On the way back to the village, Asuma did not let up on Naruto at all, demanding that he practice tree-climbing during their travel time. The tenacious Naruto's tree-climbing skills became more and more proficient under Asuma's training. Later, he was even required to sleep in the trees, ostensibly to make chakra control an instinct.
From initially falling out of the tree as soon as he fell asleep, to later being able to stand steadily on a treetop even in deep sleep, Naruto's progress was visible to the naked eye. And this gave Kusuo a new idea. He thought of many things, such as his own Total Concentration: Constant. That too was about making a breathing technique a physiological instinct until the body was completely accustomed to it.
So then, the Transparent World that I've been unable to break through... can I rely on the same principle?
[Current Role-Play Percentage: 98%.]
After Zabuza and Haku died, the system had prompted him that his percentage had increased. An elite jonin and the highly skilled Haku had provided a very considerable boost. It was foreseeable that this would be his best way to increase his role-play percentage in the future. So then, where would he find the opportunity to kill a large number of enemies? Kusuo stroked his chin, lost in thought. Behind him, Hinata followed his every step closely.
...
Konoha Village. Hokage's Office.
"Mm." The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, while Asuma Sarutobi puffed on a cigarette. One old, one young, they filled the room with clouds of smoke. After ordering everyone else to leave, the Third's eyes flickered as he looked at the report his son had handed him.
He killed Zabuza and another Kekkei Genkai user all by himself? Kusuo's strength... seems to be improving a little too fast. So fast that Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't had time to prepare a sufficient offer to recruit him. Even the White Fang of Konoha in his prime couldn't compare to Kusuo's current growth. It seemed that the path of special recruitment into the ANBU followed by rapid promotions, which had worked for Kakashi, was not going to work this time.
What a headache...
Puffing out clouds of smoke, the Third's brow remained furrowed.
Asuma knew exactly what his old man was struggling with. "Father, I feel that for a genius like Kusuo, if we try to forcibly arrange his path, we might limit his development. After all, for a prodigy who became so monstrously strong just by practicing the sword, ordinary missions will only drag him down."
That's right. The Hokage's faction also had people monitoring Kusuo. But unlike Danzo's dark and twisted methods, the surveillance personnel sent by the ANBU also had a protective element to their mission.
"Yes, that's what's giving me a headache too," the Third said, taking two puffs from his pipe. "But if we just let him be, the boy will have too little exposure to the baptism of the Will of Fire. Konoha needs inheritors of the Will of Fire, not just rebellious individuals with immense power. We have to think of a way to win him over."
Then, the two of them fell into deep thought. The smoke in the room grew thicker.
"By the way, Father, I just remembered something. The little princess of the Hyuga clan is quite close with Kusuo. If we can use the Hyuga clan to tie down his heart, it might be a good option," Asuma suddenly recalled the intimacy between Hinata and Kusuo.
The Hyuga... that's not a bad idea. The Third thought of the face that was filled with humiliation but had no choice but to obey. Even when wronged, he had to tearfully give up his own brother. Hyuga Hiashi was indeed an easy point of control. If they could tie this boy to the Hyuga clan, and then influence him through Hiashi, they could subtly build up his sense of belonging to the village.
It's feasible. After all, the relationships between people are just an interwoven tapestry of bonds. Once such a bond is established, it becomes very difficult to sever.
"Let's do it!" The Third slapped the table and looked up. "Go and summon Hyuga Hiashi. I'll talk to him about this matter personally."
In the small courtyard of the Hatake compound, Kusuo had no idea that the Hokage of Konoha had secretly pulled strings and acted as a matchmaker for him. After returning home, the first thing he did was find his cousin, Hatake Kakashi.
"Cousin, how's leading your team been lately?" Seeing Kakashi at home, Kusuo just jumped over the wall and came in. The house was very spartan. Aside from some ninjutsu scrolls and a display of short swords, there was almost no furniture. At this moment, the master of the house was lying on the tatami mat, reading a book with his arms behind his head.
Kusuo glanced over. Needless to say, it was definitely Icha Icha Paradise. Thinking about the timeline... that's right, that man should be returning to the village soon, right? Although he had never seen Jiraiya's face, his unconventional personality in the original story had left a deep impression.
"It's been fine. But what about you? What brings you here? Aren't you practicing your sword?" Kakashi put down his book and looked at his cousin with surprise. It felt like he had vanished off the face of the earth after he had accidentally seen him training last time. Every day, it was either sword practice or meditation. He almost never saw him. As one of the few remaining members of the Hatake family, Kakashi felt that he, as a quasi-older brother, spent less time with him than Hinata did.
"Just relaxing for a bit," Kusuo said casually. Swinging his sword brought him very little progress now. If he calculated based on his current rate, it might take ten years to fully unlock the role-play percentage. By then, the Fourth Great Ninja War would have already started. And who knows if Madara would have become the Sage of Six Paths by then. Kusuo, who always planned his moves carefully, didn't believe for a second that Madara would confidently smile at him and say, "Come! Let us dance. I'll wait for you however long it takes."
Shaking his head, he pushed these messy thoughts aside. He looked at Kakashi seriously and asked, "Your Sharingan... are you still used to using it?"
-------
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