Konoha: Gu Master

Shinho waved his hand casually.

The Kikaichu Bugs split into four swarms, wrapping around the captives: Monkey-mask, Goat-mask, Horse-mask, and Ox-mask.

To prevent them from making noise, Shinho had knocked them out in advance.

The kikaichu bugs quickly lifted the four and followed behind him.

"Aunt Chisori."

Shinho glanced at the corpses strewn across the ground and said, "Burn them all."

Chisori nodded.

She formed hand seals, summoning two shadow clones who swiftly gathered firewood.

[tl/n: Fireball Jutsu? Maybe she's saving chakra?]

Flames roared, consuming the bodies entirely.

Shinho's intention to destroy the evidence was to avoid any suspicion that Konoha was responsible.

After clearing the scene, the group left Kusagakure.

…

[Achievement Unlocked: The Coldness of Hozuki. Reward: Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu.]

[Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu: A Rank 4 Gu worm that transforms into a tree spirit for combat, providing bonuses to plant-based Gu worms.]

Sitting aboard the boat, Shinho was momentarily stunned.

The Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu?

Thankfully, it was gifted by the system and didn't require fusion. Otherwise, it would have been truly wasteful.

The Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu is fused from the Wood Charm Gu and the Hundred-Year Lifespan Gu. 

The rarity of the Lifespan Gu far exceeds that of the Wood Charm Gu, making such a fusion impractical for most Gu Masters.

Shinho rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Despite its luxurious composition, the Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu had excellent combat effects.

In battle, Gu Masters are limited to the true essence in their apertures. But transforming into a tree spirit allows one to absorb natural energy from the surroundings, extending combat time, which was ideal for prolonged battles.

On average, this transformation triples the duration of a typical fight. However, exceeding that limit leads to erosion, ultimately turning the user into a treelike corpse.

[Achievement Unlocked: Chisori's Loyalty! Reward: Ice Blade Gu.]

[Ice Blade Gu: A Rank 3 Gu worm that manifests a 1.7-meter-long ice sword. Can combine with the Revolving Gu and Whirlwind Gu to create the Ice Blade Tempest.]

Shinho instinctively glanced at Chisori, who stood not far away.

"What's wrong, Shinho?" she asked, noticing his gaze and offering a gentle smile.

"Nothing," Shinho replied, shaking his head.

Chisori's expression became pensive.

Is he worried about us after the vengeance?

What a kind-hearted child, she thought, her resolve deepening. 

Their revenge was complete, now it was time for her and her daughter to repay the favor.

…

A short while later, the boat docked.

The group disembarked and headed toward Hozuki Castle.

Upon arriving at the designated room, Shinho noted that the battlefield, once chaotic, had already been cleaned up.

It seems Sasuke was quite cautious.

Shinho stepped forward and knocked on the door, announcing, "It's us."

The door opened.

"Shinho," Sasuke said. "After you left, I captured a kunoichi named Ryūzetsu."

"Ryūzetsu?" Shinho's gaze shifted to the bound girl behind Sasuke.

Wearing a green scarf and long silver hair, her expression was anxious.

"Sasuke, these four are yours to handle," Shinho said, gesturing.

Monkey-mask, Goat-mask, Horse-mask, and Ox-mask were placed on the ground.

"This is...?"

Ryūzetsu's eyes widened.

The four high-ranking leaders of Kusagakure had all been captured.

Their enemy must be unimaginably powerful.

Sasuke approached Monkey-mask, woke him up, and swiftly manipulated him to extract the sealing technique for the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

Within ten minutes, all four captives had revealed their secrets.

"Can you learn the sealing technique?" Shinho asked Chisori and Karin.

"In three days," Chisori estimated after some thought.

"Good." Shinho waved nonchalantly. "Then kill them."

Taking a deep breath, Chisori pulled out a kunai and swiftly ended the lives of the four captives.

Her vengeance was now complete.

Ryūzetsu trembled, her expression turning fearful.

She wasn't afraid to die, but she wasn't ready to die either. She wanted to avenge Muku first.

Shinho ignored her. After brief deliberation, he decided to take the Box of Ultimate Bliss back to Konoha.

The reasons were twofold: First, Chisori and Karin needed three days to master the sealing technique. Second, opening the box required an immense amount of chakra.

In the original story, Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra was used.

Although Chisori and Karin, being members of the Uzumaki clan, possessed significant chakra reserves, they were not at the level of a tailed beast.

To be safe, using Kakashi's Dragon Vein chakra seemed more prudent.

"Sasuke, let's go inspect the Box of Ultimate Bliss," Shinho instructed.

Sasuke nodded and led the way to the depths of the room.

After a series of moments, they arrived underground, where the legendary box rested.

It was a ten-meter cube, with faces etched in eerie, grimacing human figures. The material was dark and foreboding, exuding an ominous aura.

Shinho extended his hand.

Sky Vault Gu!

Under the pull of true essence, the Box of Ultimate Bliss vanished swiftly into storage.

Sasuke blinked in surprise.

Is there even a bug that can store things like that? 

He hadn't had the energy to realise where Shinho had pulled out that boat earlier that day.

Shinho sighed in relief. At least he didn't have to haul the massive box back to Konoha—it would have been far too conspicuous.

By the time the sun set, the group had returned to Konoha.

Along with the Box of Ultimate Bliss, they had also brought Mui and Ryūzetsu.

After some thought, Shinho decided on their fate: Mui would be tasked with taking control of Kusagakure.

The smaller villages outside the Five Great Nations often served as buffer zones during the Great Shinobi Wars. 

While the major villages tacitly avoided conquering them, Shinho, as a transmigrator, had grander ambitions, like unifying the shinobi world.

Kusagakure could serve as a hidden chess piece for future use, potentially even contributing to additional achievements.

"Sasuke, take a good rest. And Find me in three days," Shinho said.

"Yes!" Sasuke's voice carried a rare trace of excitement.

Mangekyō Sharingan, here I come!

He could only wonder what abilities his Mangekyō would grant him.

Regardless, Sasuke's only wish was that his new powers would help him defeat Shinho.

Suppressing his emotions, he turned and headed back to the Uchiha compound.

Shinho smirked.

Sasuke's intentions were far too obvious. 

Naturally, Shinho had noticed.

In the original story, the Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities were described as reflections of one's soul.

Simply put, it was the "Power of Desire."

Whatever one wished for most deeply would manifest as their ocular power.

If the wish was too outlandish, its effects would be diminished.

For instance, Obito Uchiha's Kamui arose from his desire to escape reality—a feat that was impossible in its entirety but resulted in a space-manipulation technique.

In the original story, Sasuke's Mangekyō abilities were Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi.

Amaterasu—the strongest physical attack, or perhaps the most devastating Fire Release, focused purely on offense.

Kagutsuchi—enhanced Amaterasu, manipulating the black flames into various forms for increased potency.

Both abilities were highly combat-oriented and perfectly suited to Sasuke's personality and experiences.

But now that circumstances had changed, would he still awaken the same powers?

After parting ways with Chisori and Karin, Shinho headed to the Hokage's office.

"Lord Hokage."

Yūgao Uzuki appeared promptly.

"Have these two detained by the Anbu, but they're not prisoners," Shinho instructed, withdrawing the kikaichu bugs to reveal Mui and Ryūzetsu.

"Understood," Yūgao responded, signaling for Anbu to take the captives away.

"Do we have any spies in Kusagakure?" Shinho asked as they ascended the stairs.

"We do," Yūgao confirmed.

"Kusagakure's leader is dead. Find a way to control the situation," Shinho said casually.

Yūgao paused, momentarily stunned.

So sudden?

Even for a minor village leader, this was an unexpected news.

Could it be the Hokage's doing?

"Yes!"

Yūgao Uzuki snapped out of her thoughts and quickly responded.

Shinho glanced at her, a sudden idea striking him.

He needed to work on building his reputation.

While reputation didn't bring tangible benefits, it carried a wealth of intangible influence. At his young age, he lacked the notable accomplishments expected of a Hokage.

Why was Kakuzu always bragging about his fights with the First Hokage? Because such an resume set him apart in the bounty hunter community.

It was the same logic as placing importance on academic credentials in his past life.

"Go handle it swiftly," Shinho said with a wave of his hand, then pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.

Shizune jumped in surprise but relaxed when she saw him.

"Is there anything urgent to deal with today?" Shinho asked, closing the door behind him.

"No, everything is normal," Shizune replied, studying him carefully. "How about you?"

"It went smoothly," Shinho said with a yawn. "Let's call it a day, then."

Battling Kusagakure hadn't been exhausting; the real drain had been using the Golden Aroura Gu to transport people.

"Alright," Shizune said, beginning to tidy up the desk.

Ten minutes later, the two left the Hokage building and returned to the Senju residence.

…

"Welcome home," Tsunade greeted lazily from the couch.

"Sensei," Shinho said, sitting beside her and pushing her legs toward the couch's inner edge.

"Sit across from me," Tsunade huffed, giving him an irritated look.

Her legs were now pressed tightly against Shinho's, which made her uncomfortable.

"Then rest them on my lap," Shinho said with a pat on his legs. "I don't mind."

"Well, I do!" Tsunade shot back, visibly annoyed.

"Sensei must be tired after such a long day. Let me massage your feet," Shinho said with a straight face.

"…"

Tsunade glared at him, but her resistance was futile.

"Do you still want money tomorrow?" Shinho asked, his eyes glinting.

"Yes!" Tsunade responded without hesitation.

Shinho chuckled at her.

"Don't get too cocky, kid!" she muttered, pouting.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she reluctantly stretched her fair, delicate feet toward him.

When Shinho's hands pressed against her instep, the unfamiliar sensation made her body tremble slightly.

Tsunade closed her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

But soon, she opened them again.

With her eyes closed, her other senses sharpened. She could clearly feel Shinho's gentle movements and the warmth of his palms.

…

Half an hour later, footsteps echoed from the kitchen.

"That's enough for today," Tsunade said, quickly retracting her feet and planting them on the floor, feigning composure.

"Understood, Sensei," Shinho said, noticing Shizune's presence and understanding the reason for Tsunade's sudden change. 

He decided not to call her out on it.

His current relationship with Tsunade was amusing, to say the least. Slow and steady wins the race.

…

The next day.

After breakfast, Shinho arrived at the Hokage's office on time.

There weren't many documents to review, and he finished them within half an hour.

"What's Team 8 up to?" Shinho asked, leaning back in the Hokage's chair.

"They've just taken a mission to search for the Bikōchū," Shizune answered promptly. "They'll likely head to the Land of Rivers in a couple of days."

The Bikōchū?

Shinho immediately recalled the details.

In the original timeline, Sasuke Uchiha had defected, and Naruto Uzumaki, along with Hinata Hyūga and the rest of Team 8, took on this mission to use the Bikōchū's scent-tracking ability to locate Sasuke.

In the Land of Rivers, they encountered the Kamizuru Clan, an insect-manipulating ninja clan that once rivaled the Aburame Clan. Now, however, the Kamizuru were nearly extinct.

They were searching for the Bikōchū to recover a secret technique left behind by their first clan leader and regain their former glory.

Shinho frowned slightly.

He remembered that during the mission, Hinata had been kidnapped by the Kamizuru Clan.

"Where's Hinata now?" Shinho asked, thinking of the Revolving Gu and Ice Blade Gu he had obtained. They could come in handy.

With her current strength, Hinata could easily handle the three Kamizuru ninjas on her own.

"I'll have Yūgao check," Shizune said, stepping out the door.

Moments later, she returned with an answer.

"Team 8 is at Training Ground 7."

"Shizune-nee, I'm heading out for a bit," Shinho said with a wave, leaving the Hokage's office.

Shizune sighed as she watched him go.

It was obvious that he was off to see Hinata Hyūga.

This guy!

She bit her lip in frustration.

If he likes Hinata so much, why does he keep toying with me?

…

Training Ground 7

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Akamaru barked excitedly.

"What's he saying?" Hinata paused her practice and asked curiously.

"He smelled Shinho's scent," Kiba Inuzuka replied with a knowing grin. "He's probably here for you."

"Eh?" Hinata automatically ignored the latter half of Kiba's sentence and turned to look behind her.

Sure enough, Shinho Aburame was approaching.

"Take a ten-minute break," Yamato said, understanding the situation.

"Wow, Hinata's got all the luck again," Kiba teased. "Right, Shino?"

Hinata blushed deeply, unsure how to respond. Lowering her head, she walked toward Shinho.

"Shinho-kun," she murmured softly, her voice like a sweet rice ball.

Shinho smiled and extended his hand.

"...?"

Hinata blinked in confusion. When she realized what he wanted, her face reddened further. Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his.

The warmth of his palm made her heart race.

Then she noticed something.

"What's this?" she asked, looking at her palm.

Two small insects rested there.

"Keep them with the ones I gave you last time," Shinho instructed casually.

Hinata took out a small, ornate iron cage from her ninja pouch. Inside was the Snow Maiden Gu he had previously gifted her.

Since she didn't possess an aperture, Hinata couldn't store the Gu worms in her primeval sea like Shinho.

If the Gu involved direct body modifications, like the Black Boar Gu or White Boar Gu, it wouldn't matter. But for other types, she needed to rely on physical containment.

Fortunately, all Gu worms were controlled and fed by Shinho, so Hinata only needed to use them.

Thanks to system enhancements, primeval essence was essentially a more refined form of chakra, so her chakra could drive the Gu's; albeit with slightly reduced output.

"Come, I'll teach you how to use them," Shinho said, leading her to the center of the training ground.

"What's going on now?" Kiba asked, his curiosity piqued.

"A sparring match, maybe?" Shino adjusted his glasses, clearly interested.

[tl/n: I have a sneaking suspicion that, the Whirlwind Gu mentioned to be used in combination with iceblade gu amd revolving gu is different from the one Shinho already has. 

Here the direct translation is Fierce wind gu or Gale gu, but the wiki mentions it as Whirlwind gu and Fierce wind gu. I'll change it in the futrue if there's any change, so this is just a head.

Anyway, Sorry for the delay and have a great day/night! Seeya!]

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