Unexpectedly, Samehada reacted faster than Karin.
What's with this sword?! Karin froze for a moment, then angrily swung a fist at it.
Samehada couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying several meters away.
Shinho's lips twitched at the bizarre sight.
"Nicely done," Shinho said, meeting Karin's expectant gaze.
"I'm just glad I could help, Shinho-kun," Karin replied, her face lighting up with joy.
Shinho reached out and gently ruffled her hair. His gaze shifted downward to the massive Three-Tails beneath him.
What to do with this thing?
Leaving it in Mirror Lake was not an option. But taking it back to Konoha, with its enormous size, would surely cause significant destruction.
A temporary Jinchūriki, perhaps? That didn't seem necessary.
Shinho preferred to utilize the tailed beasts efficiently rather than sealing them into Jinchūriki merely to act as "battery packs."
After a moment of thought, an idea struck him, Lady Katsuyu.
The vast space of the Shikkotsu Forest should be more than capable of accommodating the Three-Tails for the time being.
"Let's head down," Shinho instructed, motioning with his hand.
His Kikaichu Insects emerged, lifting the unconscious Kisame. The group of five, along with the sentient Samehada, returned to the lakeside.
The Three-Tails, Isobu, remained motionless, its massive form radiating unease. Aside from Naruto and Karin, it could sense the familiar Mangekyō Sharingan fluctuations from Sasuke.
As a tailed beast, how was it supposed to deal with this?
Shinho bit his thumb and pressed it against the ground.
Summoning Jutsu!
With a puff of smoke, Katsuyu, half the height of a human, appeared.
"Lady Katsuyu," Shinho greeted her directly, "Can you transport the Three-Tails to the Shikkotsu Forest?"
"The Three-Tails?" Katsuyu blinked before replying, "It should be possible, though I've never tried."
Katsuyu crawled toward the Three-Tails, her massive reserves of senjutsu chakra surging. In no time, the Three-Tails was completely enveloped in her chakra. With a tremor of the earth, the colossal form of the Three-Tails vanished.
"Thank you, Lady Katsuyu," Shinho said sincerely, inwardly marveling at the abilities of the millennia-old Sage.
"It was my duty," Katsuyu replied, though her voice sounded weaker than before. Clearly, transporting the Three-Tails had been no small task.
Seeing her condition, Shinho dispelled the summoning jutsu, and the Mirror Lake returned to its tranquil state.
…
"Well, this is quite the mess," White Zetsu muttered as he emerged after the group departed.
The Akatsuki, which had been years in the making, had only recently begun making waves in the shinobi world. Yet, before they could fully establish themselves, everything had crumbled.
White Zetsu slipped underground, heading toward the Land of Rain.
The clear skies gave way to a torrential downpour as he reached an underground Akatsuki base in Amegakure.
The remaining Akatsuki members gathered once again.
Compared to the once lively group, only four remained now: the leader, Deva Path Pain; the angel, Konan; Black and White Zetsu fused together; and the masked man, Tobi; Uchiha Obito in disguise, masquerading as Madara.
"What's the situation?" Konan broke the silence as she asked.
"Itachi is dead. Kisame has been captured. The Three-Tails has been seized," Zetsu reported, shaking his head. "And it's all because of Shinho Aburame."
Konan's mind flashed with the image of Shinho's strikingly handsome face.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined the seemingly invincible Akatsuki would fall so quickly.
"Do not worry," Deva Path Pain said expressionlessly. "I will personally visit Konoha and make them experience true pain."
Konan hesitated, wanting to speak, but remained silent. She had always believed in Nagato's invincibility with the Rinnegan.
Yet, for some reason, doubt had crept into her heart.
"Meeting adjourned," she said at last.
Zetsu and Obito left the underground base.
As dawn broke, raindrops cascaded from the sky.
"Shinho is truly unpredictable," Obito remarked.
"Indeed," Zetsu agreed. The current situation was completely outside of his expectations.
He had assumed the Akatsuki would easily collect the nine tailed beasts, revive the Ten-Tails, and make either Madara or Obito its Jinchūriki to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
This would create the perfect opportunity to free Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
But now, significant obstacles had arisen.
"Still, it doesn't matter. Once Nagato acts, he will not fail," Zetsu said with a chuckle. "He wields the Rinnegan, after all."
"True," Obito nodded in agreement.
…
The next morning, Shinho and the others returned to Konoha.
They traveled by train, and although Kisame woke up once during the journey, he was promptly knocked out again.
Upon disembarking, they were greeted by Yugao Uzuki and a team of ANBU members, who had been awaiting them.
Shinho had sent a carrier Homing Pigeon Gu ahead to notify them.
"Lord Hokage," Yugao greeted with a slight bow.
"Lock him up," Shinho ordered with a casual wave.
Kisame, still unconscious, was lowered to the ground under the control of Shinho's Kikaichu Insects.
"Have the Sealing Team suppress his chakra," Shinho added.
"Understood," Yugao replied, signaling the ANBU members. Two of them stepped forward and carried Kisame away.
"Our mission is now officially complete. The three of you can go ahead and rest now," Shinho said, patting Karin on the head.
"Alright," Karin said reluctantly, she understood the gesture, though it was clear she didn't want to leave.
Sasuke hesitated, wanting to say something.
"Your surgery will be scheduled for tomorrow at 9 a.m. in the Konoha Hospital," Shinho interjected, guessing Sasuke's thoughts. "Go get some rest tonight."
Sasuke nodded, letting out a long sigh internally. Returning to Konoha meant he now faced a monumental problem: how to explain everything to Uchiha Mikoto.
After bidding farewell to the group, Shinho headed toward the Hokage's office. The rest of the ANBU had disappeared, leaving only Yugao Uzuki following him.
"What's the current situation in the Land of Fire's capital city?" Shinho asked suddenly, a thought crossing his mind.
"Ikkyu Madoka has emerged victorious in the scuffle," Yugao replied. "The Daimyo succession ceremony is scheduled for next week."
"That was fast," Shinho remarked, surprised.
He had expected a prolonged standoff, but everything had been resolved in just a few days.
Clearly, Ikkyu Madoka possessed remarkable political acumen to secure the position of Daimyo so efficiently.
"Send someone to contact the second prince," Shinho instructed after some thought.
Yugao froze momentarily, confused. She didn't understand why they needed to reach out to the defeated second prince. According to Konoha tradition, the Hokage should now extend congratulations and pledge allegiance to the new Daimyo.
"Ask him if he still wants to become the Daimyo," Shinho said with a slight smile.
Yugao was stunned, staring at him in disbelief. What was going on? In her memory, no Hokage had ever acted like this.
"Yes!" Yugao quickly recovered, acknowledging the order. Whatever Shinho was planning, he was the Hokage. As an ANBU member, her job was to follow orders.
Shinho nodded in satisfaction. Yep, Your Will of Fire passes the test.
…
Returning to the Hokage's office, Shinho was surprised to find that Shizune wasn't there.
She was likely preoccupied with financial matters. Not wanting to disturb her, Shinho sat in the Hokage's chair, lost in thought.
The Three-Tails had been captured, and the Akatsuki was nearly annihilated. Predictably, Nagato would soon use the Six Paths of Pain to invade Konoha.
Now a Upper level Rank 5 Gu Master and equipped with techniques like the Six-Armed Heavenly Zombie King, Shinho wasn't particularly worried about Nagato.
However, another matter weighed on his mind: the second prince.
The Daimyo represented the pinnacle of power in the Land of Fire, and such a position would not be relinquished easily.
If the second prince agreed, Shinho planned to assist him, not with Konoha's shinobi, but with a rogue ninja organization known for its ruthlessness.
They would eliminate Ikkyu Madoka and his brothers. With all heirs gone, the Land of Fire would spiral into chaos, allowing Konoha to intervene and restore order.
In a world where strength dictated power, controlling the Land of Fire seemed almost too easy.
"Shinho?" Shizune entered the office, surprised to see him. "When did you get back?"
"About ten minutes ago," Shinho replied, his gaze sharpening. "You look exhausted."
"A little," Shizune admitted, rubbing her temples.
"How about I give you a massage?" Shinho offered with a smile.
Shizune paused for a few seconds before replying, "Alright."
What massage? she thought. Knowing Shinho, this was probably another excuse to take advantage of her.
Shizune removed her high heels and lay on the sofa.
Shinho began massaging her feet, his hands working gently over her nylon-covered soles. Shizune bit her lip, a tingling sensation spreading through her body. Once again, she felt her reactions slipping beyond her control.
"Did you capture the Three-Tails?" she asked, trying to distract herself.
"I sent it to the Shikkotsu Forest," Shinho answered casually.
"Who do you plan to make the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki?" Shizune asked after a moment, "Karin?"
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, Karin was indeed a suitable candidate for a Jinchūriki.
"There's no need for another Jinchūriki," Shinho said, revealing his plan. "I intend to use the tailed beast's chakra to build a real city."
"A… city?" Shizune froze, struggling to understand his meaning but inexplicably intrigued. She imagined such a city must be beyond anything she could currently fathom.
Shinho's idea stemmed from his experience with the ancient Rōran city powered by the Ryūmyaku energy core, a steel city fueled by a natural energy source.
"This is a long-term plan," Shinho added with a smile, "For now, let's focus on something more immediate."
"What's that?" Shizune asked, snapping out of her thoughts.
"The ninja academy," Shinho said seriously.
While Konoha could easily conquer the Land of Fire, transforming it overnight was impossible.
Governing a nation required vast amounts of talent, and nurturing such talent began with the ninja academy.
Currently, the academy's primary focus was producing Genin. However, Shinho envisioned it evolving into a comprehensive educational institution.
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