[Mission 2: Instruct the students in taijutsu. All students must reach entry-level proficiency in taijutsu.Reward: Chakra +8.Time Limit: Six months.]
The moment the new chakra surged through his body, Konosuke nearly groaned in pleasure.
It felt like parched earth finally touched by rain.
He rolled his neck, clenched his fists.
At this level, he figured he could fire at least three laser beams now.
"System," he muttered, "I feel incredible. Like I've got endless power. At this rate, am I catching up to that freak Senju Hashirama?"
[Host, please be realistic. Senju Hashirama's chakra reserves rival a small Nine-Tails. You are nowhere near that level. Complete four more missions, and you may reach one-tenth of his reserves.]
"One-tenth? That monster really lived up to the title God of Shinobi…"
"If I could awaken Wood Release, maybe I could drain life force and achieve a form of immortality."
[You possess a trace of Senju blood. With massive chakra, Wood Release may awaken. As for absorbing life force, I cannot confirm. The Forest-Logia ability you're referencing is unrelated to Wood Release. Do not hold high expectations.]
Konosuke shrugged.
Immortality didn't tempt him much. Watching friends and descendants die first… that would be its own torment.
He reread the mission.
Entry-level taijutsu?
"System. Define entry-level. If you're using the Eight Gates as a benchmark, even I might fail."
[Entry-level means the student can competently utilize the Substitution Technique and Body Flicker in combat.
To set a concrete standard: each student must withstand five seconds under your pressure.]
Five seconds.
That was manageable.
After buying some meat from the market, Konosuke returned home in good spirits.
The moment he entered, he froze.
Naruto and Sasuke were on the floor, clutching each other's hair, faces bruised and swollen.
He pulled them apart.
"Explain."
Naruto spoke first.
"Sasuke said I made you angry and that you were going to kick me out. So we fought!"
Konosuke glanced at Sasuke but didn't scold him.
"I wasn't angry. I was teaching Naruto a lesson about who truly cares for him."
"Go wash up. Then help me prepare dinner."
As they left, Konosuke glanced upward.
"No dinner for you. Watching kids fight without intervening?"
Kakashi remained perched on the roof, flipping through his book, unfazed.
After dinner, the boys resumed chakra refinement.
Konosuke lay on the sofa, waiting.
Tonight, the Uchiha would stir.
Shisui returned at dusk. He could not appear in the Uchiha compound tonight, nor stain his hands with clan blood. That would undermine his future leadership.
Time crawled.
Konosuke smoked endlessly.
Shisui paced.
Midnight arrived.
Two more agonizing hours passed.
Then—knock knock.
Shisui vanished in a Body Flicker and opened the door.
Itachi stood there.
Covered in blood.
Eyes bloodshot.
"Itachi…?"
"I'm here to relay Hokage-sama's summons. He wishes to see Konosuke."
Konosuke extinguished his cigarette and stood.
"Protect Sasuke and Naruto," he told Shisui. "I'll be back."
On the way, he asked quietly,
"Something went wrong, didn't it?"
Itachi's body trembled—but he said nothing, only quickening his pace.
A cold weight settled in Konosuke's chest.
Fugaku…?
That shouldn't be possible. Fugaku, Itachi, and loyalists together—how could it fail?
Inside the Hokage's office, Konosuke's eyes fell immediately on two bodies lying on the floor.
Fugaku.
Mikoto.
His heart skipped.
Hiruzen spoke gravely.
"There was an unforeseen complication. The Uchiha Elder moved early. He captured Itachi's mother. When Fugaku was about to act, Mikoto was used as leverage. To save her, Fugaku chose suicide."
"Itachi dealt with the Third Elder's faction, but returned too late. Mikoto was killed. The perpetrators were eliminated—except for the First Elder. He has disappeared."
Konosuke sank to the floor.
He lit a cigarette with shaking fingers.
He stared at Fugaku's pale face in silence.
After finishing it, he spoke calmly.
"Only a handful knew about this operation. The First Elder's preparation suggests prior knowledge. Shouldn't we investigate the leak?"
Itachi's eyes shifted toward Hiruzen.
The same thought weighed on him.
Silence filled the room.
Hiruzen's expression tightened.
He already knew the answer.
Danzo.
But punishing him…
That was another matter entirely.