"You guys take your time to think it over."
Shimizu Uchiha set down the sealing scroll and slid it across to Konan.
He paid the bill and left.
Konan looked at the sealing scroll in front of her and handed it to Yahiko, letting him make the decision.
Uzumaki Nagato, ever since Shimizu revealed he was a Konohagakure ninja, had remained silent.
Only after Shimizu left did he slowly speak, "Yahiko, he might be telling the truth."
Konan and Yahiko exchanged puzzled looks, waiting for Nagato to elaborate.
"The emblem on his back is the mark of the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha are a proud clan, and one of the most powerful ninja clans."
"Uchiha!" they both exclaimed in unison.
When Yahiko and Konan had seen the emblem on Shimizu's back, it had felt vaguely familiar.
With Nagato's explanation, it clicked instantly.
Even in the Land of Rain, the Uchiha's reputation echoed.
The Uchiha's powerful eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"That makes sense. He's probably trustworthy."
Yahiko took the sealing scroll and glanced at it.
To be sure, he would need to gather more information to determine if this Uchiha man was reliable.
If he proved trustworthy, it might not be a bad idea to help him gather intelligence on female orphans.
"He's probably planning to train a group of ninjas," Yahiko mused, closing the sealing scroll.
Some of his actions seemed to defy human biomechanics.
Yahiko couldn't fathom what kind of person could perform such feats.
Nine times out of ten, it was about cultivating talented ninjas.
Being a ninja wasn't a glamorous path, nor was it an easy one.
But no matter how tough, could it possibly be worse than being a displaced orphan?
"Yahiko, so we…" Konan hesitated.
All three of them were orphans. Having been drenched by the rain themselves, they naturally wanted to hold an umbrella for others in the same situation.
"Let's keep observing for now."
With that, Yahiko began eating the noodles on the table.
Seeing this, Konan and Nagato quietly joined him.
The negotiations lasted only a day.
With Konohagakure's deliberate concessions, Iwagakure smoothly signed a peace treaty with them.
After resting in the town for a day, Shimizu and his group set out on the road back to the village.
"The Land of Rain, huh? We need to seize the right moment."
Shimizu glanced at the Land of Rain, perpetually shrouded in drizzle, before turning to follow the others.
Yakushi, the Sand kunoichi, was about to be assassinated soon—an opportunity to exploit.
Later, Hanzo of the Salamander from Amegakure would team up with Shimura Danzo to ambush the Akatsuki.
In the original storyline, this happened before the peace treaty between Iwagakure and Konohagakure.
But due to the butterfly effect, it had been delayed by some time.
Still, it wasn't too far off—just a matter of months.
Konan would be kidnapped and used as a hostage against Nagato and Yahiko.
In the end, Yahiko would sacrifice himself for Konan, dying by Nagato's kunai.
Furious and in pain, Nagato would awaken the full power of the Rinnegan and summon the Gedo Statue.
If handled properly, Shimizu could plant a mole within the Akatsuki.
The Beedrill technique was limited to the Kamizuru Clan from Iwagakure, confined to the Land of Earth.
The Akatsuki, however, roamed the entire ninja world.
They could become Shimizu's eyes.
This would also help him keep tabs on Obito's movements.
Half a month later.
Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at the head, with portraits of the First and Second Hokage hanging prominently on the wall behind him.
Konoha's elders sat on either side.
"Well done."
"We can finally catch our breath."
Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane spoke in turn.
"Sending Namikaze Minato to negotiate unconditionally, admitting Iwagakure's actions and giving up reparations—it's like we lost the war," Shimura Danzo said darkly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was too soft. If Danzo were Hokage, the outcome would've been different.
Minato's actions surely had Hiruzen's backing.
"What's your take, Hiruzen?" Homura interjected, trying to ease the tension.
"Continuing the war would be fatal for an exhausted Konoha. This was a compromise for unity," Hiruzen replied.
Bang!
Danzo sneered and slammed his fist on the table, pressuring Hiruzen.
"Many allies died in this war. This makes their sacrifices meaningless."
"The responsibility lies with me, the Hokage."
"And how will you take responsibility?"
"By stepping down as the Third Hokage and passing the title to the Fourth."
Uchiha Residence.
"Begin simulation," Shimizu said calmly.
As always, a simulation every ten days.
[Ding, Perfect Life Simulation in progress…]
[Day 1: Uchiha Fugaku invites you to dinner. You take the opportunity to probe the bloodline limit of the fetus in his wife's womb.]
[Day 2: News of the peace treaty with Iwagakure begins to spread.]
[Day 3: Uchiha Fugaku holds a secret clan meeting. The clan members are furious, cursing Sarutobi Hiruzen for betraying the village's interests. Fugaku tries to calm them.]
[Day 4: While changing in the Anbu locker room, you unexpectedly run into a familiar face.]
[Day 5: You devise a plan to outsource the task of monitoring Nohara Rin.]
[Day 16: You visit Kushina to give her a massage, building rapport.]
[Day 17: Kushina shares some low-level sealing techniques—not unique to the Uzumaki Clan, but better than those in the Uchiha Clan's jutsu library.]
[Day 18: Hatake Kakashi asks you for books similar to Icha Icha Hell. You recommend Jiraiya's works, saying they're similar. You catch a glimpse of shock in Kakashi's dead-fish eyes.]
[Day 19: Guren beats up a ninja outside because he suggested your Body Flicker Technique could be improved. Guren takes it as an insult to you and attacks him. You bring a gift to apologize to the ninja and discover it's Uchiha Shisui.]
[Day 20: Shisui's suggestions prove helpful—not because they're groundbreaking, but because his ideas are innovative. You marvel at how someone so young could make a name for himself with just the Body Flicker Technique.]
[Day 21: Shisui takes an interest in Guren, curious about her loyalty to you. Guren complains to you that Shisui keeps bothering her.]
[Day 22: You tell Shisui to stay away from Guren, saying kids shouldn't fall in love too early. Back home, you have Guren sit on your lap and feed you dinner to calm her down.]
[Day 362: Itachi has been born for a while. Looking at his innocent face, you feel no fatherly affection, only cold detachment. You scrutinize him with a calculating gaze.]
[Day 363: Izumi is a few months old. You gave Uchiha Hazuki a sample of the cloning solution days after developing it. Thankfully, Konoha's advanced registry system allows children to be registered without a father or marriage.]
[Day 782: Your understanding of sealing techniques deepens, and you learn several new ones. You start to form ideas about undoing the Caged Bird Seal.]
[Day 836: Another day of practicing sealing techniques. Guren's volatile temper and bloodlust remain unchanged. You don't mind. You're not Yakumo Kurama, trying to suppress her killing instincts with maternal love. You've always taken a hands-off approach with Guren, as long as she remains respectful to you.]
[Day 837: Sasuke and Naruto, despite their young age, get into a fight. To maintain harmony between the brothers, you separate them.]
[Day 838: They're still fighting. You begin to wonder if the reincarnated chakra following them since birth has affected their souls, altering their original personalities. You recall that in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, there were several versions of Naruto, none of which had his carefree attitude—they were more like Asura 2.0.]
[Day 839: You comfort Sasuke and Naruto's mother, Mikoto, easing her loneliness. This noble act makes you feel elevated, and your Sharingan's power deepens.]
[Day 1762: Your chakra reserves grow again. Long ago, you mastered the Curse Seal mode. But your ambition doesn't stop there. You develop the Earth Curse Seal using your own cells and aim to stack the Sage Modes of all three holy grounds onto yourself.]
[Day 2001: You arrive in Hoshigakure and meet Hoshizora Natsu. Your striking appearance makes her heart skip a beat. You jokingly ask her to teach you the Peacock Wonder Method.]
[Day 2002: To your surprise, Natsu actually teaches you the Peacock Wonder Method. When some fool makes snide remarks, you mercifully incinerate him with Fire Release.]
[Day 2929: Shion comes to Konoha to find you.]
[Simulation ended. Calculating rewards…]
[Please select one reward: Peacock Wonder Method, Earth Curse Seal, Reaper Death Seal.]
"Not bad rewards this time," Shimizu nodded.
All three options were intriguing.
He wondered if the Peacock Wonder Method required a meteorite, as it did for Hoshigakure's ninja, or if it could be cultivated independently, free of that limitation.
If it lacked that flaw, the Peacock Wonder Method held decent value. It could activate chakra, and combined with an activated body, Shimizu wasn't sure how far it could take him.
The Earth Curse Seal was also promising. A counterpart to the Heaven Curse Seal, it could increase the number of compatible users. Some would suit the Heaven Curse Seal, others the Earth Curse Seal. More options meant more potential.
Finally, Shimizu's gaze settled on the last option.
"Reaper Death Seal?" He stroked his chin.
This was fascinating.
Throughout the Naruto series, this was the only technique that summoned the mysterious Shinigami.
Was this so-called Shinigami a product of chakra or a deity from another dimension?
The Naruto world had its share of supposed gods—Jashin, the evil god worshipped by Hidan, and the King of Hell summoned by the Rinnegan.
It was known that the dead entered a realm called the Pure Land.
But those sealed by the Reaper Death Seal were trapped in the Shinigami's stomach, doomed to eternal conflict with no escape.
This suggested the Shinigami's harvested souls didn't go to the Pure Land but to another realm entirely.
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