Chapter 111: Uchiha Shinji...

After three hours of searching, Shishou, Mikoto, and Izumi finally pieced together a complete stone tablet mural.

After another half hour of decoding by Mikoto, they finally located the approximate whereabouts of the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror. According to the stone tablet, these legendary artifacts were lost in the mountains near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

The tablet described how a powerful Uchiha warrior, wielding these two artifacts, had perished in a duel with another formidable opponent, resulting in both their deaths. Since the exact location of their duel was only vaguely known, the Uchiha clan had been unable to recover the artifacts for centuries.

The last entry on the tablet expressed the frustration of the Uchiha clan: "If we had these two artifacts, the Senju would never have been a threat..."

Tsk, you're overestimating yourself. In front of Hashirama, everyone is equal, Shishou thought to himself before addressing Mikoto and Izumi. "Let's set out immediately."

"Alright," Mikoto and Izumi nodded in agreement.

A few hours later, they reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

"It should be around here," Mikoto said, pointing to the surrounding area. However, her face quickly fell. The region was vast, with mountains stretching out as far as the eye could see. Finding the artifacts in such a large area seemed impossible.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. You two wait here," Shishou said, running off into the distance.

Once out of sight, Shishou retrieved Obito's severed leg from a storage scroll and used his parasitic insects to extract a White Zetsu clone from it.

"You..." The newly awakened White Zetsu looked at Shishou in shock.

Before it could react further, Shishou's Sharingan spun, instantly putting the White Zetsu under his control.

"Find these two items," Shishou commanded, implanting the images of the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror into White Zetsu's mind.

"Yes," White Zetsu replied, its body sprouting roots that spread into the ground, beginning the search.

After about half an hour, White Zetsu found a promising location inside a cave. Shishou then absorbed the clone back into his parasitic insects, ensuring he remained unaffected by any potential traps or surveillance.

Returning to Mikoto and Izumi, Shishou announced, "I found it. Follow me."

Mikoto and Izumi looked at each other in surprise and followed Shishou.

Nothing seems to be beyond his capabilities, Mikoto thought, her admiration for Shishou growing.

After about ten minutes of travel, they reached a cave.

"All clear," Shishou confirmed after scanning the cave with his parasitic insects, leading the way inside.

As they ventured deeper, they came across a wooden door.

"This..." Shishou pushed the door open, and the trio stood frozen in shock. The space beyond was much larger than expected, brightly lit and resembling an ancient household more than a cave. There were decaying wooden structures, a rotting well, and a collapsed chicken coop, all illuminated by light filtering through cracks in the ceiling.

They had expected to find skeletal remains or the two artifacts. Instead, they found an entire hidden settlement.

"A hidden paradise," Shishou murmured in awe.

Inside one of the wooden houses, they discovered three coffins, two large and one small. On a small altar in front of the coffins were three name plaques, a dusty diary, a sword, and a shield.

Carefully wiping the dust off the plaques, Shishou read the names: Uchiha Fuku, Shinichi, and Uchiha Shinji...

Using his parasitic insect gloves, Shishou gently opened the diary and began to read.

The diary revealed that centuries ago, a powerful Uchiha warrior named Uchiha Fuku had grown weary of the constant bloodshed. After a duel where both he and his opponent perished, he abducted a woman from the Land of Rain, and they lived in seclusion, raising a son named Uchiha Shinji...

This Uchiha ancestor, really was a fool, Shishou thought, almost laughing out loud at the absurdity of the name.

Mikoto and Izumi blushed upon learning that the woman had been abducted, a stark reminder of the Uchiha clan's often ruthless history.

"What a character this ancestor was," Shishou remarked, earning exasperated looks from both women.

Despite their embarrassment, they continued reading. After their son was born, Uchiha Fuku taught him ninjutsu, and they lived a peaceful life until his wife and son both died of illness, followed shortly by Fuku himself. The diary ended with instructions on how to use the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror, along with Fuku's self-created Explosive Flame Style sword techniques.

"Here they are," Shishou said, uncovering a scroll beneath the shield. He carefully inspected it with his parasitic insects before handing the artifacts to Mikoto and the scroll to Izumi.

Given Shishou's current power, the Totsuka Blade, Yata Mirror, and Explosive Flame Style sword techniques were of little use to him. If he needed a powerful weapon, he could always summon his Susanoo, fully equipped with destructive capabilities.

Furthermore, according to the diary, once the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror were bound to Susanoo, they would become permanent attachments, which was why Itachi never passed them on to Sasuke in the original story.

It's better to give them to Mikoto to enhance her strength and help with future tasks, Shishou thought.

Mikoto accepted the Totsuka Blade and Yata Mirror with a mix of gratitude and guilt. She knew how important these items were and felt a strong obligation to use them wisely.

"Let's go to the Land of Iron, Izumi," Shishou said, lifting Izumi into his arms. Her face turned crimson as they disappeared.

Watching them leave, Mikoto felt a pang of envy, her emotions swirling with complex feelings.