After handing over the research results to Danzo, Asahi found himself with nothing particularly urgent to do.
The exchange had gone exactly as he expected.
Danzo did not trust him.
And Asahi did not trust Danzo.
Their cooperation had always been purely transactional.
There was no illusion of loyalty between them.
Danzo would never entrust something as critical as the transplantation of the First Hokage's cells to Asahi directly. Even the research materials Asahi had provided would undoubtedly be passed through multiple layers of analysis, verification, and experimentation by Root's specialists before being used.
Danzo was cautious by nature.
Paranoid, even.
Every piece of information would be dissected thoroughly before being accepted.
Still, although this meeting had not brought Asahi any tangible benefits, it had achieved something important.
It stabilized Danzo.
At least for the short term.
With Danzo's personality, if left unchecked during this sensitive period, when Sarutobi Hiruzen had just regained authority and the Hokage faction was still in a weakened state, he would almost certainly attempt to assert his presence again.
And that would only create more chaos within Konoha.
'That old fox…'
Asahi exhaled slowly.
Danzo did indeed possess deep feelings for Konoha.
But, those feelings were not enough to compensate for his flaws.
Ambition.
Suspicion.
And a dangerous tendency to act without considering the broader consequences.
The Nine-Tails incident itself was already filled with suspicious points.
Masked Obito had appeared at the exact moment Kushina Uzumaki's seal weakened during childbirth.
He had bypassed Konoha's defenses with alarming precision.
Even locating Kushina's hidden barrier had not been difficult for him.
Yet Asahi knew firsthand, finding that barrier was not easy.
It had taken him considerable time.
'So how did Obito find it so quickly?'
If it were attributed to Black Zetsu, that explained part of it.
But not everything.
Kushina's exact due date, that information was far too precise.
Someone had leaked it.
Asahi's gaze darkened slightly.
'Danzo… or someone close to him?'
It was impossible to confirm for now.
And more importantly, Hiruzen still trusted Danzo.
If Asahi acted rashly without solid evidence, the Third Hokage would never tolerate it.
Therefore, during this period of cooperation, Asahi had already begun quietly collecting evidence.
If an opportunity presented itself, he would not hesitate.
He would eliminate Danzo completely.
…
In the following days, Konoha slowly began to recover.
The destruction caused by the Nine-Tails was immense, but the resilience of the village was equally strong.
Reconstruction efforts began almost immediately.
At the same time, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina's funeral was held.
The entire village mourned.
After attending the funeral, Asahi returned to his routine.
But now, his focus shifted almost entirely to one thing.
The Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
Inside his residence, scrolls were spread across the table.
Complex sealing formulas.
Dense theoretical annotations.
Ancient diagrams filled with intricate chakra pathways.
Asahi studied them day and night.
According to the recorded history of the ninja world, in earlier eras, incidents of tailed beast rampages were relatively frequent.
Entire villages had been destroyed.
Regions turned into wastelands.
Yet after the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, such incidents drastically decreased.
There were clearly hidden factors at play.
But one conclusion was undeniable.
The major ninja villages had acquired and integrated the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
And those techniques, were the key.
If Asahi could fully master them, then extracting tailed beast chakra without killing the jinchuriki would become possible.
This was crucial for his future plans.
In the ninja world—
Sealing techniques held an extraordinarily high status.
Without them—
The concept of jinchūriki would not even exist.
Even the nine tailed beasts themselves, were bound and controlled through sealing.
And more importantly, even Otsutsuki Kaguya, the ancestor of chakra, had been sealed for a thousand years.
Sealing techniques were not merely auxiliary tools.
They were fundamental.
Even the most powerful ninjutsu could be countered by them.
Asahi recalled an example.
Uchiha Itachi's Amaterasu.
A technique known as the strongest physical attack.
Black flames that would burn until the target was completely reduced to ash.
Yet, Jiraiya had sealed it effortlessly with a single technique:
Fire Sealing Method.
That alone was enough to demonstrate the terrifying potential of sealing arts.
'If I fully master these…'
Asahi's eyes gleamed faintly.
'Then even the tailed beasts won't be out of reach.'
Learning sealing techniques, however, was far from simple.
It required deep theoretical understanding.
Precise chakra control.
And extensive experimentation.
Many ninjas could use sealing techniques, but very few understood their fundamental principles.
The Uzumaki clan's records were invaluable.
They contained not only techniques, but also theory, analysis, and structured frameworks.
To Asahi, they were a treasure.
…
Konoha Hospital.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound of knocking pulled Asahi out of his thoughts.
He calmly rolled up the sealing scroll and stored it away.
"Come in." he said.
The door opened.
"Asahi-sama," a medical ninja said respectfully, "Hyuga Hiashi-sama has arrived."
Asahi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Hyuga Hiashi?"
"What is he doing here?"
The medical ninja replied,
"I heard that his wife is about to give birth. He brought her here for an examination."
Asahi frowned faintly.
"Then why come to me?"
"Hiashi-sama specifically requested that you examine her personally."
Asahi paused.
Then nodded.
"I see."
…
In the maternity ward, Hyuga Hiashi stood beside the bed, his expression tense.
"Greetings, Hiashi-senpai," Asahi greeted calmly as he stepped forward.
Despite his current status and strength, he still chose to address Hiashi respectfully.
After all, Hiashi's seniority was undeniable.
Calling him "sama" would be excessive and make both of them awkward, and calling him by name would be inappropriate as his age was there.
"Asahi, come quickly." Hiashi said anxiously.
"My wife was startled earlier today. I'm worried it might affect the child."
Asahi glanced at him briefly.
Then nodded.
'I see… so that's how it is.'
Hiashi's anxiety was slightly exaggerated.
It's subtle but noticeable.
In Asahi's memory, Hyuga Hiashi was a composed and restrained individual.
Not someone who would panic easily.
Which meant, this visit was not about medical concerns.
It was about him.
Konoha's current situation made things clear.
The younger generation had suffered heavy losses.
Among them, only Senmei Asahi had truly risen.
His performance during the Nine-Tails battle had been witnessed by countless people.
His strength.
His composure.
His contribution.
All were undeniable.
Coupled with his identity as Tsunade's disciple and his alignment with the Hokage faction, his future prospects were obvious.
In the eyes of the major clans, he was now a key figure worth investing in.
The Hyuga clan, was making their move.
'I've become a target for recruitment…'
Asahi couldn't help but smile wryly inwardly.
Once, these clans had been far above him.
Now, they were actively seeking him out.
Even using excuses like a "frightened during pregnancy" to create an opportunity.
After a brief examination, Asahi spoke calmly.
"Hiashi-senpai, your wife is in excellent condition."
"The fetus is developing normally."
"In about ten days, the child should be born safely."
"That's good!"
Hiashi nodded.
But there was no real relief in his expression.
Clearly, he already knew all this.
"Asahi," Hiashi continued smoothly, "I will be hosting a banquet at my residence tonight."
"I hope you can attend."
There it was.
The real purpose.
Asahi considered briefly.
Then nodded.
"Thank you for the invitation, Hiashi-senpai."
"I will be there."
"Good."
Hiashi smiled slightly.
His demeanour returned to its usual calm and dignified state.
"Then I will not disturb you further."
"Farewell."
"Take care, Hiashi-senpai." Asahi replied.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]