"Development has reached 82% already?"
Looking at his status panel, Kitagawa Minamoto couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. After years of effort, he was finally nearing the point of fully unlocking his bloodline's power.
Reflecting on the "sweat and hard work" he had invested over the years, he felt this achievement was well-deserved. Although, the "sweat and hard work" often appeared on others' faces... Still, Minamoto believed he had truly worked hard.
"This latest enhancement not only brought significant physical changes, but also seems to have given me a new perspective on the world."
Shaking his head, Minamoto began carefully observing the changes within himself.
"My control over Chakra has become much easier thanks to the fusion of bloodline abilities within me. And..."
Raising his head slightly, his eyes shimmered with brilliance. Now he could see the nodes of space more clearly than ever before.
"Is this the result of Urashiki's innate talent?"
Minamoto pondered silently. It wasn't just changes in spatial abilities; even his control over temporal power had improved significantly. These changes were consistent with sensations from previous enhancements, but now they were even stronger.
"If that's the case, then Urashiki's value has increased even further..."
For some reason, the first words that came to mind were: sustainability versus overexploitation. Urashiki was a treasure trove—his energy boosted Minamoto's strength, his ocular powers fostered Minamoto's growth, and even his body could be used to cultivate the Divine Tree.
"A true gem."
But it wasn't just Urashiki. Almost all Ōtsutsuki clan members had similar effects. Of course, too much of a good thing could be dangerous, and Minamoto was cautious not to overreach and cause his own downfall.
"For now, the few I've dealt with are enough. But speaking of cultivating trees..."
Looking down at the towering tree beneath him, Minamoto noticed it seemed to have entered a state similar to when he had nourished it with Kaguya's Chakra.
"Though this time, things seem a bit different..."
The convergence of the nine Tailed Beasts' Chakra had finally allowed his Divine Tree to gather all the necessary "categories" of Chakra. However, the key issue was that these forces needed to be re-integrated and distributed throughout the entire tree.
And his Divine Tree was simply too massive!
"Kaguya's Chakra, Isshiki's Chakra—the combination of these energies has already made my Divine Tree absurdly large..."
On top of that, Minamoto wasn't collecting the Tailed Beasts themselves, but rather their Chakra. And the Divine Tree also had to constantly provide him with energy for his "evolution."
"Is this why my Divine Tree is struggling to develop? But it's not really a big problem."
Minamoto decided not to dwell on his Divine Tree anymore. The issue wasn't difficult to solve—he simply needed to disconnect the tree's energy supply to himself. Given enough time, the Divine Tree would complete its own transformation, and this wouldn't significantly affect Minamoto!
Having obtained Urashiki's energy and Isshiki's "White Kāma," his development had reached 82%. At this point, he didn't really need the tree's energy; he could afford to wait.
"This way, I can use Urashiki's corpse to cultivate the tree. And now, the tree's transformation has bought me some time."
Minamoto had always wondered whether an Ōtsutsuki corpse, especially one that had used a "Kāma," could be used to cultivate the Divine Tree. And there was only one person in the entire ninja world with practical experience in this matter—someone Minamoto had long wanted to meet. He was curious about their attitude.
"Perfect timing. Now I can address all these questions. So..."
"It's time to meet the Rabbit Goddess!"
"I didn't expect this latest event to escalate so dramatically."
Several days later, inside the Hokage's office, the old and new leadership of Konohagakure had gathered for a meeting. After hearing the briefing, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but rub his temples.
"If it hadn't been for Minamoto, along with you, sensei, and the others working together, the Akatsuki might have succeeded."
"Kirigakure's defenses were actually quite good, but the Akatsuki are no laughing matter."
Tobirama Senju shook his head, while Hashirama Senju sighed deeply.
"Especially the battle between the two Ōtsutsuki. Thank goodness that Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki managed to suppress the other one. Otherwise, the Land of Water might have been sunk entirely."
"Hey, why do you sound like you're actually grateful to Ōtsutsuki Minamoto-shiki?"
Tobirama frowned, but Hashirama shrugged.
"Back when I fought Madara, you saw the destruction we caused. If Minamoto-shiki hadn't ended the battle quickly, that would have been the real disaster."
"Instead of debating this, shouldn't we focus on the upcoming events?"
Minamoto cut in, interrupting the two brothers before they could escalate their argument.
"The Kage Summit is in a month. We can confirm that both Iwagakure and Kirigakure will be coming to Konohagakure. As hosts, we need to prepare accordingly."
With the mission completed, Mei Terumi had officially announced Kirigakure's participation in the "Kage Summit." The one-month timeframe was sufficient for them to select their delegation and handle internal affairs in the Land of Water.
Both the Land of Earth and the Land of Water had suffered greatly due to the battle's aftermath, but their situations differed.
In the Land of Earth, Iwagakure had been hit hard—the entire village was nearly destroyed. If not for their abundance of "earth-style users," reconstruction wouldn't have progressed so swiftly. Still, their personnel losses were significant, and most of their focus now was on recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Water, Kirigakure itself was relatively unscathed. However, many regions had been so heavily transformed by the battle that the terrain was completely altered. The widespread damage had greatly complicated their rescue operations. Without as many "earth-style users," their situation was even more challenging.
They needed this one month to stabilize their internal affairs, and this timeframe also gave Konohagakure an opportunity to prepare.
"Although there's no word from Sunagakure yet, with Iwagakure and Kirigakure coming, we need to be ready."
Minamoto stroked his chin thoughtfully, earning nods of agreement from Jiraiya and Kakashi.
"Indeed. We can't let this turn into another Chūnin Exam debacle."
"And we need to choose a suitable location—it shouldn't be held in Konohagakure."
Retired elders Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances before speaking up.
"Since this is an alliance summit, we must show proper respect. Also, I think this month should be used to prepare the Fifth Hokage."
"Huh?"
Minamoto pointed at himself incredulously, his voice filled with doubt.
"Me? One month? Isn't that too rushed?"
"Our point is that you should represent Konohagakure at the summit. Your status as the Fifth Hokage is already a settled matter."
Homura explained, and Koharu quickly added:
"Other responsibilities can be handled gradually—like the construction of the Hokage Monument. But you should start taking over Hokage duties now."
"I see..."
Minamoto turned to gaze at the Hokage Monument outside, feeling a bit speechless. Everyone already considered the Third Hokage "dead," and the public referred to him as the Fifth Hokage whenever they saw him. Now, it seemed he truly had to take on all these chaotic responsibilities.
Though he didn't oppose the idea—Konohagakure was his, after all—he couldn't shake a strange feeling about it.
"What's wrong? Weren't you always confident?"
Kakashi approached, throwing an arm around Minamoto's shoulder just like old times. He smiled and said:
"Why the hesitation now?"
"Minamoto, I've always told you—being Hokage isn't easy. But unfortunately..."
Jiraiya chuckled from the side.
"You can't escape it anymore."
"I don't find it particularly challenging, since I have my own way of handling things."
Minamoto snapped back to reality, smiling as he shook his head. This wasn't a problem for him at all. Administrative matters could be handled by Shikaku Nara and Shikamaru Nara, or the Third could be re-employed if necessary. The Root had Tobirama Senju, who could even conduct experiments. The Medical Division had Tsunade. And for combat, there were Naruto, Sasuke, and even Jiraiya and Hashirama. He was practically an "Emperor Emeritus"—how could he possibly burden himself with menial tasks?
"What I'm actually considering most right now is something else entirely."
"What's that?"
"The budget for my monument. How much do we have?"
"?"
"I'm even younger than the Fourth Hokage. As Konoha's youngest Hokage, shouldn't we hire the best sculptor in the entire ninja world to create my statue?"
"..."
"Neither Konoha nor I can afford to lose face on this!"
"..."
Minamoto's statement left everyone in stunned silence. He hadn't even officially taken office, and his first concern was this? And he wanted the best sculptor in the entire ninja world?
This...
"I'll... consider the budget issue carefully."
Hiruzen massaged his temples wearily. He didn't bother arguing—after all, he would soon be free of these responsibilities!
But Minamoto wasn't finished. He continued:
"Besides that, I've been thinking about something else. Since almost all the Hokage are here now, the Fourth Hokage shouldn't remain sealed any longer."
"What?!"
This statement immediately caught everyone's attention. They quickly understood his meaning, and Jiraiya eagerly asked:
"Minamoto, have you found a way?"
"Yes."
Minamoto nodded with a smile.
"Before departing for the Land of Water, I already had a method. I just lacked some necessary materials, but that issue has now been resolved."
"It's been resolved?"
Hashirama couldn't believe his ears, while Tobirama curiously inquired:
"You've truly found a way to break the Reaper Death Seal?"
"Not only that, but I believe I also have a solution for Kakashi-sensei's father."
Minamoto continued smiling. This revelation stunned even Kakashi.
The list of potential Edo Tensei summons for Konoha had long been established, and naturally, Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake, was included. In fact, he was their first attempted summoning. Strangely, no matter what they tried, they couldn't seem to awaken him. This peculiarity had halted subsequent Edo Tensei experiments, as no one understood what was happening.
Unexpectedly, Minamoto had been investigating this matter as well?
"Minamoto, you've found the answer?"
Kakashi asked softly, his voice distant. He felt conflicted, unsure if he was ready to face his father.
"I have."
Minamoto nodded. His recent enhancement had given him a better "perspective" to observe this world. He remembered that Sakumo Hatake existed in the gap between the Pure Land and the mortal realm—a place where "Edo Tensei" might struggle to reach. But the current Minamoto was different!
"Moreover, Sakumo Hatake isn't the only one there..."
Minamoto's smile grew even brighter. Rin Nohara was there too!
He had promised to give Obito Uchiha a surprise.
And naturally, he would "keep his word—that was his ninja way."
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