While Gento was working hard for the Uchiha population in the Desire Hot Springs.
Inside the Hokage's office, a high-level meeting was underway.
Around the long rectangular table sat the core decision-makers of the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, sat at the head seat, holding a pipe. Amid the swirling smoke, his expression was indistinct.
On his left and right sat the two advisors, Homura and Koharu.
Danzo and Torune Aburame sat a bit farther away.
Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and the clan heads of the major families were also present.
Only the Uchiha seat was empty.
They had been excluded from this meeting.
As the meeting began, Homura spoke first.
He adjusted his glasses, his expression serious:
"Recently, the number of high-level mission commissions received by the Hidden Leaf has dropped sharply. I believe everyone knows the reason."
"All of this is because of the Uchiha!"
"Ever since that Mission Hall of theirs was established, they've taken on so many high-level commissions."
"I don't understand!"
"Why is it that the once-arrogant Uchiha are now receiving so much favor from clients?"
Shikaku looked at the data report in his hands and spoke slowly:
"The Uchiha's combat strength is formidable; this is a fact."
"Once enemies appear, they can always resolve them quickly."
"Over time, this naturally builds a reputation. Bandits, ronin, and rogue ninja, when they see a guard mission handled by the Uchiha, will all choose to detour."
He raised his head:
"As a result, some important A-rank and even S-rank escort missions naturally fall into the Uchiha's hands."
"Not only are our Hidden Leaf commissions being taken by them; even missions from other great nations are starting to flow toward them."
"I've heard that the current Uchiha are already refusing to accept commissions below B-rank, citing insufficient manpower."
Upon hearing this, Koharu Utatane's face darkened as she slammed the table:
"This is outrageous!"
A sharp expression appeared on her face:
"They're taking all the money, while the rest of our ninja clans can only handle insignificant low-level commissions! What kind of situation is this!"
The other clan heads nodded in agreement, their faces showing dissatisfaction.
Clearly, the Uchiha's rise had already affected their interests.
Who would be willing to take on low-level missions with poor pay?
At that moment, Danzo spoke slowly.
"The Uchiha's power is growing too quickly."
"Recently, they even built another Ninja Academy within their clan."
"As far as I know, some Uchiha clan members studying at the Hidden Leaf's Ninja Academy have already withdrawn and transferred to the clan's school."
"Those Uchiha even had the audacity to say that the Hidden Leaf's Ninja Academy is garbage, and that they would train more outstanding ninja themselves."
Danzo's voice carried undisguised coldness:
"Now that the Uchiha rely on that Mission Hall, they are no longer lacking in funds. And now they're training their own ninja. If this continues, their power will expand even faster."
"Once they cultivate more ninja, they will take on even more commissions and earn even more money. This is a vicious cycle."
Hearing this, the other clan heads' expressions all changed.
They understood best what this meant.
The Uchiha were forming a closed loop: earning money, cultivating talent, earning more money, cultivating more talent.
If this continued, the other clans could only watch helplessly as the gap widened further and further.
Danzo continued:
"Additionally, I have discovered that the Uchiha clan head has been frequently making contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly grew heavy.
Danzo spoke word by word:
"If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable. Once the Uchiha's strength becomes great enough, the Leaf will no longer be able to suppress them. We must find a way in advance to curb their growth!"
Inoichi hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking:
"But… isn't the Uchiha's strength also the Hidden Leaf's strength?"
"They contributed during the Nine-Tails incident. Perhaps… we could try negotiating with them? Maybe some kind of balance can be reached?"
Danzo shot him a fierce glare:
"The Uchiha are greedy!"
"As long as they have sufficient power, they will inevitably launch a coup!"
"There is no room for compromise in this matter!"
"We must strike hard!"
As he spoke, he turned to Hiruzen, who had remained silent the entire time:
"The rise of the Uchiha is all due to their current clan head, Gento Uchiha."
"This man is ambitious and highly capable. The development of the Uchiha over these years has all been driven by him alone. Why not take this opportunity to use his contact with the Jinchuriki as a pretext to arrest him?"
He paused, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes:
"As for the remaining Uchiha, we can find a way to eliminate them all afterward."
Hearing this, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts.
Were they really going to move against the Uchiha?
The meeting room fell silent, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
Hiruzen, who had remained silent, slowly took a drag from his pipe. Amid the swirling smoke, his expression could not be seen.
After a long while, he exhaled and nodded at Danzo:
"Alright. I'll leave this matter to you."
"But don't use overly harsh methods, lest it provoke the Uchiha into outright rebellion!"
...
On the other side, the churning sounds of water in the hot spring finally ceased.
Gento leaned against the edge of the pool, breathing heavily.
He was inwardly shocked.
Kushina truly lived up to being a Jinchuriki; her endurance was several times greater than Anko's even with the Cursed Seal activated!
Even though he had prepared in advance and used "Yin Healing: Chakra Pierce" to exhaust her stamina beforehand, Kushina's stamina still seemed endless.
He had to repeatedly use "Tokitsumori" to rewind time just to barely hold on.
Without using his Dojutsu to cheat, he might have been the one collapsing here today.
On the other side, Kushina lay limply in his arms, her face flushed with satisfaction.
The emotions she had suppressed all these years had finally been fully released today.
And… this was the first time she had ever felt so satisfied!
She raised her head, her gaze toward Gento becoming heated.
This man… was truly too strong.
Gento felt her gaze, yet felt a bit of regret.
The system hadn't given any pregnancy notification.
It seemed that over the next few days, he would have to keep working hard.
He had to try and obtain the Many Children, Many Blessings reward.
At that moment, the system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for Dual Cultivation with a kunoichi.]
[Evaluating the aptitude of the Dual Cultivation partner…]
[Evaluation complete.]
[Dual Cultivation partner: Kushina Uzumaki.]
[Overall Rating: S-rank!]
[Partner No.5: Kushina Uzumaki]
[Aptitude: S]
[Claimable: S-rank Family Treasure Chest x1]
He chose to claim it without hesitation.
[Ding! S-rank Family Treasure Chest successfully claimed. Open it?]
"Open."
[Opening chest. Distributing rewards…]
[Reward 1: Nara Clan Shadow Secret Techniques]
⟩ The Nara clan excels at using shadows for offense and control. By infusing Chakra into shadows to alter their form, they can bind, cut, or synchronize movements with enemies. Shadow techniques require extremely high intelligence and tactical skill to unleash their full power. These techniques are only passed down among the core members of the Nara clan, making them highly valuable.
Right after, a flood of knowledge and ninjutsu poured into his mind.
Shadow Imitation Jutsu: Connect one's own shadow with the target's shadow, forcing the target to mimic the caster's movements.
Shadow Strangle Jutsu: An advanced form of Shadow Imitation Jutsu. Uses the shadow to directly grasp the opponent's neck, or form tendrils for binding and strangulation, making it more offensive.
Shadow Stitching: Solidifies the shadow into black needle-like or pillar-like forms that erupt from the ground to attack enemies, and can also be used for restraint.
Shadow Gathering: Collects multiple shadows together to expand the control range, even allowing multiple enemies to be captured at once.
Shadow Manipulation Technique: Controls others by manipulating their shadows indirectly, making it more covert than direct connection.
Shadow Tendrils: Extends multiple tendrils from the shadow. These tendrils are highly flexible and can be used for many purposes.
Each technique came with detailed methods of use and combat applications.
As Gento organized the shadow secret techniques in his mind, he felt a bit disappointed.
It wasn't the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu he had been longing for… still, the Nara clan's shadow techniques were quite practical!
Control, restraint, assassination; they excelled in all aspects, so it wasn't a loss.
And that Shadow Tendrils technique seemed rather interesting…
[Reward 2: Random Ninja Tool Creation Card]
⟩ Based on the user's needs, randomly creates a brand-new S-rank ninja tool that does not exist in the shinobi world. The tool will possess unique abilities and can only be used by the Host.
Gento didn't wait and chose to use it right away.
[Ding! Randomly creating ninja tool…]
[Creation successful!]
As the words fell, five iron rings the size of finger rings suddenly appeared in Gento's hand.
The rings were silver-gray, just the right size to be worn on fingers.
The material was light, yet felt cold to the touch, with a faint sense of Chakra flowing within.
Fine runic patterns were engraved on the surface of the five rings, faintly visible under the light.
Gento slipped them onto his fingers, one on each of his five fingers.
Information about the ninja tool immediately surfaced in his mind:
[Ninja Tool: Fivefold Yin Control Rings]
⟩ A special ninja tool forged from Chakra metal, consisting of five rings that can freely expand and contract. When used, the five rings lock onto the enemy's four limbs and neck, achieving complete sealing. In the sealed state, the user can control the enemy at will. Although the enemy retains consciousness–able to see, hear, and think–they cannot resist in any way and can only be manipulated by the user.
Gento looked at the five rings on his hand, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"At will?"
These two words instantly made countless possible uses appear in his mind.
This ninja tool was truly a treasure!
...
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