Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: A Flaw, Die Again!

"Three pairs of Mangekyō... even just two pairs could cause the top brass of Konoha to howl like dogs."

Leaving the Uchiha district, Shūichi felt a bit speechless.

It seemed that people with selfish perspectives could never truly understand the expansive mindset of those who acted out of a "greater love."

"But it appears the Third Hokage is unaware of Izanagi, while Danzo somehow obtained knowledge of this technique—especially before the Uchiha clan massacre," Shūichi thought, frowning.

Thinking of that old fox Danzo, Shūichi suddenly felt he could understand the Second Hokage and Danzo's attitude toward the Uchiha clan. Each Uchiha was like a ticking time bomb, ready to darken and explode with insane power at any moment. Without a force as overwhelming as Hashirama's, it was hard not to be fearful.

The more he learned about the Uchiha, the deeper that fear ran—enough to make one wish to eliminate them. It was, after all, the safest and simplest solution.

Then, his thoughts drifted to Uchiha Obito.

If there was no way to bring him back...

Two Kamui, plus Hashirama's cells and Susano'o...

Shūichi couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. He surmised that Madara must have used the excuse of implanting Hashirama's cells to place a curse seal on Obito's heart to keep him under control.

Luckily, Rin hadn't died!

"Would Madara send White Zetsu to kill Rin?"

"The more one does, the more mistakes they make..."

In this moment, even Shūichi himself sensed the intense shift of the future. His very existence, his every action, was changing the future he knew.

To be honest, it was a little unnerving.

"Everyone's using cheats, huh?"

"Then let's see whose cheat is stronger, and whose lasts longer!"

Shūichi vanished, reappearing at the Konoha Hospital.

Although it was just a standard ward, there were ANBU guards stationed outside.

Once his shadow clone dispersed, Shūichi saw Kakashi sitting by the bed, head lowered, deep in thought. Shūichi didn't disturb him.

"Kakashi... hopefully, he won't end up single for life," Shūichi thought with a smirk, then turned to leave. A single hair fell from him, drifting onto a flower bed, transforming into a hidden pebble.

Leaving the hospital, Shūichi glanced at the darkening sky and returned home.

Asuka was busy in the kitchen. After a quick wash, Shūichi leaned against the door, watching her quietly, his mind swirling with various thoughts.

Would Asuka die in battle someday?

Would Nonō Yakushi become a target for Black Zetsu or White Zetsu?

Shizune...

A sense of unease washed over him, like a creeping paranoia.

"I need to advance the Bijuu Sealing Mark further..."

Collecting himself, Shūichi focused back on his training.

Sufficient strength was the only guarantee of safety.

And then there was Susano'o to deal with.

Should he create a giant avatar too?

"Lava Release could work... Once I get the 'Medical Master' Tag, my Yang Release skills should be close to the First Hokage's level."

"With the 'Prodigy' Tag, unlocking the mysteries of Hashirama's cells will only be a matter of time."

"And then there's the unique Uzumaki body..."

Shūichi glanced at Asuka's graceful profile. "No, or rather, Asuka's special physique, specifically."

Hashirama Senju's Sage Body had a passive healing ability, requiring no hand signs and able to regenerate from any injury.

In terms of cellular characteristics, Hashirama's cells displayed extreme vitality—self-dividing, rapidly regenerating, but also notoriously difficult to control.

You could even say that Hashirama's cells are overactivated.

This could be viewed as a display of Yang Release's properties.

Meanwhile, Asuka's unique body, like Karin's, also showed extraordinary healing properties, albeit in a different form.

In comparison, Hashirama's Sage Body was more of a passive, self-healing system.

Even for self-healing, Asuka would need someone to bite her to activate it.

Furthermore, Hashirama's healing was exclusive to his own body; it couldn't be transferred, and few could handle his cells after a transplant.

Asuka's special body, however, could heal others and even replenish chakra.

Although he hadn't yet begun a formal study of Asuka's cells, Shūichi already had a good understanding of them.

Asuka's cellular activity also far exceeded the norm, but compared to Hashirama, hers could be seen as more inert.

One was passive; the other, active.

One was overly activated, while the other was highly controlled.

This was why Shūichi believed Hashirama's Sage Body had its limitations.

Combining the best of both—Hashirama's cells and Asuka's body—might result in a truly perfect Sage Body, capable of self-healing, healing others, and complete control.

But all this was still just a theory.

He would need to conduct in-depth research to confirm it, which was also why he'd been working on setting up his own lab.

...

The Mountain Graveyard

Following White Zetsu to the Mountain Graveyard, Obito Uchiha came face to face with the frail, tube-connected, elderly figure of Madara Uchiha.

Turning to White Zetsu, Obito activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. "Are you kidding me?"

"Of course not!" White Zetsu grinned. "This is your ancestor, Madara Uchiha!"

"Madara Uchiha?" Obito looked back at the old man, who seemed barely clinging to life, and frowned. "Madara Uchiha should be long dead by now. He was from the same era as the First Hokage!"

Madara's eyes opened, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan. He had returned a bit ahead of Obito and had replaced his previously lost eye, now fully restored.

Genjutsu activated!

Obito's consciousness was immediately pulled into a mental realm.

"Even though it's only three-tomoe, his eye power is stronger than mine!" Obito thought, alarmed as he stared at the elderly man with a deep sense of wariness.

At that moment, Madara's aged form morphed into his prime. "Whether or not I am Madara Uchiha hardly matters, does it?"

Obito nodded. "You're right, it doesn't matter who you are. What I want is a way to create a new world."

"As you wish." Madara gestured, shifting the surrounding scenery. "But first, you need to understand the secrets of the Uchiha clan. This knowledge will help you harness your power and solidify your goal."

"Of course, you could learn this from the Sage of Six Paths' tablet in the Uchiha Naka Shrine. But with your current eye power, you won't be able to decipher the full contents."

From Madara's lips poured a long tale—the Sage of Six Paths, the Sharingan, the Mangekyō, the Rinnegan, and... the Infinite Tsukuyomi!

Obito's eyes lit up at the mention of Infinite Tsukuyomi. "So, as long as we gather the nine-tailed beasts and seal them in the Gedo Statue, I can use the Rinnegan to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

Madara nodded. "Yes, I call it the Eye of the Moon Plan."

Obito remarked, "The First Hokage is dead. With your strength and the Rinnegan, capturing the nine tailed beasts shouldn't be an issue, right?"

Madara replied, "Unlocking the Rinnegan was extremely taxing. You see the state I'm in."

"I need to be revived at my peak to control the power of the Ten Tails fully."

"And don't underestimate the power of the Five Great Nations. If you want to create a new world, you'll have to dismantle their established order."

"You'll be going up against the entire Shinobi World!"

"You may have good eye power, but you've only recently unlocked your Mangekyō. You haven't yet achieved its Eternal state, as I mentioned before, and you must have felt the strain on your eyes."

Obito instinctively touched his eyes, feeling the toll his Mangekyō abilities had taken.

Madara continued, "Therefore, you'll need to transplant Hashirama's cells next. Only then can you eliminate the side effects of using the Mangekyō Sharingan, avoiding blindness."

---

Outside of this mental realm, White Zetsu, controlling the body of Uchiha Yū, received intel from the other White Zetsu outside. Glancing at Obito, who had his eyes closed, he said to Madara, "Lord Madara, I have some bad news."

"That girl, Rin Nohara, isn't dead. Though she's in poor condition, Konoha's medical capabilities will likely restore her eventually."

Madara raised an eyebrow. "Descendant of Hashirama? Impressive resilience."

White Zetsu chuckled. "Actually, you guessed wrong. It was that guy, Shūichi Hoshita, who probably used Hashirama's cells."

"This complicates things!"

"Konoha has already placed that girl under strict protection."

If Rin didn't die, would Obito still pursue the Eye of the Moon Plan?

Madara frowned slightly. That boy, whom he hadn't paid much attention to, was now a flaw in his plan.

Madara suddenly asked, "You must have planted spores on her before, right?"

White Zetsu praised him, "Of course, Lord Madara!"

"Unfortunately, the intel indicates that Shūichi has put powerful seals on Rin. My spores can't activate."

"While I could infiltrate her as a unique artificial being, Shūichi is clever enough to prepare countermeasures, so failure is likely."

Madara responded calmly, "Then give it a try."

"Approach as a Hidden Mist shinobi."

White Zetsu nodded. "Understood!" He then directed Uchiha Yū's body out of the area.

Spiral Zetsu remarked, "Lord Madara, while no one knows your identity, and no one can guess the Eye of the Moon Plan, not dealing with Shūichi is a serious flaw, isn't it?"

"If Shūichi meets Obito and tells him the truth, Obito could slip from our control."

Madara knew this. Shūichi Hoshita's existence, and Madara's failure to eliminate him, had indeed created a flaw in his plan.

The perfect time to eliminate Shūichi would have been when both Minato and Shūichi were unavailable.

But that was unlikely, as Hidden Mist was already reaching its breaking point.

Madara had anticipated Shūichi's arrival, which led to their previous clash.

"I underestimated that boy... but it's no matter." Madara chuckled to himself, then added indifferently, "She isn't crucial. Just a pawn."

"And even Obito, as suited as he is, is still just a useful piece."

"Since he's a piece, he can be replaced at any time."

"If the plan fails, then just inform him of this 'good news.'"

Spiral Zetsu chuckled, knowing Madara's nature well. "Quite unfortunate. It seems we'll need to keep searching for other candidates."

Madara replied, "No need."

To find another with potential like Obito's would likely take another ten years, if not longer.

But he couldn't wait that long.

And besides, Nagato's timing was also almost ripe.

---

After dinner, Shūichi left a shadow clone at home to continue studying the Reanimation Jutsu.

Upon leaving, he sent another shadow clone to the Mist battlefield, where Pakura was, while his real body headed to the experimental base.

First, he would focus on researching Hashirama's cells and then Asuka's cells.

The night passed without event.

The next morning, after early training, Shūichi went to the Konoha Hospital to check on Rin Nohara, where he spotted Kakashi standing in the hallway outside her room.

Walking up beside him, Shūichi asked, "You've completed Chidori—do you have a plan for the next stage of your training?"

Kakashi shook his head, then asked, "Obito... did he defect?"

Shūichi chuckled, "Kakashi, you know him better than I do."

"Not defected, but Rin's situation has dealt him a heavy blow, so he was probably deceived by someone."

"Besides, your recent ambush by Mist shinobi had traces of manipulation, but not by the Mist."

"This was a scheme specifically targeting Obito."

Kakashi, shaken, said, "Shūichi, I remember you..."

Shūichi raised his hand to interrupt, "The key is not just finding Obito but changing his mindset."

"Don't worry. The village won't give up on him."

At that moment, Minato Namikaze appeared in the hallway, and both greeted him respectfully, "Minato Sensei!"

Minato quickly approached them. "How is Rin doing?"

Shūichi replied, "Her condition has stabilized, and with smooth follow-up treatment, she should fully recover."

With that, the three entered Rin's hospital room.

The room was divided into an outer section, guarded by two Anbu shinobi, and an inner section where Rin was, watched over by a kunoichi.

By Rin's bedside, Shūichi and Kakashi recounted the events to Minato, who sighed after listening, then reassured Kakashi, "Don't worry, Kakashi. The village will bring Obito back."

"Shūichi, who do you think the mysterious person you fought was?"

Shūichi's expression darkened, "Madara Uchiha!"

Kakashi was stunned. "How is that possible? He should have died long ago."

Shūichi responded, "It's certainly an astonishing guess because Madara is from such a distant past."

"But anyone who can unlock the Mangekyō and still use the Uchiha clan's forbidden techniques must have complete knowledge of the Uchiha legacy."

"It would be nearly impossible for an outsider with diluted Uchiha blood, and since they're not part of the Uchiha in the village, the likelihood that it's Madara is high."

Minato added, "Is it because of that ultimate genjutsu?"

"It's possible he could have used it to deceive the First Hokage in the Battle of the Valley of the End. And acquiring the First Hokage's cells from that battle wouldn't be surprising."

"But regardless, we must be extremely cautious. The Mangekyō Sharingan isn't something ordinary shinobi can contend with."

Shūichi nodded, then said, "I'm actually quite worried about Obito's current state."

Minato immediately picked up on it. "Is it because Rin is still alive?"

Shūichi nodded. "It's not just about Rin's life or death; my intervention has also disrupted the mysterious man's plan."

"The enemy didn't take Obito's eye, indicating they intended to manipulate him using Rin's death."

"So, I plan to have Rin 'die' again!"

Minato frowned, "That'll be difficult to conceal from the enemy, given their extensive intelligence-gathering abilities and stealth."

Shūichi smiled, "I'm fairly confident about this."

He stepped forward, plucking a strand of hair from Rin's head with the follicle still attached. As it hit the ground, it transformed into a duplicate of Rin.

Minato's eyes widened in surprise. "It even has the same chakra signature!"

Shūichi nodded, "Because it uses Rin's own cells."

Minato nodded in agreement, "If that's the case, then it should work."

"Now, let's see if the enemy will show up."

Shūichi felt reasonably confident about this.

To Madara Uchiha, Obito was an incredibly valuable pawn.

In fact, there was likely no other suitable candidate within the current Uchiha clan.

Even ten years down the line, they wouldn't find someone like him.

While Itachi Uchiha was ruthless enough to annihilate his entire clan, he wouldn't be as easily manipulated as Obito.

(End of Chapter)

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