Natsuhiko naturally had no reason to refuse Nara Shikaku's request.
After all, this was the first true step in the outward-facing strategy for Konoha that Natsuhiko himself had spearheaded.
This step not only had historical meaning, but also held great political meaning.
Therefore, having someone with strong methods handle this matter was the best possible thing for Natsuhiko.
Although Nara Shikaku always seemed cautious and obedient beside Natsuhiko, that was because he respected Natsuhiko as Hokage.
This fellow was extremely respectful toward the Hokage and was also very friendly toward his colleagues in Konoha, but when dealing with people from other villages, that was a completely different matter.
Back when Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in power, Shikaku had led the ceasefire negotiations with Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
Although those two negotiations had made him feel very unhappy inside, especially the one with Iwagakure, which had left him speechless to the extreme, those had all been Sarutobi Hiruzen's requirements, so he had no choice.
However, after Natsuhiko took office, when Shikaku worked with the Foreign Affairs Department to handle the negotiations with Kumogakure, he truly displayed the bearing he ought to have.
Kumogakure had truly been held firmly in his grip, and Konoha had gained great benefits because of it.
This time, Nara Shikaku had volunteered himself, so of course Natsuhiko supported him. However, while supporting him, he still required the Foreign Affairs Department to go along as well.
Nara Shikaku could be called all-capable in government affairs, but Natsuhiko could not throw everything to him, could he?
Right now, Konoha needed a large number of talents. Shikaku could completely serve as a teacher and help train people to a certain degree in all the places Konoha needed.
That way, in the future, his pressure would be much lighter, and Natsuhiko would also not need to worry about having no one available.
...
After the matters on Konoha's side were arranged, what came next was waiting for Nagato's side.
Natsuhiko was not too clear on how Nagato planned to arrange things in order to avoid the spying eyes of Obito and Black Zetsu.
However, these matters were not something he needed to worry about too much right now. What he needed to do was wait patiently for his eyes to complete their first awakening.
He had a feeling that this first awakening would not take very long.
And when that time came, he would be able to truly feel just how strong his newly born Jōgan had become.
After work, Natsuhiko left the office together with Renge and Sora.
Senju Hashirama had run off to find Senju Tobirama. He had not seen his younger brother for the whole day, so naturally, he was very curious about how his younger brother's research was progressing.
He knew what his younger brother was doing, and at the same time, he also very much hoped that the cursed seal on Nagato could be undone.
After all, when it came to a prodigal son turning back, Senju Hashirama truly had a great favorable impression of such things.
Natsuhiko was too lazy to bother with him, because this fellow really knew how to create trouble for him.
Looking at Sora, who had been silently following at the side, Natsuhiko truly felt a bit of a headache.
As for this girl from the Uchiha clan, if Natsuhiko said he had no good feelings toward her, that would purely be him deceiving himself.
The Uchiha clan's extremes were truly very serious. If the men were even slightly careless, they might become lunatics.
And the higher the degree of madness, the stronger that person's strength would become.
As for the women, they were completely the opposite. That unique gentleness was truly difficult to refuse.
Of course, it was not impossible for arrogant and stubborn people to appear, but at least the one Natsuhiko had met carried gentleness within her pride.
This kind of personality was truly a fatal temptation for Natsuhiko.
Especially that unique long, straight black hair. That also happened to hit Natsuhiko's special preference.
Actually, there were quite a few women with long, straight black hair in Konoha, such as those from the Hyūga clan.
However, Natsuhiko did not have much contact with the Hyūga clan, and the ones he did come into contact with were basically all men.
Together with the Hyūga clan's unique Main Family and Branch Family system, Natsuhiko temporarily had no special thoughts.
He now had a headache over exactly how to settle the issue with Sora.
After all, he had only just slept with Renge. If he made a move at this time, that would truly be somewhat improper.
Strength brought status, and power brought desire.
Natsuhiko lacked neither strength nor power. No matter what he did, as long as he took responsibility, others would not say anything, and likewise, they would not dare to say anything.
The greatest possibility was even that everyone would bless him.
However, Natsuhiko himself still needed to pay some attention, and moreover, he also needed to pay attention to Renge's emotions.
Shaking his head slightly, Natsuhiko felt that he had truly been tricked by Senju Hashirama.
But since things had already come to this point, he could only take one step at a time.
...
In the Land of Water, Black Zetsu silently looked at the moon that was gradually rising into the sky. At this moment, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
A thousand years had passed. He had already waited for a thousand years, but his purpose had always remained the same.
He was still that same youth from back then, without the slightest change.
Although there had been constant trouble along the way, in the end, he had still managed to control Indra and all of Indra's descendants.
Most importantly, Uchiha Madara, who could be called the one closest to Indra and had even awakened power belonging to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, had also been held tightly in his grasp.
But recently, his days had truly not been easy.
First, he discovered that enemies from beyond the stars, similar to his mother, seemed to have come to the shinobi world.
Not only had this fellow come, but he had also brought a Ten-Tails with him. Although that Ten-Tails had also been split apart, just thinking about such a thing made one shudder.
And these people were extremely mysterious in the shinobi world. Even he could not find any trace of them.
This situation had truly cast a shadow over his heart.
Aside from that, an uncontrollable factor had also appeared on Konoha's side.
That was Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Senju Natsuhiko.
This fellow's strength was terrifyingly powerful. Judging from Black Zetsu's thousand years of experience, he could be certain that this Senju Natsuhiko was already close to Senju Hashirama at his peak.
Although this fellow still had a great gap compared to Ashura, no one could say for certain where his limit truly lay.
Most importantly, this fellow had actually awakened a pair of eyes.
Even Black Zetsu could not explain exactly what these eyes were.
After all, he had never seen them before. Judging only by the descriptions, these eyes seemed somewhat similar to the Tenseigan.
But the strength of the Tenseigan was something he already understood very clearly from the memories his mother had given him.
He truly could not understand or figure out why such a pair of eyes would appear on a Senju.
What could be imagined was that even if this Senju Natsuhiko did not have Ashura's power, with these eyes, his future achievements would not be low.
"Sigh, how did the shinobi world become like this?"
Black Zetsu sighed faintly. The appearance of this Senju Natsuhiko truly made him extremely depressed.
Because it was precisely this damned fellow who forced him to help Nagato recover his strength and confidence.
Nagato was the perfect tool. He had to make Nagato continue forward, otherwise what would happen to those Rinnegan?
He would not trust Obito, and he absolutely would not hand the Rinnegan over to Obito.
Because he truly could not trust a fellow like Obito, whose head was full of nothing but women.
Sighing slightly, Black Zetsu once again turned his gaze toward the moon.
Some time ago, an unimaginable tide of power had erupted from the moon.
That power was extremely terrifying, and at the same time, it was also very familiar to Black Zetsu.
According to his memories, he knew that this power was the power of the Tenseigan.
This made him extremely puzzled, because he truly did not know why such power would appear on the moon.
Could it be that damned Ōtsutsuki Hamura had gone to the moon?
If that was the case, then his plan to save his mother might once again be covered by a hidden shadow.
If Ōtsutsuki Hamura was still alive, then that damned Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo probably would not have died so easily either.
Moreover, the moon was the place where his mother was sealed. It was a seal built from the combined power of the Rinnegan, the Tenseigan, and Yin-Yang Release.
Originally, undoing it had never been a simple matter. The only method he could think of was to gather all of his mother's power.
Then, in the end, using the chakra within his own body that belonged to his mother, he would allow his mother to descend upon the body he had prepared long ago.
Uchiha Madara was clearly the existence he had carefully selected, the vessel meant for his mother's descent.
But now, he was genuinely worried. If those two were truly still alive, then once he activated his mother's power and allowed her to descend, it might attract their attention.
And what was terrifying upon deeper thought was that right now, there seemed to be enemies of his mother in the shinobi world.
Once he made the Ten-Tails appear, would they make further moves and obstruct his plan?
The more Black Zetsu thought about it, the more his head hurt, and the more he thought, the more tormented he became.
The current shinobi world truly made him feel both unfamiliar and extremely terrifying. Now, he was truly becoming more and more confused about the future.
He was thinking about exactly what the purpose of those fellows who had mastered the Tailed Beasts was.
Likewise, he also needed to consider whether his two nominal elder brothers were truly still alive.
Aside from that, he had to think about whether that Senju Natsuhiko would cause any damage to his plan.
Whether Nagato was still under control was also something he needed to carefully consider.
For one moment, he truly felt that he was very tired.
However, as soon as this thought appeared, he directly crushed it.
The only goal and driving force for his existence in this world was to free his mother from her seal.
To achieve this goal, he could pay any price, and he could sacrifice everything that could be sacrificed.
Thinking of this, Black Zetsu's gaze became firm.
Along the way, throughout a thousand years, Black Zetsu had encountered all kinds of unease and fear.
Although the level of trouble this time was more terrifying than everything he had faced in the past thousand years combined, he had already reached this point, so he truly had no reason to retreat.
Right now, he could only believe that after his mother left the seal, she would be able to deal with all the trouble.
And he truly believed this. Even though his mother had lost to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura, that was only because she had been unwilling to be ruthless toward her own children.
His mother was the only god in this world.
...
In an unknown corner of the vast shinobi world, a monk-like figure quietly gazed at the moon hanging in the sky.
Yet something about him felt strange. At times, he seemed utterly indifferent, while at others, a hint of seriousness appeared on his face.
And sometimes, fear would surface in his eyes, as though he dreaded the arrival of something truly terrifying.
At other times, his expression would become distorted, as though he were enduring unbearable pain.
These conflicting emotions made him seem almost split between different personalities, a sight unsettling enough to send chills down one's spine.
Even so, those twisted moments were rare. Most of the time, he remained calm and indifferent.
"Sigh…"
After a long silence, the man let out a soft sigh, his expression growing even more solemn.
"This power belongs to the Ōtsutsuki… But who exactly has arrived?"
If Natsuhiko were here and heard these words, he would definitely be badly startled.
What were the Ōtsutsuki? In the shinobi world at this moment, after a thousand years had passed, they had already been forgotten.
But as a transmigrator, how could Natsuhiko not know what the Ōtsutsuki truly meant?
The monk's expression remained serious. Not long ago, he had sensed a terrifying power erupting on the moon.
This power was unfamiliar to him, but at the same time, it was also familiar.
That power, filled with a destructive nature, belonged to the Ōtsutsuki.
Even if he truly did not know who the owner of this power was, he could confirm that this power did not belong to the shinobi world.
He had already stayed in the shinobi world for over a thousand years, even though for most of those thousand years, he had spent his time asleep.
But the one asleep was the Ōtsutsuki, while the monk had still remained active. Through him, he had gathered countless pieces of information in this world.
He was very clear about what had happened in the shinobi world, and he was also very clear about what kind of power the current shinobi world had.
The only pity was that during the period when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was sealed, neither he nor this monk dared to show themselves.
He and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya could be called enemies of life and death. If not for what Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had done back then, how could he have fallen to his current state?
In order to prevent Ōtsutsuki Kaguya from discovering his existence, he controlled the monk and hid very, very far away, using this to ensure that he would not be found.
Because of that, he was not too familiar with the powers of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura. Otherwise, he might have recognized the situation immediately.
"Still, I need to be cautious with power like this."
After thinking for a long time, the monk slowly spoke.
His voice was so indifferent, yet also so serious.
"According to my memories, the moon is the product of the seal that sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
"This power erupted from the moon, so it is hard to say that it has nothing to do with that woman.
"Damn it. If my body could be fully revived, I would not be so passive."
At this moment, the monk's eyes became filled with killing intent, and violent chakra instantly erupted from within his body.
However, along with the eruption of this chakra, the monk's body suddenly began showing signs of collapse.
Blood continuously poured out from his body, and dense cracks appeared across his skin.
Even from inside his body, crisp sounds rang out. Those were the sounds of his bones breaking.
But just as his body was about to completely collapse, that vast and powerful chakra instantly vanished without a trace.
The monk collapsed painfully onto the ground. His entire body curled together and trembled nonstop, and tears even appeared in his eyes.
However, as a faint green chakra began circling around his body, his body gradually stopped trembling.
"What a useless thing."
At this moment, a voice appeared in his mind.
"If there were a suitable body, I would never have chosen you!
"You should feel honored. If not for me, you would have turned into a pile of yellow earth long ago."
This voice was so indifferent and cruel, but the monk turned a deaf ear to it. He still lay collapsed on the ground, trembling nonstop.
And that voice also gradually disappeared, as though it had never appeared.
...
In the depths of that vast starry sky, two rays of light were flying at extreme speed.
At first, they looked like two meteors, but if one looked carefully, one would discover that these two rays of light were actually figures wrapped completely in chakra.
The appearances of these two figures were very different from humans. Both of their foreheads had horns.
Surging chakra wove itself into the garments draped over their bodies, giving them an air of both mystery and nobility.
Then, the two figures—who had been streaking through space like meteors—suddenly came to a halt. They silently gazed into the depths of space, as though sensing or contemplating something.
"Did you sense it, Kinshiki?"
Among the two, a short figure spoke indifferently. That cold tone was almost on the same level as the voice inside the monk's mind.
Within that coldness, there was also an arrogance that could not be hidden.
"I sensed it, Momoshiki-sama."
A tall and burly man lowered his body very respectfully.
"It is the power of the Ōtsutsuki. Although I do not know whose it is, and although this power is very unfamiliar, I believe there is no mistake."
Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki, Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki. If Natsuhiko were here, he would definitely recognize who these two fellows were at the first moment.
These two fellows were the powerful enemies who came to the shinobi world to cause trouble more than ten years after Naruto's story ended, when his son Boruto was already twelve or thirteen years old.
They had even fought Sasuke first, and then dealt with Killer B and Naruto one after another. From this, one could imagine just how terrifying their strength was.
Although Naruto at that time needed to protect the village, and his cheat-like power had also already been taken back by Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, Naruto had indeed been beaten badly. This was an undeniable fact.
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki silently looked toward the distance. He had not activated his Byakugan, but he seemed as though he could see through the barriers of the stars.
After a long while, he suddenly revealed a disdainful smile. Then he turned around and directly headed toward the place where that power had erupted.
This power was not obvious, but it was already enough for him to remember which direction it had come from.
"Momoshiki-sama, we…"
Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki quickly followed him. He looked slightly curious, but his tone remained extremely respectful as he asked.
"Naturally, we are going to take a look."
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki spoke with an arrogant expression.
"Although I do not know who it is, no matter who it is, it has nothing to do with me. We will know once we go and see, will we not?"
"I understand, Momoshiki-sama."
Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki nodded respectfully.
"Then, should we notify the others?"
"That will depend on whether their luck is good or not."
Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki shook his head disdainfully. He truly had never thought of notifying anyone else.
A strange Ōtsutsuki had appeared. Did this mean that they had revived through a Karma?
Or perhaps, had other Ōtsutsuki given birth to them and allowed them to awaken their own power?
No matter which possibility it was, there was profit to be gained.
When the Ōtsutsuki carried out missions, their purpose was usually very simple and direct. That was to plant the God Tree and obtain its fruit.
These fruits were the key to improving their strength. If there was a chance, no Ōtsutsuki would let such an opportunity slip away.
After all, the relationships between true members of the Ōtsutsuki clan were extremely indifferent. In their clan, there were simply no unnecessary emotions.
Whether it was family affection, love, or friendship, these feelings that were extremely precious to mortals were all burdens to them.
Because they were born noble, and time would not leave many traces upon their bodies.
Moreover, emotions were far too extravagant for them, and this kind of extravagance gradually made them become indifferent.
When interacting with them, only their own clansmen could follow their footsteps. Everyone else would be swallowed by time.
Because of this, they began to seek other pursuits. In their long lives, the only thing that could make them feel that they were truly still alive was powerful strength.
Therefore, they treated all living planets in the entire universe as pastures for planting God Trees, and even if destroying a planet was required to obtain the fruit, they would not hesitate.
Under this long period of cold and twisted growth, they had actually almost stopped caring even about those of their own clan.
If not for the restriction of the Ōtsutsuki God, which made them not dare to openly be hostile or attack one another, they probably would have already fought each other over the fruits.
Their own strength was the only thing that mattered. This was the creed of these Ōtsutsuki.
Under normal circumstances, Momoshiki wouldn't entertain such thoughts. But this was a stranger. It meant few people knew of his existence. In that case, why not try?
Even if he couldn't obtain the fruit, claiming the body of this unknown Otsutsuki would make for a perfect Karma vessel!
With that in mind, Momoshiki accelerated even further. He had no desire to let anyone else claim something he had set his sights on.
...
"This aura…?"
In another part of the starry sky, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki also sensed a strange power trembling.
This power was so familiar, yet also so unfamiliar, and this power was very weak.
Although it drifted through the starry sky, it seemed that this power was also about to disappear.
"A young, unknown Otsutsuki descendant?"
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki sensed it for a long while, then suddenly revealed a smile.
"How interesting. I suppose I'm a senior now. Though this power feels rather weak. I wonder if it's due to the distance or if that's its natural state."
Urashiki pondered for a moment but soon stopped dwelling on it.
The source wasn't too far away. With a bit of time, he could reach it.
After separating from Momoshiki and Kinshiki, he had been searching alone for their mission target.
He hadn't expected something like this, but since he had encountered it, he wasn't about to let it slip by.
He was quite curious about who had released such power.
Was it a newly born Ōtsutsuki, or perhaps an elder who had only just revived?
…
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko knew nothing of the many intriguing events unfolding deep within the vast universe.
Right now, he was waiting for news from Nara Shikaku's side. After waiting for Nagato to prepare for some time, Nagato and Yahiko came to Konoha once again.
Natsuhiko did not ask how they planned to handle Obito and Black Zetsu's sudden inspections.
Because there was no need at all. Everyone was an adult, so naturally, they had to take responsibility for the things they did.
Natsuhiko believed that the two of them also understood this principle.
After the two of them came to Konoha, Nara Shikaku set off together with them.
However, this time, Senju Hashirama also traveled with them.
Senju Hashirama had perhaps stayed in Konoha for too long, and he also could not enjoy everything in Konoha like a normal person.
Therefore, after becoming extremely depressed, he eventually chose to go out for a walk, using this to relax his mood so that he would not feel so uncomfortable.
Naturally, Natsuhiko did not oppose his thoughts. Rather than letting this fellow stay in Konoha and keep "causing trouble" for him, it was better to let him go out and have some fun.
Moreover, when it came to reviving Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, Natsuhiko truly could not be anxious.
The materials to revive them were naturally living White Zetsu bodies, but the problem was that Natsuhiko currently had no way to get those things for them.
Even if he wanted to obtain them, Natsuhiko had to wait until his Jōgan completed its initial awakening. Only then would he be able to act.
In fact, Natsuhiko had already made preparations and plans for such an action long ago. Natsuhiko had now obtained the power of so many Tailed Beasts.
Naturally, he planned to properly test them and see how these Tailed Beasts were different from the Nine-Tails.
Although the power of these Tailed Beasts was still driven by the little Nine-Tails, there were still huge differences inside.
Such a battle could also be considered a good stage and space for the little Nine-Tails to become familiar with the powers of these other Tailed Beasts.
Aside from that, Natsuhiko also needed more White Zetsu bodies to obtain fusion power.
Although he had to admit that his current power was already extremely strong, for him, who had always taken the Kekkei Mōra as his goal, it was still not enough.
He had only fused the power of three chakra natures, as well as the power of Yin-Yang Release.
And his Yin-Yang Release was still only at the beginner level. Even though its destructive power was already frightening enough, it was still not enough.
His goal was to bring all forms of chakra to the same level before fusing them together.
It was far from an easy task, but growing stronger had never been simple to begin with.
Natsuhiko's luck was very good. He had the system's help and assistance, so he could be a little more relaxed than others.
However, he likewise needed to keep working hard and moving forward. After all, the system was only an assistant, and everything still depended on himself.
I wonder how Obito is doing now. Overall, he really is a good person.
But when Kakashi tries to revive him in the future, only to discover that he cannot summon him at all, what kind of expression will he have?
As Natsuhiko looked at the report in his hand, he silently thought to himself.
Beside him, Sora was helping him organize documents. Later, she still needed to make a trip to the Administration Department.
Actually, going to the Administration Department was Renge's job, but unfortunately, Natsuhiko, who had just begun fooling around in this world, had truly tormented Renge badly.
Previously, she could still force herself to avoid taking leave, but now she had no choice but to take leave and recover.
The result was that Sora had a strange expression and had no idea what had happened, while at the same time, she was forced to take on Renge's work while Renge was absent.
It could be said that during this period, Sora truly stood above everyone else, second only to one person.
Even so, Sora was still herself—especially after Senju Hashirama pulled her aside for a private conversation.
Now, when she was alone with Natsuhiko, if they were in work mode, then everything was still fine. She was still so capable and calm.
But once there was no extra work to do, she absolutely seemed like she had become a different person. This point gave Natsuhiko somewhat of a headache.
So, Senju Hashirama, you really should hurry up and go out for a walk. Stop staying in Konoha and harming people!
Natsuhiko's heart was truly filled with resentment. However, at this moment, Senju Hashirama had already disguised himself as an ANBU and was in Yugakure, the Hidden Hot Water Village in the Land of Hot Water, together with Hatake Sakumo.
The Land of Hot Water was Hidan's hometown, and it was also a village whose military strength had shrunk after the end of the war.
Actually, they themselves might not have willingly reduced their combat strength, because their village had always been surrounded by Kumogakure and Konoha.
With two great shinobi villages surrounding them, they naturally lost their share of missions. The development of their shinobi village fell into a vicious cycle, so being helplessly weakened was also a matter of course.
The Land of Hot Water itself was also a country rich in natural resources. With its pleasant climate, the Land of Hot Water was very suitable for planting crops.
Aside from that, they also had a certain amount of mineral reserves, and they had a large number of hot spring resources.
In terms of weapon manufacturing and tourism, they also had fairly good development.
It could be said that apart from lacking Konoha's combat strength, in terms of resources, they really might not be much worse than Konoha.
Back then, Kumogakure had firmly occupied the Land of Hot Water because the Land of Hot Water was too rich, and at the same time, too weak.
Konoha had also occupied the other half of the Land of Hot Water back then, and Kumogakure starting this war might not have been without the intention of completely seizing the Land of Hot Water.
However, unfortunately, they ultimately still failed, and for this, they also paid a huge and painful price.
Now, the entire Land of Hot Water had fallen into Konoha's hands. It could be said that everything in the Land of Hot Water, to a certain degree, now belonged to Konoha.
What Nara Shikaku needed to do now was to follow Natsuhiko's instructions and completely change this country.
Or rather, to completely and legitimately grasp these resources in their hands.
"Lord Shinobi Head, this is the sincerity of our Konoha Village."
Facing the Shinobi Head of Yugakure, Nara Shikaku neither humbled himself nor acted arrogantly. He displayed very well the bearing that a shinobi village of a great nation should have.
Speaking of which, it was rather interesting. The first generation leader of Yugakure was an ordinary married couple.
Through some kind of coincidence, they obtained part of a copied scroll.
After decades of research, they developed a unique jutsu, and from there, they established Yugakure's special shinobi system.
In the following decades, this system cultivated batch after batch of excellent Yuga shinobi.
However, after they died, the Shinobi Heads of Yugakure were all ordinary people in the village with high virtue and prestige.
And those shinobi were absolutely loyal to them, never once harboring second thoughts.
After all, it was a small village. Any strange action could be done there, and the leader of a small village did not have the qualifications to be called a Kage.
At this moment, the one Nara Shikaku was facing was an ordinary person, but even so, he could be said to have given him enough respect.
...
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