Inside the Desire Hot Springs of the Hidden Gento Village.
Following the completion of the genetic injection, the system notification prompt subsequently sounded in Gento's mind:
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing dual cultivation with a kunoichi!]
[Evaluating the dual cultivation target's aptitude...]
[Evaluation completed, dual cultivation target: Rin Nohara]
[Overall Evaluation: A-rank!]
[Partner No.8: Rin Nohara]
[Aptitude: A]
[Claimable: A-rank Family Treasure Chest ×1]
Gento did not hesitate, directly choosing to claim it.
[Ding! A-rank Family Treasure Chest successfully claimed. Open?]
"Open."
[Opening the treasure chest, rewards are being distributed...]
[Reward 1: Mastery of Earth-Attribute Chakra Essence]
[Reward 2: Pregnancy Card ×1]
The instant he obtained the mastery of Earth-attribute chakra essence, Gento thoroughly mastered its origin.
Adding this to the Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, Yin, and Yang attributes he had already mastered previously.
Up to this point, he thoroughly possessed all chakra attributes.
In addition, what interested him the most was still that Pregnancy Card.
[Pregnancy Card]
⟩ After use, conducting a single dual cultivation session with a kunoichi will inevitably result in the other party becoming pregnant, ignoring all natural factors such as physical differences, with a 100% success rate.
A smile surfaced on Gento's lips.
This thing was practically a divine tool for the "Many Children, Many Blessings" missions.
However, he was not in a hurry to use it for the time being.
Putting the card away in his breast pocket, his gaze landed once again on Rin beneath him.
Right now, she was lying on the soft couch by the edge of the pool.
Water droplets still remained on her fair skin, her cheeks crimson.
Her eyes were dazed, her lips parted a little, and she was still panting gently.
Gento was just about to "bully" her again when the system notification prompt suddenly rang in his mind once more.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully causing your partner to become pregnant!]
[Please protect your partner well during her pregnancy. A successful birth of an offspring will allow you to claim abundant rewards.]
Hm?
Gento was taken aback, and then a look of wild joy flashed in his eyes.
After mastering the Yang-attribute chakra, the effect was actually so apparent.
The very first time dual cultivating with Rin, it was a bullseye!
To think that in the past, even after taxing his mind, only Kushina had become pregnant with Hanyu.
Now that Yin and Yang were balanced, his fertility had thoroughly returned to normal.
At the thought of being able to draw talent traits like Hanyu's once the child was born, he was incredibly excited.
Beside him, seeing Gento suddenly reveal a brilliant smile for no apparent reason, Rin could not help but ask softly:
"What is it that has made you laugh so happily?"
Gento snapped back to his senses, lowered his head to take another fierce bite-like kiss on her tender red lips, and said with a chuckle:
"Hehe, I thought of something happy."
Right after, he also thought that since he had to protect the fetus during her pregnancy, he would not be able to touch Rin for the next few months.
In that case, the present time was something that must not be wasted even more.
Thus, his devilish claws stretched toward Rin once again.
Feeling those hands searching around on her body, Rin could not help but say coquettishly:
"Ah... again?"
Gento lunged forward with a mischievous laugh:
"Of course, while we still can, let's do it a few more times!"
...
At the same time, the Land of Fire, the Feudal Lord's Mansion.
The Feudal Lord's Mansion was situated in the wealthiest heartland of the Land of Fire, a vast Japanese-style palace covering an immense area.
Vermilion pillars supported layered roofs, covered with magnificent gold-plated tiles, the eaves high and upturned, with beautifully carved beams and painted rafters.
Today, the main hall of the Feudal Lord's Mansion was exceptionally solemn.
The hall was paved with expensive dark wooden floors, with dozens of seats lined up on both sides.
The main seat in the very center was high above the rest, behind which stood a massive landscape folding screen painted with patterns symbolizing the Land of Fire.
The Land of Fire Feudal Lord sat straight on the main seat.
He was about fifty years old, wearing a tall black crown and a purple-gold kimono embroidered with flame patterns.
Standing on each side of him was a samurai with a long sword belted to his waist.
They were precisely elites from the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.
One of them, with two chakra blades tucked into his waist, was none other than Asuma Sarutobi, the second son of the Third Hokage.
On both sides of the hall sat a crowd of administrative ministers, regional ministers, as well as nobles and wealthy merchants whose interests had been damaged in this war.
Most of their faces carried dissatisfaction, whispering and murmuring among themselves.
Even though the relationship between the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf was one of employment.
Theoretically speaking, the Feudal Lord and the Hokage were of equal rank.
But... that was only in theory.
The cost of maintaining ninja was simply far too enormous.
With the number of ninja in a large shinobi village, it was impossible to achieve self-sufficiency through completing commissions alone.
The Hidden Leaf Village had to rely on financial appropriations from the Feudal Lord to keep the village running.
The side providing the money naturally held the initiative.
The side taking the money naturally had to obey every order.
Over time, shinobi villages, these military organizations, had gradually become vassals of their respective nations.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was kneeling in the center of the great hall, listening to the Feudal Lord's reprimand.
He wore the white Hokage robe and the ceremonial hat, his aged face filled with exhaustion.
"Silence!"
The attendant beside the Feudal Lord shouted loudly, and the hall gradually quieted down.
The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire lifted his teacup and slowly took a sip. His gaze swept across everyone present before finally landing on Hiruzen. His expression suddenly turned cold.
"Hiruzen."
"Yes."
Hiruzen lowered his head in response.
"You should know why I summoned you here, correct?"
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice:
"It is because of the border war..."
"The war?"
The Feudal Lord slammed the teacup heavily onto the table with a sharp "pa!"
"You still dare mention the war!"
"For three whole years, the borders of the Land of Fire have been plundered repeatedly by the Hidden Cloud Village, Hidden Stone Village, and Hidden Sand Village!"
"Three years!"
"Do you know how the people of the Land of Fire have survived these past three years?"
His voice grew louder and louder:
"For three years, your Hidden Leaf Village has suffered defeat after defeat. Territory lost, towns burned, civilians slaughtered, trade routes severed!"
"I allocate so much military funding to Hidden Leaf every year, and this is the result you give me?"
Hiruzen lowered his head, gritting his teeth.
"Lord Feudal Lord, Hidden Leaf has been facing simultaneous attacks from three great shinobi villages. Our manpower is severely insufficient. It truly is..."
"Insufficient manpower?"
The Feudal Lord interrupted him.
"Then tell me, why was your manpower suddenly insufficient after the Uchiha clan left Hidden Leaf?"
"When the Uchiha were still there, how was Hidden Leaf able to win two Great Shinobi Wars simultaneously?"
"Now that they're gone, you suddenly don't even know how to fight anymore?"
The hall fell into complete silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Hiruzen.
Hiruzen's face alternated between pale and flushed. His lips trembled, but he could not say a word.
The Feudal Lord stood up, walked down from his seat, and stopped before Hiruzen, looking down at him from above.
"Hiruzen, tell me. What exactly have you been doing in Hidden Leaf all these years?"
"You ruled for decades. First, you allowed the Fourth Hokage to die to the Nine-Tails. Then you drove the Uchiha away. And now you can't even defend the borders anymore."
"So this is how you repay my trust?"
A noble stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"Lord Feudal Lord, more than half of my territory has already fallen! The Hidden Cloud ninja burned my granaries and stole my livestock. My people have been displaced, and my family's century-old foundation has been destroyed overnight! Hidden Leaf must give me an explanation!"
Another noble stood up.
"Lord Feudal Lord, although my territory has not fallen, the trade routes along the border have been cut off. My goods cannot be shipped out, and outside goods cannot be brought in. The losses are catastrophic! If Hidden Leaf cannot guarantee the safety of the trade routes, how are we supposed to survive?"
A wealthy merchant also stood up, his voice filled with indignation.
"Lord Feudal Lord, all of my shops in the southern region of the Land of Fire were looted by Hidden Stone ninja! They didn't just steal money, they killed people too! My managers and workers, more than a dozen people, all died! Where were Hidden Leaf's ninja? We didn't even see a single one of them!"
More and more nobles and merchants stood up, their accusations rising one after another.
"Return my territory! Return my property!"
"Hidden Leaf is incompetent!"
"Hiruzen, step down!"
---
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