"Sensei, here is the list of Hyūga clan members, and now all tasks will be assigned by you."
Rumi smiled as she handed Yōichi a list. This was a detailed record of all the Hyūga clan's ninja, except for a few from the main branch.
The rest were all included.
"There are a total of 831 members, Yōichi-sensei."
"That many? That guy, Hiashi, always pushed back when I asked for more people last time. But it seems the clan was hiding quite a few. Rumi, what do these clan members usually do?"
Yōichi knew about the commotion Rumi had stirred up within the Hyūga clan, but he didn't interfere, waiting to see the results instead.
Konoha was severely lacking in manpower. All the Uchiha clan's ninjas had already been deployed, and now the Uchiha Trading Company was heavily recruiting people from all over the Land of Fire.
Some of the armed protection forces were even composed of reanimated shinobi.
Previously, Yōichi had pressured the Ino-Shika-Chō trio to surrender some of their clan members as well, but the village still lacked enough ninjas. For example, just establishing security forces in different locations required nearly four times the current number of shinobi.
And this was only for the most basic security forces, tasked only with maintaining local order.
"They mostly train, manage clan businesses, or do nothing at all. Even if some of the branch family members want to become ninjas, the elders of the main family often oppose the idea under the guise of clan loyalty and duty," Rumi said, her tone filled with resentment toward the elders of the main family. These were the same people who once wanted her to retire from being a ninja and return to the clan to marry.
Had it not been for the fact that these elders didn't face her directly and only had Hiashi speak with her, Rumi might have seriously considered using her Tenseigan Chakra Mode on them.
"This should be all the branch family's ninjas. I initially wanted to model the clan after the policies you implemented with the Uchiha, Yōichi-sensei, but I found that it wasn't feasible. In the end, after some suggestions from the branch family elders, I made a few adjustments," Rumi added.
Yōichi chuckled and said, "The Uchiha clan is not that easy to imitate. The difficulty of awakening the Byakugan compared to the Sharingan is quite different."
While the Uchiha clan distributed more funds, much of the money ended up returning to the clan's own businesses, and the benefits for those with the three-tomoe Sharingan were significant.
However, there were very few such clan members.
In contrast, there was no clear standard for the Byakugan within the Hyūga clan. After a certain amount of training, nearly anyone could awaken the Byakugan. If the Hyūga were to implement similar policies to the Uchiha, their system would collapse in a few years.
"Go ahead and assign the ninjas. Start with the security teams in the Suna District and the Ame District. You and Kurenai should meet with Uchiha Masato and discuss the plans with the security forces."
Yōichi handed the responsibility over to Rumi and Kurenai. Their years of experience in village governance had made them highly skilled in handling the village's affairs, and they were well aware of what Konoha needed most at the moment.
All they had to do was follow the plan.
"Now, only the Five-Tails remains."
Madara glanced at the lifeless bodies lying on the ground without a hint of emotion. These people no longer stirred any excitement for him in battle.
At this moment, the Gedo Statue had opened eight of its eyes. Aside from the remaining Nine-Tails chakra in the Gold and Silver Brothers, only the Five-Tails was left to be captured.
"Black Zetsu, where is the Five-Tails?"
"In another forest, also within the Land of Earth, but it's a bit farther from here, Madara-sama. It seems that some of them are still alive?"
"Let them be. They're insignificant."
After dismissing the Gedo Statue, Madara began walking away. He had no interest in returning to finish off those who might still be alive. While ninjas typically made sure their enemies were dead, Madara didn't care whether they lived or died.
"Very well."
Black Zetsu didn't contradict Madara's will. After all, their "mother" was nearly ready to be resurrected. Though Black Zetsu didn't fully understand why her consciousness had suddenly awakened, once the Five-Tails and Nine-Tails chakra were sealed into the Gedo Statue, Madara would no longer be needed.
Even the Infinite Tsukuyomi wouldn't require Madara's involvement; their mother's will would directly resurrect through the Gedo Statue.
It wasn't until long after Madara left that the Iwa-nin outside of Flower and Fruit Mountain noticed something was wrong.
When they sent people inside to investigate, they found Killer B, Kurotsuchi, and the others lying on the ground. Startled, they rushed over to check, discovering that everyone was dead except for Kurotsuchi, who was barely alive.
"Quick, get a medical ninja in here to save them!"
Soon, the Iwa-nin managed to save the lone survivor, Kurotsuchi. After receiving medical treatment, she finally regained consciousness.
As soon as Kurotsuchi woke, Ōnoki immediately asked for an account of what happened. The Kumo-nin also stood by, looking grim, as Killer B was not only their village's perfect Jinchūriki but also the younger brother of the Fourth Raikage.
Now, with Killer B dead in the Land of Earth, how could they possibly explain this to the Raikage?
"...It was Uchiha Madara. He's collecting the tailed beasts, and counting the Four-Tails and Eight-Tails, he's already captured seven of them. Father, Uchiha Madara is now heading for the Five-Tails. Contact our ninjas there immediately!"
"Uchiha Madara!?"
The mention of Madara's name instantly brought back unpleasant memories for Ōnoki. He recalled how he and his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, had been easily defeated by Madara, who hadn't even bothered to take them seriously.
"What's he planning by capturing the tailed beasts?"
Kurotsuchi coughed weakly and replied, "I'm not sure, but before the Eight-Tails was captured, it told us to protect the Five-Tails at all costs and not let Madara collect all of the tailed beasts."
After Kurotsuchi explained the situation, Ōnoki understood the gravity of the matter, though his expression darkened further.
The alliance between the four nations hadn't even formed yet, Amegakure had been nearly wiped out, and though Kirigakure had just agreed to join, relations between Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin were now shaky.
Ōnoki knew how important Killer B was to Kumo-nin, but now he was dead, in the Land of Earth no less.
"Dodai, that's the situation. I understand how important Killer B was to your village, but there's a greater threat now. I hope you can talk to the Fourth Raikage and make sure he doesn't do anything that will play into the enemy's hands!"
Dodai's heart sank after hearing Ōnoki's words. He replied, "I'll do my best to persuade Raikage-sama."
The enemy was clear, and even their motives were known. Ideally, Kumo-nin and Iwa-nin should be strengthening their alliance to fight Madara and Konoha.
But Dodaicouldn't be sure what the Fourth Raikage would decide, given that his brother had died. Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding the Third Raikage's death in the Land of Earth had been suspicious as well.
"Third Tsuchikage, I'd like to accompany you to the Five-Tails' revival site."
Ōnoki replied, "Naturally. We'll set off immediately. If we're lucky, I hope the Fourth Raikage will bring Kumo-nin here too. After all, the enemy is Uchiha Madara."
Dodai, considering the situation, asked, "How much longer until the Five-Tails revives?"
"Hmm, about a month. The Five-Tails hadn't shown any signs of movement when the Four-Tails began gathering chakra, so it should be about a month behind."
Dodainodded thoughtfully and then said, "In that case, Third Tsuchikage, I hope your village will allow Raikage-sama to bring Kumo-nin here. Only by letting him personally investigate will he be convinced."
Ōnoki immediately understood Dodai's intention. He wanted the Fourth Raikage to see Uchiha Madara with his own eyes, focusing the Raikage's hatred on Madara so that the alliance between Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin could be strengthened.
Dodaialso didn't want relations between Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin to fracture at such a crucial moment, so he came up with this suggestion.
Ōnoki responded, "Let him come. Even if he brings a thousand Kumo-nin, Iwa-nin will make all the necessary arrangements. But make sure he brings strong shinobi, because our enemy is Uchiha Madara!"
"I understand. I'll report this to the Fourth Raikage immediately."
Dodai left the infirmary, preparing to inform the Fourth Raikage of what had transpired.
...
Konoha was no longer recognizable as its former self. The village had expanded to nearly 100 kilometers, and numerous tram tracks and public transportation systems had been built throughout.
Without these, it would be nearly impossible for ordinary people to get around, as it took hours just to walk from one side of the village to the other.
"Naruto, hurry up!"
Kushina sighed as she called out to Naruto. Today, Naruto was going to train with Sasuke and Karin, and Kushina planned to tag along to chat with Minako.
Minato had been gone for three days now, and Kushina was slowly beginning to forget him.
Thinking about this made Kushina grit her teeth in anger. After what happened during those two days—nearly non-stop for hours—she couldn't even bear to mention Minato's name. She avoided thinking about him altogether, afraid that Yōichi would pin her against the wall and have his way with her again.
"Coming, Mom."
Naruto changed his clothes and, after putting on his shoes, left with Kushina.
As they walked, Naruto suddenly asked, "Mom, where's Dad? He hasn't shown up in three days, right?"
"He's gone far away. You'll understand when you're older."
Kushina didn't want to lie to Naruto, so she kept her answer vague.
A little while later, as they continued walking, they encountered an old acquaintance—Jiraiya.
"Kushina, good morning. Where are you two headed?"
Jiraiya greeted them before asking, "By the way, I haven't seen Minato the past couple of days. I had something I needed to discuss with him."
Hearing this, Kushina turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto, go ahead and find Sasuke. I'll catch up with you later."
After sending Naruto off, Kushina replied, "Minato... he's already returned, back to the Pure Land."
"So soon?"
Jiraiya's face showed surprise. He had known Minato's intentions, but he thought Minato would stay a bit longer before returning to the Pure Land.
"Why the rush? Well, what do you plan to do now, Kushina?"
"Live a good life, and raise Naruto," Kushina replied plainly. She didn't want to deal with anyone associated with Minato right now, especially since she was carrying another man's child. Every time she faced Jiraiya, she felt the urge to avoid him.
"I see. And Naruto?"
"I have some things to discuss with Mina, so I'll be going now, Jiraiya-sensei."
Kushina quickly cut off Jiraiya, knowing what he was about to say. Minato had discussed this with him before, but things had changed.
Naruto, now a Jinchūriki with a powerful beast sealed inside him, would benefit more from training with Yōichi.
Besides, Kushina wasn't worried. After all, Naruto was the older brother of the child she was carrying.
"Ah, Kushina..."
Jiraiya called out a couple more times as she walked away, but she ignored him. He sighed and muttered to himself, "Am I being avoided?"
Kushina quickly caught up to Naruto, and the two of them arrived at the Uchiha compound.
When Naruto got there, Sasuke, Haku, and the others had already begun training. Seeing this, Naruto shouted, "I'm here!" before jumping in to join them.
At this point, the three of them were almost like little monsters. Though they had only had the beasts sealed within them for a short time, they were already able to use the beasts' abilities.
Yōichi had erased the consciousness of the summoned beasts while preserving their powers, essentially turning them into batteries that allowed Sasuke, Haku, and Naruto to use the beasts' abilities at will.
With this power boost, Sasuke, Haku, and Naruto had each increased their strength by two levels. If they fully unleashed their abilities, even Kimimaro and Itachi wouldn't stand a chance against them.
Sasuke could now casually cast A-rank Lightning Release jutsu, releasing ten in a row with ease. Under such circumstances, most tactics seemed futile.
That's why Yōichi had them focus on training their genetic abilities.
By mastering their genetic abilities, they would be able to fully absorb the beasts' powers as their own and grow even stronger.
Yōichi, having finished refining the fire, was also training at home. He was now able to slowly refine the fire without affecting anyone else, though it did make his body feel slightly warm.
But for Yōichi, who had mastered Godzilla's power, this wasn't a significant issue.
By refining a little each day, he would fully absorb the Golden Emperor's Heavenly Flame within two months.
"Kushina, you finally made it! Look, I prepared some salted meat cakes just for you!"
Mina brought out some snacks and cheerfully placed them in front of Kushina.
However, unlike usual, Kushina wasn't too thrilled. In fact, seeing the salted meat cakes made her feel nauseous, so she pushed them away, saying, "No thanks, Mina. I don't feel like eating this today... ugh."
"Hmm?" Mina asked curiously, "You used to love these. Are you feeling unwell today?"
"Uh, yeah, maybe just a little," Kushina replied quickly, laughing it off. Still, she pushed the snacks a bit further away, not wanting to even smell them.
(End of Chapter)
====
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"Dad, I want a beast too!"
Karin pouted as she approached Yōichi, then couldn't resist snuggling into his arms. Yōichi was lying on Gates' belly, and soon, Karin was lying on top of him.
At the moment, Karin was extremely envious of the abilities that Sasuke and Naruto had, and she desperately wanted one of her own.
"Karin, those abilities aren't so easily controlled. Unless you're willing to accept one of the beasts that appeared before, though it wouldn't be the same one," Yōichi explained to her. But his daughter still wasn't happy, so Yōichi had no choice but to assign Gates to her as her exclusive summoning beast.
Gates, who had been peacefully resting, raised his enormous bear head for a moment but quickly lay back down again. To him, it didn't matter who became his summoner as long as there was no battle involved.
By evening, Yōichi took Karin and the others back to the Land of Whirlpools, but this time, they still failed to summon a suitable beast for Karin, Kimimaro, or Uchiha Itachi. Instead, they summoned a MUTO.
This beast wasn't particularly special and its abilities were rather average, so Yōichi simply killed it.
After absorbing the life energy of the MUTO, they all returned. Kimimaro and Itachi didn't mind; they were just happy to have seen so many extraordinary monsters. Karin, on the other hand, who had just received a new pet, was only slightly disappointed.
"Naruto, let's go home."
Kushina playfully pressed down on Naruto's head before smiling at Mina and saying, "Thanks for having us today, we'll visit again soon."
"You're welcome anytime, Kushina," Mina replied. She wanted to ask something more but ultimately decided against it.
That night, as silence fell over the house, Mina lay on top of Yōichi, panting softly, resting for a while before speaking again.
"Yōichi-sama, did you know? Minato has returned to the Pure Land."
Minako's statement took Yōichi by slight surprise, though he kept his expression unchanged as he replied, "I knew. I saw his spirit return to the Pure Land when the Edo Tensei was undone. He was the only one among the reanimated shinobi in the village."
"Yes, Kushina told me earlier today, but something seems off with her."
"Off? What do you mean?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it. She said she wasn't feeling well, but it didn't seem like that was the whole story. She looked sick, but she wouldn't let me examine her," Mina said with a frown, making Yōichi inwardly click his tongue in concern. It seemed like he needed to remind Kushina to be more careful.
Once Kushina's belly started to show, she'd have to use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise herself. As for childbirth, it would be better to ask Rin for help. If Tsunade were to learn of this, Yōichi had no doubt she'd punch him straight into the ground.
Although Tsunade, Mikoto, and Mina were unlikely to leave him, they had agreed to ignore him for at least a year or two.
"Yōichi-sama, do you think I can get pregnant again?"
Yōichi thought for a moment before replying, "There's a chance, but it might be difficult."
His last child was likely the one currently growing in Kushina's belly, a result of countless efforts. With Yōichi's increasing strength, the likelihood of fathering more children seemed to decrease.
Looking at his existing children, all of them possessed immense untapped potential. The child in Kushina's womb, in particular, might inherit even more of Yōichi's abilities.
After chatting for a while longer, Mina finally succumbed to her drowsiness, yawning before falling asleep.
Once she was fully asleep, Yōichi carefully got out of bed and quietly left the room. He descended the stairs and slowly pushed open Yugito's door.
Yugito immediately sensed someone entering the room and opened her eyes. When she saw it was Yōichi, she relaxed slightly but quickly blushed and pulled the blanket tightly around her. With her face flushed, she whispered, "What are you doing here so suddenly? Get out! I'm still sleeping!"
"Of course, I'm here because I missed you, Yugito. Your face looks a bit off—what's wrong?"
Before Yōichi could finish his question, he noticed Yugito's flushed face and realized what she had been up to.
"Yugito, why are your hands wet?"
"Shut up, shut up! Don't say another word, you pervert!"
"If you don't want me to say it, that's fine. Let's just sleep together then, Yugito."
"No way, you always come to me last! Mm~"
Soon, the sound of wood creaking filled the room as a barrier enveloped it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next morning, Uchiha Yōichi woke up feeling refreshed, ready to start his training. This was exactly the kind of life he had dreamed of when he first arrived in the Shinobi World.
Aside from the tedious Hokage duties, Yōichi had achieved everything he had set out to do.
Yugito, now fully a woman after last night, blushed as she limped out of the room. Fortunately, no one else was around to notice her awkward gait.
"That pervert…"
Despite her words of complaint, Yugito couldn't help but smile as she saw the food left for her.
After finishing her meal, Yugito returned to her normal state. With the power of the Nibi and Sage Chakra, she was able to suppress any lingering discomfort.
After lunch, Yugito prepared her ninja tools and set off for a mission, aware of the village's shortage of shinobi. She wanted to contribute in whatever way she could.
Meanwhile, Yōichi continued his training, using his abilities to their fullest to gain even more benefits.
In the following days, Yōichi summoned several beasts, but none were particularly useful—some were even rather weak. One of them, a Light Rabbit, was given to Karin as a pet.
However, Yōichi suspected that the rabbit wouldn't live long, especially after he mentioned that it was a kind of edible rabbit with delicious meat. Upon hearing this, his daughter's eyes lit up, and she hugged the rabbit even tighter.
Over the next few days, no suitable beasts were summoned, but that was to be expected. Compared to the vast number of beasts from other worlds, only a few were truly suitable for his purposes.
So far, all of the summoned beasts had been within Yōichi's capability to handle, which was fortunate.
All the beasts Yōichi summoned had become life energy for him, so it wasn't a complete loss.
However, on the last day of his [Random Summoning] ability, Yōichi's luck finally took a turn for the better.
[Light Elemental Dragon—Aelsas]: The mount of the Lord of Light, this dragon was born from the Light Element and possesses the power to banish all darkness.
Standing nearly a hundred meters tall on all fours, Aelsas was covered in gleaming golden scales that shone even under the night sky. Its wings, like a masterpiece of art, glistened as its dragon eyes seemed capable of discerning all evil and darkness.
The moment Aelsas saw Yōichi, it launched an attack without hesitation. It didn't know why it had appeared in this place, but it sensed malice from the human before it.
Seeing Aelsas attack first, Yōichi didn't hold back and immediately engaged the Light Elemental Dragon in battle. He had always intended for any beast he summoned to become a sealed creature for his daughter, and this was no exception.
Yōichi had only thirty minutes, so he went all out from the start, entering his Six Paths Mode and activating the third layer of his Lightning Destruction Mode.
The intense battle caused even the barrier maintained by his clone to tremble. The clone quickly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport Karin and the others back to the Land of Fire.
After fighting for about ten minutes, Aelsas suffered severe injuries multiple times, but each time, its body glowed with white light, healing most of the damage.
This incredible regeneration even troubled Yōichi, as not even the explosions of his Truth-Seeking Orbs could penetrate the dragon's golden scales.
Realizing he was running out of time, Yōichi summoned his Kamui clone, who used the Kamui technique to sever Aelsas' wings, sending the dragon plummeting into the ocean.
He then used the Potara Fusion to enhance his strength and delivered a fatal punch to Aelsas' head. Using both his mental powers and Yin-Yang Release, he completely shattered Aelsas' mind and will.
With the battle finally over, Yōichi called his clone to bring Karin and the others back. Time was running out—Aelsas was about to return to its realm, and they had only one minute left to finish the sealing process.
Yōichi, together with Mina and Kushina, sealed the Light Elemental Dragon into Karin's body, reinforcing the seal with several layers before concluding the ritual.
However, once the seal was complete, Karin immediately fainted, causing Mina to panic.
Yōichi quickly entered Karin's consciousness to check the sealing space. But overwhelmed by the immense Light Element power within, he withdrew his mental energy.
"Don't worry, she'll wake up in a few days," Yōichi reassured the others. Karin's sudden fainting had drawn everyone's concern, even Sasuke, who stood with clenched fists, feeling nervous.
"It's like she's overeaten and needs time to digest. She'll be up soon."
After Aelsas' mind was obliterated, its Light Elemental power surged uncontrollably. When sealed into Karin, it overwhelmed her, causing her to faint.
Yōichi had reinforced the seal afterward, but the lingering Light Elemental power would take time for Karin to absorb and recover.
Once everyone was reassured that Karin was fine, Yōichi led Mina and the others back to Konoha.
As for the Land of Whirlpools, Yōichi didn't plan on returning anytime soon. His battle with Aelsas had shifted to the ocean, but not before sinking a third of the country.
Six Paths-level battles were immensely destructive. The Shinobi World was vast, but the amount of habitable land was pitifully small.
According to information Yōichi had gathered from Ryūchi Cave, people likely lived on the other side of the Shinobi World's planet a thousand years ago, close to Mount Myōboku.
But the month-long battle between Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Hagoromo, and Hamura had destroyed nearly half of the planet's landmass, forcing people to migrate to the current Five Great Nations over time.
It wasn't that people lacked the vision to explore other lands; it was that those lands had been utterly destroyed, now resembling the harsh environment of the moon, making them uninhabitable.
The commotion that night was not only sensed by the shinobi of the Suna District, the Ame District, and Kirigakure, but also by Uchiha Madara, deep within the Land of Earth.
Two powerful chakra signatures were fighting, and their strength was formidable.
But the distance was too great for Madara to accurately gauge their power. He summoned Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, instructing them, "There are powerful chakras battling in the south. It's not Senju Hashirama. White Zetsu, send your clones to investigate."
"Understood, Madara-sama," White Zetsu replied. Previously, Madara had created many White Zetsu clones with the Gedo Statue to gather information on the Eight-Tails.
"Madara-sama, could it be that enemy we encountered before? Perhaps they've engaged with the Konoha shinobi?"
"Could it be him?"
Madara was uncertain. The individual he had encountered before didn't seem this strong. It appeared there were still hidden powerhouses in the Shinobi World, making it all the more urgent for Madara to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
Under the Infinite Tsukuyomi, all those hidden in the shadows would be revealed.
Soon, White Zetsu spoke up again, "Madara-sama, there's another development. Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin have gathered a large number of forces and are heading this way. It seems they plan to take action against you."
Black Zetsu added, "It's likely that the Iwa-nin we spared was rescued, and the information was leaked."
Madara asked, "How many of them?"
"Around two thousand. Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin are about evenly split. Leading them are the Third Tsuchikage and the Fourth Raikage, and it seems they've dispatched their elite shinobi."
After hearing the report, Madara stretched his limbs slightly and said, "Looks like I'll get a decent workout. White Zetsu, how long until they arrive?"
"In about five hours. But their scouts are already nearby. Should we eliminate them, Madara-sama?"
"No need."
Madara didn't take the two villages seriously. The only ones that mattered to him were Senju Hashirama and those he had fought earlier.
Without Madara's orders, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu took no further action, merely monitoring the Iwa-nin and Kumo-nin forces and waiting for them to arrive.
Black Zetsu, meanwhile, grew increasingly excited as the Five-Tails' chakra gathered. Soon, it would finally see its mother again.
(End of Chapter)
====
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