Need to Cultivate Through the Night (Big Chapter, Please Follow! Happy Lunar New Year!)

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.

There are gains and losses; the brothers Fujin and Raijin possessed such immense physical talent, yet they were cursed with the brains of dogs.

They couldn't even necessarily refine Chakra.

"But there's no need to refine it."

"With such powerful bodies, they are born with an overflow of Chakra..."

"It's just difficult to control..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the mountains of flesh at his feet, clearly sensing the presence of Chakra.

As individuals with top-tier physical gifts, Fujin and Raijin possessed an amount of Chakra that exceeded most Jonin, even without refining it.

They simply lacked the ability for precise control, or perhaps, like Rock Lee, they were insulators to Ninjutsu, capable only of using it crudely through physical movement.

Looking at the two mounds of meat before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, signaling the nearby Anbu to send men over to haul them away.

They were moved to the Konoha Anbu laboratory, a place originally used by Orochimaru for his experiments, where all the necessary equipment was fully stocked.

"Now then."

Sarutobi Hiruzen first placed binding Cursed Seals on Fujin and Raijin to ensure they wouldn't lose control later.

Immediately after, Sarutobi Hiruzen took the scalpel himself, injecting a portion of Kibutsuji Muzan's blood into their bodies.

Of course, the Blue Spider Lily had already been mixed into their food yesterday and fed to them, so it was already present in their systems in large quantities.

Thus, the moment the Demon King's Blood was injected, Fujin and Raijin began to move, their eyes bulging and faces twisting into hideous, crimson-eyed expressions.

The muscles and veins all over their bodies bulged, as if they were about to lash out and attack.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen had prepared for this; the Cursed Seals he had placed on them were dense and layered, applied according to the standards used for a Jinchuriki.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched his creation with a face full of anticipation.

Although he had gained much from the Demon Slayer world, aside from Immortal Breathing, the only things worth noting were the biological weapons of the Perfect Being.

In the Demon Slayer world, after an ordinary person's constitution was transformed into a demon, they could rival a Chunin or even a Jonin.

Therefore, Sarutobi Hiruzen had immediately thought of the monsters with extraordinary constitutions in the Ninja World.

By comparison, there were no better candidates for the template of a Perfect Being than Fujin and Raijin.

"They already possess strength and physical constitutions exceeding a Jonin in their normal state."

"So, after they become demons..."

However, according to the lore of demons in the Demon Slayer world, the stronger the individual, the longer the transformation takes. Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Fujin and Raijin, who were still struggling in agony.

"It will likely take several days. After all, according to Tsugikuni Michikatsu,"

"It took him a full three days to become a demon, let alone physical monsters like Fujin and Raijin."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite patient regarding the results. Instead of waiting further, he left the laboratory and instructed the Anbu to keep a close watch.

Returning to the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the documents on his desk.

After flipping through a few, he furrowed his brows.

Previously, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been busy with his trans-dimensional travels or dealing with Danzo's assassination attempts, leaving him no time to handle the Hokage's administrative duties.

He didn't know until he looked, but once he did, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply.

The matters were not only unclassified, but they were also incredibly trivial; basically, even the petty conflicts between neighborhood aunties were being placed before him for the Hokage to resolve.

"The administrative system of this Konoha is a complete joke..."

"Responsibilities are not clearly defined, and the Hokage is expected to handle everything."

"It's not even as efficient as any real village from my past life..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.

"No wonder the original Third Hokage aged so quickly. Dealing with these miscellaneous, annoying trifles every day—it would be a miracle if he didn't go bald."

The current Sarutobi Hiruzen was unwilling to waste his time on such things.

In this world where the extraordinary manifests, might is right.

"But there's no need to relinquish power entirely; I just need to clarify roles and responsibilities to improve efficiency."

"For the remaining work, there are methods like the Shadow Clone Technique."

Sarutobi Hiruzen secretly pondered how to make drastic changes to Konoha.

This was not only to make his future tenure as Hokage more comfortable, but also for the sake of Space-Time Source Energy.

Reforming the administrative system of this world could also yield Space-Time Source Energy.

"Bang, bang, bang."

"Lord Third!"

A clear, youthful voice rang out; it was Hatake Kakashi who had arrived.

"Ah, Kakashi..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen saw the newcomer, and his mood couldn't help but ease slightly.

"How did the mission go?"

Kakashi nodded.

"The Root members who participated in the assassination attempt on you have all been executed."

"Except for him."

As Kakashi spoke, his gaze shifted to the boy of similar age he had brought along.

Kakashi had indeed recognized the boy's uniqueness at a glance, just as Sarutobi Hiruzen had said.

That Wood Release was truly too conspicuous, even if its power was quite small.

The boy's expression appeared slightly dull, but the Chakra reaction from his body was not weak, and it carried a strange aura of life.

"Your name is Yamato, right..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, speaking to Yamato in a kindly tone.

"Lord Hokage..."

Yamato stood there blankly, slowly bowing in greeting.

His assassination mission had failed, his superior had been killed, and Yamato was currently in a state of considerable confusion.

"I know what you have been through."

Sarutobi Hiruzen comforted him.

"You are a pitiable person, just like Kakashi."

"Danzo is dead now, but you are still a part of Konoha."

"From now on, you will follow Kakashi on missions..."

"Kakashi."

Sarutobi Hiruzen instructed.

"Take good care of Yamato from now on; he should be a bit younger than you..."

Kakashi's expression was quite resistant; he did not want to look after a child, but out of obedience to Sarutobi Hiruzen's order, he agreed with a cold face.

"I will count this mission as an A-rank mission for you."

Sarutobi Hiruzen proposed.

"And one more thing..."

Before sending the two away, Sarutobi Hiruzen handed a book without a cover to Kakashi.

"Consider this your mission reward."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was somewhat meaningful.

"There is a surprise inside..."

Kakashi was completely bewildered, not understanding what the surprise Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke of could be.

After Kakashi left the Hokage Building, while taking Yamato toward his residence, Kakashi recalled Sarutobi Hiruzen's meaningful expression.

He couldn't help but take out the book Sarutobi Hiruzen had given him to look at.

'No cover...'

Kakashi frowned.

He flipped to the first page of the book, and a line of scrawled handwriting appeared:

Icha Icha Paradise, by the Toad Sage Jiraiya.

'A ninjutsu work by Lord Jiraiya?'

Kakashi guessed in his heart and continued to flip through the pages.

Sure enough, two profound techniques were clearly printed within.

One was a Sealing Jutsu, the Transcription Seal.

It was a Sealing Jutsu invented by the Uchiha clan that could seal the ocular power within a Sharingan onto another person.

However, this version of the Transcription Seal had clearly been altered; much of it had been tampered with, shifting its primary function to sealing the operation of the Sharingan, thereby reducing the Chakra consumption of the Sharingan.

Seeing this, Kakashi was speechless, realizing that Lord Third had prepared this Sealing Jutsu for him so that he could have the best of both worlds.

It would allow him to keep the Sharingan without having to suffer the burden of the Sharingan.

Only a Sealing Jutsu could achieve such a thing.

'Lord Third... you have gone to great lengths...'

Kakashi felt a warmth in his heart, and his loyalty toward Sarutobi Hiruzen rose even further.

As Kakashi looked toward the other technique, his expression tightened, becoming both curious and solemn.

That was because the other technique was less of a jutsu and more akin to something a samurai would practice.

Breathing Style?!

Kakashi looked at the contents, his heart growing increasingly shocked.

According to the explanation within, this Breathing Style could reduce the daily wear and tear on body cells, improve the efficiency of the resting and digestive systems, and enhance the vitality and division cycle of body cells.

Thereby, it achieved the effect of nourishing the body and even prolonging one's lifespan.

Kakashi's expression was grave; with his intelligence, he naturally understood the value of such a technique.

Including himself, countless ninjas squeezed their bodies to the limit during their youth to train.

As for the act of excessively extracting Chakra, which inevitably shortened one's lifespan, it was a common occurrence for ninjas engaged in life-or-death battles.

Once a battle lasted too long, ninjas were forced to squeeze their body's potential and forcibly extract Chakra.

The replenishment provided by Military Ration Pills was merely a drop in the bucket.

The appearance of this Breathing Style could reduce a ninja's physical wear and tear, and even allow for greater digestive and absorption efficiency when consuming Military Ration Pills.

It undoubtedly increased a ninja's endurance and the duration of their peak period in a roundabout way.

Over time, a ninja who learned this Breathing Style would inevitably pull away from those who did not, creating a massive gap.

Such a dangerous thing.

Lord Hokage truly values me.

For a moment, Kakashi felt the weight of the favor; giving him such a strategic asset without any restrictions placed a great deal of pressure on him.

The first two techniques were already this astonishing, so what about the rest?!

Only then did Kakashi realize that after browsing through the two techniques, the book still had a thick stack of pages left, seemingly containing very rich content.

Filled with anticipation, Kakashi flipped to the following pages.

"Kakashi-senpai."

"Are you alright?"

Yamato noticed that something was off with Kakashi; he had been walking and reading, but his pace had slowed down more and more.

Kakashi was startled back to reality, looking up at Yamato in a flustered manner.

"Wh-what?"

"N-nothing!"

Kakashi hurriedly closed the book he was holding open, his exposed skin already flushed red.

Yamato was somewhat worried, but seeing that Kakashi said it was nothing, he could only remain silent.

Kakashi looked at the now-closed book, his face flushed, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.

This Icha Icha Paradise was indeed a precious handwritten manuscript by Jiraiya, written only recently and sent to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had naturally been curious and taken a look at this book, which was famous throughout the Ninja World.

It was indeed a novel with explicit content and dramatic plot twists.

However, having been baptized by the internet in his previous life, Sarutobi Hiruzen had long since transcended the realm of censored or uncensored content; how could he possibly be impressed by such amateurish writing?

But to the people of the Ninja World, it was a completely shocking existence.

Therefore, Sarutobi Hiruzen had casually done a favor and gifted the manuscript to Kakashi.

So that's how it is...

This book really was written by Jiraiya!

The content is truly...

Absolutely brilliant.

No...

Kakashi's expression became determined.

Such an important book must be studied throughout the night!

The sun set and the moon rose, time passing in the blink of an eye.

The day that had shaken Konoha had passed.

Although the death of Danzo caused quite a stir among the upper echelons of Konoha, it did not cause much of a ripple in the eyes of the villagers or the lower and middle-ranking ninjas.

Sarutobi Hiruzen also set aside his day's work and began his evening training.

Even and rhythmic breathing echoed in the room, and a fairy-like white mist unknowingly permeated the entire bedroom.

Ever since learning Immortal Breathing, out of a sense of urgency regarding his lifespan, Sarutobi Hiruzen would spend time almost every night using the breathing style to replace a portion of his sleep.

After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not want to remain in this aged state forever; he wanted to return to his original, youthful form.

Feeling the increasingly active vitality of the cells within his body, Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded a round of the breathing style.

He sighed silently in his heart.

It's still too slow.

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.

Although compared to ordinary people, Sarutobi Hiruzen was naturally gifted with peerless aptitude, and both his learning ability and physical capabilities were top-tier.

However, compared to the progress of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, whom he had witnessed in the System Space, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he was far behind.

"After Tsugikuni Yoriichi abandoned Sun Breathing and switched to Immortal Breathing, it took him only about half a year to step into the realm of Total Concentration Constant."

"He stabilized his physical constitution at the level of a Perfect Being..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed slightly; one simply cannot compare to a cheater.

As for his current progress, he could only say he had mastered the mechanics of Immortal Breathing, but maintaining it at all times was still a long way off.

"But fortunately, the issue of lifespan has been resolved..."

"At the very least, I will no longer continue to age, but will instead become younger and younger."

Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that the path must be walked one step at a time, and he still had plenty of preparation time.

There was still a long period before the chaotic era of the Ninja World would arrive.

"What I need to be concerned about next, instead..."

"Is strength."

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered.

"I already stand at the peak of mortals when it comes to ordinary Ninjutsu."

"If I want to go further..."

"Simply improving my physical constitution like a Perfect Being..."

"Or developing Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tōta would only add another means to my arsenal."

"The improvement would be extremely limited..."

"To go further,"

"I must either walk the path of the Otsutsuki and reach the pinnacle of Yin-Yang Release..."

"Or introduce other factors to strengthen the power of Chakra itself."

Sarutobi Hiruzen contemplated how he could break his limits and touch the realm of the God of Shinobi.

According to the system's standards, that would be a Three-Star level powerhouse.

"Clearly, this variable is very hard to find in the Ninja World."

"Sage Art is a decent choice."

"It can increase the upper limit of Chakra..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen believed that the power of Sage Art was quite universal, and it could even function in higher-level worlds.

"But until I have thoroughly researched it, I will not risk turning into stone to practice Sage Art."

"Perhaps I don't need to overthink this..."

"I hope the next world I travel to will not disappoint me..."