Chapter 90: A Solo Battle Against Tsunade and Emperor Guy, Victory!
Wait... that actually works?
Akiyama Makoto realized he had been stuck in a misconception. If his goal was just to have an heir... it seemed he didn't necessarily have to be in a romantic relationship. This included not only situations like after a night of drinking with Temari or Anko, but also a much more common situation: political marriage.
If he were to use a guidance now, he was confident that both the Daimyō and Danzō would send him a pile of Chūnin-level kunoichi to bear his children. The only problem was that without their pheromones, having an heir was worthless.
Having figured this out, he felt he had a much broader range of operational strategies. Of course, some of these operations were limited to the simulation. In reality, he still needed to collect more simulation attempts. On top of his training and other tasks, raising the affection level of the kunoichi to gain more chances remained something he had to do.
Most importantly, in reality, he had no room for error. He had no desire to receive a joint elbow strike from Guy and Tsunade in the real world.
As he was thinking, the simulation continued. The text that followed left him a little shocked again.
[Hyūga Hiashi also invites you through Hinata, hoping you can officially teach the chakra thread usage method to the Hyūga clan to enhance their mid- to long-range attack capabilities, and also wants to have Hanabi become your apprentice.]
[You even suddenly become friends with many Konoha kunoichi, such as Shizune and Inuzuka Hana. It is only after a drunken Shizune lets it slip that you learn that this was all arranged by Tsunade.]
A cold shiver ran down his spine. Had he become a hot commodity, sought after by the various powers of Konoha and even the Land of Fire? He had thought that in the last simulation, as Tsunade's disciple and the Hokage's advisor, he was already in high demand. But now he realized that an independent medical ninja on Tsunade's level, a powerhouse with the potential to reach Kage-level in the future, was far more popular than a Hokage's advisor who was already spoken for.
If any organization managed to win him over, the lives of their ninja could be guaranteed, and they could even use him to counterbalance Tsunade's influence. Besides, considering his previous simulation experience, after Tsunade became Hokage, she would have very little time to treat patients and earn money. Shizune's skills were not on her level, and Sakura had not yet matured. This meant that he had become the only viable option to fill this void... no wonder even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire was fawning over him.
Should he take advantage of this and use a guidance to operate on a larger scale?
He thought about it for a moment and gave up the idea. The goal of this simulation was Tenten. Having a child with her was what he ultimately needed to do. The rest could only be considered as increasing the possibilities of the simulation's path. As for his current popularity, he could use it as a sign of his "prodigal son's return," to mend his relationship with Tenten.
He decided to continue observing to see if his simulated self thought the same way. If so, he could save a simulation attempt.
[Faced with so many temptations that have sprung up within a year, you are not dazzled. You only choose to interact with the ninja whose pheromones you have already collected. Your relationships with Ino and Hinata become closer.]
[As for Anko Mitarashi, because she already has a child, you subconsciously distance yourself from her, which makes her very sad. Shizune and the others, after a few attempts, also return to a normal level of interaction with you.]
The corner of his mouth twitched. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Who could Anko blame for her own actions...? But he wondered how the child, Mochi, was doing. To live in the same village as his child... it was a very strange feeling.
[Konoha 68: Naruto returns from his training. He learns of what you have done and is furious, wanting to stand up for Sakura. However, the Naruto who has not yet trained in Sage Mode is defeated by you, and he is hit hard by this.]
[Team 7 is reassembled. You receive a compulsory conscription order from Tsunade, requiring you to face the increasingly dangerous situation in the ninja world alongside Sakura and Naruto.]
[You originally wanted to refuse and had the reason and status to do so. But Tsunade promises that after everything is over, she will fight you again and intentionally lose. You readily agree.]
Seeing this, Makoto laughed out loud. Had Tsunade just sold out her own disciple, Sakura? But it wasn't that surprising. In fact, it was unreasonable for Sakura and Tenten to use Tsunade and Guy as their shields in the first place. They probably never thought he would actually dare to challenge those two powerhouses.
And then, what no one in Konoha had expected was that challenging them once wasn't enough for him. He had later turned it into a form of training. Guy, the challenge fiend, was one thing, but Tsunade, who was busy to death as Hokage, where would she find the time to fight him every day? She was probably long since dissatisfied with the situation and wanted to teach Sakura a lesson in return. As for whether Sakura would have to marry him because of this... the Tsunade of Konoha 68 certainly didn't have time to worry about such things. Romance could wait until after this year was over and everyone was still alive.
[You, Sakura, and Naruto reform Team 7, taking the place of the original Sai. Sai becomes a member of the Hokage's direct Anbu subordinate, taking orders from Tsunade.]
[Your relationship with Naruto is not good. In his eyes, you are even worse than Sasuke; at least Sasuke wasn't a fickle playboy who made Sakura unhappy. But you don't care, because you know you are only temporarily taking Sasuke's place.]
[In the following days, you follow Naruto into battles east and west, fighting until the end of the Great Ninja War. Your conscription order also ends at this point.]
[Fighting side by side for so long, coupled with the fact that you sacrificed your lifespan to save Sarutobi Asuma and Jiraiya, has greatly eased the tension between you and Sakura. She falls in love with you again.]
[However, you do not forget your original intention. Faced with Sakura's hints that she would accept your confession, you still choose to have them both. A furious Sakura fights you and is still no match for you. She reiterates the original condition, demanding that you defeat Tsunade.]
Seeing this, a thought suddenly occurred to him. The Emperor Guy of this time... wouldn't he still be down one leg? Did that mean... His eyes lit up. Could he really fulfill their original condition?
As it turned out, the subsequent development was just as he had predicted!
[You find Tenten. At this time, having experienced the Great Ninja War and seen Neji's death, her mindset has also changed. Although she still cannot accept sharing you with someone else, she can accept losing you even less. In her conflict, she also restates the condition. In her eyes, if you can defeat Tsunade, you are strong enough to make your own rules in life.]
[Under the watchful eyes of all of Konoha, at the Valley of the End, you begin your battle with Tsunade and the wheelchair-bound Guy. Then, Tsunade throws the fight and loses. Emperor Guy, without opening the Eighth Gate, is no match for you in a single exchange.]
[Meeting the dumbfounded gazes of the Konoha ninja, you raise a V-for-victory sign towards the blushing Tenten and Sakura.]
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