Chapter 157: The Choice, and a Precious Gift
The power of the God of Shinobi.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had once overseen the transplantation of Hashirama's cells, hoping to reproduce that power. Danzō, in cooperation with Orochimaru, had conducted his own secret research, which eventually resulted in the creation of Yamato, a wielder of Wood Release.
It would be a lie to say Tsunade wasn't tempted, especially now that she had overcome her hemophobia from the last Great Ninja War and had regained her resolve.
However, after a moment of hesitation, Tsunade still shook her head. "Although there's a high probability of quickly obtaining my grandfather's power, I don't think he would have wanted me to inherit it like this. Besides…"
Tsunade looked up, tilting her chin at Genichi, and said with a touch of pride, "Even without transplanting my grandfather's cells, I am confident I can master Wood Release on my own. I am Princess Tsunade!"
She had her own pride. She glanced at him. "What, do you think I can't do it?"
"Of course not," Genichi smiled. "I have absolute confidence in you." This wasn't empty flattery. After all, if Tsunade were to train for it, her probability of success would be much higher than anyone else's. And he wasn't surprised by her choice.
Tsunade was very pleased with his answer. She waved her hand. "Then let's continue. Let's study these cells more thoroughly first. As for your idea of cloning plant people, that needs to be carefully considered before we try."
Genichi nodded. The two of them continued their work.
Unconsciously, it grew late. Just past midnight, it was now Konoha Year 48. A large number of fireworks exploded in the sky above the village, dazzlingly beautiful. Genichi and Tsunade were startled from their work. They put down what they were doing, walked out of the lab, and looked up to admire the display.
After a moment, laughter was heard. Genichi looked and saw Shizune and Uzumaki Ina approaching together.
"Genichi!" Seeing him, Shizune ran over, but she stopped short when she saw Tsunade, her face blushing slightly. "Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade looked away from the sky and said to Shizune, "Let's go. Home."
"Yes, ma'am!" Shizune nodded, then waved reluctantly at Genichi before following.
Ina walked to Genichi's side and asked curiously, "What were you and Lady Tsunade busy with?"
"Researching a kind of plant person." Genichi turned and went back into the lab. After tidying up, he and Ina strolled home together.
"Genichi, Sister Kushina and Minato-san are getting married. What kind of gift should we prepare?" Ina brought up on the way.
Genichi was surprised at first, then relieved. Minato and Kushina were both around twenty-two now. It was normal for them to get married after living together for a few years.
"Well now…" he mused, "that is a bit difficult. By the way, when is it? Are they having a big wedding?"
"It's a bit of a dilemma," Ina said. "The date is three days from now, but there won't be a big wedding because it's wartime. It's a bit of a shame." She sounded regretful, but also envious.
"It is a shame, but being able to protect each other and be together is more precious than anything else," Genichi said, not caring much for formalities.
Ina nodded, then tilted her head and smiled at him. "You'll have a day like this too when you grow up, Genichi. Aren't you looking forward to it?"
Genichi stroked his chin. "Well… that seems to be a long time from now. Isn't it a bit too early to be looking forward to it?"
"Well… I guess that's true," Ina said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Normally, no one treated him like a twelve-year-old boy, but his real age was right there. He still had six years until he was an adult. Thinking of this, Ina felt a little dejected. By the time he was an adult, she would be thirty.
Gritting her teeth, she decided she had to learn the Yin Seal as soon as possible. And then there was Shizune… Genichi and Shizune were the most suitable match. For a moment, she was troubled.
"Don't think so much," Genichi suddenly said, taking her hand. "Don't worry, you'll always be by my side."
These words, which would be cringeworthy coming from a playboy, made Ina's face light up with a smile.
In truth, because of his ability panel, his hormones in all aspects were far beyond those of his peers. In that respect, he was no different from an adult. If it weren't for the watchful eye of the God of Harmony, he wouldn't care about being an adult or not. In his past life, in ancient times, people could get married and have children at thirteen or fourteen. As long as it didn't harm the body.
With beautiful women by his side, if he hadn't been more focused on training and had enough willpower to restrain himself, he would have made a move long ago. As it was now, he felt that another three years would be about right.
When they got home, Pakura was also still awake, watching TV and zoning out in the upstairs living room.
"Are you two hungry?" Genichi rubbed his stomach.
Ina and Pakura looked at each other and nodded in unison. And so, the three of them went into the kitchen, made some food, and ate together while watching a childish cartoon. Genichi's parents were also actually awake, staying up for the New Year, but they didn't come out to disturb their son's good time.
The night passed in a flash.
January 1, Konoha Year 48.
Genichi's busy schedule began. Besides participating in the memorial services, he also had to pay visits to elders like his teacher, Sakumo Hatake, and Uchiha Namiichi's mother, Uchiha Misen. He had lunch with her, and before leaving, he suggested she adopt a child from the orphanage, but she refused.
"When you have children, Genichi, I can help you take care of them," she had replied with a smile.
"Then you'd better prepare for a lot of hard work, Aunt Misen," he had smiled back. "I'm going to have a lot of kids."
"Then I will prepare well," she had said, her voice filled with genuine joy and anticipation.
Soon, it was the day of Minato and Kushina's wedding. There was no grand ceremony, and not many people were invited. Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Sakumo, Genichi, Ina, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin. Although there weren't many people, it was very lively and warm. In wartime, such an occasion was extremely rare.
Watching Minato and Kushina having their picture taken, Genichi then looked at Obito, who was secretly watching Rin, and suddenly felt a bit out of place. Sometimes, knowing too much wasn't necessarily a good thing. Although it could be fun, it also took away a lot of the fun.
But speaking of which, now that Madara has been exposed to me, will he still make a move on Obito? His thoughts couldn't help but drift far away. And the Fourth Mizukage has become the Three-Tails' jinchuriki ahead of schedule. If Madara wants to make Obito fall to the dark side, he'll probably have to think of another way. And does it have to be Obito? Now that Madara has personally recruited the darkened Nagato, does he still need another insurance policy?
He tried to remove his observer's mindset and put himself in Nagato's and Madara's shoes. From Nagato's perspective, given his background and the personality he knew him to have, Nagato would not completely trust Madara and would certainly be on his guard. Secondly, Nagato probably wouldn't take Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan seriously and would have his own plans. Even someone as simple as Obito had his own ideas in the original timeline, let alone the more complex Nagato.
Then what about Madara? How could a cunning old fox like him possibly trust Nagato? Leaving a backup plan was a basic move. This was an analysis from a personality perspective. And from an operational perspective of the Eye of the Moon Plan, Madara also had to have a backup to ensure a way out. After all, Nagato possessed the Rinnegan. Unless Madara controlled him personally, it would be difficult for anyone else to control him.
So why Obito? Genichi looked at the simple-minded boy. It was still his personality. People with his personality were a rare species in the Uchiha clan. An ordinary person might become three times stronger after turning to the dark side. But someone like Obito, who was sunny, optimistic, helpful, and full of love to give, when he turned dark, he could become ten times stronger.
"What do you think? Jealous?" Jiraiya appeared beside him.
Genichi reined in his thoughts and smiled. "I'm still young, Lord Jiraiya. The one who should be jealous is you, right? After all, at your age, you're still a single dog."
Jiraiya's smiling face instantly turned into a grimace. "You little brat, you really are… not likable at all!"
"You're just jealous, Master Jiraiya," Genichi said happily. "Both Shizune and Ina like me very much."
Jiraiya looked at them and couldn't refute this. He could only say snidely, "A pity you're still just a little brat. And by the time you grow up, won't Ina be in her thirties?"
"Lady Tsunade!" Genichi immediately shouted. "Master Jiraiya says you're so old and no one wants you!"
Jiraiya was terrified. He didn't even have time to put down his cup, turning and running.
"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade's ponytail flew up as she roared and gave chase. Immediately after, the ground and the houses began to shake violently.
Minato and Kushina looked at each other and smiled, silently praying that Jiraiya's injuries wouldn't be too severe. Genichi's mood improved even more. Happiness really did come from the unhappiness of others.
In fact, quite a few people in Konoha had gotten married recently, all of them around Minato's age. For example, Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza had both gotten married after the New Year. Perhaps this was also an effect of the war. Just like after the last two Great Ninja Wars, there had been a baby boom, either before the war or near the end.
That night, after a busy day, Minato and Kushina opened their wedding gifts together. Besides the guests from today, many people who couldn't come had also sent gifts. These were all people who had worked with Minato.
Kushina first opened the gift from Ina and found a set of baby clothes and toys. She couldn't help but blush, then quickly put them away. They would definitely be useful in the future.
"Let's see what Genichi sent," she said.
Minato immediately found his gift. He opened it and found a scroll.
"That guy's brain is only filled with ninjutsu. Don't tell me he developed a new sealing jutsu," Kushina laughed.
"In that regard, no one can compare to him," Minato said with emotion. "When we have a child in the future, let's ask him to be their teacher."
Kushina's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea," she smiled and nodded.
Minato opened the scroll, but his smile immediately vanished, his expression becoming extremely serious. "Genichi's gift is a bit too…"
"What's wrong?" Kushina asked curiously. She leaned over to look at the contents of the scroll and then couldn't help but gasp. "This is…?"
"Too precious," Minato nodded. He had never expected Genichi to give such a gift.
The training method for Ice Release.
Back then, when he had traded his Water Release for the Rasengan, he had actually gotten the better end of the deal. Although he had compensated by introducing him to Master Jiraiya, Jiraiya hadn't actually taken him as a student. After that, their relationship had grown closer through their exchanges on the Flying Thunder God, the further development of the Rasengan, and sealing arts… Their relationship could no longer be measured in simple terms of benefits.
But whether it was an S-rank sealing jutsu like the Reaper Death Seal, or other sealing knowledge, Minato felt that none of it was as valuable as this. The sectarianism in the ninja world regarding ninjutsu was much deeper than one might imagine. And a Kekkei Genkai could be passed down to one's descendants through the bloodline, creating a whole new clan. Its value was unimaginable, even though it was difficult to master.
Kushina naturally understood its value. "Maybe we should give it back," she said hesitantly.
But Minato smiled. "I know Genichi. If he chooses to give something, he definitely won't take it back. And this is specifically for you. Fusing Wind and Water to form Ice… Kushina, you were born with both these affinities. You're more suitable than me. If you can't master it, then our child can learn it in the future, and we can have them become his student."
"Looks like we'll have to have a child to be his disciple," Kushina couldn't help but smile.
Minato nodded, then added, "This matter cannot be revealed. Very few people should know that Genichi has mastered Ice Release." He had not used it in the great battle with the Mist before; there must have been a reason. He immediately thought of the assassination of the Third Mizukage by the Yuki clan. It probably wasn't the Yuki clan, but Genichi, who also possessed Ice Release.
As expected of Konoha's number one genius, Minato thought to himself, then placed a seal on the scroll that only he and Kushina could open. As for "Konoha's number one genius," that was his own opinion. But he believed that no one could refute it.
Giving them the Ice Release training method was a decision Genichi had made after repeated deliberation. This was not him sucking up. Ice Release was precious. In the ninja world, such an act was absolutely subversive. No matter how close the relationship, no one gave gifts like this.
But his sights were set beyond the ninja world. And Naruto's existence was special. Even without being the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, he was not ordinary. The reincarnation of Asura's chakra, connected to the Sage of Six Paths.
The Ice Release scroll was less of a wedding gift and more of a placeholder. Genichi believed that if the Nine-Tails attack still happened, if Minato and Kushina still died, they would definitely entrust Naruto to him. And even if none of that happened, with this gift, their close relationship, and his own great strength, they would still take the opportunity to have their child become his student.
The word "kizuna" was one he actually disliked. But he had to admit, it was sometimes very useful, especially in the ninja world, which placed so much importance on it. Naruto wasn't even born yet, and he was already establishing the bond. He was just that hypocritical.
And in truth, even if he hadn't given it to them, he wouldn't have just passed it down to his own descendants. If he took on disciples in the future, he would not be stingy with it either. There was another aspect: the training itself. Before, he had built good relationships with them for resources, and even to gather forces. But gradually, their exchanges on sealing arts and ninjutsu were actually for the sake of learning. He was beginning to feel the limits of his own wisdom and needed others to supplement it. His cooperation with Orochimaru was based on this point. One head is not as good as many.
Speaking of which, it was all very pragmatic.
The chess piece has been placed… Genichi had a faint premonition that sooner or later, he would face off against the Sage of Six Paths.
This world was just too strange. A mother and son turned against each other, and then he watched his two sons fight to the death. The Sage of Six Paths had "great love," but to someone with Genichi's low-level cognition, it was just madness. He admitted that he could never reach such a state. So, once he reached a certain level, a conflict of ideals was inevitable. And a conflict of ideals was sometimes more serious than a conflict of interests, just like with the Sage and Kaguya.
Genichi thought about many things that night. Unable to sleep, he got up and continued to train. A dozen or two years was a long time, but also very short. Time waited for no one. He would rather grind himself to death than die weak.
The New Year's atmosphere quickly passed. Tsunade, Ina, and Shizune all went to the battlefield one after another. Kakashi and the others also ended their vacation and began to take on missions everywhere. Only Genichi remained as before, either in his lab or training in some remote place in the mountains behind Konoha.
At the same time, in the Land of Rain, at the Akatsuki's temporary base, Nagato emerged from a cultivation pod, his legs now transplanted and healed. Beside him were five other pods, each containing a corpse, one of which was Yahiko's.
On a stone chair, Madara watched him. "You now possess Hashirama's cells. Your control over the Rinnegan will be stronger. I have already passed the jutsu to you. Next, you need to master these powers. It shouldn't be long before no one in the ninja world is your opponent. At that time, you will become the god of this world, comparable to the legendary Sage of Six Paths."
Nagato could indeed feel the increase in his power. "The great villages are in a chaotic war right now. It should be the best time to collect the Tailed Beasts, right?"
Beside him, Konan also nodded in agreement. It was easier to fish in troubled waters.
"Don't be too hasty," Madara said flatly. "To collect the Tailed Beasts, you must be prepared to make an enemy of the entire ninja world. And it will take time to gather the intelligence on them. You will also need help. One person is far from enough. Never underestimate the power of the ninja villages."
Nagato thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. He was still very naive right now. And he also needed time to grow, to in turn control the person before him.
"For now, lie low. When the war is over and the time is right, you can take your revenge on Hanzō and take over the Hidden Rain Village as a cover," Madara said, standing up. "And this is also the first step to achieving peace. At least, let the Land of Rain be at peace first, right?"
With that, Madara left with Aloe White Zetsu.
(End of Chapter)
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