Anko's talent was indeed impressive.
With Shūichi's meticulous guidance, coupled with the mental link established within the illusion realm, he could effortlessly transmit complex information directly to Anko's consciousness—information that would otherwise be indescribable through words. This made the transfer of knowledge exceptionally efficient.
Before long, Anko mastered the technique of performing Fire Release nature transformations without requiring hand seals. She then progressed further, directly extracting Fire Release chakra during the process of chakra refinement—infusing it with the Fire nature from the very beginning.
This advancement significantly boosted her ninjutsu execution speed, even reducing the number of hand seals required.
Having achieved this, all that remained for Anko to master in her clone training was perfecting her chakra control.
Again and again, she attempted, failing repeatedly.
Sweat rolled down her face, her efforts making her already impressive figure even more pronounced.
This girl is really something!
In truth, Anko was only three years younger than Shūichi.
Bang!
Finally, Anko couldn't hold on any longer. She staggered, collapsing to her knees, gasping for air.
Shūichi stared at her impassively. "That's it? You're done already?"
Anko struggled to lift her head, propping herself up with her hands. "My… chakra… it's at its limit…"
Shūichi replied calmly, "That's only the limit you think you've reached."
"Your subconscious is restricting you."
"I know your body better than you do. You're far from your actual limit."
"It's all about willpower! Your will is the key!"
Gritting her teeth, Anko forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling. After taking a few deep breaths, she raised her hands to form seals once more.
The training continued.
Half an hour later, Anko successfully created a Fire Clone. Though it dissipated with a puff the moment it materialized, the effort left Anko herself collapsing with another puff—this time utterly drained.
She was completely spent!
Her eyelids twitched as she fought to open them, but her exhaustion was absolute. Her mental energy was utterly depleted.
"I… I just want to sleep…"
At that moment, the illusion dissolved. Back in the office, the crushing wave of mental fatigue hit her. Anko stumbled and dropped to the floor, unable to lift her heavy eyelids. "Shū… Shūichi-sama, I…"
Shūichi spoke with finality, "Get some proper rest."
As he finished speaking, a space-time portal opened behind Anko. Her body floated upward and passed through the portal, appearing moments later on a bed in the rest chamber.
In reality, only ten minutes had passed.
To Anko, it felt like a fleeting dream—one that had drained her spirit entirely.
After ensuring Anko was resting, Shūichi teleported to the training grounds outside the Forest of Death.
Zzzzt!
Golden arcs of electricity flickered in his hand.
Storm Release!
This was a technique Shūichi had learned from Darui. However, while Darui's version produced black lightning, Shūichi's emitted golden light.
Such differences weren't surprising.
Even within the same release, external manifestations could vary significantly.
Storm Release: Light Fang!
Shūichi suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing a thin, golden laser beam. As his neck shifted, the beam sliced cleanly through a distant waterfall and the mountain behind it.
Boom!
Rocks crumbled, and dust filled the air.
"This is indeed more destructive than the Takemikazuchi Lighting Beam I used before," Shūichi remarked with a satisfied smile.
Storm Release, being more controllable than ordinary lightning, allowed for greater chakra compression.
Compared to the massive Lighting Beam, the Light Fang was several times more powerful despite being dozens of times smaller. Its control and adaptability far surpassed his previous techniques.
Boom!
A surge of immense chakra erupted from Shūichi. He shouted, "Condense!"
In the next moment, a golden giant, three stories tall, took shape. Its entire body crackled with lightning, the arcs producing a symphony of snaps and crackles.
This wasn't Susano'o—it was Take-Mikazuchi, a figure formed entirely from Storm Release.
(T/N: Take-Mikazuchi from Persona 4)
Creating such a construct wasn't easy. It required the additional binding forces of his Electromagnetic Release to shape it into a form comparable to Susano'o.
This was pure lightning, concentrated into a tangible, humanoid form.
Despite his accomplishment, Shūichi frowned slightly.
"This technique is nearly impossible to execute without Electromagnetic Release—even for me. For anyone else, it's out of the question."
"Darui has talent, but not enough to achieve this level of mastery."
"However, combining it with the Takemikazuchi Mark might work."
The Takemikazuchi Mark was one of the many seals under the Star Cursed Mark Series. Similar to the Kagutsuchi Seal Mark, it enhanced specific techniques—in this case, amplifying Lightning Release.
Shūichi's present strategy was to grant Darui and others access to the Star Cursed Mark—albeit only a partial and simplified version. This would enable more individuals to achieve Sage Mode.
Of course, these Star Cursed Marks also served as personal backups for Shūichi himself.
Unless someone sealed off these marks, Shūichi wouldn't need assistance to "revive" like Orochimaru did.
After consuming the Ten-Tails, Shūichi's chakra had reached a level where it could assimilate any type of chakra.
While Orochimaru relied on the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, Shūichi had already surpassed this. Like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, he could directly override someone's consciousness and transform their body into his own.
"Perhaps I should make some preparations… just in case."
As this thought crossed his mind, Shūichi dispersed the Take-Mikazuchi construct.
To him, this technique had limited utility—it was more suited for enhancing Susano'o. However, it could be a powerful tool for someone like Kakashi.
"Looks like there'll be more Gundam pilots in the future," Shūichi muttered with a hint of amusement.
He then shifted his focus to the Tag Tree. After a long period, new tags had finally appeared.
Tag: [Professor]
Condition to Obtain: Train at least five Kage-level individuals.
Tag Effect: Gain talents equivalent to those of your students. Students receive a 50% boost in talent and concentration during training.
Shūichi raised an eyebrow. "Only one of the effects benefits me… but it's still quite impressive."
"Everyone has different talents. By collecting these, my abilities will continue to grow stronger. Although my various expert and master tags already make my talents unparalleled in the ninja world, it's still true—everyone's gifts are unique..."
"Five Kage-level students? That's not too many."
He then glanced at another tag.
Tag: [Emperor]
Condition to Obtain: Unite all ninja and nations, becoming the undisputed ruler of the ninja world.
Tag Effect: You become the Child of the World, the Earth's chosen one. On this plane, you are invincible.
Looking at this tag, Shūichi couldn't help but smirk.
He'd once mentioned the idea of an emperor to the Daimyō of the Land of Fire as a lofty dream, but now it seemed like he'd have to fulfill it himself.
"Being a Sage Emperor sounds more fitting," he muttered.
As soon as the thought arose, the Tag Tree shimmered, and the [Emperor] tag transformed.
Tag: [Sage Emperor]
Condition to Obtain: Unite all ninja and nations, conquer the Three Great Sage Regions, and establish your own sanctuary.
Tag Effect: You become the Child of Nature, the embodiment of the natural world, with unparalleled affinity for nature. All natural forces are at your command.
Shūichi stared at the altered tag in astonishment.
"I was only joking, but it actually changed!"
Still…
He examined the new tag carefully. Child of Nature... this is pretty overpowered. I'd essentially become a humanoid Ten-Tails."
"However, conquering the Three Great Sage Regions might be tricky."
Shūichi pondered this deeply.
Currently, his understanding of the strength within the Three Great Sage Regions was incomplete.
Among them, the Shikkotsu Forest seemed the most straightforward.
The entire sanctuary consisted of only the Slug Sage, whose smaller slugs were all part of its singular body.
Even the slug Tsunade summoned was merely a fragment of the Slug Sage's true form.
Even with Shizune's assistance, Tsunade could only summon a fifth of the Slug Sage's full body.
This hinted at the incredible power of the Slug Sage.
However, the Slug Sage was not inherently a combat-oriented summoning beast.
As for Mount Myōboku, aside from the other inhabitants, the true wildcard was the sleeping Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru. His strength remained an enigma.
There was also the possibility of Mount Myōboku possessing hidden aces—perhaps items like the talisman gifted to the Sage of Six Paths.
It might even have sealing techniques in its arsenal.
Finally, there was the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave.
"Of the three Sages, I may not even need to fight two of them," Shūichi mused.
"The Slug Sage is Tsunade's summoning beast, so it could be considered an ally of sorts. Perhaps I could entice it with benefits…"
"Or, better yet, make the Slug Sage my own summoning beast, with me as its master…"
"The Three Great Sage Regions maintain their detached positions, yet they are intricately tied to the ninja world. There's much to unravel here."
After a long deliberation, Shūichi made his decision.
"It seems I'll need to visit the Three Great Sages one by one."
Though he had already signed a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku and visited several times, he had yet to interact with Gamamaru directly.
In the past, when his strength wasn't as overwhelming, Shūichi had instinctively avoided interactions with Gamamaru, whose demeanor carried a mysterious, shamanic air.
"But there's no need to rush," he thought.
Shūichi had no intention of becoming a villain like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Stretching lazily, he teleported directly to the research facility.
Although Tsunade was pregnant, she couldn't stand being idle. She spent most of her time at the lab, with Shizune keeping an eye on her to ensure she didn't overexert herself.
When Shūichi arrived, the two women were engrossed in their research.
After a quick glance, he chose not to disturb them. Instead, he entered another laboratory to work on his own experiments: merging the cells of the nine tailed beasts with those of the Gedo Statue, attempting to cultivate a miniature Ten-Tails.
If successful, it would be an incredible achievement, though he knew the chances were slim. Even so, the process itself promised valuable insights.
By noon, Shūichi took Tsunade and Shizune home for lunch.
Lunch was prepared by Tenka and Pakura. Both women, also pregnant, had started experimenting with new recipes at home.
The taste… was passable.
Shūichi didn't dare compare their cooking to that of Nonō Yakushi or Asuka.
After lunch, he accompanied Tsunade and the others for a walk, chatting leisurely. The relaxed atmosphere made him reluctant to return to work.
Thus, he decisively sent a shadow clone to handle business at Root while he stayed home to spend time with his wives.
"After all this hard work, don't I deserve a break?"
---
At Root, Shūichi's clone's first act was to wake up Anko Mitarashi, who was napping soundly.
"Lord Shūichi!" Anko exclaimed, still groggy.
Shūichi set down a lunchbox he'd brought. "Eat quickly, then continue your training."
The words jolted Anko awake. She eagerly opened the lunchbox, her eyes lighting up. "Did Nonō-senpai make this?"
Shūichi shook his head. "No, it's from Tenka and Pakura."
"Lady Tenka and Pakura-senpai?"
Anko blinked before taking a bite. Her face lit up with delight. "This is amazing! So delicious!"
Seeing her genuine reaction, Shūichi said, "Eat up. This afternoon's training will be intense."
"Yes, sir!" Anko replied enthusiastically, devouring the meal.
Watching her eat with such fervor, Shūichi sighed inwardly. Poor girl. She hasn't had many good meals, has she?
Five minutes later, Anko finished her meal. "Lord Shūichi, I'm ready. You can begin now."
Shūichi nodded slightly and activated the Demonic Realm: Memory Palace genjutsu.
Within the illusion, Anko practiced the Fire Clone Jutsu in its entirety.
"Barely passable," Shūichi commented. "Now you need to master it."
"Attack me using your Fire Clone."
Anko obeyed, her Fire Clone charging at Shūichi.
After a brief exchange of taijutsu, the Fire Clone, sensing its imminent defeat, self-destructed with a fiery explosion.
Shūichi waved his hand, dispersing the flames effortlessly. "Again!"
Anko quickly created another Fire Clone.
The cycle repeated, each round honing Anko's proficiency with the technique.
After countless iterations, Anko collapsed from exhaustion.
This time, however, Shūichi didn't release the genjutsu. Instead, he let her rest within the illusion, allowing her to recover before resuming training.
Unaware of the deception, Anko believed she had returned to the real world to rest and eat after collapsing.
In truth, the meals she consumed were merely constructs of Shūichi's chakra.
By the time three days had passed within the genjutsu, Anko had mastered the Fire Clone Jutsu through grueling, hellish training. Her chakra control had also improved significantly during the process.
On the fourth day, Shūichi said to her, "Your Fire Clone training is complete. Now we'll move on to another Fire Release technique."
"Have you ever seen a morning glory?"
Anko nodded.
Raising his hand, Shūichi conjured a flame, which transformed into a budding flower before blooming into a vibrant morning glory.
As the flower blossomed, Anko felt an intense heat radiating outward, distorting the air with its sheer intensity.
"Lord Shūichi, is this a shape transformation for creating directional explosive attacks?" Anko asked.
Shūichi smiled. "Smart, but it's more than that."
He stepped forward, walking on air.
Anko looked up to see fiery lotuses blooming beneath his feet. "I see..."
"These fiery lotuses are far more complex than the morning glory," she observed.
Shūichi landed gracefully. "When I first developed this series of jutsu, I started with the morning glory."
"Start simple. Take it one step at a time."
"Go now. Master this step, and the rest will be much easier."
"If you fail, there's no need to continue training in Fire Release techniques."
Anko's expression turned serious. "Yes, Lord Shūichi. I won't let you down."
She was determined not to embarrass herself in front of the man she both admired and adored!
(End of Chapter)
❇❇❇
This novel is completed on my Patreon, iƒ anyone interested in reading ahead :)
patreon.com/RedX43
❇❇❇