Chapter 196: Mei Terumī's Shock, and Black Zetsu's Scheme
Genichi, of course, did not propose any conditions regarding Mei Terumī. He couldn't learn from Kirigakure's example and demand that she be left behind, or propose a political marriage, could he? He estimated Tsunade would chase him down three streets for that.
As for the negotiations with the Mist, he couldn't be bothered to waste his time participating. He felt that leaving it to Minato and the others was sufficient.
Leaving the Hokage's tower, he strolled toward his lab, pondering and sorting out his future training plans.
This 'cheat' hadn't yielded many immediate gains: just Electromagnetic Release and Dust Release. But the latent gains were numerous: Storm Release, Steel Release, Mind Control, and the Scorch Release Kekkei Tōta all counted.
"I won't consider more Kekkei Genkai for the time being. I'll first master the ones I have and then integrate them."
Besides these, there were also the abilities of the Tailed Beasts, which he had been gradually analyzing. Lava Release, Boil Release, Scorch Release...
"To integrate all these Kekkei Genkai will probably take a very long time. Thank goodness for the 'cheat'..."
Genichi's main focus right now was actually on sage transformation. The fusion of Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta was all left to his clones. Sage transformation was of great importance. In addition, there was the matter of raising his combat ceiling. So, Kekkei Tōta, and the Truth-Seeking Orbs that fused all seven nature transformations, were more important than the Kekkei Genkai he already held in his hands.
"Genichi!"
Hearing his name called, he reined in his thoughts and turned to see Kurenai Yūhi standing in front of a shop, waving at him. Hmm, the burgundy-haired woman next to her was… Mei Terumī?
He turned and walked over. "Kurenai."
Mei was also sizing him up. He's a handsome man. No, he should be a boy. But his aura… is he really my age? Looking at the tall and handsome Genichi, she was a little doubtful of his real age. Nearly 1.8 meters tall, a strong yet well-proportioned body, a strong masculine aura, and the mark on his forehead added a touch of mystery.
Hiss. Mei drew a sharp breath. Not good, damn it… I think I'm a little smitten. She was not a love-struck fool. On the contrary, in the high-pressure environment of the Mist Village, she had a clear head. Otherwise, as a Kekkei Genkai user, she would have probably died long ago. But she had to admit, the man before her was exactly her type.
"Genichi," Kurenai introduced, "this is Jonin Mei Terumī from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Jonin Terumī, this is our village's Jonin Kinoshita Genichi."
Mei's face remained calm. She took a deep breath and said very politely, "Lord Genichi, hello. I am Mei Terumī."
He nodded with a smile. "Hello. I have heard of your name."
Mei was surprised. She had been very low-key. A chill went down her spine, but on the surface, she said, "To be remembered by you, Lord Genichi, is a great honor. I have also long heard of your name. I wonder if I might have the honor of asking for your guidance."
Kurenai was surprised. So much tension? And this girl is so bold, daring to challenge Genichi? She felt something was not right. She looked at Mei with suspicion. This woman… she hasn't fallen for him, has she?
Genichi, on the other hand, looked at her with new eyes. To know of his reputation and strength and still dare to ask for guidance. Courageous. Then he would grant her wish.
"Asking for guidance is too polite. Let's just consider it a friendly spar between our two villages." He then said to Kurenai, "Find us a quiet place."
"No problem. Follow me," she nodded.
And so, the three of them left the bustling downtown area and came to a secluded spot, a wide clearing surrounded by trees. Kurenai stood under a tree at the edge, while Genichi and Mei stood more than twenty meters apart.
"I'm starting, Lord Genichi," Mei said in a low, solemn voice, her hands raised to form a hand seal.
"You may," he nodded.
"This is a Kekkei Genkai I've mastered, Boil Release." She formed a single seal, and after a brief explanation, she spat out a cloud of high-temperature, corrosive gas that swept toward him.
Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!
Kurenai could clearly see that wherever the gas passed, the grass on the ground was quickly corroded and dissolved.
So strong, she thought, her pupils constricting.
Genichi stood still, but a thick armor of ice quickly formed on his body, and in the blink of an eye, he was encased in an ice golem three or four meters tall.
Hiss, hiss~~
The surface of the ice was corroded by the hot acid mist, dissolving bit by bit, leaving pits and craters. However, the rate of dissolution was not fast. And Mei could clearly see that the dissolved parts were quickly regenerating.
Such a strong Ice Release. The Yuki clan cannot compare at all. No wonder the Third Mizukage died at his hands, and the Fourth treats him with such respect, even though they are enemies.
Secretly shocked, Mei performed another jutsu. Since Boil Release didn't work, she would try an acid with stronger pure corrosivity.
Lava Release: Lava Monster Technique!
She spat out a stream of milky-white, viscous liquid that shot out and wrapped around the ice golem, completely encasing it.
Kurenai was shocked again. Another… another Kekkei Genkai? This woman… Her gaze toward Mei was now completely different. No wonder she had dared to challenge him; she had mastered two Kekkei Genkai at the same time. In Konoha, only Genichi had done that.
Inside the golem, Genichi looked at the rate of corrosion. He could only say that the power was not bad, but against a Kekkei Tōta-level Ice Release, it was just so-so.
He raised his arms, and the golem tore the solution apart. The outer layer of ice then fell off, landing on the ground with the liquid.
"He neutralized it so easily," Mei was a little stunned.
"My turn…" he smiled.
Mei was on guard. She immediately leaped back, her hands raised to form a hand seal. But before she could use her ninjutsu, she was suddenly frozen into an ice sculpture in mid-air, and then crashed to the ground with a thump.
Kurenai's eyes widened, and then she was filled with joy. "As expected of Genichi."
Inside the ice, Mei's eyes darted around, her heart filled with terror. She hadn't even sensed his attack, and yet she had been frozen. She struggled to open her mouth slightly and exhaled a hot, corrosive gas, trying to melt the hard ice and break free.
Damn it, the temperature is too low. My body is stiffening, and I can barely mold my chakra.
Soon, she couldn't move at all. Even though she had mastered Boil Release and could use it to maintain her body temperature, the ice was too cold. It seeped in layer by layer, and the amount of chakra she could refine rapidly decreased.
Suddenly, the hard ice quickly melted, dissipating into the air. It was him, who had actively dispelled the jutsu.
She quickly used Boil Release to restore her body temperature, then gasped for breath. Her gaze toward him was now full of reverence, and… a different emotion hidden deep in her eyes.
"Are you alright, Jonin Terumī?" he asked with a smile.
She stopped panting and shook her head. "I'm fine. Compared to you, Lord Genichi, my strength is indeed not worth mentioning. I was too presumptuous."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration," he said. "Among our peers, you are already one of the best. In the entire ninja world, the only one who can surpass you is me." Kakashi, at present, was not necessarily a match for her, who had mastered two Kekkei Genkai.
"You praise me too much, Lord Genichi," she said, a little shy, but her face did not show it.
The spar ended just like that.
"Jonin Terumī," he smiled, "I have high hopes for your future. Keep it up. If you can't stay in the Mist Village, you can come to Konoha."
She was taken aback for a moment, then said solemnly, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Genichi, but the village is very good. I have no intention of defecting."
He smiled, then nodded to Kurenai and vanished.
This time, he went directly to his underground lab and continued to get busy. And for the negotiations with the Mist this time, Tsunade did not participate directly, but left it to the younger Minato to preside over. As it happened, the Mist's envoy was also the young jonin, Ao.
That evening, he returned home from the lab. After Ina had washed up, he took out the scroll for the "Mind Control" Kekkei Genkai. "Ina, try this."
"Eh? Did you develop a new genjutsu?" she asked curiously, taking the scroll. She opened it and was shocked. "A Kekkei Genkai? Did you master another illusion-type Kekkei Genkai, Genichi? Amazing!" She looked up at him, her eyes full of stars.
He smiled without explaining and flicked her on the forehead. "This should be more suitable for you than Kyōka Suigetsu."
"Ouch," she said, rubbing her forehead, then nodded vigorously. "Mhm, I definitely won't disappoint you this time, Lord Genichi."
He pinched her cheek. "I wasn't disappointed. Everyone's talent is different. I believe you can do it. Let's go, let's work hard together."
That day, the lights in the study stayed on until very late.
The years flew by. Unconsciously, the peace talks with the Mist had ended. Mei Terumī left Konoha with complicated emotions. Genichi did not appear, continuing to be immersed in his world of training.
And in the blink of an eye, it was the day of Naruto's one-month celebration. Genichi and Ina brought a gift to Minato's house. There were even fewer guests this time than at the wedding. Besides them, there were only Rin, Obito, and Kakashi. The gifts from them were all toys like wooden swords, kunai, and shuriken.
Genichi looked at the Naruto in the rocking chair, who had no whisker marks, and felt a sense of unfamiliarity. He reached out and lifted his two short legs, looked, and only then was he relieved. Good, he hasn't turned into a girl.
Kushina and Minato looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Nodding with satisfaction, he took out his gift and put it on Naruto. It was a necklace with an ice-blue gemstone pendant, which sealed his sage art ice chakra.
"Genichi," Kushina couldn't help but laugh, "you prepared this gift for a girl, didn't you?"
"No," he said, picking up the baby who was reaching for the necklace, "it's for a man."
If Naruto were the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, then the necklace could have the same effect as the one Tsunade had, the one left by the First. Of course, the necklace itself was also a tracking device, as it had his chakra. Now that he was not a jinchuriki, the chakra in it could also save his life in a dangerous situation. What would happen to the future Naruto was not important. What was important was the present.
After having lunch at their house, he and Ina took their leave.
On the way home, Ina, still full of envy, smiled. "Naruto is so kawaii. I wonder if they'll have another one. It would be even better if it was a girl."
"You'll have children in the future too," he said, taking her hand. "They'll definitely be very cute too."
She immediately blushed but nodded with great joy. "Mhm!" A child with Lord Genichi, she couldn't help but think, will definitely be very outstanding in the future. She began to imagine whether it would be better to have a daughter or a son. Or a pair of twins would also be nice. The 22-year-old Ina was full of imagination and expectation for the future.
After parting with her, Genichi went to the underground lab.
"Eh, Shizune?" He was a little surprised to see her here at this time.
"Genichi," she looked up, pleasantly surprised. "Are you finished so soon?"
"Yeah, it was just a meal to celebrate," he nodded and walked over. "What are you researching?"
"A neurotoxin," she said. She then suddenly asked, "Genichi, if I were to develop a Kekkei Genkai, which direction should I go in?"
Looking at her slightly troubled face, he said seriously, "It's best to choose a point you are familiar with and good at to make a breakthrough. For you, your talent in poison is very good. And your Yang Release. Perhaps you can start from that aspect."
She nodded. She had actually thought about this, but she had no idea how to start.
"Any Kekkei Genkai is formed from the fusion of two nature transformations to form a new one," he analyzed. "And chakra has the ability to be converted into matter. For example, Water Release, Earth Release. This is rooted in the most basic composition of chakra, that is, spiritual and physical energy, which extends to Yin Release, representing spiritual power, and Yang Release, representing physical power. The power of Yin is to create form from nothing, and Yang is to imbue that form with life. Yin-Yang Release can create all things, but in fact, any nature transformation possesses a part of the characteristics of Yin-Yang Release. Of course, to distinguish it from the power of Yin-Yang Release to create all things, I call it the conversion of energy and matter."
In this period of time, he had studied Yin-Yang Release, and his gains were not small.
She listened and nodded repeatedly. She could understand what he was saying, and her eyes couldn't help but light up. "Genichi, do you mean that I can first use chakra nature transformation to create and concoct poisons?"
"That's right," he nodded. To deeply study various poisons, understand all their characteristics and structures, and then use chakra to create them. That is, to use chakra to perform a nature transformation into poison, for direct attack or poisoning. He believed that even if he didn't remind her, as she continued to study, she would gradually come to understand this point. In the original timeline, the future Shizune had indeed been able to directly create the poisons she needed for attacks with her chakra. However, with a more thorough theoretical guidance, her future path might be smoother.
"I'm not good at poison, but I am proficient in all seven basic nature transformations," he said. "Shizune, do you know why there are these seven basic nature transformations?"
She shook her head, bewildered. The academy certainly hadn't taught this.
"I've already explained Yin and Yang," he said. "Then let's talk about the more common Water, Lightning, Wind, Fire, and Earth. First, Water Release. A narrow understanding is the water we commonly see. A broad understanding should be the liquid state. That's why I developed acid water, and in Konoha's Water Release, there are also special ninjutsu with very strong viscosity. And in fact, my acid water also has toxicity."
She was enlightened.
"Then let's talk about Earth Release," he continued. "A narrow understanding is soil and the like. A broad understanding can be solid matter. Wind Release can be broadly understood as gaseous matter. Lightning Release can be broadly understood as the plasma state. And Fire Release is between the gaseous and plasma states. This is my understanding of nature transformation based on the states of matter. Wind, Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, plus Yang and Yin, can actually create any substance and life in the world. You can use this as a reference, Shizune. For example, various different poisons, can they be concocted and created using conventional nature transformations?"
Her eyes were already sparkling. "Genichi, you're so amazing." Although this was the first time she had heard of the plasma state and didn't understand it, the liquid, solid, and gaseous states were very easy to understand.
"I hope this can help you," he said, stroking her smooth hair. For him, guiding her was also a way to sort out his own learning. Reviewing the old to learn the new. From guiding her, he felt that he had a deeper understanding and ideas about the essence of chakra and Yin-Yang Release.
"Of course it's a great help," she said seriously. "I already have some ideas."
"Then keep it up," he immediately encouraged.
"Mhm." She nodded vigorously, then turned and got busy. She would first choose a suitable poison as a sample and try to concoct it with chakra nature transformation.
Seeing her get busy, he also turned and left the toxicology lab to get busy with his own things.
At the same time, above the Mountain's Graveyard, at the place where he had fought Madara and Tekka before, Orochimaru appeared.
"Looks like this is the right place," he smiled, looking at the traces left by the battle. "Even more intense than the battle with Uchiha Tekka. Since Genichi-kun found this place and fought here, then Madara's previous hiding place should be nearby."
His body stooped, his mouth opened to an unusually large size, and then a dense swarm of snakes, large and small, poured out, slithering out in all directions like a tide.
After summoning a massive number of snakes to search for tracks, he stood up and waited quietly.
And what he didn't notice was that on the mountain, Black Zetsu was currently watching him from a distance. Hehe, it seems the plan is going very smoothly. If Orochimaru gets Madara's body, he will definitely not be able to resist studying it. With the intel Konoha currently has, they should be able to get close to the truth soon. But… if he wants to verify some things, then he will have to revive Madara. That Impure World Reincarnation jutsu, it shouldn't be difficult for Orochimaru to master, right? But to make Madara display sufficient strength, I'm afraid I'll have to help him a little.
(End of Chapter)
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