RedX43
patreon
[Konoha] Chapter 299: Kage-Level Goalkeeper!
🕑 Added 2024-12-30 04:30:01 +0000 UTCIn the days that followed, Shūichi spent his time either training or accompanying his wives.
With Tenka and Pakura both pregnant, Mei Terumi and Konan had become noticeably more proactive as well.
It was a pity that the fiery and passionate Tenka was now pregnant; otherwise, Shūichi felt it might have been possible to aim for a “quadra.”
One day, Shūichi received notice that his leisurely days were over, and he returned to work at Root.
On his desk, a neatly arranged training roster awaited him.
Sitting down, Shūichi picked up the list.
The first name was Kakashi Hatake. This didn’t surprise him.
A 12-year-old Jonin, skilled in the Flying Thunder God Technique, proficient in Lightning Release, and brimming with potential.
Next to Kakashi’s name was a note: Recommended by the Fourth Hokage.
Shūichi nodded slightly.
When it came to talent and potential, Kakashi was indeed unparalleled.
He continued down the list.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi.
A familiar face, the son of the Third Hokage.
Exceptionally talented, particularly in Earth Release.
The list went on to include Shisui Uchiha, Might Guy, and Yamato.
A logical selection.
Further down were ninja from other villages.
From Kirigakure: Kisame Hoshigaki.
“Huh? Ringo Ameyuri?”
Shūichi’s eyes lingered on the name, recognizing it as the future wielder of the Thunder Swords: Kiba from the original series.
In the original timeline, she died young, succumbing to illness before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
It was clear why Kabuto had chosen to resurrect her instead of Raiga Kurosuki.
Shūichi pulled out Ringo Ameyuri’s profile from the pile.
Age: 15. Height: 140 cm… A prodigy in Lightning Release.
Shūichi smiled. “It seems she’s destined to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.”
The Thunder Swords: Kiba currently had no owner, after all.
As for Kisame, he could wield another blade.
“And Zabuza… the long sword, Kubikiribōchō, suits him perfectly and complements his Silent Killing Technique.”
Setting aside Ameyuri’s file, Shūichi continued reading.
From Kumogakure: Nii Yugito. No surprise there.
Then came Darui, a 13-year-old Storm Release Kekkei Genkai user.
A note followed his name: Recommended by the Fourth Raikage.
“To have mastered Storm Release at such a young age…” Shūichi mused.
Next came the candidates from Iwagakure.
There was only one: Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage.
Then, a familiar name: Konan.
Shūichi paused for a moment, then realized it was a perfect choice.
Further down was Baki from Sunagakure.
Twelve participants in total, with Konoha in the lead.
This wasn’t favoritism; it was simply because Konoha had more geniuses.
Of course, if Pakura were still with Sunagakure, she would undoubtedly be on the list.
If Killer Bee were alive, he’d have a spot as well.
And the same could be said for Sasori of the Red Sand and Roshi from Iwagakure.
Unfortunately, all three were long gone.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Looking up, Shūichi was surprised. “Anko?”
Carrying a stack of files, Anko Mitarashi responded with a serious expression, “Lord Shūichi, as of today, I’m your assistant.”
Replacing Tenka?
Shūichi found it amusing but maintained a calm demeanor. “Anko, are all the participants on the list assembled?”
Anko nodded. “They’ve all arrived, Lord Shūichi. They completed gathering yesterday.”
Shūichi gave a slight nod. “Then have them wait for me at Training Ground 11.”
“Understood!”
Anko placed the files on his desk. “Lord Shūichi, these are documents sent by the Fourth Hokage. They contain information on the First Chunin Tournament.”
Shūichi picked up the files and began flipping through them. Anko glanced at him a couple of times before quietly leaving the office.
The Chunin Tournament was initially planned by Konoha but had been postponed due to the formation of the new Ninja Alliance. It was now being restarted and expanded to include the entire alliance.
Though it was called the Joint Five Kage Summit, many smaller villages, like Takigakure, had gradually joined the alliance during this period.
As a result, the scope of the Chunin Tournament now encompassed the entire ninja world.
This expansion had delayed the tournament’s start yet again.
The latest proposal from the Joint Five Kage Summit scheduled it to take place after the first alliance-wide Chunin Exams in July, with the tournament itself expected to kick off in September.
This marked the beginning of the great unification of the ninja world through the Chunin Exams and the Chunin Tournament.
Moments later, Anko returned. “Lord Shūichi, everything is ready!”
Shūichi nodded, set down the documents, and stood up to leave the office.
Trailing behind him, Anko stared at the man’s tall and commanding figure, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Shūichi-sama is so handsome!
No wonder so many exceptional kunoichi are drawn to him.
But I won’t lose either!
...
Soon, Shūichi arrived at his destination.
Anko closed the door and stood guard outside.
Shūichi’s gaze swept over Kakashi, Shisui, and the others as he smiled. “I believe everyone here knows who I am, so no need for introductions.”
“As for this training, you should already have some idea about it.”
“The classification of strength above Jonin is my personal understanding. It is purely based on power and does not take missions into account.”
“Kage-level should be easy to understand. As for Super-Kage, it refers to a power surpassing the current Five Kage. Among everyone here, only Shisui has reached that level.”
“Above Super-Kage is the Pseudo-Six Paths level. This uses the Sage of Six Paths as a benchmark; a closer reference would be the First Hokage. Beyond the Pseudo-Six Paths level is the true Six Paths level, such as the Sage of Six Paths himself, the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, or Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.”
“This might sound abstract for now, but you’ll soon experience these levels of power firsthand.”
At this, the group couldn’t help but grow excited.
Most of them had never faced Six Paths-level opponents like Nagato, Madara, or Kaguya in battle.
“You will now enter a genjutsu realm. Don’t resist it—it’s futile anyway,” Shūichi said casually.
Kitsuchi, who had never experienced anything like this, couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Shūichi, is this similar to the Infinite Tsukuyomi?”
Shūichi nodded. “You could say that, although it’s not quite as powerful.”
“However, the training you’ll undergo inside will have the same benefits as training with shadow clones—unless, of course, you exceed my understanding.”
Those unfamiliar with this method, like Kitsuchi, were both astonished and curious.
Before they could fully process his words, their surroundings shifted. The stone chamber vanished, replaced by a grassy field surrounded by towering trees.
Kitsuchi looked around, amazed. “There’s no flaw at all—not in sight, smell, or feel.”
Yugito marveled, “As expected of Lord Shūichi. I didn’t even notice the genjutsu being activated.”
First-timers couldn’t help but compare this experience to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, realizing that aside from their awareness of being in a genjutsu, the realism was nearly identical.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, the ground shook. At the boundary between the grassland and the forest, towering walls rose step by step, forming a massive arena.
In the blink of an eye, an enormous battleground had taken shape.
Shūichi glanced at the group. “Let’s start by observing Kage-level combat power…”
His gaze landed on Baki from Sunagakure.
Feeling Shūichi’s attention, Baki tensed up. His heart raced, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. Just his gaze alone brings such overwhelming pressure. Is this… the Six Paths level?
Wanting to avenge my father feels so foolish and laughable now, Baki thought, unable to hide his fear.
His thoughts didn’t escape Shūichi’s perception, though the latter didn’t mind.
You kill someone’s father, and they hate you—it’s only natural. But to me, Baki is like an ant. Should I be worried about another ant seeking revenge?
As for training Baki, Shūichi saw it as part of the bigger picture of unifying the ninja world and didn’t mind letting him grow.
I’m the one who killed his father, not the other way around.
Noticing Baki’s nervous expression, Shūichi said calmly, “You specialize in Wind Release. Let’s start by testing you against a Kage-level Wind Release master.”
As he spoke, a figure materialized beside him from thin air.
Danzo Shimura!
The sight of Danzo surprised even Kakashi and Shinnosuke Sarutobi.
They had assumed Shūichi would summon the Third Kazekage.
While the Third Kazekage was renowned for Magnet Release, his mastery of Wind Release was also among the best in the ninja world.
Shisui Uchiha, however, understood Shūichi’s reasoning.
Baki specialized in Wind Release and likely followed a path of mastery in that area.
Therefore, Danzo, who also specialized in Wind Release, was the most fitting opponent.
To reach the Super-Kage level, one must first master the Kage level, and Danzo was an excellent benchmark.
“Everyone else, move to the walls,” Shūichi ordered.
In a flash, his figure disappeared.
The others, including Shisui and Kakashi, activated their Body Flicker Techniques and quickly relocated to the walls.
This left only Danzo and Baki standing on the grassy battlefield.
Baki eyed Danzo warily, thinking, I didn’t expect it to be Danzo Shimura instead of the Third or even the Fourth Kazekage.
Still, if he specializes in Wind Release, he’ll either excel at close-range kenjutsu or mid-to-long-range Wind Release ninjutsu.
Since he doesn’t have a sword, it must be the latter.
Just then, Danzo shouted, “Begin!”
Before his words fully registered, he lunged at Baki with startling speed.
Baki’s eyes narrowed. Close combat? No—his hand seals are too fast!
Within moments, Danzo completed several hand seals, inhaled sharply, and unleashed a barrage of compressed air bullets that whizzed through the air toward Baki.
Baki immediately dodged, but without the heightened perception of a Sharingan, he couldn’t completely evade. A few of the Vacuum Bullets grazed him, drawing blood.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Danzo’s attack followed immediately.
Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!
“The timing is too precise…”
Baki rolled awkwardly to evade, but he still failed to dodge entirely, earning a fresh wound on his shoulder.
However, as he sprang to his feet, he finally launched his first ninjutsu.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Boom!
A violent gust surged forward, sweeping Danzo off his feet.
But while airborne, Danzo exhaled sharply, releasing a stream of air that stabilized his body midair. The kunai Baki had thrown to capitalize on the moment missed its mark entirely.
“I need to close the distance and find an opening…”
Baki charged forward, his eyes locked on Danzo, trying to predict his landing point.
But just as Danzo’s airflow shifted downward, it stirred up a thick cloud of dust, obscuring Baki’s vision—and that of the onlookers like Kakashi.
Suddenly, the dust cloud was torn apart by a rapidly spinning shuriken, enhanced with Wind Release chakra. The shuriken resembled a massive, deadly windmill.
Kakashi and the others watched as Danzo blew on the shuriken in his hand, sending it spinning at high speed before launching it with a sharp whistle.
Baki managed to dodge the first two, but the third struck him, slicing his body cleanly in two and spraying blood across the battlefield.
“He’s lost… completely overwhelmed,” Kitsuchi muttered to himself.
“In the beginning, he lost the upper hand because of incomplete intel. Later, every attempt to counterattack was read and neutralized.”
“Still, this should just be a clone, right?”
As Baki’s bisected body hit the ground, it dispersed into two clouds of smoke.
None of the spectators on the walls, including Kakashi, showed any surprise.
Shūichi observed quietly.
On the battlefield below, Baki’s real body suddenly appeared behind Danzo. With his right hand forming a blade of razor-sharp wind, he snapped his fingers. The wind blade slashed forward at incredible speed, cutting Danzo’s body open as a pained scream echoed through the field.
Yet Baki remained on high alert, quickly turning around.
Behind him, the bloodied Danzo let out a puff of smoke and disappeared.
From the front, Danzo lunged forward with a kunai enhanced by Wind Release chakra, transforming it into a blade of deadly sharpness.
The Wind Release-enhanced kunai split into two in Danzo’s hands. Baki’s eyes widened as blood spilled from his mouth—the blade had pierced through his chest, effortlessly severing his kunai.
Feeling his strength rapidly draining, Baki gritted his teeth and prepared to unleash the Wind Release energy he had built up in his right hand.
But Danzo struck again first. With a sharp slash, his Wind Release blade sliced through Baki’s body, almost cleaving him in two.
The Wind Release energy in Baki’s right hand dispersed instantly, and he collapsed to the ground.
A desperate counterattack?
Impossible!
Both Danzo and Baki’s “bodies” disappeared, replaced by clouds of smoke. Moments later, a fully restored Baki reappeared.
Baki instinctively reached for his chest. The sensation of death had been too real.
“How do you feel, Baki?”
Shūichi appeared with Shisui and the others.
Baki took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. “Although it looked like I was just one step away from taking him down with me, the entire fight was under his control from the start. The outcome was decided from the beginning.”
He had tried to shift the battle’s momentum during the fight, but Danzo had easily neutralized every attempt.
In terms of combat experience and jutsu execution speed, he was entirely outmatched.
What seemed like a back-and-forth battle was, in reality, completely one-sided.
Shūichi nodded slightly. “You didn’t have any chance of winning.”
“However, this fight was meant to show you that if you reach Danzo’s level, your mastery of Wind Release alone would qualify you as Kage-level.”
“Now, let’s move on to Super-Kage-level power.”
Shūichi shifted his gaze, and everyone else followed. In the distance, several figures stood silently.
Yugito’s pupils contracted. “The Six Paths of Pain from the Akatsuki!”
Kitsuchi and the others were equally stunned. “The Rinnegan!”
Shūichi smiled and explained, “These are just Nagato’s Six Paths puppets, controlled via the Rinnegan.”
“Next, your opponents will be them. Kitsuchi, Yugito, Darui, and Kisame—prepare yourselves.”
(End of Chapter)
