Inside the research lab.
The light-hearted conversation between Shirou and Tsunade lingered in the air, making Yugito, who was lying on the research bed, feel rather awkward.
It was hard to tell how much ti had passed before the burning sensation in her abdon finally subsided. Weakly, she said:
"Lord Shirou, the seal on my lower abdon feels weaker now."
As Yugito's voice broke the silence, both Tsunade and Shirou turned around. They saw her lying on the research bed, with black sealing patterns now visible on her lower abdon.
It turned out to be a Double Four Symbols Seal, also known as the Eight Trigrams Seal, a sealing technique used in Konoha to seal tailed beasts.
Looking at the girl, a rare excitent flashed in Tsunade's eyes, as if she had found a precious material.
"This girl's constitution is indeed very special. She naturally possesses a strong consciousness and can even control the power of the tailed beast through her will alone. It's no exaggeration to call her a naturally perfect Jinchūriki."
Tsunade praised her, marveling at the wonders of heaven and earth. How could such a rare constitution arise among humans?
"Born with a powerful consciousness, huh?"
Beside her, Shirou nodded in realization. No wonder Yugito had a tailed beast sealed inside her at such a young age. Her physique was practically tailor-made to be a perfect Jinchūriki.
"At the sa ti, her body is remarkably unique. Combined with her innate strong consciousness, the chances of her losing control or going berserk as a Jinchūriki are negligible…"
Tsunade explained Yugito's rare constitution in professional terms, while Shirou silently nodded. In the original, it was indeed ntioned that Yugito could transform into her tailed beast using her own will, which was undoubtedly linked to her special physique.
"How are you feeling now?"
At Tsunade's inquiry, Yugito, still on the research bed, quickly nodded and replied:
"There was a burning sensation in my lower abdon earlier, like a fire raging inside . But now, I feel fine."
Observing Yugito's physical response, Tsunade revealed a satisfied smile.
"This ti, you've truly found a treasure. I've already sealed part of the Two-Tails inside her. It's a pity, though—if she had grown up in Konoha, she might have been a suitable host for the Nine-Tails…"
Shirou, standing to the side, was speechless. Even if there were a suitable candidate, would the Senju clan hand over the Nine-Tails to an outsider?
"Sister Tsunade, if I'm not mistaken, the seal on Yugito's lower abdon is an Eight Trigrams Seal, isn't it?"
Shirou squinted his eyes. For just a portion of the Two-Tails' chakra, such strict sealing seed unnecessary.
Tsunade lazily stretched, waved her hand dismissively, and said:
"Of course, it's the Eight Trigrams Seal. Even if it's just a small experint, no matter how good her physique is, what use would it be? Konoha doesn't have another tailed beast for you to seal."
She rolled her eyes at Shirou, then revealed a rare confident smile. She casually tossed a scroll next to her toward him.
"This is a research project from the Senju clan. It explores whether it's possible to cultivate pseudo-Jinchūriki by sealing tailed beast chakra. Later, this research was taken to the Daimyō's estate.
Apparently, after so experints, it was discovered that the tailed beast chakra without a will of its own is too violent. Only individuals with rare constitutions can withstand it. So, the research was shelved…"
As Shirou listened to Tsunade's explanation and read through the experintal data, he couldn't help but feel shocked.
Wasn't this the sa concept as the pseudo-Jinchūriki that appeared in the Fire Temple in the ani? It proved that this thod was feasible. Although it only resulted in a pseudo-Jinchūriki with a Four-Tails-like state, it was already a success.
The only difficulty was finding a suitable host.
"So, Yugito's strong consciousness happens to be a perfect match for this experint."
After briefly reviewing the scroll, Tsunade calmly nodded.
"Exactly. She's the most suitable candidate. But there's a downside: only a portion of the tailed beast's chakra is sealed inside her. It will take years, even decades, for the chakra to form a symbiotic relationship with hers…
Currently, the tailed beast's chakra is weak, so it will continue to absorb the host's chakra to grow. Once the tailed beast's chakra becos strong, it will start to give back. But to cultivate sothing comparable to a full-tailed beast, she'd have to live for a thousand years…"
After Tsunade explained the experint, Shirou finally understood. Surprisingly, Yugito, as the experintal subject, showed no fear or resentnt. Instead, she was filled with excitent.
Power!
With this, she could gain imnse power and avenge herself in the future.
While Yugito was eagerly imagining her future strength, Shirou gently ran his hand through her tea-colored hair, skillfully braiding it into a long braid that reached her waist. The sensation left her feeling warm and tingling inside.
Tsunade, observing Shirou's actions, didn't say a word. After all, even powerful tools needed to be nurtured emotionally. It wouldn't do to have them completely devoid of feelings, would it?
...
Konoha Training Ground #44.
"I'm your new supervising Jōnin, Uzumaki Kushina!"
On the soft green grass, Kushina, dressed in a sharp outfit, smiled broadly. In front of her, Kurenai Yuhi and Shizune were visibly nervous.
"Please take care of us!"
Their good manners prompted both Kurenai and Shizune to bow respectfully, a sight that left Kakashi, standing nearby, a bit exasperated.
"Uh… Kushina-sensei, why are you here?"
Kakashi was baffled. This was supposed to be his squad's eting point. Shisui Uchiha and Might Guy, both newly graduated Genin with their headbands, were also present.
"Hahaha! This is youth, Kakashi! I just graduated, and you're already a Chūnin. I need to work harder!"
Might Guy shouted excitedly about youth, even throwing up a thumbs-up and flashing his trademark shiny grin.
Despite how embarrassing the scene was, Shisui watched with admiration, smiling at Guy's positive mindset. His teammate's ntal strength was far superior to his.
"I still have so much to learn!"
Good grief. Watching Shisui look at Guy with eyes full of admiration, and seeing Guy cry tears of joy at being accepted, Kakashi couldn't help but twitch.
"Is this… really okay for a team?"
Kakashi started to doubt himself. Shisui had seed normal before, but now… admiring Might Guy? Was that even normal?
"Hey, hey, Kakashi, what's that supposed to an!"
Before Kakashi could dwell on it, Kushina, who hadn't yet had her fill of being the stern supervising Jōnin, suddenly appeared behind him with a dangerous smile.
"So fast!"
Both Kurenai and Shizune were stunned by her speed, exchanging worried glances. Would this test be extrely difficult?
But in the next mont, Kushina ruffled Kakashi's white hair, laughed heartily, and declared:
"I now announce, that Team Uzumaki is officially ford! Tonight, I'm treating you all to Senju barbecue!"
Wait, no test? Both Kurenai and Shizune were shocked. What was the point of all their preparation and effort, then?
"And for Kakashi's team, your instructor Shirou is busy right now. But he'll be back tonight, and we'll all have a barbecue together!"
Hearing this, Might Guy's eyes widened with excitent as he shouted:
"Barbecue! I love it!"
Shisui bowed respectfully and said:
"Thank you, Kushina-sensei."
Only Kakashi remained speechless. What was even happening?
"By the way, to the two hiding behind the big tree, why don't you join us for so barbecue?"
Unexpectedly, Kushina revealed a mischievous look in her eyes as she gazed toward the direction of the large tree at the training grounds, teasingly calling out.
As two figures erged from the bushes, Yūhi Kurenai and Might Guy both had expressions of shock.
"Father?!"
The newcors were none other than Yūhi Shinku and Might Duy. The two looked awkward and could only wave sheepishly at their respective daughter and son.
And so, the group—so joyful, so embarrassed—set off toward the bustling streets and the barbecue restaurant run by the Senju clan.
Konoha nowadays was not like the later years after the Nine-Tails incident, when the village's layout was reorganized, resulting in the Uchiha clan being relegated to the outskirts and the Senju clan seemingly disappearing altogether.
Currently, the Senju and Uchiha clans occupy the most prosperous areas in Konoha. Their families thrived, with many ordinary clan mbers and elders running family businesses, living in great wealth.
At the Barbecue Restaurant:
Only Might Guy, Kakashi Hatake, and Uchiha Shisui seed carefree, fully focused on devouring the barbecue in front of them.
Shizune, though bowing her head like a gentle and reserved young girl, couldn't hide the unease and worry deep in her eyes. Yūhi Kurenai appeared confused, unable to understand why her father was even there, while Yūhi Shinku and Might Duy scratched their heads awkwardly.
"Kurenai, you're the cutest! Your father is worrying too much," Uzumaki Kushina teased, ignoring the two fathers entirely, her face lit up with a smile as she looked at her two team mbers.
After all, it was her first ti as a Jonin instructor, and she was determined to lead a powerful team.
"Looks like I'm late."
Amid the awkward atmosphere, a voice filled with apology suddenly rang out, causing everyone in the private room to put down their chopsticks. Yūhi Shinku and Might Duy imdiately stood up respectfully.
"Lord Shirou."
"Captain Shirou."
"Shirou-sensei."
Dressed in white with black pants, his chest slightly exposed, revealing an eye-catching, muscular physique, and wearing black armguards extending from his forearms to his hands, a purple rope belt tied at his waist, with a straight ninja sword tucked in, Shirou entered the room.
The mont he appeared, the expressions of everyone in the room shifted in different ways.
Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shisui addressed him as "sensei," while Shizune, Yūhi Kurenai, and Might Guy called him "lord." anwhile, Yūhi Shinku and Might Duy referred to him as "Captain Shirou."
"Apologies for being late, I was delayed by so matters with Tsunade."
Beneath his black hair, his usually cold face carried a warm, apologetic smile. Uzumaki Kushina, in front of everyone, excitedly rushed over and hugged him.
"Shirou, you're finally here!"
Hanging onto his neck affectionately without any restraint, her behavior didn't bother most people present, but Yūhi Shinku wore a troubled expression. Was this a good thing or... a good thing?
"Co, let's eat together."
In the private room, as they enjoyed their barbecue and drank round after round of sake, Might Duy, his face flushed with drink, awkwardly stood up and raised his glass toward Shirou.
"Captain Shirou, I don't even know what to say. Thank you for allowing to join the police force back then. It's thanks to that opportunity that I could earn more mission rewards.
And most of all, thank you for not looking down on my son, Might Guy, and even allowing him to join Kakashi's team."
As he spoke, the older man's eyes grew moist. For Might Duy, though he didn't care how others mocked him, he couldn't bear the thought of his son suffering because of his status. He had worked tirelessly to support Guy's training, knowing it required proper nutrition, which wasn't cheap.
A forever genin who was mocked and avoided by others during team-ups, Might Duy struggled financially. But he persevered, fulfilling his duty as a father.
Faced with Might Duy's gratitude, Shirou simply shook his head lightly.
"You're mistaken. I didn't do this out of pity or charity—it's because you and your son have the potential."
For soone like Might Duy, no elaborate words were needed. All it took was sincerity to earn his trust.
"Potential? I…"
Might Duy's eyes reddened further. He had been mocked for being a forever genin for so long. Though he didn't care about himself, he couldn't bear to see his son affected by the sa ridicule. He firmly believed his son, Guy, had far greater talent than him, but no one at the ninja academy ever saw it that way.
"If that weren't the case, why would I allow soone considered a dead last to join Kakashi's team and hold them back?"
Shirou chuckled softly, taking a sip from his cup and then looking at the confused Might Guy. He smiled and said:
"Guy is indeed a genius. With you, as his father guiding him, others might underestimate taijutsu, but think about the Third Raikage. Could anyone have predicted that his physical techniques would reach such heights?"
"And I believe Guy's talent is no less than Kakashi's or Shisui's. Taijutsu requires consistent, long-term dedication to achieve success. If Kakashi and Shisui slack off in the future, Guy will surpass them."
As Shirou's calm voice echoed, the others in the room were stunned. Their gazes shifted to Might Guy, whose unremarkable and even goofy appearance made it hard to imagine such potential.
If anyone else had said this, they might have laughed it off, but this was Uchiha Shirou speaking.
The Uchiha genius ninja had invented an A-rank, hand-seal-free jutsu to make a na for himself during the Second Shinobi War and had even used that self-created S-rank jutsu to repel the legendary Salamander Hanzō.
Not long ago, Shirou had also fought the strongest Third Raikage at the border, using an advanced version of the Chidori to sever the Raikage's lightning armor. Since then, the Chidori have gained a new na: Lightning Cutter (Raikiri).
"Is Guy really this strong?"
Kakashi Hatake frowned as he glanced at Guy beside him. Although he considered Guy a good friend, he couldn't see the potential that both his father and Shirou claid he had.
"Taijutsu is a discipline of slow and steady progress. Many give up halfway when they see no imdiate results, but for those who persist, taijutsu is no less powerful than ninjutsu or genjutsu—it's just a different path of developnt."
Shirou explained with a faint smile. When it ca to Duy and Guy, he didn't need to be overly cautious. Their sincerity made interacting with them effortlessly.
"Of course, in the field of taijutsu, I am willing to call Guy a true genius."
Shirou's lighthearted smile prompted Might Duy to bow repeatedly in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Lord Shirou."
Beside him, Might Guy's face turned red with excitent as he heard the legendary ninja praise him. At his age, encouragent ant everything, and although he was thick-skinned, no one aside from his father had ever acknowledged his efforts. He had worked tirelessly for years because of this.
Turning to the thin jonin, Shirou smiled casually.
"Kurenai's talent in genjutsu is excellent. I understand your concerns, but right now, you should focus more on preparing for the brutal wars ahead. Not even you or I can guarantee our safety on the battlefield, so what's the point of worrying about so much right now?"
Hearing Shirou's words, Yūhi Shinku seed to grasp sothing.
Indeed, while he worried about being dragged into this great power struggle, the impending war would not even give them a chance to catch their breath.
A single misstep could lead to death on the battlefield. Instead, becoming Kushina Uzumaki's student might offer a higher chance of safety.
"Kushina may not be particularly skilled in genjutsu, but with Mikoto and Tsunade guiding her, it's more than enough for a genin."
When Shirou said this, Kurenai Yuhi finally understood and nodded solemnly, saying:
"I understand now. Thank you, Shirou-sensei."
Finally, Shirou's gaze fell on the quiet and silent Shizune, and a hint of admiration surfaced in his eyes.
Perhaps Shizune wasn't the most outstanding, but her talent to beco a jonin was undeniable. More importantly, her character and conduct stood out.
"Shizune, Kurenai, Kushina has beco your jonin instructor. However, she will need to leave for a mission for a while.
Since you both just graduated from the Ninja Academy and need further training, I think Tsunade has so ti in the coming days to guide you. Additionally, while Kakashi is close to you in age, he can still share his experience with you as well..."
With Shirou's relaxed smile, he resolved everyone's concerns. Shizune, in particular, showed a look of gratitude.
She realized that her worries had been unnecessary. Being guided in training by Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, proved there was no ulterior motive whatsoever.
PS: Lemon next chapter.
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