Genji shook his head, "Yagura, do you know, as an old man who's lived a long time, I've seen too many genius shinobi. From my experience I can roughly guess what the aptitude to become a Kage looks like. You… may not possess that aptitude."
Yagura protested, "Why?"
Genji looked at him and spoke slowly, "I'll tell you something that goes against many shinobi beliefs: most of the people in the ninja world who can become 'Kage' have to reach Jonin-level strength by around thirteen years old."
Yagura was stunned. Jonin is already the high-level combat power of every ninja village.
'Thirteen, still a semi-grown child, and they need Jonin-level strength? What a joke!'
He himself had only become a Jonin when he was nearly sixteen.
He couldn't accept it, "Why?"
Genji smiled confidently, "Because the ages from thirteen to eighteen are the period when physical strength and mental strength explode in growth. After that stage, growth becomes slower and slower."
"And chakra is extracted from mental strength and physical strength. After that stage, chakra basically sets, what grows afterward is only experience and awareness."
"But even if experience and awareness become very rich, for example, even if you, like Konoha's Third Hokage, master most of the Five Nature Transformations, without enough chakra to release them, it's meaningless."
"So only those who already have Jonin strength before thirteen can ride the subsequent explosive-growth stage and leap to the next tier in one bound."
"Yagura, you should notice: your chakra amount now is growing more and more slowly, slower and slower…"
Yagura suddenly widened his eyes, because Genji was right.
His chakra really wasn't increasing much now. Only because his experience and techniques were still growing rapidly could he feel such huge progress.
He felt unwilling, "Is it really like that?"
Genji said, "Of course it is. So among this generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, I judge that only Hozuki Mangetsu has the qualification to become Kage, and on our side it's Mei. That's why I'm so concerned about her."
Yagura grew glum, "So in the end, even if I become a famous Jonin, I can't go further and become a legend?"
Genji laughed, "There are exceptions to everything. What I said is only the requirement to reach that tier purely by one's own means; I didn't say there's absolutely no way."
At this Genji deliberately paused, then changed his tone, "For example… among the Seven Swords, Samehada has the trait of devouring chakra and returning it to its wielder. If its wielder is already an elite among Jonin, perhaps they can go further…"
"Or for example… a Tailed Beast. If someone becomes a Jinchuriki and can perfectly exert a Tailed Beast's power, they would break the rule I mentioned and directly step into the strongest tier. That's why Tailed Beasts are the core strength of every village."
Yagura's breathing became rapid. After thinking, he looked regretful, "Unfortunately, the Three-Tails has been missing for a long time. We spent a lot of manpower but couldn't find any trace of it."
Genji also felt some regret, "Yes. Otherwise, if we could find the Three-Tails and cultivate a Jinchuriki, we'd have a top-tier force that could rival the Third Mizukage, and many matters would become simple."
For some reason, upon hearing this, Yagura's will hardened, "Elder, if that day ever comes, I'm willing to try. Although I know becoming a Jinchuriki is dangerous, only by becoming Mizukage can I change this village, this country."
Genji smiled, "Okay, I promise you. But even if the Three-Tails' trail is exposed, we must find it before the Third Mizukage; otherwise, we'll have even less chance."
Yagura nodded, "Then I'll take my leave first. I'll go to the Mizukage tower later to see if I can bring Mei back."
Genji waved his hand, "Go."
Yagura was about to instantaneously leave when suddenly a round of applause rang out.
Genji and Yagura were both startled and looked toward the source of the clapping. They saw, at another table in the parlor, a lazy figure sitting, wearing a red-cloud black cloak and a spiral mask.
Genji snorted, "Who are you?"
At the same time he formed signs with an agility that didn't belong to this age. He didn't release them, only prepared, waiting for the visitor's answer.
The visitor, of course, was Tobi.
Tobi sighed, "Living long makes one knowledgeable. I very much agree with your notion that if one isn't a Jonin by thirteen, one's whole life is hopeless for becoming a Kage."
Tobi had met many strong people who reached Jonin-level strength at thirteen or fourteen.
Some had even, like Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui, and Deidara, already been at the Kage tier.
This Kirigakure elder had summed it up well.
Speaking of that, Yahiko probably also had Jonin-level strength at thirteen. He still had a not-small hope to become Kage by his own means.
While Tobi was thinking, Genji's eyes narrowed. Although Tobi hadn't answered him directly, Genji had already confirmed something from the red-cloud cloak Tobi wore.
"You are a member of Akatsuki?"
At the same time, Genji analyzed that the visitor had been sitting in that position for a long time and had even listened to his entire conversation with Yagura.
The terrifying part was that previously he and Yagura had subconsciously ignored that someone was sitting there.
What kind of terrifying genjutsu is this? With his strength, he hadn't sensed it at all.
He broke into a sweat on his forehead, "So it was you who infiltrated the Land of Water."
Tobi looked calm and soothed them, "You don't need to be nervous. We mean no harm. We only have a business matter we want to discuss with you."
Yagura could no longer hold back and wanted to act, "Sneaking around, hiding your head and tail, there's nothing between us worth discussing."
But Genji stopped Yagura, "Hold your temper."
Then he turned to Tobi, "Business is based on both sides having something that moves the other. Speak: what do you plan to give us, or what do you plan to gain from us?"
Tobi looked up at the sky, then said, "Your other theory is interesting too: that because one's inner greed is so large, wanting to make the whole country better, one begins to see the upper classes as vampires who suck the country dry and disregard the interests of the lower people."
"In fact, I'm the same as you, only my greed is larger. What I want to possess isn't just the Land of Water, but the whole ninja world. I want the entire ninja world to become better, so I despise the interests of the lower people of the entire ninja world."
"From this perspective, what I want to gain and what you want to gain are consistent. I want you to end the Blood Mist era, to let Kirigakure and the old families of the Land of Water feel joy and happiness. Can you do that?"
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