Chapter 198: Concept-Level Perk 'Hentai Raikage'
At the Daimyō's Manor in the Capital of the Land of Fire.
"We pay our respects to the Daimyō."
The entire group bowed in unison.
Nominally, the Daimyō governed Konoha Village, and his status was one level higher than the Hokage. Therefore, the necessary etiquette could not be skipped.
"Long time no see, Tsunade," the Daimyō greeted Tsunade, then said, "Please, have a seat."
"Yes."
Everyone took their seats on both sides of the table.
"Serve the food," the Daimyō turned to a palace maiden.
A moment later, the tables before everyone were filled with dishes.
"Let's eat while we talk," the Daimyō casually raised his wine cup. "Tsunade, your Konoha Village has been doing well lately."
"It is our duty," Tsunade replied.
The Great Shinobi War was a brutal struggle, largely intended to gain the Daimyō's attention and increase funding. The Daimyō needed these victories to provide conversational fodder and save face.
In Hoshikawa 's opinion, this model in the shinobi world was quite dysfunctional. Under the rule of strength, it was the defenseless commoners who actually governed the shinobi world.
"Do you have confidence regarding Kumogakure?" the Daimyō took a sip of sake and asked.
"Yes," Tsunade explained. "With the Third Raikage dead, Kumogakure is being besieged by three villages; their defeat is only a matter of time."
"Excellent!" The Daimyō smiled. "Next time I meet the Land of Lightning Daimyō, I can certainly mock him."
The Great Shinobi War was confined to the Five Great Villages and did not generally affect the Five Great Nations or the relationships between the Daimyō. In the Daimyō's eyes, the number of dead shinobi was irrelevant, as long as they won.
"Daimyō," Tsunade took the opportunity to say, "We have come this time because Konoha Village is critically short on supplies."
"No problem," the Daimyō said dismissively. "Whatever you're short on, I will provide." He was exceptionally generous to the victors. This contrasted sharply with Sunagakure, whose perennial failures had led the Land of Wind Daimyō to slash their funding. Sunagakure was forced to pursue an elite path, and even their Kage had resorted to being a gold miner.
But Hoshikawa knew the Daimyō's true nature. It was this very Daimyō's son, Madoka, who would attempt to cut aid to Konoha after Naruto Uzumaki became Hokage.
"Thank you, Daimyō," Tsunade nodded slightly. The Land of Fire provided Konoha with fixed annual funding, but additional funds were often hard to acquire. The smooth approval this time was entirely due to Konoha's continuous victories over the past two years.
"It's nothing," the Daimyō waved his hand, then asked, "I heard you captured a Tailed Beast?"
"It's not my credit; it was my student, Hoshikawa ," Tsunade paused, then clarified.
"I remember, I met you once before," the Daimyō turned to Hoshikawa , an expression of realization on his face. It was during the time Sakumo Hatake failed his mission and caused significant losses. Tsunade and Hoshikawa had come to the Capital of the Land of Fire to plead his case.
"The last time a Tailed Beast was captured was by your great-grandfather. I believe he would be proud of you," the Daimyō praised with a smile. "Perhaps you can restore his glory."
Tsunade felt a slight sense of helplessness. This was another downside of great fame. Although she had already stated that Hoshikawa was the main contributor to the Four-Tails capture, the Daimyō still assumed she had played a significant role. In reality, she had mostly just stood by, doing little. Furthermore, the Daimyō clearly lacked a full understanding of the power of shinobi. Hashirama Senju could capture all nine Tailed Beasts, but she certainly could not.
"Has the next Hokage of your Konoha Village been decided?" the Daimyō suddenly changed the subject.
Tsunade instinctively glanced at Hoshikawa . If he hadn't been with her constantly, she would have suspected the brat had discussed this with the Daimyō beforehand.
"Not yet," Tsunade shook her head. "My teacher is still in his prime."
"I recall he is already over fifty years old," the Daimyō countered with a smile. "That counts as advanced age."
Because shinobi were constantly fighting, their life expectancy was generally low. Living past fifty was considered long life. Hoshikawa quickly calculated: Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently about fifty-four or fifty-five years old.
"..." Tsunade immediately felt a headache coming on. She could roughly guess the Daimyō's thoughts. The main catalyst was her and Hoshikawa 's capture of the Four-Tails. In the Daimyō's view, Tsunade's battle record now surpassed Hiruzen Sarutobi's. He didn't care about the difference in their individual power, only that capturing a Tailed Beast was a huge achievement. If she became Hokage, there would likely be better development, and the Daimyō would receive a corresponding return, such as bragging rights in front of the other Daimyō.
"Daimyō, the war has not yet ended, so it is not appropriate to discuss this matter," Tsunade said, recovering her composure.
"True," the Daimyō smiled. "We'll talk after the war is over."
Hoshikawa 's heart stirred. Although Tsunade stalled for time, the Daimyō's intent was clear: he would definitely support her as Hokage.
Why am I not surprised?
Tsunade was qualified and already familiar with the Daimyō's family; it would be strange not to choose her.
After three rounds of drinks, the luncheon was drawing to a close.
"One last toast," the Daimyō stood up, slightly tipsy. "May your Konoha Village achieve even more victories!"
"Thank you, Daimyō!" everyone raised their glasses in response.
"Someone will liaise with you regarding the supplies," the Daimyō put down his cup and was escorted out by the palace maids.
"Master, why do you look so preoccupied?" Hoshikawa leaned closer and asked. Tsunade had drunk quite a bit of sake, but unlike at home, she was still quite lucid. However, the expression on her face looked somewhat unhappy.
"What do you think?" Tsunade glared at him.
"Is Master so resistant to becoming Hokage?" Hoshikawa thought for a moment, then said seriously, "If you really don't like it, there's no need to take the position. Just let someone else have it."
His desire for Tsunade to become Hokage was purely to fulfill his own wish, but it wasn't an absolute necessity. Given Hoshikawa 's current strength and status, whoever became Hokage wouldn't have much of an impact on him.
Tsunade was momentarily stunned. She looked him over, confirming that Hoshikawa wasn't lying.
Tsunade opened her mouth. If this were the old her, she would have instantly agreed. But now, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"You brat, is the matter of who becomes Hokage something you get to decide?" Tsunade reached out and viciously flicked his forehead.
Hoshikawa was slightly taken aback. This reaction was unexpected.
I think there's a chance!
"Master is right," Hoshikawa smiled. "Everything is decided by Master."
"Let's go!" Tsunade stood up. "Let's go tally the supplies and then return to the village." She didn't plan to rest overnight in the Capital of the Land of Fire; the supplies needed to be delivered to the battlefield without delay.
"Yes, Master." Hoshikawa followed behind her and left the Daimyō's Manor.
The supplies were naturally not at the Manor but in a warehouse in the Capital of the Land of Fire. The Daimyō's people had acted quickly, and many carts were already gathered at the warehouse gate. Many people were busy loading and unloading the supplies.
"Go help out," Tsunade commanded.
"Yes." Tsume Inuzuka and the others joined the ranks of those moving supplies. Being shinobi, they possessed great strength, significantly boosting efficiency.
Hoshikawa suddenly thought of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu . If shinobi were to engage in production, the shinobi world would certainly be much better off than it was now. At the very least, no one would starve. Unfortunately, for now, it was not feasible.
Two hours later, all the supplies were loaded onto the carts. At Tsunade's command, the group began escorting the carts back to Konoha Village. With the massive amount of supplies, everyone was more cautious on the return journey. Fortunately, the trip was calm and uneventful. Ordinary bandits and thieves wouldn't dare rob so many shinobi. The other Hidden Villages were currently preoccupied with the war and were too busy to interfere.
"You two have two days off," Tsunade said to Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yūhi upon reaching Konoha Village. Although the trip to the Capital of the Land of Fire involved no combat, they had been on the road constantly with little rest. Coupled with the slow speed of the carts, the round trip took over a week.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yūhi said in unison, smiling. After such a long journey, they were relieved to finally have two days of rest.
"Tsume Inuzuka, you and your team handle the supplies, and I will go see the Old Man," Tsunade then instructed Tsume Inuzuka and her group.
"Yes!" Tsume Inuzuka and the others responded in unison.
"Hoshikawa ." Tsunade called him and headed towards the Hokage's Office.
"I feel like Lady Tsunade always brings Hoshikawa along," Kurenai Yūhi remarked thoughtfully.
"Because Hoshikawa is powerful," Rin Nohara replied after some thought.
"True," Kurenai Yūhi nodded, then said with renewed vigor, "I can't rest! I need to become a Jōnin quickly!"
"Me too," Rin Nohara agreed.
"Let's go train together!" Kurenai Yūhi invited her.
"I'm sorry, I can't join you," Rin Nohara shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Since I'm a medical shinobi, interning at the Konoha Hospital will advance my skills faster."
"There's no need to apologize for that," Kurenai Yūhi smiled brightly. "Then let's see who becomes a Jōnin first." She knew that Hoshikawa had secured an internship position for Rin Nohara at the Konoha Hospital, so she wasn't surprised.
"See you tomorrow." At the intersection, Kurenai Yūhi and Rin Nohara parted ways.
Hokage's Office.
"You did well!" Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he looked at the supply manifest. The amount of supplies received this time was even greater than he had anticipated, enough to sustain their consumption for several months.
"Does the Daimyō have any other instructions?" Hiruzen put down the manifest and asked.
"None," Tsunade shook her head. "He only hopes that we can secure more victories."
"That's good," Hiruzen said with a relaxed expression. "It seems the Daimyō is quite pleased with the current situation." While he could technically disregard the Daimyō based on power, the Daimyō controlled the village's finances, so he could not be offended. A shinobi village could not operate solely on mission rewards.
"Chiyo has already responded," Hiruzen remembered the important matter. "They will be sending more shinobi to the Land of Rivers."
"What about Kirigakure?" Tsunade nodded slightly and asked.
"No major movements yet," Hiruzen chuckled. "I suspect they are currently extorting Kumogakure, which has delayed them."
"That's possible," Tsunade paused. "Anything else?"
"That's all. You can go rest now," Hiruzen said with a smile. "I will inform you when Kirigakure makes a move."
Tsunade turned and left the Hokage's Office. She reverted to her true self the moment she returned home, collapsing onto the sofa.
"I'm going to rest for a bit. Call me when it's time to eat," Tsunade stretched and closed her eyes.
Hoshikawa 's eyelids twitched. Lying sideways on the sofa, the effect of gravity made her clothes stretch in a remarkable way. Truly... a feast for the eyes.
Hoshikawa watched for a few seconds, then headed outside. With no one to disturb him, he could practice the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Lightning sparked across his entire body. Hoshikawa grit his teeth and persisted through the electric current. Ninjutsu Taijutsu (Nintaijutsu) was still a form of Taijutsu training, which often looked like self-torture, like Might Guy's training. An average shinobi simply couldn't endure it for long.
As the electric current sent continuous jolts through his body, Hoshikawa suddenly thought of the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore. It had been a long time since he published a new novel or manga. To achieve the B-rank perk 'Hentai Master' , he needed to put in some more effort. The last published work was Maple and Bell; this time… Aha! An elf-themed one!
As dusk fell, Hoshikawa finished his Lightning Release Chakra Mode training. He returned to the house; Tsunade was still asleep, so he didn't disturb her and went to the kitchen.
When dinner was ready and served, Hoshikawa picked up a piece of fried shrimp and went to the sofa. He crouched down, looked at Tsunade's beautiful face, considered it for a moment, then reached out and poked her cheek. Mmm, soft.
Tsunade opened her eyes.
"Master, open up," Hoshikawa brought the fried shrimp to her lips.
Tsunade bit the shrimp and sat up.
"Dinner is ready. Let's go eat." Hoshikawa handed her the chopsticks.
"Mm." Tsunade glanced at him. Hoshikawa was calm, as if nothing had happened. Tsunade thought better of it and didn't press the matter.
A new day.
Hoshikawa went to the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore and handed the outline he had written overnight to Tsuchihashi. The title was A Record of Elven Visits—one of Kaminari-ken's works. This fit perfectly with his friend's pen name.
A week later, while training, Hoshikawa suddenly gained a new perk: the B-rank perk 'Novel Master' (Xiǎoshuō Dàjiā).
Hoshikawa synthesized it without hesitation.
[B-rank Talent Perk: Hentai Master ]
[Trigger Condition: Synthesized from B-rank 'Novel Master' and C-rank perk 'Manga Artist'.]
[Effect: Memory is increased by 100% of its original base, and insight (Eyepower) is increased by 100% of its original base.]
[Note: Adding the S-rank perk 'Fifth Raikage' can synthesize the S-rank perk 'Hentai Raikage'.]
"Ah?" Hoshikawa exclaimed involuntarily after reading the perk description.
Holy sht! Hentai Raikage! Where did that come from? Is this still the shinobi world?*
What kind of effect would that perk even have? All sorts of strange and unusual uses immediately popped into Hoshikawa 's mind.
As for why it was the 'Fifth Raikage,' it was because A had officially become the Fourth Raikage after the Third Raikage's death. Being a Raikage was a distant thought. Hoshikawa wanted to be Hokage, but when he became invincible, he might consider becoming Raikage for a short time just to trigger the perk.
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