Chapter 61 - Kurosawa Taku
1 year later. 5 Years since Transmigration
Taku was eating pork belly. He liked eating pork belly. After a hard workout, the pork belly and cool orange juice were his definition of heaven. As he was returning to the clan from his heaven, he noticed a shadow trailing him. He walked faster, and so did the shadow. He turned. So did the shadow.
He regretted coming here alone. But the others didn't want to spend money on BBQ every day. He just wanted to get back to the compound now. But apparently. His shadow had different plans.
As he rounded a particularly silent bend. His eyes met vertical, snake-like pupils.
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STATUS
KUROSAWA REN
Power - Elite Chunin
Physique - 496
Chakra - 2589
Specials -YamiGami
Skills-Tagcraft III, Sensor, Taijutsu II, Kenjutsu II, Leader I, Medic I
System Stats-0
Call-The Eye Slows
TREE OF LIFE
Soul Develop (3/10) 10000 SS
Physique
Soul Physique(1/1000) 10SS
Chakra
Chakra Control (10/100) 100SS
Energy Control (38/100) 100SS
One Tail (100/1000) 10 SS.
One year of daily quests. 3650SS Plus some extra from the YamiGami. I had used them all. Not on Chakra volume, Physique, or soul. But on Energy control. I could feel the energies in nature more clearly. I was absolutely certain that completing Energy control would grant me Sage mode down the line. But more importantly. It helped me get a feel for SS Energy. I still couldn't feel it or manipulate it. But I knew I was close to feeling it.
I had spent 3600 on Energy control. The rest I used on the Flame. It was just 5 seconds. But I wanted to feel the SS manipulation.
Where did the extra 600 come from?
I had gotten a lot of skill upgrades.
Skill Upgrade, Tagcraft III - Master 10 seals.
Reward - 500SS
I knew way more. But only 10 that system considered mastered.
Medic - Master 1 Medical Jutsu
Reward - 100SS
As for the clan. Now we had 90 Fuinjutsu Masters. And 30 Medical-nin who could do the basic Mystical palm jutsu and act as basic doctors.
In the Fuinjutsu masters, 60 could only make basic tags. 30 could make advanced tags in a few years. Like the storage scrolls. But Fall legionnaires could also technically be considered advanced because they made combat fuinjutsu seals. Lesser versions of those Iron Claw and 5 barrier seals.
The clan had progressed by leaps and bounds, though individual power without the tools was still less than average Genin. And I planned to throw a party on its 5th anniversary.
Our clan compound was almost made now by and large. It could have been completed months ago if I hadn't directed so many resources to arming the clan with cluster grenades. Now everyone had 5. I had created 50 Lost Mirror bracers in the last year. And surprisingly, Sayo and Sayuri had picked up on it too. They weren't the winter commanders for nothing, I guess. They made 20 between them.
By the end of this year, I expect to do two major things. Arm the clan, and work on its financial power. I had dedicated almost all resources to construction and armament. I had updated the uniforms, the equipment, and everything. Once the construction finishes. I'll have funds to spare.
Little did I know at that time. Most great men don't choose greatness. They are called to it on the whim of fate. They either become great men who write history. Or they become history.
Haruto knocked at my door. "Come in."
"Lord Ren, Taku is missing."
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A high-level meeting with all commanders was called to discuss this. They were unanimously of the opinion that we should inform the Uchiha Police Force and the others as soon as possible. We weren't trackers. And Taku had activated the short-range signal tag on him. It meant he was in danger. Now he couldn't be found. Time was of the essence in cases like this.
I was sitting there thinking. The main YamiGami could sense its fragments within a large range. And I had a sinking feeling that I knew who took Taku. Especially since his Yami fragment felt like it was near the training grounds. I was afraid of both outcomes. What if we didn't find Taku? And what if we did find him? Orochimaru's cursed seal and Danzo's cursed tongue seals both had death triggers. Which made Yami interesting.
But there was a problem. Orochimaru was to be caught after the Third War. Finding his lab now would derail the timeline beyond recognition. Because if I choose to find him, I'll take backup with me. I was not a fool to confront Orochimaru alone.
But if I didn't. That meant sacrificing one of my clan members for the sake of peace and prosperity. My clan could not afford direct confrontations with Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru. Their interests were too intertwined right now.
I stood up and started pacing around the room. While my commanders stared at me curiously.
-----
The logical thing to do would be not to start a war. To look at the bigger picture. But something in my heart clenched. This was a boy who had come to me for protection. He had worked for me, he had fought for my clan, all in hopes that I would treat him like family. I had promised him so.
My feet slowed. I breathed deep. And I issued the order.
"Call a High assembly!"
"You mean a clan assembly?" Daichi questioned.
"Did I stutter?"
Now the group was confused. Clan assembly meant calling the people available and not on missions. High assembly meant that, on pain of severe repercussions, everyone needed to be here, abandoning all missions.
"But Lord Ren, we have sent a few squads to search for him. A high assembly would mean calling them back." Daichi questioned.
"Also, a few squads are doing official D and C rank missions. This will cause our credibility to drop!" Emiko continued.
Only Haruto remained silent.
"There is something that we do not know, right clan head?"
The boy read me very well.
"Yes. There is. And believe me, when this is done. Those D and C rank missions will be the least of the concerns this village has. How many of us are in the village?"
"Only 4 squads, along with their assigned medics, are out. So we have a 100 inside."
"Good, no need to inform the squads outside the village. We will move by nightfall."
I paused. The plan was forming in my mind.
"And commanders, tell them to arm themselves. Take up the Lost mirrors and the cluster grenades. In the armory, too. Also, if there aren't enough tags, take the next batch of tags we were supposed to sell. Hopefully, we'll never need them. And they'll be on their way to be exchanged for Ryo by tomorrow. But just in case. Tell the mission providers that their mission will be done tomorrow. That much leeway is allowed in these small-time missions. But all in all, consider this a full wartime deployment."