Strength in Numbers.
With the entire Alliance mobilized, along with the expertise of Orochimaru and Yūjin (Kabuto Yakushi), Shūichi Hoshita was confident the progress of the Ten-Tails cultivation plan would accelerate significantly.
However, just as Shūichi planned to take Kaguya for a stroll around the Alliance fortress after the meeting, he was intercepted by Mei Terumi.
"Shūichi, when are you planning to leave the shinobi world?" Mei asked, her eyes fixed on his.
Shūichi chuckled. "Don't worry. If you're willing, I'll definitely take you with me."
Mei frowned slightly, prompting Shūichi to lean closer and whisper in her ear, "We're not ready yet. At the very least, we'll wait until you're pregnant and have given birth. I've promised to establish the Hoshita clan, haven't I?"
"Besides, I want to wait until the Ten-Tails is cultivated and you've eaten the God Tree fruit. Only then will I feel at ease."
Shūichi sighed inwardly. The weight of his bonds forced him to alter his previous plans.
"Ah, the entanglements of love and duty—truly a hero's downfall. Sigh~."
Mei, reassured by his words, let out a faint hum and then quipped, "Then let's start making a child today!"
Unlike her, the other women—save for Shizune—had already borne children. Mei hadn't been concerned about this before, but suddenly, she felt an unexpected urgency.
Shūichi laughed softly and kissed her on the lips. "As you wish."
"In that case, take her back to Konoha with you," he said, gesturing toward Kaguya.
Mei froze. "Take her home? To live with us?"
Shūichi nodded. "There doesn't seem to be a better solution."
Mei shot him a suspicious glance before turning to Kaguya. With a slight nod, she said, "Then come with me."
Shūichi signaled for Kaguya to follow Mei.
As Kaguya moved to follow, she remarked, "Don't worry, I won't steal your man. Having a child with him was purely for practical reasons."
Mei's body stiffened, and she slowly turned to stare at Shūichi.
Shūichi nearly stumbled, glaring at Kaguya in exasperation before awkwardly smiling at Mei. "That… was entirely her idea."
Kaguya, however, mercilessly countered, "It's what you secretly desire deep down."
Shūichi facepalmed in silence.
Mei smirked, her red lips curling into a sly smile. "I don't mind, but I doubt Tsunade would feel the same."
With that, she walked off, leaving Kaguya to follow nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
Shūichi stood rooted to the spot, feeling a slight headache at the thought of Tsunade.
Indeed, the situation was just a tiny bit complicated.
From a bloodline perspective, Kaguya was technically Tsunade's ancient ancestor.
"Well, no problem can't be solved in bed," Shūichi muttered, letting go of his worries. He then chuckled to himself, "Kaguya… after all your provocations—no, challenges—I'll make you pay tonight!"
Determined to teach Kaguya a lesson and mold her to his liking, Shūichi left the Alliance headquarters and wandered into the bustling streets, savoring the lively atmosphere.
As his power grew, so did his detachment. Moments like these helped him stay grounded, avoiding the loneliness of great heights.
"Shūichi-kun!"
A clear, vibrant voice called out suddenly.
Shūichi turned around mid-stroll, surprised. "Oh, Kurotsuchi."
It was none other than Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure who had called out to him.
Shūichi waved with a warm smile and waited for her to approach. "Are you heading out on a mission or just returning from one?"
Kurotsuchi naturally hooked her arm around his, smiling brightly. "We just got back from completing a mission."
"What about you, Shūichi-kun? Are you here for business?"
Shūichi nodded. "I attended a meeting, but it's already over, so now I'm just exploring the area."
As they spoke, Shūichi's gaze shifted to Kurotsuchi's two companions.
Realizing she had forgotten to introduce them, Kurotsuchi quickly said, "Shūichi-kun, this is my senior, Akatsuchi."
The burly, good-natured man with a large nose bowed respectfully. "Lord Shūichi, I am Akatsuchi of Iwagakure."
Shūichi nodded slightly in acknowledgment. He recognized Akatsuchi from the original Five Kage Summit as one of Ōnoki's bodyguards—a skilled user of Earth Release, no less capable than Kurotsuchi's father, Kitsuchi.
Kurotsuchi then introduced the other companion, a blond boy about her age. "Shūichi-kun, he is Deidara. He's a master of a unique explosive ninjutsu and an outstanding shinobi!"
Deidara, full of youthful energy, showed no signs of Akatsuchi's reserved demeanor. With a bright, enthusiastic voice, he exclaimed, "Lord Shūichi, it's not just a unique jutsu—it's art!"
"I believe explosions are the most beautiful and magnificent form of art in the world. Don't you agree?"
Deidara's eager eyes shone with expectation, as though he craved Shūichi's validation.
Shūichi looked at Deidara, whose face was radiating with a sunny smile, and couldn't help but grin.
"Art can, of course, be art. But whether it's the greatest depends on how far you can take it."
"For example, when we think of Magnet Release, we immediately think of the Third Kazekage's Iron Sand or the Fourth Kazekage's Gold Dust."
"When it comes to speed, the first names that come to mind are the Fourth Hokage and the Fourth Raikage."
Hearing this, Deidara became excited. "I see! So, if I manage to defeat you, Lord Shūichi, then my explosive art will be the greatest!"
Shūichi chuckled to himself. Geniuses really do think differently.
Kurotsuchi pouted. "Deidara, you can stop dreaming about that. There's no way you can defeat Shūichi-kun."
Shūichi immediately patted her shoulder. "Don't be so quick to conclude that."
"In theory, everyone's potential is limitless—it's just a matter of how much they can unlock."
"Explosive ninjutsu, or Explosion Release, has limitless potential as well."
Deidara nodded repeatedly, thrilled that his art was being acknowledged.
Shūichi continued, "I've heard a rumor that the entire universe was born from a massive explosion, which gave rise to our shinobi world and all the stars in the sky."
Deidara's eyes widened in amazement, his excitement reaching its peak. "Really?!"
"No, it must be true. Yeah!"
"Of course! Explosions are the most magnificent and eternal art. Yeah!"
Kurotsuchi frowned skeptically. "Shūichi-kun, is that really true?"
Shūichi smiled. "With my current abilities, I can't confirm whether the rumor is true or not."
He patted Deidara's shoulder. "Keep at it. Maybe one day, your explosive art will prove whether this is a fact or not!"
Deidara nodded vigorously, filled with hope and determination. "I'll prove it through my explosions. Yeah!"
Ah, the enthusiasm of youth—it's so easy to steer them.
Just then, Kurotsuchi tugged on Shūichi's arm, her tone playful and pleading. "Shūichi-kun, when can I join your special training program?"
Even Akatsuchi couldn't hide his anticipation.
They had all seen Kitsuchi's strength continuously improve after finishing the special training program—he had reached Kage-level power through mastery of the Earth Release Chakra Mode alone.
Deidara, however, was entirely unbothered, still lost in the reverie of his explosive art.
Looking into Kurotsuchi's eager eyes, Shūichi smiled. "You've already mastered Lava Release, haven't you?"
Kurotsuchi nodded quickly. "Of course! I've worked really hard on it."
Determined to keep up with a certain someone, she had been relentlessly training, even though the gap between them still felt enormous.
Shūichi nodded. "Then it won't be long. Once you're promoted to jōnin, you'll definitely qualify."
"Of course, you can't slack off during this time. This is when your strength will grow the fastest."
"Never settle for small accomplishments. Lava Release isn't the end. There's your grandfather's Kekkei Tota, Dust Release, and beyond that, there's even Kekkei Mora Techniques."
He ruffled her hair with a gentle smile. "Don't waste your talent."
Kurotsuchi, like a contented kitten, leaned into his touch and nodded firmly. "Of course! My goal is you!"
Shūichi laughed heartily. "Then you'll have to work even harder."
Kurotsuchi raised her fist confidently. "Of course! I've always been working hard."
"Right, Akatsuchi? Deidara?"
Akatsuchi nodded immediately. "Lord Shūichi, she's been extremely diligent."
Deidara, however, remained unresponsive, utterly immersed in his world.
Kurotsuchi couldn't hold back her frustration and lightly knocked Deidara on the head.
Snapping out of it, Deidara looked at her blankly.
Kurotsuchi facepalmed in exasperation.
Shūichi chuckled. "I believe you, but you'll need to keep working hard."
He then sent a surge of chakra into Kurotsuchi. "This is my chakra. If you ever feel confused or uncertain, call out to me in your mind, and the chakra will respond."
Kurotsuchi's face lit up like a flower in full bloom. "Thank you, Shūichi-kun!"
Shūichi smiled warmly. "All right, off you go."
Reluctantly, Kurotsuchi left, glancing back every few steps.
As Shūichi watched the three of them walk away, he couldn't help but sigh. "Ah, youth really is wonderful."
"Hey, it's not like we're old, you know," a familiar voice suddenly chimed in.
Shūichi didn't even turn his head and said, "Kakashi, instead of staying home to take care of your kid, what brings you here?"
Kakashi walked up beside Shūichi and replied, "I'm not like you—I can't just be a stay-at-home dad."
"I just wrapped up a rather tricky mission."
Shūichi raised an eyebrow, curious. "Tricky?"
"What kind of mission could still be tricky for someone like you in the current shinobi world?"
Kakashi sighed. "It was the Cult of Jashin. They've been making a resurgence lately."
"One of them even managed to gain immortality."
Hidan?
Shūichi speculated but didn't show any concern. He smiled and said, "If it's just immortality, 'tricky' doesn't seem like the right word for it."
Kakashi nodded. "True. But there were also several formidable rogue shinobi involved. Some of them used to serve feudal lords. You've heard of Hoshigakure, right? These guys have banded together to oppose the Alliance."
Shūichi nodded in understanding.
The feudal lords of various countries did, in fact, maintain their own private armed forces, including shinobi.
Whether it was hiring mercenaries or, like the Fire Daimyō's earlier attempts, raising their own forces, it wasn't surprising that some of these shinobi were quite capable.
With the Five Great Nations absorbing smaller nations, it was only natural that some people would feel unwilling to accept this new order.
Not everyone was ready to embrace the era of unity.
Shūichi didn't ask further questions; the outcome was already clear in his mind.
"Have you finished mastering Storm Release? Got your next goal lined up?"
Strolling along the street, Shūichi casually asked.
Kakashi leaned back, hands resting behind his head, and lazily replied, "I'm taking a break. I'm not like you."
Shūichi teased, "In that case, why not have Rin give birth to another child? They could inherit your Storm Release and start ahead of the curve."
Kakashi's son, Sazuma Hatake, had been born before Kakashi mastered Storm Release, so he couldn't directly inherit the Kekkei Genkai.
Kakashi looked like he wanted to roll his eyes but paused to think.
It wasn't a bad idea.
Even Rin had been talking about wanting another child.
---
Land of Rain
Standing on a boat, Jiraiya gazed at the scenic shores and the crisscrossing network of boats on the river. He couldn't help but sigh. "It's completely different now!"
"There's no comparison to the Land of Rain from back then."
He looked up to the sky, where the sun was shining brightly.
Jiraiya had been in the Land of Rain for several days now, and surprisingly, it hadn't rained once.
In the past, this time of year would've been the rainy season.
Someone on the boat overheard Jiraiya's musings and chuckled. "That's thanks to the Ninja Alliance and Lord Shūichi, the God of Shinobi."
"If it weren't for Lord Shūichi using his divine power to shave down part of the northern mountains, the Land of Rain wouldn't be as prosperous as it is today."
Another person chimed in, "I heard that turning the Land of Rain into a hub for waterway transportation was also Lord Shūichi's idea!"
"Not just the waterways. Even the Land of Wind! I traveled there last month, and the entire route was via water transport."
"I heard they're planning to plant trees across the desert in the Land of Wind. Can that really be done?"
"Of course! Lord Shūichi is the God of Shinobi. A god can do anything."
"Have you seen the Alliance Fortress? That was also created by Lord Shūichi's divine abilities!"
…
The conversation quickly veered off course, filled with praise and admiration for Shūichi Hoshita.
Jiraiya listened with a mixture of pride and exasperation, muttering under his breath, "This guy's the real Child of Prophecy, isn't he?"
He was starting to doubt the reliability of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
"Whatever. I'll head back after Naruto graduates!"
Jiraiya made up his mind.
And, of course, it had nothing to do with avoiding Tsunade or Kushina.
This was purely for the benefit of his readers.
"Things have changed so much. The girls here must be different too, right?"
A sly grin spread across Jiraiya's face.
"This is your captain speaking. We're approaching Amegakure. Passengers preparing to disembark, please get ready…"
The announcement interrupted Jiraiya's musings. He squinted toward the waterside village of Amegakure and found it looked just as he remembered.
"Doesn't seem like this place has changed much on the outside."
Moments later, Jiraiya disembarked and entered Amegakure.
Only then did he realize that while the village's exterior remained familiar, its interior was unrecognizable.
It felt like he had stepped into Konoha or the inner halls of the Alliance Fortress.
Bustling and vibrant!
This atmosphere was a stark contrast to the gloomy, lifeless Amegakure of the past.
Immersed in the lively scene, Jiraiya couldn't help but think of his idealistic former disciple. With a soft smile, he murmured, "Yahiko would've been so happy to see this."
(End of Chapter)
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