Everything Sarutobi Hiruzen had just said pointed to one thing—he was truly the disciple of the Second Hokage!
Takigakure did not fall under the Konoha alliance system, so if they got beaten, they had it coming.
Beyond that, someone taking a beating was actually a good thing for the shinobi world.
After all, once beaten and hurt, others would start to take things more seriously.
So sacrificing Takigakure really wasn't such a big deal.
"You—just what kind of people did you teach?"
Once the others had left, Senju Hashirama couldn't help cursing in a low voice.
"I remember Monkey used to be a decent man. How did he end up like this?"
"Hmph. What do you mean, 'end up like this'?"
Senju Tobirama let out a cold snort, full of disdain.
"This is the only way to be a qualified Hokage. Sometimes you have to think of the bigger picture. You can't possibly spread your care to everyone."
"You really are unbearable, Tobirama."
"Plenty of people hate me. I couldn't care less what the people of Konoha who hate me think."
"You're impossible to reason with."
"Then let me ask you this. If you cared so much about them, why didn't you pacify the shinobi world back then? At least that way there wouldn't be so many villages, and not so many wars!"
"…"
"I recall Uchiha Madara thought the same way back then. For once he actually had a good idea, and you rejected it?"
Tobirama's words left Hashirama silent. Looking at the results now, maybe that really was the right thing to do.
After his death, war truly had never ceased. If they had ended it all back then, perhaps…
"Don't bring up useless things. We didn't have the manpower to bear everything at the time, and too much blood was already spilled."
Hashirama sighed and gave a small shake of his head, but Tobirama remained cold.
"If we had spilled everyone else's blood back then, we wouldn't have needed to spill Konoha's later. You're just making excuses."
At that point, they both found it hard to go on.
Each of them had their own views and positions, and neither regretted what they had done back then.
Not to mention Tobirama—Hashirama himself had once killed Uchiha Madara for the village.
Besides, without firm convictions, neither of them would have made it this far.
"Enough. Let's drop it."
Tobirama let out a sigh and deliberately changed the subject.
"Let's first find that Uchiha stone tablet. I'm very curious about it."
"I just hope they don't stir up too much trouble."
Hashirama gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Jiraiya, Kakashi, and their team—especially Gen—are the five of them really just going on a diplomatic visit?"
"Don't worry about it. As long as we say it's a visit, then it's a visit."
Tobirama was firm, but then quickly asked in doubt: "By the way, your head is clear now, isn't it?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Hashirama frowned, but Tobirama asked directly: "Are you certain Uchiha Madara really told you about that Uchiha stone tablet back then?"
"I'm sure. He did say it!"
"Then our Senju clan really doesn't have anything like that?"
"…"
"Like the stone tablet? Or the tree bark Gen mentioned? Worst case, even a stick would do, right?"
"…"
...
"Tch, another mission already?"
Leaving the ANBU base, Jiraiya stretched and spoke.
"And it's with you too, Gen. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Hospital visit?"
Kitagawa Gen blinked, but Tsunade cut in beside him.
"Hospital's fine too. With me around, Konoha's medical system will never be as rotten as it used to be."
"…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples, speaking in frustration.
"It's not like either of you are doing anything anyway. One spends all day peeping, the other tags along with the First to the gambling dens—you think I don't know?!"
"Hehehe."
Jiraiya just laughed shamelessly, while Tsunade looked utterly unconcerned.
After all, running off with the First wasn't really a problem. She didn't believe her sensei would say anything about it.
Besides, even if she wasn't around, wasn't her Second Grandpa still there?
"Anyway, old man, when's my allowance coming? And my grandpa—sure, he's just an Edo Tensei now, but he's still working and was a Hokage. So his allowance too—"
"…"
"Don't forget to give it to me. I'm heading back."
"…"
Looking at Tsunade carrying on like that, Sarutobi Hiruzen was furious, yet he really couldn't say anything.
Kitagawa Gen just shook his head at the side, sighing.
"Such an allowance thief. Seems Konoha's got not just political issues, but massive financial ones too."
"I think it's best you don't bring that up."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Gen with a dulled expression, feeling like his energy was draining more and more by the day.
"You've got your team set, but when exactly are you planning to depart?"
"I can go anytime."
Kitagawa Gen stroked his chin, thought briefly, and gave his answer. Jiraiya considered a moment and added, "I've got no problem either. Let's just get a letter off to Takigakure, then we'll head over."
"That's the best way."
Kakashi nodded. Last time, things had been rather awkward.
"Anyway, it shouldn't take us long to get there."
As he spoke, Kakashi's eyes shifted toward Kitagawa Gen.
Their speed was already nothing to scoff at, and Gen had been to the Land of Waterfalls before, leaving plenty of Flying Thunder God markers there.
Getting over would be easy, no matter how you looked at it.
"We're fine too!"
Sasuke and Naruto nodded obediently. After all, they were veterans by now. They'd been on no shortage of missions over the last three years.
So making a trip to Takigakure wasn't anything to get excited over—especially since this time they were just going as a diplomatic delegation.
"Then it's settled. Head back now and prepare properly. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Kitagawa Gen stroked his chin, nodded, and spoke directly.
"Then let's dismiss."
"Yes!"
Sasuke and Naruto immediately nodded. They exchanged a glance, as if an idea had just passed between them.
"Then let's—"
[Whoosh—]
Naruto had barely opened his mouth when Sasuke ignored him completely and vanished in an instant, without a trace!
"Damn it! Again?!"
Naruto shot Gen a resentful look, as if blaming him for corrupting Sasuke.
But he didn't dare actually complain. With a helpless sigh, his whole body disappeared as well.
"Sasuke really is becoming more and more like a proper shinobi."
Seeing this, Gen nodded in satisfaction, though Kakashi at his side was utterly speechless.
"You call that a proper shinobi?"
"I've always taught them that shinobi must use every possible means. Sasuke understands that well."
Gen said it with a straight face.
"And though the Second Hokage… his personality had its issues, his thinking is the same as mine. Sasuke has a good sensei."
"…"
Kakashi and Sarutobi Hiruzen both fell silent. They could only feel pained about Konoha's future.
There was no doubt they wouldn't suffer losses. With Kitagawa Gen here, Konoha would only grow stronger.
And with the younger generation rising, things were bound to get better.
But what worried them was how far Konoha's education would plummet in the future.
After all, if the beam above isn't straight, the ones below will surely tilt.
"Well then, I'll head back and get ready."
Gen smiled cheerfully at the two. Seeing them still silent, he kindly added, "Alright, don't worry. Forget about those two. Instead of thinking about them, better to think about Konoha's political and financial problems."
"…"
"This is way too slapdash. We need a heavy hand to stamp out this bad trend!"
"…"
Looking at their dead-fish eyes, Gen figured his words must have gotten through.
With that, he waved and left, leaving the three staring at each other with nothing but sighs.
Back home, Kitagawa Gen created a God Tree clone, and in the next instant, his body vanished from the room.
Just now, the system's signal hadn't been a mission—it was the thing he had waited three years for finally reaching maturity!
With a shift of space, in the blink of an eye he was inside the Ame-no-Minaka.
In three years, his Ame-no-Minaka had expanded. Yet even so, the world within still seemed to be nothing but desert.
It even made him suspect that maybe he himself needed to divide up the Ame-no-Minaka. But for now, this was actually better.
Because…
"It's growing quite nicely."
Looking at the giant tree within his Ame-no-Minaka, Kitagawa Gen nodded in satisfaction.
The tree had grown so massive it was close to filling the entire space.
At its top, a colossal bud—seemingly enclosing a Rinnegan—had risen, though it still showed no sign of blooming.
"Maybe it's because there's no moon? Or maybe the Tailed Beasts aren't fully gathered yet. Still, the fact Kaguya's chakra can even be used like this…"
Gen muttered under his breath. Three years ago, he had experimentally fused the chakra he'd taken from Black Zetsu into this tree.
He hadn't been able to absorb it himself. But since Kaguya had once devoured the fruit, perhaps her chakra would benefit the God Tree.
"Besides, the God Tree's brewing requires an Ōtsutsuki. I couldn't possibly sacrifice myself, so why not try with part of her chakra?"
And when he tried, it worked!
Kaguya's chakra did indeed act on the source of the God Tree. Her power made it even more violent, its absorption of chakra becoming utterly frenzied.
Not just Kaguya's chakra—even the Dragon Vein, the Tailed Beasts, and even the Tenseigan's chakra were all devoured without restraint.
"And it's been devouring for three years straight…"
For three years, the thing had swallowed his resources, which in turn left his development rate stalled at only 62.
"But now, it's finally stopped."
Staring at the towering tree before him, feeling the raging force within it, Gen let a smile curl across his lips.
Though its "rank" hadn't changed, its power was nothing like the former "source of the God Tree."
"Maybe its 'rank' depends on the Tailed Beasts. After all, only when they're all collected can it bloom and bear fruit."
He thought this silently as he slowly descended onto the God Tree.
"Three years feeding on me—it's about time you gave something back."
He hadn't wasted those three years, having studied plenty of other things.
But the essence of the "source of the God Tree" was to help him grow stronger. After rebelling against the heavens for three years, now that it had completed its metamorphosis, it was due for feedback!
Resting his hand lightly against the massive trunk, in an instant that roaring energy surged into his body.
That blood-boiling sensation devoured every inch of him, a force beyond words exploding inside.
Countless streams of information flooded his mind, and at the same time, his interface refreshed.
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (Development Rate: 68%)]
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---