Shinho pointed at the red hair and asked, "Have you discovered something interersting?"
"Not much for now," Orochimaru said, somewhat impressed. "This mass of red hair is saturated with Yin Release chakra."
Yin Release, huh?
Shinho pondered for a moment.
Such bizarre entities could indeed only be created using Yin Release, similar to the likes of Moryo and Idō.
However, Fuka's Yin Release chakra wasn't as dense. Her strength at best was equivalent to a standard Jōnin.
"Keep researching it when you have time," Shinho said with a shake of his head. Then, he asked, "What's the status of the Cursed Seal project?"
"There has been some progress," Orochimaru replied. "The biggest issue with the Cursed Seal is its low success rate. Natural energy is too volatile for most people to withstand."
Shinho nodded slightly.
The Cursed Seal, in essence, was a crude imitation of Sage Mode.
"I initially attempted to optimize the Cursed Seal directly, but it was extremely difficult," Orochimaru continued. "Then, with the acquisition of White Zetsu, I realized that combining it with cells from the First Hokage could enhance the physical constitution of ninjas."
White Zetsu combined with Hashirama's cells?
Shinho silently marvelled at the thought.
That method did seem viable upon further thought.
Unlike Obito, they wouldn't need a large quantity, just enough to ensure compatibility with the Cursed Seal.
"Are White Zetsu and the First Hokage's cells being cloned?" Shinho asked, a thought occurring to him.
Capturing White Zetsu was not easy for now.
As for Hashirama's cells, it was out of the question to extract them from his remains, especially considering Shinho's current relationship with Tsunade. She would never agree to it.
Cloning was the only solution.
"I've already begun the cloning process," Orochimaru confirmed with a nod. "But it will take some time."
"That's fine," Shinho replied confidently. He trusted Orochimaru's abilities, knowing that in the original storyline, Orochimaru had successfully conducted cloning experiments.
"Continue your research," Shinho instructed. "Report to me as soon as there are results."
"Understood," Orochimaru replied respectfully.
…
Shinho returned to the Hokage building.
"Shinho," Shizune greeted him, standing up and handing back the revised Will of Fire.
"What do you think?" Shinho casually placed the book on the table.
"It's impressive," Shizune said after a brief pause.
She struggled to put her thoughts into words, so she kept it simple.
Looking at Shinho, Shizune felt a moment of distraction.
This troublemaker, when serious, could truly deliver earth-shattering work.
"But some people might have a hard time accepting it," she added thoughtfully.
Due to her close relationship with Shinho, she was willing to understand and believe in him.
However, traditional ninjas would likely see it as a deviation from the norm.
"I'm aware," Shinho nodded slightly. "It's not easy to achieve complete acceptance without the right education."
"So, what's your plan?" Shizune asked, curious.
"Start small and expand," Shinho replied with a smile. "I plan to establish a new organization under the ANBU called Heaven's Will."
"Heaven's will?" Shizune blinked, "That name is a bit unusual."
"The name doesn't matter; the people do," Shinho said, then looked at her and asked, "Will you join?"
"Of course!" Shizune answered without hesitation.
As the Hokage's secretary, she followed the Hokage's lead no matter what. Besides, she had already given herself to him—how could she say no?
"Congratulations on becoming the second member of Heaven's Will," Shinho said, extending his hand.
"Who's the first?" Shizune asked as she shook his hand. "Is it you?"
"It's Neji Hyuga," Shinho said, pulling her into his arms.
His hands naturally settled on her waist, and their bodies brushed together lightly.
The faint scent of her perfume filled the air.
Shinho's hand slid into her blazer, but Shizune quickly stopped him, keeping his hand at her waist.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Ahem, habit," Shinho said, withdrawing his hand. "Shizune-nee, I need your help with something."
"What is it?" Shizune asked, leaning into his embrace after a brief struggle.
"Compile a list of potential recruits," Shinho explained. "Ninjas you think are suitable for joining Heaven's Will."
"Got it," Shizune nodded, "Now let me go. I have work to do."
Shinho leaned down and kissed her rosy lips.
"Mmm…"
Shizune's body softened, and she instinctively opened her mouth to reciprocate.
It wasn't until they were both breathless that she finally pulled away to catch her breath.
"Consider that your reward," Shinho said shamelessly.
"..."
Shizune shot him a glare, her face flushed red with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"I'm leaving!" she huffed, turning to leave.
The door to the Hokage's office closed behind her.
Shinho felt a strange sensation on his arm.
Rolling up his sleeve, there was a small blue snake tattoo in his arm, which looked etherial.
It was Ichikishima-hime.
Trapped inside the Snake Diagram Gu, she had to contact Shinho before she could emerge.
A flash of blue light later, her slender figure appeared.
She wore a kimono, her pale, slender legs bare beneath the hem.
"Master," Ichikishima-hime said, tiptoeing and stretching her petite frame.
There was no helping it, she was simply too short.
"How's it in the Snake Diagram Gu?" Shinho asked as he picked her up and walked toward the Hokage's chair.
"Not fun," she pouted.
"Stay in there when others are around," Shinho said, pinching her adorable cheek.
"Okay!" she replied cheerfully, sitting on his lap and kicking her legs in the air.
Shinho turned his attention to the files on the desk, letting her stay as his soft, living pillow.
He wasn't in the mood to play with her at the moment.
Among the documents, one caught his eye.
it was about Shinno.
His location had been discovered.
Previously wandering near Kumogakure, Shinno had returned to a small village near the ruins of the Land of Sky due to Akatsuki's activities.
Shinho couldn't help but smile.
Ironically, he owed this to Akatsuki. And he was repaying the kindness with hatred.
Due to their losses, they had temporarily abandoned capturing Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails.
After a moment of thought, Shinho decided to handle this matter personally.
The Zero-Tails, though inferior to a true Tailed Beast, was still formidable.
In the original story, it had taken the combined efforts of Naruto and Sasuke to defeat it. And it was in the Shippuden timeline.
Both their strengths had far exceeded that of an average Jōnin at that time.
Aside from the Zero-Tails, Shinno himself was troublesome, especially when he activated the Body Revival Technique.
"Who should I bring along?"
Shinho rubbed his chin and thought of Ino.
It had indeed been a while since he'd seen the charming young kunoichi.
He decided to go with Team 10.
As for Asuma Sarutobi, he wouldn't be needed. Shinho planned to bring along members of the ANBU, as controlling the ruins of the Land of the Sky would require a significant number of personnel.
The mission was scheduled for tomorrow.
As Shinho picked up the second document on his desk, he raised his eyebrows.
Just yesterday, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure had formed an alliance in the Land of Iron to collectively counter the Akatsuki.
Their first action was to issue bounties for the Akatsuki's locations.
Shinho could understand their motives.
After all, with their Jinchūriki captured and their fates unknown, their priority was to retrieve them.
"I wonder when the Three-Tails will respawn?"
Shinho placed the document aside.
Itachi Uchiha had previously informed him of the Three-Tails' presence at Mirror Lake in the Land of Water. Shinho had deployed ANBU there in advance to monitor its reappearance.
In the original storyline, the battle for the Three-Tails involved Konoha, Otogakure, and the Akatsuki.
Kirigakure wasn't involved due to Obito Uchiha's manipulation of the previous Mizukage, Yagura. This had left Mei Terumi without control over the Three-Tails.
Strictly speaking, Kirigakure was in worse shape than Sunagakure.
Following the "Bloody Mist" era, most ninjas with kekkei genkai were eradicated, leaving only average shinobi behind.
Kirigakure's most notable figures currently were Zabuza Momochi and Haku, whom Konoha had essentially sold to Mei Terumi.
For Shinho, the Three-Tails was of secondary concern at the moment . His primary focus was on the Daimyō of the Land of Fire.
He was waiting for Itachi Uchiha's next move.
By dusk, Shinho prepared to leave his office.
"Back in you go," he said, extending his arm.
Ichikishima-hime reluctantly transformed back into her tattoo form.
"Yugao-nee," Shinho said as he reached the door, "notify Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi to gather at the village gates tomorrow at 9 a.m."
As for Ino, Shinho decided he would inform her personally.
"Understood," Yugao Uzuki replied promptly.
Glancing at the neighboring offices of the Finance Department and the Hokage's secretary, Shinho noticed Shizune hadn't come to see him yet.
That likely meant she was working overtime, probably due to tasks related to Heaven's WIll.
Not wanting to disturb her, Shinho made his way to the Yamanaka flower shop.
…
"Welcome… Shinho-kun!"
Ino Yamanaka's face lit up with delight when she saw him.
"Long time no see, Ino," Shinho said with a smile.
Today, Ino wore a fitted short-sleeve top that revealed her smooth, fair midriff.
Her delicate navel rose and fell gently with her breathing, adding a subtle allure to her charm.
"It has been a while!" Ino said, placing her hands on her hips and stretching out her words.
The golden strands on her forehead swayed with her movements.
"My apologies," Shinho said earnestly.
"Eh?"
Ino was momentarily stunned and hastily replied, "N-no, it's fine!"
She hadn't truly blamed Shinho; her was just trying to be a bit playful. But his serious demeanor caught her off guard, leaving her flustered.
"Ino is getting cuter and cuter," Shinho teased.
"R-really?"
Ino's heart fluttered as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Of course," Shinho affirmed.
"You've been busy lately, haven't you, Shinho-kun?" Ino asked, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Just now, I was out of line."
Over the past two weeks, the changes in Konoha were most apparent to those like Ino, who came from prominent clans.
As the Yamanaka clan's heiress, she had heard her father mention Shinho's role in managing the Market Department and Transport Department multiple times.
Shinho must have worked tirelessly to bring about these transformations.
"It's nothing. I was just joking," Shinho said, shaking his head, "It's just a shame that you're a bit too young."
"Huh?"
Ino tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean, Shinho-kun?"
"I've reserved a department for you," Shinho explained with a smile. "Once you become a Jōnin, you can take charge."
"Me?"
Ino's eyes widened.
"Yes," Shinho confirmed with a nod.
A capable beauty like her would undoubtedly boost efficiency if she worked by his side.
"I'll do my best!" Ino declared, clenching her fists and making two enthusiastic pumps.
She wasn't particularly power-hungry, but the idea of working alongside Shinho was exciting.
In this regard, they were both drawn to appearances.
"Meet me at the village gates tomorrow at 9 a.m.," Shinho said, getting to the point. "We're heading out for a mission."
"Awesome!" Ino's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"See you tomorrow, then," Shinho said, waving as he turned to leave.
By the time Shinho returned to the Senju residence, night had fallen.
After all, it was already late autumn.
Based on the original timeline, the Fourth Shinobi World War should be starting soon.
However, with Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi under Konoha's control, there would be no Edo Tensei and no army of White Zetsu for the Akatsuki.
Additionally, Konoha hadn't joined the alliance, so the United Shinobi Forces would never form.
In short, the Fourth Shinobi World War likely wouldn't happen.
Or maybe it still could.
After all, Shinho planned to unify the ninja world.
…
Entering the living room, Shinho found Tsunade lounging lazily on the sofa.
"Sensei," he greeted, stepping forward and giving her a squeeze on her chest.
Tsunade shot him a glare and kicked him away.
Shinho staggered back two steps.
Women were truly puzzling.
At night, this was perfectly acceptable, yet now it wasn't.
"Give me the new Will of Fire," Tsunade said, retracting her leg, folding her knees slightly, and extending her hand.
She had wanted to read it yesterday but had let Shizune take the only copy.
"Here," Shinho said, handing it over.
As Tsunade opened the book, her heart trembled.
The bold concepts in its pages were entirely new to her.
At that moment, Shinho leaned down and planted a kiss on her fair cheek.
Tsunade looped her arms around his neck, tilted her head, and kissed him on the lips.
Shinho froze for a moment.
"Alright, off you go," Tsunade said, releasing him as if she were pacifying a child.
"..."
Shinho's mouth twitched.
Though he was indeed younger, being treated like a kid felt irritating.
Fine, he thought. He'd deal with her later tonight.
Shinho turned and headed for the kitchen.
Tsunade, meanwhile, focused on the book, her expression growing heavier with each page.
The ideas Shinho proposed were far too radical.
She had assumed his desire to become Daimyō was merely to facilitate their marriage.
Now, it was clear this had been planned long ago, as this wasn't something written on a whim.
Tsunade silently rubbed her temples.
The revised Will of Fire was deeply thought-provoking and unsettling.
For a moment, she felt lost.
But… perhaps he was right.
Why had the ninja world never known peace?
It was because of the Daimyō and the ninja system itself.
Daimyō ignored the lives of the common people, and ninjas knew only how to kill.
Shinho's vision aimed to prioritize the fate of the ninja world's largest and most neglected group: the ordinary people.
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