53 Chapter 53- New Captures
Ren Uchiha POV
He flew through the sky, accelerating faster and faster till he broke the Supersonic barrier and reached Hypersonic levels of speed.
The one basic thing he noticed about flight was the amount of air resistance that he had to go through when flying.
At lower speeds of flight, the impact was negligible, but as he sped up, the air resistance became heavier and heavier, until it felt like he was moving through honey instead of air.
To address this challenge, he create a Jutsu to displace the air ahead of him—a seemingly basic technique in principle. However, this innovation catapulted his flight capabilities to unprecedented levels of speed.
This Jutsu still wasn't perfect. And he still faced a minor amount of Air Resistance during his flight. But as he level ups this Jutsu and level ups his flying speed, he was confident that he would eventually reach Re-entry level of flights. Which is about 25 mach. Meaning 25 times the speed of sound.
Yet for the moment, he leisurely traversed the skies, effortlessly covering a mile in a mere second until he arrived at his destination: the sprawling mechanical city where one of his Waifus lived.
Empowered by his Sage Mode, he swiftly detected her presence and glided towards her.
He found her looking warily in his direction but that wariness left her body as soon as she recognised that it was him.
"Hello, Konan," he greeted warmly, his smile genuine as he observed the food distribution among the city's poor. "I didn't realize there were so many homeless in Ame,"
"Hello to you too, Ren." She said, scrutinising his new form intensely. "That's… not Transformation Jutsu, is it?"
"No. I used a Time Acceleration Seal to age myself up."
"That…" Konan looked like she was about to say some very uncharitable words but she held her tongue in the end. Then her gaze went to his eye and her lips pressed thin. "You're using Nagato's eyes." She said, a blend of accusation and resignation in her tone.
"No, I'm not," he affirmed, retrieving Nagato's pair of Rinnegan eyes from his Inventory to show to her. "I simply studied Nagato's eyes and discovered a method to evolve my own."
"That's… I wasn't aware that Sharingan could evolve into Rinnegan."
"And I wasn't aware that there were so many poor people in Ame." he remarked, a slight frown creasing his features. "Haven't you guys enjoyed peace for over a decade now? So what's with the rampant poverty."
"They're not citizens of Ame. They're refugees from the Land of Earth," she explained, a tinge of accusation lacing her tone. "People who fled the Land of Earth due to the chaos following Iwa's destruction."
"Hey, don't look at me like that. If Onoki hadn't poisoned the Fourth Hokage during a peace talks, then Iwa would still be standing." He said before he offered her an arm, like a gentleman.
Konan regarded him silently for a moment before accepting his arm. Together, they took to the skies, flying side by side, ignoring the people in the ground who gawked and pointed in awe.
Even among accomplished shinobi, flying was a rare thing.
Expanding his chakra, he formed a protective bubble around them, simultaneously weaving a convincing illusion within it. This illusionary barrier rendered them invisible to any onlookers, providing a level of privacy from the prying eyes of civilians and ordinary shinobi, though it wouldn't deceive a sensor.
"So…" He started, not sure how to broach this topic. "Heard that you guys found oil in the Land of Earth and decided to bring democracy to their kingdom."
"…what?" Konan asked, giving him a confused glance.
"Oh, you know. I heard that Nagato launched a war on the Land of Earth with an alliance made up of several smaller Kingdoms." He said. "I was just curious what all that was about."
Konan narrowed her eyes at him. "We might be allied to Konoha, but that doesn't mean we need to explain our actions to you."
"I'm not saying you do. And this is not an interrogation." He said, "I wasn't lying when I said that I'm merely curious about the sudden start of yet another war. Wasn't Nagato all about peace and all that crap."
Konan hesitated for a moment before she said. "It's for land."
"Land?" He asked. "Doesn't Ame has a lot of it already. Is all this just because of greed?"
"No," Konan disagreed adamantly. "While Ame does possess ample land, a significant portion of it is situated in a rainy region prone to frequent flooding throughout much of the year. Such climatic conditions are unfavorable for agriculture. Thus, our aim is to acquire fertile land from the Land of Earth to address this issue."
"So it boils down to greed," he concluded, a mischievous glint in his eye. However, Konan's reaction was less than amused.
"Seeking to prevent our people from starving isn't greed," Konan retorted, her tone firm.
"You say that, but as bad as Ame's situation is, it's not bad to the point that the people of this Kingdom go to sleep on a hungry stomach." He pointed out. "You may struggle with farming in such weather, but your citizens also have access to abundant fish, wild game, fruit-bearing trees, and other resources from the vast forests."
Konan pursed her lips and remained silent, making him chuckle.
"I do not blame you for this war." He said. "Your country is strong, and the Land of Earth is weak right now. Your alliance, along with the leadership of Nagato, should be more than enough to defeat Land of Earth and take their lands and resources. I'm just amused that you're doing the exact same thing that you condemned the other major villages for."
"It's not the same thing at all." Konan snapped at him. "We'll make sure that the civilians aren't harmed in this war. Or barring that, try to keep the causality as low as possible."
His expression softened at her response. "I believe you'll do your best, Konan. But in war, innocents always suffer, whether directly or indirectly. And even if you strive for peace, how long can it be maintained if the populace begins to resist your authority? Would you still be seen as a benevolent leader then?"
"We'll address future challenges as they arise," Konan declared, her tone signalling the conclusion of their discussion on the matter. He respected her decision and chose to leave it at that.
"I'm still surprised that Nagato decided to make an alliance with Land of Grass and other nearby Kingdoms." He said after a moment of silence. "Can you maintain these alliances in the future or are they all temporary?"
"They're temporary. Once we've secured enough territory from the Land of Earth, the alliance will dissolve. After that, we can only hope the other kingdoms don't turn on each other in pursuit of claiming a larger share of the spoils."
"Sounds like a clusterfuck." He said with a chuckle. "But it would also remove a powerful enemy from your backs. An enemy that has invaded Ame time and again in the past. So I can't say that I blame you for this either."
Konan nodded and they continued flying through the sky until they reached the industrial sector of the village.
Here, he could see dozens if not hundreds of workers using the Steel that Konoha had sold to Ame to craft an array of new items, ranging from weaponry to kitchen and bathroom utensils, to agricultural tools.
"I had no idea Ame had expanded its steel production to such an extent," he remarked, taken aback by the scene. "And I certainly didn't realize Konoha was supplying such a significant amount of steel to you."
"It provides jobs for more people and boosts our economy," Konan explained with a casual shrug. "We're exploring ways to further industrialize the process, purchasing more raw steel from Konoha to increase production, and thereby acquiring more wealth and resources."
"Well, that's certainly a better way to earn wealth that with assassinations, sabotage, and other shady shit that we shinobi usually get up to." He said with some amusement even as his high Intelligence and Science Talent started working in concert to come up with various new designs for Industrial equipment that would help Konan's people produce more steel products from the steel ingots.
He decided to draw those designs and send them to Konan after this meeting. More trade between Ame and Konoha would tie them more closely together, if nothing else. And making your allies more prosperous will always a good thing in the long run.
They glided through the air in silence for a few moments until Konan began gently pulling at his arm. "Come," she urged, pointing towards a shop in the distance. "Let me treat you to some local Ame cuisine."
"Are you inviting me on a date, Konan?" he teased as they touched down on the street and made their way into the shop.
He discreetly cast a genjutsu on the shop's entrance, preventing other customers from approaching while they remained inside. It granted them a degree of privacy, though he resolved to compensate the shop owner generously for the lack of other patrons.
To his surpise, the shop specialised in ramen noodles. He wondered if some of the Uzumaki genes had been passed down on Nagato as well, making him favour this shop over others.
"Come," Konan said, leading him to a seat, but before she could sit down, he pulled her onto his lap.
Konan shot him a glare. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Claiming what's rightfully mine," he replied with a smirk. Konan pursed her lips, appearing annoyed at his remark, but then she huffed and looked away, casting a glance towards the shop owner who was doing his best to ignore their playful exchange.
"A miso Ramen and…" She said before glancing at him.
"A pork ramen." He added, relishing in the feeling of having Konan, one of the best waifus in the Naruto world, in his arms.
The main reason why he held Konan in such high regard, was her unwavering loyalty to those she cherished. Even after the passing of Nagato and Yahiko, she remained steadfastly dedicated to their memory and their shared dream.. Even fighting Obito to the death in and effort to stop him from desecrating their bodies.
You can't put a price on that kind of loyalty. Loyalty like that would've drawn him to Konan, even if she weren't stunningly beautiful and an S-class kunoichi.
"So… do you come here often?" He asked in the ensuing silence.
"Do you harass young women often?" Konan shot back, earning a grin from him.
"Only if they catch my eye," he replied with a playful grin, surprised to see a blush rise to her cheeks.
Man, being as good looking a he was, was almost unfair. Uchiha genes and Iryojutsu face sculpting for the win!
"Why are you here?" Konan asked once she'd regained her composure.
"Mostly because I was curious about what my new allies were doing."
"Then you can leave after you're done eating here." She told him and then let out a yelp as he pinched her ass, prompting a glare from her.
"Nah. Teasing you is fun. I think I'll remain." He said.
"You're a scoundrel." Konan told him.
"Yes. Yes, I am." He said proudly before he thought of something and gave her a saucy wink. "Hey, Konan, would you mind if I study your body?"
"Would you mind if I slit your throat?" Konan retorted sharply. Despite her stern words, a blush betrayed her true feelings, eliciting a chuckle from him once more.
Was Konan actually attracted to him? That was… surprising, considering that just a few months ago, he entered their home and beat up both her and her best friend.
Man, handsome people sure had it easy in life. And he was glad to be among their ranks now.
"Not like that." He clarified. "I'm just curious about your paper body technique. Can you teach me how that technique works?"
"Why would you want to learn something like that?" Konan asked, giving him a suspicious look.
"Because I'm working on a similar technique of my own. But one that is similar to the Bloodline of the Hozuki clan. Only, instead of allowing me to turn my body to water, this technique would allow me to turn my body into Earth." He said.
Truth was, he has been thinking about this kind of technique ever since he entered this world. Mostly because it would make him impervious to most form of attacks.
Only, he didn't have the means to make a complicated jutsu like this own his own till now. But now that he has access to the Science Talent, he believed that he would be able to create this Jutsu eventually.
Like, who didn't want a Logia type body?
Konan stared at him for a long moment before she nodded and took out a paper scroll from within her arms before handing it over to him.
"Neat trick." He told her as he pushed the scroll inside his Inventory.
"Not neat enough to help me defeat you." Konan said with a scoff.
"Sweetheart, it would take far more than a neat trick to defeat me."
"Don't call me that."
"Sure, darling."
"And don't call me that either."
"Understood, love."
Konan shot him a glare, clearly unamused by his endearing nicknames.
Before she could say anything else to him though, the shop owner arrived and handed the both of them their Ramen. Though he had to balance his own with Chakra threads since Konan was sitting in his lap, making the whole seating arrangement a bit awkward.
The meal was enjoyable, though it paled slightly in comparison to the delicious noodles from Ichiraku.
After finishing, he generously tipped the shop owner before they departed the shop.
Once they were outside, she turned and looked at him. "Do you want anything else?"
"No."
"Then you can leave."
He chuckled at her remark. "So harsh. And here I was, even bringing you a gift."
"A gift?" Konan inquired, appearing more cautious now.
"Hey, what's with that reaction?" he asked, a slight twitch in his eye. "Do you want the gifts or not?"
"What are the gifts?" she asked with clear suspicion in her eyes.
"Here," he said, presenting a scroll to her. "This is a gift for Nagato. It contains a set of instructions that will enable him to master the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Kushina entrusted it to me once she learned that Ame is now under the rule of an Uzumaki."
"I see. Please convey our gratitude to Kushina-san on behalf of Nagato and myself," Konan replied.
"Of course. And then... this is your gift," he continued, retrieving a marble sculpture about the size of an arm. The sculpture depicted a youthful scene: Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato sitting together with Jiraiya, all wearing bright smiles as they engaged in cheerful conversation.
Konan's reaction to the sculpture was immediate and profound. Her demeanor shifted, becoming still, her lips trembling and her eyes moistening as she reached out with trembling hands to touch the sculpture. After a moment of caressing it, she released a shuddering breath, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"This... is beautiful," she managed to say, tears now streaming freely down her cheeks as she looked at him. "Thank you, Ren."
He returned her warm smile. "It's my pleasure," he said before a thought crossed his mind, prompting another smile. "Oh, I have another gift for you. Although it's more of news than an actual gift."
"What news?" Konan asked, getting hold of her emotion once again.
"I killed Danzo. The man who aided Hanzo in ambushing and killing Yahiko," he revealed. "I understand this is-"
His words were cut off as Konan leaned in and kissed him firmly on the lips.
He instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer as their kiss intensified, growing more passionate with each passing moment. Eventually, they reluctantly parted, breathless and flush with emotion.
Ding!
Your Kissing Skill has levelled up by 1!
Nice.
An hour later, he bid farewell to Konan and returned home, pausing as he noticed one of his own Shadow Clones waiting outside.
"Boss, I have important news," the Shadow Clone began.
"And what's this important news?" he inquired.
"With the help of Sage Mode, we finally found Madara's hideout, as well as the area where he has kept those hundred thousand White Zetsu." His Shadow Clone said, causing his eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
"What about the Black Zetsu? Was he present too?" he inquired, his excitement fading as his clone shook its head.
"Unfortunately, no," the clone replied. "We scoured all the tunnels and hidden bases nearby, but he was nowhere to be found."
His eyes narrowed at the news. "It seems like Black Zetsu has truly gone underground. No matter. I'll track him down eventually. For now, maintain surveillance on those locations and erect a barrier that will trigger the moment Black Zetsu approaches."
His Shadow Clone nodded. "Anything else, boss?"
"Don't do anything to the White Zetsu that area running around. I don't want to alarm Black Zetsu."
"Very well, boss." His Shadow Clone said before it used Hiraishin and vanished.
With his Clone gone, he looked up at the moon, thinking of all the dangers left in this world now that Obito is dead and Akatsuki had been disbanded.
Black Zetsu, Toneri and Isshiki, who must still be wandering around in the Elemental Nations, somewhere.
Not for long. For once he's strong enough, he'll deal with all these threats and make the continent a safer place to live for his waifus and any children he might have with them.
—————
Minato Namikaze POV
"—the daimyos are trying but they won't succeed. Konoha is too strong to be toppled by them. They can inconvenience us but not much more than that." He said.
"I know all that. I might not have a spy network but I do send out my Shadow Clones every now and then to gather information." Ren said. "What do you truly want my help with, Minato-san?"
"…very well. I'll be direct then. I am tired of all these shinobi villages and Kingdoms warring against each other. I aim to unite the entire Elemental Nations under my rule to establish lasting peace. And I wanted to know if you would support me in this endeavour."
There was a beat of silence. And then.
"Sure. I'm in."
—————
Ren Uchiha POV
"I love you, Ren-Senpai," a random girl on the streets declared, handing him a bouquet of flowers while blushing profusely.
Pakura, who was supposed to be his date for the day, appeared thoroughly unimpressed by the girl's audacious behavior but refrained from commenting.
Being confessed to had become so routine for him over the past few months that he hardly even blinked at it anymore. And he would have politely declined the confession if not for one very important factor.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
'Seriously, what's with these overzealous fangirls and their obsessive crushes?' he thought to himself, feeling exasperated by the constant stream of love confessions that resulted in their capture.
Quickly, he retrieved his company phone and designated his latest capture— his fourth in the past few months—as his Familiar. This meant they would be part of his staff but not his harem.
The whole situation was rather irritating. Any individual captured—even as a Familiar—received a portion of all his defenses, as well as access to the Body Tune-up and Everlasting Talent.
With the Everlasting Talent, they were essentially immortal now.
However, their capture didn't earn him any points, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, they were now effectively his immortal hanger ons. It was frustrating because most of the girls were weak, primarily Genin or civilians.
But just because they were currently weak didn't mean they would stay that way forever. With Teaching Talent, he could identify their strengths and begin instructing them accordingly. Whether it was in shinobi training, fuinjutsu arts, cooking, business, administration, or any other field, they didn't necessarily need to be powerful as long as they were useful to him and his family.
Given their immortality, they would continue to accumulate experience in their chosen field over the coming decades until they eventually became the foremost experts in the world.
Or that was the hope at least. That's why he did what he did next.
"I'm looking for a maid to serve in my household. Wanna join?"
The girl excitedly bobbed her head up and down, making him smile.
"Do you have any parents?"
The girl shook her head.
"Then pack your luggage. You'll be living in my home from today onwards."
The girl swooned at his words before quickly nodding her head. "I promise I won't fail you, Ren-sama," she declared loudly before hurrying off.
He promptly created and dispatched a Shadow Clone to assist her before glancing sideways at Pakura, who appeared even more unimpressed now. Then, she grew somewhat contemplative.
"What did you see in that girl that I didn't?" She asked. "Did she have a dormant bloodline in her body?"
"Nah. The girl is born to civilians and is mediocre in every aspect of her life."
"Then why make her your maid? We already have more of them in our house than we know what to do with. And you certainly don't care about their beauty either. Or their body for that matter."
He squeezed her hand. "You'll learn eventually love" 'Once you get captured as well.' "For now, come. Let's continue our date. Anything you want for lunch."
"I'm craving that tri-flavored Tempura Udon you brought home that day," Pakura stated.
"It's not available in Konoha. My Shadow Clone literally brought it back from the Land of Noodles while scouting that country," He explained.
"Then take me there."
"...I spoil you girls too much. But very well," he conceded, before using Hiraishin to teleport with Pakura to another country.
—————
As he entered the Naka Shrine, the murmurs ceased instantly, and all the Uchiha clan members rose to bow deeply to him. It was... a bit unsettling.
The level of respect and devotion now shown by Uchiha clan members made him feel as though he were the leader of a secret cult.
The members of the Hawk faction were particularly fervent in their dedication to him. This was odd considering the only interaction he'd had with them was when he used Genjutsu to knock them all out.
He acknowledged his clan members with a nod and proceeded to the head of the dias, where the Clan leader, elders, and other esteemed members of the clan were seated.
He met gaze with Fugaku who seemed highly amused at his discomfort, causing his eye to twitch in annoyance. This bastard.
There was also something different about his seat. The cushion appeared larger and more luxurious than even the one reserved for Fugaku.
What the heck! Were these bastards attempting to designate him as the unofficial clan leader or something? Clever of them, albeit annoying.
Another noteworthy difference in the seating arrangement was that, instead of an elder who should have been seated beside him, there was now a beautiful young woman.
The same one who had unlocked her Mangekyo Sharingan. Naori Uchiha.
"Ren-sama." Naori Uchiha said with a deep bow. "We've reserved your seat for you."
'And the elders also reserved a girl for me.' He thought with mild exasperation.
The entire 'throwing a girl at Ren' scenario would have bothered him if he weren't already considering courting Naori in the future. After all, she was an Uchiha and a Tier 6 Kunoichi.
"Thank you, Naori-san." He said and sat down on the cushion as the monthly clan meeting finally started.
During the clan meeting, Naori sided up to him and began explaining some of the topics being discussed that he lacked context for.
He was still relatively new to these clan gatherings, and subjects like diplomacy, politicking, administration, law and order, and others were not his forte.
In contrast, Naori had been participating in these meetings for over a decade now. Consequently, she possessed knowledge about many things he was unfamiliar with, particularly inter-clan politics, a topic he had previously shown little interest in aside from that one intervention with the Hawk faction.
After a few hours into the meeting, they transitioned into discussing the clan's financial matters.
He observed that some of the younger Genins had already begun to doze off in their seats, tired of the tedious details being discussed. This was a common sight, which is why Genins were typically seated towards the back of the hall.
"I believe we should begin by addressing the Glass business we recently launched, courtesy of Ren-sama's generosity," one of the elders remarked.
Hm, finally, a familiar topic.
—————
AN: Sorry about the delay in the upload of this chapter. I necro'ed in one of the stories and got banned from posting anything for the past few days. But now I'm finally back into the game.
I've even started writing the next part of this story. Which would take place in Worm verse.
That's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it.
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Have a nice day
