The addition of Hatake Kakashi didn't bring about significant changes to Natsuki's life.
According to Konoha's regulations, newly graduated Genin could only accept D-rank missions.
Hatake Kakashi was no exception.
Natsuki had him train at the Senju clan compound in the mornings, and follow Nawaki or Namikaze Minato on missions in the afternoons.
Because Namikaze Minato had to train in Sage Mode, Kakashi mostly went on missions with Nawaki.
Nawaki, becoming a Jonin instructor early, was also very enthusiastic, teaching Hatake Kakashi with all his heart and soul.
Natsuki planned to teach Hatake Kakashi Lightning Release.
But not now.
He could leave him be for the time being.
October arrived, marking autumn in Konoha, and the weather became much cooler.
However, the Land of Rain was still characterized by its continuous, gloomy rain.
"The rainwater business has now returned to normal."
Kakuzu said unhurriedly.
Natsuki nodded.
Since Pakura had already been transformed into a demon by him, there was naturally no need to provoke further internal strife between her, Rasa, and Reki.
"Not long ago, Yahiko and the others sent back news."
Kakuzu added. "Their plan was very successful, and they have already completed the first step."
The first step of the plan was very simple.
First, have Mui gain the support of the Grass Fruit faction.
He would use the opening of the Box of Ultimate Bliss as bait to have the Grass Fruit faction help him become the leader.
The second step was to win over the Grass Flower faction.
Explain the current situation and truth of the Box of Ultimate Bliss to the Grass Flower faction to gain their trust.
And clarify his stance: after becoming the leader, he would stand on the side of the Grass Flower faction and suppress the Grass Fruit faction.
After all, the Grass Fruit faction advocated using the Box of Ultimate Bliss to rule the ninja world.
Of course, a plan was just a plan.
The execution process wouldn't be completely smooth sailing.
Yahiko and the others would secretly employ some violent methods to ensure the completion of the plan.
Fortunately, Kusagakure was a small hidden village, and there weren't many powerful ninjas.
Coupled with Mui's maneuvering, him becoming the leader was only a matter of time.
"Notify me immediately if there's any further news."
Natsuki turned and left.
Subsequently, he found a place and used an Air Door.
He walked out of the Air Door and arrived at Pakura's house.
But she wasn't there.
Seeing this, Natsuki wasn't in a hurry. He sat on the sofa and fell into thought.
His main activity now was still training.
Not long ago, he had just learned the Four Red Yang Formation and unlocked the Kikyo template's Defensive Barrier.
But besides training, what else could he do?
Natsuki stroked his chin.
He thought of Shinno of the Land of Sky.
Shinno was a rare Medical Jonin.
The Unohana Retsu template's Kaido required killing three Medical Jonin.
He had previously killed Yomi, so he still needed two more.
Shinno undoubtedly met the condition.
And theoretically speaking, he was also a Taijutsu Jonin.
Because he knew the Eight Inner Gates.
The Hatake Kakashi template's First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates required defeating three Taijutsu Jonin.
He had previously defeated Mui, so he also needed two more for that.
Besides that, the value of the Land of Sky was not small either.
The Land of Sky, a hidden village that excelled in flying.
However, their flying relied not on ninjutsu, but on ninja tools.
For example, ninja tools similar to paragliders.
Using Wind Release chakra as propulsion, they would launch into the air, soar, and then attack with shurikens and other ninja tools.
But that wasn't the main point.
The main point was that they had built an aerial fortress called the Ancor Vantian.
This Ancor Vantian was powered by the Zero-Tails.
The Zero-Tails was a tailless beast created by Shinno, an entity formed from dark chakra.
Although it couldn't compare to a Tailed Beast, it possessed a massive amount of chakra, comparable to Moryo and Satori.
He could absorb it into the Black Grail, or leave it in the Ancor Vantian to act as its power source.
The premise was that the Ancor Vantian could prove to be sufficiently useful.
Natsuki remembered another thing.
In the original work, the Land of Sky was destroyed by Konoha during the Second Great Ninja War.
So, was it destroyed now?
Natsuki remembered that he hadn't encountered any ninjas from the Land of Sky during the Second Great Ninja War.
However, he didn't participate in the entire Second Great Ninja War. He spent a considerable amount of time in Konoha.
Perhaps the Land of Sky had also been destroyed by Konoha.
In short, having the Anbu investigate would clarify the situation.
Just then, the sound of the door opening rang out.
"I thought an enemy had broken into my house."
Pakura walked in.
"What enemy would be bold enough to sneak into your house?"
Natsuki chuckled and asked back.
"Did you come looking for me today for a specific reason?"
Pakura walked up to him and poured him a cup of water.
"Have Rasa and Reki made any moves recently?"
Natsuki took a sip of water and asked.
"No."
Pakura sat opposite him and said. "I've heightened my guard. It's very difficult for them to find an opportunity to get close to me now."
As she spoke, she took off her Sunagakure forehead protector.
Her bangs fell down as she shook her head.
Her mature body swayed along with it, her backless, waist-cinching tight outfit highlighting her curves.
"That's good."
Natsuki openly appreciated the sight.
Pakura noticed his gaze, her heart trembling slightly, but she didn't say anything.
"You can try cultivating a few trustworthy subordinates in Sunagakure."
Natsuki suggested.
"Subordinates who trust me and are also willing to betray Sunagakure are probably very difficult to cultivate."
Pakura said without changing her expression.
"Just give it a try. It doesn't matter if you don't succeed."
Natsuki said nonchalantly.
"I'll try my best."
Pakura paused, then asked in confusion. "Why don't you use the Blood Curse to control other Sunagakure ninjas?"
"My blood is very precious. I can't waste it so casually."
Natsuki shook his head and said.
Pakura was slightly taken aback, thinking to herself, just as she expected.
With the Blood Curse having such broken effects, the cost must be immense.
Therefore, Natsuki could only control a small number of ninjas.
Was she considered lucky? Or unlucky?
Natsuki didn't know what she was thinking.
If he did, he could only say she was overthinking it.
Theoretically speaking, as long as he had chakra, Natsuki could produce blood. The cost was practically zero.
But he certainly wouldn't explain this to anyone.
"I'm leaving first. Be careful. Rasa and Reki won't give up so easily."
Natsuki stood up, opened an Air Door, and walked in.
When he reappeared, he was already at the Anbu base.
"Zo."
Natsuki got straight to the point. "Investigate the Land of Sky for me."
"Yes, Lord Natsuki."
Zo didn't ask anything, turned, and left.
Natsuki returned to the Senju clan compound.
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.
Natsuki wasn't surprised.
Because Hatake Kakashi frequently sparred in swordsmanship with Nawaki.
"Natsuki."
Uzumaki Kushina ran up to him.
She was wearing a dress, and as she ran, her long red hair swayed in the wind.
Natsuki took a couple of looks, thinking to himself that she had indeed grown up and was already a graceful young woman.
But that was normal.
After all, once this year passed, she would officially enter adulthood.
"Aren't you training?"
Natsuki pinched her cheek and asked.
"I've trained for so long already. Of course I can take a break."
Uzumaki Kushina snorted lightly and said.
"Let's change locations to chat."
Natsuki glanced at the battling Hatake Kakashi and Nawaki and said. "It's a bit noisy here."
"Let's go to our alternate dimension!"
Hearing this, Uzumaki Kushina grabbed his hand and ran into his room.
The two passed through the Air Door and entered the alternate dimension.
Through their efforts, the alternate dimension already had quite a few buildings.
Besides that, there were also various flowers, plants, and trees.
The miraculous thing about this alternate dimension was that it was still within the ninja world and could receive sunlight from the outside.
From this perspective, it was very similar to Mount Myoboku.
Mount Myoboku also had dense vegetation.
"I think we should give our alternate dimension a name."
Uzumaki Kushina walked among the flowers, spread her arms, smelled the floral scent, and a smile appeared on her face.
"What name do you want to give it?"
Natsuki asked with a smile.
"I don't know."
Uzumaki Kushina shook her head and said.
"You can take your time to think about it."
Natsuki said nonchalantly.
[Konan has unlocked Full Demonification]
The text that suddenly floated up made Natsuki slightly stunned.
Did Konan unlock Full Demonification this quickly?
Natsuki looked thoughtful.
Saying it was fast, it actually wasn't that fast.
It had been quite a long time since Konan was transformed into a demon.
She was currently in the Land of Grass.
Perhaps she unlocked it during a battle with Kusagakure ninjas.
But regardless, it was a good thing.
After unlocking Full Demonification, coupled with the Art of Weather and the Sorcery Clima-Tact, Konan's strength was no less than that of an ordinary Jonin.
Next, he only needed to wait for Yahiko and Nagato to possess Jonin-level strength.
Then, Sage Mode, and Minazuki's Shikai and Bankai could all be unlocked.
Natsuki's strength could also advance a step further.
"I've got it!"
Uzumaki Kushina suddenly said. "Let's call it Rose City!"
Natsuki snapped out of his thoughts, glanced at the roses among the flowers, and guessed the source of her name.
He smiled and said. "I think it's good. Roses are red, just like your hair. Both are very beautiful."
Uzumaki Kushina blanked for a moment, turned around, her back facing him, a blush appearing on her face.
"Kushina."
Natsuki stepped forward and casually asked. "How is your relationship with the Nine-Tails now?"
"Not bad."
Uzumaki Kushina suppressed the throbbing in her heart and said. "I can now borrow its chakra whenever I want."
Natsuki nodded slightly.
It seemed Uzumaki Kushina had already mastered the partial Tailed Beast transformation.
A Nine-Tails Jinchuriki with partial Tailed Beast transformation could fight any ninja in the current ninja world, except for Uchiha Madara.
Of course, it would be even better if she could progress further to full Tailed Beast transformation.
But this was very difficult.
In the original work, even Uzumaki Naruto had to rely on the Waterfall of Truth on Kumogakure's Turtle Island.
Uzumaki Kushina would probably need to do the same.
But this wasn't the period of the Fourth Great Ninja War. Kumogakure definitely wouldn't let her use Turtle Island's Waterfall of Truth.
"Why did you suddenly space out?"
Uzumaki Kushina turned around, waved her hand in front of his eyes, and asked.
"I was thinking about what to teach you."
Natsuki grabbed her hand and said.
"I've already learned Rokushiki and Armament Haki. I don't need to learn anything else for now."
Uzumaki Kushina shook her head and said. "You don't need to worry about this."
"It's not a worry."
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and said. "I'll teach you the Art of Weather."
"Doesn't the Art of Weather require the Sorcery Clima-Tact?"
Uzumaki Kushina asked, puzzled.
"I asked Granny Cat to forge two more."
Natsuki spouted nonsense with a straight face.
"Is it that simple?"
Uzumaki Kushina tilted her head and asked. "Aren't Lightning Release and Water Release chakra crystals very rare?"
"Rare doesn't mean non-existent. As long as you have enough money, you can always buy them."
Natsuki said very grandly.
"Exactly how much money did you make from that business?"
Uzumaki Kushina asked curiously upon hearing this.
The Stamina Recovery Potion required Tailed Beast chakra.
She had heard Natsuki mention it back then.
But she didn't know it was used for the Stamina Recovery Potion, nor did she know who he sold it to.
"I don't know."
Natsuki spread his hands and said. "Anyway, it's more than I can spend."
"That much?"
Uzumaki Kushina exclaimed and asked.
"If you need money, just come to me. Any amount is fine."
After Natsuki finished speaking, he handed her a summoning storage scroll. "Before learning the Art of Weather, you need to learn meteorological knowledge."
"That sounds very troublesome."
Uzumaki Kushina took the summoning storage scroll, looked up at him, and said. "You teach me."
Natsuki looked at her pretty face and nodded.
Uzumaki Kushina instantly revealed a smile.
She turned and quickened her pace, skipping along, and said. "Let's go sit on the roof and study."
Two months passed very quickly.
During the New Year, Yahiko gave Natsuki another surprise.
He unlocked Full Demonification.
Besides that, Pakura unlocked Half-Demonification and Blood Demon Art: Hollow Cry, God's Departure.
Blood Demon Art: Hollow Cry, God's Departure wasn't that useful to Natsuki.
Because controlling flesh and bones could also be done with the Kibutsuji Muzan template.
Especially the Progenitor of Demons from the Kibutsuji Muzan template, which could be considered an enhanced version of Blood Demon Art: Hollow Cry, God's Departure.
Its unlock condition was to establish the Twelve Kizuki.
There were already eight now.
Upper Ranks: Konan, Miroku, Hyo-onna, Yahiko, and Pakura.
Lower Ranks: Chino, Fuushin, and Mui.
There were two others who could also be transformed into demons: Honoka and Guren.
Honoka was a researcher. After consideration, Natsuki didn't plan to make her one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Guren was a possibility, but she was a bit young.
For the remaining three, Natsuki had already set his sights on the three Snake Princesses of the Ryuchi Cave.
The three Snake Princesses were very powerful, and in the original work, they even used senjutsu.
Natsuki was also very curious: could Blood Demon Arts be used in conjunction with senjutsu?
If they could, what level of power could they reach?
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
Natsuki snapped out of his thoughts and said.
"Lord Natsuki."
Zo walked in and said. "This is the investigation report on the Land of Sky."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Natsuki took the document and began reading.
The contents were very detailed.
Like its counterpart in the original work, the Land of Sky had been destroyed.
But this time, it wasn't Konoha, but Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
In the original work, Konoha, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure engaged in fierce battles in the Land of Rain.
With the addition of Natsuki's butterfly effect, Konoha didn't engage in direct warfare with Iwagakure during this Second Great Ninja War.
Therefore, they didn't encounter the Land of Sky.
Mainly because the Land of Sky was located in the Land of Birds, to the left of the Land of Rain.
It happened to be stuck right between Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
Of course, it used to be called the Land of Sky.
The Land of Sky was very small, somewhat similar to the Land of Whirlpools.
After the destruction of Soragakure, the Land of Sky also disappeared, merging into the Land of Birds.
Now, Soragakure had become ruins.
However, an investigation by Konoha's Anbu discovered that the remaining ninjas of Soragakure had gone underground and were currently building the Ancor Vantian.
And the leader of Soragakure, Shinno, was not in Soragakure.
After a long investigation, Konoha's Anbu found that he was currently disguised as a doctor, traveling through various hidden villages.
He was currently located in Kumogakure.
After reading it, Natsuki nodded slightly.
Shinno's traveling was fake. Stealing secret jutsu was his real purpose.
He learned the Eight Inner Gates by stealing it.
Natsuki suspected he had come into contact with the father and son, Might Duy and Might Guy.
After all, the father and son were relatively simple-minded and easily deceived.
Besides that, the jutsu formula Shinno used to create the Zero-Tails also came from Konoha.
But he indeed possessed genuine skill.
He created two medical forbidden jutsu himself.
One was called Medical Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival, which could revitalize the body, allowing it to exert even greater power.
The other was called Medical Forbidden Jutsu: Body Regeneration, which allowed the body to regenerate even if it was torn to pieces.
Using both medical forbidden jutsu simultaneously formed a third medical ninjutsu, called Body Metamorphosis.
Its effect was incredible, allowing Shinno to open the Eighth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates without dying.
But unfortunately, even with all eight gates open, the power of his Eight Inner Gates was far inferior to that of Might Duy and Might Guy.
However, these two medical forbidden jutsu were not bad.
Natsuki felt he could let Tsunade, Yakushi Nonou, and the others learn them.
They could save their lives at critical moments.
As for him, he didn't need them.
Only Medical Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival was somewhat useful to him.
He had the Kibutsuji Muzan template for Medical Forbidden Jutsu: Body Regeneration, so he didn't need it.
Judging from the information, Shinno hadn't been to Konoha yet.
This was quite troublesome.
Because if he didn't go to Konoha, he wouldn't be able to learn the Eight Inner Gates, nor would he be able to create the Zero-Tails.
Natsuki thought for a moment and decided to wait until he arrived in Konoha.
Only then could Shinno fulfill his maximum potential.
Anyway, he wasn't in a hurry either.
Compared to Shinno, he cared more about when Nagato would possess strength comparable to a Jonin.
Natsuki put away the document and returned to the Senju clan compound.
Time reached March, another graduation season.
Sarutobi Asuma and the others also advanced to their second year.
However, this year, there was no student applying for early graduation like Hatake Kakashi.
"Kakashi, what's wrong?"
Nawaki pushed the door open and saw Hatake Kakashi spacing out, so he asked.
"Nawaki-senpai."
Hatake Kakashi snapped out of it and asked. "With my current strength, can I participate in the Chunin Exams?"
"You want to participate in the Chunin Exams at your age?"
Nawaki couldn't help but complain and ask. "Are you trying to break a Konoha record?"
"Because Genin can only do low-level missions."
Hatake Kakashi replied. "After becoming a Chunin, I can take on higher-level missions."
"..."
Nawaki's mouth twitched, speechless.
Natsuki suddenly remembered something.
In the original work, Hatake Sakumo's suicide occurred after Hatake Kakashi became a Chunin.
Could it be this year?
This was a troublesome matter.
The original work didn't state which mission caused Hatake Sakumo's suicide.
And Natsuki couldn't keep an eye on him every day.
After all, given Hatake Sakumo's strength and status, he would frequently execute secret missions.
Moreover, high-difficulty missions took a lot of time. Ten days to half a month, or even a year or half a year, were all possible.
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