Chapter 171: Changing the Shinobi World? Another One’s Gone Mad

Tsunade’s warning wasn’t out of concern that Amegakure would become some great threat to Konoha, but rather that the situation might damage Kyoichi’s reputation and confidence. She had her doubts. Just what exactly had Kyoichi said to Yahiko? That attitude of his… he was practically warmer than when he saw Jiraiya. But… She didn’t press the matter. When Kyoichi deemed it appropriate, he’d speak up. If he didn’t want to explain, asking would be a waste of breath. After Tsunade returned, Yahiko didn’t linger long at Kyoichi’s home. The two exchanged a few more words before parting ways, but both felt the meeting had been highly fruitful. Even though the gift Yahiko brought wasn’t worth much in Kyoichi’s eyes—especially considering his current level of wealth—the reward it led to was substantial. After Yahiko left, Kyoichi glanced at his system interface and discovered there was still a reward pending. [You have completed “Post-Mission Guidance: Shinobi Village Alliance.”] [Reward: Organ Transplantation] This reward was most likely tied to Hanzo’s poison sac transplant. Kyoichi might not have an immediate use for it, but from a technical standpoint, it was incredibly valuable—after all, who could guarantee their organs would never fail? Still… Kyoichi figured if he handed this tech to Orochimaru, the man would definitely go wild over it. But… better not. He’d only just secured a reliable tool; best not to waste him so soon. The shinobi from Amegakure had arrived earlier than expected. From Yahiko’s mental state alone, it was obvious they hadn’t rested much during the journey. They’d clearly pushed themselves to reach Konoha as quickly as possible. And then, the next day— Sunagakure arrived as well. The atmosphere in Konoha changed in an instant. Everyone who used to train in the streets suddenly had to relocate. But the Forest of Death had already been locked down early for security… Most had planned to hide away in some secluded spot to continue their training. However— “Some of you can stay at the Academy. Those of you who need more space, come with me to the Police Force grounds. There’s a separate training area there,” Shisui offered. Those in the know were surprised, some even staring at Shisui in disbelief. The Police Force? Given how unstable things had been with the Uchiha lately, taking them to the Police Force headquarters... Was that really a good idea? “Shisui, isn’t that… kind of inappropriate?” Inuzuka Hana was the first to speak up. Shisui smiled and said, “Don’t worry. This came directly from our clan head. Maybe some of you haven’t heard—moving forward, the Police Force won’t be exclusive to the Uchiha. All shinobi will have the opportunity to join. So think of this as a chance to take a look around.” “Wait, seriously?” “The Police Force is being restructured? I’ve never been over there—let’s go, everyone!” Obito chimed in without hesitation, completely oblivious to the subtle tension in the air. Asuma, by now, was used to this. This guy never brought his brain along—expecting Obito to grasp the deeper political meaning behind the Police Force’s restructuring... Yeah, no. After thinking it over, Asuma stepped forward and said, “Let’s go. The Police Force works hard to protect the village. It wouldn’t hurt to visit—and maybe bring along a few gifts.” Back when he’d just graduated, Asuma had been a typical angsty teen. But with experience on missions and the battlefield—not to mention Kyoichi’s guidance—he had started to mature, showing signs of the seasoned jōnin he’d eventually become. Seeing Asuma take the lead, the others quickly nodded in agreement. So… The next morning, when Yahiko took to the streets again, the boisterous green-clad squad was nowhere to be seen. “Sensei, I knew it—they were just showing off for a day. Today they’re already slacking.” “Ameji, don’t project your own assumptions onto others. Konoha’s shinobi would never slack off. Can’t you see the real reason they haven’t shown themselves?” Yahiko said sternly, turning to look at the genin in his team. This kind of thinking was dangerous. They’d chalk up others’ strength to innate talent, while blaming their own laziness on a lack of talent—completely ignoring the effort that went into becoming a so-called genius. “Sensei, is it because we arrived in the village?” “Not just that…” Yahiko shook his head. He had spotted shinobi from Sunagakure—and not just a few. Leading the way was a kunoichi with striking hair. Pakura of the Scorch Release! At first, Yahiko assumed she was the jōnin leading the Sunagakure delegation, but he quickly realized he was mistaken—there was an old man walking behind her. From Sunagakure… Chiyo’s brother, Ebizō! “Even he came… no wonder Konoha’s genin have disappeared.” Yahiko’s expression grew serious. Ebizō! This guy was practically Sunagakure’s version of Danzo—his covert network stretched across the entire shinobi world. Yet from intelligence reports, Yahiko had thought Ebizō had retreated from the political scene after Rasa took power. So why was he leading the team to Konoha? Yahiko was utterly baffled. The Sunagakure shinobi entered the village quietly, but with their eye-catching outfits and the fact that the last major war had only ended less than two years ago, they still drew a lot of attention in Konoha. By the afternoon… The Iwagakure shinobi had arrived as well. “They’re all pushing hard. I can understand how Sunagakure and Amegakure got here quickly since they probably set off around the same time, but for Ōnoki’s team to arrive so fast too… That’s impressive.” Kyoichi couldn’t help but be impressed. The Suna-nin had taken four days to reach Konoha, but the Iwa-nin had made the longer journey in just three. “Ōnoki personally led them to the border,” said Gekkō Hayate. He had been monitoring the Iwa team along the way, so he knew their situation best. To speed up the journey, Ōnoki himself had used the Light-Weight and Heavy-Weight Rock Techniques to boost their travel speed. The shinobi themselves hadn’t exerted much effort getting to the border—Ōnoki had done all the work and was half-dead from exhaustion by the time they made it to Konoha in three days. Kyoichi nodded slightly. On the ANBU side, Sarutobi Shinnosuke had completely stopped caring. With the Third Hokage about to step down, Shinnosuke would likely leave ANBU soon and take on a more visible role as a jōnin team leader. So… Kyoichi had no choice but to step in as a temporary substitute. He glanced at the intelligence reports. Kirigakure was close too—they’d arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest. The other smaller villages were also expected to arrive by tomorrow. That speed… Everyone was racing like their lives depended on it. And there were still four or five days left until the Chūnin Exams even started. “These people are competing even over travel speed now? The whole ninja world’s atmosphere has shifted. Only Kumogakure’s behaving exactly how I expected.” Kyoichi sighed. Gekkō Hayate held his tongue. “Captain, the Kumo shinobi left yesterday. They should be around the Yūgakure area by now.” “What?” So these people… Aren’t competitive within their village, but become maniacs when it comes to traveling? Something’s fishy… Kyoichi took a close look at the Suna team list, then flipped through the Iwa and Kiri rosters as well, falling into deep thought. The Kirigakure team was led personally by Yagura. Were these people all here to “study” Konoha, just like Yahiko? Well, at least today they were all taken to the police force for inspection. Kyoichi felt a little speechless. The reason Konoha could take on three villages at once really didn’t have much to do with the village’s current strength—he hadn’t even had time to start building up the place yet. He’d only just begun organizing efforts in that direction. The research institute was already established. Orochimaru was in charge of improving Mokuton, and as for Kyoichi himself, he had already learned to produce vines using Wood Release. Though it wasn’t anywhere near Hashirama Senju’s “forest from a single man,” at least his ability to green the landscape was on par with Yamato now. Once the Chūnin Exams ended, he could begin large-scale agricultural experiments. As for the exams… Given how enthusiastic everyone was, maybe it was best to just start early once all the teams arrived. They all thought they’d have extra time to observe Konoha, but instead—early exams, early dismissal. They’d be thrilled, wouldn’t they? But for now… Kyoichi had another matter to take care of. Rōshi! Since returning from the front lines, Rōshi hadn’t been kept with Kurotsuchi, but Kyoichi hadn’t had the time to extract the Tailed Beast chakra yet—it had been put off until now. The man was about to leave… So before that, Kyoichi figured he should check in on him. He headed to the ANBU’s sealing prison. “Rōshi, settling in alright here? Don’t worry—you’ll be out by this afternoon.” “Uh…” Rōshi looked up, not particularly reactive. During this time… Konoha hadn’t tortured him or subjected him to daily experiments. He’d been panicked at first, but he eventually realized this must’ve been due to Kyoichi’s instructions. If anyone was going to come for him, it would be Kyoichi. After a few seconds, Rōshi looked up and said, “You’re here to extract chakra, aren’t you?” “You’ve gotten smarter during your stay.” Kyoichi didn’t deny it. Rōshi nodded and said, “I’ve realized something else too. You taught me all that stuff because you wanted to sow chaos in Iwagakure. But what if I don’t act on it?” “Then I lose nothing. You’re just a Jinchūriki. I caught you once—what makes you think I can’t catch you again?” Kyoichi chuckled. He’d never bothered to hide his intentions when teaching Rōshi. Rōshi might have felt fired up initially, but once things cooled down, he would definitely realize what Kyoichi was after. But so what? Every village had unresolvable tensions with their Jinchūriki. Even in Kumogakure—arguably the village with the best treatment—there were still people who harbored resentment toward Jinchūriki. As long as that tension existed… Unless someone like Naruto came along—an outlier by all definitions—even if Rōshi understood everything, even if he could suppress his feelings, eventually he would still part ways with Iwagakure. Because he had glimpsed a broader future. Rōshi didn’t deny it. Kyoichi began extracting the chakra. Rōshi didn’t even flinch—in fact, he said, “You know, thanks to your help, I’ve earned its recognition. But there’s one thing you were right about—Jinchūriki shouldn’t be treated the way they are now.” “Congratulations…” Kyoichi said flatly as he silently continued the extraction. Rōshi had gained the Four-Tails’ acknowledgment—that was unexpected. That kind of recognition likely came from their shared desire for freedom. “I’ll change what it means to be a Jinchūriki. I’ll change the entire shinobi world!” Rōshi declared with certainty. This wasn’t some fleeting passion sparked by Kyoichi’s ideology—it was a decision made after calm reflection. “Then good luck. I’ve taught quite a few people. Aside from a few of my own students, one is currently working for world peace, another is stirring things up in the East. Adding you to the mix makes no difference.” Kyoichi smiled. Another lunatic joins the ranks. Speaking of which… With Kiri, Iwa, Ame, and Kumo all bearing his influence, perhaps it was time to extend a hand to Suna as well? Worth considering. And with Chiyo and Pakura already here, it was the perfect chance. Of course… He couldn’t teach them too much. That group of poison experts could cause a real mess if left unchecked. Kyoichi planned to teach them how to manage desert environments instead. S~eaʀᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for Kumogakure… That village was a special case. Outsiders’ advice didn’t carry any weight there. But once his “grain warfare” began to show results, Kumo would naturally fall under his sway. The plan was perfect. After completing the chakra extraction, Kyoichi sealed the Tailed Beast chakra into a container he’d prepared earlier and then made his way toward the Suna shinobi’s quarters.