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Sasame didn't drink the Hero Water. Its side effects were too great. He had no reason to try it. Besides, he felt that the Hero Water might be useless for his Sage Body. Sasame now had Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, and his chakra was constantly increasing. Given enough time, he could evolve into the physique of an alien. This wonderful method with no side effects was far better than the Hero Water. However, now that he had it, he shouldn't waste it. He could give it to Kabuto Yakushi to study. Who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise.
As for the tree in Takigakure, Sasame had carefully examined it after Shibuki left. Other than producing Hero Water, there was nothing special about it. And its production capacity was extremely low. The bottle Shibuki gave him was the result of almost a decade. It was far inferior to the real God Tree. Sasame had no interest in it.
A new day began. After breakfast, Sasame and Ino Yamanaka left Takigakure. The one who was most reluctant to see them go was Fu. She had already accepted Sasame and Ino Yamanaka as friends. In just two days, their relationship had warmed to an incredible degree. Although it was a one-sided thing. It had to be said, she was a very naive ninja. Living in Takigakure was fine. But in the ninja world, she would probably have a tragic end.
"Fu really is a unique girl," Ino Yamanaka said, glancing at Sasame and looking for a topic of conversation. They were in the forest, and a cool breeze made it quite refreshing.
"Mhm," Sasame noticed her gaze and said with a smile, "But did you notice how popular she is in the village?"
Ino Yamanaka, after being reminded, immediately noticed something strange. If it was just her personality, she shouldn't be that popular. Shibuki was way too good to her, as if afraid she would get hurt.
"She's a jinchuriki," Sasame said.
Ino Yamanaka's face showed surprise. She had not expected that. The Seven-Tails jinchuriki? Everything started to make sense. But with her personality, it was really hard to associate her with being a jinchuriki.
"Speaking of which, when did you successfully train the Yin Seal?" Sasame said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I haven't had much time to talk to you recently."
"It's okay," Ino Yamanaka waved her hands. "Sasame-kun is the Hokage. It's normal for you to be busy." She was actually quite busy herself. She was learning her clan's secret techniques, medical ninjutsu, and following Kurenai Yuhi to learn how to be the Hokage's secretary. Although it was fulfilling, she didn't have time for a relationship. But she believed this experience was not useless. On the contrary, it would be very useful. After all, Sasame was too powerful. His strength and reputation far surpassed others. If she didn't work hard, how could she be qualified to be close to him? Ino Yamanaka's personality was different from Hinata Hyuga's. Her goal was not to be a good wife and mother but a powerful helper with similar ideals. Sasame appreciated this kind of thinking.
"The Yin Seal was actually just completed," Ino Yamanaka said humbly. "I'm just a beginner in medical ninjutsu. I still have a long way to go."
"If Shizune heard that, she'd be jealous," Sasame couldn't help but laugh. "She hasn't made much progress with the Yin Seal to this day."
"I... I didn't mean it that way," Ino Yamanaka said, pouting slightly. "And Shizune-nee-chan wouldn't be jealous."
Sasame looked down at her cute expression and couldn't help but reach out and rub her head. Ino Yamanaka's body stiffened, and her gaze immediately shifted to the ground filled with fallen leaves. But in her peripheral vision, she quickly glanced at him, noticing his gentle eyes, and a hint of joy leaped in her heart.
"You have a great talent for medical ninjutsu. You might not be any worse than your teacher in the future," Sasame said, seeing she wasn't resisting, and rubbed her soft hair a few more times. At the same time, there was a faint, pleasant scent.
"Sasame-kun, you're... you're exaggerating," Ino Yamanaka appreciated his praise, but she was convinced she could never surpass Tsunade.
"Who can say what the future holds?" Sasame retracted his hand. It was mainly because he couldn't walk while rubbing her hair. Ino Yamanaka was a little reluctant for him to stop. She felt a sense of security from the head rub, but this was something she couldn't say out loud.
"Is Teacher not in Konoha recently?"
"Why? Why do you ask?" Sasame was a little confused. "Isn't she always in Konoha?"
"Oh," Ino Yamanaka scratched her head. "I haven't seen her in a while, so I thought she might be on a mission outside the village."
Sasame was silent for two seconds. "She's been working on an experiment recently. You might see the results soon." Of course, he couldn't tell her that Tsunade was pregnant. The "experiment" he was referring to was Wood Release. However, exchanging Wood Release for Tsunade would cost Sasame a large portion of his Destiny Value. Therefore, he planned to harvest it from Mount Myōboku. Destiny Value could only be obtained from characters with names in the original work. A bunch of toads on Mount Myōboku all had names. In other words, he could work with them.
"I see," Ino Yamanaka's face showed a look of understanding. She was a little excited. "For the teacher to spend so much time on it, it must be something very extraordinary."
It was indeed not simple. It was the creation of a new life. Sasame subconsciously glanced at Ino Yamanaka, who was walking ahead of him. Her exposed midriff was perfect. He retracted his gaze and walked alongside her again. They walked and chatted, not moving too quickly. Sasame had no reason to rush. He felt he had neglected her before, so he decided to spend more time with her. Ino Yamanaka was even simpler. She was happy to be with a handsome guy. What they were doing or talking about was no longer important. It showed the truth of being a "looks-first" person.
"You guys are graduating this year, right?" Sasame asked with a smile. According to the timeline, the original story was about to begin. The Land of Waves arc would definitely not happen. Should he hold a joint Chunin Exam?
"Mhm," Ino Yamanaka nodded. "My teammates are definitely Shikamaru and Choji. It feels like the mystery is gone." She sounded a little disappointed at the end. It wasn't that she disliked Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. It was just that there would be no surprises. But they were both familiar, so they would work well together without much trouble.
"What about your Jonin leader?" Sasame raised an eyebrow. "The Hokage is right in front of you. I can openly cheat for you." Ino Yamanaka's eyes lit up. A ninja squad, especially three genin, needed a strong Jonin leader in the early stages. The stronger they were, the safer they would be and the more they would learn. In addition, there was also networking and connections. Being a student of the Hokage was completely different from being a student of an ordinary Jonin. The Ino–Shika–Chō formation had always been close to the Sarutobi clan. In the original work, it was Asuma Sarutobi. But since Sasame was the Hokage now, it wouldn't be him. As for tradition, what use was it?
Ino Yamanaka's first thought was Tsunade. If she were their Jonin leader, the benefits would be immense. But it was probably very unlikely. After she retired from the position of Hokage, she had lived a life of leisure and rarely concerned herself with Konoha. While the new generation of Ino–Shika–Chō was important, it wasn't to that degree. Among the remaining Jonin, Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake already had students. Only Kurenai Yuhi, Ibiki Morino, and Asuma Sarutobi were left. To be honest, Asuma Sarutobi was the most suitable. How should she put it? Ino Yamanaka wasn't too fond of him. Although the Ino–Shika–Chō had their own clan secret techniques and it didn't really matter who their teacher was, she still hoped for a powerful Jonin.
"Sasame-kun, are you asking because you have an idea?" Ino Yamanaka asked, blinking. The Jonin leader was, by tradition, decided by the Hokage. She was the Sixth Hokage Sasame's junior and the Fifth Hokage Tsunade's student. There was no way she would be treated unfairly. Therefore, she decided not to give her own answer and just asked him directly.
Sasame was actually just acting on a whim. As he said, he wanted to give Ino Yamanaka a little privilege. He wanted to see if she had a preference for a Jonin leader. It seemed she didn't. Although Konoha Village had a large number of ninjas, there were really only a few people who surpassed Asuma Sarutobi in both status and strength. After thinking for a few seconds, Sasame suddenly had an idea.
"What do you think of Kabuto?"
"Kabuto?" Ino Yamanaka was taken aback. "Do you mean Senior Kabuto Yakushi?" Kabuto Yakushi was Tsunade's student. It was reasonable for her to call him "Senior." But the two had not interacted much, so they were quite unfamiliar with each other.
"That's right," Sasame nodded. "Although he's low-key, his strength is beyond doubt." Especially since he planned to take Kabuto Yakushi to Ryūchi Cave so he could learn Sage Mode. That way, even if he wasn't as strong as his original self, he wouldn't be too far off. In addition, he could also provide guidance to Ino Yamanaka in medical ninjutsu. As for Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, they had their clan secret techniques, so there was not much to worry about.
"Since Sasame-kun says so, he must be a good choice," Ino Yamanaka said with a smile, looking youthful and beautiful. Even if she didn't trust Sasame, she trusted Tsunade. As a student of a Sannin, Kabuto Yakushi was definitely far above the average ninja. As for his status, there was no need to mention it.
The two walked a little longer. Then Sasame used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Yamanaka Flower Shop in Konoha Village. It was morning, and the shop was open for business. Sasame and Ino Yamanaka's sudden appearance startled Ino's mother, Yamanaka Misa. After she saw who they were, she let out a breath and said, "Hokage-sama."
"What about me?" Ino Yamanaka walked over and said playfully, "Are you not going to ask about your daughter who just came back?"
"What is there to ask?" Yamanaka Misa said with a smile. "With Hokage-sama here, would you be in any danger?"
"..." Ino Yamanaka was speechless. That was true, but she was a little too trusting. But she was the same herself, so she couldn't say anything to her mother.
"Aunt Misa," Sasame returned the greeting with a smile. "Ino was a great help on this mission. She's already a qualified medical ninja." Yeah, she saved Sasuke Uchiha's life. Ino Yamanaka was a little confused. Didn't I just use Mystical Palm Technique?In terms of contribution, Sakura Haruno was a bigger help.
"Hokage-sama, you're too kind," Yamanaka Misa's smile grew even wider. She was clearly pleased, especially since the praise came from the Hokage.
After a few pleasantries, Sasame took his leave. He went straight to the research building.
"Hokage-sama," Sasame met Kakashi Hatake at the entrance. He was carrying a bento box. His mental state was much better than before. A faint smile could even be seen when he greeted him, which would have been unthinkable before.
"Is that for Rin?" Sasame pointed at the bento box. Actually, those who were brought back by Impure World Reincarnation didn't need to eat.
"Yes," Kakashi Hatake nodded, then asked, "Hokage-sama, may I know why you summoned Rin?"
"You'll know in time," Sasame said with a smile. "I can't tell you now. Please understand."
"There's no need for that, Hokage-sama," Kakashi Hatake's attitude remained the same. "As a ninja, I understand."
"Go see Rin," Sasame went his separate way. A moment later, he arrived at a laboratory filled with a strange smell.
"What is it?" Kabuto Yakushi asked without turning around.
"With your current strength, you can go and learn Sage Mode," Sasame said directly without any pleasantries.
"I'm very busy right now," Kabuto Yakushi said with a frown. "I'll learn it later." In fact, Tsunade had also told him to go and learn Sage Mode before. Of course, it was at Shikkotsu Forest. But Kabuto Yakushi knew that it took Sasame several years to learn Sage Mode and he had to stay in the sacred land for a long time, so he temporarily refused. After all, he was busy with his experiments and still had to learn from Orochimaru.
"I'm telling you to go and learn Sage Mode at Ryūchi Cave," Sasame explained. "And you don't have to stay there. I'll make them come to Konoha Village."
"Ryūchi Cave?" Kabuto Yakushi looked up, a little surprised. "Isn't that a betrayal? And would Ryūchi Cave even teach me?" The three sacred lands were allies, but it was a fragile alliance. They were rivals. As a summoner of Shikkotsu Forest, how could he possibly learn the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave?
"Normally, they wouldn't," Sasame said with a smile. "But if you give them an offer they can't refuse, they'll naturally agree."
"I heard that the summons of Ryūchi Cave aren't very reasonable," Kabuto Yakushi said, adjusting his glasses. "Are you sure?" Snakes were known for their violent and cold-blooded nature. Summoners had to offer sacrifices to drive them. He couldn't possibly convince them with just words. The only way was with a fist.
Now was the time to call upon Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
"Don't worry. There won't be any problems," Sasame said with confidence.
"I look forward to your good news," Kabuto Yakushi said, seeing his confidence.
"You're not coming?" Sasame was stunned.
"Didn't you say you'd bring them here?" Kabuto Yakushi said matter-of-factly. "Why would I need to go with you?"
"..." Sasame was speechless and vanished from his sight. He reappeared at the Daimyō's palace in the Land of Snow.
"Kaguya," Sasame knocked on the door and entered. "Are you interested in coming with me to Ryūchi Cave?"
"What about Mount Myōboku?" Compared to the White Snake Sage, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had a more lasting and negative impression of the Great Toad Sage. The reason for this was the history books she had read. After she was sealed, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had interacted with the Great Toad Sage multiple times. It was clear that he had malicious intentions.
"We'll go to Ryūchi Cave first, then Mount Myōboku," Sasame explained.
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Power Stones==Bonus Chapter