I Just Wanted to Slack Off, But I Was Forced to Become Hokage

Chapter 84: Stepping into Kage-Level!

"Nara, bend over, and lower your head."

"Hm?"

"Smooch!"

Nara Keisuke bowed his head slightly, closing his eyes out of courtesy to avoid sinking into the unknowable, pale-white abyss. But in the next moment, he clearly felt two soft, full lips press against his forehead. The warm touch carried a hint of sweetness, making one unconsciously want to get lost in it.

Keisuke's eyes flew open. He quickly took a few steps back, looking at Tsunade in surprise. "Sister Tsunade, what was that..."

"A blessing filled with care." Tsunade's slender finger traced her own rosy lips, her smile enchanting. "Although I'm reluctant to admit it, my luck is really not very good. I originally wanted to bless you with words, but after thinking about it carefully... I decided that direct action is more my style!"

Keisuke raised his right hand and gently touched his forehead, where the sensation of Tsunade's kiss seemed to linger.

Seeing Keisuke's slightly flirtatious action, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Tsunade's heart.

"Sister Tsunade," Keisuke said suddenly. "That action just now ended too quickly, I didn't have time to feel it carefully, so... how about we do it again? This request might be a bit presumptuous, but I think it would be even better if it were mouth-to-mouth."

Months of spending time together day and night had completely eliminated any sense of unfamiliarity between Keisuke and Tsunade. Therefore, he now had no psychological burden when saying such flirtatious things. What's more, this time, she was the one who had made the first move—or rather, the first kiss.

"D-Don't get too carried away, Nara!" Tsunade forcefully suppressed the strange emotion in her heart, but she still stuttered a little when she spoke. "If anything unexpected really happens to you later... I will not let you off easily!"

"I'm sorry, I was too rash." Keisuke pressed his hands tightly against the seams of his pants and bowed deeply in apology.

Seeing his sincere attitude, Tsunade felt a little embarrassed and scratched her cheek, turning her face away to mutter a few inaudible words. "Actually, you don't have to mind it that much..."

"Well then, Sister Tsunade." Keisuke straightened up and got down to business. "The 'ninja squad' you just mentioned, who are its specific members?"

"You'll find out about that tomorrow!" Tsunade deliberately kept him in suspense. "I know your approximate strength. The teammates I've arranged for you won't be too far off from your level."

Bidding farewell to Tsunade, Keisuke finally had time to examine the newly acquired A-rank technique, [Monstrous Strength]. After months of research, study, and accumulated experience, he was clearly aware of the extent of his growth. Although he hadn't made a direct breakthrough, he was only a "paper-thin wall" away from a promotion.

Sure enough, after successfully learning [Monstrous Strength], a continuous stream of messages popped up on the panel.

[Having learned one A-rank technique [Monstrous Strength], your [Wisdom] stat has been enhanced to a certain degree! Your [Ninjutsu] stat has been enhanced! Overall evaluation has increased!]

[Ninjutsu: A- → A]

[Overall Evaluation: B+ → A- (Kage-level)]

"I've left the Jonin tier and stepped into the Kage-level!"

Nara Keisuke raised his right hand and suddenly clenched his fist. The chakra he had instantly molded erupted, and the air trembled slightly with his movement, ripples of visible white airwaves spreading out. This was the derivative technique of [Monstrous Strength]—a shockwave of air.

With the rolling airwaves wrapped around his fingers, Keisuke inexplicably felt as if he could smash an old tree root to pieces with a single punch. The phased transformation of his strength made him feel incredibly joyful.

Although in the future Fourth Great Ninja War, all sorts of gods would emerge one after another, wreaking havoc on the world, and the esteemed Kages of the five great villages would be like a group of toy dolls, kneaded and played with by the "gods" without any deterrent power to speak of, at least in the current era, "Kage-level" was still very rare and precious!

In Keisuke's personal judgment, during the Third Great Ninja War, the number of people who could be called "Kage-level contenders" could be counted on one's hands. His current strength, while not enough to rampage through the ninja world without restraint, could at least be described as "I roam the world alone and unrivaled."

However, Keisuke was also well aware that there was no end to improving one's strength. Kage-level was just a new starting point!

"Ever since several of my stats increased to B-rank, their growth rate has slowed down significantly." Keisuke's mind was very clear. "And after being promoted to A-rank, the growth rate of the stat values can only be described as 'turtle speed'. I don't need to worry too much about the stats that mainly affect my close-range combat strength for now. After all, close combat is just my backup plan. The key to everything is still chakra! That is, the [Stamina] that symbolizes physical energy and the [Wisdom] that represents spiritual energy!"

The [Wisdom] stat, Keisuke could increase by learning knowledge and postures, and its growth rate was much faster than the other stats. But for the [Stamina] stat, he had yet to find any other growth method besides "eating and popping pills."

"In the end, it all comes down to one point—to increase [Stamina], I need to increase the energy I absorb from the outside world..."

Lost in thought, Nara Keisuke returned to the Kikyo Orphanage.

During this period, the orphanage had undergone considerable changes. The rich profits brought by the fried chicken shop, after setting aside the necessary operating funds, were mostly invested in the construction and maintenance of the orphanage. This orphanage, located in a corner of Kikyo Castle, under the meticulous care of Yakushi Nono'o and others, was like a paradise on earth, joyful and peaceful.

Everyone at the orphanage knew who was responsible for these great changes. Therefore, the moment Keisuke returned, he was greeted with welcomes from all directions. He smiled and responded to the greeting children one by one, then went directly to find Yakushi Nono'o.

At this time, Nono'o was in the newly opened nursery, gently and meticulously teaching Chino to babble.

"Ma-ma..."

"Mmm-ma!"

Keisuke knocked gently on the door. Nono'o put down Chino in her arms, letting her crawl and play in the room filled with soft cushions. "Keisuke, why are you back so early today?" Nono'o's forehead showed a sheen of sweat. Taking care of an energetic infant was no easy task.

"Because the learning mission that Sister Tsunade assigned before has been completed," Keisuke said, handing her a pre-prepared glass of warm water. "Starting tomorrow, I don't need to go to the research institute anymore."

Nono'o took the glass, drank it all in one go, and said with a beaming smile, "It seems your taijutsu level has finally met Lady Tsunade's requirements."

"Yes, but there's one more thing," Keisuke continued. "Sister Tsunade said she will assign me to a ninja squad, and then I will go to the front lines of the battlefield with my teammates."

Hearing this, the faint smile on Nono'o's face suddenly froze. Since leaving Root, she had been dutifully serving as a Jonin in the Medical Emergency Squad. Her main daily work was to take care of and heal the wounded sent back from the front lines in Kikyo Castle. Nono'o had never imagined that she wouldn't need to go to the front lines to fight and kill, but Keisuke would become the one to go...

"As a ninja of Konoha, it's an unavoidable responsibility to protect the village and fight," Nono'o replied dryly. Her tone suddenly changed, unable to hide her anxiety. "So Keisuke, when are you going to the front lines? Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"It's not certain yet." Keisuke hugged Nono'o and gently patted her back to comfort her. "I need to familiarize myself and coordinate with my teammates for a period of time, increase our mutual coordination. We might carry out a few missions together first, and then go to the battlefield."

Nono'o bit her lip gently. There were a thousand, ten thousand things she wanted to say, but when the words reached her lips, she didn't know how to begin. "Keisuke..."

"Don't worry, Sister Nono'o." Keisuke smiled and boasted, "I'm very strong."

Time ticked by, and night fell quietly. The moon hid behind the dark clouds, and the quiet, deep night enveloped Kikyo Castle, making it impossible to see the movements outside the city.

Under the cover of this natural darkness, an extremely streamlined ninja unit set out from the border of the Land of Wind. After three days of forced march, they quietly approached the eight large mountains surrounding Konoha.

"This is the outermost perimeter of Konoha," the aged kunoichi with a Sunagakure forehead protector at the head of the unit said in a hoarse voice. "Next, we need to first eliminate the hidden warning posts in the mountains... We must be fast! Our target is the medical hub that Konoha has placed outside the village—that small city named Kikyo!"

Without any response, the Suna ninja of this small-scale unit took out scrolls from their pockets and directly opened them through their respective means.

Poof! Poof! Poof!—

With a continuous series of smoke explosions, one after another, grotesque figures of various shapes quietly appeared in the darkness, merging with the group of Suna ninja. In the blink of an eye, the scale of this small ninja team instantly swelled to the hundreds!

This was Sunagakure's most elite unit—the Puppet Brigade.

Through one chakra string after another, the Suna ninja manipulated their respective puppets, broke into the mountain forest, and broke through the defenses of the warning posts at top speed.

Looking at Kikyo Castle standing at the foot of the mountain not far ahead, the leader of the Puppet Brigade took out a scroll from her ninja tool pouch and instantly opened it, summoning her signature puppets.

"White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets!"

(Author's Note:)

Regarding the "Suna's surprise attack on Kikyo Castle," this is a secondary setting in this book based on the content of the original manga. There has been specific foreshadowing in the previous text. The reference for the "Battle of Kikyo Castle" has two sources:

First, in the "Hyō no Sho" (Book of Soldiers) databook, it is stated that a "great battle" once took place at Kikyo Castle;

Second, in manga chapter 272, Akasuna no Sasori's evaluation of the "White Secret Technique" is that Chiyo once conquered a castle all by herself with it.

This is a combination of the two, forming the new setting of "Sunagakure's Puppet Brigade attacks Kikyo Castle."

(End of Chapter)

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