"You're welcome."
Haruno Sakura stepped closer and asked in a low voice, "Shinho, could you arrange for me to go on a mission with Sasuke-kun?"
"I'll consider it," Shinho said with a slight nod.
Though Sakura hadn't become Tsunade's apprentice, her medical skills were impressive, and she was already a competent chunin.
"Thank you, Shinho!" Sakura said excitedly.
Shinho continued down the hallway and soon found the rest lounge.
The door wasn't locked, so he quietly turned the handle and stepped inside.
Tsunade sat in a chair, her hand propping up her head, resting with her eyes closed.
Shinho approached her and stopped in front of her. The familiar scent of her presence filled the air.
"Teacher," Shinho said softly, "Let's go home and rest."
Tsunade tilted her head up and looked at him.
Long ago, she had imagined a moment like this. Someone waiting to take her home after a long day of work.
"Mm," she replied with a gentle smile.
For a moment, Shinho froze, captivated, before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.
Hesitating for a moment, she didn't push him away but instead expanded her sensory awareness to ensure no one approached.
Three minutes later, Tsunade pulled back, giving him a glare.
This rascal was as bold as ever. The moment she let her guard down, he took matters into his own hands, acting like mountaineer, "measuring the terrain" by hand.
"Home!" Tsunade said firmly, pushing him away and heading toward the door.
…
Three days later, in the Island of Summoning.
"So many summoning beasts!" Karin couldn't help but exclaim.
Any beast capable of using chakra could be classified as a summoning beast.
Most were born through natural evolution, and on this island, nearly every creature had some level of chakra presence, as detected by Karin's abilities.
"Have you located the research base?" Jiraiya asked, uninterested in the weaker summoning beasts, as they posed no threat.
His true target was the ultimate summoning beast, rumored to have infinite evolutionary potential.
Theoretically, it could surpass the summoning beasts of the three great sanctuaries.
To Jiraiya, this creature seemed to align with the prophecy.
Closing her eyes, Karin activated her Kagura Mind's Eye.
Her sensory field spanned several dozen kilometers, easily encompassing the entire Island of Summoning.
"I've found it!" Karin's expression shifted. "There's a massive creature there, slaughtering people!"
"Could it be that the ultimate summoning beast was let loose?" Jiraiya's tone turned serious, "Let's go put an end to it!"
"I'll distract it!" Naruto volunteered eagerly, glancing smugly at Sasuke.
"We'll see when we get there," Jiraiya said as he leapt toward the research base.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, not even sparing Naruto a glance as he followed after Jiraiya.
"Who's the idiot?" Naruto grumbled, chasing after him.
Karin shook her head, used to the constant bickering between her teammates.
As the four approached, the ultimate summoning beast came into view.
It resembled a giant moth, nearly ten meters tall, but instead of wings, it had writhing tentacles. Its pitch-black eyes glinted with bloodlust.
The research base lay in ruins, shattered under its rampage. Corpses of researchers in lab coats were strewn everywhere.
Naruto's expression twisted with a mix of anger and pity.
Sasuke silently unsheathed his Lightning Fire Sword, his face impassive.
"Is anyone still alive?" Jiraiya asked, frowning.
"No… wait, there's a girl fleeing toward the northeast!" Karin said in a surprised tone.
At that moment, a surge of dark red chakra erupted from Naruto, forming a menacing Nine-Tails cloak around him.
"I'll grab its attention!" Naruto shouted, launching himself like a bolt of lightning and crashing into the ultimate summoning beast.
"That's… the Nine-Tails chakra?" Sasuke instinctively tightened his grip on his sword.
The malevolent energy was palpable, sending shivers down his spine.
Even at Four-Tails strength, the chakra was enough to feel like a genuine threat.
With a loud crash, the summoning beast toppled to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
He found the beast far less intimidating than Jiraiya had made it out to be.
"Let's end this quickly,"
Activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, he looked at the beast.
Mangekyō Sharingan: Genjutsu!
The summoning beast froze in place, its black eyes turning crimson under the influence of Sasuke's genjutsu.
"What the—ah!"
At that moment, Naruto's Nine-Tails cloak abruptly vanished, leaving him to crash unceremoniously to the ground.
"What just happened?" Naruto asked, bewildered.
Inside him, Kurama had curled up into a defensive ball, wary of the Mangekyō Sharingan's influence.
"...?" Jiraiya stared, his mouth slightly agape.
This was his first time witnessing Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan in action.
He had expected a drawn-out battle, but it ended in under a minute, leaving him no time to even warm up.
This Team 7 is ridiculous, Jiraiya thought.
Naruto, capable of Four-Tails mode.
Sasuke, wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Karin, skilled in Uzumaki clan sealing techniques.
They're practically a tailor-made anti-tailed beast squad. Even the Kage of a village might struggle against them.
"Who… who are you?"
A disheveled young girl in a lab coat stumbled into view.
Karin froze, staring at the girl's red hair.
She could sense the vast chakra within her, far exceeding that of an ordinary person.
"Are you an Uzumaki ninja?" Karin asked, stepping forward quickly.
"Are you?" the girl responded hesitantly.
"I'm Karin," she said, nodding, "From the Uzumaki clan, now a Konoha ninja."
"An Uzumaki ninja here?" Jiraiya muttered in amazement. What are the odds?
He chose not to interrupt the girls' conversation and instead approached the paralyzed summoning beast.
"It's still evolving," Sasuke noted, "Its strength has increased even in this short time."
Jiraiya's eyes widened in alarm.
Constant evolution, even while being resptrained? This was truly a terrifying creature.
Biting his thumb, Jiraiya pressed his hand to the ground.
With a loud bang, Fukasaku of Mount Myoboku appeared.
After Jiraiya explained the situation, Fukasaku nodded thoughtfully.
"That does seem to be the case. I'll take it to Mount Myoboku for the Great Sage to handle."
…
At Hokage's office;
After lunch, Shinho lay on the office couch, relaxing.
Ichikishima-hime, floating just above the couch, gently massaged his temples. Her gentle hands, unsurprisingly holding immense power and sending Shinho into the dreamland with the soothing massage.
Suddenly, two lines of text appeared in Shinho's vision:
[Achievement Unlocked: Team 7's "Starting with the Ultimate Move" – Reward: Supreme Light Gu.]
[Supreme Light Gu: Rank 5 Gu insect. It releases the radiant light of ancient era.]
Shinho blinked in surprise.
The achievement was clearly related to Team 7's mission on the Island of Summoning.
Starting with the Ultimate Move… so they really went all out from the beginning.
Shinho couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the so-called ultimate summoning beast.
Seeing the reward, however, his spirits lifted.
With the addition of the Supreme Light Gu, the killer move Heavenly Cascade of Light was now fully assembled.
One Rank 4 and two Rank 5 Gu insects, together, their combined power far exceeded that of any individual Rank 5 Gu insects.
His strength had once again taken a leap forward.
"Not bad at all," Shinho was satisfied.
"Thank you for your praise, Master!" Ichikishima-hime said, her small face flushed with excitement.
Shinho hesitated, then chose to let it go. After all, her massage skills were undeniably excellent.
He closed his eyes, ready to enjoy a well-deserved nap during the midday lull.
Shinho didn't know how much time had passed before he was suddenly jolted awake.
"...?"
Looking down, he saw Ichikishima-hime kneeling on the ground, her head bowed.
Her deep blue hair swayed slightly in the sunlight streaming through the window.
She noticed his awakening and struggled to lift her head. Unable to speak, she met his eyes briefly before lowering her gaze again.
It was evident she had learned this gesture from observing Shizune.
Shinho's mouth twitched slightly, unsure of what to say.
He felt like he was inching closer to becoming a figure like Xu Xian.
Moments later, Shinho noticed something strange.
Reaching out, he gently touched Ichikishima-hime's throat, noting the purplish-blue hue of her skin.
His brows furrowed.
Is this revenge?
Suddenly, he felt an unprecedented shortness of breath.
Taking a deep breath, he froze again.
What is this… a counterattack?
Without a doubt, this was retaliation.
Shinho clenched his teeth, glaring at Ichikishima-hime, who shook her head with a smug expression.
Her slender legs, encased in white stockings, tensed slightly as she knelt, emphasizing their softness.
"Do you know where you were wrong?" Shinho asked, gripping her hair lightly.
"Mm-mm," Ichikishima-hime's eyes turned white, and tears slid down her face..
Her pitiful appearance softened Shinho's heart.
"Fine, just don't do it again," he said with a sigh.
Ichikishima-hime nodded frantically, swallowing nervously as her throat bobbed.
…
Three days later, Shinho met Jiraiya and Team 7 in the Hokage's office.
However, his attention was immediately drawn to Honoka.
It wasn't her appearance but the vast chakra reserves she carried.
Combined with her red hair, it was clear she was an Uzumaki.
After reading the mission report, Shinho finally understood how the "Starting with the Ultimate Move" achievement had been triggered.
It was, indeed, brutally efficient.
"Well done," Shinho said, closing the report.
"Shinho-kun, this is Honoka," Karin said eagerly, "She's an Uzumaki and wants to join Konoha. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Shinho replied.
He recalled Honoka's aptitude for research. With proper training, she could potentially rival Orochimaru in certain areas.
"I knew it!" Karin said, gripping Honoka's hand, "See? Shinho-kun is amazing!"
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Honoka said, bowing respectfully.
Unlike Karin, she didn't dare act as casual.
"Shizune-nee, please arrange everything for her."
"Understood," Shizune said with a nod.
"Jiraiya-sensei, now that this mission is over, what are your plans?" Shinho asked.
"I have some pressing matters to attend to, so I won't be staying in Konoha," Jiraiya said with a smile, "I'll be leaving in a couple of days."
"What about me?" Naruto asked anxiously.
"I've already taught you what you need to know. There's no need for you to follow me anymore," Jiraiya said, turning to Shinho, "Shinho, please look after Naruto. Make sure the Nine-Tails doesn't go out of control."
"Understood," Shinho replied with a slight nod.
"Jiraiya-sensei…" Naruto's shoulders slumped, visibly upset.
After three years together, their bond was strong, and naturally, he couldn't bear to part ways.
"Come on, I'll treat you all to ramen," Jiraiya said, patting Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto and Sasuke followed Jiraiya out, while Shizune took Honoka to get settled.
…
Left alone with Shinho, Karin's true colors emerged.
"Shinho-nii!" she exclaimed, running up to hug him.
Her delicate face pressed against his chest as she rubbed against him playfully.
Shinho pinched her chin gently.
"What's this about?" he asked as she looked up at him without a trace of embarrassment.
"I want a reward," she declared confidently.
"For what?" Shinho asked, lightly pinching her cheeks.
"I brought Honoka back!" Karin said indignantly.
"That wasn't entirely your doing," Shinho replied, shaking his head., "Anyone could have brought her back."
"But without my Kagura Mind's Eye, they wouldn't have found her in time!" Karin retorted, puffing out her cheeks.
"You have a point," Shinho admitted, stroking her cheek, "What reward do you want?"
Karin's face turned pink, and she looked away shyly.
"You… you…"
Amused by her hesitation, Shinho leaned down and planted a light kiss on her pale skin.
Karin's eyes widened in surprise.
Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her face against his cheek.
With a whoosh, she bolted from the room.
"Yugao-nee," Shinho called out, smiling.
"Hokage-sama," Yugao Uzuki said as she entered promptly.
"Get Shikamaru for me," Shinho instructed.
"Yes," Yugao said, leaving immediately.
Fifteen minutes later, the door opened again.
"Shinho," Shikamaru said, rubbing his forehead, "What troublesome task do you have for me?"
This was the first time Shinho had called for him since becoming Hokage.
If he was the only one summoned, it had to be something major.
"Shikamaru, you haven't changed," Shinho said with a smile, "But don't worry, it's good news."
"Really?" Shikamaru replied, skeptical.
"I'm sending you to Sunagakure," Shinho stated.
Shikamaru froze, his expression shifting between curiosity and embarrassment.
Does Shinho know about Temari and me?
"Take Shino with you," Shinho said, handing him a scroll, "This is your mission."
The task was simple: monitor the Akatsuki's movements and report back to Konoha as soon as possible.
Sending Shikamaru was a strategic choice, as it wouldn't raise too much suspicion.
…
Time passed swiftly.
In the dim underground base of Amegakure, Konan walked silently.
She approached Nagato, whose frail form rested against his mechanical apparatus.
"The funds are ready," Konan reported.
"Then let's begin," Nagato said expressionlessly, "Activate the Moon's Eye Plan. Start with Sunagakure."
"I'll make the arrangements," Konan said after a moment's thought, "Let's send Sasori and Deidara."
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