Nightfall.
Shūichi arrived at Orochimaru's research base only to find an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar face present in the lab.
"Who is this?"
Shūichi's gaze turned to Orochimaru for an explanation.
Before Orochimaru could respond, the young assistant bowed deeply and introduced himself. "Lord Shūichi, my name is Yūjin from Sunagakure. After the Chūnin Exams, Lord Orochimaru valued my skills and took me in as his assistant."
"Sunagakure... Yūjin..."
Shūichi examined the young man closely. His youthful face, unburdened by glasses, stirred a sense of recognition.
So that's who he is.
Yūjin = Kabuto Yakushi!
At only thirteen or fourteen years old and without his signature glasses, Shūichi almost didn't recognize him.
The gears of fate continue to turn. Kabuto Yakushi still found his way under Orochimaru's wing.
However, not everything was the same anymore.
At this point, Orochimaru interjected, "Yūjin has unique talents, particularly in medical techniques."
"And it's proven true," Orochimaru added with a sly smile.
Yūjin humbly replied, "It's only because of your exceptional guidance, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru chuckled dismissively and then turned to Shūichi, "What brings you here so suddenly, Shūichi-kun? Shouldn't you be with Tsunade and the child at this time?"
"If this is about cultivating the clone bodies, that will take quite some time."
Shūichi shifted his gaze from Yūjin back to Orochimaru. "This visit isn't about the clones."
The process of preparing a body for Ōtsutsuki Kaguya relied on White Zetsu as a foundational template, which was then continually upgraded and modified.
As for the White Zetsu, they originated from the Immortal White Zetsu and the White Zetsu Tobi that Shūichi had subdued.
All of Orochimaru's current experimental subjects came from this source.
The Immortal White Zetsu also served as one of the supervisors of Orochimaru's research base, reporting progress regularly. Thus, Shūichi was well-informed.
"I've come up with a new idea."
Shūichi continued, "Orochimaru-senpai, you're familiar with the Ten-Tails and the God Tree. The Ōtsutsuki clan relies on planting God Trees, obtaining chakra fruits, consuming them, and evolving into higher beings. The Rinnegan and Rinne Sharingan are all derived from the God Tree."
"That includes the recently eliminated Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with interest. He licked his lips and said, "It seems like Shūichi-kun has quite an extraordinary idea."
"Don't tell me you're planning to cultivate your own Ten-Tails?"
"Or are you intending to mimic the Ōtsutsuki and plant a God Tree to harvest its fruit for immortality?"
Standing off to the side, Yūjin was utterly shocked, his eyes shining with unprecedented brightness.
Although he had been Orochimaru's assistant for a while, there were many secrets he was not privy to. Hearing such astonishing revelations now left him both stunned and intrigued.
However, Shūichi shook his head. "The Ten-Tails that belonged to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was planted before Kaguya and Isshiki descended to Earth."
"And when they arrived, they had brought another Ten-Tails with them. If I needed a Ten-Tails or a God Tree, there'd be no need to go through the trouble of cultivating one from scratch."
Orochimaru nodded with a grin. "So it seems Shūichi-kun has an even more astonishing plan."
"Ha! This is getting more and more exciting!"
Shūichi explained, "What I want to do is no simple task."
"Cultivating a Ten-Tails is just the first step. The one I aim to create won't feed on natural energy but instead on magnetic fields, solar energy, or, in other words, electromagnetic forces."
"By doing this, we can harvest the God Tree's fruit without destroying the ninja world."
Orochimaru's expression shifted to one of amazement. "Electromagnetic forces... such selective cultivation is indeed incredibly challenging."
"Moreover, the ninja world currently has practitioners of Magnet Release and many who use Lightning Release, but Electromagnetic Release... only you, Shūichi-kun, are capable of it."
"Are you planning to use your own cells for this cultivation?"
"That would certainly make things much easier."
Yūjin listened silently from the side, secretly thinking:
"Lord Orochimaru is probably more interested in Lord Shūichi's cells than the Ten-Tails or the God Tree itself!"
In response to Orochimaru's probing, Shūichi smiled. "My cells are far harder to control than those of the First Hokage."
"They're not suitable for immediate use. We need to first attempt cultivating a Ten-Tails from scratch."
"That said, it's no easy task."
Orochimaru, brimming with confidence, replied, "Difficult indeed, but not impossible."
"Doesn't your experimental base contain the cloned cells of all nine Tailed Beasts as well as material from the Gedo Statue?"
Shūichi nodded. "You're free to use those resources as you see fit."
"I'll also leave a clone behind to assist you."
Orochimaru grinned. "That's the best arrangement possible."
Leaving a clone in the lab, Shūichi turned to Yūjin and said, "Orochimaru-senpai has an unerring eye for talent. The new era is dawning, and it won't overshadow anyone's brilliance."
"You have plenty of time to grow. Keep up the hard work!"
This encouragement left Yūjin both thrilled and determined. "Yes, Lord Shūichi! I won't let Lord Orochimaru or you down!"
Shūichi chuckled lightly. "No."
"Just make sure you don't let yourself down."
"Remember, the hardest enemy to conquer is yourself."
"This is because people often get lost in their past achievements or become trapped by the limits of their own bodies and minds."
Patting Yūjin's shoulder, Shūichi disappeared in a flicker.
---
Time passed swiftly—one month went by in the blink of an eye.
Both Pakura and Tenka gave birth, blessing Shūichi with a son and a daughter respectively.
Pakura's son was named Hoshita Hōsei, while Tenka's daughter was named Hoshita Yumiko.
Shortly after their deliveries, Asuka announced that she was also pregnant.
Now, among Shūichi's women, only Mei Terumī and Shizune were not expecting.
However, Shizune was still under twenty years old, so there was no rush.
As for Mei Terumī, her duties as the Fifth Mizukage had kept her busy until recently. But upon hearing about Asuka's pregnancy, Mei immediately left a clone behind in Kirigakure and began clinging to Shūichi every night.
Notably, another piece of good news emerged—Kushina Uzumaki was also pregnant again. Naruto was going to have a younger sibling soon.
Life was becoming increasingly leisurely for Shūichi.
When he wasn't accompanying his wives, he was playing the role of a doting father. All training responsibilities were delegated to his clones. His main body only needed to conduct routine practice and periodic assessments.
With Kushina pregnant, she decided to entrust her now mischievous Naruto to Shūichi as well.
---
While Shūichi was deeply immersed in parenting...
Elsewhere, at Kakashi's house:
Kakashi and Rin Nohara had invited Obito Uchiha over as a guest.
Just like in the past, Kakashi personally prepared grilled fish for the occasion.
The three of them enjoyed a delightful lunch, as if they had returned to the carefree days of their genin squad.
After lunch, Rin suddenly smiled and announced, "Obito, Kakashi and I are getting married next month!"
"And I'm pregnant!"
"The baby is due next year."
Obito was momentarily stunned, then said, "You two... really know how to surprise people."
"Have you found out whether it's a boy or a girl?"
Kakashi nodded. "It's a boy."
Obito immediately declared, "Then let me be his teacher!"
"Kakashi, your personality doesn't suit being an instructor."
Rin laughed. "I was thinking the same thing!"
Obito grinned. "Then it's settled."
"Ōtsutsuki Isshiki has been dealt with, and the ninja world is unlikely to face any major threats in the short term. I have plenty of time."
Kakashi didn't object, as he and Rin had already discussed this beforehand.
(End of Chapter)
❇❇❇
This novel is completed on my Patreon, iƒ anyone interested in reading ahead :)
patreon.com/RedX43
❇❇❇