Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

If Kaito's goal was to change the world, then in addition to his own personal strength, building a faction of his own was essential.

And establishing a faction meant he needed three things: money, talent, and territory.

Currently, Kaito had none of the three.

Money was a given; it was impossible to get anywhere in any world without it. The infamous Akatsuki had started out by doing dirty work and odd jobs to raise funds, despite being a group of elite shinobi, each at least jonin-level. And in the end, all that wealth was squandered by a single spendthrift woman.

As a transmigrator, Kaito already had plenty of good ideas on how to make money, but those ideas required talent to execute.

Talent was even more important than money. In the ninja world, the most obvious sources of talent were those with kekkei genkai or special bloodlines. They were born with a massive head start over ordinary people, each one a natural prodigy.

The Uzumaki clan was one such special bloodline, possessing several times more chakra than the average person. More importantly, they excelled at sealing jutsu, capable of easily sealing away Tailed Beasts, which were essentially living nuclear weapons.

The immense power of their sealing jutsu was a major reason the Land of Whirlpools had been destroyed.

It would be a lie to say Kaito wasn't coveting their potential, which was precisely why he had spoken as he did, hoping to dissuade them from going to Konoha.

Kushina's existence, however, was a complication. Konoha would undoubtedly spare no expense to find an Uzumaki clan member capable of shouldering the burden of being the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki.

A direct confrontation was out of the question. Therefore, his only option was to avoid them and leave the Land of Whirlpools as soon as possible.

But leaving required a destination—the third element of building a power base: territory.

Since his transmigration, Kaito had traveled through many countries. For the past two days, he had been mulling over the options he was familiar with, trying to come to a final decision.

The Five Great Shinobi Countries were out first. With no foundation, trying to build something there would be suicide.

The Land of Iron had a foundation, but it was far too remote. Ruled out.

The Land of Rain was about to become the central battlefield of the next war. Survival would be difficult. Ruled out.

The Land of Hot Water was a chaotic mix of friend and foe, teeming with spies from every nation. Ruled out.

The Village Hidden in the Waterfalls, in the Land of Waterfalls, was not as powerful as it once was, but its foundations remained. Plus, it still had the Seven-Tails. Taking it over would be difficult. Ruled out.

That left three options: the Land of Grass, the Land of Rice Fields, and the Land of Rivers.

The Land of Grass had just been ravaged by war, and its Hidden Village was fractured. The power vacuum there was the most chaotic, which also made it the harshest environment for survival.

The Land of Rice Fields would eventually become Orochimaru's personal domain. This, paradoxically, meant Kaito's own chances of success there were quite high. However, its proximity to only the Land of Fire would weaken its connections to the other major nations.

The Land of Rivers was situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. It was vast and sparsely populated, with fewer people and natural resources than the other two options.

All three nations were in a state of turmoil, which would make it easier to seize control. Each had its own pros and cons.

"Which one should I choose?" Kaito agonized, a headache blooming behind his eyes.

Noon at the academy.

Another classroom, one that had remained relatively intact, had been temporarily converted into a dining hall.

Nine desks were pushed together to form a small dining table.

Upon it sat a spread of steaming hot dishes—a grand feast Kaito had prepared using the ingredients he had managed to scrounge up.

"Whoa, it smells amazing!"

Lured by the aroma, Ryunosuke was the first to take a seat, tapping his chopsticks on the table and urging, "Sensei, Sensei, hurry up and come over!"

"Hey, Ryunosuke, don't be so rude!" Kushina scolded.

"Bleh!" Ryunosuke shot back, completely ignoring her and sticking his tongue out, which only infuriated her more.

"Ryunosuke!"

A quiet voice came from the doorway, and Ryunosuke immediately sat up straight, not daring to let his eyes wander.

Kaori retracted her naturally authoritative gaze and turned to Ruri beside her, her expression softening with concern. "Ruri-sensei, watch your step."

"Mm, it's okay. I'm feeling much better," Ruri said, her eyes filled with appreciation and approval for Kaori.

Jinta followed closely behind them, his nose twitching as he, too, caught the scent of the food.

Once everyone was seated, Kaito brought the last dish to the table. He introduced the spread to the little foodies, whose eyes were already wide with wonder. "This is shredded potatoes stir-fried with meat, braised pig's trotters, steamed pork with taro, stir-fried pig's ear with green peppers, and a large pot of pig's blood and mushroom soup."

"It must have taken a lot of effort to make all this. Thank you for your hard work," Ruri said gratefully.

"Kushina helped, too!" Kushina declared, seeking praise.

"Yes, Kushina was a huge help," Kaito said with a smile as he sat down. "I made this meal for two reasons. The first is to celebrate you surviving this ordeal. But it's also to make a statement. I know everyone has been heartbroken these past few days after such a disaster. But no matter what, life has to go on. I hope that from today, we can all turn our sorrow into the will to survive and live our lives to the fullest!"

His words struck a deep chord with everyone except for the still-young Ryunosuke and Jinta.

"Mm!" Ruri nodded emphatically. "You're right. We have to live on, and live well!"

"Let's eat before it gets cold."

"Okay!"

With permission granted, Ryunosuke immediately reached for a large pig's trotter he had been eyeing for a while. He took a bite, and the soft, succulent meat, overflowing with savory juices, was unlike anything he had ever tasted. He began to devour it ravenously.

The others were not much different.

Kaito ladled a bowl of soup and handed it to Ruri. "You're recovering from a serious injury, so you need to replenish your nutrients. You should eat a lot."

"You don't have to tell me. Your cooking is too delicious," Ruri praised, unable to stop herself.

"Heh, thanks for the compliment." Kaito chuckled to himself. Don't underestimate a man who's lived alone for over twenty years. A few simple home-cooked dishes like this are easily above standard.

The meal left everyone patting their full bellies. Every dish was wiped clean, and Jinta even licked his plate, reluctant to let any of it go to waste.

Back in the room they had converted into a bedroom, after Kushina and the two boys had fallen asleep, Ruri asked Kaori, "Kaori, if you had the choice, would you prefer to go to Konoha or to another country?"

Kaori hesitated for a moment before answering, "It doesn't really matter to me where we go, because any place will be unfamiliar. I just want to be able to stay with everyone."

She paused, then added, "And it would be even better if we could stay with Kaito-niichan."

"Is that so? I understand." Ruri gently stroked the girl's cheek and said softly, "Don't worry. We won't be separated."

"Mm!"

After dinner, Ruri sought out Kaito on her own.

"I heard about what happened from Kushina. I'm so sorry about your friend's death. It was because he was protecting Kushina that…"

"No," Kaito said, his voice calm as he touched the two sword hilts at his waist. "Neither you nor Kushina need to blame yourselves. At that moment, we were simply trying to protect ourselves."

"Besides that, there's also all your help these past few days. Not only did you save all of us, but you also helped cremate the bodies of the other villagers. These are debts of gratitude we may never be able to repay in our lifetime."

"That we met is fate. There's no need to keep score." Kaito changed the subject. "More than any of that, I want to know if you've decided on a destination. If you still don't know where to go, why don't you come with me?"

Ruri was taken aback, then quickly said, "If we could travel with you, that would be for the best! I was just worried we would be a burden to you."

"How could you be? Wouldn't we all be happier together?"

"Yes, we would!" Ruri's eyes lit up. "In that case, Kaito, where are you planning to go?"

Gazing at the moonlight outside the window, Kaito spoke slowly, his voice filled with purpose.

"We're going… to the Land of Rivers."