Chapter 276: Toneri's Move, and the Organization Kara
"Daddy, I want to catch butterflies! I want to fly~" little Marin pleaded, clinging to Kinoshita Genichi's neck.
"No problem at all," Genichi agreed instantly. He applied the Lightened Boulder Technique to his daughter, and the little girl immediately began to float.
Marin, long accustomed to this, giggled and paddled her arms through the air, chasing after the butterflies fluttering in the courtyard. The sound of her laughter filled the garden, though she didn't manage to catch a single one. Frustrated, she called for backup, and Genichi had no choice but to join in, playing along with his daughter.
Shizune, ignoring her daughter's demands, was already busy in the kitchen. Tsunade, Uzumaki Ina, and Pakura soon returned home one by one.
Eventually, the little girl tired herself out. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and the moment Genichi finished wiping it away, she was fast asleep, snoring like a little piglet.
Tsunade couldn't resist reaching out and poking the little one's chubby cheek.
"Why don't we make one tonight?" Genichi said with a grin.
Tsunade retracted her hand. "Kids are too much trouble." Although she hadn't borne the brunt of raising them, she had no desire for a second child. Little devils were so noisy, even if they were cute sometimes.
Ina, who loved children, took little Marin from Genichi's arms. "Lady Tsunade, you know you love children too," she said with a soft laugh.
"That Chisato is already a handful," Tsunade retorted.
"Chisato is much more obedient than Karin," Ina said, defending him. "Your standards are just too high, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade waved her hand, changing the subject. "What do you all think about setting up hospital branches in the Daimyō's capital cities?"
"Why would we turn down a chance to make money?" Genichi smiled. "Besides, our medical ninja need more case studies to improve their skills. The hospital runs so many research projects; we can't rely solely on grants to fund them. It's perfectly reasonable to commercialize some of our advancements to generate revenue. Things like limb regeneration and artificial organ transplants could be rolled out on a much larger scale."
By now, the cultivation of artificial organs was a mature technology, no longer dependent on White Zetsu cells. The transplantation techniques had been perfected more than a decade ago. Previously, due to the connection with White Zetsu cells, these procedures had been restricted to within Konoha, used for cases like Hayate Gekkō's lung replacement or providing new limbs and eyes for injured shinobi. As the villages began to merge, the technology was gradually shared with the Mist and the Sand. Of course, Konoha's hospital served the village's civilian population as well, not just its shinobi.
"Genichi is right, but the main issue is the number of medical ninja," Ina pointed out. "Even though Lady Tsunade established the medical ninja academy and greatly increased our numbers, we'd still be short-staffed if we opened a hospital in every country. Then there's the issue of security. We would need to assign shinobi squads for protection."
While Konoha's medical corps had grown, the other villages had not seen the same rapid expansion. Security was also a vital concern. While medical ninja weren't defenseless, they weren't combat specialists. Those with formidable fighting skills like Sakura Haruno were few and far between. The shinobi world was at peace, but that didn't mean it was without danger. Bandits, rogue ninja, and missing-nin would always exist.
"Well, we can build the hospitals one at a time," Ina added with a smile.
Just then, Pakura returned from checking on the older children. Ina handed the sleeping Marin to her and went to help Shizune in the kitchen.
Pakura held the child and said, "The Daimyō are not happy about the unification of the villages. They're trying to stir up conflict behind the scenes."
The great shinobi wars had never been just about the shinobi; they were always intertwined with the politics of the great nations. Ultimately, the hidden villages were mercenary armies funded by their respective countries. The source of most conflicts between villages could be traced back to the nations they served. This distorted social structure had always baffled Genichi.
However, with the unification, the situation was changing. Hearing Pakura's words, a smile spread across his face. "If they won't comply, we'll just replace the Daimyō."
Pakura and Tsunade stared at him, stunned.
"What? Is that not an option?" Genichi asked, looking at them. "The times have changed. The shinobi are the ones who hold the real power, the ones who decide matters of life and death."
Don't talk about how ninja don't understand production or governance. Did the Daimyō? Were there no ninja capable of such things? In Genichi's opinion, if they could manage a village of hundreds of thousands, they could certainly manage a country.
He had no interest in personally unifying the nations of the world, but he believed that as the trend continued, the conflict between the unified shinobi forces and the Daimyō's courts would only intensify. The shinobi were no longer the hired muscle of the great nations. They would have to find a new place for themselves in the world, and Genichi was certain it wouldn't be a position the Daimyō would approve of.
"Alright, let's leave that headache for Minato and the others," Genichi said, changing the topic with a smile. It wasn't his problem to solve, nor was it worth his time.
He steered the conversation back to their training. For years, both Tsunade and Pakura had been struggling to advance. Their progress with Kekkei Mōra and Truth-Seeking Orbs was incredibly slow, though they had managed to master the relatively simple Yin-Yang Release technique of creating black receivers. Now, however, every step forward was a monumental effort, even with Genichi having paved the way for them.
Despite the difficulty, Genichi encouraged them not to give up, to keep training and keep their minds sharp.
After dinner, Tsunade and the others took the children out for a walk. Genichi spent some time in his study before using the Body Flicker Technique to appear at Kurenai Yuhi's home.
Kurenai was seated, poring over a scroll, with several others scattered around her, all pertaining to genjutsu. Genichi watched her quietly, captivated by her focused expression. A person deep in concentration, man or woman, possessed a unique charm. Of course, it helped that she was beautiful. Now, approaching thirty, Kurenai had blossomed into a mature and alluring woman.
Perhaps it's time she had a child, Genichi thought to himself.
"Ah, Genichi~" Kurenai looked up and saw him, her face lighting up with a surprised smile as she rose to her feet.
Genichi walked over, gently guided her back into her seat, and wrapped an arm around her waist, his eyes scanning the scroll with her. In truth, he was the one who had given her the scrolls, so his mind was inevitably divided. His hand began to wander.
Soon, Kurenai lost her focus on the scroll. Her breathing grew heavy, and her red eyes became misty. She rested her head on his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his ear.
"Let's go to the bedroom~" she whispered.
"No need~" Genichi began to unwrap her layers. Kurenai lived alone; there was no fear of being disturbed.
A while later, as they moved together, he murmured, "Kurenai, let's have a child."
Her half-closed eyes flew open. She looked at him with deep affection and nodded vigorously, taking the lead with renewed passion. Afterward, they stood by the window, admiring the night view as he generously shared his profound knowledge, and she humbly received all he had to offer.
At the same time, in the underground laboratory, Genichi's puppet clone was busy with research alongside Orochimaru and the others. In a vast, empty space, another of his clones was training in silence.
And on the moon, a solitary Ōtsutsuki Toneri watched the village of Konoha through his Tenseigan.
After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and issued a command to the puppets standing behind him. "Go. Bring that girl back to me!"
The puppets bowed silently and vanished.
Toneri watched them depart. Father, he thought, I will fulfill our ancestor's final wish. Genichi's immense power had left a deep impression on him, forcing him to bide his time. But he could wait no longer. He knew that sooner or later, Genichi would come to the moon. He would not wait to be cornered. He would strike first. By capturing Hinata Hyuga, he could awaken the Tenseigan and finally gain the power needed to face Kinoshita Genichi.
In a cave in a small country to the west, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground. "The intel should be solid," it reported to the Aloe Zetsu and Black Zetsu. "The one called Jigen was definitely here. But that was two years ago."
"Two years is recent enough," the Aloe Zetsu said.
"Then concentrate our forces," Black Zetsu commanded. "We'll start the hunt from here."
The reporting Zetsu nodded and sank back into the earth to relay the orders, summoning the White Zetsu scattered across the land to converge on their location.
However, at that very moment, Jigen was recuperating in his own private dimension.
Ever since he had gained complete control of his host's body, Jigen—or rather, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—had been searching for a more suitable vessel. Unfortunately, the power of an Ōtsutsuki was too immense; finding a compatible host was incredibly difficult. He had considered searching among the shinobi, but with his current limited strength, provoking one of the great villages would be unwise. The recent changes in the shinobi world had also made it more difficult for him to operate freely.
Perhaps it's time I found some help... Jigen seriously considered the possibility.
He hadn't witnessed the recent great battle firsthand, but he had felt its tremors. He had felt the threat. That was why he had chosen to stay far away from the heart of the shinobi world. His current body couldn't withstand a truly intense fight.
He rose and walked to where his own Ten-Tails slumbered. Looking at the massive beast, a plan began to form in his mind. He would use the Ten-Tails, the God Tree, and its fruit as bait to recruit followers to help him achieve his goal. Once he found a suitable vessel and implanted the Karma, he could sacrifice himself to the Ten-Tails, allowing it to become a God Tree and bear fruit. He would then be reborn in his new vessel. Of course, he also needed to reclaim the power from the fruit of Kaguya's tree; that would accelerate his own tree's growth.
"In that case," he mused, "the organization shall be called… Kara."
The Village Hidden in the Leaves
After leaving Kurenai's home, Genichi strolled over to the vicinity of the Hokage Tower. He entered another building nearby, where most of the lights were already out, and soon arrived at an office. The door was open. Genichi stood in the doorway, smiling at Mei Terumi, who was still at her desk. "You don't have to work this late every night, you know."
Mei looked up, a smile gracing her lips before it turned into a weary sigh. "There's just so much to do. As the last Mizukage, I have to see it through to the end."
Genichi gave her a thumbs-up. "Still, you need a balance, don't you? How about a walk?" he offered.
Choosing between work and a powerful man, Mei decisively chose the latter. She stood up. "I'm a little hungry. Shall we get something to eat? Though, you've probably already eaten, haven't you?" The last sentence was tinged with a hint of sourness.
Genichi, completely shameless despite having had two dinners, replied, "Don't worry, I'm a big eater."
A charming smile immediately bloomed on Mei's face.
The two left the office building and ambled towards the bustling main street, eventually finding themselves in front of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Let's eat here," Mei suggested, pointing at the ramen stand.
Genichi nodded, and they entered. Just as they sat down, they noticed a familiar face beside them.
"Jiraiya?"
"Genichi? And… the Fifth Mizukage?" Jiraiya looked at the pair in surprise. He'd heard the rumors that Genichi and the Fifth Mizukage were involved, but he never thought they were true. A wave of bitter jealousy washed over him. This guy is too much! How has Tsunade not punched him into oblivion yet? Damn him!
Mei greeted Jiraiya with a calm expression. While it wasn't exactly proper to be on a date with a married man, a woman had to be brave to fight for her own happiness. Besides, wasn't the Fourth Hokage's wife also a latecomer? Mei felt perfectly justified. A man like this might never appear again.
"Well, Genichi, you're certainly living the good life!" Jiraiya said sourly after they exchanged greetings.
"You're not doing too bad yourself," Genichi replied with a grin. "I hear your latest book is another bestseller. By the way, that jutsu of Naruto's… you taught him that, didn't you?"
The proud smile on Jiraiya's face froze. "Aside from the Toad Transformation Technique, I haven't taught him any other ninjutsu!" he said hastily. "Genichi, don't you slander me!" The Sexy Jutsu was not, in fact, something he had taught Naruto.
Genichi roared with laughter and changed the subject. "Are you back from Mount Myoboku?"
Jiraiya nodded, his expression turning more serious. "I am."
"It seems the intelligence has been confirmed," Genichi said calmly.
"Did Mount Myoboku provide any more information?" Mei asked.
Jiraiya shook his head. "No, nothing."
Genichi wasn't surprised. That old toad, Gamamaru, was a mysterious character, like some kind of mystic. Of course, from the perspective of an inhabitant of this world, his actions had been perfectly logical. If Genichi had been in his shoes, he would have also instigated the conflict between the Sage's sons and Kaguya.
Speaking of which, Genichi thought, should I go meet Gamamaru? The idea flashed through his mind and was just as quickly dismissed. It was too much trouble, and he didn't want to be influenced by any so-called destiny.
My future, he thought to himself, is the only future that matters.