Bab 196: Chapter 196: Capture the Four-Tails!
An hour and a half later, Shūichi finished upgrading Pakura's curse seal.
Pakura, after a hearty, nutritious meal, looked at Shūichi with an odd expression. For someone so young, just where did he learn all these secret techniques?
After freshening up, Shūichi looked at the radiant Pakura and suggested, "Let's go back to Konoha right now!"
Pakura hesitated. "Lord Shūichi, isn't it a bit rushed?"
Shūichi reached out and pinched her cheek, "I've already spoken to the Director and the others about it—they're very welcoming."
Without giving her a chance to protest further, Shūichi left a shadow clone behind and whisked Pakura away from the research base.
Konoha Village.
Once they arrived back at his house, Shūichi immediately created a shadow clone to report their return to Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
It was nearly ten o'clock by then.
Not long after they returned, Yakushi Nonō and Asuka also arrived together. They were momentarily surprised to see Pakura but then smiled and greeted her.
"Pakura, I presume? I'm Yakushi Nonō."
Asuka waved and smiled, "Pakura, it's been a while."
Seeing their warmth, Pakura felt a sense of relief. She quickly bowed in greeting. "Nonō-senpai, I am Pakura!"
Nonō stepped forward with a kind smile, "No need to call me 'senpai.' Like Asuka, you can call me Nonō, or just Director, like Shūichi does."
Pakura replied quickly, "Okay, ...Nonō."
She knew how highly Shūichi regarded Nonō, so she treated her with deep respect.
As Asuka was already acquainted with Pakura, she sensed her shyness and quickly led her to her room, saying, "You'll be sharing a room with me tonight. I hope you don't mind."
Pakura glanced at Shūichi, then let herself be led away. "Not at all, thank you."
As the two entered the room, Nonō came over to Shūichi with a slightly helpless smile. "Will Shizune be alright with this?"
Though Nonō herself was inexperienced, she was perceptive enough to see the dynamics.
Shūichi shamelessly held Nonō's arm, "As long as you're okay with it, Director."
Nonō shook her head, speaking softly, "I don't mind, but…"
Shūichi quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Director. Shizune is fine with it."
Nonō sighed, "I really can't do anything with you."
Shūichi laughed, "Who could resist my charm?"
"I'm aiming to establish a great clan; having only Shizune and Asuka isn't enough!"
Nonō gave him a reproachful look, "If Lady Tsunade finds out, she'll definitely come after you."
Shūichi winked, "Tsunade can't beat me anymore."
Nonō shook her head with a wry smile and cautioned, "Shūichi, you shouldn't overindulge. Even though you're already very strong, you're still young."
Shūichi nodded sincerely, almost as if swearing an oath.
After everyone had finished washing up, Shūichi also upgraded the curse seals on Nonō and Asuka. He made sure his people always received the best.
The Next Day.
In the morning, Shūichi headed to the Konoha Hospital to upgrade Shizune's curse seal, then made his way to the research base.
Tsunade still looked irritated, but Shūichi quickly distracted her with his recent findings from the day before.
"It seems that the intensity of chakra nature transformations is also linked to chakra reserves."
After testing it out, Tsunade frowned, "I feel like I've hit my limit; there's no way to advance further."
Shūichi hesitated before offering, "There is a way to significantly boost your chakra reserves and even gain strong Yang Release abilities."
Tsunade pondered for a moment, "I'll consider it."
Not pressing further, Shūichi changed the topic, "Let's update your curse seal."
"I made some improvements yesterday—now, when the seal is activated, it can heal without hand signs, and the effect is even stronger than before."
"It also enhances Wind Release abilities."
With that, Shūichi moved behind Tsunade and grasped her ponytail.
"Enhancing Wind Release doesn't benefit me much," Tsunade commented but didn't resist.
Typical stubbornness!
After upgrading her seal, Shūichi went off to continue his own work.
Time passed quickly, and soon, the last day of Konoha Year 46 arrived, with the New Year just around the corner.
That evening, Shūichi's house was bustling like never before.
In attendance were Yakushi Nonō, Asuka, Pakura, Shizune, Tsunade, and Miss Tenka, who had unexpectedly dropped by and refused to leave.
However, with so many people around, there were also some challenges; Shūichi found himself running errands for the ladies, practically playing the role of an attendant.
Especially Tsunade, who seemed to be intentionally giving him a hard time, hoping to exhaust him.
Luckily, he had shadow clones to help, preventing Tsunade from fully succeeding.
Meanwhile…
At the cemetery, a cloaked figure appeared in front of Rin Nohara's false grave.
Possessed by Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, Obito Uchiha looked utterly desolate.
After standing in silence for a long while, Obito spoke hoarsely, "I'll join you."
White Zetsu responded immediately, "Now that's the right choice."
Black Zetsu's deep voice added, "This twisted world, plagued by endless wars—even if Rin hadn't died and you two married, would you want your children sent to the battlefield at seven or eight?"
"Ninjas are a cursed existence!"
"If we don't create a new world, tragedy will persist. You're neither the first nor the only one, Obito."
Obito replied quietly, "I know."
"That's why I'll work with you."
---
At the research base, by Rin Nohara's bedside, Kakashi was holding her hand, linking their minds through chakra.
However, this wasn't a private moment—Isobu, the Yang Three-Tails, was also present.
Watching Kakashi, who had already mastered Water Release nature transformation, and a visibly awkward and apologetic Rin, Isobu could only sigh, turning away. "Let this kid teach you; I'll go take a nap."
Feeling embarrassed, Rin quickly bowed, "Thank you, Isobu."
The Yang Three-Tails waved its tail before vanishing.
Rin turned back to Kakashi, smiling, "Let's continue, Kakashi!"
Kakashi nodded, letting Rin hold his hand.
In the mindscape, after opening their hearts, no thoughts could remain hidden.
"Kakashi, once I'm fully recovered, let's find Obito together!" Rin looked at Kakashi with wide eyes, allowing no avoidance. "He'll bless us!"
Meeting her gaze, Kakashi gripped her hand firmly and nodded, "Alright!"
...
Shūichi had no idea Kakashi was already falling for Rin Nohara's charms. Meanwhile, he was enjoying his time surrounded by two beauties, Shizune on his left and Asuka on his right, the picture of envy.
Around nine o'clock, they finally headed back home. Tsunade, struck by a sudden urge to play, suggested a card game to welcome the New Year, so Shūichi quickly introduced a new game—Konoha's version of Fight the Landlord!
Seven players took turns, with a twist: losers didn't have to pay but instead had to stick notes on their faces. Within an hour, Tsunade was down to just her two visible eyes. Shūichi felt a hint of regret—it would've been more fun if he could have upped the stakes to clothes.
The night passed in joyful chaos, and Konoha's 47th year arrived.
Shūichi's yearly routine began as usual. He spent three days at the orphanage with Nonō Yakushi, Asuka, and Pakura, followed by visits to the homes of Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Might Duy, and other respected figures.
As New Year's festivities gradually faded, Shūichi resumed his training and research. Then, one day, he received an urgent notification from Sarutobi Shinnosuke: it was time to separate the Four-Tails!
The Anbu had prepared a containment vessel, a large wooden tub covered in intricate sealing symbols, at the former Root base. Shūichi glanced at it and shook his head. "We won't be needing this," he announced.
The Sealing Team members looked at him in confusion. Shūichi chuckled, "I've become friends with the Four-Tails. No seal required."
One team member swallowed hard. "Lord Shūichi… you're not joking, are you?"
"Of course not," he replied and then proceeded to extract the Yin aspect of the Four-Tails from his Eight Trigrams Seal. As the enormous form of the Four-Tails emerged, the Sealing Team members stood frozen in awe.
The Yin Four-Tails lowered its gaze at the anxious shinobi below, then nodded toward Shūichi. "Some of the things you said made sense," it muttered.
Shūichi grinned. "Stay here for a few days, and when Iwa's team arrives, we'll place you in the container for transport. I'll personally escort you back to Iwagakure to prevent any ambushes along the way."
The Four-Tails agreed, and after Shūichi marked it with a Flying Thunder God seal, he dismissed the Sealing Team, who quickly retreated.
On January 16th, Konoha's representatives welcomed the Iwa delegation, led by Ōnoki's son, the burly young Kitsuchi.
As Shūichi observed the towering, decidedly unattractive man, he couldn't help but wonder how Kitsuchi could possibly father the elegant Kurotsuchi one day. Perhaps her mother had remarkable genes.
Once discussions between Kitsuchi and Minato concluded, Shūichi chimed in, "After the Four-Tails handoff, I'll personally escort your group back to Iwagakure."
Iwa Jonin Sumashi replied, "There's no need, my lord. We're fully prepared to handle this ourselves."
Kitsuchi nodded in agreement, albeit politely. "We appreciate the offer, but we've come prepared."
Shūichi shook his head. "It's in your best interest. I'll let you in on something—Madara Uchiha, the so-called Demon of the Ninja World, has reappeared."
The Iwa shinobi stared in shock. After a long pause, Kitsuchi stammered, "You're… you're serious? Madara… he should be long dead by now, shouldn't he? And at his age—"
Shūichi fixed his gaze on Kitsuchi. "It's hard to believe, but as Ōnoki's son, you should be aware of certain secrets, like Susanoo. I've personally encountered him, fought him, and later confirmed my findings."
Kitsuchi's expression turned grave, while a low murmur circulated among the Iwa shinobi. "He can't be trying to scare us, can he?" one whispered.
Sumashi barked, "Silence!"
Realizing the severity of the situation, Kitsuchi nodded decisively. "Then we'll gladly accept your escort."
The next day, Shūichi handed over the sealed Yin Four-Tails in its wooden container for inspection before their departure. He, along with Shisui Uchiha, Asuka, and Pakura, joined the Iwa team as they began their journey westward, swiftly moving through dense forests.
Unbeknownst to them, Obito Uchiha and White Zetsu followed from the shadows. "Such a shame," White Zetsu muttered. "With Shūichi around, the chances of success are slim."
Still fused with Obito, Black Zetsu replied, "No matter. With the Four-Tails back in Iwa, it actually becomes easier for us to retrieve it later. We'll just have to go in order anyway."
Obito mused, "So when the time comes, Shūichi will also likely escort the One-Tail back to Suna."
White Zetsu murmured, "Exactly. For now, we'll continue gathering intel. Once Nagato fully masters the Rinnegan, we can gather a stronger team and capture the Tailed Beasts in quick succession. It's the most efficient approach."
Black Zetsu issued instructions, "Stay on the Four-Tails, Tobi. Keep an eye out for Iwa's next Jinchūriki candidate."
White Zetsu Tobi sank into the earth with a wave. "Leave it to me. This is what I do best."
...
As they were traveling, Shūichi glanced back. Just as he expected—there they were! He had Sage Mode active, enhancing his senses.
"Shūichi, what's wrong?" asked Shisui from his left.
Shūichi turned to him and replied, "Shisui, let Kitsuchi and his team know—we're being followed. Tell them to stay alert."
Shisui nodded immediately and sped ahead to inform the Iwa nin. Hearing this, Kitsuchi and the others tensed up and quickly shifted into a combat formation.
However, they reached the border of the Land of Fire without any attack occurring, which allowed Kitsuchi and Sumashi to relax slightly.
After resting for an hour, the group continued on, crossing into the Land of Grass, then heading towards the Land of Earth. By the time they reached the Land of Earth, Kitsuchi fully relaxed. At the border, a hundred-strong squad was waiting to receive them.
At this point, Kitsuchi politely declined further escort from Shūichi and his team, bowing in gratitude. "Thank you. Since we need to protect the Four-Tails, we'll have to part ways here and won't be able to host you further."
Shūichi nodded slightly. "In that case, we'll take our leave. But a word of caution—don't let your guard down."
Kitsuchi, still respectful, nodded. "We won't."
With that, Shūichi led Asuka and the others back, crossing Kannabi Bridge and entering the Land of Grass.
Meanwhile, Kitsuchi's group rested for only an hour before setting off again under the moonlight toward Iwagakure.
Watching from a barren hilltop, White Zetsu's head emerged, grinning as he observed the Iwa forces. "Who would have thought they'd actually refuse further escort from Shūichi Hoshita?"
"What a tempting opportunity this is!"
With that, White Zetsu used Kamui to transport himself into the Kamui dimension. When he re-emerged, he was at Obito's side, excitedly sharing the news. "I have a very, very good update. Shūichi and the Iwa ninja have separated!"
"Now, it's just over a hundred Iwa shinobi escorting the Four-Tails."
"So, shall we make a move?"
Black Zetsu responded immediately, "Of course we can't pass up an opportunity like this."
"Although the Tailed Beasts need to be sealed in sequence, capturing the Four-Tails now would allow us to control it with the Sharingan, turning it into a Summoning Beast—a great asset."
Without hesitation, Obito decided, "Then let's move!"
He activated Kamui, now with partial control over his body. However, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu still hadn't fully trusted him, so they remained attached to his body.
…
In the Land of Grass, Shūichi suddenly stopped. "Right here," he said.
The other three halted as well, with Shisui asking, "Shūichi, do you think Madara Uchiha will strike?"
Shūichi looked toward the Land of Earth. "The Four-Tails isn't sealed inside a Jinchūriki right now. It's a perfect opportunity."
"With the Sharingan, they could control it instantly, turning it to their side. Over a hundred Iwa shinobi—what do they matter?"
Shūichi didn't know if Madara had "unplugged" yet, but Obito's Mangekyo alone would be enough.
Wearing her mask, Pakura remarked, "Those Iwa shinobi didn't trust us."
Shūichi chuckled, "They don't need to trust us now."
The Iwa shinobi would end up taking the blame, and he couldn't let Nagato and his team capture the Four-Tails too quickly. Especially the fact that he could split the Tailed Beasts—this information couldn't be revealed just yet.
(End of Chapter)
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