In the Nara family's chess room.
Outside the wooden sliding door, the courtyard echoed with the rhythmic sound of water being added to the basin, creating a serene and natural ambiance.
On the corridor adjacent to the courtyard, Tadashi Shika of the Nara clan gazed nonchalantly at the rock garden and flowing stream, his mind replaying the earlier meeting.
There was no denying it—Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had become increasingly adept at political maneuvering.
First, he started the meeting with the difficult task of recalling Team Eleven, putting the high-ranking officials in a tough spot and claiming the upper hand.
Then, he dangled a bait—offering the position of personal apprentice to the apprentices of his own direct disciples, sparking competition among the attendees.
This not only elevated Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade's status but also gave everyone a taste of the benefits, indebting them to him.
After all, such decisions could have been made solely by the Hokage.
The only one who didn't compete was Danzo. Danzo would never recommend his subordinates to become apprentices to Tsunade's team, nor would he himself consider becoming their apprentice.
Then came the third part of the meeting, where the Hokage used forbidden techniques to steer the discussion toward cultivating a successor, all while showcasing his own power.
Recommending the trio of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade was part of this display. And those who had just been vying for the privilege of mentoring the trio naturally found themselves at a disadvantage.
Reflecting on this, Tadashi Shika couldn't help but mutter, "Impressive. No wonder Lord Hiruzen is increasing the number of high-ranking officials—he's confident he can fully control the reins of power now."
However, compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tadashi Shika was clearly more intrigued by another name that had been mentioned frequently.
Rinjin Sakuho!
Although the man himself hadn't been present, he had undoubtedly reaped the benefits.
First, there was his reputation—a reputation so formidable it was a headache to deal with. A single mention of his name had made Danzo retreat, which was itself a testament to his influence.
And the timing of when his name came up was also quite interesting.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi was paving the way for his direct disciples and potential successors, the name Rinjin Sakuho had stood as an insurmountable wall before Danzo.
But this also meant that Rinjin Sakuho was within Lord Hiruzen's scope of consideration.
After all, any name that suddenly appeared in such a context carried significant implications.
Especially a name that could silence the ever-stubborn Danzo.
In truth, Tadashi Shika had met Rinjin Sakuho over a decade ago in the Second Hokage's office.
Back then, he was just a pitiful boy with a little sister in tow.
In the blink of an eye, over ten years had passed, and now he wielded such influence?
Actually, Tadashi Shika had misunderstood.
Rinjin's influence was limited to poor Danzo.
After much contemplation, Tadashi Shika made a decision that was guaranteed to yield benefits.
He would have his own son, Shikaku Nara, along with Inoichi Yamanaka from the Yamanaka clan and Chōza Akimichi from the Akimichi clan, join Rinjin's Team Eleven.
If Rinjin became a permanent figure in the Hokage's inner circle, the three clans would align themselves more closely with the Hokage's faction.
And if not, having Shikaku learn some of Rinjin's scheming and strategies would still be a great advantage.
You might gain something, but I will never lose~
...
Meanwhile, in Kusagakure, the Hidden Grass Village in the Land of Grass, a one-sided battle was unfolding.
Team Eleven's strategy was brutally simple—direct frontal assault!
Rinjin stood atop the highest rooftop in Kusagakure with Tsunade, overlooking the battlefield.
Even though she had witnessed countless battles involving Rie and the others, Tsunade still couldn't get used to their wild fighting style.
Below, Teuchi charged at the forefront, wielding the two-meter-long spiked club that Rinjin had gifted him.
"Third Gate of Life, open!"
In an instant, green chakra erupted, and Teuchi's bare upper body turned a fiery red.
Swinging the massive spiked club, he deftly dodged incoming ninjutsu and charged into the crowd like a rampaging beast.
"Leaf Kenjutsu Ultimate Move! One Strike to End It All!"
His loud, ridiculous battle cry made Tsunade cover her face in exasperation. She wanted to complain but couldn't find the words.
This kid—he used to be a carefree and sunny boy. How did he turn into such a reckless brute? Did the tone of this story change somewhere along the way?
And why on earth are you calling it a kenjutsu ultimate move when you're clearly swinging a club?
And "One Strike to End It All"? How is that even remotely a kenjutsu technique?
The reputation of Konoha is being utterly ruined by you and your master!
Shaking her head helplessly, Tsunade leaned against Rinjin, laughing and crying at the same time.
"Teaching Teuchi the Eight Gates Technique—wasn't that a bit reckless?!"
Hearing this, Rinjin turned his head with an innocent look, gazing at Tsunade as she leaned against him. He asked naively, "Reckless? Not at all! Look how skilled he is at using it.
Besides, he's going to return to the village and open a ramen shop in the future. Mastering the Eight Gates Technique will only make him knead dough faster, won't it?"
What the hell?! Using the Eight Gates for kneading dough—what kind of twisted logic is this?!
At that moment, Rie joined the battlefield with a sharp shout.
"Teuchi, move aside!"
"Yes, Boss!" Teuchi immediately retreated from the circle of Kusagakure ninjas, still carrying his massive club.
Rie quickly formed hand seals at a speed almost too fast for the eye to follow.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With three soft pops, three shadow clones appeared beside Rie. The clones exchanged glances with the original, nodded, and simultaneously formed hand seals.
Meanwhile, the real Rie unfurled a scroll and spread it out on the ground.
"Earth Release: Formidable Transformation!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Earth Release: Heavenly Cover!"
In an instant, the ground trembled violently. Around the Kusagakure ninjas, three earth walls rose abruptly.
At the same time, a turtle-shaped disk descended from the sky, covering them.
From the front, wind fueled the flames, creating a ferocious blaze that consumed everything in its path.
The Kusagakure ninjas screamed in agony, paying the price for their crimes.
On the outskirts of the village, Fugaku Uchiha carried a short blade. His Three Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly as he mercilessly took down those attempting to flee.
It was a completely one-sided battle, with no suspense whatsoever.
Watching the scene, Tsunade rubbed her temples, her face full of frustration.
"Reckless. This is just too reckless!"
Hearing this, Rinjin glanced at Tsunade, whose figure had grown increasingly imposing, and casually picked his nose.
"Come on, Tsunade, you've been saying 'reckless' for three years now. Isn't it time to give it a rest?"
"What?!"
Hearing Rinjin's dismissive tone, Tsunade immediately flared up. She grabbed his ear in an instant.
"Am I wrong?!
Look at what you've done to these three kids!
They barely get six hours of sleep a night and are dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to extract chakra.
That's not even the worst of it—they have to fight Kusagakure ninjas to the death during the day.
And on top of that, they have to endure your ridiculous speed tests, your 'fists of love,' and your 'free wake-up calls'!"
Tears welled up in Tsunade's eyes as she wiped them away, looking like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"Look at them! Which one of these kids hasn't suffered life-threatening injuries? Which one doesn't have huge dark circles under their eyes? Which one doesn't dream of punching you in the face?"
Looking at the puffed-up Tsunade, Rinjin scratched his head in exasperation.
Wanting to punch me—well, that's perfectly normal. As long as they don't use Edo Tensei to summon the First and Second Hokage to kill me, I should consider myself lucky!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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