Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Time quickly moved to May.

Hayate Gekkō arrived at the experimental base once again. This time, unlike the nervousness he felt during his last visit, he was mostly filled with curiosity.

However, before he could see much, Asuka led him into an operating room, where he lay down on the surgical table. She efficiently prepared the setup, arranged the medical seals, and administered anesthesia.

By the time Shūichi arrived from Tsunade's side, everything was ready.

After a quick inspection, Shūichi nodded. "Let's begin!"

The Transformation Begins!

This time, the goal was to modify the skin on Hayate's upper body to give him the ability to breathe through his skin.

Naturally, this transformation went beyond just the skin; the complexity of the procedure surpassed even that of the gill-breathing system from before.

The process was so intricate that Tsunade came in halfway through to assist.

Despite all their efforts, the surgery began at 9 a.m. and only concluded at 9 p.m. The meal brought by Nono Yakushi had long gone cold by the time they finished.

After waking from the anesthesia, Hayate, now more experienced than during his last surgery, quickly adapted to the new breathing method without Shūichi's prompting.

"Senpai, this feels amazing!" he exclaimed.

"And I feel like this kind of breathing method is especially suited for my Transparent Escape!"

Hayate was both surprised and thrilled.

Shūichi nodded with a smile. "Good to hear."

Then, he asked, "I heard you applied to join the ANBU?"

Hayate nodded. "Yes, Senpai. Genma and the others have improved so much, so I want to join the Root for special training too."

Under Shūichi and Sarutobi Shinnosuke's leadership, Root's reputation had transformed within just a few months. Those who completed training there—or even those who washed out—were all speaking highly of it.

Everyone was saying that skipping the Root training meant giving up the greatest chance to become a jōnin, or even an special jōnin.

Hayate believed it!

So after reaching chūnin rank, he applied immediately, though he still hadn't received a response.

Now that Shūichi was asking about it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of eager anticipation.

Seeing Hayate's expectant expression, Shūichi gave a warm smile. "Since you've applied, you'd better be prepared."

"Root training is extremely harsh."

Those who come out of Root are no ordinary people!

Hayate, still innocent and unaware of the danger, was instantly fired up. "Don't worry, Senpai! I won't let you or the Fourth Hokage down!"

Shūichi patted Hayate's shoulder. "Give it your all!"

"Come on, let's go eat."

…

Within three days, Hayate received his notification to report to Root for special training.

This meant that unless he withdrew during training, was killed in action under Shinnosuke, or voluntarily quit, he was set to join the elite ANBU directly under the Fourth Hokage.

Currently, in Konoha, due to the transitional period between old and new leadership, some of the ANBU were still under Hiruzen Sarutobi's command.

However, this number was gradually decreasing.

With time, former Root members and ANBU personnel were also re-entering Root to undergo Shūichi's training program.

...

Under Tenka's guidance, Hayate Gekkō arrived at Shūichi's office in Root.

However, the one seated there was only a shadow clone of Shūichi.

"Lord Shūichi!" Hayate bowed in greeting, acknowledging Shūichi's rank by altering his form of address without hesitation.

Shūichi nodded slightly with a smile. "Hayate, which area do you intend to focus on developing?"

"Fire Release, Wind Release, Lightning Release, Water Release, Earth Release…or perhaps genjutsu, kenjutsu…?"

This was a question Shūichi posed to everyone entering Root's special training—jōnin included.

Further training to train special or elite jōnin-level fighters required an even greater level of potential, sometimes even power akin to that of a Tailed Beast.

But Shūichi and Minato were cautious. Unlike Danzo, they valued people's lives and didn't engage in reckless experiments.

In fact, Minato believed that Shūichi's curse marks were more reliable and could potentially be applied more widely than Tailed Beast power.

Without any hesitation, Hayate responded, "Lord Shūichi, I choose kenjutsu!"

Root was no longer as secretive as it once was, especially within the training division led by Shūichi. Although the training methods weren't disclosed, everyone knew about the development choice they'd need to make.

Shūichi and Minato had subtly allowed this information to spread, ensuring those joining ANBU would be prepared.

Shūichi wasn't surprised by Hayate's response, but he glanced at his records and noted, "You've already mastered Water Release nature transformation?"

Hayate nodded. "Yes, Lord Shūichi, though I'm still not very proficient."

"As for ninjutsu, I'm actually better suited to genjutsu."

He had a talent for ninjutsu, but his true passion lay in kenjutsu. It was also a way to balance his weaknesses, like his stamina issues.

Kakashi might seem perpetually fatigued, but in reality, his stamina wasn't lacking.

After considering for a moment, Shūichi said, "If you're interested, you might want to continue developing your Water Release."

Not fully grasping the reason, Hayate still replied without hesitation, "Please include Water Release in this training, Lord Shūichi!"

"With my skin-breathing ability, my body can handle a heavier load now."

Looking at the young Hayate, particularly the faint gill marks on his face, Shūichi couldn't help but think of Kisame Hoshigaki.

Creating a Konoha-enhanced version of "Kisame" sounded intriguing.

Hayate was talented, with his only limitation being his constitution. The gill and skin breathing adaptations would ensure his condition wouldn't deteriorate due to lung issues, though his physical strength was still limited.

But with further studies on Hashirama's cells and Asuka's cells, Shūichi felt confident this issue could be resolved and Hayate's physical abilities even enhanced.

And paired with the sword Samehada… now that would be impressive.

"Then, I'll look forward to it!" Shūichi extended his hand, and with a gesture, summoned the giant sword Samehada.

He tossed it to Hayate. "This is one of the Seven Swords of the Mist, known as Samehada. It can absorb others' chakra, including chakra from ninjutsu."

"Whether you can wield it effectively is up to you."

Hayate caught Samehada, his eyes shining with excitement.

He'd heard of the Seven Swords of the Mist, and he already had known one—Executioner's Blade.

"Lord Shūichi, I won't let you down!"

Shūichi smirked. I hope you can handle it.

..

On this day, Hayate Gekkō's three-month special training officially began.

He assumed his kenjutsu training would focus on wielding the great sword Samehada, but he quickly realized he was mistaken.

It was actually dual blades, one long and one short.

The first kenjutsu technique he would train was one he'd already been practicing: the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

To Shūichi's surprise, Hayate's resilience surpassed that of Genma Shiranui and the others, and his talent in ninjutsu was also stronger than Genma's.

Time passed bit by bit.

In a blink, a month had gone by.

In an illusory realm, Shūichi watched Hayate battling an image of Raidō and nodded slightly.

Hayate had completely mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon.

As for Raidō, he was just an illusion formed from Shūichi's memory, manifested by his chakra.

In pure kenjutsu combat, the two were evenly matched.

Considering that Hayate was nearly five years younger than Raidō—at only twelve years old—this was quite a feat.

As the battle ended and Raidō faded away, Shūichi appeared before Hayate.

"Lord Shūichi!" Hayate greeted him respectfully.

Shūichi nodded slightly. "You've mastered the Dance of the Crescent Moon well. Next, you'll need to focus on timing in battle—something that requires extensive practical experience."

"You're progressing faster than I expected."

Hayate responded with modesty, "It's thanks to your excellent teaching, Lord Shūichi."

"So, is it time to start training in Water Release?"

Shūichi shook his head. "You've already learned Water Release nature transformation; there's no rush for Water Release ninjutsu. You're not quite ready yet."

"Next, you'll focus on Fire Release."

Fire Release?

Hayate was surprised.

It wasn't his natural chakra affinity, so while he could learn it, it would be more difficult compared to Water Release.

In fact, this wasn't part of Shūichi's original plan. Hayate's progress had led him to change his mind.

"The next technique I'll teach you is an advanced form of the Dance of the Crescent Moon, or rather, an ultimate kenjutsu I developed based on it, incorporating Fire Release."

Shūichi explained, "This technique is called the Dance of the Triple Sun!"

With that, he leaped back, unsheathing a katana. Two shadow clones appeared on either side, and their blades were suddenly cloaked in fiery orange flames.

The three Shūichis charged forward, the intense heat warping the air and light. Even though Hayate was familiar with the Dance of the Crescent Moon, he couldn't keep track of their blades, as the heat distorted his vision.

The three Shūichis truly looked like three blazing suns charging toward him.

"Impressive as always, Lord Shūichi…" Hayate marveled, then quickly assumed the stance of the Dance of the Crescent Moon and leaped forward.

Three against three!

Yet only the sound of clashing metal rang out.

One of Hayate's clones had luckily intercepted Shūichi's blade, but that was pure chance.

His true self and the other clone both missed their mark, leaving Shūichi's blade resting against his neck.

Shūichi withdrew his sword and dispelled the clones, explaining, "This technique uses Fire Release to enhance the sword. The stronger the Fire Release, the more powerful the added effect."

"The fire's heat warps light and air, making it harder for enemies to track your movements. Additionally, you can use genjutsu to further disorient your opponent."

"Moreover, there's an advanced version of this technique that combines both Wind and Fire Release. With both chakra types covering the blade, they circulate rapidly along it like flowing water, imbuing the sword with both searing heat and the slicing power of wind."

"Hayate, if you can master the basics of Fire Release and the required chakra form within a month, I'll teach you the secrets of Wind Release as well."

Hayate's eyes widened with excitement, momentarily forgetting to use skin breathing, so he began breathing heavily through his mouth and nose. He then shouted with determination, "Lord Shūichi, I'll definitely complete it!"

A month in the real world would be more than that within the training illusion.

Meanwhile…

At the training grounds outside the Forest of Death…

Shūichi, a bit worn out, wore a satisfied smile.

Finally, he had succeeded!

Around him, the ground was filled with craters of various sizes—all marks left from developing his taijutsu techniques.

He had finally completed the technique for opening the seventh gate.

"It's June now, and with the due date around October, it's about time to deal with Nagato…and Black Zetsu."

With his Star God Curse Mark activated, the fatigue washed away. Shūichi used the Flying Thunder God technique and returned home immediately.

Two days passed in a flash.

After a full recovery, Shūichi arrived at the Hokage's office early in the morning.

His first words upon seeing Minato were, "Sensei, I'm planning to try and capture one of Obito's eyes, and while I'm at it, I'll give Nagato a little warning. He needs to understand he's not yet qualified to go after the Nine-Tails."

(End of Chapter)