Chapter 232: Want to Learn? I'll Teach You!

Shūichi knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shikaku Nara's concerns weren't unfounded.

Moreover, he could discern the subtle opposition in Hiruzen's words.

As for Shikaku, his analysis was purely logical and impartial, with no bias.

Unifying the ninja world was undoubtedly an extremely challenging task.

After all, the concept of individual shinobi villages was deeply ingrained in people's minds, tied to their interests and power structures. It wasn't something a few lofty words could resolve.

The unification of China by Qin Shi Huang had been short-lived, as his death quickly led to rebellion from the six states' nobility. It wasn't until the Han Dynasty that ideological unity was truly achieved.

The issues that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shikaku Nara worried about had, in fact, been raised by Minato Namikaze before.

Peaceful unification? Impossible.

This was a matter of stark, naked interests.

"This is indeed a tough problem. If it weren't for the threat of the Eye of the Moon Plan, we could simply conquer the other villages one by one—those who resist would be killed."

Shūichi continued, "But now we must prevent Uchiha Madara from taking advantage of the situation."

Shikaku Nara suggested, "Perhaps we can first use the Eye of the Moon Plan to form a Ninja Alliance. Once Uchiha Madara is dealt with, we can use the Alliance as a foundation for unification."

"At that point, as a hero with overwhelming power, your influence would greatly reduce resistance."

Shūichi smiled and nodded. "That's certainly one approach."

"But in reality, Nagato has a similar goal to mine."

"His original intention was to seize the Ten-Tails and use it as a weapon to sweep across the ninja world."

"I've made a bet with him: whoever wins, the loser must submit."

"So, right now, Nagato and I are both competitors and collaborators."

Hiruzen and Shikaku were shocked to hear this—this was information they hadn't known before.

Shikaku's sharp mind quickly deduced Shūichi's intentions. "Shūichi, are you planning to use the Akatsuki's power to weaken the other villages while leveraging their threat to gradually erode them?"

Shūichi nodded. "That is one of my plans."

"Also, I just received intel that the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure may already be under the Akatsuki's control."

What?!

Hiruzen and Shikaku were taken aback.

That's an entire village's leader!

Hiruzen's tone grew serious. "From earlier intelligence, the Fourth Mizukage became the Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails… Could it be Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Shūichi nodded. "This hasn't been fully confirmed, but it's highly likely. Only Obito's Mangekyō could achieve this level of control."

"Because of our current relationship, Kumo has already set its sights on Amegakure. This means the Akatsuki will likely sever overt ties with Amegakure."

Shikaku remarked, "Kirigakure would serve as an excellent cover."

"It's isolated in the sea and already follows a closed-door policy."

"And now, with the Fourth Mizukage under control… Without the right intelligence, who could possibly imagine such a thing?"

Hiruzen added gravely, "If Obito's Sharingan is exposed, then…"

Shūichi shook his head. "It won't matter. Obito is also under Uchiha Madara's control."

Whether or not Obito was truly controlled didn't matter—the narrative would stand.

After all, it was Uchiha Madara, the original wielder of the Rinnegan. The explanation would make perfect sense!

Unless Obito fully aligned himself with the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Hiruzen nodded, then asked, "So, Shūichi, are you planning to expose the Fourth Mizukage's manipulation at the right moment?"

Shikaku added, "If we reveal this during the chaos caused by the Akatsuki in Kirigakure, it could create a power vacuum—a perfect opportunity to bring them under our control."

Shūichi instantly understood Shikaku's underlying message.

The Fourth Mizukage must die.

Hiruzen then asked, "Shūichi, when you visited Kirigakure, who would most likely succeed the Fourth Mizukage as the next leader?"

The old are indeed the wisest.

While Shikaku focused on the Fourth Mizukage, Hiruzen was already considering the next candidate.

Of course, Shūichi thought Shikaku had tactfully left this part unsaid.

"As for the Fifth Mizukage…"

Shūichi smiled. "The most likely candidate would be Mei Terumi, someone around my age."

"She possesses two Kekkei Genkai abilities, and I've already placed a Flying Thunder God mark on her."

Shikaku asked, "A kunoichi?"

"If she's around your age, perhaps marriage could be used to smooth the process and reduce difficulties."

Shūichi glanced at Shikaku, feeling as though he was being slandered.

Hiruzen, however, nodded in agreement. "That's indeed a good suggestion."

"As for Sunagakure, if the Fourth Kazekage… Pakura would also make an excellent choice for leadership."

Hearing this, Shūichi silently mourned for the Fourth Kazekage.

---

The Cloud Delegation departed on the second day.

Shūichi initially thought that the Cloud ninja might make another bold attempt to seize a Byakugan, providing him with some entertainment. Unfortunately, the current circumstances were different.

Once the Cloud ninja left, Shūichi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport out of Konoha, arriving just outside Amegakure.

After quietly sensing his surroundings for a moment, his figure vanished once more.

In the office building of Amegakure's leader, within the secretary's room, Shūichi suddenly appeared.

Konan, who was diligently working at her desk, immediately looked up and glared coldly at him. "Is it really necessary to keep showing up like this?"

Shūichi glanced at the room where Hanzo was located, then turned his appreciative gaze toward Konan. "This way is safer."

Konan noticed Shūichi's clear, unabashedly admiring expression and found herself unable to truly dislike it. She simply maintained her icy demeanor and asked, "When will your people be in position?"

"Next month," Shūichi replied.

"You'll head to the Land of Hot Water, and when the time comes, you'll meet them there."

Konan nodded and returned to processing documents, ignoring him.

Shūichi didn't leave. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching Konan work diligently.

There was no denying it—a focused woman had her own unique charm.

"Konan, you should consider hiring more secretaries to help with these tasks," Shūichi suggested.

"As a ninja, strength is your foundation."

"And as a leader, your foundation lies in managing people, not doing the work yourself."

"Knowing how to delegate effectively, ensuring everyone plays to their strengths, is the key to governing a village efficiently."

Without lifting her head, Konan replied, "I have shadow clones training."

Shūichi chuckled. "Clones can accumulate experience, true, but some things require the original body."

"For instance, physical conditioning. That's the foundation of a ninja's strength. Even adults can't afford to slack off."

"If your body becomes sluggish, a slight delay in combat could prove fatal."

Konan glanced up at him and said, "I don't lack combat experience."

Shūichi smiled. "Your Paper Ninjutsu is fascinating."

"It even exhibits some traits similar to Wood Release."

"Have you ever considered focusing on nature transformation?"

Konan's Paper Ninjutsu wasn't a Kekkei Genkai or based on a specific elemental nature. It was more akin to a sophisticated application of ninja tools—similar to Gaara's Sand Ninjutsu.

Sunagakure had several similar jutsu, closely tied to puppet techniques. However, few reached the level of mastery displayed by Konan or Gaara.

Konan's Dance of the Shikigami was almost on par with the sand constructs of Shukaku.

Gaara could coat his body in sand to form an armor, but Konan had yet to reach that level.

Hearing Shūichi's words, Konan looked up again. "Wood Release requires combining Water and Earth nature transformations. Not everyone can achieve that."

Shūichi nodded. "That's true."

"In that case, why not replace your paper with explosive tags?"

"And develop paper clones. The results shouldn't disappoint."

"Take Shukaku, for instance. Its sand body allows it to turn its entire form into sand, earning its reputation as having the ultimate defense."

"Or consider the Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique from Kirigakure, which allows their bodies to liquefy and become immune to physical attacks."

Konan paused her work, her mind clearly turning over his words.

Explosive tags had already crossed her mind, and paper clones were under development. But the idea of pursuing sand-body or hydration techniques had never occurred to her.

After some thought, Konan asked, "Although we're collaborators, we're also enemies. Wouldn't making me stronger work against your interests?"

Shūichi smirked. "That's where my confidence and generosity come in."

"I'm confident I'll defeat Nagato, and when that happens, you'll serve under me."

"It's only logical to make some early investments."

"I see great potential in you as someone who can help me govern the ninja world in the future."

In the adjacent room, the Animal Path opened its eyes.

This guy is poaching people right under my nose—how brazen.

But after a moment's thought, Animal Path closed its eyes again.

No matter what, Konan's growth could only be advantageous.

---

Looking at Shūichi's confident demeanor, Konan couldn't help but think of Yahiko. Back then, Yahiko had the same unwavering belief that he could achieve anything. But...

Lowering her head, Konan said flatly, "It's too early to say such things. Don't die halfway."

Shūichi stepped forward, casually sitting on the edge of Konan's desk. He looked at her and said, "Then let's talk about ninjutsu!"

"If the world were at peace, my favorite thing would be researching ninjutsu and exploring immortality."

"Your Paper Ninjutsu is quite interesting. Have you developed paper clones yet?"

Without looking up, Konan replied, "No."

Shūichi shook his head. "Your progress is too slow."

"Give me a few sheets of your paper."

Konan raised her head at last, frowning. "What are you planning?"

Shūichi chuckled. "It seems you don't know enough about me yet!"

"I'm currently the head of Konoha's Root Special Training Division. That means every member of the Anbu, now and in the future, will go through my training."

"Surely you don't think I got this position just because I'm the Fourth Hokage's student?"

"I've mastered all five basic chakra natures, Yin Release, Yang Release, and the seven elemental transformations. As far as I know, even Nagato only has six."

Konan responded calmly, "My techniques don't fall under the seven elemental transformations."

Despite her words, sheets of white paper floated into the air.

Shūichi caught the paper with a smile, examining it closely. "Special paper, waterproof, and mixed with the materials used in chakra test papers. Not bad."

Paper clones? Is that supposed to be difficult? 

Infusing his chakra into the paper, Shūichi made it rise and, under Konan's slightly shocked gaze, the paper combined in midair to form a replica of himself.

Paper Clone Technique!

For Shūichi, who had the [Clone Master] tag and could create clones from virtually anything, paper clones were child's play.

After all, he had already developed Crow Clone Technique.

With a rustling sound, the paper clone dispersed, scattering sheets of paper in front of Konan.

Shūichi remarked, "Paper clones shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Compared to standard clone techniques or Shadow Clone Technique, you just need to incorporate a bit of transformation thinking into it."

"Give it a try."

Konan stared at him, her mind filled with doubt.

Is this guy insane? 

Or does he actually have a thing for me? 

Suppressing her thoughts, she contemplated for a moment before picking up a sheet of paper from her desk. After a short while, the paper floated into the air, forming the upper half of her body.

Shūichi nodded approvingly with a smile. "Not bad. The next step is just training."

"You're better at manipulating paper than I am, so it shouldn't take you long to perfect this."

"After that, you can work on techniques like the Hydrification Technique or Shukaku's sand body. Those are slightly more challenging..."

As he spoke, Shūichi lowered his gaze under Konan's watchful eyes.

Is this guy seriously planning to develop such techniques in such a short time? 

Konan's face remained calm, but her heart wavered.

If he actually managed to do it, such talent would be terrifying—far surpassing even Nagato.

Meanwhile, in the next room, the Animal Path opened its eyes again, a hint of suspicion in its gaze.

Did he already know such techniques beforehand? 

No... there would've been no need to hide them. 

But to master all chakra natures at his age and surpass the Fourth Raikage in Lightning Release... his talent is truly astonishing. 

---

Time passed little by little, and soon an hour had gone by.

Konan glanced at Shūichi, who was now sitting so close to her, and secretly exhaled in relief.

It shouldn't be possible to achieve something like that in such a short time. 

However, just as she was about to lower her head and continue her work, the sound of rustling paper filled her ears.

Konan abruptly looked up, her pupils contracting sharply.

Shūichi's body was transforming into paper—piece by piece, layer by layer, peeling away from his form.

Suddenly, with a loud "bang", Shūichi exploded, scattering countless sheets of white paper that fluttered throughout the room.

"This..."

Konan couldn't help but stand up, staring in shock at the flying paper filling the space.

Moments later, the sheets swirled and gathered together, re-forming into Shūichi, who was once again sitting casually on the desk.

He smiled. "It was a bit tricky, I admit."

Konan was truly stunned. Her slightly parted lips trembled as she asked, "You... how did you do that?"

Of course, by cheating! 

If Shūichi hadn't already mastered Shukaku's sand body and analyzed the Hydrification Technique, coupled with the simplicity of Paper Ninjutsu's principles and its lack of elemental nature transformations, he wouldn't have been able to accomplish it so quickly.

This was the essence of "Master one technique, master them all!" 

But naturally, he couldn't explain that to Konan. Instead, he extended his right hand toward her and said with a grin, "Want to learn?"

"I'll teach you!"

(End of Chapter)

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