The sky was still dark when Renjiro reached the summit of the Hokage Monument; the stone faces of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage looked out over the village they had built and protected. The massive carvings loomed in the pre-dawn gloom, their features softened by shadows, their eyes seeming to watch over the sleeping village below. He stood at the edge, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first hints of dawn were beginning to bleed through the darkness in shades of deep purple and pale gold. The air was cool and still, carrying the scent of pine and distant earth, a faint breeze that whispered through the trees lining the monument's base. Below, Konoha lay in quiet slumber; lanterns flickered in windows, their warm glow a scattered constellation against the darkness, and the occasional patrol moved through the streets with the silent efficiency of those trained to protect the village even in its most vulnerable hours. The village was peaceful, unaware of the storm that was gathering on the horizon, unaware of the man standing above it, already planning for battles that had not yet been fought.
He was not thinking emotionally anymore; he was conducting a strategic review. The spar with Minato had been valuable, but it had also highlighted the gaps in his understanding. The Hokage's Flying Raijin had bypassed his defences, exploited his weaknesses, and forced him to adapt in ways he had not anticipated. He needed to know where he stood, what he could do, and what still threatened him. He began to simulate battles in his mind, pitting his abilities against the most dangerous opponents he could imagine, analysing each encounter with the precision of a surgeon dissecting a patient.
The first simulation focused on brute force opponents; shinobi who relied on overwhelming physical power to dominate their enemies. He considered the Fourth Raikage, whose lightning-enhanced speed and strength had made him a legend among the shinobi nations. The Raikage's lightning armor made him nearly invulnerable to conventional attacks, and his speed was second only to the Yellow Flash himself. He considered Killer B, whose mastery of the Eight-Tails and his unconventional swordsmanship had made him nearly unstoppable in combat. He considered Tsunade, whose monstrous strength and regeneration had allowed her to survive battles that would have killed anyone else; her ability to heal from almost any wound made her a terrifying opponent. He considered Han, the Five-Tails jinchūriki, whose steam-enhanced attacks had devastated armies and whose brute force was legendary.
He analysed each opponent with clinical detachment. His EMS precognition removed most taijutsu advantages; he could see their attacks before they were launched, predict their movements, and counter before they could strike. The enhanced perception of his Eternal Mangekyō allowed him to read muscle contractions, weight shifts, and even the subtle gathering of chakra that preceded a technique. His Susanoo made overwhelming strength almost irrelevant; the armour would protect him from their blows, absorbing impacts that would have crushed ordinary shinobi, and the weapons would allow him to strike back with devastating force. His Mirror of Regret gave him instant win conditions; a single mark, a single activation, and they would be trapped in an endless loop of their worst memories, their wills crumbling as their chakra drained away. His Flame Phantom neutralised chakra-enhanced attacks, consuming the energy before it could harm him, turning their greatest weapons into fuel for his own abilities. His Naginata was catastrophic against chakra monsters, consuming their natural energy and leaving them weakened, their power drained away by the hungry green flames.
Brute force has become the easiest type of opponent for me to defeat, he concluded, his internal voice carrying the weight of his analysis. The EMS, the Susanoo, the Marks of Dominion; all of them are designed to counter physical power. I have become the anti-brute. Against those who rely on overwhelming strength, I have a counter for every attack, a defence for every technique.
The second simulation shifted toward jinchūriki and their tailed beasts. He considered perfect jinchūriki, whose control over their beasts made them nearly invincible; their chakra reserves were vast, their regeneration was accelerated, and their attacks were devastating. He considered partial transformations, where the beast's chakra enhanced their abilities, granting them speed, strength, and durability far beyond ordinary shinobi. He considered full Bijuu, the unleashed power of the tailed beasts themselves; enormous creatures of chakra and destruction that could level mountains and reshape landscapes.
He concluded that his Susanoo could physically engage Bijuu; the construct was large enough, durable enough, and powerful enough to match them in combat. The obsidian armour would withstand their attacks, and the emerald weapons would strike with devastating force. His Great Aegis absorbed Bijuu Bombs, consuming their chakra and preventing the devastation they caused, turning the beast's ultimate attack into nothing more than fuel. His Flame Phantom consumed chakra attacks, turning the beast's power against itself, draining its reserves and replenishing his own. His Naginata destroyed natural-energy infused chakra, leaving the Bijuu weakened and vulnerable, their connection to nature energy severed.
My Susanoo was practically designed to kill creatures like them, he thought, his internal voice cold with certainty. Not arrogance; pure analysis. Every ability I possess is tailored to counter the Bijuu. I have become a jinchūriki hunter. The flames consume their chakra, the shield absorbs their attacks, and the blade severs their connection to nature energy.
The third simulation was more cautious; It was enemies that did not fight normally. He listed them in his mind with growing unease; Obito, with his Kamui; Nagato, with his Rinnegan; Madara, with his legendary power; and the unknown threats that lurked beyond the shinobi world. He began to analyse each one with the same clinical detachment, but the results were less certain.
Obito. He pictured the masked man, his Kamui phasing, the way attacks passed through him as if he were a ghost. Physical attacks missed; Susanoo missed; taijutsu missed; ninjutsu missed. The man seemed untouchable, a phantom that could not be harmed. But then he began to think; Kamui was incredible until contact occurred. If he could ever remotely place a Dominion Mark, the entire battle would change. The mark would be invisible, undetectable, and once it was placed, Obito would be vulnerable. He would remain dangerous, but no longer impossible. He still labelled him as an extreme threat, a variable that required careful handling.
Nagato. He listed the Rinnegan abilities with growing unease; Shinra Tensei, the gravitational push that could level buildings; Chibaku Tensei, the planetary devastation that could seal away entire armies; the Animal Path, with its summoning of immortal creatures; the Preta Path, which absorbed chakra; the Human Path, which could extract souls; the Outer Path, which could control death itself; the Black Receivers, which could paralyze and control; and Shared Vision, which made the Paths nearly impossible to surprise. He concluded that there were too many unknown variables. The Rinnegan was not dangerous because of power; it was dangerous because of versatility. Unlike Kamui, he could not yet formulate a perfect counter. He labelled it as unknown and resolved to proceed carefully.
Madara. He considered the legendary Uchiha, the man who had nearly destroyed the shinobi world. He had the EMS, the Susanoo, the Rinnegan, and centuries of experience. He was the ultimate enemy, a threat that dwarfed all others. He concluded that Madara was an extreme threat, a variable that required careful handling. He would need to prepare, to plan, and to adapt if he ever faced him.
He zoomed out, stopping his fighter's analysis and starting to think like a ruler. He reviewed everything he possessed; very deep chakra reserves, EMS, Susanoo, battlefield awareness, regeneration, absorption, command network, phantom, seals, and barriers. He paused, his internal voice quiet with the weight of his question.
What actually stops me?
Silence. One answer appeared; distance. He could only be in one place at a time. If five disasters occurred simultaneously; if Kumo attacked, Iwa attacked, a Bijuu escaped, a Kage was assassinated, or an enemy infiltrated Fire Country, he could only physically be in one location. His empire expanded, but his body did not. He could not be everywhere at once; he could not protect everyone; he could not respond to every threat.
The final bottleneck is not chakra, not intelligence, not firepower, not defenses, and not perception, he realized. It is mobility. Specifically, instant strategic mobility.
He reflected on Minato; the Hokage was everywhere, anytime, with no delay, no travel, just arrival. The Yellow Flash could respond to threats across the continent in an instant, appearing where he was needed most. He looked at the Fourth Hokage's stone face as the sun finished rising; not with admiration, but with understanding. Now he finally understood why the Flying Raijin was feared. It was not speed; it was freedom.
He quietly reached a conclusion; the Flying Thunder God was the final piece. Not another weapon, but the missing component; the bridge between omniscience and omnipresence. He left the monument, walking quietly back through Konoha. The village was only beginning to wake; vendors were opening shops, shinobi were beginning morning patrols, and the first rays of sunlight were spilling across the rooftops. He said almost nothing, his mind still churning with the implications of his analysis.
He entered his home and walked directly to his study. He opened a storage seal; inside were the Flying Thunder God research materials Minato had entrusted to him some time ago. He remembered putting them aside because he had other priorities. Now, every single path pointed back to these documents.
He opened the first page. The room was silent, and morning light fell across the scroll. A small smile appeared.
"It's about time I learned this."
=====
Bless me with your powerful Power Stones.
Your Reviews and Comments about my work are welcome
If you can, then please support me on Patreon.
Link - www.patreon.com/SideCharacter
You Can read more chapters ahead on Patreon
Latest Chapter on Patreon: Chapter 934-How hard could it be?