6-10

After thoroughly reviewing and memorizing the entire roster, Shūichi finally looked up and said, "Sensei, for the reestablishment of Root, I won't need too many people for the part I'll be handling."

"Apart from myself, I only need Ryōma Aburame, Aki Nara, Rui Akimichi, and Yano Yamanaka."

These four were all former members of Root, reflecting Danzo's reach in Konoha.

Minato was about to ask if that would be too few but then smiled thoughtfully. "Alright, let's go with them for now. If you need more, we'll add later."

"So, for the team leads who'll be handling the hands-on training missions, do you have any recommendations?" Minato asked.

Shūichi thought for a moment. "They should come from Anbu, be familiar with its operations, and have enough field experience to manage independently. I think Shinnosuke-senpai would be a great fit for the role."

Minato nodded; Shinnosuke was also his choice for this position. From every angle, he was a solid pick.

"Then let's appoint Shinnosuke as the leader of Root's field training division," Minato concluded. Then he smiled. "Your first training group will consist of the ones marked in red."

Shūichi grinned. "Sensei's personal guard squad, right?"

He'd already noticed the names: Genma Shiranui, Iwashi Tatami, and Raidō Namiashi. All were currently chunin, a couple of years older than him.

Minato nodded. "Yes, I've been too busy to mentor them much myself, so I'll have to rely on you."

"Also, go ahead and teach them Flying Raijin—see if they can manage it."

Shūichi nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, Sensei. I'll give it my best."

Minato considered for a moment, then added, "Yamato, Shisui, and Asuka should also join you in Root."

"And regarding the jutsu in the Scroll of Seals…" Minato stood up, pulling out a thick scroll and handing it to Shūichi. "Aside from the more dangerous forbidden jutsu, I've made copies of the other techniques. You're in charge of these—teach them as you see fit to the Root trainees."

"Just draft some guidelines later when you have time," he added.

As Shūichi accepted the scroll, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's really starting to feel like a lot of responsibility…"

Minato chuckled. "You could always make Asuka your secretary!"

"And didn't you say, 'With great power comes great responsibility?'" Another well-aimed boomerang of wisdom, thrown right back at him.

Taking Minato's advice to heart, Shūichi smiled and said, "Sensei, I'd like to request one more person for my team."

Minato raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Who?"

"Tenka!"

Shūichi mentioned a name Minato hadn't expected, looking slightly bemused.

Quickly, Shūichi added, "Sensei, I'm only doing this for work-related reasons."

Minato laughed. "If she's willing, I have no objections."

...

Upon leaving the Hokage's office, Shūichi immediately sent out a few clones to gather the team while he went ahead to the original Root base to handle the transition.

This place held a lot of secrets. Although many records had been moved, there were still valuable items here, guarded by a few remaining Root members. After the transition, these guards left.

"Things have really changed…" Shūichi thought as he looked around at the familiar surroundings.

Starting today, half of this place belonged to him.

After taking a full tour to reacquaint himself with the base, he placed the scroll of jutsu in a secluded chamber within the innermost part of the Root base, securing it with a seal.

When he came back out, Uchiha Shisui, Yamato, and Asuka had already arrived.

"Yamato, take Shisui and Asuka around to get familiar with the place," Shūichi said with a smile. "From today on, this is our workplace."

Asuka was surprised. "Shūichi, is Root being reestablished?"

Shūichi nodded, "Yes, but I'm only handling the special training. You could say I'm acting as an instructor."

Shisui added, "Root's original purpose was to train elite operatives for Anbu."

Just then, four figures appeared: Ryōma Aburame, Aki Nara, Rui Akimichi, and Yano Yamanaka—all former Root members, habitually wearing masks. They gathered in front of Shūichi and bowed in unison. "Lord Shūichi!"

Shūichi nodded slightly. "Take off your masks. We're not operating under mission cover right now, so there's no need to conceal our identities."

"Yes, Lord Shūichi," they responded, removing their masks.

After sending Yamato off with Shisui and Asuka to explore the area, Shūichi turned to Ryōma and the others. "You four know this place best. Where would be a good area for conducting classes?"

After a brief pause, Aki Nara responded, "Do you need space for practical training, my lord?"

Shūichi replied, "We'll be covering both theory and practicals, including jutsu demonstrations."

Aki quickly answered, "There's no suitable indoor area for live demonstrations, but there are several training grounds around the base that we could use. For theory classes, rooms 11, 13, and 17 can each hold around 30 to 40 people, which should be sufficient."

With a plan forming, Shūichi asked about Root's original training methods. Previously, his Root training only covered Anbu-style mission execution. There had been no enhancement training for personal abilities.

"Root training is split into two categories," Ryōma explained. "The first is pure mission-based training, which you experienced before. The second is skill-based specialization, which Danzo personally supervised for talents in certain jutsu types, often dealing with secret or forbidden techniques."

"There's also routine jutsu instruction and combat training, more of a standard regimen," Ryōma continued.

Specialization in secret or forbidden techniques was notoriously brutal. Thinking of Sai's experiences, Shūichi understood the harshness involved.

Ryōma added, "Aside from training, everyone also had to adapt to Anbu combat styles by taking on missions, with Danzo's ultimate goal being the suppression of emotion, making operatives into weapons for Konoha's shadows."

Shūichi shook his head, remarking, "Suppressing emotions? Humans can't be truly emotionless; it's just a temporary repression."

"Chakra is a combination of mental and physical energy, and emotions are part of that mental strength. In fact, a person's spiritual will significantly influences chakra strength," he explained. "The human body has limits, but the spirit has limitless potential."

Looking at the four, Shūichi continued, "Since you each have clan jutsu, your training in Root was tailored by Danzo, correct?"

The four nodded in unison—Root had forged them into emotionless, mission-focused operatives.

Shūichi decided not to change their outlooks abruptly, as habits formed over years were not easily reshaped. He instructed Yano Yamanaka, "Go to the Hokage's office and bring over Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami. They're the Fourth Hokage's guard and the first group for our training."

"Understood, Lord Shūichi!" Yano bowed before swiftly leaving.

Turning back to the others, Shūichi led the remaining three into the depths of the Root base to room 11, where they regrouped with Shisui and the others. Shortly after, Yano returned with Genma and the other guards.

As the three addressed him as "Lord Shūichi," he acknowledged them with a nod. Friendships aside, roles were roles.

Turning to Raidō, Shūichi conjured the Executioner's Blade, handing it to him. "If you're using a sword, give this a try."

"This is one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist—the Executioner's Blade. It has the ability to absorb blood to regenerate itself and is an unbreakable chakra weapon."

Raidō's hand sank as he accepted the sword, surprised. "It's… so heavy!" Shūichi smirked, "Take your time getting used to it."

"Now, the three of you, choose a specialization: any nature transformation, genjutsu, kenjutsu, or even medical ninjutsu, though I doubt anyone will pick that," Shūichi said with a teasing grin.

Genma chuckled in admiration, "As expected of Shūichi, the Blue Flash of Konoha!"

Raidō was the first to decide. "I choose kenjutsu!"

Genma followed. "Wind Style!"

Iwashi chose last. "Genjutsu!"

Shūichi nodded. "Shisui, you'll be responsible for Iwashi's training."

"Train him starting with Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, and gradually work up to Temple of Nirvana Technique. Mastering the Temple of Nirvana Technique will be the target."

The Temple of Nirvana was an A-rank genjutsu that could hypnotize a group. Although easily resisted by stronger chunin, mastering it required a solid grasp of genjutsu, which would allow Shūichi to teach Iwashi the Bringer-of-Darkness Genjutsu, another powerful A-rank illusion.

"Got it!" Shisui responded.

Shūichi set a time frame. "You have three months."

"What?!" Everyone was stunned, and Iwashi began to sweat.

Even Shisui questioned, "Shūichi, isn't that too short?"

Shūichi smiled. "No need for mastery; just learn the techniques. Besides, I'll make additional arrangements. The main goal is a foundational understanding of genjutsu."

Even learning the basics within three months would be challenging, but that was the reality of Root's intense training.

"This training is what I call 'devil training,' so prepare yourselves," Shūichi added with a smile.

"Besides, you're all chunin now. If you can't reach at least special jonin level after this, you won't qualify as the Hokage's guard."

"Opportunities like this are rare. Push yourselves to the limit and unleash every bit of potential you have."

Feeling the weight of his words, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi replied in unison, "Understood!"

Pleased, Shūichi gave the signal, "Shisui, you may begin."

Shisui nodded and led Iwashi to a separate room where genjutsu could be trained indoors.

After they left, Shūichi looked to Raidō, who had chosen kenjutsu. He turned to Rui Akimichi and instructed, "Train Raidō in technique and reflex speed, Rui."

Rui nodded, "Yes, Lord Shūichi!" and promptly led Raidō to the training ground—an area where he could also apply his expertise in kenjutsu.

…

Finally, Shūichi turned to Genma. "You should already have a basic grasp of wind release chakra manipulation, right?"

Genma nodded. "I do, though it's pretty basic. I'm not exactly skilled at it yet."

Shūichi chuckled. "No worries—that's where I come in."

He turned to Asuka and the others, "You can all go now."

With that, Asuka and Yamato left the room.

After they departed, Shūichi used the genjutsu technique Demon Realm: Palace of Memories, pulling Genma into an illusion. Suddenly, they found themselves in a forest.

"This… is this Flying Thunder God?"

Genma looked around in awe.

Shūichi smiled, "No, this is genjutsu."

"This is an illusion."

Genma was stunned. "What? It feels so real…"

He could feel the breeze, smell the flowers and trees…

Shūichi asked, "Genma, you've had dreams before, right?"

Genma nodded. "Of course."

Shūichi continued, "During sleep, the mind operates much faster than when awake."

"That's why dreams can seem to last a long time, even though they're only a few minutes."

Genma understood immediately. "So, this genjutsu works similarly."

"Got it."

Shūichi nodded, "Just as you think."

"But dreams can leave you tired the next day."

"So, dreaming does drain mental energy."

"However, here, training in this illusion is like training with shadow clones—it won't leave you exhausted."

"Given enough chakra, shadow clone training would be an ideal way to accumulate experience quickly."

"But for now, genjutsu will have to do."

Of course, only genjutsu like the Demon Realm: Palace of Memories could simulate the effects of shadow clones in training.

Especially since Shūichi possessed Nine-Tails chakra, which Genma's spirit was now infused with, blending seamlessly with his own chakra.

"Alright, training begins now. Genma, use your wind release to attack me. Let's test its strength."

"Understood!"

Genma nodded, forming hand signs and taking a deep breath. He exhaled, cheeks puffed, and a gale surged toward Shūichi.

Shūichi simply waved his hand, and the approaching whirlwind was torn apart, scattering.

Genma's eyes twitched. "That strength is outrageous…"

Shūichi evaluated, "Your wind release is… well, pretty basic."

"Looks like we'll start from the fundamentals."

He caught a falling leaf and explained, "The power of a jutsu mainly depends on its nature transformation and chakra output."

"With a set amount of chakra, increasing jutsu power requires improving both nature transformation and form transformation."

"We'll skip form transformation for now. For nature transformation…"

As he spoke, Genma saw the leaf in Shūichi's fingers split in two.

"This is your first task."

"For wind release, the nature transformation focuses on flow, thinness, and sharpness."

"Your goal is to use wind release chakra to cut through this leaf."

Genma nodded, but then his expression changed. "My chakra…"

He felt his chakra levels had increased significantly.

Shūichi smiled. "Feel it?"

"You know the shadow clone technique, right?"

"Start with five clones and train together."

"Oh, do you need me to teach you the shadow clone technique?"

Genma quickly replied, "I already know it."

Shūichi nodded, "Good. Let's begin!"

The extra chakra was, of course, from Shūichi.

When it comes to who has the best talent in the ninja world… let's narrow it down to ninjutsu talent specifically!

Shūichi believes it has to be the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Just look at the number of jutsus he developed: Shadow Clone Technique, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, The Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Water Severing Wave, Edo Tensei, Flying Thunder God Technique…

Even among his contemporaries, the mightiest Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju couldn't match his skill in this area.

In his own generation, without relying on any "cheat" powers, Shūichi believes there's no doubt that Kakashi Hatake stands in a league of his own in terms of talent.

Even someone as accomplished as Asuma Sarutobi falls quite short in comparison.

Asuma is second to Kakashi.

Others like Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Shizune all possess specialized talents, but none are as well-rounded as Kakashi.

Even Uchiha Obito ranks relatively high purely in terms of raw talent among his peers.

For older shinobi like Genma Shiranui and his two comrades, who are two or three years older than him and Kakashi, Shūichi would rate them as upper-middle-tier talent-wise.

After all, in the original series, Genma Shiranui and Raidō Namiashi become Special Jonin, while Iwashi Tatami remains a Chunin.

Of course, Special Jonin and Chunin aren't to be underestimated.

Even in the great Hidden Villages, Chunin are the backbone of the forces, while Jonin and Special Jonin are leaders capable of taking on critical missions. They're fewer in number, while Genin are the majority.

Returning to wind release…

The first two people that come to Shūichi Hoshita's mind are Danzo and Naruto.

Danzo's wind release mastery is undoubtedly at the elite Jonin level, if not master-level.

As for Naruto…

Frankly, Shūichi finds him hard to evaluate.

If Naruto were exceptionally talented, he would be able to handle the Clone Technique effortlessly.

Yet he learns the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique in a very short time and even develops the incomplete S-rank Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

Looking at his Clone Technique and Multi-Shadow Clone Technique use, Naruto's chakra control is actually quite poor, with rather weak fundamentals in every area.

It's truly puzzling!

Of course, this isn't due to the influence of the Nine-Tails.

Shūichi knows very well that the Eight Trigrams Seal fully contains the half of the Nine-Tails within Naruto, with no interference to Naruto himself.

Otherwise, Naruto would have dark circles like Gaara.

In fact, the Eight Trigrams Seal benefits Naruto immensely, converting the Nine-Tails' chakra into his own. Even at twelve years old, he has an astonishing amount of chakra.

Naruto's own chakra alone is about four times that of Kakashi, but with the Nine-Tails' chakra included, it's over a hundred times Kakashi's.

Returning to Genma Shiranui…

Shūichi believes that anyone who can learn part of the Flying Thunder God Technique in just two years is undoubtedly smart.

With Genma already having a foundation in wind release, he's decided to give him a bit of a boost. While Genma might not reach Naruto's level with the Rasenshuriken, he should be able to split a waterfall with wind release within a short period.

If not, it would mean Minato-sensei's judgment of people was… lacking.

Shūichi is already prepared to shift the blame.

If Genma can't learn, it's not because of his teaching but because Minato-sensei didn't pick the right student.

---

Inside the genjutsu, time passed slowly.

With five shadow clones plus his original self, making six Genmas in total, he managed to cut a leaf in half with wind chakra only by sunset.

Once the clones dispersed, Genma collapsed to the ground, utterly drained and ready to pass out.

"Not bad."

Shūichi appeared, dispelling the genjutsu.

Upon returning to reality, Genma's exhaustion hit him even harder, his brain foggy, eyelids heavy.

"Get some sleep."

With that, Genma promptly fell into a deep slumber.

Shūichi then left the Root base, heading to the training ground where Raidō Namiashi was.

At that moment, Raidō was still sparring with Akimichi Rui, struggling as he swung an unfamiliar broadsword, looking rather clumsy under Rui's loud commands.

Inside the illusion, it had seemed as though Genma had trained for an entire day, but in reality, only about ten minutes had passed.

After Raidō had worn himself out, Shūichi finally appeared, placing a hand on his shoulder and infusing him with chakra.

The exhaustion vanished as his chakra reserves replenished.

"Continue!"

Shūichi took a step back.

"Yes, sir!"

Raidō picked up the sword once again and resumed the sparring.

Shūichi observed, offering pointers as he watched, correcting Raidō's technique. Even Rui gained insights from his instructions.

By repeatedly replenishing their stamina and chakra, and after Rui's energy was completely drained, Shūichi sent in a shadow clone to spar with Raidō, pushing him to his mental and physical limits.

This intense training lasted until noon.

By the end, Raidō felt every cell in his body aching, his mind turned to mush.

"Rui, take him back to the base. Let him eat and sleep; wake him at 3 p.m. for more training."

Shūichi instructed.

"Yes, sir!"

Rui nodded, hefting Raidō back to the Root base, silently pitying the man on his shoulder.

Such a brutal regimen—it was insane.

Unlike the old Root training under Danzo, which emphasized emotional numbness, Shūichi Hoshita's methods targeted the body and mind in equal measure.

From that day on, Genma and his comrades began to feel the true weight of the word "devil" that Shūichi had casually thrown around.

Training, eating, eating, training, sleeping, and then more training and eating.

Their days became a relentless cycle of pushing their mental and physical limits, leaving no time for thoughts outside of survival.

...

For Shūichi, matters at the Root base weren't particularly busy.

After all, he was just supervising others' training, not doing it himself.

In fact, aside from the first day, he sent his shadow clones to oversee things on the other days.

Shūichi continued his own training instead. After all, shadow clones can't solve everything in training—when it comes to taijutsu, for instance, real experience is essential.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had been recruited by Minato Namikaze into his personal Anbu unit.

Even though Konoha and Iwagakure had already reached a peace agreement to end the war, Konoha hadn't reached any such truce with Kumogakure or Kirigakure.

Though there were no large-scale battles, skirmishes continued between the villages.

With the support of tailed-beast chakra and an improved physical constitution, Kakashi made rapid progress in lightning-release techniques. His sharp Raikiri and exceptional speed helped him quickly establish his reputation in the Anbu and gain renown even among other villages.

Just like that, three months passed.

At the entrance of the Root base, Tenka saw off Genma Shiranui and his two companions with a smile, saying, "This is where we part! Do come again sometime!"

She said this out of sheer habit.

Even walking them out was a habit Tenka had picked up from managing shops.

After all, Genma and his comrades knew their way out of Root.

But faced with Tenka's polite farewell, the three could only thank her awkwardly and hurriedly take their leave.

Watching them leave, Tenka couldn't help but admire, "No wonder the Fourth Hokage has high expectations of these three—they're truly capable."

Once out of Root's territory, Genma and the others slowed down, letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"It's finally over!"

"Yes!"

"Wait—was it really only three months? Why does it feel like three years?"

Reflecting on their experiences, Iwashi felt like he was emerging from a dream, half-expecting it might all still be some kind of genjutsu.

"It was definitely three months, but in the genjutsu training, it felt like we spent three years in there," Genma remarked, still in a bit of a daze, shaken by Shūichi's methods.

Training within a genjutsu… it was simply… unimaginable. "He's definitely on another level," he thought to himself in awe.

Raidō spoke up, "So, let's start training with the Flying Thunder God Technique next!"

Genma and Iwashi immediately nodded. "Yes, it's something the Fourth Hokage entrusted to us. We have to master it quickly."

Besides, after training so intensively with wind release and genjutsu, they were starting to feel sick of it.

Their progress had been tremendous, but if they had to go through it all again... could they even survive it?

---

The three made their way from the Root base to the Hokage Tower, where they happened to meet some familiar faces in the lobby—Aoba Yamashiro, Might Guy, and Ebisu.

"Genma! Long time no see!" Aoba, wearing his signature sunglasses, greeted them with a smile. "So, you're finally out of Root. How was it?"

"Um…"

The three glanced at each other before Raidō replied, "It was… interesting. Shūichi's special training at Root is completely different from before. If you get the chance, you should definitely try it."

Raidō's tone was so serious that it caught Guy's interest. His eyes sparkled as he eagerly said, "Did Shūichi come up with another unique training method?"

"Next time, I'm definitely going to ask the Fourth Hokage to let me join the Anbu!"

Aoba and Ebisu exchanged resigned looks. Ebisu then turned to Genma and the others, saying, "It seems like you three have made significant progress. We should spar together sometime."

The three exchanged glances, looking rather excited.

"Hey, you three are back!"

A voice called out, and they all turned to see Kushina Uzumaki carrying a stack of documents.

"Lady Kushina!"

All six of them greeted her respectfully, and Genma quickly stepped forward to take the documents from her. "Yes, our three-month special training has finished, so we're here to report back."

Kushina looked them over, nodding approvingly with a smile. "You all look much sharper than before. Looks like Shūichi's special training is paying off!"

"Alright, you came back at the perfect time. With you here, my workload just got a lot lighter."

After all, a Hokage guard was often just another word for "secretary."

---

After a wave and a few words of farewell, Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi left the Hokage Tower. Aoba Yamashiro remarked, "Did you notice anything different about those three?"

"Different?"

Guy scratched his head in confusion. "They got a bit taller?"

Aoba looked over at Ebisu.

Ebisu thought seriously for a moment. "Yes, actually. When they mentioned sparring earlier, I felt a hint of danger."

This was purely Ebisu's well-honed shinobi intuition.

Aoba nodded. "Seems like those three have made considerable improvements. Let's finish our mission, then check in with them when we return."

...

At the Root base, Tenka brought a file into Shūichi's office, saying, "Shūichi, here's the evaluation for Genma Shiranui and his two teammates."

Shūichi, who was studying a new technique, looked up, took the file, and skimmed through it. "They all reached the level of Special Jonin. Seems like it was effective."

Tenka chuckled. "After the torture your shadow clones put them through, if they hadn't reached that level, it'd be a bit disappointing."

"Genma has the highest talent, followed by Raidō, then Iwashi with slightly less potential."

"And of the techniques you taught them, Genma mastered the most; Iwashi still hasn't managed the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique."

Setting down the file, Shūichi smiled. "That's quite impressive already."

"Both techniques are A-rank, but the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique is actually harder to learn than the Temple of Nirvana."

Tenka suddenly grew serious and said, "But not everyone can handle such intense training—two people have already given up."

"The illusion realm was too realistic for them, and they've started to lose the ability to distinguish reality from the illusion."

Shūichi frowned slightly. "Looks like we should lower the training intensity a bit."

"If they want to quit, let them. Have Asuka treat them and send them back to the Hokage Tower."

Genma and his team were only the first batch to enter special training at Root; others had been sent in succession afterward.

Some were Root members undergoing retraining, while others were selected by Minato Namikaze.

Shūichi had anticipated the potential side effects of using the Palace of Memories for training, so he had been gradually adjusting the intensity based on each individual's resilience.

After signing the document, he handed it to Tenka. "Could you take this to the Hokage's office, please?"

"Also, let Minato-sensei know I'll be heading to the Land of Rain."

Tenka's smile faded. "Is it about the Rinnegan?"

Since becoming Shūichi's assistant, she'd become aware of more secrets.

"Yes." Shūichi nodded slightly. "Just gathering intel."

"Don't worry—I won't be in any danger."

He quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper, handing it along with the file to Tenka.

"Well, alright."

"Of course I believe in you, but you know I can't help worrying a little."

She looked at Shūichi with a playful gaze. "After all, I've waited a long time for you, so don't keep me waiting in vain."

Shūichi smirked. Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, "I'll be back soon."

With that, his figure disappeared.

Tenka felt a slight tremble as he left; Shūichi had playfully nipped her earlobe, which just happened to be her weak spot.

Leaning against the desk, she blushed and laughed to herself. "The little guy's all grown up now!"

---

Land of Rain, just outside Amegakure.

Shūichi stood high above the ground, with a crow clone by his side that dispersed with a puff of smoke.

Of course, to any observer, it would look as if he had simply dismissed a summoning.

Since his brief encounter with Nagato, Shūichi had kept his eyes on the Land of Rain.

It was nearly September now, and Uchiha Mikoto was pregnant, which likely meant that Madara had finally cut ties with his survival.

But today's visit wasn't because of Mikoto's pregnancy—there was something else.

Hanzo was dead, and although the outside world was unaware, Amegakure had a new leader.

Clearly, Nagato was progressing faster than in the original storyline.

Without making much noise, he had managed to kill Hanzo and take control of Amegakure.

Shūichi felt it was time to assess the situation.

When a jinchūriki gives birth, their seal weakens, and he was certain that Black Zetsu would not miss such an opportunity.

Thus, Shūichi couldn't ignore the possibility that Nagato might also show up in Konoha to aid in capturing the Nine-Tails.

---

Arriving over Amegakure, Shūichi finally descended, landing atop a tall tower.

Inside a central tower in the village, Nagato looked at the six new puppets he had just created. He turned to Konan and said, "Konan, I'll be leaving Amegakure to you and the Animal Path for now."

"We can't let the outside world find out Hanzo is dead just yet."

The Animal Path puppet was made from Hanzo's corpse.

Konan nodded in understanding. "I'll handle it."

At that moment, White Zetsu's clone, Tobi, appeared. "That guy, Shūichi Hoshita, is here. Looks like he's figured out Hanzo's fate."

Nagato stood up. "Then we'll get rid of him."

White Zetsu Tobi chuckled. "I'd be delighted to help with that."

"But I still think it's safer to wait until the other White Zetsu units arrive; after all, that guy knows the Flying Thunder God technique, which makes capturing him very difficult."

Nagato started toward the door. "Then hurry up."

Under the curtain of rain, Shūichi stood in his Scorch Release Chakra Mode, not a drop of rain touching him.

After waiting a moment, his gaze sharpened.

He's here!

Nagato was floating toward him.

Shūichi turned and began walking southward out of Amegakure, leaving lotus-like imprints with each step.

Nagato followed behind, his gaze fixed on Shūichi's back. He couldn't help but admit that this man was a genius.

Such techniques were beyond his own reach.

"But compared to the Rinnegan, this is nothing," Nagato thought, discarding any admiration he felt.

Since Shūichi was his enemy, there was no need for mercy.

Although they were about to fight, the two of them had a silent agreement not to clash within Amegakure.

One after the other, they left the village and arrived above a vast lake south of Amegakure.

This lake fed into a great river that flowed south into the Land of Rivers, eventually reaching the sea.

Standing on the vast lake's surface, which stretched like a miniature ocean, they faced each other from dozens of meters apart.

This was their second encounter.

The last time, they had only exchanged one brief move before Shūichi escaped with Jiraiya due to White Zetsu Tobi's sudden appearance.

It wasn't fear—at that time, Shūichi simply saw Jiraiya as a burden.

It wasn't that he looked down on Jiraiya; it was that Jiraiya had no way to counter techniques like Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push) or Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull).

Nagato had changed from the one in Shūichi's memory. With Hashirama's cells now enhancing him, would Shinra Tensei still require a five-second cooldown?

This was his real body, not the Deva Path puppet that required chakra from the Outer Path.

It would have been easier if it were just Nagato, but there was also the Kamui Sharingan to consider.

And now... the Kamui user was likely lurking, waiting for the right moment.

Tobi... Shūichi needed to be ready for a full-on assault.

Their eyes met, and both saw the battle intent within each other.

In the next instant, Nagato raised his hand, and at almost the same moment, Shūichi activated his jutsu.

Fire Style: Firing Biscuit Jutsu

It was an ordinary Fire Release technique, but in Shūichi's hands, enhanced by his powerful nature transformation, it became a deadly force.

The azure-blue flames emitted a terrifying heat capable of melting steel in an instant.

Nagato, however, was well-prepared with intelligence on Shūichi. The moment the blue flames appeared, he obliterated them with a powerful repulsive force.

Shinra Tensei!

But right after he deflected the flames, a rain of shimmering light descended toward him.

Each kunai was cloaked in Scorch Release energy.

Multi Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!

The kunai were crafted from chakra metal, a gift from Tenka.

Nagato lifted his hand and unleashed another Shinra Tensei, the repulsive force scattering the kunai. Soon, even the real kunai were repelled.

Banshō Ten'in!

Right after Shinra Tensei, Nagato used Universal Pull to try to seize control of Shūichi's body.

But Shūichi vanished from his original position, reappearing near the repelled kunai, catching it effortlessly.

Almost simultaneously, a jet of water surged from beneath Nagato, attempting to pull him into the lake.

The lake exploded as Nagato leaped into the air, only to be met by an incoming Flame Dragon Breath.

This time, instead of using Shinra Tensei, Nagato glided across the lake's surface at high speed, evading the dragon-like flame streams with serpent-like agility. Seizing an opening, he hurled a black rod directly at Shūichi.

This was a black rod crafted through Yin-Yang Release!

Shūichi was casting his jutsu too quickly, without any hand seals. This was a slight deviation from the intel White Zetsu had provided, though not by much.

Nagato needed to disrupt Shūichi's technique casting.

After throwing the black rod, Nagato dodged two more beams of light and then clasped his hands together. With a thunderous roar, twin columns of water surged upward, pincer-attacking Shūichi from both sides.

Shūichi effortlessly dodged the black rod, then drew his sword and threw it straight at Nagato.

Nagato didn't use Shinra Tensei this time; instead, he sidestepped the attack, his full attention on the blade.

As expected, Shūichi appeared.

Banshō Ten'in!

Nagato precisely targeted Shūichi, who was clutching the Totsuka Blade, and pulled him toward him, rendering Shūichi unable to control his movement.

However, this didn't prevent Shūichi from using his jutsu.

Firing Biscuit Jutsu, Dragon Flame Breath!

"Shinra Tensei!" Nagato roared.

This time, he unleashed a charged blast, obliterating the flames and searing rays, sending Shūichi flying from the sheer force.

Boom!

The airborne Shūichi suddenly burst apart.

"A Shadow Clone!"

Nagato was caught off guard, then heard a sharp whistling sound. Shūichi, engulfed in a blue lotus aura, was diving toward him with a long blade in hand.

There was no time to form hand seals, and Shinra Tensei was in cooldown.

At that moment, Tobi—wearing the Akatsuki robe with the flame cloud pattern and a mask—emerged from the lake, Mangekyō Sharingan activated, his gaze locking onto Shūichi. Space-time began to warp around Shūichi's figure.

Kamui!

In that instant, as Shūichi slashed down at Nagato, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting to the Totsuka Blade that had been deflected by Shinra Tensei, and grasped it with his left hand.

But behind Shūichi, another figure in the Akatsuki cloak with a tiger-patterned mask appeared, emerging from the space-time distortion.

Forming hand seals, this masked figure unleashed a spiraling flame that roared toward Shūichi like a dragon.

Fire Style: Explosion Storm!

Whether it was White Zetsu and Tobi, or Uchiha Obito, who had been lurking the entire time, had finally arrived.

At this moment, Uchiha Obito attacked from behind, while Zetsu Tobi refocused on Shūichi.

A pincer attack.

Boom!

Shūichi burst upward in a series of blue lotus flowers, breaking the sound barrier.

Not only did Uchiha Obito's jutsu miss, but Zetsu Tobi also temporarily lost his lock on Shūichi, exclaiming, "Incredible speed!"

However, Nagato widened his eyes, raising his hand toward the sky: "Banshō Ten'in!"

Shūichi's ascent came to a halt as he was forcibly drawn toward Nagato.

Caught!

At the same time, a mechanical arm sprouted from Nagato's shoulder, its fingers twitching to reveal a barrage of missiles aimed at Shūichi.

"Even the Asura Path, huh?"

"So, he's almost fully mastered the Six Paths abilities?"

Though immobilized, Shūichi's shoulder-mounted dragon heads fired rapid streams of flame, incinerating the incoming missiles.

Then his expression shifted.

Space-time was warping again, and rapidly.

Zetsu Tobi and Uchiha Obito had fused—Dual Kamui was in play.

But in the next instant, their lock failed, and Shūichi vanished.

Seeing Shūichi's disappearance, Uchiha Obito let out a sigh of relief.

He hadn't held back in the slightest, even using his newly developed Explosion Storm jutsu.

He'd also put everything into Dual Kamui after the merge.

With Black Zetsu and Zetsu Tobi both watching him, Obito dared not hold back for fear of losing control over his body again.

In a crucial moment, this bit of control could prove invaluable.

After all, Shūichi's proposal to have him act as a spy had given him an idea.

He, too, wished to end this era of chaos.

He, too, wanted to create a world without war.

Only then could Rin be safe from harm.

...

In a cave in the Land of Rain, Shūichi reappeared. Deactivating Scorch Release Chakra Mode, he gritted his teeth as he tended to the wound on his left shoulder.

A vortex-like gap remained on his shoulder, as if a chunk of flesh had vanished, exposing bone beneath.

Under the power of Creation Rebirth, new tissue began to regrow rapidly.

"As expected of Dual Kamui… took a chunk of me in such a short span," Shūichi mused.

But he had learned a bit more about his opponents.

If he planned to seize the Nine-Tails during Naruto's birth, he'd need to be well-prepared in advance.

"Dual Kamui…"

Shūichi pondered, "Whether Obito has understood my intentions to act as a spy, or if he's decided to follow Uchiha Madara, I need to secure one of those Kamui eyes first."

Whether Obito was controlled, trusted, or something else altogether—

Securing one of the Kamui eyes would benefit both himself and Konoha, ensuring an added layer of security.

After freeing Obito, he could always return the Kamui eye.

"But I definitely can't sit around waiting for Nagato and his people to come for the Nine-Tails."

"Fighting in Konoha would only hold me back."

Once his wound healed, Shūichi stepped to the mouth of the cave, gazing toward the misty, rain-soaked village of Amegakure in the distance.

"With the Seventh Gate open, Nagato wouldn't stand a chance."

After the recent exchange, Shūichi was certain that at full strength, Nagato couldn't be a true match.

Under the Seventh Gate, his power surpasses that of the Nine-Tails, allowing him to counter Nagato's strongest Shinra Tensei head-on.

As for Chibaku Tensei, it wouldn't pose much threat either.

He wouldn't even have to wait for Nagato to strike—his speed alone would allow him to bring Nagato down.

And that's in a one-on-one battle.

Even if Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Uchiha Obito were to join in, splitting his forces with Shadow Clones to keep them occupied, the outcome would likely remain unchanged.

"Yet I'm still not strong enough to crush the entire shinobi world."

"And right now, I don't have a way to completely destroy Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Even capturing Black Zetsu is difficult."

Shūichi sighed to himself, "Without Black Zetsu gone, its 'Rescue Mother Plan' will never end."

"So, letting Nagato gather the Tailed Beasts, stirring up the four Great Ninja Villages, reviving Uchiha Madara to lure out Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—that's the safest approach."

"In the meantime, I need to disrupt Nagato's progress in collecting the Tailed Beasts, depending on my own improvements."

"So, my next move is to intimidate Nagato's forces, forcing them to acknowledge my power and stay away from Konoha, targeting the other four Ninja Villages instead."

Shūichi's thoughts flowed and eventually solidified: "Wait a bit longer… until my techniques are fully developed, to be sure."

"As for Kamui Sharingan... White Zetsu!"

He'd left a Flying Thunder God mark on Obito, but to seize a Kamui eye, the best target would still be White Zetsu in the mask.

In terms of strength, it shouldn't be too difficult.

The key is Izanagi.

That's why he hadn't acted sooner.

"But even if it means sacrificing one Kamui, I'll reduce some of their threats!"

Having made his decision, Shūichi left a Shadow Clone to continue watching Amegakure, then vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

...

In Amegakure, inside a tall tower—

Nagato was reflecting on the recent battle, thinking, "He doesn't need hand signs to activate his jutsu—such a technique is almost on par with the Rinnegan's ocular abilities."

"The Six Paths Puppets are indeed necessary."

"But ordinary methods still can't subdue him; such troublesome space-time jutsu."

Nagato frowned.

Given the current situation, he thought that even Chibaku Tensei might not be able to seal Shūichi in one move.

"Unless the battlefield is Konoha… where he would have no reason to escape."

Nagato's gaze turned cold.

...

In the Hokage Office, Konoha Village

Seeing Kushina Uzumaki looking a bit uneasy, Minato Namikaze reassured her, "Don't worry. Shūichi has a good sense of things—he won't act recklessly."

Truthfully, he was a bit concerned himself but didn't let it show.

Kushina sighed. "That guy… even if he went to gather intel, he should've taken Shisui and the others with him!"

Minato knew that Shūichi's so-called "intel gathering" likely meant a direct confrontation—a battle to learn more about the Rinnegan through firsthand experience. Taking others along would just make retreat more difficult.

When comforting her didn't help, Minato turned back to his work. He knew that if nothing went wrong, his student would return soon enough.

Sure enough, in less than two hours, Shūichi appeared in the Hokage office.

"Shūichi, you're back!" Kushina exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.

Minato looked up, and, upon seeing Shūichi safe and sound, a smile spread across his face as well. But then his gaze focused sharply on the torn fabric on Shūichi's shoulder.

Kushina noticed as well, gasping, "Were you hurt?"

"A minor injury," Shūichi replied nonchalantly. "Obito's eye technique is indeed formidable."

Kushina's eyes widened. "Obito… how is he?"

Not wanting to worry them, Shūichi said, "It seems he's gained a measure of trust from the enemy, though he still lacks freedom."

"His left eye's ability can activate from a distance, distorting space-time to teleport an enemy—or a part of them."

"And with both eyes, the technique's speed increases."

"The right eye has a similar ability, but it appears to work at close range for similar spatial attacks."

Minato murmured, "This sounds far more troublesome than expected."

Shūichi nodded. "Which is why, next time, I plan to seize one of those Sharingan."

"Even if I can't, I'll force them to use Izanagi to consume one."

Kushina was taken aback, "But what about Obito…"

Minato made a decisive call, "If it's possible, then do it. I believe Obito would understand."

Kushina nodded reluctantly. Emotionally, her loyalty leaned toward Shūichi, standing right here with them.

Minato then turned to Shūichi, "What about the Rinnegan?"

Shūichi explained, "So far, I've observed three abilities."

"The first is a repulsive force that can repel anything—ninjutsu, weapons, you name it."

"The second is an attractive force that can draw in enemies."

"The third ability involves physical transformation, creating a third arm with mechanisms capable of firing tracking missiles."

Kushina gasped, "So no ninjutsu works against him?"

Shūichi chuckled. "There's no such thing as a perfect ability. If too much force is released at once, there's a cooldown."

"For now, this cooldown seems to be around three seconds."

Minato's expression turned serious. "Three seconds isn't much of a window."

Shūichi continued, "The repulsive force is so strong that even a Sage Art Wind Release: Rasenshuriken wouldn't get close."

"Going forward, I'll continue testing the Rinnegan's capabilities through battles, then deliver a single overwhelming blow to keep Nagato in check."

"At the very least, I can't allow him to make trouble when the Nine-Tails' seal weakens."

Kushina paused, "The seal weakening?"

"Hmm, does the Eight Trigrams Seal weaken over time?"

Shūichi grinned. "Sensei knows about that."

"That's all for now—I'll head out."

"Oh, by the way, Sensei, Nagato has taken control of Amegakure. Hanzo is likely… gone."

With that, Shūichi slipped out of the office.

...

In the days that followed, Shūichi's routine returned to normal, filled with training, experiments, and research. Unlike before, though, he now made monthly trips to the Land of Rain to clash with Nagato.

Both sides probed each other's abilities, gathering intelligence. Time passed quickly, and soon the end of December arrived—the eve of Konoha's 48th year.

That day, Shūichi activated "Flash of Insight" once again.

The ten-minute duration felt increasingly insufficient, as if even a year's accumulation wasn't quite enough.

Thankfully, his "cheats" were strong enough to make those ten minutes worthwhile.

"Yang Release has improved again, now on par with Hashirama's cells. It's just that I still need more data to fully understand Asuka's unique physique..."

Sensing the highly activated cells within his body and his vast vitality, Shūichi felt an unusual hunger.

It wasn't true hunger, but a primal urge arising from his highly activated cells, brimming with life.

After taking a moment to adjust, Shūichi brought his hands together. The star seal on his forehead flared with dazzling light, and the curse mark spread across his entire body.

The tadpole-like symbols writhed, shifting subtly.

The star seal had evolved once again.

This time, it didn't just enhance Yin and Lightning techniques but also connected with Shūichi's Yin Seal, fusing natural energy with the Yin Seal's chakra, creating Sage Chakra that permeated every cell in his body through the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

Of course, this was only possible because he possessed the Yin Seal.

Without it, the mark would draw from his own chakra to synthesize Sage Chakra, as it stored natural energy.

This modification was something Shūichi had crafted specifically for Guy to counter the Eight Gates' harmful side effects.

Unfortunately, his understanding of Yang Release wasn't yet advanced enough to ensure survival if all Eight Gates were fully opened.

"Combining this with Asuka's Yang Release could make it feasible…" Shūichi speculated.

Once the mark was fully altered, the Sage Chakra quietly nourished every cell in his body.

"This feels amazing!" Shūichi couldn't help but smile.

This subtle chakra regulation was similar to Tsunade's state at present.

But Shūichi wasn't after eternal youth—he aimed to sustain a continuous Sage Mode, striving toward the standards of the Sages from the Three Great Sanctuaries.

By allowing his cells to be immersed in Sage Chakra over an extended period, he hoped to gradually transform his body.

The added characteristic of the Tailed Beasts' nature was especially noticeable, and Shūichi could feel the difference.

"At this rate, I may not need to become a Tailed Beast. I could absorb natural energy directly, like they do."

"Or perhaps if I fully merge with all Nine Tailed Beasts…"

Shūichi felt a faint intuition.

If he achieved that, he'd become a true human Tailed Beast.

...

After completing the modification of the Curse Seal, Shūichi got up and headed to where Guy was training.

Under the waterfall, Guy was practicing as usual, with Might Duy cheering him on nearby.

Shūichi walked over with a smile, and Duy noticed him, greeting him cheerfully, "Shūichi, are you here to train too?"

"No, I came specifically to find Guy and Uncle Duy," Shūichi replied with a grin.

Duy was taken aback and immediately asked, "Is there a mission?"

Given Shūichi's status, Duy assumed he must have an important task for them.

Hearing the voices, Guy jumped out from under the waterfall with anticipation. "Shūichi, did the Fourth Hokage approve my application to join the Anbu?" he asked eagerly.

Shūichi couldn't help but laugh. Guy had applied to join the Anbu several times to team up with Kakashi, but his overly passionate personality kept holding him back—nobody dared let him into Anbu!

Actually, Guy wasn't the only one applying to Anbu lately. The root of this surge in interest was the impressive strength that Genma Shiranui and his squad had unintentionally displayed in a sparring session with Ebisu's team.

Almost everyone in Root had shown remarkable progress, but Genma and his two teammates had improved the most, especially Genma's Wind Release techniques and Raidō's newly acquired sword, the Executioner's Blade.

"It's not about Anbu," Shūichi explained. "It's something to do with the Eight Gates. I've created a special Curse Seal that helps restore your body after using the Eight Gates."

"Think of it as my New Year's gift for you and Uncle Duy," he added with a smile.

This was also a way to show his appreciation for Guy teaching him the Eight Gates so selflessly.

Guy's eyes widened. "Shūichi, you're amazing! You even managed to figure this out!"

Duy immediately bowed deeply. "Thank you so much, Shūichi!"

Shūichi sidestepped politely and smiled, "No need to be so formal, Uncle Duy. Guy taught me a lot about training, and we even developed some new taijutsu moves together."

"Alright, let's test out the Curse Seal," he said.

Guy quickly asked, "So, what do I need to do?"

Shūichi replied, "Just stay still. It might hurt a bit, but I'll handle the rest."

Guy nodded seriously, standing as still as a statue.

Shūichi placed his hand on Guy's bare chest.

Sizzle~

With a faint sizzling sound, Shūichi's Sage Chakra seeped into Guy's body. The Curse Seal pattern unfurled from his heart and spread throughout his body.

When the seal was fully formed, Shūichi withdrew his hand. Now, a purple lotus pattern rested over Guy's heart.

Guy could feel his body changing and exclaimed, "It's absorbing my chakra!"

Shūichi nodded. "That's right. This Curse Seal absorbs some of your unused chakra and combines it with natural energy to form Sage Chakra. When you open the Eight Gates, especially the Seventh Gate, you can activate this seal to recover your stamina."

"It can also be used to heal injuries if needed. I call it the Seal of Life!"

Although it wasn't yet perfected, Shūichi was confident he could refine it to the point that even with all Eight Gates opened, it could help save a life. Not only was it meant for Guy, but also for himself.

Guy was fired up. "I'm opening the Seventh Gate to test it out!"

Duy gasped. "Guy, that's pushing yourself too far right now."

But Guy grinned, showing his determination. "I trust Shūichi!"

Shūichi also felt confident. "While it won't eliminate all damage from the Eight Gates, it should be fine for the Seventh Gate. Don't worry, Uncle Duy."

Reassured, Duy nodded.

Guy clenched his fists, lowered his stance, and began. "Open!"

One by one, the internal gates released, and with a boom, green energy enveloped his body.

But he didn't stop there. After catching his breath briefly, he crouched down and braced himself. "Seventh Gate—open!"

Boom!

The ground cracked as blue energy exploded around Guy's body.

But after just a few moments, Guy had to close the gate and collapsed, panting heavily, his face contorted in pain.

"Guy! Use your mind to connect with the Curse Seal to activate it!" Shūichi shouted.

"Got it!" Guy replied, his voice weak. He immediately activated the seal.

In an instant, purple patterns spread from his heart, unfurling like a blooming lotus across his body. A warm energy flooded him, quickly washing away his fatigue and pain, and he leaped to his feet with renewed energy.

"This is incredible!" he shouted, unable to hide his excitement, bouncing around energetically.

Shūichi chuckled, "The longer you let the seal accumulate, the better it will work."

Duy watched, deeply moved, and bowed to Shūichi once more. "Thank you, Shūichi. With this seal, Guy will be able to go further—far beyond anything I could achieve. Thank you!"

A fresh start to the new year, and with the young Hokage in power, Konoha is bustling with renewed energy.

Year 48 of Konoha quietly arrives.

Returning from the orphanage with Nonō Yakushi and the others, Shūichi receives a piece of news.

Kushina Uzumaki is pregnant!

This means, if things don't change, the countdown to the Nine-Tails' rampage has begun.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Shūichi heads to Amegakure soon after the New Year hype fades—and has a sparring match with Nagato.

Nagato has grown stronger!

Returning to Konoha from Amegakure, Shūichi suddenly smiles to himself. "Having a strong opponent isn't so bad."

The training continues!

Meanwhile…

In the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze speaks to Kakashi, who just entered after knocking. "Kushina is pregnant, so I'll need you to take on the responsibility of protecting her in secret until the baby is born."

Kakashi hesitates for a moment, then quickly responds, "Congratulations, Sensei, on becoming a father!"

Minato smiles and nods, "Yes, so I'll be counting on you for this."

Kakashi nods solemnly, "Understood!"

He already knew Kushina was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

Though he wasn't certain that childbirth could weaken the seal, he knew that pregnancy, even for a jinchūriki, would make her vulnerable. And there was also… Obito.

This thought brings a hint of worry to Kakashi.

Seeing through Kakashi's concerns, Minato reassures him with a smile, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

…

"Training can't stop…"

As he leaves the Hokage Building, Kakashi glances up at the soft sunlight, then creates four shadow clones to continue training, before heading to Minato's home to begin his mission.

Time slips by, and soon it's March.

Shūichi has quietly turned fifteen. He now stands at 178 centimeters—almost indistinguishable from a grown adult.

This year, however, he spends his birthday inside the research lab.

The reason? His research on Asuka's cells has finally achieved significant progress.

…

"Are you planning to transplant it into White Zetsu next?"

Looking at a fleshy mass resembling White Zetsu's swollen form, Tsunade frowns.

This isn't just pure White Zetsu cell cultivation—it's a mix of Asuka's cells harmonized with tailed beast chakra.

It looks like White Zetsu, but even Tsunade can sense there's something distinctly different about it.

Shūichi shakes his head. "Of course not."

"We'll start with smaller animals first; White Zetsu should be fine. The key is seeing how ordinary beings react. White Zetsu isn't exactly a typical lifeform."

White Zetsu is ideal for experimentation; every human modification Shūichi attempts goes through White Zetsu first.

"Then let's start with mice!" Tsunade rolls up her sleeves.

Shūichi nods, leaving Tsunade to work while he heads to the Forest of Death to catch some animals.

Chimpanzees, black bears… soon enough, the lab has a dozen types of large animals.

When Shūichi returns to the lab, Tsunade has already completed the first cell transplant on a lab mouse.

Watching the mouse scurry around in the glass box, Shūichi smiles, "It seems there's no immediate risk."

Tsunade nods slightly. "Alright, let's continue!"

She grabs the mouse, and with a quick slice, severs its tail.

Both watch closely, but the mouse's tail doesn't regenerate.

Tsunade frowns. "It seems the regenerative ability from my grandfather's cells is completely suppressed."

Shūichi nods. "Though, the mouse does seem a bit agitated."

Tsunade observes for a moment. "Let's see how the other animals react."

The transplants continue.

Now Shūichi begins transplanting into the large animals he brought from the Forest of Death, placing each in a cage for observation.

Roar!

Howl!

One by one, the animals wake up, all showing signs of increased agitation.

The experiments continue.

Shūichi and Tsunade left wounds on each of the animals, then observed their reactions.

No signs of self-healing.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Shūichi let out a sound of surprise.

Tsunade immediately turned to look and saw that the chimpanzee was licking its wound.

Most importantly, the wound was healing.

Tsunade's eyes lit up. "It's instinctively tapping into the power within its cells!"

Shūichi smiled and nodded. "It seems so."

"Activating its self-healing ability on its own."

Asuka's powers were unique. She couldn't self-heal unless she bit herself, as if activating a switch.

Shūichi believed this was not due to Asuka's physical traits but tied to her childhood experiences.

This 'switch' was artificial, an effect of her past trauma—almost a psychological condition.

The cells of Hashirama are passively regenerative, whereas Asuka's cells are actively regenerative.

For the next few days, Shūichi and Tsunade stayed at the research base, observing the animals.

Gradually, the animals settled down from their initial restlessness.

Three days later, Tsunade said, "We're ready to move to the next phase."

Shūichi thought for a moment. "Let's hold off a little."

"I'll try with my summoning beast first."

"A summoning beast?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.

Shūichi raised his hand, and with a poof, a large white tiger appeared.

The once tiny cub had grown into a king of the forest, stretching over five meters long.

"Lord Shūichi!"

The tiger, Shiro, affectionately nuzzled Shūichi with its massive head.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Is this the summoning beast you had back then? It can talk now?"

Shūichi chuckled, "I fed it chakra and some medical herbs persistently for eight or nine years."

Tsunade nodded, "Seems you were lucky."

Indeed, not all summoning beasts could develop speech and human-like intelligence through feeding alone.

Otherwise, intelligent summoning beasts would be everywhere.

Shūichi patted Shiro's head. "Greet her. This is Tsunade, Konoha's strongest female ninja and medical ninja."

Shiro quickly greeted her, "Lady Tsunade, I'm Shiro. I've often heard Lord Shūichi mention you."

Tsunade nodded slightly, then asked, "Shūichi, are you sure about transplanting it?"

To her, Shiro was one of them—a priority over enemies.

Shūichi, however, felt confident. "The previous experiments show there shouldn't be issues; it's just a matter of effectiveness."

With that, Tsunade relented and nodded. "Alright, let's proceed!"

The second round of testing began, this time with the summoning beast, Shiro.

The procedure was simple and took less than half an hour.

In the empty, seal-covered room, Shiro regained consciousness. Shūichi immediately asked, "How do you feel?"

Shiro first let out a low growl, shook his head, then spoke with excitement, "Lord Shūichi, I feel incredibly powerful—I want to fight!"

Just like the other animals, Shiro exhibited restlessness after awakening. However, being intelligent, he could restrain himself, although he was eager to get out and play.

"No rush, let's test your healing ability first."

With a snap of his fingers, Shūichi sent a wind blade toward Shiro's leg, leaving a small cut.

Outside, Tsunade observed Shiro's wound through the glass.

Unlike the other animals, Shiro could speak and control chakra.

"Shiro, try to tap into that new power inside you," Shūichi prompted.

Shiro nodded, and soon, the wound on his leg healed rapidly.

"Amazing!"

Shiro growled happily, then said excitedly, "Lord Shūichi, I feel like I can use that technique now!"

But Shūichi wasn't in a hurry. "Shiro, why do you feel so excited?"

Shiro sharpened his claws and thought for a moment, "Because the energy inside me feels incredibly strong, like I've been sleeping for ages and just want to get out and explore."

Life thrives on movement, life pulses with energy.

Shūichi pondered. Shiro's description wasn't entirely clear, but it was far better than those of mute animals.

At this moment, Tsunade said, "This shows that Hashirama's cell power was indeed suppressed, but not completely."

"While cellular regeneration is contained, the boost in power still impacts the mental state."

The body and mind are tightly interconnected, like yin and yang influencing one another.

The Uchiha's Sharingan affects chakra through mental influence, and chakra in turn impacts the physical body.

In this case, however, it's clearly the physical transformation that's affecting the mind. The influence seems minor, but if they're going to transplant it into a person—especially one of their own—they need to improve it further.

"Let's go, let's test Shiro's abilities outside."

With Shūichi, Tsunade, and the white tiger, Shiro, they left the lab and moved to an open field nearby.

Standing about seven or eight meters away, Shūichi gestured to Shiro to make the first move.

"Lord Shūichi, be careful!" Shiro warned, letting out a low growl. Immediately, a whirlwind formed around him.

Tsunade watched as the intense, almost tangible wind currents created razor-sharp vacuum blades. "This ability is already on par with a jōnin's."

The swirling wind surged toward Shūichi under Shiro's control.

But such an attack posed no threat to Shūichi. With a simple wave of his hand, he split the wind in two.

From the very beginning, Shūichi had never summoned Shiro for combat.

He'd been too weak for that. Though Shiro could use Wind Release, his power was barely at the level of a chūnin, making him more suited as a playmate for future children.

But now…

Looking at Shiro, Shūichi chuckled. "That's still not quite enough."

Without replying, Shiro opened his mouth wide, condensing chakra inside.

Boom!

The air exploded as a massive wind sphere shot out of Shiro's mouth.

Wind Release: Tiger Cannon!

This was a jutsu Shiro had created based on Shūichi's guidance, similar in essence to the Vacuum Great Sphere and Shukaku's Drilling Air Bullet.

He'd struggled to perform it before, but now, with the cell transplant, he was able to unleash it with ease.

Shūichi's eyes gleamed. "You've captured a bit of Shukaku's style."

As he spoke, Shūichi raised his hand, cutting down with a wind chakra-coated palm, emitting a resonant hum.

Boom!

He split the Tiger Cannon in half with a single strike, sending powerful gusts rolling to either side. The force whipped Tsunade's cloak and sent her ponytail flying as she watched from the sidelines.

Shiro was left in shock, seeing his ultimate move cleaved in two.

But Shūichi was quite pleased and asked with a smile, "Anything else?"

"Can you tap into any other powers?"

Shiro scratched his head with a paw. "I don't think so."

Tsunade thought for a moment. "Perhaps he'd need to train like Yamato to unlock it."

"However, without the ability to form hand signs, it's going to be difficult for him to learn such techniques."

Shūichi nodded in agreement.

The reason Shiro could use Wind Release was likely due to Shūichi's years of conditioning him with Wind Release chakra.

But developing Wood Release would be extremely challenging.

After all, Shiro isn't human.

Nevertheless, Shūichi was satisfied and smiled. "This is already excellent progress."

"That Wind Release jutsu you just used—most jōnin can't even pull that off."

Shiro had a unique advantage with his large mouth, able to compress and launch powerful wind spheres.

"Head back to the Forest of Death, but try not to cause too much of a stir," Shūichi advised.

After dismissing Shiro's summoning, he turned to Tsunade. "Let's proceed with further adjustments."

Tsunade nodded, feeling a sense of anticipation.

If they could stabilize this further, the results would solve countless issues, especially with access to White Zetsu's capabilities.