Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: A Surge in Luck, Explosive Progress!

Konan was momentarily stunned, her gaze fixed on Shūichi's calm and gentle smile. Her thoughts drifted back to the days when she and her companions trained under Jiraiya.

"Does Master Jiraiya regret teaching us back then?"

Lowering her head slightly, she looked at Shūichi's pale, slender hand. A thought surfaced in her mind:

"Will he one day regret what he's doing now?"

Despite her thoughts, Konan couldn't resist raising her hand, placing it on Shūichi's. The instant she touched him, she felt a warm, fiery heat, while Shūichi felt a cool, almost icy sensation. Yet, he remained a gentleman, making no unnecessary moves as chakra flickered between their hands.

"Chakra," Shūichi said simply.

At his words, Konan instinctively refined her chakra. Their energies met at the touch of their palms, forming a spiritual link that brought their minds into a shared inner world.

"What is this?"

Konan looked around curiously. Above them was a dazzling starry sky, while beneath their feet was a smooth, mirror-like surface reflecting everything around them. Like water, it rippled softly with the ebb and flow of their emotions.

Shūichi smiled. "It seems you've never trained like this before."

"This is a spiritual world created through our chakra linking our minds together."

"The Sage of Six Paths founded ninjutsu and shared the practice of chakra precisely to connect people's hearts and foster understanding between them."

Konan nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Does training here yield better results than in the real world?"

Shūichi sat down casually. "Some things can't be fully conveyed through words. Mental communication is faster, more direct, and free of distortions."

"There's another benefit, too: you can experience and understand, far more vividly, the transformations of chakra as it evolves into ninjutsu."

"Here, let me show you."

Shūichi extended his hand toward her again.

Konan sat across from him and pressed her palm against his once more.

Under Shūichi's guidance, Konan gradually opened up her heart. Their mental connection deepened, allowing them to exchange information in the most efficient, concise, and unfiltered manner.

Through their link, Shūichi even let Konan experience his memory of transforming his body into paper—feeling the flow of chakra and the intricacies of the process...

In the spiritual world, it was difficult to perceive the passage of time.

Outside, however, the sky gradually darkened.

Nagato, controlling the Animal Path, directed it into Konan's office. Seeing the two with their palms pressed together, his thoughts drifted.

If only it were Yahiko sitting there instead...

In the darkness of the tower, Nagato's expression dimmed.

He could use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect Yahiko even at the cost of his own life, without hesitation.

But such an action would be futile.

In this war-torn world, once he died, Yahiko and Konan would likely fall in battle as well. Resurrection would become meaningless.

Only by fundamentally changing the world could their sacrifices hold true significance.

---

When the sky had fully darkened, Shūichi and Konan opened their eyes almost simultaneously. Their gazes met briefly before Konan averted hers, saying quietly, "Thank you."

"But..."

Shūichi interrupted with a grin, "But if we face each other in battle someday, don't hold back."

By now, the Animal Path had already left the office.

Shūichi stood up. "I'll take my leave. Work hard. When we meet again next month, I'll be testing you."

Konan opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say a word, Shūichi had vanished, leaving her with a faint sense of loss.

At that moment, the Animal Path re-entered the room.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Konan hesitated briefly before replying, "He's incredibly skilled. His talent for ninjutsu is astonishing, and his teaching methods are unique—extremely efficient."

"In six months, I'm confident I can master the technique he mentioned, the one that grants immunity to physical attacks."

The Animal Path nodded. "If that's the case, take his advice and recruit some assistants from the village."

Konan nodded. "Understood."

---

Outside Amegakure, in a mountain cave, Shūichi appeared. He walked to the cave's entrance, gazing at the rain-soaked village shrouded in darkness.

"It seems Nagato has awakened Wood Release."

He wasn't particularly surprised.

If Uchiha Obito could use it, then it made sense for Nagato to be able to as well. After all, Nagato also carried Asura's bloodline.

Moreover, in terms of talent, Nagato surpassed Obito.

Nagato could bear the burden of a pair of Rinnegan, while Obito could only manage one.

Perhaps Nagato's early adaptation played a role, but his talent was undeniable.

"The real question is, how proficient will Nagato's Wood Release become?"

Shūichi couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.

In the original story, those who transplanted Hashirama's cells demonstrated varying levels of ability.

The weakest was Danzo, who merely grafted them for use with Sharingan.

Next was Obito, whose usage was still limited.

Yamato had a more complete inheritance, but his chakra reserves restricted him to being more of an architect than a fighter.

The strongest, of course, was Uchiha Madara, capable of unleashing techniques like Deep Forest Emergence and Wood Dragon Jutsu.

"Great talent is such a lonely thing."

Sighing softly, Shūichi's figure disappeared.

---

Back in Konoha

After sharing dinner with Nonō Yakushi and the others, Shūichi headed to the experimental lab, where Immortal White Zetsu was already lying on the operating table.

Shūichi had decided to enhance Immortal White Zetsu further.

Using techniques he'd learned from Orochimaru, such as soft-body modification, along with the combined results of Hashirama's cells and Asuka's cells, he planned to push White Zetsu's abilities to the next level.

The reason for this upgrade? Shūichi intended to use Immortal White Zetsu to infiltrate the Akatsuki.

---

Days passed quickly.

By the end of November, Shūichi had just completed the modifications to Immortal White Zetsu when his Tag Tree began to stir once more.

"Could it be a new tag unlocked?"

Curious, Shūichi checked the tree, only to discover it wasn't a new tag but an existing one ready for activation.

Tag: Renowned Across Nations (Famous)

Condition to Obtain: Spread your reputation across the major nations and villages of the ninja world.

Effect: Increases luck by 50%, boosts "Talk no Jutsu" effectiveness by 100%, and enhances charisma by 100%.

"I almost forgot about this tag," Shūichi thought, laughing at himself. Without hesitation, he activated the tag. The leaves of the Tag Tree were immediately bathed in a brilliant red glow.

"It's a red tag!"

Shūichi was startled.

Though the tag was active, he didn't feel much different. Using Water Release, he conjured a pool of water to inspect his reflection but noticed no visible enhancement to his looks.

"Luck... such a nebulous and elusive thing," he muttered, brushing the thought aside as Immortal White Zetsu began to stir.

---

Immortal White Zetsu sat up, visibly excited. "Lord Shūichi, I feel much stronger now! It seems this defective body of mine has been significantly improved—probably up to standard quality by now!"

Then, with a strange enthusiasm, he added, "By the way, Lord Shūichi, did you give me a digestive system? I'm really looking forward to being able to, you know, poop like a normal person!"

Shūichi was speechless.

Seriously? You want a digestive system just to poop?

"Don't worry. This body is one I'll be using too," Shūichi replied dryly.

He then performed the Spirit Clone Technique, allowing his spirit to enter White Zetsu's body, sharing control over it.

This was his chosen method to infiltrate the Akatsuki as a spy.

---

"Transform into Kogami Kohai," Shūichi commanded.

"As you wish, Lord Shūichi."

In an instant, Immortal White Zetsu transformed into Kogami Kohai—the leader of the cult of Jashin.

The clone, now fully embodying Kogami Kohai, asked, "Aside from taijutsu and Water Release, which Kogami Kohai specializes in, do I need to display any other abilities?"

Shūichi considered this. "Taijutsu and Water Release alone might not be enough. Add Fire Release to the mix."

The clone nodded. "Fire Release, huh? I can't rely on the techniques we've already developed, so it seems I'll need to create some new ones."

Shūichi suggested, "Try combining Yin Release and Fire Release to create Blaze Release."

"Understood."

After stretching and testing the body, the clone, fully accustomed to its new form, nodded to Shūichi and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.

---

Shūichi stretched and cleaned up the tools he had used before leaving the lab.

On his way home, Shūichi noticed Tsunade was still in her office, even though it was nearly 10 p.m.

Curious, he walked inside, only to find her asleep, slumped over her desk.

A mischievous grin spread across his face as an idea formed.

He walked up quietly and gently grabbed the end of her ponytail, using the tips of her hair to tickle her nose.

Tsunade wrinkled her nose, muttering in her sleep, "You little pervert..."

Little pervert?

She's dreaming about me?

Shūichi's eyes lit up. Let's keep going!

Tsunade instinctively scratched her nose in response, so Shūichi shifted his attention, using her ponytail to tickle her ear instead.

Hmm, her ears look kinda tempting...

Focus!

Just as he was about to push his luck further, Tsunade slowly opened her eyes. At first, she looked confused, but her expression quickly sharpened into a glare.

Time to run!

Shūichi vanished in an instant.

Tsunade's hand swiped at thin air, and she gritted her teeth. "That little brat!"

Her mood soured, having been jolted awake from her nap.

But then, recalling her dream, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "I didn't say anything weird, did I?"

And yet...

Lately, Tsunade had noticed her dreams becoming unusually frequent.

"Could it be the aftereffects of that genjutsu?"

She frowned, deep in thought.

Ever since Shūichi had used genjutsu to cure her hemophobia, her dreams often replayed scenes from within the illusion, as though she were reliving the genjutsu's dreamscape.

She didn't suspect Shūichi of any ill intent, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the genjutsu's influence had been underestimated.

"The Eye of the Moon Plan..."

Tsunade clenched her fist. "I can't let something like that happen!"

She got up, splashed her face with water in the bathroom, and glanced at Immortal White Zetsu Tobi and Shūichi's clone, still busy in the lab. Without a word, she left the base.

---

The next morning, Shūichi had just returned from training when Tobi popped up from the ground with an exaggerated flourish.

"Lord Shūichi, I have fantastic news to report!"

Shūichi, who was heading for the bath, rolled his eyes. "Spit it out."

As usual, Tobi couldn't resist his dramatics. "Thanks to your unparalleled brilliance, Lord Shūichi, we've finally achieved the perfect fusion of Hashirama cells and the Uzumaki clan's cells! The compatibility is astounding!"

Shūichi froze, startled.

Already?

At the current pace of experimentation, this breakthrough shouldn't have come so soon.

Could it be... luck?

Then it hit him. "The luck boost from the Renowned Across Nations tag I activated yesterday!"

A smile spread across his face. "Excellent!"

"Tobi, go back for now. I'll join you shortly."

With that, Shūichi quickly headed for the bath.

---

After a refreshing shower and a quick breakfast, followed by warm hugs with Nonō Yakushi and Asuka, Shūichi teleported directly to the lab.

---

He dissolved his clone, letting the memories flow back into him, then turned to the subject of his experiment, Shiro.

"How are you feeling?" Shūichi asked.

Shiro grinned. "Fantastic! Lord Shūichi, my power has improved yet again."

It was evident that the previous instability in Shiro's chakra had been resolved.

"Let's see the extent of your chakra," Shūichi instructed.

Shiro didn't hesitate. Blue chakra erupted from his massive frame, creating a whirlwind of energy.

Shūichi's eyes lit up with delight. "At this level, it's comparable to the power of the One-Tail!"

Tobi, observing from the side, chimed in. "It's truly incredible! And this was achieved using cells from our defective bodies. If we used pure Hashirama cells, the results would be even more astonishing!"

Shūichi, however, was satisfied. "This is already excellent progress."

He knew that balancing Hashirama's overpowering cells with the weaker Uzumaki-derived cells had been challenging. That's why they had initially relied on diluted White Zetsu cells to stabilize the experiments.

Now that they had achieved a perfect fusion, future explorations would be much easier. Shūichi was confident he could eventually master Hashirama's cells completely.

Still, he didn't plan to use these breakthroughs recklessly.

The White Zetsu-derived cells were better suited for widespread medical applications.

---

After Shiro withdrew his chakra, Shūichi deactivated the summoning technique and created a new clone. "Now let's use Hayate's cells for directed lung cultivation."

Shiro's success marked the culmination of animal experimentation. The next step was testing on Immortal White Zetsu Tobi, followed by Hayate as the first human subject.

After all, White Zetsu didn't count as a true human.

Leaving his clone and Tobi to continue the experiments, Shūichi stepped out of the lab and ran into Tsunade.

"What was that surge of chakra earlier?" she asked.

Shūichi grinned. "Good news! Follow me."

Before Tsunade could respond, he grabbed her hand and teleported them both to the lounge with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Letting go of her hand, Shūichi explained casually, "The White Zetsu cells—or rather, the First Hokage's cells—have now perfectly fused with Asuka's cells."

"The combination of two Yang Release attributes has resulted in astounding effects."

Tsunade was shocked and delighted. "That quickly?"

"This means there are no side effects anymore. In other words, White Zetsu cells can now be safely transplanted into ordinary ninja."

Shūichi nodded. "This is a revolutionary breakthrough in medical technology."

"It means we can customize cloned organs and limbs to treat more injuries and disabilities."

"More importantly, by mastering the Yang Release attribute, we can now treat injuries on the battlefield that were previously untreatable."

Tsunade nodded firmly, her eyes glistening with emotion.

She couldn't help but think of her younger brother and her first love, Dan.

If only this technology had existed back then...

Seeing the look on her face, Shūichi knew she was dwelling on the past but chose not to console her. Instead, he clasped his hands together.

"Tsunade, for this technology to work effectively in the field, it's essential for medical ninja to master the Yang Release attribute themselves. Performing cellular transplants on the battlefield isn't easy."

Tsunade steadied herself and nodded. "You're right."

The path from experimental success to practical application was a long one, especially without directly transplanting cells.

Even so, Tsunade remained proud of her skills.

Shūichi lowered his gaze, and vibrant green chakra began radiating from his body, filling the room with a potent life energy.

Tsunade waited silently.

As time passed, the green chakra gradually receded.

Three hours later, when the light fully faded, Shūichi opened his eyes and smiled triumphantly. "It worked!"

(End of Chapter)

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