Although Black Zetsu didn't know much about Otsutsuki Urashiki's pills, he had observed Urashiki extracting chakra from others multiple times and transforming it into pills. At critical moments, Urashiki would eat the pill to boost his chakra.
In any case, it seemed like a good thing, right?
Under Urashiki's watchful gaze, Black Zetsu opened its mouth and swallowed the pill.
Immediately, Black Zetsu felt a massive surge of chakra within itself, and visible chakra started to emanate from its body.
"My power has increased so much!" With the pill consumed, Black Zetsu could clearly feel its strength growing significantly.
"Not bad. It seems that the absorption of the pill worked well for you!" Urashiki nodded slightly as he observed the changes in Black Zetsu's chakra.
"The effect of this pill is indeed impressive!"
Feeling the enhancement in his chakra, Black Zetsu was overjoyed.
No matter how you looked at it, his power had increased, which could only be a good thing, right?
"Alright, I have said everything I needed to say. I will leave now."
The pill's effect was an unexpected bonus for Black Zetsu. After thoroughly feeling the increase in his strength, Black Zetsu spoke to Urashiki.
"Okay, you may leave," Urashiki nodded, then sat back down.
He cast his fishing line into the river below and quietly waited for the next fish to take the bait.
Watching Urashiki, Black Zetsu hesitated for a moment, not immediately departing.
"What's wrong? Do you still have something to say?" Noticing that Black Zetsu hadn't left, Urashiki asked.
"I'm just curious." Black Zetsu replied, "If you don't actually want the fish, then why are you fishing?"
Indeed, Black Zetsu was very curious about Urashiki's behavior.
When he first arrived, he had seen Urashiki catch a large carp, only to release it back into the water.
"The catch isn't the important part. It's the process of fishing that I enjoy," Urashiki said.
"Quite refined!" Black Zetsu nodded in realization and even raised a thumb in praise of Urashiki's attitude. After understanding what he wanted to know, Black Zetsu had no intention of lingering and sank back into the ground, disappearing quickly. Despite praising Urashiki's elegance, internally, Black Zetsu couldn't help but think he was crazy.
Not wanting the fish but loving the act of fishing?
It's like working hard without wanting a salary—what else could you call this but madness?
Although his injuries had mostly healed, Urashiki wasn't in a rush.
His primary objective was still to obtain the chakra of the Nine-Tails, which was his main focus.
As for Kaguya? He decided he would deal with that after acquiring the Nine-Tails chakra.
Initially, Urashiki had thought that, having traveled to this timeline, it would be relatively easy to obtain the Nine-Tails chakra.
But it turned out that this timeline also had its fair share of powerful individuals, and things weren't as simple as he had expected.
"If I had known this, I wouldn't have traveled just a few years; I should've gone back by several decades, maybe even centuries!"
The image of Akira transforming into a golden dragon flashed through Urashiki's mind, and he thought back to how he had underestimated the timeline, assuming there wouldn't be such formidable foes.
Indeed, he had never anticipated encountering a powerful enemy like Akira in this timeline.
He had heard that the Nine-Tails had existed for over a millennium.
Had he known, he would have chosen a period devoid of such strong adversaries.
Originally, as a member of the Otsutsuki clan, Urashiki hadn't considered the shinobi world's so-called "strongest" much of a threat.
But after being defeated by Akira, and previously being pushed back by Sasuke and Naruto from another timeline, the repeated setbacks had made him realize something.
The shinobi world indeed had strong individuals capable of threatening him.
It wasn't the easy "ride-over-all" scenario he had initially envisioned where he could easily accomplish his goals!
Let's leave Urashiki's current situation aside for now.
On the other side, everything had been quite peaceful recently, and Akira's attention was focused mainly on Hinata's development of the Tenseigan.
Practicing gravitational pull and repulsion, Hinata had become more skilled. She was getting better at controlling the coins that spun around her wrist, making them move smoother.
These days, Hinata had been getting more and more proficient in her control of the Tenseigan.
Hinata had officially stepped into the realm of Kage-level shinobi.
From a comprehensive standpoint, Hinata was now the only member of the Hyuga clan to evolve to the level of the Tenseigan, making her arguably the strongest Hyuga clan member!
Moreover, it wasn't just Hinata who had been training these days; everyone else had been intensifying their training as well.
Kage-level shinobi had once been considered the pinnacle of power in the shinobi world.
But with the successive emergence of the Rinnegan, and individuals like Akira and Sasuke who were above Kage-level, those Kage-level shinobi had witnessed even higher mountains.
Therefore, no one was complacent just because they were Kage-level.
Everyone—the Sannin, Kakashi, Might Guy—they all focused on training even harder.
Sasuke, as the sole Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan user, primarily trained to enhance his visual prowess.
Although his overall strength had nearly doubled, his chakra levels hadn't increased; it was mainly his ocular abilities that had improved.
With his enhanced visual prowess, Sasuke could now reach the fourth stage of Susanoo, where the Susanoo was covered in armor.
Of course, the next step would be reaching the point where his Susanoo could stand on two feet and walk upright.
When he finally reached that level, there would be a qualitative change, and his Susanoo's size would increase significantly!
"No, it's not enough. Still far from it!" Sasuke muttered as he looked at his Susanoo, which lacked legs. His heart was full of determination.
Akira was only an ordinary Mangekyou Sharingan user, yet each of his wooden clones could summon a fully-formed Susanoo.
And here he was, an Eternal Mangekyou user, still unable to match even one of Akira's wood clones?
This was something Sasuke simply couldn't accept!
Shaking his head silently, Sasuke pushed himself to focus harder and continued his training.
Meanwhile, over at Mount Myoboku—one of the Three Great Sage Regions—Naruto sat cross-legged with toad oil applied to his body to help him sense natural energy.
Next to him were Fukasaku and Shima, the two Great Toad Sages, standing by as his guardians.
Should Naruto mess up during training, they would use their sticks to disperse the natural energy around him, preventing him from turning into a frog statue!
However, thanks to Akira giving him two opportunities to experience Dragon Sage Mode, Naruto found his training for the Toad Sage Mode going smoother than before.
Having experienced Sage Mode before, Naruto was eager to grow stronger, knowing that only through mastering Sage Mode could he truly leap in power.
Elsewhere, Kakashi was also working hard on his chakra training.
Kakashi knew very well that his greatest weakness was his limited chakra reserves.
Thus, if he wanted to increase his power, focusing on boosting his chakra reserves was key!
Though chakra control was also important, even the most skilled cook can't work without ingredients.
Without enough chakra, it wouldn't matter how well he could control it.
Jiraiya and Tsunade were also training, although their progress wasn't as fast as the others.
Reaching middle age meant that, no matter how hard they tried, their physical capabilities were what they were.
So their desire to push their strength beyond current limits wasn't as urgent.
More importantly, once you're middle-aged, unless there's an extraordinary situation, dramatic increases in strength aren't very likely!
Interestingly enough, among the Kage-level shinobi in the Leaf, Roshi and Han had the easiest path to growth!
Being Jinchuriki, their strength primarily relied on the chakra of their respective Tailed Beasts.
Though they had previously been able to use some of their Tailed Beasts' chakra, they couldn't fully achieve something like Yugito Nii or Killer Bee, who could transform at will.
However, this issue was nothing before Akira!
With Roshi and Han, Akira simply displayed his Mangekyou Sharingan in front of them. The overwhelming ocular power subdued them instantly.
Before long, the Four-Tails Son Goku and Five-Tails Kokuo inside them became much more docile!
With the Tailed Beasts inside them behaving, Roshi and Han's overall strength naturally rose significantly!
And just like that, two more months went by in the blink of an eye!
During these two months, the shinobi world was unusually peaceful, with everyone working silently to improve their strength.
Everything seemed like the calm before the storm, with everyone preparing for the potential war ahead—a storm on the horizon…
In the Hokage Office, Fugaku wasn't particularly burdened with any pressing administrative duties.
His task was merely to go over the documents handled by the cabinet, picking out any that didn't quite meet his expectations, and providing his notes accordingly.
Knock, knock, knock!
As he drank tea and reviewed the processed paperwork in front of him, Fugaku nodded silently. Over ninety percent of the cabinet's work aligned well with his expectations; overall, he was quite satisfied.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Come in!" Fugaku put down his teacup and called out.
The door opened, and Yamanaka Inoichi stepped in.
"Lord Hokage, there's something I need to report." Inoichi got straight to the point.
Without a word, Fugaku simply looked at Inoichi, his gaze questioning.
"A wandering ninja arrived at our village recently, expressing a desire to join the Hidden Leaf Village," Inoichi replied.
"The Hidden Leaf has regulations in place for admitting outside ninjas," Fugaku said.
Clearly, if there were established rules, following them would suffice, wouldn't it?
"This individual is a bit special. He is a skilled swordsman, and he's also brought a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan," Inoichi continued.
"He brought a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan!?" Fugaku, startled, sat up straighter.
Sharingan was the bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan. Sharingan floating outside their clan was...
After thinking briefly, Fugaku told Inoichi to bring the person in.
Soon, a young man around twenty appeared before Fugaku. On his back was a large katana.
"My name is Yusuke. I specialize in genjutsu and kenjutsu."
"I obtained these three-tomoe Sharingan when I encountered an Uchiha outside the village and took them after eliminating him."
"I hope to join the Hidden Leaf and offer these eyes as a gift." After a brief self-introduction, Yusuke spoke directly to Fugaku.
Years ago, after Kakashi awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, many who coveted the Sharingan targeted the Uchiha clan.
But with Fugaku stepping in, and without others able to evolve the Sharingan even after transplanting, most attempts at taking the Sharingan had gradually died down.
However, there were still a few Sharingan out there.
It was evident that the three-tomoe Sharingan before them was one of these.
The individual had brought a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan as a gift, just to join the Hidden Leaf?
Anyone capable of taking a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan likely had Jonin-level skills, at the very least.
"Why do you want to join the Hidden Leaf?" Fugaku asked, without rejecting the Sharingan.
"Recently, the Hidden Leaf's forces launched an attack against the Akatsuki, dealing them a significant blow, which has greatly elevated the village's reputation."
"For wandering ninjas like us who seek a stable life..."
"With chaos looming over the shinobi world, isn't the Hidden Leaf the best place to find refuge?" Yusuke answered honestly.
Fugaku nodded slightly. The reason Yusuke gave seemed quite reasonable to him.
"Very well. In that case, proceed with the formal admission process." After thinking for a moment, Fugaku nodded in agreement.
Knock, knock, knock! Just as Fugaku finished speaking, another knock came at the door.
From outside, Akira's voice sounded, "Lord Hokage, did you need to see me?"
"Ah, Akira, come in." Hearing Akira's voice, Fugaku decided to attend to him first. Yusuke, understanding the situation, quietly stepped aside.
Akira entered and looked at Fugaku. "Lord Hokage, is there something you needed from me?"
"Akira, I do indeed have a task I would like to entrust to you," Fugaku said.
"Please, Lord Hokage, instruct me." Akira, respectful of the Hokage's authority, bowed slightly as he spoke.
"The situation is this: Over in the Cloud Village, both Killer Bee and Yugito Nii can transform into their Tailed Beast forms at will."
"This is because there is a specific location in the Cloud Village that significantly aids the Jinchuriki in their training."
"Now that we have three Jinchuriki in our village, I thought it might be good for them to train at that location as well."
"However, lately, the Cloud Village has been getting a bit arrogant, even thinking that their strength might surpass that of the Hidden Leaf," Fugaku explained the mission to Akira.
Hearing this, Akira immediately understood.
Simply put, they wanted the method that the Cloud Village used for Jinchuriki training, right?
In the original storyline, Killer Bee had indeed taken Naruto to train in front of a particular waterfall, hadn't he?
But Akira was also aware that the Cloud Village had been getting more cocky lately.
As the second most powerful village after the Hidden Leaf, it was almost ingrained in the Cloud Village to challenge the Leaf's status as the leading shinobi power.
Adding to this, the Akatsuki had attacked all the major villages except the Cloud.
They had also attacked all the Kage, except for the Raikage.
All this had made the Cloud Village think that their strength wasn't any weaker than that of the Hidden Leaf.
Sending the three Jinchuriki to train there? Without a show of overwhelming force, who knew what kind of tricks the Cloud Village might pull?
And so, Fugaku had decided to send Akira on this mission.
"Really? You just keep working the one who can plow the fields until they drop, huh?" Akira sighed inwardly after hearing Fugaku's request.
Honestly, Akira wasn't too enthusiastic about the mission. Traveling all the way to the Cloud Village?
Although it could help the Jinchuriki grow stronger, his Mangekyou Sharingan was already sufficient for keeping them in check...
Seeing Akira's expression, Fugaku, of course, knew that he wasn't exactly thrilled with the assignment.
So Fugaku decisively said, "Traveling to the Cloud Village will be an arduous journey, trekking over mountains and valleys."
"Moreover, the Jinchuriki have huge appetites."
"I'll allocate you a budget of 100 million ryo for the journey."
"Wait, 100 million!?" Hearing Fugaku's words, Akira's eyes lit up.
With that kind of funding, suddenly, the trip didn't seem so bad!
Akira immediately perked up, nodding enthusiastically, "Lord Hokage, you're right. This will definitely be beneficial for the Jinchuriki's training."
"Since it's all for the village..."
"Besides, Naruto and I have a good relationship, and Roshi and Han are my subordinates. It's my duty to do this!"
"Excellent. In that case, you should set off as soon as possible," Fugaku said, satisfied with Akira's response.
"By the way, who is this?" Having finished his conversation with the Hokage, Akira now turned his attention to Yusuke, standing nearby, and asked curiously.
"Oh, his name is Yusuke. He's a wandering ninja..." Fugaku explained Yusuke's background to Akira.
"So you managed to take down a ninja with three-tomoe Sharingan? Not bad. Are you interested in joining the Anbu?" Hearing this, Akira's interest was piqued.
"When I was wandering in the shinobi world, Lord Akira's reputation was already well known to me. I also know that Lord Akira is the Head of the Anbu in the Hidden Leaf. If I could serve under you, it would be my honor," Yusuke responded promptly to Akira's offer.
"Good. Well, I happen to have some time now. How about a little sparring session? Let me see your skills." Akira said casually.
"Please, Lord Akira, guide me!" Yusuke humbly replied.
Though Yusuke was older than Akira by a few years, in the shinobi world, strength spoke louder than age.
"Alright then, Lord Hokage, I'll take my leave now." After greeting Yusuke, Akira turned to leave the Hokage's office with Yusuke, bidding farewell to Fugaku.
With Yusuke in tow, Akira led the way to the Anbu quarters.
Seeing Akira approach, the Anbu members greeted him one after another.
"Alright, let's get started!" Nodding to each of them in acknowledgment, Akira led Yusuke to an open area.
The Anbu members, seeing Akira about to take action, gathered around, curious.
They weren't sure what was happening, but it seemed that their captain was about to test the strength of this newcomer personally.
Naturally, the Anbu members were intrigued.
On one hand, they were curious about Yusuke's capabilities. What kind of skills did he possess that warranted a personal evaluation from their captain?
On the other hand, they were excited to see Akira in action himself.
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