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"Shinji-kun, this is the situation. I have some fault in this matter too. Right now, all of the Uchiha clan's business is managed by Mikoto-san. I've arranged for our clansmen to help her with the workload, but she still wishes to live with her son."
Yōichi spoke to Shinji, who fell silent upon hearing this. After a moment, he responded:
"But Clan Leader, this was an instruction from Fugaku of the Uchiha clan, and it's also an instruction from the Eighth Elder."
"You're referring to Fugaku, who betrayed the village and the Uchiha clan. Are you planning to follow his instructions and aid a rogue ninja?"
Yōichi's tone grew heavier. "Shinji-kun, do you understand what you're saying? Mikoto-san is Itachi's biological mother. She was too busy handling the clan's business for the well-being of all our clansmen to care for her son. Now, are you still trying to stop her?"
"Let's bring it up at the next clan meeting. If anyone supports you, then we can let it go."
Shinji trembled at the mention of the clan meeting. He had refused Mikoto before and felt uneasy, but she hadn't pressed further after his refusal.
This time, he opposed Yōichi's request because of the promise made to the Eighth Elder. But stopping a mother from living with her son, especially under Fugaku's orders… If this issue were presented at the meeting, the angry clansmen would tear him apart.
Mikoto still manages the clan business and oversees monthly benefits for the clansmen. Shinji could already imagine having to apologize by committing seppuku after sitting down at the clan meeting.
"Clan Leader, I understand. I'll speak to Itachi when I return."
He knew that if he stubbornly held onto Fugaku's instructions, the clan would consider him in cahoots with a rogue ninja.
Yōichi nodded, "Mikoto-san doesn't want to return to the old house. She's recently been looking for a new place to live. Just have her take Itachi directly."
"Yes, Clan Leader."
After Shinji left, Yōichi also left.
Regaining custody of Itachi was a small matter. Last time, Mikoto felt she couldn't care for Itachi due to her busy schedule, so Yōichi didn't intervene.
Otherwise, Fugaku's instructions and the Eighth Elder's admonitions wouldn't have been able to outweigh Yōichi.
He felt nothing for Itachi and had no expectations or affection for him. He even felt repulsed by what Itachi would eventually do in the ninja world.
But that's not possible now. With Yōichi around, the Uchiha won't be destroyed.
Later that night, after dinner, Yōichi and Mina were resting on the couch when someone suddenly walked in.
In the room was only Mikoto, dressed in formal attire. Despite her tired but beautiful face, she was smiling more than before.
When Mina saw her enter, she pouted unhappily. Why come this late? She clung tightly to Yōichi's arm.
Mikoto glanced at Mina's little trick, but paid it no mind and relayed what had happened to Yōichi.
She had just visited Itachi and informed him that they would be living together. She had stayed with him until he needed to rest.
Although the house wasn't finished yet, Mikoto decided to move Itachi into her current place, Yōichi's former house.
After Yōichi left in the afternoon, Mikoto began teaching other assistants to lessen her own workload.
She also discovered a young orphanage director who seemed quite capable. During her orphanage visit, she noticed all the others were chaotic, while this one was well-organized.
Mikoto planned to approach the director to see if she would help.
But that's for later. Mikoto came to thank Yōichi tonight. Without him decisively deciding to have Itachi move in with her, she'd still be worried about repairing their relationship.
"Yōichi-kun, thank you for today."
"Mikoto, saying thanks is too distant."
Before she could finish, Yōichi interrupted her. Hearing this, her eyes softened, and she unconsciously leaned toward him.
"Yōichi-kun, I want to spend more time with Itachi for the next few days and talk about the clan business tonight."
Mina held Yōichi's arm tighter upon hearing this; what business? She just wanted to occupy his time.
"Alright then."
"Yōichi-sama, I—"
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
Yōichi used a faint current of Lightning Release chakra, making Mina jump with a red face and cover her bottom. Her silk-covered feet stomped upstairs back to her room.
"Mikoto, let's go upstairs."
"Yes, Anata~"
Calling him husband, Mikoto held Yōichi's hand and went upstairs.
Tonight, she wanted to thank Yōichi as his wife. Tomorrow, she'd embrace her role as a mother.
---
"Ōtsuchi-kun, please keep this quiet; this is my clone."
Late at night, Dodai's clone appeared in Ōtsuchi's room, revealing his identity to stop Ōtsuchi from attacking.
"Kumogakure's Dōdai? Why come to my room this late?"
"I'm here to see you, Ōtsuchi-san, mainly for a meeting. Lord Raikage wants to speak with the Third Tsuchikage."
His words made Ōtsuchi pause, then suspect some trick.
"A meeting? I've never heard of it, and what do Iwagakure and you Kumogakure have to discuss?"
The two have always been wary of each other, with friction dating back to the Second Shinobi World War. They have nearly two decades of enmity.
Dōdai calmly explained, "It's Lord Raikage's decision. There's an important matter to discuss with the Third Tsuchikage. We've prepared equipment for the talks, so both sides can remain in their respective villages and record the meeting remotely."
"Did you fail in negotiations with Konoha and come to us as a backup?"
Ōtsuchi asked, probing for ulterior motives. Kumogakure's defeat by Konoha wasn't a secret. Connecting this with today's sighting of Dōdai leaving the Hokage's office, Ōtsuchi suspected this.
"It is related, but the specifics must be decided by our respective leaders. What do you think, Ōtsuchi-kun?"
Dōdai's clone continued, "Konoha has repeatedly defeated Sunagakure and us. Now they are hosting a large-scale Chūnin Exam to assert their military might. If Iwagakure remains focused on us, it'd be a mistake."
"I'll take it but will report back after the Chūnin Exam ends."
"Then I leave it to you."
*Bang*
After speaking, Dōdai's clone disappeared, with the memories returning to the original.
Ōtsuchi stored the scroll and resumed resting; no intelligence could be delivered from within Konoha, or it might be intercepted.
Konoha's current arrogance was evident. Hosting a Chūnin Exam to showcase their military might, they practically considered themselves the top of the Five Great Nations.
If Kumogakure wanted to ally against Konoha, Ōtsuchi believed his father would likely agree.
---
The next day.
The second round of the Chūnin Exam began quickly, but Yōichi didn't attend. He'd done enough for his three students.
Today, Mina didn't go to the Konoha Hospital either, as the underground lab had fully cultivated the Hashirama cells.
She hadn't expected Yōichi's cells to fuse with the Hashirama cells so quickly, several times faster than an ordinary person.
"Yōichi-sama, it's ready for fusion. Though I haven't tested it on you in the dream world, the others had a 100% success rate."
"It's fine, Mina. If others have such a high success rate, it'll be even higher for an Uchiha."
Yōichi lay on the operating table, giving Mina the go-ahead to proceed.
Mina skillfully fused the cells and then observed Yōichi's reaction.
At first, he felt nothing, but soon his body felt like it was soaked in a hot spring. A wave of warmth flowed through him, even affecting his chakra.
It was unlike the heat of Godzilla; this warmth was comforting and even soothed his eyes.
His eyes suddenly revealed a Mangekyō Sharingan. He cut a wound on his arm and used Yasaka no Magatama.
Under the power of the Dōjutsu, a deep, lengthy wound healed in mere seconds, leaving Mina speechless.
"Yōichi-sama, you're—"
"I'm testing my eye power. It seems effective."
Yōichi closed his eyes, sensing. Previously, using the Mangekyō Sharingan would drain his energy. Now, he felt his chakra slowly recovering his lost eye power.
"The fusion is successful, Mina. You can start integrating the Hashirama cells into yourself and Mikoto."
Yōichi checked his reflection; no drastic changes appeared. His skin remained normal without turning pale or monstrous.
Mina's hands lingered nearby until Yōichi's expression darkened, and she muttered, "I'll do mine first before Mikoto's. I must go before her."
"As you like. But why argue when you're already together?"
"It's all Yōichi-sama's fault! Don't say it!"
Mina huffed and covered his mouth.
Last night had been her most embarrassing experience, waiting all night only for two people to show up.
Yōichi-sama hadn't even showered. She was supposed to go first but ended up losing everything to Mikoto.
"Alright, alright. Keep working, Mina. I'm heading out."
Yōichi left, satisfied. With the Hashirama cells now fused, learning Sage Art was next. He only needed Wood Release and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
He also had a senzu bean and wondered if he should try to use it to evolve his Sharingan.
But he couldn't pinpoint if evolving the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was about quality or quantity. If it was just stacking ocular power, he could continue absorbing starstone chakra.
But he was nearly out of starstone, and the Mangekyō hadn't evolved into the Eternal form.
He suspected the Eternal Mangekyō required a qualitative change, needing two different ocular powers to stimulate the upgrade.
He'd need another Mangekyō, but using one from a distant bloodline reduced the odds of success. It wasn't impossible, though.
"In such a good mood today, should I draw a nice power, right?"
Yōichi had this sudden thought. Last night's joy and today's successful fusion made him feel great.
"Just once."
Accumulated draws could be saved up. If a war breaks out, he might be busy for months.
Deciding, he summoned the superpower wheel and used his opportunity.
[Strategy Guide]: Perfectly aids the host in strategizing against any target. Even mortal enemies have weaknesses that can be exploited.
PS: This is the materialization of a top strategist's abilities. It will disappear after three targets are conquered.
"What kind of ability is this? I'm playing a strategy game in the ninja world?"
Yōichi grimaced, but he carefully studied the ability.
He could see a book that only he could see. By writing a name and confirming it, he could follow step-by-step instructions to victory.
"That magical?"
Yōichi curiously wrote down Mina's name. The next second, the guide displayed a message:
[Affection: 100% (No Need to Conquer)]
At 100% affection, she'd die for Yōichi. Given their relationship, it's normal.
At 90%, a target would be willing to marry Yōichi.
"Let's check Mikoto."
[Affection: 100% (No Need to Conquer)]
Seeing a perfect score for Mikoto, Yōichi was satisfied.
"Besides Mina and Mikoto, who else is there to conquer?"
Yōichi thought of someone and cautiously wrote "Tsunade" in the guide.
[Affection: 64% (Conquerable)]
(End of Chapter)
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"64% probably means we're slightly better than just friends. At 50%, it's like strangers—neither liked nor disliked."
Yōichi read the explanation in the strategy guide and thought, "Jiraiya and Orochimaru are probably at around 80%. Jiraiya might have a higher score since Orochimaru became more gloomy."
"Should I pursue Tsunade?"
It's not like the Demonic Passport that twists people's minds; this guide seems more like an advice. Even if the advice comes from someone unusually skilled, it doesn't violate basic principles.
Yōichi discreetly confirmed Tsunade's entry and saw several suggestions appear.
The first step was to find her. Her reaction would determine the next steps.
"It feels like a real-time strategy game, and I'm the one being controlled."
Yōichi considered his situation. Leaving the village wasn't convenient right now. The Chūnin Exams would likely lead to war or a Hokage election. He'd need to wait for a better time.
"Let's check others."
This guide allowed Yōichi to test people's affection and distinguish allies from enemies. But there was a catch: he could only input names of the opposite sex unless he changed his own gender.
"Yugito Nii: Affection at 53, not bad, not hostile."
"Uzumaki Kushina: Affection at 62, decent, but slightly lower than Tsunade."
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya: No value at all. Do I need to actually know her?"
Yōichi spent a while testing the names of all the women he knew. Mina and Mikoto had the highest scores, both at 100%. That was unsurprising.
Next up were Rumi and Kurenai, scoring 79 and 82, respectively. Yōichi had been a good teacher to his students.
After playing around enough, Yōichi stowed the [Strategy Guide]. As long as one target remained unconquered, he could continue gauging affection.
He realized the guide's true value, albeit limited to women.
The second round of exams had already begun, but the candidates had five days before results were announced. The third round would happen twenty days later.
The venue was ready, and the nobles and dignitaries from different nations could attend at any time.
The Chūnin Exams were a headache for the Security Division but had benefits. They made Konoha flourish.
With nobles and merchants flocking in, they would notice Uchiha business and possibly collaborate.
"Since I've fused Wood Release, I should find a place to train."
Yōichi immediately pulled out a chakra paper and tested himself.
Sure enough, in addition to lightning and fire, he now had earth and water attributes.
As for Wood Release techniques, Yōichi had far more than Orochimaru. He had copied all the forbidden techniques from the Scroll of Seals, including Wood Release jutsu.
"Perhaps Ryūchi Cave is a good place to train—and practice Sage Art."
Yōichi decided to leave a small snake from Ryūchi Cave with Mina so that she could inform him if anything happened in Konoha.
---
"Ah, you're finally at Ryūchi Cave. What's with your constitution? It's like you're already in Sage Mode."
Ichikishima-hime noticed the change in Yōichi as soon as she reverse-summoned him to Ryūchi Cave.
Last time he visited, he couldn't absorb natural energy. Now, he was constantly doing so without any change to his body, just like their kind.
After long practice, her body had adapted to natural energy, and entering Sage Mode was easy.
She hadn't expected Yōichi to be in this state. Her interest in this human grew.
Yōichi checked Ichikishima-hime's affection score. Though a snake, she was still female, and thus a potential conquest.
It had jumped from 52 to 65.
Was she planning to eat him?
Ichikishima-hime was licking her lips, her human form looking enticing. But Yōichi had seen her snake form.
"I'm here to find the White Snake Sage and learn Sage Art. Then I plan to train in ninjutsu."
Before he finished, Ichikishima-hime interrupted, "There's no need to seek the White Snake Sage for that. For centuries, we have trained challengers in Sage Art. Of course, we also claim their bodies if they fail."
Clicking her tongue, she continued, "Your constitution is different, so you only need some practice to master Sage Mode. As for Sage Art, it depends on your talent."
Yōichi glanced at her. "Then I'll rely on you. If you like eating humans, I could find some death-row prisoners for you."
"I'm not interested in such people. Only those who fail Sage Art, with natural energy rampaging in them, have good flavor."
Ichikishima-hime floated behind him, her pink tongue flicking near his ear.
"You even have preferences. Teach me Sage Art already."
If she weren't teaching him, he would've given her a good lesson.
Once he mastered Sage Art, he'd train in Wood Release. The Scroll of Seals even contained the secret technique True Several Thousand Hands, though reaching the First Hokage's colossal size would be difficult.
While Yōichi trained at Ryūchi Cave, things remained peaceful in Konoha.
He often trained at home, and the Security Division didn't need him as much after perfecting the discipline guidelines.
The second round of exams in the Forest of Death was already causing injuries and casualties—even Konoha's genin weren't spared.
Participants included recommended genin and those who graduated years ago hoping to become chūnin.
However, they overlooked the dangers, and many couldn't compete against genin from higher-ranked teams.
With the daimyo, nobles, and merchants yet to arrive, the Security Division was less pressured, mainly keeping an eye on the foreign ninja.
After moving back in with Itachi, Mikoto felt fulfilled. She often watched him train after managing clan business in the morning.
However, one thing was still missing—her second child, Sasuke.
She was a little disappointed; despite not using any protection, she hadn't conceived Yōichi-kun's child.
With Sasuke, Mikoto felt her life would be complete.
She considered asking a medical-nin, but the best one in the village was Mina, and she'd never give her a straight answer.
Meanwhile, with nothing to do, Jiraiya finally decided to act on something he'd been thinking about for a long time.
"Orochimaru isn't home? Why come to the Forest of Death? Is he here for his three students in the Chūnin Exams?"
Jiraiya tracked Orochimaru to the Forest of Death, but suddenly lost sight of him.
After searching, he found a snake hole beneath a giant tree.
"Orochimaru's probably inside..."
Just as he was about to enter, Orochimaru emerged, asking directly, "Jiraiya, are you following me?"
"Yeah. You were walking too fast for me to catch up, and I need to ask you something."
Jiraiya stood his ground, then leaned closer, smiling slyly, "Orochimaru, what were you doing in there? Something shady?"
"This is my ninjutsu research base. There's nothing interesting inside, but since it's you, come in."
Orochimaru turned and walked back inside. Since Jiraiya had followed him this far, refusing him would only make Jiraiya more determined.
There was nothing truly shady within; even the experimental subjects were death-row prisoners.
Following Orochimaru, Jiraiya looked around. In a spacious room, his eyes narrowed.
Several corpses were lying around. One was strapped to a table, while a young boy cleaned up.
It was a human experiment!
Jiraiya immediately recognized it. He never imagined Orochimaru would secretly do this.
Many lives were probably lost here. Jiraiya clenched his fists, shouting at Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, what are you—"
He was interrupted when Orochimaru handed him a booklet.
"Orochimaru, what's this?"
"Have you forgotten how to read?"
Seeing the scornful look on Orochimaru's face, Jiraiya snatched the booklet and opened it.
"A list? Prison records… Kyoto Prison death row inmates: Iwaya Kohei, Shimomura Kōta, Muroi Saburō."
Jiraiya was confused and glanced at the corpses in the room. Two of the faces matched the names.
He understood.
"Orochimaru, are they all death-row prisoners?"
"Yes, death-row prisoners from across the Land of Fire. They're going to die anyway, so they might as well contribute to my research. They're not cheap, and there have been fewer death-row inmates lately."
Orochimaru's casual tone stifled Jiraiya's righteous anger.
He believed human experimentation shouldn't exist, but Orochimaru was only using purchased death-row inmates. This left Jiraiya struggling to find a reason to condemn him.
"...This isn't something Konoha ninja should be doing."
Seeing Jiraiya choke out that statement, Orochimaru laughed, "Jiraiya, do you know how many lives the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques cost? The Scroll of Seals contains mostly his techniques."
"The village finances didn't support buying death-row inmates back then, so I suspect he used prisoners from enemy villages. Testing jutsu on ninja is much better than using civilians."
Orochimaru admired the Second Hokage, so he knew a lot about him.
Jiraiya couldn't refute a word. Criticizing Orochimaru would mean criticizing the Second Hokage.
But what right did he have to do that?
In accomplishments, contributions, and status, he couldn't compare. If he dared criticize the Second Hokage, the first to reprimand him would be Hiruzen.
"Alright, Jiraiya. Let's get to the point. Why were you looking for me?"
Orochimaru asked, "I have work to do. If you have something to say, spit it out."
"Okay."
Jiraiya thought of the prophecy from Mount Myōboku and decided to let it go for now. He'd inform the Hokage later.
"Orochimaru, how many contractors does Ryūchi Cave have?"
Orochimaru looked puzzled. "Why do you ask? Technically, just two—me and Yōichi."
"Does Ryūchi Cave have a grudge against Mount Myōboku?"
"No idea. It's been around for over a thousand years. How would I know if they have a grudge? The snakes have bad tempers, so I don't ask."
Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya, "The toads are more agreeable. Why don't you ask them?"
"They… won't tell me."
Seeing Jiraiya's expression, Orochimaru knew he was lying. "Snakes eat toads. If they have any grudges, think of it like the *Sansukumi*."
Snakes, toads, and slugs form the legendary triangle where each restrains the other, similar to an animal chess game.
Jiraiya thought of *Sansukumi* and felt the Great Toad Sage's prophecy was accurate. However, he doubted the shadow was Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, what do you think of Yōichi's relationship with Ryūchi Cave?"
"Jiraiya, you're full of questions today, all about Ryūchi Cave."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and asked cautiously, "Do you suspect something? I don't care about other contractors. If you know something, tell me."
"Ahaha, just curious. Nothing going on."
Jiraiya scratched his head with a smile and was about to leave.
He waved to Orochimaru, "I'll head off now. I'll buy you a drink sometime."
(End of Chapter)
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