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[Konoha] Chapter 322: The Sanctuary and the Children!
🕑 Added 2025-01-07 16:22:54 +0000 UTCAfter returning to Konoha from Mount Myōboku, Shūichi strolled leisurely through the streets, his thoughts turning to another sacred land—Ryūchi Cave.
Compared to Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest, this sacred land was far less welcoming.
Perhaps it had something to do with the nature of snakes.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up having to fight when I visit Ryūchi Cave,” Shūichi mused with a wry smile. He was genuinely curious about the strength of the sages from the Three Great Sacred Lands.
However, since Gamamaru had been persuaded, it didn’t seem right to bully an old toad at his age.
As for the Slug Sage from Shikkotsu Forest, there wasn’t even a need for persuasion—it agreed immediately.
That said, the Slug Sage wasn’t adept at training others in Sage Mode, and Shikkotsu Forest lacked any equivalent of Mount Myōboku’s toad oil to aid in the process.
Instead, the Slug Sage opened its summoning contract, allowing more medical ninjas to summon its clones for healing purposes.
After some contemplation, Shūichi decided to first establish his own sanctuary before venturing to Ryūchi Cave.
“Now, where should I build my sanctuary?” he pondered.
Konoha’s back mountain?
Wouldn’t that be a bit too mundane?
The moon?
Living next door to the Ninja Alliance someday? That seemed to lack grandeur as well.
“Kaguya’s alternate dimension, or maybe that of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?”
These two places crossed his mind, along with using his own alternate dimension.
After all, he had already mastered Kaguya’s bloodline ability for alternate dimension.
“I’ll go with Isshiki’s dimension!”
Shūichi made his decision.
His own space and Kaguya’s were combat-oriented, potentially requiring departure from the ninja world, making them unsuitable.
In contrast, Isshiki’s dimension was fixed within the ninja world, and Isshiki himself was long gone.
“Let’s take a look at Isshiki’s dimension first!”
Almost home, Shūichi opened the portal to the space-time dimension and stepped directly into Isshiki’s realm.
This place, used by Isshiki to conceal the Ten-Tails, wasn’t particularly vast but still significantly larger than the current area of Konoha.
Standing amidst the ruins left from his previous battle here, Shūichi sighed regretfully. “Had I known, I wouldn’t have been so violent back then.”
After some thought, he decided not to clear away the debris.
The ruins could serve as a testament to the past—a reminder of the battle that once took place here, marking the history before this sanctuary was established.
Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!
With a single thought, grass and trees erupted wildly from the ground, spreading in all directions.
In no time, the ruins were concealed by vegetation, awaiting discovery by someone someday.
A forest quickly took shape, and at its center stood a towering tree. Its branches intertwined, forming natural wooden huts complete with vine-crafted chairs, tables, and beds.
The entire place radiated a pure, natural aesthetic.
Shūichi climbed up, admiring his handiwork.
Senjutsu required natural energy, and harmony between humans and nature. This environment was ideal for sage training.
Walking through the spiral-arranged wooden huts, Shūichi finally reached the treetop.
At the summit bloomed a massive golden lotus. Sitting cross-legged on its platform, Shūichi felt the breeze lift his hair, filling his heart with tranquility.
The Earth’s magnetic field, various electromagnetic waves, and natural energy all became vivid in his mind.
With a single thought, invisible magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves surged into his body, absorbed by his cells.
This was his unique method of cultivation after acquiring the Electromagnetic Body—abandoning the consumption of natural energy and instead absorbing magnetic and electromagnetic waves to amass power.
Especially the latter.
However, less than ten years was far too short to condense another Divine Tree Fruit comparable to the one Uchiha Shisui consumed.
At best, he could use the Ōtsutsuki clan’s alchemical methods to produce some chakra pills.
But such pills had limited effects.
If he could create a suitable Ten-Tails to become a Divine Tree, the process would accelerate significantly.
Sacrificing another Ōtsutsuki would speed it up even further.
One Ōtsutsuki could last centuries.
And if it were someone like Kaguya, who had once consumed a millennium fruit, the results would be even more astonishing.
---
As night fell, Shūichi ended his training and reluctantly headed home.
Even before entering, he caught the aroma of food but noticed the absence of the usual lively chatter from the children.
By now, the only one in the house without children was Shizune.
Entering the main hall, he found two long dining tables already full of people.
One table was for the children; the other for the adults.
When Shūichi returned, all the children turned to look at him in unison.
The eldest, Nawaki, was now eight years old.
Next were Hōsei and Yumiko, both just under two months younger than Nawaki.
Then came Konan’s daughter, Nanyue, one year younger than Nawaki.
Asuka’s daughter, Karin, was slightly younger than Nanyue but the same age.
Finally, Mei Terumi’s son, Shunichi, born in the 53rd year of Konoha, was two years younger than Nawaki. He was already six and had entered the Ninja Academy this year.
The children sat upright at the table, but the mischievous Nawaki and Karin made faces at Shūichi, while the cunning Yumiko winked secretly.
Nanyue, Konan’s daughter, was well-behaved and quiet, her big eyes watching her father with a trace of worry.
Hōsei and Shunichi appeared mature for their age, their expressions calm and composed as always.
However, they all knew something felt off today,
The atmosphere at home was unusual—there was a new “auntie,” and it was clear she wasn’t popular with the mothers.
On one side of the room, led by Tsunade, all the women sat together, their expressions stoic and unyielding.
Shizune instinctively stood up to greet Shūichi upon his return, but Mei Terumi pulled her back.
They’d formed a united front.
On the opposite side of the room sat Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, equally expressionless and exuding an air of detached indifference, as though nothing happening here concerned her.
Shūichi felt at a loss for words.
Woman, do you even realize what kind of trouble you’ve stirred up?
Glancing at Tsunade and the others, Shūichi decided to head toward his children instead. Picking up his youngest, Shunichi, he smiled and asked, “So, Shunichi, did you learn anything new at school today?”
Clinging to his father’s neck, Shunichi replied obediently, “The teacher covered things Mom already taught me, but the teacher’s explanation was more detailed. I think I understand it better now!”
Shūichi laughed heartily. “That’s because teachers are professionals. Your mom may be stronger, but she’s not a professional teacher.”
Shunichi glanced at Mei Terumi, then leaned close to whisper in Shūichi’s ear, “Dad, it seems like Mom and the others are really mad. Who is that auntie?”
Shūichi whispered back, “That auntie is one of Dad’s friends. Your moms aren’t angry—they’re just jealous.”
Shunichi immediately caught on. “So... am I getting another mom?”
Shūichi hesitated for a moment. “Well, about that…”
Shunichi’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “Does that mean I might get to be an older brother too?”
As the youngest in the family, he was eager to experience what it was like to be an older sibling.
Just then, Yumiko’s voice rang out, laced with playful whining: “Dad, Yumiko’s tummy is really hungry!”
Shūichi set Shunichi down with a chuckle. “Alright then, let’s eat!”
Tsunade, however, grew even more frustrated watching Shūichi ignore her and the others entirely. Her anger surged, her eyebrows knitting together in irritation.
But with the children present, she had no choice but to hold back.
Otherwise, with her temperament, Shūichi would have already tasted her iron fist.
In truth, if it had been anyone else, Tsunade wouldn’t have been so upset.
After all, she herself wasn’t the first woman in Shūichi’s life.
And Shūichi’s infamous weakness for beautiful women was known throughout the world. Aside from his wives, he had also “strayed” with his subordinate, Anko Mitarashi, and the widowed Yuki Clan woman.
Yet while she could tolerate others, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was different.
Kaguya was an exceptionally dangerous individual.
It was bad enough that she had been revived—now she was planning to have children.
What if her offspring turned out to be rebellious disasters like the Sage of Six Paths?
If Shūichi had known Tsunade’s thoughts, he would have corrected her righteously:
“That’s not ‘straying’—it’s perfectly legitimate!”
Anko adored him; how could he let her down?
Mizu(Haku's Mother), with her tragic circumstances, simply needed comfort. How could offering solace not be reasonable?
While Tsunade, Shizune, and the others silently waged a cold war, Shūichi carried on nonchalantly, eating and interacting with the children.
Tsunade’s anger boiled as she clenched her teeth in frustration.
That bastard! How can he act like nothing happened?
Shizune and Asuka exchanged worried glances, sensing that this time things were more serious than usual.
Tsunade, though prone to anger, had never taken anything this seriously before.
---
The children finished their meal in about half an hour.
When Shunichi finally set down his bowl, Tsunade spoke. “Nawaki, take your brothers and sisters outside to play.”
Nawaki nodded immediately, clapping his hands. “Alright, let’s go! Let’s find Naruto and play with him.”
Yumiko chimed in eagerly, “Can we invite Tenten too?”
Nawaki nodded again. “If Tenten’s home, we’ll bring her along.”
In no time, the children were ready to go. Before leaving, they gave Shūichi a collective look of sympathy, as if wishing him luck, before Nawaki led them outside to play.
Shūichi watched them dash off and took a deep breath.
The strongest shinobi in the ninja world, afraid of his wives?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
He confidently took the main seat at the table, sweeping his gaze across the women. “Alright, let’s eat.”
BAM!
Tsunade’s fist slammed into the table, leaving a gaping hole.
Shūichi twitched, his mouth tightening at the corners.
Such a pitiful dining table—it’s had a hard time.
“Tsunade, this isn’t what you think…”
Shūichi tried to defend himself—or rather, explain.
Tsunade immediately sneered, “The truest thoughts come from the depths of the heart. That’s what you always say.”
Shūichi’s eye twitched, and he quickly responded earnestly, “People have all kinds of thoughts. Just because you think it doesn’t mean you’ll act on it!”
Tsunade shot back sarcastically, “And if you don’t want to act on it, would you even think about it in the first place?”
“Also, why did you arrange for her to stay in the house?”
Shūichi was still scrambling to come up with an explanation when Ōtsutsuki Kaguya interjected, “Because this is the safest place for me.”
“Anywhere else would make the leaders of your Ninja Alliance uneasy.”
Tsunade frowned slightly; this did make some sense.
Shūichi secretly breathed a sigh of relief—it was indeed part of his reasoning.
He trusted Kaguya, but others wouldn’t necessarily feel the same. Her immense power was unsettling to many.
However, Tsunade wasn’t one to be convinced so easily and immediately shifted the focus of her attack. “Then what about the issue of having children?”
Shūichi replied helplessly, “That’s something that hasn’t happened yet. Kaguya was just speaking hypothetically.”
Kaguya, however, declared calmly, “The children we bear will be far superior to Hagoromo and Hamura. They will be capable of protecting the ninja world.”
Tsunade snorted coldly, “Nawaki and the others can do that too.”
Kaguya countered, “Would you be willing to leave them behind?”
“To journey among the stars and reach the next destination takes a long time. Without the fruit of the Divine Tree, it’s possible that by the time you return, your children will have already passed on.”
Pakura then asked cautiously, “Lord Shūichi, do we really have to leave the ninja world?”
“Can’t Hōsei and the others come with us?”
Shūichi sighed inwardly before smiling. “Leaving for the stars won’t happen so soon.”
“By the time everything is ready, Nawaki and the others might already be grown, with families and lives of their own.”
“They might not even want to leave the ninja world with us.”
Asuka couldn’t help but chime in, “Shūichi, can’t we just stay?”
Shūichi replied reluctantly, “Of course, we can.”
“But when you have a lifespan spanning thousands of years, you’ll eventually want to explore the vastness of the stars.”
“And it’s not just about fighting the Ōtsutsuki clan.”
“Although, yes, the Ōtsutsuki clan is a massive threat.”
He then recounted the “Dark Forest” theory he had once explained to Gamamaru.
After hearing it, Tsunade’s anger dissipated, replaced by deep thought.
Kaguya commented, “That metaphor is indeed very fitting.”
“The Ōtsutsuki clan won’t spare me—that’s why I performed the Divine Tree ritual with human sacrifices back then.”
“They also won’t leave the ninja world alone. This land, rich in natural energy, is too precious. And they won’t give up on collecting chakra.”
“War is inevitable—it’s only a matter of time.”
“If you don’t solve it, it will be left for the next generation to handle.”
“Unfortunately, Hagoromo and Hamura didn’t understand me back then…”
Kaguya’s expression turned sorrowful as she spoke.
She wasn’t without emotion—her sons, swayed by outsiders, had betrayed her.
At this moment, Tsunade broke in, “But what does that have to do with having children?”
“Aren’t you afraid your children might betray you again?”
Tsunade struck straight at Kaguya’s heart with her words.
But Kaguya remained unfazed and replied indifferently, “It’s simply my way of thanking him.”
Shūichi was stunned.
Woman, that’s not gratitude—that’s revenge!
The situation had almost been smoothed over, yet now it was spiraling back into chaos.
Truly, this is what they mean by a teammate as bad as a pig.
Faced with Tsunade’s murderous glare, Shūichi had no choice but to use his ultimate weapon: “I swear, I will absolutely not have children with Kaguya.”
Tsunade snorted lightly. “Fine. Let’s eat.”
She knew better than to push too far.
---
Later that night, after Shūichi had thoroughly satisfied Shizune, leaving her completely exhausted and fast asleep, Kaguya floated into his room.
Her robe slipped away, revealing a flawless, radiant white body. Shūichi kept his gaze fixed and his posture stiff, unmoving.
Kaguya drifted closer.
To honor his promise, Shūichi decided to adopt the approach of don’t initiate, don’t refuse, don’t take responsibility.
Before long, a dazed Shizune, sensing another presence on her, mumbled groggily, “Shūichi, go find Asuka…”
(End of Chapter.)
