135 Plan Recruitment

In the real world, the dark red Chakra coat surrounding Kushina began to calm down. 

While it still emitted a powerful, unsettling aura, it wasn't as overwhelming as before.

The Third Hokage's expression shifted slightly upon seeing this, and Minato couldn't help but smile.

"Did it work?" Minato asked, his voice filled with hope.

If Kushina could truly master Nine Tails' power, along with her knowledge of the Uzumaki clan's powerful sealing techniques, Konoha would gain another powerful force. 

This would give them greater confidence in facing the uncertain international situation ahead.

The Third Hokage nodded slightly, though he was secretly amazed. He had expected it would take Simu several tries and months to tame Nine Tails. 

He never anticipated success would come so quickly.

Even when he was young, the Third Hokage never dared to believe he could accomplish something like this. 

As he looked at Simu's young face, a deep sense of surprise filled his heart. 

How much power was Simu truly hiding? The more he understood, the more unsettling it became.

It seemed that Simu had become a sword too sharp to control.

The strange expression on his face lasted only a moment before he regained his composure.

"The alert can be lifted," the Third Hokage said calmly.

The Anbu ninjas around him finally relaxed. Despite the number of people present, the pressure of facing a potential Nine Tails Jinchūriki going berserk had weighed heavily on them. 

Thankfully, Simu had succeeded.

The ninjas exchanged glances, their gazes toward Simu now tinged with a mix of respect and awe.

Simu's recent achievements on the battlefield have made his name widely respected among Konoha's shinobi. 

His reputation continues to grow, with only a slight tendency toward laziness being noted as a minor flaw. Even the Anbu, typically loyal to the Hokage, hold some admiration for Simu.

As the dark red Chakra slowly faded from Kushina's body, she opened her eyes once more. 

A flicker of red light crossed her blue pupils as a pale white soul detached from her, flowing along with Inoichi back into Simu's body.

"Did you succeed?" Minato asked eagerly.

Even Shikaku, who was usually calm, showed a hint of eagerness on his face. Kushina nodded slightly, then opened her palm. 

Instantly, the dark red Chakra wrapped around it, forming a giant claw. 

A sharp energy filled the air, and no one doubted the power of the claw—it could easily crush a house.

"Thanks to Simu," Kushina said with a bright smile, her expression radiant like the sun.

Seeing her so happy, Simu smiled as well. "It's nothing," he replied casually.

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "You make everything seem so simple." 

Minato also sighed in helplessness.

Third Hokage looked at the scene with a sigh. 

"It seems the future will belong to you young ones. Konoha's future will depend on you to protect it."

Hearing Third Hokage's emotional voice, Simu raised his eyebrows.

"Uncle Third Hokage, you're not too old, is it too early to say such things?"

Third Hokage smiled lightly and glanced at Kushina.

"Since you've successfully mastered the power of Nine Tails, you should take some time to get familiar with it."

"Understood, Hokage," Kushina replied promptly.

When she was younger, she always called him Third Hokage. Now that she's grown, she's more respectful. Meanwhile, Simu still calls him Uncle Third Hokage.

Third Hokage clapped his hands.

"Everyone has worked hard. Go back and rest. Dismissed."

"Yes!"

In an instant, all the Anbu ninjas disappeared.

Third Hokage returned to the Hokage office to handle some work, leaving only Simu, Kushina, Minato, Shikaku, and Inoichi.

Shikaku casually rubbed his head and said, "Now that it's over, I'm going home to sleep."

Simu suddenly spoke up, "To thank Inoichi for his help, I'll treat everyone to a barbecue tonight. How does that sound?"

Inoichi scratched his head modestly. "I didn't do much to help."

It was Kushina who made the final call. "It's rare for Simu to treat us, let's go!"

She wrapped her arm around Simu's and pushed him toward the restaurant.

Shikaku and the others exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"Since it's Simu's treat, we have to bring Choza along," Shikaku said.

"That's true. I heard Simu's saved a lot of money these past two years. He must be ready to treat us well," Minato added with a smile.

Seeing the two being so casual, Inoichi relaxed and used the Yamanaka family's secret technique to locate Choza's presence. He then sent a voice transmission:

"Simu's treating, come join us for barbecue!"

Upon hearing this, Choza immediately jumped out of bed, shouting, "Mom, no need to cook for me tonight, I'm going out for barbecue!" 

He quickly headed to the restaurant.

Akimichi Kuro, the owner of the barbecue shop, greeted Simu and Choza with a big smile. These two were his second-most frequent customers.

 …

Akimichi Kuro rubbed his hands together and asked eagerly, "Is Miss Lindy not coming today?"

Since Simu frequently ate at his barbecue shop, he and Akimichi Kuro had become almost like friends.

"I'm disappointed," Kushina said with a smile. 

"Lindy's gone on a mission." There was a slight sharpness in her tone.

Even though she and Lindy got along well, Kushina still didn't like the idea of others thinking of Lindy when they saw Simu. 

It was a bit of that unspoken competitive feeling women sometimes have.

Uchiha Mikoto, standing beside Simu, smiled gently at Akimichi Kuro, almost as if apologizing for Kushina's mood.

"..."

Akimichi Kuro seemed to understand and quickly gestured, "Please, everyone, come inside, come inside."

He noticed Simu had two women on his left and one on his right.

Shikaku sighed softly.

"Women are so troublesome. Simu actually has three at once—it's really pitiful."

Minato smiled lightly at this. "That's why you don't understand Simu, Shikaku."

Shikaku shrugged. "What fun can a woman have?"

Choza nodded in agreement. "It's more important to eat barbecue."

Minato smiled wryly. He didn't know how to respond to these guys.

As expected, Akimichi Kuro, the owner of the barbecue restaurant, was pleased. Simu and Choza quickly stacked plates high in front of them.

Seeing this, Shikaku slid his hands into his pockets and said lightly, "Come on, Simu. You're not this generous, do you have something in mind for us this time?"

Simu watched as Choza cleaned the last plate of barbecue from the table and scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"As expected of Shikaku, you can even guesses this," 

Simu said, his tone growing more serious. "I need you to help me complete a task."

"Help you with a task?" Shikaku felt a bad premonition. It was never easy to get this guy to feel helpless.

Simu handed over a file. It contained information about nobles from various regions that 

Anbu had gathered, along with more sensitive details Simu had requested from the Aster Flower Chamber of Commerce.

Shikaku took the file, and his eyes widened slightly. Clearly, the contents were shaking his understanding of things.

Seeing Shikaku's reaction, the others quickly fell silent. 

After a moment, Shikaku placed the file on the table and asked, his voice dry, "What are you planning to do?"

Simu spoke seriously, "I need your help."

Minato and the others took the file and, after reading it, their expressions mirrored Shikaku's shock. 

Shikaku, his hands crossed, had slightly trembling fingers, betraying his inner turmoil.

As a Konoha shinobi, especially a high-ranking one, Shikaku had seen many battles. 

Yet, he never imagined the kind of horrors the nobles in the Land of Fire had been orchestrating for so long.

"How can I help?" he asked.

"I want you to be the strategist for this mission," Simu replied.

With his sharp mind, Shikaku quickly grasped what Simu meant.

"You want me to lead the operation?" Shikaku asked, surprised.

"That's right," Simu nodded seriously.

The Land of Fire is vast. While the Aster Flower Chamber of Commerce has enough people, they lack experience in operations like this. 

The brains behind this mission need to execute it flawlessly, and the best person for the job is Shikaku. Simu wasn't going to let such a talent go to waste.

Shikaku hesitated. "If Konoha's ninjas get involved and it's exposed..." His voice was filled with concern. 

If the Fire Country daimyo finds out Konoha's behind this, the consequences could be disastrous.

The two sides knew that if things went wrong, they could face serious consequences. After all, what Simu was doing was essentially undermining the nobles.

"Don't worry," Simu reassured them. 

"Only we will be involved. No other Konoha ninjas will act." 

He confidently handed over another document, detailing the Aster Flower Chamber of Commerce's personnel and their strongholds throughout the Fire Country.

Shikaku's eyes widened in surprise. "It seems you've been planning this for a while."

Simu nodded casually. "It was an unexpected turn."

In truth, he hadn't anticipated that Hyuga Tokumitsu would excel so much in business. But business alone wasn't enough. 

Simu needed more skilled people. Shikaku, with his sharp mind, was a vital addition to their plan.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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