Chapter 66: Harvest Season Ends, Breaking Two Thousand
"You... you know I'm planning to act against Sarutobi Hiruzen?" Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
"Of course, how could I not see through the thoughts of the mother of my child?" Natsuhane grinned mischievously, glancing at the night sky. "It's late. I need to get back to your disciple. We can talk about this later. As for Kabuto, I'll keep him safe."
With that, Natsuhane hurried off towards Anko's house.
Watching Natsuhane's departing figure, Orochimaru remained motionless, lost in thought. "This man... he's so mysterious..."
...
A week passed...
During this time, the harvest season reached its peak.
The last significant wave of Natsuhane's first batch of wives successfully gave birth.
In just these seven days, nearly a thousand new members joined the Uchiha clan.
As of now, Natsuhane's children numbered over 2000.
Unfortunately, none of these children had a comprehensive potential rating above A, and the system's rewards were mainly chakra and various ninjutsu techniques.
But that didn't matter. Looking at the rapidly growing Uchiha clan, Natsuhane felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
This was the result of his tireless efforts, a tangible reward for his hard work.
All the sweat and effort had paid off!
Including all his families, the Uchiha clan now had over five thousand members, steadily approaching six thousand.
Fortunately, the Uchiha compound was vast enough to accommodate everyone for now.
But in another year, it might be a different story...
One day, while Natsuhane was at home contemplating how to expand the Uchiha compound, the system suddenly activated after a long silence.
[Ding! The system has successfully upgraded to level 3. You have been awarded a level 3 gift pack.]
[Level 3 gift pack opened. Please choose one of the following four jutsu. Once selected, you will master it perfectly.]
[1. Jutsu: Unyielding Will (LV2): Increases critical hit rate, 50% chance of twins, rewards doubled.]
[2. Jutsu: Lucky Strike (LV2): Guarantees conception, at least one child, 50% chance of twins or a boy-girl pair. Infertility is nullified by this jutsu.]
[3. Jutsu: Endurance (LV2): Enhances physical stamina significantly.]
[4. Jutsu: Heartfelt Connection (LV2): The ultimate charm technique, effective on all human females, ensuring unwavering loyalty until death.]
[All the above jutsu consume chakra and do not affect your life force or any corresponding organs.]
This time, Natsuhane didn't hesitate and chose the fourth option.
[Jutsu: Heartfelt Connection.]
He had long wanted a charm technique.
To make someone your wife, leaving a good impression was key.
How do you create that good impression?
Previously, he relied on his looks and personality. Now, with Heartfelt Connection, he had a double layer of security.
From now on, no one could escape Natsuhane's grasp.
The other jutsu were good, but Natsuhane was confident that with his efficiency, he could level up the system again in a year. The jutsu in the level-up gift packs would be his eventually. For now, increasing the success rate of wooing high-quality female ninjas was most important.
After making his selection, Natsuhane returned to his plans for expanding the Uchiha compound.
Just then, with a "bang," a white smoke cloud appeared, and a Root ninja suddenly emerged.
"Natsuhane-sama, we just received a message at the gate. The Hokage requests your presence… Huh? Is there someone under your desk? It looks like something is moving."
"Oh, that's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Natsuhane frowned, losing interest. This was the sixth time in a week that Sarutobi Hiruzen had summoned him.
They were practically meeting daily.
"Got it. I'll head over shortly."
...
Hokage's Office.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
"Come in."
Natsuhane entered, finding Sarutobi Hiruzen at his desk, puffing on his pipe as he methodically dealt with a mountain of paperwork.
"Oh, Natsuhane, you're here. Any new findings on Kabuto?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, setting aside his documents.
"Not yet. I've used all my connections and the Root's resources, but Kabuto is very cunning, leaving no traces. Don't worry, Hokage-sama. I'll report any new developments immediately."
"Sigh... Natsuhane, I'm not being impatient. It's just that with all the female high council members pregnant, we need to capture Orochimaru and find a cure as soon as possible to prevent further complications."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked meaningfully at Natsuhane. "If surveillance isn't working, it might be time to use more forceful measures."
"Forceful measures? Isn't that risky? Aren't you afraid he might commit suicide? If he dies, finding Orochimaru will be nearly impossible," Natsuhane suggested, trying to buy more time for Kabuto.
Sarutobi Hiruzen replied in a stern tone, "No worries. Given the urgency, I've brought back two people specifically for this..."
"One of them has superior medical ninjutsu skills, capable of thwarting any suicide attempts Kabuto might make."
"And even if Kabuto dies, the other person has information on all of Orochimaru's secret bases. With him, finding Orochimaru shouldn't be difficult."
Hearing this, two figures flashed in Natsuhane's mind.
Tsunade and Jiraiya.
"Hokage-sama, you don't mean Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama..."
"Exactly!" Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, squinting his eyes.
"..."
Natsuhane fell silent.
He appeared expressionless, but his mind was racing with excitement: "Tsunade, the legendary high-quality prize, is finally returning to the village!!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, too, had hidden motives: "Natsuhane, if you think I brought these two back just to investigate Orochimaru, you're gravely mistaken..."
"When you and Orochimaru are both weakened, that's when my two loyal disciples and I will strike!"
"You and Orochimaru, my greatest threats, must be eliminated! This time, I won't hesitate..."
...