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"The situation on the eastern front is a bit grim. If the Cloud ninja decide to initiate a decisive battle, we might be at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Yōichi has severely intimidated the Cloud ninja recently, and it's still unclear whether they have the guts to start a war."
Hiruzen spoke with his hands crossed in front of his chin, addressing all the Jōnin present in the room.
This Jōnin meeting had fewer ninjutsu demonstrations than usual, as many Jōnin had been dispatched to Kikyō Castle and the eastern front, leaving only those ready to head to the battlefield at any moment.
The situation at Kikyō Castle had stabilized. Even the use of the One-Tails Jinchūriki had not been enough to conquer the castle, which meant that the Sand ninja were losing their grip on the initiative in the battle.
Though Yōichi's summoned bear could not be controlled to join the battlefield directly, it at least ensured the safety of Kikyō Castle. Leaf was now poised to go on the offensive, with Danzō having brought back news from the Rain ninja and hurried discussions with Leaf.
"Next, as long as we defeat the Cloud ninja on the eastern front, Leaf can maintain its status as a victor in the Second Shinobi World War, attracting a slew of commission tasks in the days to come and facilitating rapid village development."
"Hiruzen, should we send the Two-Tails Jinchūriki back to the village?" Koharu asked, concerned about the risks of keeping the Two-Tails at the frontline, especially if it were to be recaptured by the Cloud ninja.
After a moment's hesitation, Hiruzen replied, "Yōichi plans to personally oversee the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and he has assured us that he will handle the A and B teams. Sakumo has also said there's no problem, so..."
Everyone understood the implication of his words: they wouldn't be getting it back.
Yōichi had previously snatched the artifacts from Cloud ninja, which were clearly strategic transportation ninjutsu tools that could store much more than a scroll and should ideally be in the village's possession.
But Yōichi had shown no intention of handing them over, not even considering a trade.
Homura frowned and said, "He's unwilling? We're talking about the Two-Tails here, there's never been a precedent for allowing personal oversight. What is he planning?"
"Let's wait and see," Hiruzen interrupted Homura, knowing the discussion was veering into dangerous territory, potentially maligning a Leaf hero if word got out to the frontlines.
"There might be sudden changes at the front, and then the Two-Tails Jinchūriki could prove crucial."
His words served as a defense for Yōichi, but even then, Hiruzen felt a twinge of frustration having to cover for Yōichi's monopolization of such a strategic asset.
"Let's focus on the Stone ninja instead. They hold a grudge against the Cloud, and both villages have been actively expanding their armories in recent years. I think we might be able to..."
Hiruzen considered using an alliance with the Rain ninja as a strategy to deal with the Cloud by potentially redirecting the Stone ninja's animosity towards them.
The alliance was a long shot since the Stone was one of the Great Five Ninja Villages and would not ally with another village unless it was clearly losing the war.
It was worth trying to shift the Stone's animosity, though.
After extensive discussion in the Jōnin meeting, it was decided to pull back the Leaf ninja from the borders of the Grass and Fire countries and then go into hiding.
Creating the illusion of withdrawing forces to concentrate on dealing with the Cloud, when in fact, the ninja were still there, just pulled back slightly. If the Stone received this news, they might react in one of three ways: do nothing, attack Leaf alongside Cloud, or take advantage of a fierce battle between Leaf and Cloud to strike back at Cloud and claim their share.
Most Jōnin believed the Stone would choose the third option, and even if Stone initiated war against them, they could respond and support quickly.
After the decision, Hiruzen sent people to carry out the plan.
As the meeting ended, Danzō finally spoke up to Hiruzen, "Hiruzen, you should have been firmer. By giving in, we can't even get the Two-Tails back now. Tobirama-sensei was wrong to appoint you as Hokage!"
Slap!
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table, his face cold as he retorted, "Danzō, I am the Hokage. You just need to fulfill your duties in the Root. The rest isn't your concern!"
"Hiruzen, what do you mean by that? Not allowing Danzō to speak his mind? What are we here for, then?" Koharu huffed coldly and stood up, leaving the room.
Homura also stood, sarcastically adding, "You'd better argue in front of everyone next time, since you've already embarrassed yourself."
After he left, only Danzō and Hiruzen remained in the room. Danzō, not planning to stay any longer, remarked before leaving, "You're not Tobirama-sensei."
And with that, he left the Hokage's office.
Haunted by recurring nightmares of being hung and beaten by Hiruzen and waking up sore even when visiting the Rain village, Danzō had tried every barrier but to no avail.
After consulting with several ninjas skilled in genjutsu and mental techniques, he confirmed it was indeed just a dream, reflecting perhaps his subconscious thoughts.
Knowing it wasn't someone else's doing, Danzō grew increasingly resentful of Hiruzen's passive leadership, lacking the decisive action seen during the Second Shinobi World War.
And to think Hiruzen even came into his dreams to beat him.
Although he also dreamed of Homura and Koharu, it was Hiruzen who spent the most time hitting him in those dreams. Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu all felt the same—they were metaphorically beating each other up every day, hence the mutual disdain.
The earlier meeting was endured only because it was necessary. Once the Hokage's office was left with just the four of them, they couldn't contain their disdain any longer and started trading barbs.
Once everyone had left, Hiruzen picked up his smoking pipe, lit it, and took a slow puff, as if speaking to the air, "I am the Hokage."
————————————
When Fugaku returned home, he coincidentally arrived at the same time as Mikoto, and they greeted each other as they entered the house.
However, Fugaku suddenly felt a sense of estrangement. Isn't it odd for spouses to greet each other like strangers when they return home?
"Fugaku, did the meeting go on until now?"
"Yes, the Jōnin meeting discussed many things... Oh, Mikoto, you could have attended too. I've neglected this matter for quite some time."
Feeling a growing distance between them, Fugaku engaged Mikoto in more conversation than usual. Indeed, Mikoto had previously passed the Leaf Jōnin exam but had gradually stopped taking on ninja tasks due to domestic responsibilities.
"Today, we mainly discussed operational matters. The situation on the eastern front might not be good because Yōichi captured the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, so the Cloud might initiate a decisive battle sooner."
Mikoto trembled slightly at the mention of Yōichi's name, paying less attention to the rest of the conversation, only catching that there might be a major battle involving Yōichi.
"Will there be danger there?"
"Once the war starts, how could there not be danger? Nobody is exempt."
Fugaku didn't notice Mikoto's pale face as he sat down on the tatami to continue, "If the war goes poorly, I might also have to lead our clan into battle."
"Could Yōichi-kun also be in danger on the battlefield?"
"Are you talking about death? Mikoto, indeed, that's a possibility if he were to die..." Fugaku paused, then a thought crossed his mind—if Yōichi died on the frontline, wouldn't that mean Mikoto, who was currently in charge of certain clan matters, could take over completely? Although the Second Elder also had a chance, Mikoto was now the most suitable to oversee these businesses.
Under his leadership as the clan head, it could potentially lead to better development for the clan.
"Mikoto, going forward... Mikoto?"
Fugaku looked up to find that Mikoto, who had just been at the doorway, was no longer there.
Instead, the helper walked in, carrying a cup of tea for Fugaku, saying, "Clan leader, it seems Lady Mikoto just went back to her room. She looked a bit unwell.
And she didn't have an appetite earlier; she asked me to put away her portion of the meal."
"I see, she must be very tired. Let her rest well."
Fugaku nodded, acknowledging the hard work they had all been putting in recently, which was hardly less demanding than his duties in the police force, probably just exhaustion.
"Thank you. Recently, please don't let Itachi disturb Mikoto while she's resting."
She nodded, "I understand, Clan Leader. Itachi-kun is very well-behaved, much more so than my daughter. He's already thinking about becoming a ninja to share your burden."
"That's good to hear." After all, he's my son!
Fugaku didn't say the last part aloud to avoid sounding boastful, but that was indeed how he felt.
Although he hadn't had time to deal with Itachi recently, Fugaku believed his son would become a great ninja within the Uchiha clan.
"Clan leader, shall we have lunch? It's ready."
"Alright, let's have lunch then."
In another room, Mikoto felt uncomfortable. Hearing about the possible danger to Yōichi had left her feeling tight in the chest, a sensation that hadn't eased.
'That was just a dream, it has nothing to do with reality.'
Though she kept reassuring herself, Mikoto couldn't shake the unease in her heart. She suddenly felt that everything in the real world was so dull. If only she could stay in the dream world forever.
A considerate husband, caring about her son Sasuke.
After praying for the frontline in her heart, Mikoto, feeling tired, wanted to rest for a while, partly hoping to enter the dream world where she could let go of her irritation.
"Mother, would you like something to eat for lunch?"
The sudden sound of the sliding door and a child's inquiry startled Mikoto, who then stood up to look at the door: "Sasuke-."
However, seeing Itachi, Mikoto quickly recovered her composure and said, "Sorry, Itachi, I'd like to rest for a bit."
"I understand, Mother. Have a good rest."
After Itachi closed the door and left, he was left wondering, as he walked away, who was this 'Sasuke' his mother had called out?
————————————
The battlefield with the Cloud Village continued to demand high-intensity purging and reconnaissance missions, now almost three months ongoing.
On the last day the Master of Dreams ability was to disappear, Yōichi felt reluctant to let it go, but he stuck to his routine: training, allowing Mina to research, helping Kushina extract the Nine-Tails chakra, and spending a day and a bit more as a husband with Mikoto.
But on that final day, he let slip a piece of information, hinting that they might no longer meet in dreams, which made the usually assertive Mikoto panic, thinking Yōichi wanted a divorce.
However, after Yōichi shared some news about the dreams and comforted her in their marital bed, the only thing Mikoto felt afterwards was satisfied exhaustion.
When the dream ended and Mikoto awoke, she quietly went to wash up, her heart filled with contentment and a slight regret about the shortness of time.
But one phrase from the dream stayed clear in her memory, 'until the war ends.' Just thinking of these words made Mikoto feel warm all over.
Gulp, gulp.
After submerging herself in the bathtub, Mikoto thought, 'Did Yōichi-kun also have the same dream? Is that why he said that to me? After the war, is he going to come for me?'
Thinking of the intense marital life in the dream, which still hadn't satisfied her, Mikoto's body became even more sensitive.
After the ability ended, Yōichi drew a relatively ordinary power.
Enhanced smell and vision.
It was almost like turning him into Inuzuka Kiba and Hyūga Neji.
The sudden enhancement of smell without prior training was a nightmare for Yōichi; various scents rushed into his nostrils, even affecting his abilities.
Initially, Yōichi even wore two nasal strips to relieve the symptoms, but as he grew accustomed to the ability, it finally began to assist him.
The vision enhancement was also modestly helpful, allowing him to see the legs of ants on the ground clearly but without x-ray vision.
Helpful, but limited, and Yōichi still preferred relying on Daiki and Kira. The abilities he drew were just weaker versions of theirs.
After drawing these two abilities, the superpower roulette suddenly changed.
It wasn't a massive change, just a branch appeared. Now the superpower roulette offered two choices.
The first was unchanged, as before, randomly drawing one superpower a month.
The second added a feature allowing the accumulation of draw opportunities; three opportunities could be exchanged for fifteen days of a previously used power.
Uchiha Yōichi chose the second option without hesitation. He had drawn several very useful abilities before; although it meant only using them for fifteen days every three months, being able to select them directly was far more beneficial than random draws.
He remembered a year when he hadn't drawn a single useful ability; sometimes, when your luck is bad, it's truly terrible.
Only after choosing the roulette upgrade did Yōichi learn that this upgrade would take some time.
(End of Chapter)
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"Ramoi, is your squad on purge duty today?"
"Yes, and it's in area A3."
"A3 area for purge duty? Last time, Ilan-senpai's squad encountered trouble there, and I heard their bodies were returned, victims of the Leaf's Raijin."
Hearing that his friend was assigned to such an ill-fated location, the Cloud ninja immediately became worried.
"What will you do if you encounter the Leaf's Raijin?"
"If, if it happens, it happens. Even if I die, I won't let him look down on the resolve of a Cloud ninja!"
Ramoi's face was determined, though his tone and legs trembled slightly. As an average chūnin, he had been hearing about the Leaf's Raijin slaughtering numerous people these days, sending many bodies to the border of the Land of Hot Water.
Even the corpse collection units hadn't gone for a few days, and the bodies had piled up like a small mountain.
Three thousand Cloud ninja have died over this period, a total of three hundred ninjas, a number that even made the Third Raikage grind his teeth in frustration.
"Otto brother, is there any way to change the mission?"
After thinking for a while, Ramoi still couldn't overcome his fear. He wasn't afraid of death, but dying at the hands of the Leaf's Raijin seemed pointless; so many had died by his hand over the months, and nothing had changed.
"The missions are already assigned, what else do you want?"
"What are you guys talking about?"
A commanding voice startled them, and when they turned around, they saw A of the A and B combination. The ninjas panicked a bit and quickly responded, "We... said nothing!"
A glanced at them, then warned, "Complete the mission properly. In the Cloud Village, we only recognize death in battle, even I am not an exception!"
He had overheard Ramoi wanting to change his mission and initially wanted to severely punish him to teach him the consequences of desertion.
But A reconsidered. Fear of the Leaf's Raijin wasn't unique to Ramoi. Over the past three months, over a hundred bodies had been returned, and rumors of the Leaf's Raijin as a grim reaper's scythe hanging over the Cloud ninja's necks had spread. Punishing Ramoi wouldn't change the overall morale.
A headed towards the Raikage's tent, knowing they needed to change their approach quickly.
Inside the Raikage's tent, along with his father, were two other Jōnin, who had been following the Third Raikage for a long time and held nearly as much authority in the village as a village elder.
"Father, we can't keep going like this. We should initiate the final battle."
A spoke directly to the Third Raikage, "Our sensory ninjas are inferior to those of Leaf Village in terms of bloodline and secret techniques. We've been dragged around by them this whole time. That Uchiha bastard's reputation is only growing. If this continues, even if we start a decisive battle, we'll be at a disadvantage."
In the past few months, over four hundred Cloud ninja had died compared to an estimated two hundred from Leaf.
The death ratio was over 2:1; continuing like this, the Cloud would be slowly bled dry by that Uchiha bastard.
And since their sensory ninja couldn't match Leaf's Byakugan and other secret techniques, they couldn't even locate that Uchiha bastard.
Once, A and Killer B had tried using another Cloud ninja squad as bait, but once they were slightly out of range, that squad was killed by the Uchiha bastard within minutes, and he even escaped right in front of them.
Afterward, A and Killer B hurriedly pursued, but thankfully, Killer B's inner Eight-Tails warned them just in time, or they would have been surrounded by Leaf ninja.
"Wait a moment, A."
The tent fell silent for a while before a Cloud ninja entered, holding a report from the Cloud Village, and handed it to the Third Raikage, "Raikage-sama, this is a message from the village elder."
"Hmm, I see."
The Third Raikage read it and then passed it around. It eventually reached A.
It was intelligence from the Land of Rice Fields. Stone ninja had tentatively attacked with three hundred ninja, but were repelled by Sasori, who killed many of them.
And the village elder had already sent reinforcements; even if the Stone ninja increased their forces, he wouldn't let them cross the Land of Rice Fields.
"Let's prepare for the final battle as A suggests."
The Third Raikage's voice was firm, his fists cracking with determination: "We must take down Konoha in the final battle, A, keep an eye on Killer B, and watch out for that move from Uchiha Yōichi."
He was referring to the jutsu Yōichi used to break his arm, which had a penetrating power even more terrifying than a Tailed Beast Bomb. If Killer B transformed into the full Eight-Tails, he was likely to be hit by it.
This time, A needed to protect Killer B and engage that Uchiha bastard, preventing any disturbance to Killer B.
"I understand, Father."
"After continuous probing, we can almost pinpoint the Leaf camp. Our ninjas' sacrifices will not be in vain."
Another Cloud Jōnin spoke, noting they had gradually narrowed down the possible locations of the Leaf camp after marking fifteen areas and continuously sending squads for purge and scouting missions.
"Go prepare, A. Let out all your pent-up rage on the battlefield."
"I understand, Father."
A was ready to teach that Uchiha bastard a lesson.
Meanwhile, at the Leaf side, the situation was the complete opposite.
The longer time dragged on, the higher their morale soared. Recently, mission squads even chased after Cloud ninja to kill, all because of the Leaf's Raijin in that battlefield.
Thanks to Uchiha Yōichi, Cloud ninja were scarce around their camp. Any stray Cloud squads that slipped through were quickly dealt with.
In the tent, Kurenai peeked in but only saw Yugito and sighed, "Yōichi-sensei isn't here again."
Then, speaking to the silent Yugito, she said, "Haven't you figured it out yet? You should just follow Yōichi-sensei honestly. He's usually easy to talk to, but when he gets angry, no one can stop him."
"I'm serious. Last time I didn't complete a mission, he hung me from a tree and then with a whip—"
"Do you really want to be beaten like that?"
Kurenai was animatedly speaking when she suddenly heard a familiar voice at the door, causing her face to stiffen.
Then, seeing a calm Yōichi, Kurenai quickly acted cute, "Yōichi-sensei, I was just trying to persuade her."
"Persuasion is useless. She doesn't have a choice."
His words made Yugito flip over in anger, but seeing Yōichi's face, her chest heaved with fury before she lay back down.
She had cried enough over the past few days and had secretly vowed not to cry anymore.
Unable to return to the Cloud Village and lacking the courage to kill herself, Yugito remained in Yōichi's tent, occasionally walking around the camp but largely confined.
"Forget Yugito for now. What you just said, do you want me to treat you that way in the future?"
"Heh, Yōichi-sensei, I have a mission. I'll head out now!"
With that, Kurenai hurriedly ran past Yōichi, who didn't stop her. His recent experimentation with ninjutsu had drained him, and he needed to rest.
After the Master of Dreams ability disappeared, Yōichi had his shadow clone secretly return to Konoha to bring out the starstone.
For the past three months, during every break, Yōichi would leave the camp to a secluded area to absorb the starstone's chakra.
Other than raising his body temperature, absorbing the starstone's chakra offered no other benefits. Even if it radiated a bit during absorption, it would dissipate afterward.
The Star ninja had cultivated for hundreds of years, and the Third Star Shadow, who lived during the Warring States Period, was even older than Hashirama. He also absorbed starstone chakra with no issues.
Moreover, Yōichi had personally experienced the enhancement of the Sharingan's chakra by the starstone. Although most of the starstone's chakra had been absorbed by Godzilla, a small portion was absorbed by his Sharingan.
After three months of daily absorption, his three tomoe linked together last night, evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Intense emotional changes are one method for the tomoe to advance to the Mangekyō, but not the only one; the Sharingan is a type of chakra produced in the brain, corresponding to changes in the eye organ.
Rather than being mere changes in the eyes, it's more about the stimulation of this unique chakra.
Thus, even without the Sharingan, the ability to use Susanoo after awakening the Mangekyō remains, though the release of dōjutsu requires the eye organ.
The chakra of the starstone and the Uchiha clan's unique chakra are somewhat related, allowing Yōichi's Sharingan to strengthen upon absorbing the starstone's chakra.
Three months of absorption directly advanced his Sharingan to the Mangekyō.
After the Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō, Yōichi's chakra also enhanced, roughly doubling from before.
With the advancement from the three tomoe to the Mangekyō, Yōichi also discovered the two Dōjutsu residing in his eyes.
His left eye housed Ishimikumari.
His right eye housed Yamarinomikoto.
The right eye, symbolizing the deity of everlasting life, had the power to eliminate death. Anything it gazed upon thrived, representing the deepest desires of Yōichi.
The left eye was more akin to harboring a disaster god, with powers similar to a curse, rapidly weakening an enemy's body. Yōichi could precisely control which body part was affected.
There was also a third Dōjutsu, Susanoo.
He tried using Susanoo last night; instantly, a ten-meter-tall half-skeleton of Susanoo formed outside his body. As Yōichi increased his chakra output, the skeletal Susanoo gradually became armored.
However, he quickly deactivated Susanoo as releasing large amounts of chakra was painful, though tolerable for him.
The Raiton Chakra Mode already required continuous chakra release, so Yōichi was accustomed to it, and armored Susanoo was within his endurance.
Still, frequent use of Susanoo put a significant strain on the eyes. Without actual experimentation with integrating Hashirama's cells, Yōichi decided to minimize its use.
In the dream space, Mina had experimented with integrating Hashirama's cells over two hundred times, eventually devising three plans.
Now, they just needed to obtain Hashirama's cells in reality. However, Hashirama's remains were well-guarded by Konoha, likely accessible only to the Hokage and top village officials.
Once back, Yōichi planned to find an opportunity. He already had the synthetic method for Hashirama's cells; now, he just needed the cells themselves.
"Yōichi-dono!"
Someone outside the tent called, and Yōichi sat up and walked out. The messenger ninja, seeing Yōichi, quickly said, "Commander has summoned all Jōnin to assemble."
"Understood."
Yōichi responded and headed to the command tent.
Soon, all Jōnin gathered at Sakumo's tent, though four were missing—not because they hadn't come, but because those four Jōnin had already died on the battlefield.
"Now that everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point. The Cloud ninja are launching a major attack. It seems they've discovered our camp and are now heading this way," Sakumo said with a grave expression. "At least a thousand men, and we don't know if the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki is among them, but we can't let them get close. That's why I've already ordered the ninja corps to assemble here to stop them!"
As he spoke, he pointed to a spot on the map, a slope that had been chosen as the defensive position because it was an excellent spot for staging a defense.
"All mission teams are disbanded to join the ninja corps, except for the teams of Yōichi, Sarutobi, and mine. Imamura-kun, you might need to take command."
Sakumo continued, maintaining only three Jōnin teams, each composed of six Jōnin and several outstanding Chūnin.
These three Jōnin teams were tasked with countering the more powerful Cloud ninja, such as the Third Raikage and the A and B combination. If these formidable opponents breached into the Leaf's ninja corps, it would result in a horrific slaughter.
Imamura nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Sakumo-kun."
"Yōichi-kun, about the Two-Tails..."
"I've taken precautions; the Cloud won't get a living Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Yōichi stated, having left a Flying Thunder God seal on Yugito and arranged for people to watch her in the camp. If the Cloud managed to rescue her, they wouldn't escape his pursuit.
"That's good to hear. Everyone, be careful on the battlefield."
With those words from Sakumo, the final battle was set to begin.
————————————
"Shizune, wait here for me; just wait for my return."
"Lady Tsunade, where are you going? The ship leaves in three hours."
"Tickets or whatever don't matter; we're not short on money now. If it expires, we'll just buy another!"
Tsunade said, planning to leave. Ever since that Uchiha brat left, she felt a weight on her chest, as if a stone was pressing down.
"It's all because of that brat. Why did he tell me such things, making it impossible to relax even while traveling."
After all, it was the village her grandfather founded. She decided to go back and have a look. If things got really bad, she could ask the slugs for help. This was the most Tsunade felt she could do.
(End of Chapter)
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