Chapter 150 (Patreon)

“What do you mean, I’m trying to start the Fourth Shinobi World War?” Yujiro raised an eyebrow.

“Minato-sensei, you may think further ahead than most, but even you haven’t thought this through far enough.”

“What I did this time was only the first move. If the other villages still hope to turn the situation around, their only choice will be to join forces and attack Konoha.”

“If they refuse to make a move even after this, it means they’ve accepted that they’ll never be able to oppose Konoha again.”

“Besides, my objective is simple.” Yujiro smiled casually. “Once the Chūnin Exams are over, they can either remain obedient vassals of the great nations or face punishment for their defiance.”

“The Fourth Shinobi World War?” Disdain entered Yujiro’s voice. “The other four great villages don’t have what it takes to start one.”

With their current strength, those shinobi were nowhere near enough to plunge the entire world into another great war.

“When will the Chūnin Exams be held?” Minato nodded before asking.

“Six months from now, in autumn,” Yujiro replied with a smile.

“All right.”

Minato rose to his feet, but instead of leaving, he fixed Yujiro with a firm gaze.

“Yujiro, once the Chūnin Exams are over, I want you to take my place as Hokage.”

His expression was completely serious. He clearly hoped Yujiro would accept.

“Why would I want to become Hokage?” Yujiro grinned. “I’m not interested in that position.”

“But right now, there’s no one in Konoha more suited to becoming Hokage than you,” Minato said without hesitation.

“We’ll see when the time comes.”

Yujiro could see how sincere Minato was, so he didn’t reject the request outright.

Still, he truly had no interest in becoming Hokage.

If he had that much free time, he would rather spend it searching for another way to increase his strength.

Seeing that Yujiro hadn’t refused him, Minato smiled once more.

Yujiro scratched his head and walked out of the office.

Rather than wasting time thinking about the Hokage’s position, wouldn’t it be better to go home and take a bath?

Minato watched his retreating figure with a pleased smile.

He found himself wondering just how far Yujiro would rise in the future and whether there would come a day when everyone could do nothing but look up at him.

No.

They were already looking up at him now.

Perhaps Yujiro truly could unite the shinobi world and bring about genuine peace.

Night fell.

Inside Yujiro’s home, he stood before Mei Terumī and lightly pressed a finger against her forehead.

“Genetic Enhancement.”

A strange current flowed from his fingertip and entered Mei’s body.

The Chakra cells throughout her body immediately became active.

“It feels so warm…”

Mei closed her eyes as warmth spread through every part of her body. It was as though each individual cell had been immersed in soothing water.

By the time the process ended, her entire body was drenched in sweat.

“All done. Go wash up,” Yujiro said with a smile.

“Yes. Thank you, Master.”

Mei’s feelings for Yujiro had already grown far too deep for her to pull away.

More importantly, she had finally earned his acknowledgment.

Yujiro only performed Genetic Enhancement on those he truly accepted.

So far, Tsunade, Kurenai Yūhi, Izumi Uchiha, and Yūgao Uzuki had all received the same enhancement.

Their strength had increased by leaps and bounds afterward.

Those who had originally been jōnin were now approaching Kage level, while those who had already reached Kage level had risen to its very peak.

And this was merely the Genetic Enhancement Yujiro could perform during the initial stage of the Level Four Limiter.

If he reached the intermediate stage of Level Four, he might even be able to make Izumi—who had yet to awaken the Sharingan—awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan directly.

The initial, intermediate, and advanced stages of the Level Four Limiter were entirely different realms.

Mei left Yujiro’s bedroom and hurried off to take a shower.

When Pakura and Yugito Nii saw her emerge, envy appeared in their eyes.

They also wanted to earn Yujiro’s acknowledgment.

Time passed quickly.

For a while, Yujiro allowed himself to relax. With everyone around him taking care of the household, his days were unusually peaceful.

During that time, however, he also discovered a way to draw out the darkness buried within him much more quickly.

Once he understood the method, there was no longer any reason for him to hesitate.

After all, he didn’t need to restrain himself within his own home.

Two months later, the darkness inside Yujiro finally began to erupt.

During those two months, Pakura and Yugito had also received Genetic Enhancement.

Not only had their strength risen dramatically, but their bodies had been refined as well, leaving their skin smoother and firmer than before.

Yujiro had originally considered enhancing Hinata Hyūga too, but she was still only twelve or thirteen years old.

She still had plenty of room to grow naturally, so there was no need to rush.

Genetic Enhancement was better performed after the body had developed further, around the age of fourteen or fifteen.

As for Konan, she had fully settled into life in Yujiro’s home.

She spent her days learning from the others and seemed genuinely happy with her new life.

Some time later, at one of Konoha’s training grounds, Yujiro stood before the shinobi gathered there.

“I’ll be leaving the village for a while.”

“Until I return, I’m leaving Konoha in your hands.”

Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others nodded solemnly.

Yujiro looked at them and smiled.

“I should be back in six months at the latest.”

“Yujiro, are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?” Kakashi asked.

“There’s no one in this world capable of killing me,” Yujiro replied confidently. “Besides, I won’t be going alone.”

He glanced toward Tsunade and Konan, who were standing nearby.

“I’ll have two Kage-level shinobi with me.”

When Yujiro had announced his departure at home the previous night, none of the women had been willing to let him leave alone.

Every one of them wanted to accompany him.

In the end, Yujiro had agreed to take Tsunade and Konan.

Konan had also received Genetic Enhancement, and her current strength was more than enough for her to stand among Kage-level shinobi.

Since Yujiro had already made his decision, the others stopped trying to persuade him.

All they could do was protect Konoha and wait for his return.

Even after making the necessary arrangements, Yujiro didn’t leave immediately. At everyone’s insistence, he remained in the village for another week.

However, throughout that week, a dark and violent aura erupted from his body every night.

The presence of the others could suppress it for a time, but it was only a temporary measure.

Yujiro understood that merely delaying the problem would never solve it.

The following morning, three figures stood outside Konoha’s gates.

The rising sun stretched their shadows across the road.

Yujiro stood at the center, dressed in a black combat outfit with a black sword hanging at his waist.

Even while standing still, he possessed an overwhelming presence that made him impossible to ignore.

Konan stood to his left, dressed in a light-blue outfit. Her youthful features made her appear no older than seventeen or eighteen.

Her rejuvenated appearance was another effect of Genetic Enhancement.

She looked toward Yujiro with undisguised affection in her eyes.

Tsunade stood on his right, wearing her familiar pale-green haori. Her long blonde hair was gathered into two loose ponytails, and a faint smile rested on her lips.

Yujiro looked down the road leading away from Konoha, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

“Let’s move.”

“Our destination is Kumogakure—and the Falls of Truth.”