety.

This rotation of locations ensured consistent growth without drawing unnecessary attention or trouble.

"Haha! Thanks for caring, everyone! Keep training hard—I'm looking forward to the day you can join us!"

Kaito smiled as he patted their heads one by one.

The girls, Nami and the others, were shy but happy.

Ace and Sabo, though feeling warm inside, acted all awkward and quickly pulled away.

Kaito found their little "tough guy" act amusing.

The morning training session flew by, and during lunch, Koshiro sat next to Kaito and brought up a serious topic.

"So, about this war you mentioned—do you need me and Lisa to come help?"

"Don't hold back! Both of us have grown a lot stronger lately!"

Koshiro had always been a master swordsman, on par with an admiral candidate.

Thanks to his contract with Kaito and the techniques he received—like the Life Force Methods and Crystal Meditation—his strength had skyrocketed over the past three years.

Now, Koshiro confidently stood near at admiral-level strength, capable of holding his own against future admirals like Aokiji, Kizaru, or Akainu.

His wife, Lisa, had also undergone incredible growth, becoming a peak-level swordswoman, close to the rank of master swordsman, with the combat abilities of a high-ranking Marine vice-admiral.

"Not for now," Kaito shook his head after thinking for a moment. "We're not at the point where we need you to step in."

"If that changes, I'll let you know immediately."

He then explained the situation in the Ninja World, to which Koshiro nodded in understanding.

"As long as you've got a handle on it, that's fine. But remember, if you need help, just say the word. I'm always available!"

"Oh, and by the way, the four custom ninja blades you ordered are ready!"

"My father crafted them with great care—they're all classified as Great Grade Blades!"

"Let's go pick them up after lunch. As for the rest of the ninja blades, since they're not as high-spec, they'll be finished much faster—probably in about a month!"

"Really?" Kaito's eyes lit up. "They're ready already? That's fantastic news!"

"With Great Grade Blades, our overall combat power will get a huge boost!"

"Lord Kozaburo really went above and beyond. It must've been a lot of hard work!"

Indeed, forging four Great Grade Blades, especially with chakra-conducting metals and other rare materials, had taken years, even for a master smith like Koshiro's father.

"Four Great Grade Blades, huh? This is incredible!"

.

.

.