Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Chapter 216: Lord Daimyō, Let’s Join Forces for Greatness Once More!

Fire Country Daimyō's Residence – Experimental Base

Shūichi and Pakura stood side by side, facing Sarutobi Asuma. Shūichi asked gravely, "Asuma, are you sure you want to take the final step?"

"Although you've managed to endure the malice of the Tailed Beast Chakra, mastering it still poses immense danger."

"Kakashi succeeded, yes, but he also faced the risk of severe physical mutations back then."

Sarutobi Asuma nodded seriously. "I've thought this through carefully."

"Besides, this is a direct mission from the Daimyō."

With a faint smile, he added, "And with you here, Shūichi, I believe even if I fail, I should still have a good chance of staying alive."

Shūichi chuckled wryly. "I figured you wouldn't give up."

"Alright then, go in and prepare."

Asuma nodded and entered the stone chamber, while Shūichi turned to Pakura and said, "Bring over the prepared Shukaku sample."

Pakura nodded and left to retrieve it.

A moment later, she returned with a tray and entered the stone chamber alongside Shūichi.

"Asuma, eat this Shukaku flesh."

Shūichi handed the tray to Asuma, warning him, "Once you eat it, you'll not only have to withstand the malice of the Tailed Beast but also endure the corrosive effect of its flesh."

"This will be a battle—a war."

"You must overcome the malice of the Tailed Beast and the erosion of its flesh to truly gain the power of the Shukaku."

Asuma nodded and began eating the Shukaku's flesh without hesitation.

It felt grainy, an odd texture.

But soon, Asuma had no time to worry about the taste. A searing heat surged through his body, followed immediately by intense pain.

Gritting his teeth, he finished the flesh in one go, then closed his eyes as scarlet Tailed Beast Chakra quickly enveloped him.

Shūichi and Pakura silently watched as Asuma's body began to mutate, his hands transforming into claws resembling Shukaku's.

Kakashi had gone through this same process, so Shūichi refrained from intervening immediately.

Asuma and the power of Shukaku began an intense tug-of-war.

Time ticked by.

Suddenly, Shūichi frowned, and Pakura couldn't help but speak. "It seems he's unable to suppress the Tailed Beast's power any longer."

Asuma's physical mutations worsened, showing no signs of recovery. His body seemed on the verge of collapse.

Whoosh!

A fiery spectral chain shot out from Shūichi's body, coiling around Asuma and extracting the Tailed Beast Chakra from him. The chain continued siphoning until every trace of the Shukaku's power was drained from Asuma's body, after which it dissipated.

Huff! Huff!

Asuma gasped for air, feeling as though he had narrowly escaped death.

"Sorry... I failed..."

He gave a bitter smile, disappointment evident in his eyes.

Shūichi shook his head. "If it were that easy to succeed, there wouldn't be so few who can master Tailed Beast powers."

"Keep in mind, even Jinchūriki have the advantage of sealing techniques."

Asuma nodded but knew these were words of consolation.

After all, Jinchūriki face complete Tailed Beasts, whereas he was only dealing with fragments of Tailed Beast flesh.

Even so, Asuma wasn't the type to wallow in failure. He quickly regained his spirits and said, "I'll work even harder moving forward."

Shūichi encouraged him, "We have plenty of time. Keep it up."

"Take a break, and we'll head back to the Daimyō's residence together. I have a meeting with the Daimyō anyway."

This time, Shūichi's main body had come personally due to the Daimyō's summons.

...

Half an Hour Later

Shūichi met with the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, who now appeared quite aged.

After a few pleasantries, the Daimyō asked directly, "Jōnin Shūichi, how did Asuma's experiment turn out?"

"It failed."

Shūichi explained, "Mastering the power of a Tailed Beast is incredibly difficult. All of Danzo's previous experiments ended in failure."

"To date, aside from me, only Kakashi has succeeded in Konoha."

The Daimyō frowned slightly. "Kakashi... I think I've heard that name before. Is he the son of the White Fang?"

Shūichi nodded. "Yes, and he's also my teacher—one of the Fourth Hokage's disciples."

The Daimyō nodded in understanding. "I see. It seems the Fourth Hokage has a keen eye for talent."

"Now then, Jōnin Shūichi, about the promise you made to me back then—can you fulfill it now?"

"Not only are you a Jōnin, but also the Fourth Hokage's disciple, head of Root, and responsible for training ANBU talent."

"Creating a personal ninja guard for me shouldn't be a problem, correct?"

So this is what it's about!

Shūichi had anticipated this.

After all, the Daimyō had been investing in him for nearly ten years, pouring billions into his efforts. It was only natural for him to seek returns now.

To have an investor who waited ten years before asking for results—where else could you find such a great backer?

Without hesitation, Shūichi confidently replied, "If the Daimyō wishes it, I can certainly deliver."

"But may I ask, does the Daimyō want me to train the ninja you've recruited, or should we start training from scratch, as Konoha does?"

The Daimyō frowned. "What's the difference between the two?"

Of course, he knew the difference.

Training existing recruits is faster.

Training from scratch takes years, and he might not live to see them mature.

But the Daimyō wanted to see how Shūichi would respond.

Shūichi replied earnestly, "The superficial difference is this:

"The first method is quick but has a lower ceiling, and the recruits may not be entirely loyal to you."

"The second method is slower—requiring at least six years—but has a higher ceiling and ensures absolute loyalty to the Daimyō-sama."

He then asked, "Surely the Daimyō knows the history of Konoha's founding?"

The Daimyō nodded. "Of course."

"Back then, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, united the Senju and Uchiha clans and collaborated with other ninja clans to establish the Hidden Leaf Village with my father's support."

"It was then that the chaotic Warring States era came to an end."

Shūichi smiled and continued, "After founding Konoha, the Second Hokage established the Konoha Ninja Academy."

The Daimyō seemed to be deep in thought.

Shūichi went on, "You can think of the ninja you recruit as being like the clans that supported Konoha's founding."

"And the ninjas trained from scratch as those who came from the Ninja Academy, part of the Second Hokage's vision to create a systematic training process."

"Of course," Shūichi added, "if I may be frank, the ninja you recruit won't compare to Konoha's shinobi."

"After all, they're merely hired hands and lack true loyalty."

"If the Daimyō truly wants to make a lasting impact, you must establish something akin to the Second Hokage's Ninja Academy—a place to train your own loyal forces."

The Daimyō furrowed his brow. "So, you're suggesting I choose the latter option."

Shūichi shook his head. "No, Daimyō-sama, you should choose both."

"Until the forces entirely under your control are fully trained, you'll need disposable assets to tide you over."

"Of course, to avoid interference from Konoha, you shouldn't openly establish a ninja academy."

"Instead, you should secretly build a ninja training base—something like..."

After a brief pause, Shūichi pretended to contemplate before saying, "Something like Danzo's Root during his era."

"While leading Root, Danzo ostensibly trained talent for the ANBU. But in reality, he was secretly gathering a significant number of forces for his own purposes."

The Daimyō smiled. "I see."

Then, shifting his tone, he said, "Shūichi, as the Fourth Hokage's disciple, and with your strength, I imagine you're in line to become the next Hokage."

Shūichi chuckled. "Without the Daimyō's support, Konoha cannot sustain itself. It would crumble and revert to the Warring States era of clan wars."

"Is the Hokage the most important figure in the Land of Fire?"

"No, it's the Daimyō!"

This struck a chord with the Daimyō, leaving him pleased and significantly reducing his suspicions about Shūichi.

Shūichi observed the Daimyō's expression, smiling inwardly before continuing, "If I were to simply become the Fifth Hokage, I'd be no different from the Hokage of the past. That wouldn't surpass the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, who ushered in a new era."

"Daimyō-sama, my ambition is far greater than just becoming the Fifth Hokage."

The Daimyō's heart skipped a beat as he fixed his gaze on Shūichi. "Then what is your ambition?"

Instead of answering, Shūichi asked, "And what about your ambition, Daimyō-sama?"

"Is it merely to gain control over Konoha?"

"If that's all, then there's no need to create your own ninja forces. It would be meaningless."

The Daimyō's voice turned solemn. "Then, Shūichi, what do you think would be meaningful?"

Shūichi's eyes gleamed with intensity. "It would be for Daimyō-sama to annex other nations—conquering the Five Great Nations and even the smaller ones—to become the supreme ruler of this world. At that point, you would no longer just be a Daimyō but the true master of this world. You should be called the Emperor!"

The Emperor?!

The Daimyō muttered the word to himself, his breathing quickening slightly.

As the ruler of a nation, who wouldn't harbor grander ambitions?

After all, the Land of Fire wasn't always this vast. Its territory expanded step by step during the Warring States period, until Senju Hashirama ended that chaotic era and the power of the Great Nations reached a balance.

After calming himself, the Daimyō regarded Shūichi with a serious expression. "Conquering other nations would be extremely difficult, wouldn't it?"

"Even if Senju Hashirama were resurrected, it might still be impossible."

Shūichi smiled confidently. "But I can surpass Senju Hashirama!"

The Daimyō hesitated upon hearing this.

Surpass Hashirama?

Is that even possible?

He's the God of Shinobi, recognized by the entire ninja world!

Shūichi chuckled. "Daimyō-sama, I'm currently 15 years old. A few years ago, I killed the Third Kazekage."

The Daimyō was shocked. "You killed the Third Kazekage?"

Shūichi nodded. "Indeed."

"I did it to avenge Konoha's White Fang. This was once a secret, but it no longer is. Even the Fourth Kazekage knows that I was the one who killed the Third Kazekage."

"At 15, I'm already far beyond what Senju Hashirama was at the same age."

"Daimyō-sama, if you fully support me, I will eliminate the other ninja villages for you."

"Then, annexing other nations would be unopposed."

"At that time, I will be the new God of Shinobi, and you will be the supreme Emperor!"

The Daimyō's heart raced with excitement.

The vision Shūichi painted was grand and tantalizing. Anyone with even a shred of ambition couldn't help but be moved.

But then, the Daimyō recalled his age and calmed himself. "How long will it take for you to achieve this ambition?"

Shūichi understood the Daimyō's concern and responded with unshakable confidence. "No more than twenty years!"

Twenty years!

The Daimyō's heart reignited with fervor.

That was a timeframe he could wait for!

Still, the Daimyō tempered his excitement, his tone cool. "Shūichi, prove yourself then!"

"If you can demonstrate that you can surpass Senju Hashirama, I will support you with everything I have!"

Shūichi accepted with a smile. "Then, Daimyō-sama, how about defeating the Third Mizukage?"

The Daimyō nodded. "That will do!"

(End of Chapter)

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