"Special attribute plant detected. Analyzing…"
"Analysis complete: Fusion-type special seed."
A fusion-type special seed?
Natsuhiko stood there, momentarily stunned as he absorbed the system's feedback. To be honest, he didn't fully understand what it meant.
Fortunately, the system seemed to anticipate that confusion. Soon, more detailed information began flowing into his mind—and the moment he grasped it, his eyes widened in disbelief.
According to the system's explanation, the White Zetsu were originally humans from thousands of years ago who had been transformed through a mysterious power into what they were now.
That much, Natsuhiko already knew. After all, the White Zetsu were essentially weapons created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
More precisely, they were her army—formed to guard against and prepare for other members of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
At their core, these beings carried within them a portion of Kaguya's power.
Their human consciousness had been trapped in an eternal illusion, while their bodies had been altered into something entirely different—something imbued with a peculiar and powerful energy.
As for the exact nature of that power, Natsuhiko wasn't entirely certain. In the original story, their performance had been… underwhelming, to say the least.
But one thing was undeniable: aside from their questionable intelligence, every part of their bodies was a treasure.
Not only did they possess chakra infused with Kaguya's essence, but after being modified by Black Zetsu, they also carried the cells and power of Hashirama Senju.
And beyond that, they had an unparalleled adaptability.
As long as a person's body could withstand it, White Zetsu tissue could be used to replace almost any body part.
Whether it was Madara Uchiha or Obito Uchiha, both had done exactly that—replacing lost limbs with those taken directly from White Zetsu.
Even Naruto's prosthetic arm later on seemed to be based on White Zetsu research.
For any transmigrator, it would be impossible not to be intrigued by such a resource.
And now, it seemed the system had detected this very potential after the White Zetsu's power merged with the tree—allowing Natsuhiko to extract something even more extraordinary.
According to the system, the most unique and mysterious aspect of that power was its adaptability… or more precisely, its capacity for fusion.
"Fusion…" Natsuhiko muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he continued to process the information.
The White Zetsu body contained countless secrets, but to the system, those secrets didn't matter. It neither needed to understand them nor could it directly utilize them.
Instead, it identified the most prominent trait among them, then analyzed, extracted, and refined it for Natsuhiko's use.
And clearly, in the system's judgment, the greatest advantage of the White Zetsu body wasn't anything else—it was that unparalleled adaptability.
Once extracted, this adaptability could be interpreted, in human terms, as fusion.
And the scope of that fusion was incredibly broad.
According to the system, once Natsuhiko obtained the fruit produced by this "seed," he would be able to attempt various forms of fusion.
For example, if he were to lose a limb, he could use the fruit's power to seamlessly integrate a replacement—perfectly fusing it with his own body.
But that was only the beginning.
There were other forms of fusion as well.
The system seemed to place no real limitation on this ability, likely because the White Zetsu itself carried the power of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—the progenitor of chakra in this world.
Strictly speaking, aside from senjutsu chakra, nearly all chakra in existence could be traced back to her in one way or another.
And because of that…
This fusion ability extended even to different chakra natures.
To be honest, if it had been anything else, Natsuhiko might not have reacted so strongly.
But this… this was enough to leave him completely dumbfounded.
But this fusion ability was precisely the power Natsuhiko desired most—while also being the most troublesome, and the most unbelievable.
"Actually… it can fuse chakra?"
The implications of chakra fusion did not need much explanation.
In the shinobi world, kekkei genkai were born in several different ways. Aside from the most special bloodlines—Uchiha, Senju, Hyūga, and possibly the Kaguya clan—most of them were likely descendants who directly inherited the power of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, or perhaps the power of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura.
Everything else was formed through the fusion of chakra, gradually evolving into what appeared to be unique kekkei genkai.
They were said to be "unique," but in truth, they were not particularly mysterious. In fact, many of them shared similarities.
The only real differences lay in the method, order, and proportion of chakra fusion—details that ultimately determined the strength and nature of the resulting ability.
But one must not forget: the pinnacle of kekkei genkai, the Kekkei Mōra, was itself born from chakra fusion.
Natsuhiko had once spent a great deal of time pondering how to fuse chakra. At first, he had assumed he would have to slowly figure it out on his own.
It had seemed like a desperate and uncertain path, but not an impossible one—after all, he was already capable of using Wood Release.
Even if it was only an initial stage of Wood Release, it was still the product of Earth Release, Water Release, and Yang Release being fused together.
He could, in theory, study the interaction of these three forces, uncover their underlying patterns, and then apply those principles to other forms of chakra.
He didn't know how long that process would take—but he knew he had no choice but to do it.
And now, however, everything had changed.
With this system-born fruit, he could directly fuse the chakra natures he needed.
However, the system's explanation also made one thing clear: the limit of this seed's fusion capacity was three chakra natures.
"Three, huh… that's still pretty good."
Natsuhiko forced himself to calm down.
A fusion of three chakra natures already meant Kekkei Tōta-level power.
More importantly, through this process, he would be able to clearly perceive the entire mechanism of fusion itself—the subtle changes, the evolution, the way each chakra interacted and transformed.
Just like with other fruits provided by the system, what it granted him was not blind power.
It was understanding—the full knowledge of how that power was formed, how it functioned, and what its limits were.
What he needed to do was become proficient in it, to refine it until it could be used instinctively in battle.
Once he mastered the fusion of three chakra natures, he would also gain invaluable insight for future, more complex combinations.
"Besides that… I think I might already know how to obtain more of these fusion seeds."
"The most likely source is White Zetsu… or rather, higher-quality White Zetsu."
At that thought, Natsuhiko's gaze deepened.
He had always understood one thing clearly: the White Zetsu created by Black Zetsu and Madara were not uniform in quality. There were significant differences among them.
Some were little more than disposable cannon fodder, while others could possess hosts and even use Wood Release.
It was obvious that the White Zetsu produced during Madara's experiments—or those subtly influenced by Black Zetsu—varied greatly in strength and potential.
The stronger ones were likely concentrated around Obito and Black Zetsu, while the rest were probably inferior specimens.
If he remembered correctly, most of the weaker White Zetsu were used primarily for reconnaissance.
Their stealth abilities were exceptional, and they also seemed to possess decent sensory capabilities. For intelligence gathering, they were perfectly suited.
As for combat ability… that was another matter entirely. After all, they were essentially mindless tools.
However, one suspicion still lingered in Natsuhiko's mind—this White Zetsu body he had obtained from Obito… might not be ordinary at all.
But Natsuhiko was very clear on one thing—Obito's arm had already been reduced to molten ruin by Minato Namikaze back then.
Yet when he had faced Obito again later, the arm had been completely intact. That could only mean one thing: Obito had replaced it.
As for the origin of that replacement—whether it was an ordinary White Zetsu or something far more advanced—there was no way to know for sure.
But regardless of the answer, Natsuhiko had already set his sights on Obito.
In truth, he had always known that as long as he remained in Konoha, sooner or later he would cross paths with Obito.
And that was exactly what had happened.
Whether it was the direct confrontation during the Nine-Tails incident, or the battles involving the Akatsuki, every single clash had, at its core, been a confrontation between him and Obito.
However, up until now, those encounters had always been passive. He had never once actively sought out trouble with Obito.
But this time, something in Natsuhiko's mentality had shifted.
The reason he hadn't gone after Obito before was simple—first, his strength hadn't been sufficient; second, he had been too occupied with other matters; and third, at that stage, there had been no real conflict of interest between them.
But now things were different. Since he had set his sights on the White Zetsu, conflict with Obito was inevitable.
And this time, it might very well be him who took the initiative.
"I'll need a reason… and it can't be too abrupt either."
Natsuhiko rubbed his chin as he carefully recalled what Obito had been doing over the past decade or so.
After some thought, he realized that Obito had mostly been lying low during this period.
Or rather, he had been operating behind the scenes in the Land of Water, manipulating the Mizukage and stirring up chaos.
Obito's hatred toward Kirigakure was beyond question. In many ways, the path he had taken to this point was deeply intertwined with that village.
If Kirigakure hadn't suddenly interfered in the negotiations in the Land of Grass, Rin would never have been targeted and captured.
And if they hadn't sealed the Three-Tails inside her, she would never have died at Kakashi's hands.
Naturally, Obito's heart was filled with hatred. He resented Minato Namikaze for failing to arrive in time despite possessing the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing Rin to die nonetheless.
He hated Kakashi for failing to protect her, ultimately leaving her with no choice but to end her own life.
But above all, he hated Kirigakure—the village responsible for all of it.
And so his retaliation against Kirigakure was merciless.
Even though much of it stemmed from the influence left behind by Madara Uchiha, Obito had taken it even further on his own.
He had sealed off the Land of Water and disrupted its economy, already revealing a glimpse of his methods.
Beyond that, he had also intensified the so-called "Blood Mist Policy" left behind by Madara.
As a result, Kirigakure's current system had become horrifying—brutal, blood-soaked, and suffocating.
Just imagine: students who had trained together for years only to be told at graduation that only one of them could survive.
Such a system twisted the very nature of a shinobi at its core.
Of course, those who survived such an environment were extraordinarily capable—Kisame Hoshigaki being a prime example, a true shinobi in every sense of the word.
But at the same time, it also produced an alarming number of defectors.
Zabuza Momochi, who had once single-handedly overwhelmed Team Seven—then still inexperienced genin—was one of the most typical examples.
In addition to all of this, Obito had also ruthlessly targeted Kirigakure's kekkei genkai clans.
One by one, the bloodline families that had once made a name for themselves in the village were either wiped out or severely weakened.
Even the Hōzuki clan, a family that had produced a Mizukage in the past, seemed to be in a precarious state.
It was clear just how ruthless his methods were.
It was no exaggeration to say that Obito was systematically destroying Kirigakure—from politics, to economy, to education, and even military power.
If not for the interference of that Byakugan user exposing him and forcing him to withdraw, Kirigakure might very well have been driven to complete ruin under his manipulation.
After all, in the shinobi world, loyalty to one's Kage was an unbreakable norm.
Even if that "Kage" was unqualified, shinobi generally had no choice but to operate within the bounds of rules and procedure.
After all, if a large-scale coup or internal conflict truly broke out within a village, it would be far more than a simple loss of face. It could easily escalate into a full-blown crisis—one severe enough for other villages to exploit and potentially destroy the entire system from within.
What's more, Obito had never hidden the consequences of attempting a coup. He had made that much very clear to others.
The most typical example was the Kaguya clan, who still had not been completely wiped out at that point.
"Land of Water… and the Kaguya clan?"
Natsuhiko stroked his chin thoughtfully, as if a plan was beginning to take shape in his mind.
If he wanted a reason to target Obito, while also ensuring that Obito didn't focus too heavily on "Senju Natsuhiko" himself, then his jinchūriki identity might prove extremely useful.
And conveniently, the justification was easy to construct. After all, the Third Mizukage was also a jinchūriki.
As a rather unusual jinchūriki himself, it wouldn't be strange at all for him to attack another jinchūriki.
In addition to that, the Kaguya clan didn't seem like a group that was completely off-limits for investigation either.
They possessed one of the three major non-chakra-based abilities—powers rooted in the body's own bloodline. That alone made them genuinely interesting to him.
At the moment, he couldn't afford to make a move on the Sharingan or the Byakugan. Aside from lacking a proper medical research team, there was also the fact that he still remembered he was a shinobi of Konoha.
That said, building a research team was something he would have to start planning soon. In fact, the ANBU already had such experimental units in place.
They were simply too small in scale, and their loyalties were not entirely clear, making them unreliable in Natsuhiko's eyes.
"It looks like things are going to get busy again," he murmured to himself.
Without hesitation, he merged the fusion-type seed into his body.
In an instant, he felt his chakra begin to subtly shift and respond to the presence of the seed, as if being gently guided and drawn into a new structure.
The sensation was strange—almost mystical—and it only made him more eager to see what kind of effect the fully grown "fruit" would ultimately produce.
"Still… right now I only have Earth Release and Water Release at Advanced level."
"Wind Release and Fire Release are still developing as well. And this seed can only fuse three types of chakra."
"I'll have to study this carefully when the time comes."
At the moment, Natsuhiko still wasn't sure which three chakra natures he should ultimately choose to fuse.
The most important reason was simple: he didn't yet fully understand what kind of power this self-created kekkei tōta would produce.
The safest option would probably be Dust Release.
After all, its destructive power had already been proven by time itself. Even at his age, Ōnoki could still display terrifying combat strength, and Dust Release was undoubtedly a major contributor to that.
Of course, that wasn't the only factor. Ōnoki's secret technique—Earth Release: Light-Heavy Rock Technique—also played a significant role.
Without it, allowing him to freely manipulate his own weight and achieve flight, he would likely have been extremely vulnerable in close combat. With his physical condition, if he were forced into taijutsu exchanges with a physically strong opponent, he would probably be taken down within minutes.
On top of that, if Natsuhiko did obtain Dust Release, he could potentially disguise himself as a ninja from Iwagakure, further increasing pressure and hostility toward that village.
But that path also carried risks.
The biggest issue was the hatred it would generate.
Even though Natsuhiko was confident in his strength, he had no intention of emulating the Third Raikage—charging headfirst into tens of thousands of enemy shinobi alone.
That wasn't bravery; it was recklessness.
If he used Dust Release and drew Iwagakure's attention, they would inevitably become extremely vigilant. Once they realized one of their most closely guarded techniques had fallen into enemy hands, they would likely take the most extreme and dangerous countermeasures possible.
Moreover, Natsuhiko would eventually need to infiltrate Iwagakure anyway. After all, that village still housed two tailed beasts.
That was exactly why he was hesitating.
Even he wasn't sure which choice was best.
"…Forget it. Once the seed matures, I'll already have four advanced chakra natures. I can decide slowly after that."
...
Walking through the streets of Konoha, Natsuhiko mulled over his thoughts in silence before heading straight toward a yakiniku restaurant with Renge.
It had to be said—Konoha's prosperity far exceeded what one might expect. Only half a year had passed since the Nine-Tails incident, yet the village had already been largely rebuilt.
And in this reconstruction, the shinobi themselves had hardly contributed at all.
Watching the villagers of Konoha moving about with bright, happy smiles on their faces, Natsuhiko felt a rare sense of ease wash over him.
Humans were social creatures, and more than that, they were highly susceptible to their surroundings. For someone who spent too long in the ANBU—especially on front-line operations, or worse, assassination and cleansing missions—the psychological impact was immense.
At times, Natsuhiko even wondered whether he should open some kind of "psychological counseling class" for shinobi to help stabilize their mental states.
But after thinking it through, he dismissed the idea.
Shinobi were individuals with extremely strong wills. Even genjutsu often failed to cause lasting psychological change in them, so expecting therapy to work was probably unrealistic.
"Unless Naruto that kid uses his ultimate genjutsu—talk-no-jutsu—no one else really stands a chance."
A faintly amused thought crossed Natsuhiko's mind.
After all, that was a man who could talk Nagato into self-sacrifice and even make Obito see illusions of hope. His "talk no jutsu" was arguably more effective than even Kotoamatsukami.
Of course, even he wasn't universally effective. Sasuke, for example, had been resistant.
But Naruto seemed to understand very well how to deal with proud Uchiha.
If words didn't work, you simply beat them into submission—and then they would naturally comply.
The Uchiha were just like that. Reasoning with them properly was nearly impossible.
Their arrogance was difficult to comprehend. Unless you proved yourself stronger, more ruthless, and more dominant than they were, anything you said was a waste of breath. It was often better to simply throw a punch.
Take Uchiha Shin, for example. Natsuhiko had never actually fought him, but the strength he had displayed was enough to make the old man understand that he was not someone to be trifled with.
And because of that, Shin had become obedient—at least on the surface. He knew very well that provoking Natsuhiko would come at a price far beyond what he could afford.
Interestingly enough, tonight's yakiniku meal had been invited by that very same man.
Natsuhiko had also heard bits and pieces of recent developments involving Shin. As the head of the ANBU, he naturally had access to a steady stream of intelligence—often reports landed on his desk without him even requesting them.
As for Shin's exact situation within the Uchiha clan, Natsuhiko didn't know the details. The Uchiha were a closed-off clan, and neither Shisui nor Sora had access to their internal affairs. More importantly, Natsuhiko had never instructed them to gather such information in the first place.
Still, even from external clues alone, much could be inferred.
For example, the Police Force had begun, for the first time, recruiting civilian shinobi—and even members from other clans.
This news had caused quite a stir within Konoha, though the number of recruits remained small and mostly limited to the Second Division.
The other divisions had not made any similar moves, and in fact, there were even rumors that they were beginning to distance themselves from the Second Division.
From this alone, it was clear that Shin's position within the clan was likely far from ideal—perhaps even quite poor.
But Natsuhiko didn't particularly care. The fact that Shin had begun making such changes already showed that he was gradually leaning toward him.
Even if Shin himself believed he was aligning with Minato Namikaze, Natsuhiko didn't mind in the slightest.
After all, he intended to become Hokage. In essence, whoever they chose to align with would ultimately lead to the same outcome.
...
Arriving at the entrance of the yakiniku restaurant, the staff greeted them warmly and respectfully, opening the door and guiding them inside.
Shin had reserved a relatively quiet corner. Following the staff, Natsuhiko quickly spotted the seat.
But before he could walk over, a sturdy figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Commander Natsuhiko? I didn't expect it to really be you!"
Hearing the voice, Natsuhiko instinctively turned his gaze toward the speaker.
Not many people actually knew he was a "Commander." That piece of information was basically limited to Konoha's upper brass and a handful of jōnin qualified to attend village-wide meetings.
After all, even though he was the head of the ANBU and had begun stepping into the public eye, he still maintained a high degree of secrecy.
However, the moment Natsuhiko saw who had called out to him, he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
In fact, a faint smile surfaced on his face almost instinctively, softening his entire demeanor in an instant.
"So it's Chōza-sama," Natsuhiko said with a polite smile. "A proper first meeting, then. I look forward to your guidance."
"You're too kind, Commander Natsuhiko," Akimichi Chōza replied warmly, his face also breaking into a broad smile. "It really is our first formal meeting. I also look forward to working with you."
For the two of them, this truly was their first proper face-to-face conversation.
They had technically seen each other before during village meetings in Konoha, but those occasions offered no opportunity to speak—not even a simple greeting.
That said, there had been subtle connections between them. For example, when Natsuhiko expanded the ANBU, the Akimichi clan had sent several members to join.
It was both a gesture of goodwill and a form of investment—careful positioning for the future.
In truth, Chōza had long been curious about Natsuhiko. The young Commander's identity and background were shrouded in mystery.
All he knew was that this exceptionally young leader possessed overwhelming strength, hailed from the Senju clan, and wielded Wood Release.
Beyond that, he knew almost nothing—even though his clan had already placed people in the ANBU, the rules were clear, and he respected them.
Now, by chance, he had encountered this enigmatic figure in one of his clan's own establishments.
Naturally, Chōza saw it as an opportunity worth taking—at the very least, he wanted to leave a good impression.
"Commander Natsuhiko, are you here for a meal?" Chōza glanced around before smiling. "Would you like me to arrange something so you can dine in better comfort?"
"There's already a reservation," Natsuhiko replied casually with a light smile. "I was invited by someone, so there's no need to trouble Chōza -sama."
He didn't mind people knowing he was meeting with the Uchiha—especially Uchiha Shin.
After all, Shin's recent actions were already unusual enough to draw attention, and with the ANBU undergoing expansion, interactions with the major clans were unavoidable anyway.
There was no need to hide it. More importantly, it wouldn't be possible to hide it even if he tried.
"I see," Chōza said as if he had just realized something, though in truth he had already noticed members of the Uchiha clan nearby. Smiling, he continued, "In that case, I won't disturb you any further. I wish you an enjoyable meal, Commander."
"Thank you," Natsuhiko replied politely with a nod before continuing toward the reserved table.
Running into Chōza had been an interesting little coincidence—but what intrigued him even more was that Uchiha Shin had chosen a restaurant owned by the Akimichi clan.
Still, when he thought about it carefully, it made sense. Many of Konoha's businesses had the shadow of major clans behind them.
For example, much of the village's medicinal supply ultimately came from the Nara clan.
After all, deer antler products were excellent for restoring vitality, and they were an essential ingredient in the production of soldier pills.
Likewise, a portion of Konoha's food industry was also tied to various clans in one way or another.
The Akimichi clan, for instance, naturally ran barbecue restaurants—it aligned perfectly with their need to maintain and store large amounts of body fat.
Even the Uchiha clan had their own business interests.
After all, within such a large clan, not everyone could become a shinobi.
The training of shinobi required a tremendous amount of money, and those who could not become ninja still had to survive. Naturally, the clans had to find ways to support them.
As a result, establishing various businesses not only helped offset the enormous costs of ninja training, but also provided employment for those who were unable to become shinobi, allowing them to earn a living and support themselves.
"Commander Natsuhiko, Lady Renge."
Soon, Natsuhiko and Renge arrived at Uchiha Shin's table. Shin, along with Sora, stood up with a polite smile.
"There's no need to be so formal, Elder Shin," Natsuhiko said lightly, shaking his head before subtly signaling to Renge.
She nodded and immediately formed hand seals. In the next moment, an isolation barrier unfolded around them.
Renge's talent was quite good. Although her sealing techniques were not particularly advanced, simple barrier formations were well within her ability.
No one knew exactly what this conversation would entail, especially since they were currently on someone else's territory.
Given that this yakiniku restaurant was operated by the Akimichi clan, it would have been careless—borderline foolish—not to take precautions.
"Elder Shin, it's been a while," Natsuhiko said with a faint smile once the soundproof barrier was in place. "I truly didn't expect to receive your invitation. I'm honored."
"Commander Natsuhiko, saying that makes me the one who should feel honored," Shin replied with a wry smile, shaking his head slightly.
"Actually," Natsuhiko continued, "this isn't working hours right now."
He already had a rough idea of what Shin was struggling with, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he smoothly changed the topic.
"This is rest time. I'm not the ANBU Commander, nor am I the 'Konoha Nightingale.' I'm just your granddaughter's classmate—Senju Natsuhiko. Or Fukami Natsuhiko, if you prefer. Either is fine."
"Ah, well, Commander Nat—"
Shin hesitated, clearly troubled. He had only managed to arrange this meeting thanks to help from his granddaughter.
Natsuhiko's movements were simply too unpredictable and elusive; finding him was far more difficult than it should have been.
And now that he was finally face-to-face with him, Shin found himself unsure how to proceed. The man in front of him had already taken a step into something unknown, and that alone made Shin uneasy.
But before he could continue, Sora cut him off.
"It's fine, Grandpa. Didn't I say it already? This is rest time. There's no need to be so serious."
"That's right," Natsuhiko added with a gentle smile toward Sora. "There are no Commanders here. This is just a casual gathering between friends."
He leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers lightly against the table as he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Just a friendly chat. No need to be so formal. And of course… some things don't need to be taken too seriously either."
"Hm?"
Shin blinked in surprise, then seemed to suddenly understand something. He nodded slowly, as if a weight had been lifted.
"Yes… that's right. This is just a chat. A simple conversation between friends."