Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

After learning that his physical transformation had taken six months, Natsuro no longer felt like lingering in the Shikkotsu Forest. He bid farewell to the three Sages and left immediately.

After he departed, the White Snake Sage spoke, its tone laced with complexity as it addressed the Great Toad Sage.

"Gamamaru, do you think that boy can take the final step?"

"I can't tell. It's unclear. But he's certainly the most likely candidate and the only one with any hope," the Great Toad Sage replied.

To be honest, while they had sensed Natsuro walking this path early on, they hadn't been very optimistic about him.

The path was real, and his longevity was undeniable, but longevity alone didn't guarantee survival in a world as turbulent as the Shinobi world.

They knew the trials this world had endured over the years. Given his status, it was impossible for him to simply retreat and live in isolation. Once he involved himself in conflicts, surviving wouldn't be easy.

Now that Natsuro had completed his accumulation, however, his chances of survival had increased significantly.

At that moment, the Slug Sage, who rarely spoke, broke its silence.

"I'm not skilled in combat, so if he faces danger later, I'll have to rely on you two. As for healing, you can leave that to me."

The White Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage were momentarily stunned. After exchanging glances, they both nodded.

It was time to place all their bets on Natsuro.

Previously, while he had been their only hope, they had not fully committed to him. Now… things were different.

Back at home, Natsuro arrived to find the evening well underway. His mother, Shinai, had already finished her day's work and returned home.

When she saw Natsuro, her face lit up with surprise and delight.

That was when Natsuro learned that Tsunade had informed Shinai about his prolonged absence, so she hadn't been overly worried about him.

This news gave him a sense of relief. It wasn't surprising that Tsunade had known about his long-term seclusion; the Slug Sage, being Tsunade's summoning partner, had likely informed her.

"Sorry, Mom, I couldn't make it back for your birthday," Natsuro said, calculating the time and sighing. It seemed he had failed to keep the promise he made to himself as a child.

"It's fine. You have your own responsibilities, and my birthday isn't that important," Shinai reassured him, smiling. "Besides, even though you weren't here, Ino kept me company."

"Really?" Natsuro was momentarily stunned before a smile spread across his face upon hearing about Ino's gesture.

"Of course! So don't let Ino down. Even though you've become so capable, if you mistreat her, I won't approve," Shinai teased with a smile.

"Don't worry, Mom. That won't happen," Natsuro replied helplessly.

"Good, then." Satisfied, Shinai nodded approvingly.

From the shadows outside, a figure watched the light in Shinai's room. Moments later, it disappeared into the darkness.

....

The Next Day – Hokage's Office

"What's with the long face?" Natsuro asked as he entered Tsunade's office and noticed her troubled expression.

"Your training is done?" Tsunade asked, surprised and pleased to see him.

"Yeah, just finished yesterday," Natsuro replied. "So, what's got you so worried?"

"Have you heard of Mōryō?" Tsunade asked.

"Mōryō? I think so," Natsuro said, raising an eyebrow.

"Mōryō is a legendary demon said to have the power to destroy the world. Long ago, a group of people used Mōryō's power to nearly bring about the end of the world. Only the priestesses of the Land of Demons possess the unique ability to seal it away," Tsunade explained without waiting for him to recall further.

"So, the seal broke, and Mōryō is back?" Natsuro asked, immediately grasping the situation.

This must have been the plot of one of the Naruto movies. Though Natsuro couldn't recall the details, he distinctly remembered the priestess from the Land of Demons, the one who had confessed to Naruto, even if he hadn't understood.

"Yes. Konoha has sent Neji, Lee, Naruto, and Sakura to protect the priestess, while the rest of our forces are focused on dealing with Mōryō's phantom army made of an invincible ghostly legion," Tsunade said, frowning as she considered the challenge.

"Are you worried Mōryō might fully resurrect and destroy the world?" Natsuro asked with a touch of exasperation.

"Of course! This is about the fate of the world. Who wouldn't be concerned?" Tsunade countered, noticing Natsuro's apparent indifference.

"I'm not concerned about these things. Besides, Tsunade-sama, the world isn't as fragile as you think. A single monster isn't enough to destroy it," Natsuro said.

"But the legends..." Tsunade began to argue, only for Natsuro to interrupt her.

"Legends are just that, legends. If the world were so easy to destroy, it wouldn't still be here. Those stories exaggerate the consequences to emphasize the importance of solving the problem. So yes, it's necessary to address the situation, but there's no need to overthink it."

"You… have a point," Tsunade admitted after a moment. Natsuro's words made sense. After all, she had heard countless tales of world-ending threats, yet the world was still standing.

If the world had never been destroyed, how could anyone claim such threats were truly capable of doing so? From the accounts of those who defeated or sealed them?

Relaxing slightly, Tsunade turned her attention back to Natsuro. Her gaze was tinged with surprise.

It had been quite some time since she'd last seen him, and he had changed significantly.

He had completely shed his boyish immaturity. Even though he had always been mature for his age, his appearance had still been youthful. But now, at just fifteen years old, Natsuro had grown into a tall, poised young man.

Beyond his appearance, he exuded an aura of calm elegance... Harmonious and refined, almost impossible to dislike.

With his striking features and upright bearing, Tsunade imagined Natsuro walking down the streets of Konoha, likely charming many young women.

Tsunade couldn't help but glance at Shizune, who was blushing faintly and sneaking glances at Natsuro. Sighing deeply, Tsunade muttered, "You'd better not wander around the village too often."

"Why?" Natsuro asked curiously. Why had the topic suddenly shifted?

"I'm worried you won't be able to resist temptation and might do something to hurt Ino," Tsunade replied, her expression softening.

"You probably don't know how hard Ino has been working since you left," Tsunade continued. "Not just in medical ninjutsu but also in developing her own mental jutsu. She often ends up injuring herself from overexertion."

Although Tsunade could tell that Ino's chakra control wasn't as natural as Sakura's, her dedication and effort were undoubtedly the highest among the three.

And why would someone work so hard? There had to be a reason. Tsunade could easily guess the answer, it was standing right in front of her.

"So if you ever dare to do anything to betray my student, don't blame me, as her teacher, for being ruthless!" Tsunade said, crushing a paperweight in her hand as her expression darkened.

Natsuro blinked in surprise at Tsunade's words, then couldn't help but laugh at her threat. "You don't need to worry about that. Not only would I never do something like that, but if I did, my mom wouldn't let me off the hook either."

"That's true," Tsunade conceded with a nod. She was well aware of the bond between Shinai and Ino, who were already like family. Given Natsuro's devotion to his mother, he would never do anything to upset her.

"Anyway, the reason I came here today was to find out if anything major happened while I was away," Natsuro said, finally revealing the purpose of his visit.

Tsunade thought for a moment before replying. "Aside from the situation with Mōryō, there's the matter of Orochimaru. He pulled off something similar to what he did in Konoha, but this time in Iwagakure, and he achieved quite significant results."

"I know about that, at least the general idea," Natsuro said, nodding.

"So now you don't even bother hiding the fact that you're using Flying Thunder God to come back and slack off?" Tsunade rolled her eyes and tossed a scroll to Natsuro.

After quickly reading through it, Natsuro couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. Orochimaru's ruthlessness never ceased to amaze him.

Perhaps knowing that Ōnoki, despite his age, was still formidable, Orochimaru hadn't targeted the Tsuchikage directly. Instead, he had focused on the village as a whole.

The plan was simpler and involved fewer resources than his scheme to destroy Konoha, but it had still been devastatingly effective.

At the very least, Iwagakure's plans for recovery and growth, which had been in place since the Third Great Ninja War, were completely shattered. It was as if they'd been thrown back to square one.

Ōnoki was probably spitting blood by now.

"That old man even sent a letter to condemn us afterward. Ha! Back when Orochimaru was causing havoc in Konoha, he was laughing behind our backs. Now that it's his turn, he's not laughing anymore," Tsunade said coldly.

When she'd received Ōnoki's letter, the contents had been so infuriating that she'd ended up replacing her office desk.

"Is that it?" Natsuro asked again. He had already braced himself for the possibility that Gaara had been captured by the Akatsuki. After all, in his memory, Naruto's return to the village coincided with the Akatsuki's actions against Gaara.

Since Naruto was currently in Konoha, it stood to reason that Shukaku, the One-Tail, had already been extracted.

"That's all. Why? Is there a problem?" Tsunade asked, glancing at Natsuro.

Natsuro hesitated, then decided to ask outright. "Is everything fine with Sunagakure?"

The extraction of the One-Tail by the Akatsuki would certainly count as a major event, wouldn't it? Or had it not happened yet?

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Currently on Chapter 246 - The Results of the Root Investigation and Sasuke's Sharingan