Konoha.
Under the waterfall, watching Naruto train, Jiraiya couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Minato, I never expected Naruto to already start learning wind nature chakra transformation."
Standing beside him, Minato smiled and nodded.
"Over the years, I haven't had much time to personally look after Naruto. Most of his training has been alongside the Hokage and Sasuke. Perhaps it's because Naruto inherited his mother's bloodline.
Since he was young, Naruto's chakra reserves have far exceeded those of his peers, so naturally, he started learning chakra nature transformation earlier than others."
Leaning against the tree trunk, Jiraiya listened to Minato's explanation and couldn't help but sigh.
"I see. It seems I'm running out of things to teach Naruto. I suppose I'll pass on the Toad Summoning Technique to him."
Amid Jiraiya's hearty laughter, Minato nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei."
Though Minato was Jiraiya's student, the Toad Summoning Technique had been passed down to him by Jiraiya. It was only natural, as a matter of respect, to obtain Jiraiya's approval before passing it on to his son.
"However, I think with Naruto's current talent, it won't take him long to master it. In the meantime, let me focus on teaching him practical combat experience and ninjutsu coordination."
When it came to ninjutsu coordination, Jiraiya's experience far surpassed Minato's. After all, Minato specialized in space-time ninjutsu later in his career, and one's talents and energy are always finite.
"In that case, I'll leave Naruto in your hands, Jiraiya-sensei. Also, take this."
Minato smiled as he pulled a vial marked with the symbol of three tomoe from his ninja pouch. Upon seeing the familiar liquid inside, Jiraiya's expression shifted to one of shock as he seemed to realize something.
"Minato! The Hokage… he even gave you this!?"
The Sage Seal Serum was an incredibly rare and invaluable resource. Jiraiya had first encountered it during the Second Shinobi World War on the battlefield of the Land of Rain.
At the time, they were fighting Hanzō of the Salamander, and Tsunade had used this very serum. Later, Jiraiya learned that Tsunade and Orochimaru had collaborated on research involving Uchiha Shirou's other bloodline limit. Orochimaru had developed a cruder, a more dangerous form of cursed seal, while Tsunade created a safer serum that gradually helped the body adapt to the transformation. However, the downside was that even elite Jonin struggled to handle the immense consumption of chakra and stamina required.
"Naruto began the adaptation process three years ago. His body has already fully adjusted."
Minato smiled as he spoke, leaving Jiraiya momentarily speechless.
"Minato, you should know that's not what I'm asking about."
"Currently, any qualified ANBU or jonin in the village can attempt it. But, Jiraiya-sensei, as you're aware, this serum is essentially a weaker version of Sage Mode.
It still has strict requirements. Apart from a select few individuals born with natural compatibility, others need vast amounts of chakra to meet the criteria…"
The standard for Sage Mode was having massive chakra reserves. While the Sage Seal Serum, often referred to as a low-tier version of Sage Mode, lowered the bar slightly, it was still extremely difficult for an ordinary Jonin to achieve compatibility. Only those with specific natural constitutions could begin the adaptation process as early as their genin years.
"This world… it's changing so much…"
Jiraiya sighed as he observed a thirteen-year-old already possessing a Sage Marking. It reminded him of the hardships he endured when learning Sage Mode himself.
It was truly brutal!
...
In a secret chamber.
Shirou's muscled body tensed as Pakura straddled him, her slick folds enveloping his throbbing length. She planted her delicate hands on his chiseled abs, using them for leverage as she began bouncing on his cock with increasing intensity. Her large breasts swayed hypnotically with each movement, peaked nipples hard with arousal.
"Ohhhh~!" Pakura cried out, throwing her head back as waves of pleasure coursed through her. Her tight pussy clenched around him rhythmically as she rode him faster, her juices coating his shaft and dripping down onto his balls.
Mei crawled over beside them, her voluptuous body still glistening with sweat from their earlier coupling. Shirou's cum leaked from her well-used pussy as she leaned down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss. Their tongues danced and swirled together as he reached up to squeeze her full breasts, rolling her sensitive nipples between his fingers.
"Mmmmph!" Mei moaned into his mouth as he played with her tits. She ground her hips needily, smearing her wetness against his side.
Pakura's movements grew more frantic as she approached her peak.
"I'm gonna cum! Oh god, I'm cumming!" she screamed, her inner walls spasming around his cock. The sight and sensation of her climaxing pushed Shirou over the edge. With a guttural groan, he thrust up hard into her convulsing pussy, flooding her with thick ropes of hot cum.
Pakura gasped, grinding down to milk every last drop from his pulsing member. She collapsed forward onto his chest, both of them panting heavily as they came down from their intense orgasms.
After catching their breath, they reluctantly separated.
Shirou's seed trickled down Pakura's thighs as she stood on shaky legs.
They shared knowing smiles as they slowly got dressed.
The air was thick with the musky scent of sex as they cleaned up, their bodies still tingling with the afterglow of pleasure. Both women pressed close to kiss Shirou deeply.
...
Outside.
"Th-thank you…"
Pakura's expression was slightly embarrassed. Although she had been part of Konoha for many years, this was the first time she had mustered the courage to make request.
She had expected Shirou to refuse outright, but to her surprise, he smiled and agreed immediately.
Looking at the slightly awkward Pakura, Shirou chuckled warmly.
"There's no need to be so formal between us. After all, you were the one who asked for this."
In contrast to Pakura's discomfort, Mei Terumi wore a radiant, flirtatious smile, teasing as she said, "Shirou-sama, you can't just focus on Sister Pakura, you know. My disciple, Hinata, needs a Sage Seal too."
Pakura and Mei Terumi had brought their disciples, Hinata Hyuga and Temari, respectively, seeking to acquire the Sage Seal for them.
Shirou treated them equally, nodding in agreement. "Temari and Hinata's chakra levels are sufficient. Even if you hadn't come, the top-performing ninjas in this year's Chūnin Exams would have been selected for rejection testing. Those who don't meet the criteria will still be rewarded with advanced ninjutsu techniques."
The Sage Seal was fundamentally a means to enhance a ninja's capabilities. Naturally, Shirou didn't intend to hoard it. However, due to the high risks involved, ensuring safety required significant resources and funding.
Moreover, people often fail to appreciate things earned too easily.
"Lord Shirou, the data is in. Hinata Hyuga has a 98% compatibility rate… and Temari has an 86% compatibility rate…"
As Mabui emerged with a report in hand, even she couldn't hide her astonishment.
"Such high compatibility rates! According to the lab's data, anyone with a compatibility rate over 60% is considered a prime candidate for the village's cultivation program…"
Hearing the results, Shirou was equally surprised. He could understand Hinata's high compatibility—her bloodline connection to the Sage of Six Paths made it natural for her to excel. After all, the Sage had mastered Sage Mode in half a day.
What surprised him more was Temari's high compatibility!
Mabui, holding the report, marveled at the data before turning to Hinata and Temari, giving them strict instructions.
"The Sage Seak Project is an S-rank classified plan for the village… You must maintain absolute secrecy."
In the original story, it was evident that the cursed seal could significantly boost a ninja's power. The Sound Four, using the cursed seal, defeated Jonin-level and even held their ground against the Konoha 11.
This demonstrated that with the Curse Seal, an elite Chūnin could reach the level of a special jonin, or even a full-fledged jonin.
Although the duration was short, the power boost was undeniable.
It's important to note that outside of Kage-level shinobi, the backbone of a village's military power lay in its jonin. The five great nations each only had around five to six hundred jonin and special jonin combined, and many of those were elderly or injured.
This underscored how valuable Jonin-level combat strength was—even special Jonin was a strategic asset.
The Sage Seal, however, had the potential to create a significant number of special jonins while simultaneously strengthening existing jonins.
For Konoha's future strategy, the Sage Seal was of critical importance.
With it, Konoha's high-end combat strength could double—not in quantity, but in quality.
After all, only a select few could adapt to the Sage Seal.
"Temari and Hinata will undergo the marking process weekly. For those with compatibility rates below 70%, the process requires expensive adaptive serums and significantly more time…"
Hinata listened with excitement as the details of the S-rank secret project unfolded. She felt as though she was taking a step closer to the Hokage.
Temari, meanwhile, felt a twinge of emotion well up—her nose tingled, and her heart filled with gratitude. She could tell that the Hokage truly considered them part of the village.
Everyone continued their intense training, preparing for the final clash of the Chūnin Exams.
...
"Why! Why didn't you come when Grandpa died? Why weren't you here when our clan was slaughtered? And now—now you show up!"
At night, in a small apartment, Konohamaru glared furiously at the white-haired ninja in front of him, his voice trembling with anger as he shouted.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, looked at Konohamaru, whose eyes were clouded by hatred. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
"Konohamaru, things aren't always as simple as you think. Isn't it enough to just live your life well now? Why are you so obsessed with revenge? Hatred will only—"
Jiraiya felt a pang of guilt toward Konohamaru. After all, this boy was the last legacy of his teacher, the Third Hokage. Yet, at the same time, he felt powerless about the extermination of the Sarutobi clan—there was no way to change what had happened.
The evidence was irrefutable.
"Power! I need the power to take revenge! And the Sarutobi name—I will never give it up! I will revive the Sarutobi clan!" Konohamaru's voice was cold and stubborn, his expression dark and resolute. He was like another Sasuke Uchiha, consumed by hatred.
But the difference was clear. After the Uchiha clan massacre, the village showed Uchiha Sasuke more sympathy than disdain. After all, there was a fundamental difference between the circumstances of the Uchiha coup and the Sarutobi clan's downfall.
As one of the founding clans of Konoha, the Third Hokage had never dared to publicly label the Uchiha clan as traitors. This allowed Sasuke to avoid open hostility and ostracism in the village, even after the tragedy of his clan.
But Konohamaru's case was different. The Sarutobi clan had been openly branded as traitors attempting a coup.
To everyone in Konoha, Konohamaru was nothing more than the son of a traitor.
"Konohamaru! Your thoughts are far too dangerous right now! I can't let you continue down this path!"
Seeing the hatred in Konohamaru's eyes, Jiraiya felt a surge of anger, but also a sense of relief as he recalled the restraint shown by Uchiha Shirou.
If it weren't for Sirou's wisdom and patience, hatred like this would've led to the Sarutobi clan being completely wiped out during the Third Hokage's era, likely through Danzo's intervention. The fact that Konohamaru was even alive in Konoha was almost miraculous.
"Why!"
Faced with Jiraiya's rejection, a furious Konohamaru shouted back:
"My grandfather taught you! Without my grandfather, would you even be who you are today? Now, all I'm asking is for you to repay the kindness he showed you, and you—!"
Inside the cramped apartment, Konohamaru's voice grew hoarse as he yelled, his chest heaving with anger. He glared at Jiraiya with unyielding intensity. Jiraiya, however, just shook his head slowly.
"Konohamaru, setting everything else aside, do you think that with my guidance, you'd gain the power you're seeking?"
Looking at the ten-year-old boy before him, Jiraiya sneered coldly to crush Konohamaru's unrealistic fantasies:
"Your talent is far too mediocre. I finally understand why the village has allowed you to live. It's because you're no threat to anyone…"
Jiraiya's harsh words landed like a physical blow, leaving Konohamaru pale and trembling.
In truth, Konohamaru's talent wasn't bad. Even without the Uzumaki bloodline, he was still considered above average among civilian ninjas.
But Jiraiya knew he had to completely shatter Konohamaru's delusions. If Konohamaru's talent had truly been exceptional, Jiraiya wouldn't have hesitated to guide him properly down the right path. But as things stood, Jiraiya could only shake his head in disappointment.
Even with his training, Konohamaru's future would be limited.
"No… it's not possible. I'm the grandson of the Third Hokage! I—"
Jiraiya's cold and heartless words had shaken Konohamaru to the core. Pale-faced, he desperately denied the reality, but the panic in his eyes betrayed him.
He began to recall how, over the years, his chakra levels had barely grown. His progress in learning ninjutsu had slowed, and it felt as though he was becoming more and more average.
Classmates he had once surpassed were now catching up to and even surpassing him.
The thought made him even more frantic.
Was he not a genius after all?
Jiraiya sighed quietly. Before coming here, he had already examined Konohamaru's body and found no signs of foul play—no tampering or poison. Konohamaru's stagnation was simply due to the limits of his natural talent.
"You may not understand now," Jiraiya said softly, "but time will show you the truth. One day, when you finally let go, listen to me: abandon the Sarutobi name. Live as an ordinary person in Konoha. You'll be much happier that way."
"Sometimes, mediocrity is a blessing." With those words, Jiraiya turned and left.
He'd come here only to check on Konohamaru's living conditions. Seeing that the boy's accommodations were decent and that he was receiving sufficient subsidies from the village, Jiraiya felt at ease.
For Konohamaru, a life of mediocrity was the best outcome—for himself, for the village, and even for Jiraiya.
...
In a secret room.
"Lady Kushina!"
During the tense final sprint of the Chunin Exams, after an entire day of training, Hinata Hyuga and Temari respectfully arrived at this secret research base.
By chance, they encountered Uzumaki Kushina, who squinted and smiled warmly.
"I didn't expect the two of you to be so compatible with the Sage Seal body, especially you, Hinata. Let me take a look at your records."
Over the years, Tsunade had her research to focus on while also handling the duties of the Hokage. Meanwhile, Mikoto was responsible for the Uchiha clan and the police force, leaving her equally burdened with work.
Only Kushina Uzumaki, in charge of the Barrier Division, had a relatively leisurely role. The newly rebuilt Uzumaki clan barely numbered a few dozen people, so her workload had been light. As a result, she became the person in charge of the top-secret Sage Seal project.
All the data on Konoha's ninja candidates for the Sage Seal had to pass through her hands.
When they saw Kushina, even though Temari was older than Hinata, she was more nervous, behaving with utmost respect and care not to show the slightest impropriety.
Kushina, flipping through the records, crossed her elegant legs and glanced up at the two young women standing before her.
"Such a high compatibility rate..."
Squinting her eyes, Kushina immediately recognized the young Hinata Hyuga. After all, she frequently flipped through that photo album featuring her in various styles, which was still sitting at their bedside.
"A bloodline regression, huh? That means she can give birth to even stronger children..."
Kushina murmured to herself, her gaze falling on Hinata as a playful smile appeared in her eyes. This young girl was quite interesting, as was the mature, blonde-haired Temari standing beside her.
"Hinata-chan, I remember your Chunin Exam papers were quite interesting. They're still at our bedside, you know."
Kushina's teasing comment made Hinata force a strained smile. Although Hinata was typically straightforward in her demeanor, standing before the wife of Lord Shirou made her feel an uncontrollable sense of unease.
"Little cutie, I heard you want to become part of the family, huh? I imagine you wouldn't want Anata-sama to find out about this, would you?"
With her mischievous and playful personality, Kushina pulled Hinata into her arms, ruffling her black hair. Her voice lowered as she continued, causing Hinata's pale eyes to tremble.
Although she was usually bold, this confidence vanished when faced with Kushina in person. If she were truly standing before Lord Shirou, would she even dare?
Watching the stiff expression on Hinata's face as she held her, Kushina's lips curved into an intrigued smile.
"Temari-chan, you wouldn't want Anata-sama to discover those insecurities you have about being an outsider, would you?"
Temari, too, froze, her expression stiff as she avoided Kushina's gaze. This lady's personality was just as playful and mischievous as Sister Pakura had described!
"Lady Kushina, I..."
Kushina's alluring gaze swept over the two young women as she held them close, one in each arm. She resembled a sly and seductive villain as she leaned in, whispering to them and opening the door to a new world for them.
"It's very simple. If you don't want to be treated as an outsiders, become part of the family. That's what I did back then. Look at me now—who dares to call me an outsider anymore?
And Hinata-chan, I didn't expect you to be so... gifted. Let me tell you a little secret: Anata-sama loves to play around with that..."
As she spoke, Kushina looked at the two young women in front of her. Satisfied with their reactions, she turned her gaze toward the Hokage Rock outside the window. Her eyes gleamed with ambition.
Shirou was already on the path to becoming a god. What was the Hokage position compared to that? Once the ninja world was united, Shirou would surpass the Sage of Six Paths and become an even greater deity.
And she would become his goddess!
Thinking this made Kushina's heart fill with excitement. Back when Shirou aimed to become Hokage, she aspired to be the Hokage's wife. Now that Shirou aimed to become a god, she dared to dream just as big.
Tsunade and Mikoto's ambitions were too small. Kushina was determined to help Shirou achieve his dream as quickly as possible.
"Sister Mikoto once said that with all the resources we've poured into training them, the best way to ensure their loyalty is to make them one of us—both in body and spirit! Only then can they provide Anata-sama with the greatest support!"
Kushina couldn't help but think of the women Mikoto had personally trained—Samui, Mabui, and Yugito. The girls already give everthing to their man.
Smiling slyly, Kushina murmured to herself, "Sister Mikoto, I can help Anata-sama too. If you can do it, so can I."
Even a daimyo could have countless favored consorts. So why not a god?
A strange light flickered in Kushina's eyes. Tsunade and Mikoto likely had no idea how ambitious Kushina truly was.
Or rather, from the very beginning, Kushina's bold personality had been matched only by her daring thoughts.
She dared to dream, and she dared to act!