Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

"The Mangekyō Sharingan combined with the Sage Body can awaken the Rinnegan…"

Uchiha Shisui was stunned by this revelation.

But he quickly responded, "Wait, Shūichi, didn't Obito also obtain the First Hokage's cells?"

Shūichi nodded, turning his gaze to White Zetsu, Tobi. "It's likely not just the Mangekyō Sharingan and Sage Body, right?"

White Zetsu Tobi, ever the sycophant, began to flatter: "As expected of Lord Shūichi—"

"Speak plainly!" Shūichi snapped.

White Zetsu Tobi immediately straightened up. "The key to awakening the Rinnegan isn't just the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Senju's power. It's the chakra of Indra and Ashura, the reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons."

"Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama just so happened to be the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura. When their powers combined, Madara awakened the Rinnegan."

"However, Madara was already quite old when he achieved this, so he transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato, using Nagato's combined Senju and Uzumaki lineage to wield the eyes and gather the Tailed Beasts."

"And the ultimate goal, of course, was to resurrect Uchiha Madara, restore him to his prime, and acquire the power of the Ten-Tails, the fusion of the Nine Tailed Beasts with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

"Lord Shūichi has already seen the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. That's the husk of the Ten-Tails."

White Zetsu Tobi spilled the information in one breath. "The method for awakening the Rinnegan is actually recorded on the Uchiha clan's stone tablet. Once someone achieves the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, they can read it."

"Of course, the contents of the tablet were altered by Madara with Black Zetsu's help."

Uchiha Shisui, though shaken, forced himself to remain calm and asked urgently, "So, what is Madara's ultimate goal?"

"Reviving himself should be achievable now, right? Does he need the Ten-Tails' power to accomplish it?"

White Zetsu Tobi chuckled. "Not at all."

"Madara has a plan called the Eye of the Moon Plan."

"After his resurrection, he intends to become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki and cast an ultimate genjutsu on all humanity in the Shinobi World—Infinite Tsukuyomi!"

"It's a genjutsu that traps everyone in a dream, thereby ending all wars and creating a world without conflict."

Hearing this, Uchiha Shisui was dumbfounded.

Infinite Tsukuyomi—a dream for all humanity? The thought sent shivers down his spine.

But Shūichi sneered. "Peace within a dream?"

"That's nothing more than a false peace."

"Madara can't even see through this illusion."

White Zetsu Tobi chuckled lightly. "Perhaps it's because the stone tablet was left behind by the Sage of Six Paths."

"Though it's not polite to criticize a former master, to be honest, Madara wasn't as smart as you, Lord Shūichi."

"This isn't flattery. At your current age, Madara wasn't as capable as you."

Uchiha Shisui had regained his composure and couldn't help but laugh. "I agree with Tobi on this point."

"While the Sage of Six Paths is a legendary ancestor of shinobi, his words shouldn't be taken as absolute."

"Moreover, since Madara had Black Zetsu alter the stone tablet, its contents can't be entirely trusted."

"After all, it's hard to imagine the Sage of Six Paths leaving behind something like that."

"And if the Sage of Six Paths had the Rinnegan, he should have created peace in the dream long ago. Are we already trapped in Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

Shūichi shuddered at the eerie thought.

At that moment, Shisui asked, "Shūichi, since we now know Madara's entire plan, shouldn't we devise a counter-strategy?"

"The key lies with the Ten-Tails. We must stop them from gathering the Nine Tailed Beasts."

Shūichi shook his head. "That's easier said than done."

"If we tried to gather the Tailed Beasts first, it would inevitably lead to war with the other villages. They wouldn't trust us easily."

"So, the best course of action is to divide the Tailed Beasts in advance, just like before."

"Divide the Tailed Beasts?" White Zetsu Tobi was surprised. "Could it be that Nohara Rin didn't actually die? And that the Nine-Tails' power Lord Shūichi obtained wasn't from its Jinchūriki, but from splitting the Nine-Tails?"

Shūichi ignored Tobi and addressed Shisui. "Shisui, after discussing with Sensei, we've decided to act under the guise of ending the war. We'll take this opportunity to target Kirigakure and Kumogakure, split the Two-Tails, Six-Tails, and Eight-Tails, and convince the Tailed Beasts to cooperate with us."

"Furthermore, since Madara used Nagato to collect the Tailed Beasts for his resurrection, we can use their actions as a pretext to weaken the other villages."

Shisui nodded but expressed his concern. "The real worry is if Madara resurrects and gains control of at least half of the Tailed Beasts. Can we defeat him?"

"After all, he has the Rinnegan."

Shūichi smiled. "Of the eight Tailed Beasts, we hold half, and we have full control over the Nine-Tails. That gives us an advantage."

"As for the Rinnegan… Shisui, trust me."

White Zetsu Tobi chimed in, "Lord Shūichi is right. In the previous battle, you already defeated Nagato, a Rinnegan wielder."

"Although Nagato couldn't fully harness the Rinnegan's power, Lord Shūichi didn't even use his full strength—he only opened seven gates of the Eight Gates Technique."

Uchiha Shisui ignored Tobi, but reassured by Shūichi's words, smiled.

"You're right, Shūichi. It's too early to judge the outcome without fighting first."

"Besides, we already have the upper hand in intelligence for now."

Shūichi nodded. "We'll stick to the plan Sensei and I discussed."

"Shisui, when the time comes, you'll act alongside me."

Shisui immediately nodded. "Understood!"

Shūichi turned to White Zetsu Tobi. "Do you have intelligence on the Jinchūriki?"

Tobi grinned. "Of course! That's my specialty."

"The Six-Tails' Jinchūriki in Kirigakure is a boy named Utakata, just ten years old. He's heavily guarded."

"The Two-Tails' Jinchūriki in Kumogakure is a girl named Nii Yugito. She's two or three years younger than you, Lord Shūichi, and also well-protected."

"But naturally, for someone like you, none of this will be a problem."

Shisui raised a question. "If you already have information on the Tailed Beasts, why haven't you acted yet?"

"Madara has also fought Shūichi before, and his strength is formidable."

Tobi explained, "That's because sealing the Tailed Beasts must be done in order of their tails—from the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails."

"Madara, who relies on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to sustain his life, doesn't have the strength to collect all nine beasts in one go. The strength of the Five Great Shinobi Villages cannot be underestimated."

Shisui pondered for a moment. "That does make sense. If the villages became alert, Madara would face their combined forces."

Shūichi then addressed Tobi. "Can your clones integrate into the existing intelligence network without being detected?"

Tobi responded in an exaggerated tone, "You want me to act as a spy, Lord Shūichi? What a brilliant idea! This is definitely feasible."

"However, I'll need chakra to produce clones."

"And to avoid detection, it's best to replace an existing member of the intelligence network."

Shūichi nodded, formulating a plan. He then turned to Shisui. "That's it for today, Shisui."

"I'll arrange for the transplantation of the First Hokage's cells as soon as possible."

Shisui nodded in agreement.

---

After escorting Shisui home, Shūichi returned to the experimental base. He introduced White Zetsu Tobi to Tsunade, appointing Tobi as the base's caretaker.

Later, after having dinner with Yakushi Nonō and others at home, Shūichi left Konoha with Tobi.

---

In a forest outside Konoha, Shūichi asked,

"Finding your former companions shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Tobi nodded confidently. "Of course. There should be White Zetsu hiding nearby. The Nine-Tails has always been a high priority."

Shūichi instructed, "In that case, find one you think is suitable and replace them."

"Start with one, then proceed step by step to replace more."

Tobi couldn't help but praise, "Lord Shūichi, I truly believe you have what it takes to defeat Uchiha Madara!"

Shūichi sighed at Tobi's endless flattery. "Just get to work!"

"Understood!" Tobi exclaimed enthusiastically.

He inserted his hand into the trunk of a large tree. Shortly after, he smiled. "Lord Shūichi, I've found the target."

Shūichi nodded. "Use the Spore Technique on me. I'll use my chakra to help them grow."

Tobi chuckled. "I never thought this technique could be used like this."

Activating Sage Mode, Shūichi sensed the presence of four White Zetsu spores growing inside him.

The spores quickly absorbed his chakra and grew rapidly, emerging from his body.

Tobi, accompanied by the four clones, burrowed underground and soon brought back another White Zetsu.

---

"Tobi! You've betrayed us?"

The captured White Zetsu was horrified upon seeing Shūichi. He couldn't comprehend why their leader, Tobi, would betray them.

Tobi shrugged with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. This isn't by choice. The Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities are irresistible."

Turning to Shūichi, he quickly added, "Of course, Lord Shūichi, I'm absolutely willing to follow you!"

Shūichi rolled his eyes. "Enough talk! Get to work!"

Tobi quickly got to business. The four clones swarmed the captured White Zetsu, devouring and assimilating him. One of the clones then submerged into the ground, replacing the devoured Zetsu and infiltrating the Akatsuki's intelligence network.

---

Shūichi and Tobi repeated this process, replacing three more White Zetsu before returning to the experimental base in Konoha.

Finding Tsunade absent, Shūichi headed to Konoha Hospital, but she wasn't there either.

When Shūichi arrived at the Senju Clan's ancestral home, he saw Tsunade deep in thought, surrounded by scattered scrolls.

Looking up and seeing Shūichi visiting so late at night, Tsunade frowned in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

"Of course, I came to see our dear Lady Tsunade," Shūichi teased with a grin.

Tsunade's face immediately darkened, her fists clenching tightly.

Sensing her impending outburst, Shūichi quickly changed the subject.

"Shisui has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"What?"

Tsunade froze, then exclaimed in shock, "The Mangekyō Sharingan? How did that happen?"

Shūichi smiled. "It happened naturally—or you could say it was through the power of love. After a long accumulation of positive emotions, it reached a tipping point and awakened."

Tsunade was stunned. "That's possible?"

"I thought Uchiha awakening and advancing their Sharingan required intense negative emotional stimulation."

Shūichi shook his head. "You remember the theory I mentioned before about Yin-Yang Release and the balance between mental and physical energy, right?"

"The Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai that combines Yin Release and Yang Release, with Yin Release as the primary component. Strong mental stimulation—essentially powerful spiritual energy—causes chakra to change, and this change is the essence of Yin Release."

Tsunade thought for a moment. "So, for the Uchiha clan, awakening and advancing the Sharingan can be achieved by accumulating sufficient mental energy alone."

Shūichi nodded. "Shisui has already proven this. Using negative emotional stimuli to awaken or advance the Sharingan is essentially a shortcut."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully before asking, "So, you're here to request the transplantation of my grandfather's cells for Shisui?"

Shūichi nodded again. "That's right. Or, to be precise, White Zetsu cells."

Tsunade replied, "I have no objections, but you'll need to discuss this with the Fourth Hokage."

"Of course," Shūichi agreed, then glanced at the scattered scrolls. "What are you researching?"

Tsunade snorted lightly. "Techniques suited for medical ninjutsu practitioners."

"Have you made any progress?"

Shūichi smiled confidently. "Yes, I have."

"It's based on training with the Eight Gates technique."

"By enhancing cellular activity?" Tsunade frowned slightly. "Like the Lightning Release Chakra Mode's heightened activity?"

The Creation Rebirth technique also enhanced cellular activity, allowing cells to rapidly divide and regenerate for fast healing.

However, the Lightning Release method differed, focusing on physical strength and heightened reflexes.

Shūichi explained, "The essence of the Eight Gates is to release the body's natural restraints and push its potential to the limit, up to the eighth gate, where life force burns."

"However, this method produces uncontrollable power and requires extraordinary endurance and physical strength to handle. It lacks precision and isn't suitable for medical ninjutsu practitioners."

"So, I thought of a gentler approach…"

Taking a deep breath, Shūichi suddenly let out a resounding boom.

Green flames burst forth from his body, enveloping him entirely. He appeared as though he were on fire, consumed by an emerald blaze.

Tsunade's pupils constricted sharply as she stared in shock.

"This feeling... It's as if your very life is burning!"

(End of Chapter)