Changes

June of Konoha 49.

During this period, the Ninja World was quite peaceful. Each village was busy restoring its own strength and had no time to do anything messy to distract themselves.

Occasional minor conflicts are mostly due to mutual hostility during missions, stemming from each other's own mission objectives, and fall within the scope of normal conflicts.

Minato has been in power for more than half a year. In that long period of time, the biggest change in Konoha that everyone can clearly feel is the reform of the Military Police Force.

The arrogant Uchiha of the past are gone, replaced by ordinary ninjas from small clans or even Civilian families.

There are Aburame, Inuzuka Clan, and Yamanaka clans here, and you can even occasionally see members of the Hyuga.

These are all clan ninjas who are very suitable for Scout and tracking, and are quite adept at maintaining the Konoha.

Conversely, Uchiha ninjas who were previously trapped in the Military Police Force and unable to join regular teams to complete missions are now freed. They can join or form regular teams like ordinary ninjas and earn rewards through missions.

Don't assume that just because the entire Military Police Force is under the control of the Uchiha, the Uchiha ninjas are living a comfortable life.

The number of positions in a department is ultimately limited. If there's only one opening per person, those positions will have already been taken by those who came first.

Therefore, apart from the high- Uchiha members and the truly skilled ones, the lives of ordinary Uchiha clan members were not necessarily much better than those of ordinary Konoha Ninja.

Previously, due to the deliberate restrictions imposed by the Konoha High Command, most of their clansmen could only squeeze into the "small" Military Police Force.

This constant "idleness" naturally caused resentment among the ambitious Uchiha, so it's understandable that they would be thinking about this and that.

Now that the restrictions imposed on the Uchiha Konoha High Command have been lifted, all the lower and middle-ranking Uchiha ninjas have something to do.

When a person has something to do, they won't have time to overthink things. After all, the only ones with real ambitions are a few high-ranking members of the Uchiha.

Without the support of the middle and lower classes, those ambitious high-ranking officials cannot succeed on their own. They don't even need to Minato and Taiichi; Fugaku Uchiha alone can handle them.

The Taichi Matsushita's underground laboratory.

The Chakra fluctuations in the air gradually subsided, and the faint scent of ink once again lingered in the air. The massive sealing array emitted its last faint glow on the ground, and at its center, the scroll that sealed the "Evil God's divine will" lay quietly.

Taiichi sat cross-legged at the edge of the array diagram and slowly opened his eyes. The pale golden light in his eyes receded like the tide, his Sage Mode was deactivated, and a slight sense of fatigue washed over him, but more than that, he felt the exhilaration of having another question resolved.

"It's over----"

He muttered to himself, his voice barely audible in the quiet laboratory.

This was already the umpteenth time he had conducted this routine study since capturing the divine thoughts of the Evil God.

It's not about interrogation, nor is it about brutal dissection and analysis; doing so would be too risky and could completely destroy this precious sample.

His method is closer to a form of "immersive observation".

Each time, he carefully entered Sage Mode, maximizing his perception to the extreme, like the most precise scanning instrument, constantly analyzing the divine thoughts within the seal.

His self-declaration was clear: observe how that bound divine thought maintained its own form of existence; observe the mode of its power operation; observe the essential basis of its existence!

Taiichi naturally didn't fully believe the so-called "ancient secrets" that the Evil God had revealed in order to survive.

Immediately afterward, he contacted the Slug Katsuyu Sage Shikkotsu Forest.

That being, who had lived for countless years and witnessed the changes of ancient times, became the most authoritative verifier.

The historical information regarding the changes in the world before and after the arrival of the Otsutsuki, and the fall and destruction of many ancient beings, is largely true, but it only accounts for about 70% of what he said.

The Evil God had no reason to lie about this, since many people already knew.

However, the descriptions involving ancient power systems, especially the divine system, become a mixture of truth and falsehood, with at least 20% of the information contained here.

The Slug Fairy also stated that it is neither a combatant nor Deity, and many details cannot be fully confirmed to be true; it can only be judged as "logically consistent, but not empirically verifiable."

As for the last ten percent, the information about the Evil God himself, not a single word of it was true.

These are not all the judgments of the Katsuyu Sage, but also the results of Taiichi's own observations and research during this period.

However, Taiichi was not discouraged by this mix of true and false information; on the contrary, he felt it was perfectly normal.

How could a dying "god" possibly hand over all his secrets and the secrets of the world without reservation?

What he needed was never the potentially lying mouth of the Evil God, but the god itself.

This sealed divine thought itself is a living, unique textbook of "ancient power".

He conducted this "daily observation" day after day, like the most patient student, trying to deduce the principles of life operation from the teacher's "breathing," "behavior," and even "instinctive reactions."

The effects were remarkable; at least in terms of Natural Energy, the Evil God's utilization of it was far beyond what the current ninjas could achieve.

As a result, the duration of his Sage Mode was nearly doubled in just a few months of dedicated research and adjustments!

This is a qualitative leap! It means that in future battles, he will be able to use this powerful force more easily, and his tactical choices will be more flexible and varied.

At that moment, Taiichi stood up, walked to the workbench, picked up a pen, and quickly recorded some details he had just observed on the thick research notebook that was spread out.

"The frequency of my divine sense has changed again, and there are slight fluctuations in the surrounding Natural Energy." He wrote as he analyzed in a low voice, "This specific frequency seems capable of influencing the flow of Natural Energy; we can give it a try."

He put down his pen and turned his gaze back to the quiet, Sealing Scroll. There was no greed or fear in his eyes, only the pure focus and exploratory desire of a researcher facing a precious sample.

Those occasional streaks of crimson light struggling were, in his eyes, nothing more than part of the experimental data.

"No rush." Taiichi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, brimming with boundless patience for the pursuit of knowledge. "We have plenty of time. Your very existence is the greatest treasure. I will gradually uncover all your secrets."

After tidying up and putting everything in the lab back in its place, especially the Sealing Scroll, Taiichi locked it in a specially made sealing cabinet before clapping his hands, straightening his clothes, and leaving the lab.

Looking up at the sky, the sun was already high in the sky. Touching his flat stomach, Taiichi also felt a bit hungry.

Nowadays, Konoha is overflowing with missions; anyone with a modicum of ability is being called upon to carry them out.

The maids who had been taken in by Taiichi were all sent by Tsunade to help at the hospital, which resulted in Taiichi being hungry but having nothing to eat.

Left with no other choice, Taiichi had to go out and find a place on the street to fill his stomach.

The afternoon sun generously shone on Konoha's busiest central street, and the air was filled with the enticing aroma of food, the hustle and bustle of the crowd, and a sense of peaceful warmth.

Taiichi mingled in the crowd, like a drop of water merging into a rushing stream.

In his left hand, he steadily held a skewer of freshly cooked Three-color Dango. The rice balls were soft and chewy, coated in a sweet and savory sauce, the warm sweetness reaching straight to the heart. In his right hand, he held a skewer of golden and crispy tempura shrimp, the fresh sweetness of the sea mixed with the aroma of oil, making a crunchy sound when you bite into it.

He ate with focused enjoyment, completely unaware of the sauce stains on his lips. His contented expression was a stark contrast to the "White Reaper" who struck fear into the hearts of his enemies on the battlefield.

He didn't have any specific goals; he just wandered around aimlessly, following his heart, searching for any food that caught his eye.

Just then, a hearty, almost flamboyant laugh erupted from a street corner not far ahead, drowning out the surrounding noise.

The voice was so familiar, carrying a carefree joy and an overly familiar warmth. Taiichi didn't even need to look up; the corners of his mouth had already involuntarily turned up. It was Yohei.

Following the sound of laughter, sure enough, the crowd parted to create a small open space, with Yohei Uchiha as the focal point.

This newly appointed Captain of the Military Police Force showed none of the cold, aloof demeanor one would expect from an elite ninja.

He was casually hooking his arm around the shoulder of an uncle selling glutinous rice balls next to him, leaning slightly forward, gesturing wildly with his other hand, spitting as he spoke, as if telling an extremely exciting story, which made the uncle laugh so hard he almost fell over, and even the owners of several stalls nearby craned their necks, their faces full of smiles.

Yohei's brand-new Military Police Force was worn crookedly, and his Headband was pushed up above his forehead, revealing his smooth forehead and a pair of eyes that were crinkled with laughter. He exuded an infectious and approachable charm.

However, the background of this "harmonious" scene seemed out of place.

Just a few steps behind Yohei, two Uchiha youths, also wearing the same Military Police Force but with the Gunbai embroidered on their backs, were covering their faces with their hands, their shoulders trembling slightly, looking as if they wished they could disappear on the spot immediately.

One of them even looked up at the cloudless blue sky and let out a long and heavy sigh, a sigh filled with complex emotions of "family misfortune" and "shame to be associated with them".

In stark contrast to them stood an Inuzuka Clan ninja beside them. He was wiry and strong, accompanied by a large, glossy, jet-black dog.

The large dog sat upright, its sharp eyes scanning its surroundings. Its owner, meanwhile, stood with his arms crossed, watching Yohei's "performance" with undisguised a grin.

Taiichi swallowed the last bite of the delicious tempura shrimp, casually tossed the bamboo skewer into the roadside trash can, and walked toward the small "stage" with an uncontrollable smile on his face.

He had naturally heard about his friend Yohei's recent situation.

On the battlefield, Yohei earned the title of "Blade of Flame Dance" thanks to his superb Fire Style, Sharingan, and fearless drive. Within Konoha, however, his other name resounded throughout the village—"Konoha's Socialite."

The fact that an Uchiha would bear such an absurd yet inexplicably fitting title is itself quite dramatic.

Taiichi knew that this was the result of Fugaku Clan Chief's far-sighted planning. The Military Police Force reform, which introduced various clans, broke the barrier of the Uchiha's monopoly, and at the same time, it was also necessary to change the villagers' stereotype of the Uchiha "arrogant, cold, and unapproachable".

Yohei, an outlier with an innate, approachable, and friendly personality, is practically a "secret weapon" born for this purpose.

"Yohei, are you on duty or slacking off? I'll report you to Fugaku!"

Taiichi's laughing and scolding voice immediately attracted Yohei's attention.

He turned around at the sound, and the smile on his face became even brighter the moment he saw Taiichi, like Little Sun.

He immediately let go of Uncle Tuanzi's hand, took three steps at a time to come forward, and exaggeratedly opened his arms as if to give Taiichi bear hug. His voice was so loud that it could be heard halfway down the street.

"Wow! Look who's here! Isn't this our White Reaper of Konoha? Did the Sun Barrier rise in the west today? Have you finally decided to climb out of your mountain of lab and hospital documents and observe the lives of us ordinary mortals?"

His shout instantly drew all eyes to Taiichi. The two Uchiha members who were covering their faces visibly stiffened, and their hands seemed to press down harder, as if to block out the "shameful" sound.

Taiichi nimbly sidestepped Yohei's enthusiastic "attack," and casually handed him the bamboo skewer with the two remaining dumplings, cleverly diverting his attention.

"Don't give me that. 'Understanding the people's plight'? I'm here to fill my stomach. Here, have one, to shut you up."

Yohei didn't stand on ceremony, grinning as he took the meatball and bit off more than half of it in one go. Between chews, he mumbled, "Stingy! The mighty White Reaper only offered me half a meatball? No way! This meal has to be on me, boss!"

He whirled around and yelled at the chubby uncle he'd just been arm-in-arm with, "Three more skewers! No, five! Fresh out of the pot! And this guy—" He deliberately dragged out the word, giving Taiichi a sharp thumbs-up, "... to welcome our great hero of Konoha!"

Uncle Tuanzi quickly began making the dumplings, his face beaming with a warm smile.

"Alright! Almost done! Young man—uh, no, sir, you'd better eat more! Captain Yohei talks about you all Tenten time, how hard you trained and how skilled you were. He even said he used to bring you lunch, and you still stole his favorite Anko rice!"

The uncle kept talking while he worked, his tone as familiar as if he were talking about his own nephews and nieces.

"Puff!"

The Inuzuka Clan ninja standing nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing. The big black dog beside him also made a "purring" sound, as if it was trying to hold back its laughter.

The two Uchiha members swayed, and one of them whispered through his fingers, almost a groan: "Captain —image—the Uchiha's face—"

Yohei, having been publicly exposed, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, he puffed out his chest smugly and winked at Taiichi: "Did you hear that? The eyes of the masses are discerning! I'm a sentimental person!"

Looking at Yohei's smug "we're really close" attitude, and then at the two clansmen behind him who wished they could disappear into a crack in the ground, and the Inuzuka Clan group watching the show with great interest, Taiichi felt that the scene before him was full of the absurdity and warmth of everyday life.