This was not the first time Yuu had considered the problem.
Although the "World's Greatest Swordsmanship" mission had certain requirements for suitable opponents, and he could not simply grab any random sword-wielding nobody and farm progress from them, the Naruto world actually had no shortage of skilled swordsmen.
For example, there was Killer B of Kumogakure and his Eight-Sword Style.
Unlike some multi-sword styles that existed purely to look impressive, Killer B's Eight-Sword Style was the real deal.
One combination nearly killed Sasuke after he had already awakened the Mangekyō and was overflowing with confidence.
If the other members of Team Taka had not desperately kept healing him from the side, Sasuke might have been skewered to death on the spot.
Swordsmanship of that level would definitely satisfy the requirements of Hatake Swordsmanship.
In fact, if they competed purely in swordsmanship without mixing in other methods, Yuu was not even sure he could defeat Killer B…
Incidentally, Samehada's performance against Killer B was also ridiculously broken.
In pure swordsmanship, Kisame was not Killer B's equal, yet Samehada could drain Killer B's tailed-beast cloak dry in minutes.
It could then feed the absorbed chakra back to Kisame and heal him—even an injury where his abdomen had been completely pierced could rapidly regenerate.
Mm… exactly.
The mighty jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails had actually been drained dry by Samehada.
The more one thought about it, the more absurd it sounded.
Compared with Samehada, even the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path looked like a little brother.
If Samehada had one weakness, it was its limited absorption capacity.
But its astonishing chakra absorption speed largely compensated for that flaw.
That was precisely why Yuu had deliberately kept the sword.
His own swordsmanship style did not particularly suit Samehada, but there was absolutely no reason to leave something like this in the enemy's hands.
Besides, Samehada could essentially be used as a storage bag.
Like Killer B, storing other swords inside Samehada's stomach was actually a pretty good use for it.
Back to the subject.
Besides Eight-Sword Style,
the other famous forms of swordsmanship were probably the remaining ninja sword styles of Kirigakure and the swordsmanship of the Land of Iron, a country founded by samurai.
However, both places were rather far away and had remained isolationist for years, so their current situations were unclear.
Although Yuu now had Black Wing and could simply ride there, the round trip plus gathering intelligence would still take considerable time.
If Kirigakure launched another surprise attack on a Konoha stronghold while he was gone…
that would be troublesome.
Even worse, if Uchiha Madara took advantage of his absence to make a move against Team Minato and recreated the Three-Tails incident from the original story…
then Yuu might end up receiving Namikaze Minato's script and having to fight an enraged child version of Obito.
Mm…
if that version of berserk Obito really appeared, he might even come with both Kamui and Transparent Escape, creating a double-intangibility mode that would be absurdly underhanded.
"It looks like the safest method is to wait for Kirigakure to send out new members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, then defeat them on the main battlefield.
"With four Ninja Swordsmen, getting two sword styles should definitely be possible…"
"The second option is sending shadow clones out to farm progress while my main body stays in camp.
"I just don't know whether the galgame system recognizes that kind of method…"
Yuu thought for a while and decided to test it later.
Since the combat experience of shadow clones returned to the original body, it should theoretically count.
At worst, perhaps shadow clones simply could not trigger [Encounter] events.
Aside from swordsmanship, Yuu's Super Strength and Summoning Technique had also improved considerably during this period.
Super Strength was one of the easiest techniques to攻略.
As long as he catered to its preferences every day and gambled with her a couple of times, he could gain a few affection points.
It had now successfully reached seventy-five affection and unlocked its third-stage trait.
Summoning Technique, meanwhile, had passed the fifty-point threshold and unlocked the ability to receive gifts.
However, Yuu currently had only one skin he could gift to Summoning Technique—
Reanimation Jutsu.
Considering that the current version of Reanimation Jutsu was still incomplete, could not reproduce the full strength of the resurrected person, and required both bodily tissue from the deceased and a living sacrifice, Yuu did not have much use for it at the moment.
But if he ever had the opportunity to personally kill a Kage-level powerhouse…
then he could take some fresh tissue from the corpse and test the technique.
"Speaking of which, I wonder how things are going back in Konoha…"
"With Asuma and Tsunade helping, everything should be going smoothly, right?"
Yuu walked forward several steps, picked up the Lightning Blades: Kiba from the ground, then raised his head and looked through the dense forest toward Konoha.
His thoughts drifted.
…
Meanwhile, inside Konoha Village,
Yuu's shadow clone was currently accompanying Tsunade in a casino, throwing dice.
Unsurprisingly, Tsunade had once again lost every last chip.
For the legendary sucker of the ninja world, losing nine out of ten gambles was completely normal.
The only question was how much she lost.
If she ever actually got lucky and won big, she would have to start wondering whether someone close to her had just suffered a disaster.
Yuu, on the other hand, had casually played a slot machine for a while and accumulated a small pile of chips in front of himself.
He had won a few rounds.
"…I'm done! This place is cursed against me today!"
After seeing her final few chips swept away by the dealer, Tsunade slapped the table and angrily dragged Yuu out.
Her chest bounced noticeably with each large stride.
Only after they reached the streets of Konoha did Tsunade exhale lightly and glance toward him, asking as though casually,
"Brat, the one who came back this time is only your shadow clone, right?
"How much longer can it last?"
"…Probably another day or two."
Yuu replied.
Shadow clones had a limited lifespan.
After all, the clone itself was fundamentally just a mass of chakra. It possessed no real flesh, blood, or chakra pathways, and therefore had no ability to refine new chakra.
Even if it did nothing at all, it would automatically disappear after several days as its chakra gradually dissipated.
Absorbing natural energy was another matter entirely and could not be discussed under the same rules.
The reason this particular shadow clone had lasted so long was partly because the clash with Root had only been a brief test and never developed into a full battle, saving considerable chakra.
The other reason was that Yuu had accumulated roughly fifty points of Constitution from攻略ing ninjutsu over time.
Using Kakashi as the unit of measurement, Yuu's total chakra reserves were currently about five Kakashis.
Since this shadow clone had received fifty percent of that, it contained about two-and-a-half Kakashis.
After several days of natural consumption, it was now almost empty.
"One or two days…"
Tsunade pondered briefly.
After seemingly weighing something, she said,
"Before you go back, I'll teach you one more technique."
"Oh?"
Yuu turned his head.
"See this diamond-shaped mark on my forehead?"
Tsunade pointed toward the pale purple mark on her forehead.
"This is called the Yin Seal.
"It's a ninjutsu developed by the ancestors of the Uzumaki clan. Its purpose is to store chakra over time, like filling a reservoir, and then release it all at once when needed.
"It also has some effects related to maintaining one's appearance…"
"In the past, this technique was usually practiced by female ninja, but theoretically there's no restriction based on sex.
"Try learning it.
"If you manage to master it, I'll teach you another set of ninjutsu that I developed personally.
"I guarantee the effect will surprise you."
There was a trace of pride in Tsunade's voice as she spoke.
And understandably so.
Developing the S-rank Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique, with its extraordinarily demanding level of control, was absolutely something worth taking pride in.
When it came to medical ninjutsu, if Tsunade claimed to be second in the world, no one would dare call themselves first.
On the other side,
Yuu knew perfectly well that the "surprise" Tsunade was referring to was essentially the passive regeneration ability shared by Senju Hashirama and Hidan.
Even so, he cooperatively put on an expression of surprise and admiration and praised her enthusiastically.
"Really? As expected of Lady Tsunade! That's amazing!"
"Of course! Who do you think I am?"
Tsunade grinned.
"You're lucky, brat. I haven't even taught this technique to Shizune.
"I'm only making this decision because I happen to like you.
"Don't waste the opportunity."
Because of Yuu's praise, the irritation she had felt after losing money disappeared almost instantly.
Even the look she gave him softened noticeably.
However…
soft was soft.
When it was time to take advantage of him, she still did.
"Anyway, it's about lunchtime. Let's eat first. I'll teach you the technique this afternoon."
Tsunade raised her chin.
"Just so we're clear—you're paying.
"I'm out of money."
"Fine, fine. I'll pay."
Yuu agreed casually.
At this point, he could more or less be considered a wealthy man.
The hundreds of millions of ryō he had taken from Gatō were theoretically comparable to the fortune Jiraiya had accumulated from decades of writing books and completing more than a hundred and thirty S-rank missions.
Although Yuu had not brought all that money with him this time, paying for one meal was nothing.
Of course, Tsunade was not deliberately trying to fleece him either.
She merely chose Ichiraku Ramen and added an extra serving of bamboo shoots and kelp.
Yuu ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
After a simple lunch,
master and disciple strolled back to Tsunade's home and began the lesson on the Yin Seal in her courtyard.
Incidentally, Sarutobi Hiruzen had also promised Yuu one ninjutsu.
Logically speaking, it was both a reward for the Defense of the Southeastern Front and compensation for Danzō's intelligence leak.
Yuu had already decided what he wanted.
He intended to ask for the summoning contract to the Multiple Rashōmon.
As a summoning technique once used by Senju Hashirama, its defensive strength was unquestionable.
Around three gates could withstand Tailed Beast Bombs from any tailed beast below the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
Five gates could practically be called absolute defense.
Even attacks at the super-Kage level would probably have difficulty breaking through them.
Furthermore, signing that contract would likely raise Summoning Technique's affection by several points.
Two birds with one stone.
A win-win situation.
"…Ready?"
At the stone table in the courtyard,
Tsunade looked at the scroll spread open before them and took a deep breath.
"Then I'll begin.
"If there's anything you don't understand, ask me afterward."
…
At the same time,
on the top floor of the Hokage Building, inside the Hokage's office,
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his large desk, reviewing the stack of documents in front of him.
Suddenly, he felt a faint sense of unease.
At that moment,
a soft series of footsteps flashed past outside the window.
Then the air in one corner of the office rippled slightly like water.
A tall figure wearing an ANBU uniform and animal mask silently appeared and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Hokage."
It was Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
"Mm."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze remained on the documents before him, but the fingers holding his pipe tightened almost imperceptibly.
"The follow-up investigation into the Wood Release experiments inside Root's base…
"has produced results."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully.
After a brief silence, he continued,
"Based on cross-checking the experimental records, remaining samples, and some 'materials' that had not yet been disposed of, we can basically confirm that the person directing the experiment was not Shimura Danzō.
"Or rather…
"it was not only Shimura Danzō."
"…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen finally stopped what he was doing.
He slowly raised his eyes.
"It was… Orochimaru?"
"Yes."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded, his brows tightly furrowed beneath the mask.
"The selection of test subjects, cultivation of cells, and key stages of the transplant procedures all bear traces left by Orochimaru.
"Furthermore, based on the results of this investigation, we discovered several additional clues.
"The nature of those clues…
"is even more serious than the Wood Release experiments themselves."
That was only natural.
After all, the Wood Release experiment had once been an officially approved Konoha research project.
By the time it was canceled, part of the work had already been conducted.
It had not begun entirely from nothing.
The experiments that Orochimaru and Danzō had carried out privately without ever reporting them, however, followed far crueler procedures.
Even simply reading the data written on paper had left Sarutobi Shinnosuke horrified.
He felt as though his own moral standards were still far too high.
At this moment,
the office fell into a brief silence.
Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe and drew several deep breaths from it.
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
Complex emotions surged inside him—
disappointment, pain, anger, and bitterness.
Although he had already anticipated this result, having his suspicions confirmed by facts still felt terrible.
After all, Orochimaru was the disciple in whom he had placed the greatest expectations.
He had even seriously considered handing the position of Hokage to him.
Yet now…
his student had apparently fallen into darkness for so long, and so deeply, without Hiruzen knowing anything about it.
"Shinnosuke."
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke, his voice dry.
"In your opinion, how should this matter be handled?"
"…The evidence is conclusive.
"According to village regulations, Orochimaru should be recalled immediately, isolated for investigation, and then judged and punished according to the severity of his crimes."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke answered in an entirely official tone.
"However, Orochimaru is currently still on the southwestern front, reorganizing the border defenses.
"If we recall him rashly, it may affect the war situation and destabilize morale.
"So the matter must still be handled carefully."
"…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent.
The ember inside his pipe flickered on and off, illuminating his unreadable face.
~~~
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