Temptation by Benefit

Nawaki paused, swept a glance at Zhixin, who was secretly gulping, and continued in a leisurely tone: "The so-called Wood Release: Cutting Technique is a propagation method where plant branches, stems, or buds are inserted into soil to take root and survive. Based on this principle, the Wood Release: Cutting Technique involves inserting wood into the target's body, using their flesh as soil so the wood branches out like roots, slowly burrowing into nerves and internal organs! The level twelve pain caused by this technique allows the subject to experience the most ultimate suffering in the world! Moreover, I have improved it with medical ninjutsu, allowing it to destroy the subject's body while simultaneously forcing cells to regenerate at high speeds. Therefore, only after the cells throughout the body have undergone countless rapid divisions, becoming completely aged and losing the ability to divide, will the subject finally find release in death! I estimate that with your body strength, which rivals a Jonin, you should be able to last for a few hours..."

"To be able to merge with plants, personally experience the growth of vegetation within your own body, and then die alongside it—I think for a gardening enthusiast like you, Mr. Zhixin, this can be considered a rather fine end!"

"Are you ready, Mr. Zhixin? The experience to follow is something you won't be able to forget for several lifetimes!" Nawaki crouched on the ground, whispering into Zhixin's ear, then extended his index finger to tap against his forehead.

Listening to Nawaki speak of such cruel torture in a gentle, calm voice—like a demon whispering—Zhixin's fear of this monster reached its peak. The finger drawing closer to his pineal gland gave him the illusion of a stinging pain, and his mental defenses finally shattered. "Wait! I'll tell you everything you want to know! Even if you brand me with a Cursed Seal, I don't care! Please, stop! You devil! Wuu wuu..." The thirty-something-year-old Zhixin was finally scared to tears by Nawaki.

Seeing Zhixin completely submit, Nawaki finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Very good, Zhixin-kun! You have made the right choice once again! Tell me everything you know, and don't lie! My sensory secret technique can easily distinguish lies, and I don't think you want to experience that level twelve pain, do you?"

Nawaki was not surprised by Zhixin's surrender; a person who could escape once could escape a second time, and the shadow of the fear of death would leave a massive breach in his mental defenses.

Zhixin quickly entered the state; since he had already surrendered, there was no need to play games. "The consortium behind me is called the Buote Consortium. It has fifteen rogue ninjas under its banner, each responsible for a camp and a region. Aside from myself and Baran, the other rogue ninjas only have the strength of Chunin. We are mainly distributed in the central region of the northern Land of Fire, and we control the trade route leading to the Land of Fields. As for the armed forces of the other consortiums, I only know they are roughly divided into four factions, and their strength should not be as great as ours, because the Buote Consortium is a local entity of the Land of Fire, while the others are foreign powers. They only deployed armed forces in the Land of Fire to control cross-border trade routes, but since their headquarters are all abroad, their power is scattered and far inferior to the Buote Consortium within the Land of Fire."

"As for the specific details, I really don't know, because the major consortiums reached a tacit understanding long ago to divide the territory, and we don't interfere with each other. That is all I know; I hope you will keep your promise..."

Nawaki knew through his sensory secret technique that he was not lying, so he nodded and said: "It seems the Buote Consortium is my primary target this time; my luck is truly not bad! Buote... what a strange name, it reminds me of three idiots from a certain country..."

Zhixin was left completely bewildered, not understanding what Buote had to do with the Daimyo of various countries.

"Right, how much do you know about that Jonin named Baran?" Nawaki ignored his confusion and continued to ask.

"He is a rogue ninja from Kumogakure, about thirty years old. Although he has the strength of a Jonin, I have never heard of his name; he only joined the consortium recently." Zhixin now held nothing back, answering every question.

"To have the strength of a Jonin at such a young age, he should be famous. And he only joined the consortium recently? It seems he was hiding his identity and training long before he defected from the village, only daring to show his face after reaching Jonin strength? It seems he really is a remnant of that group!"

Zhixin vaguely understood Nawaki's muttering. "Are you saying that Baran is a remnant of the rogue ninjas who followed Kinkaku and Ginkaku to launch a coup, killing the Second Hokage and the Second Raikage?"

Nawaki nodded. "Zhixin-kun, I admire your talent more and more. Don't worry, once I brand you with the Cursed Seal, I will certainly provide you with high-level ninjutsu, and you will soon become a true Jonin. As long as you serve me wholeheartedly, it is not impossible for you to join the Senju Clan and become a Konoha ninja!" Nawaki dangled a carrot to lure Zhixin. Although the Cursed Seal could control him completely, a passive puppet was far less useful than a Jonin who worked with intent.

"What? You can let me join Konoha?" Zhixin asked in surprise, clearly moved.

Nawaki nodded confidently. "Indeed. You know I have inherited the Wood Release, and as the head of the Senju Clan and a member of the Konoha high command, I have the authority to let you join Konoha and become a Jonin! At that time, you will have everything a Konoha Jonin possesses: status, power, a wife, and children. And of course, a courtyard filled with flowers and plants. You will no longer be a rogue ninja hiding from the light, but a Jonin living under the sun! What you must pay is your loyalty to me! I will bestow upon you the Senju surname and let you join the Senju Clan as a member of a branch family!"

"With the power of the Wood Release bloodline, I will sooner or later become the Hokage, inheriting my grandfather's prestige and becoming famous throughout the Shinobi World. By then, the Cursed Seal on your body will no longer be a shackle, but a testament to your loyalty, and even an honor for being part of the Senju branch family!"

Talents controlled by the Cursed Seal would form the branch families of the Senju Clan, and by intermarrying with women of the Senju Clan, any high-potential individuals in the second generation of the branch family could be promoted to the main family to strengthen the Senju Clan's power and population. This was a family expansion plan Nawaki had devised by imitating the clan rules of the Hyuga. Doing this would not only rapidly expand his strength but also continue and broaden the bloodline of the Senju Clan!

In this world, the concept of the main family in bloodline clans was very strong; ninjas like Itachi who would destroy their own clan for the sake of the village were few and far between! And if it weren't for Konoha, Itachi would never have betrayed his clan. Therefore, Nawaki did not use the Cursed Seal on his ten Jonin guards because it was completely unnecessary; it would only affect their state of mind, and if word got out, it wouldn't be good for his reputation!

No one would like a tyrant with such a strong desire for control; doing so would ruin the positive image he had carefully cultivated. But if the Cursed Seal were used on enemies like Zhixin, no one would think he was doing anything wrong; on the contrary, they would praise his wisdom and benevolence.