With those thoughts, he completed the barrier modification.
His portion looked the simplest, but it was like repairing a precise machine—fixing it wasn't hard.
Finding where and how to adjust it was.
At this stage, besides Gen Takuya, only Minato and Uzumaki Kushina could have handled the final steps so smoothly.
Gen Takuya watched as the Great Barrier spread to envelop all of Konoha.
From now on, he no longer needed to deliberately step outside the barrier before using Summoning.
As long as he had free time, he could go to his experimental base—
Or leave Shadow Clones there.
Or—
Could he simply summon a Shadow Clone over?
That was possible too.
Uzumaki Naruto had used a scroll to summon Shadow Clones from Mount Myōboku back to Konoha while they gathered natural energy. With a slight modification to the formula, Gen Takuya could replicate that.
But for now, he wasn't in a hurry to head to the base.
The meteor chakra training was already complete. Just as he'd predicted, there was still some lingering activity from the meteor inside him, but it wasn't affecting him much—maybe only when he was old and his constitution declined.
As for fusing a third body through the Chimera Technique…
The experiments had begun, but progress was slow.
Hiruko's records were incomplete—only about half. The rest required his own exploration, which meant this would take time.
On the ninjutsu side, he could now use a half-finished Wind Release: Rasenshuriken—the same kind Naruto used in its early stage.
Meaning: still not very useful.
Gen Takuya assessed his path calmly.
The third-body research wasn't urgent. Even if he succeeded, he had no suitable vessel ready.
After fusing two bodies, most of his shortcomings were already gone.
What he wanted next wasn't immediate combat power.
Shikotsumyaku might count as immediate power, but that bloodline illness remained unresolved, and he refused to touch it until he had an answer.
So it was better to prioritize the combined seal that could help him awaken the Sharingan.
If he could awaken the Mangekyō…
He couldn't use it casually, but as a trump card it would be invaluable.
Even three tomoe would be acceptable.
The order was clear.
Next: finish the combined seal.
And wait for the crows to bring news of Haku and Jūgo.
Gen Takuya looked around the lab, then decided not to keep abusing the village budget right now.
He needed to submit the completion report for the barrier—
And hand over Danzō's "reward" scroll as well.
…
"Takuya-senpai, you've worked hard," Minato said with a smile. He had already sensed the change in the Great Barrier outside the village.
Then his eyes fell on the scroll in Gen Takuya's hand. "This is…?"
"Shimura Danzō gave it to me," Gen Takuya said casually. "Said it was a reward for proposing the barrier modification."
"I see…" Minato's smile slowly faded. He frowned and opened it.
He already knew Danzō had met Gen Takuya—ANBU had informed him.
But when Minato glanced at the contents, his expression turned… stunned.
He looked up at Gen Takuya.
"He gave you this kind of seal?" Minato sounded genuinely incredulous.
Gen Takuya could only shrug helplessly.
Minato gave a complicated laugh. "He… really underestimates you, senpai."
"Doesn't he?" Gen Takuya's lips twitched.
Minato shook his head, then said, "If he gives you fuinjutsu again in the future, just accept it."
"Alright." Gen Takuya nodded. His stance was clear.
The seals didn't matter.
Danzō couldn't give him what he actually wanted.
After Gen Takuya left, Minato sighed.
Trouble flickered in his eyes.
Most of what the Third Hokage left him was usable.
But Shimura Danzō…
He was truly thorny.
Minato wanted to remove him, but Danzō's identity made it difficult. He still had to give face to the elders and to the Third Hokage's generation.
Annoying.
The only consolation was—
According to old records, Danzō had already restrained himself considerably after Minato took office.
Even so…
He was still a headache.
…
Days passed.
Gen Takuya's combined seal entered its final stage.
During the process, he gave up on "pure memory extraction."
No matter how he approached it, that function remained difficult—worthy of the Yamanaka clan's secret arts, or the Human Path's unique power.
So instead, he fused the extraction function into the illusion itself.
He could choose what memory to input manually, lowering the difficulty sharply.
Of course, that also reduced the seal's utility.
True memory extraction would have been extremely useful even beyond the Sharingan project.
But to develop that level of technique, Gen Takuya would likely need to learn the Yamanaka's secrets—
Which was impossible.
So he abandoned it.
Fortunately, memory extraction wasn't essential for him.
Then—
Gen Takuya felt a chakra fluctuation within his body.
A crow was trying to reverse-summon him?
Had they found Haku?
Jūgo?
Gen Takuya nodded slowly, calculating the timing.
He hadn't gone out on missions for a long time.
If he took one now, Minato would probably find it refreshing—maybe even be pleased. Someone staying in a lab nonstop was… frankly unsettling.
And Gen Takuya wasn't actually the type who loved sitting in a lab forever.
He just had a clear understanding of his path.
He could ignore comfort and discomfort as long as it served the goal.
Gen Takuya looked at the research in his hands.
It wasn't urgent—as long as it was finished before Orochimaru defected, it would be fine.
So, under the shocked stares of the Sealing Unit, Gen Takuya walked out of the lab—
For the first time in ages, he left without "working overtime."
"Did the sun rise in the west today?" one member muttered.
"It must have…" another said in disbelief. "How could I be dreaming something like this? Captain leaving early…"
Gen Takuya didn't know how much of a shock his "normal" schedule was to them.
He returned home and learned the specifics—
And his expression shifted into genuine surprise.
It wasn't the crows searching for Haku or Jūgo who had contacted him.
It was the ordinary manpower he had cultivated—his human subordinates.
They had successfully found a village matching his requirements.
And from the movements of a certain merchant caravan—one that wandered year-round and called themselves "drifters"—
They had discovered a pattern.
Gen Takuya's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Grell Ore deposit…?"
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