Telling Stories (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

Minato returned home and immediately told Gengetsu about it in private. Gengetsu was not surprised in the least. It would have been fine if Danzo had not been there, but since he was, he would definitely set his sights on him. After all, he was just that charming!

"Still, Brother Minato, it looks like I'll have to join the ANBU sooner or later!"

Gengetsu said with a smile. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo might have been close friends, but that was precisely why they understood each other so well. The power of the Dragon Vein was nearly comparable to a Tailed Beast, so Hiruzen Sarutobi could not possibly hand it over to Danzo.

Perhaps Danzo had genuinely devoted himself wholeheartedly to Konoha when he was young, but he had gradually been corrupted by his desire for the position of Hokage. He had even gone mad over it, becoming willing to use any means necessary. Whether the information he knew could truly be kept under wraps remained to be seen.

It looks like I need to deal with the hidden danger of the Dragon Vein Energy as soon as possible!

Gengetsu silently made up his mind.

Minato nodded. "Joining the Hokage's direct ANBU isn't a bad thing for you. The Third Hokage probably won't send you on dangerous missions lightly. As for researching the Dragon Vein Energy..."

Minato frowned. He could tell that Hiruzen Sarutobi was tempted.

Seeing this, Gengetsu hurriedly said, "Brother Minato, there's no need to worry. Researching the Dragon Vein Energy won't be so easy. The Third Hokage won't act recklessly!"

Thinking of the Third Hokage's ideals of peace, Minato nodded and relaxed somewhat.

That night, in the bedroom, Gengetsu first summoned Little Katsuyu, then dismissed the summoning and had Little Katsuyu summon him to Shikkotsu Forest.

Upon a gigantic mushroom, his consciousness sank into the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style and entered a dark crimson space. However, when he saw the Dragon Vein Consciousness inside the prison formed by the seal, Gengetsu could not help but stare. "It really is a dragon!"

The massive dragon was entirely purple, its pair of golden eyes fixed on Gengetsu with imposing pressure and malice.

"Kid, undo the seal. This god can lend you its power, granting you the ability to regenerate without limit, making you invincible, allowing you to unite the Five Great Nations and forge an unprecedented great undertaking!"

The Dragon Vein spoke in a deep voice.

Gengetsu's mouth twitched. "Do I look that easy to fool?"

"Besides, why does this Dragon Vein feel a bit like Mukade?"

Unifying the Five Great Nations—or controlling them—was simply wishful thinking. Had it asked Madara? Had it asked that old schemer Black Zetsu?

"Don't treat me like a three-year-old. I'm already nine!"

Gengetsu curled his lip. "Second, I'm not an idiot like Mukade, turning myself into that neither-human-nor-ghost Anrokuzan. What would be the point of living like that? Third, whoever wants to unify the world can go right ahead. I'm not interested. It's too exhausting."

"Hmm... the ability to regenerate without limit does sound interesting."

Gengetsu stroked his chin as he examined the Dragon Vein. This dragon looked exactly like the kind of dragon he recognized.

"But can unlimited regeneration restore the body?"

"Of course. This god's power is omnipotent!"

The Dragon Vein said arrogantly, "If you don't believe it, you can try!"

Is this Dragon Vein an idiot or something...

Gengetsu's face twitched.

The Dragon Vein stared at Gengetsu and secretly thought, This kid seems a little smarter than Anrokuzan, and he also seems very different from the humans I've encountered before.

"Hey, my name is Uzumaki Gengetsu. You should already know that. So what's your name? Even though you've been sealed by me, I've always treated everyone equally. I'll give you a chance to communicate on equal footing!"

Gengetsu spoke again.

"This god is Ancestor Dragon, Ancestor of All Dragons, the Dragon Vein of the earth!"

The Dragon Vein raised its head and declared proudly.

Gengetsu froze. "What the hell, this doesn't fit the vibe at all... No, this guy seems able to sense some of my thoughts!"

He suddenly realized how abnormal this was. It was one thing for the creature to look exactly like the Divine Dragon he had imagined, but even its name sounded so fantastical.

Its nature is similar to that of a Tailed Beast. Its good and evil are probably also shaped by people. A life-form like the Dragon Vein really does share enormous similarities with Tailed Beasts—they're both energy bodies. Though I don't know how its consciousness came into being, its good and evil definitely weren't innate. Take the Nine-Tails, for instance. At first, it displayed an extremely evil nature, but after Naruto moved it later on, it became open and upright!

No wonder it feels like that idiot Mukade. It was influenced by him!

Looks like I need to tell it more positive stories and teach it the core socialist values and the Eight Honors and Eight Shames!

With that in mind, Gengetsu said helplessly, "All right, Ancestor Dragon. That's a very imposing name. So let's talk about cooperation!"

"Right now, our lives are tied together. If I die, then with your Main Body completely sealed, I imagine you'll also dissipate completely!"

"Hmph, Kid, you underestimate this god too much. As long as there is Natural Energy, this god will neither die nor perish!"

Ancestor Dragon sneered.

Gengetsu frowned. After thinking for a moment, he said first, "Then let me tell you a story about a ninja helping an old lady cross the street!"

Ancestor Dragon glanced at him, then closed its eyes and lay sprawled on the ground.

Gengetsu ignored it and began telling the story on his own.

"Once upon a time, there was a kid named Obito. Though he wasn't handsome, his family wasn't wealthy, and he ranked near the bottom of his class as the dead last, so many people mocked him, he never became discouraged or resentful. Instead, he was very caring, and every day..."

Ancestor Dragon opened one eye and snorted. "Tch!"

Half an hour later, Ancestor Dragon impatiently opened its eyes and roared, "Kid, shut up!"

Damn it, was that any way to tell a story? He had repeated the same story over a dozen times!

Gengetsu wiped the saliva from his face and smiled without caring. "Sorry, I wasn't properly prepared today. Don't worry, next time I'll tell you a really exciting story!"

"Get lost!"

Ancestor Dragon couldn't help roaring in fury, wishing he could rush out and swallow that damned brat in one bite.

Gengetsu laughed. With a thought, he left the Sealed Land.

On the Giant Mushroom, Gengetsu opened his eyes and pondered inwardly. "Looks like winning Ancestor Dragon over won't be easy. Then my earlier idea of using him to sense Natural Energy will have to be put on hold for now. Still, I can treat him as a Tailed Beast for the time being. No, Dragon Vein Energy is even more wondrous than Tailed Beast Chakra in some respects, and closer to Sage Chakra!"

"If I can gain Ancestor Dragon's approval, I should be able to develop a unique Chakra Mode. Heh heh, I'll call it Ancestor Dragon Chakra Mode!"

Gengetsu happily indulged in his fantasy, then began wondering whether he should make up a story specifically for Ancestor Dragon to reform him.

"Hmm, I can adapt a Primordial World-style story! For example, the dragon clan and the human clan could build a harmonious society together. The dragon clan would become guardian divine beasts of the nation, bringing prosperity to the people..."

The next afternoon, Gengetsu headed out to meet up with his teammates for training, but halfway there, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Jiraiya, sneaking around like that... Don't tell me he's going peeping?"