Hiruzen almost choked. Was this the kind of thing that could just be canceled?
"Takemi, some things aren't as simple as you think. The world isn't black and white, nor is it simply right or wrong."
"Especially from the village's perspective, things you perceive as problems often come with opportunities."
"You still need to work harder, understand?"
"Mmm." Takemi nodded.
He genuinely felt that this old man seemed to be grooming him to be Hokage.
Shaking his head, he couldn't be bothered to think about such trivial matters. He was replaying Hiruzen's earlier words.
"Akatsuki?"
He had actually considered the Akatsuki issue, but upon closer thought, it seemed not impossible for that group to act this way.
After all, he had been hitting them hard for so long, they would most likely want to retaliate, wouldn't they?
Thinking of this, Takemi himself only just realized that he seemed to have a 'deep-seated hatred' with the Akatsuki.
Whether it was his main body or his 'Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki' account, he had been hitting the Akatsuki hard.
It was hard to say what these people wouldn't do.
"Alright, let's leave this matter here for now. But there's no need to worry too much. Konoha has you, and many others, so there won't be any problems."
Seeing Takemi lost in thought, Hiruzen seemed not to want to put too much pressure on him, so he said with a smile.
"Also, Kakashi should be almost finished over there. Aren't you going to check?"
"No need. I just didn't expect it to be those little brats." Takemi pursed his lips.
He had originally wanted to act personally, but unfortunately, Hiruzen had dragged him here.
"But speaking of which, when Naruto's Chakra erupted last night, I seemed to sense two other unfamiliar Chakras within him. It was very strange."
"Two other unfamiliar Chakras?"
Hiruzen frowned upon hearing this, and a strange thought inexplicably formed in his mind.
Could it be…
Knock, knock, knock—
Before he could finish his thought, the door was suddenly knocked. He immediately came back to his senses and told them to come in.
"Hokage-sama."
Kakashi walked straight in, with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura following behind him, looking somewhat disheveled.
But Kakashi didn't mind.
He nodded slightly upon seeing Takemi, then continued, "The assessment is over. They passed, so I'd like to request a mission."
"…"
Hiruzen was a bit stunned. What did he mean by "passed," and they were requesting a mission right after passing?
He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Isn't that too rushed?"
"Rushed? Wasn't Takemi like this back then? Let's start with a simple one, a C-rank mission will do."
"…"
"Takemi started with C-rank missions back then, it was very easy, right, Takemi?"
"Exactly, a C-rank mission, it's very easy."
"…"
Looking at the master and disciple playing off each other, Hiruzen immediately felt a headache coming on.
But just as Hiruzen felt his scalp tingle, Takemi raised an eyebrow.
[Calculation complete]
[Side mission completed: As a white-haired character, of course, clear as much as possible]
[Reward obtained: sealing scroll]
[Naruto's exclusive mission completed: Results are not ideal]
[Reward obtained: Nine-Tails Chakra (can be integrated into God Tree Source)]
Land of Rain, Akatsuki's base.
"How do you feel now?" Black Zetsu asked Nagato in a low voice.
Nagato clenched his fist and said, "I feel good. I didn't expect you to have such an ability."
"It's good that there's no problem, but you must remember, this is only temporary help for you."
Black Zetsu shook his head, seemingly not wanting to discuss these matters with Nagato. Looking at Nagato, who seemed to have recovered, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"My clone can assist your actions and also provide you with a little Chakra, but that's all it is."
Black Zetsu didn't tell the truth. After all, he had a way to make Nagato 'normal' again, such as directly transplanting a White Zetsu body.
However, he had always been cautious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to survive from a thousand years ago until now, constantly tricking those Uchiha.
He knew that any good trump cards shouldn't be revealed all at once. It was best to reveal them little by little based on changes in the situation.
At the same time, he also had to appear very troubled and as if he had paid a huge price, so that he could better control these guys.
Nagato was like this, especially since his talent was terrifying. Allowing him to fully recover did not align with Black Zetsu's goals.
Therefore, having Tobi deal with Nagato just like he dealt with Obito back then was the best choice.
"This won't allow him to fully recover, but it will maximize the use of his power to achieve his so-called 'concentrated power can break through stubborn rocks'…"
Black Zetsu was satisfied with this arrangement, and of course, he had other preparations.
"If this doesn't work, then I'll have to consider letting him fully recover, or perhaps…"
Black Zetsu stopped thinking. Anyway, he had made thorough preparations. Tobi, this White Zetsu, was also a guarantee for Nagato.
"You need to adapt well now to ensure there are no problems."
"I know, this is already great!"
Nagato stood up. Even though his figure was still somewhat gaunt, his mental state was very good.
"By the way, how are the others doing now?"
"Hidan is still the same. Kakuzu and Sasori are almost ready. They only lack a Wind Release heart now, and they're waiting for this trip to Konoha."
Black Zetsu didn't hide anything and spoke directly.
"As for the other two, Kisame is fine now. His physical condition was already good, and before, it was just excessive Chakra consumption. He has recovered now. As for Itachi…"
When speaking of this person, Black Zetsu had a look of displeasure.
He actually didn't really want to bother with Itachi, after all, he was just a double-agent. But his power was suitable, and Obito also had ideas, which was why he was kept.
Personally, he had been struggling to save his mother, and for someone like Itachi who had killed his entire family…
"I've temporarily restored his combat ability, but his physical condition is not optimistic. As long as he can move, that's fine."
Shaking his head, Black Zetsu gave the final answer, which made Nagato nod.
"Looks good. It seems this Chunin Exams won't be a problem."
Chunin Exams, Nagato initially had only moderate interest, as it was merely to attract a so-called 'Ōtsutsuki Takeshiki.'
But ever since Takemi's heavy blows, he was now interested. This time, he had to do something.
"By the way, have we replenished our missing members?"
"Yes, we had previously identified a guy named Hiruko. He has agreed to join, and we also have another target."
"Who is it?"
"In the Land of Waves, he was once a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen…"
(End of Chapter)
Read 40 Advanced Chapters on patreon.com/astralicity
New Book
Naruto: Strongest Teacher System
Shinji transmigrated to the Naruto world with no cheats. To ensure his safety, he became a teacher at Ninja School.
Finally, when he met the two protagonists, Naruto and Sasuke, the Strongest Teacher System activated. He can be rewarded by teaching and educating people.
[Detected that Naruto is willing to establish a master-disciple relationship.]
[Reward: Wind Release Nature Transformation (Extraordinary), Yang Chakra (Proficient)]
[Detected that Sasuke is willing to establish a master-disciple relationship.]
[Reward: Yin-Yang Scroll (Basic), Detection (Extraordinary)]
[Class Completed, Calculating...]
[Overall Rating: A]
[Reward: Chakra Perception (Proficient), All Stats +5, Chakra +500]
After this, the original trajectory of the Ninja world gradually deviated.