XX-level Hokage

"Then help me change my clothes first," Mashiro said, opening her arms.

Shouhan breathed a sigh of relief, walked forward and began to unbutton Zhenbai's clothes, then folded them neatly and placed them on the floor.

As her clothes were removed one by one, Temari's face gradually turned red. Her fingers would inadvertently touch Shiro's skin, causing Temari's hands to tremble slightly.

Finally, all of Qi Bai's clothes were removed. Temari kept her head down, not daring to look, and quickly took out another set of clothes for Qi Bai to wear. "Tell the people over there that you don't need to study anymore starting from Mingguan. I'm very satisfied with you now."

"Yes, Master," Temari said, still looking down, not daring to look at her white skin, her exposed neck subtly tinged with a faint red.

Chapter 42: Itachi

"Is this Konoha? It's so prosperous." Kisame exclaimed as he looked down at the entire village from a mountain near Konoha.

"Doesn't Itachi feel a pang of nostalgia for his long-lost ninja village?" Kisame turned to look at Ryou, who was not far behind him, and said. "There's nothing to feel nostalgic about. Let's go in," Itachi said calmly.

"How cold-hearted. Itachi-kun, do you even remember our mission in Konoha this time?" Kisame asked as they walked. "To capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and recruit new members," Itachi replied succinctly.

"Capturing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is just talk. Although Konoha has just experienced Orochimaru's attack, it's not something the two of us can take down. Our main task this time is to recruit that newcomer," Kisame said.

"Kisame, aren't you getting a little too excited?" Itachi looked at Kisame with some doubt. "Perhaps," Kisame said calmly.

On the outskirts of Konoha Forest, Kurenai and Asuma were taking a leisurely stroll. Although they were still officially a couple, Kurenai had either made excuses to refuse Asuma's invitations or appeared distracted throughout, as she was doing now.

"Red, are you hiding something from me lately?" Asuma finally couldn't help but ask. "Why do you say that?" Red asked nervously, snapping out of her daze.

"It's nothing, it's just that you seem a bit distracted lately, and you don't look too well," Asuma said, touching his head with some concern. "I'm fine, I've just been thinking about new illusion techniques and I've hit a roadblock," Kurenai said with a forced smile.

“I see. Composing new illusions is important, but don’t overexert yourself. Your health is important,” Asuma said, dispelling any doubts. “Thank you,” Red nodded slightly to Asuma.

Just then, Asuma and Kurenai froze, their eyes sharpening as they turned to look in the same direction. Two figures dressed in black robes with red cloud prints were slowly emerging from the mist.

Upon seeing Qing and the other person, Kurenai's eyes lit up with recognition. "Uchiha, Itachi! It's you two," Itachi said.

"Uchiha Itachi, how dare you return to Konoha as a rogue ninja!" Asuma said angrily. "Is this an old acquaintance of yours from Konoha?" Kisame suddenly said with a smile.

"This is Sarutobi Asuma, one of the guardian ninjas of the Land of Fire, and the son of the Third Hokage. And that one over there is Kurenai Yuhi, a Jonin skilled in genjutsu," Itachi said quietly.

"I've heard of the Guardian Shinobi. They can protect the Daimyo, so they must be very strong. I'll leave him to you. As for that lady who uses genjutsu, you can have her." Kisame finished speaking, beckoned to Asuma, and walked into the woods.

Asuma glanced at Red, Red nodded, and then Asuma also walked into the woods.

Only Itachi and Kurenai remained. Kurenai assumed a fighting stance. The battle began!

When Kakashi arrived, Kurenai was lying weakly on the ground, while Asuma was being overwhelmed by Kisame the entire time. Kakashi and Itachi locked eyes.

"Hello, Kakashi-senpai," Itachi said calmly. "Itachi!" Kakashi's eyes were icy cold.

Kakashi slowly removed the mask covering his left eye, revealing the Sharingan underneath.

"Whether for the village, for the fallen Uchiha clan members, or for my disciple Sasuke, I will keep you here today, using the power of this eye," Kakashi said in a deep voice.

"Kakashi, you are just a mortal who stole the power of the Uchiha clan. You cannot defeat me with just that one eye." Then Itachi suddenly opened his eyes wide, and his eyes changed from three-tomoe to triangular windmills, slowly rotating in his eyes.

"Those eyes are..." Just as Kakashi was still reeling from the shock, Itachi launched his attack. "Tsukuyomi!"

Kakashi found himself suddenly in a blood-red world, bound to a cross.

"This is my world, the world of Tsukuyomi. Space, time, and quality are all under my control. You will now endure seventy-two hours of suffering in this world."

After Itachi spoke, numerous phantoms of Itachi appeared, wielding ninja swords, and together with Itachi, began piercing Kakashi's body. "Aa ...

Kakashi's agonizing cries echoed throughout the Tsukuyomi world.

After enduring seventy-two hours of torture, Kakashi's mental state was on the verge of collapse.

Back in reality, Kakashi knelt on the ground; the seventy-two hours of torture were but a fleeting moment in reality.

"What is your purpose in coming to Konoha?" a weakened Kakashi struggled to ask. "The legacy of the Fourth Hokage," Itachi said indifferently.

"Naruto!" Kakashi immediately became worried, but then he remembered that Naruto was with Jiraiya, which reassured him somewhat. Itachi didn't intend to kill him and turned to leave when a clear, gentle voice rang out.

"You think you can just leave so easily after injuring a Konoha ninja?" Mashiro said, appearing not far in front of Itachi.

"Mashiro, leave quickly! He's not someone you can handle. Go find the Hokage." Seeing Mashiro appear right in front of Itachi, and thinking of himself...

"The torment I'm suffering!" Kakashi cried out anxiously.

Kurenai's gaze faltered as she watched Mashiro suddenly appear. She said nothing, knowing that Mashiro was actually Uchiha Zero, and that Uchiha Zero never fought a battle he wasn't confident of winning.

Itachi looked at Mashiro who had suddenly appeared, especially at Mashiro's pure white eyes, and said, "You must be Hyuga Mashiro. Perfect timing, come with me." "Sir, even if you look like a master, you'll still be refused if you invite someone out like this," Mashiro said with a smile.

Itachi didn't speak. The black crows scattered and disappeared from their original spot in an instant, then appeared behind Mashiro in the blink of an eye, reaching out to grab Mashiro.

Mashiro made no move. A stone wall appeared out of thin air and blocked Itachi's attack. Then, from the shadow of the stone wall, a weapon suddenly stabbed out. Itachi, who was stabbed, turned into a flock of crows again. But when he returned to his original position, he was still injured. On his left shoulder, a wound was dripping blood.

"It seems I underestimated you." Itachi formed hand seals upon receiving the item.

Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique

Flames surged towards Mashiro from all directions. "Water Release: Masawa Barrier"

Itachi's fire-style attack was unlike any other fire-style attack Mashiro had ever encountered. It was incredibly powerful, so Mashiro abandoned the easy, no-hand-seal ninjutsu and released a water-style ninjutsu with a single hand seal.

Water comes from all sides, forming a water cube that encloses its white interior.

When water and fire meet, steam keeps billowing out, but the billowing steam seems to be drawn back into the water! Until the flames disappear, the expression becomes more serious than ever before, and the kaleidoscope turns on again.

"Magic: The Art of Gahang" "Illusion: The Art of the Other Shore"

The kaleidoscope on Mashiro's chest also started spinning.

Instantly, large iron nails formed by illusion pierced Mashiro's body, rendering her unable to move.

Just when Itachi thought the outcome was decided, Mashiro, whose body was pierced by iron nails, suddenly transformed into countless red flowers. "What a pity."

The illusion space shattered, and Itachi and Mashiro were once again in a standoff.

"Illusion Technique: Other Shore Technique" was found by Mashiro in the Hyuga clan's internal inheritance scroll. It's unclear why it appeared there. This ninjutsu is simple and practical, allowing one to perform a substitution jutsu within an illusion space.

"Itachi, let's go." Kisame, who had been silent since Mashiro appeared, emerged from the forest carrying Asuma and said this. He put Asuma down and the two turned to leave. This time, Mashiro didn't try to stop them; she had achieved her goal.

Chapter 43: The Tale of Tsunade, the Fire Princess (Part 1)

Even after helping the unconscious Asuma up, Mashiro saw Kakashi and Kurenai in front of her and asked with concern, "Are you alright? Are your injuries serious?"

Kurenai looked at Mashiro and gently shook her head, saying, "I'm fine, just a little exhausted. I'll be alright after a rest. But Kakashi's injuries seem quite serious."

Just then, Kakashi fainted.

After placing Asuma and Kakashi together, Mashiro said to Kurenai, "Wait here for a while, I'll go get someone." With that, she quickly left.

On the way, Mashiro secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

When Itachi and Kisame first appeared in Konoha, Mashiro sensed it through the Shadow Squad. Even during the subsequent battle, Mashiro was already nearby, but he was secretly observing.

Mashiro currently has no way to deal with Tsukuyomi. As the strongest mental attack, Tsukuyomi can only be broken by someone whose Sharingan power surpasses that of the user and whose mental strength is strong, but Mashiro clearly cannot do that now.

Therefore, Shinji secretly waited until Ryo used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi before choosing to reveal himself.

Mashiro was certain that, due to Itachi's physical condition and plans, he would never easily use the Mangekyou Sharingan unless absolutely necessary, whether it was Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, or Susanoo.

However, besides the Kaleidoscope's own abilities, Itachi also possesses two divine weapons: the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror. Therefore, if it weren't for the needs of the plan, Mashiro really wouldn't want to run into Itachi right now.

Mashiro was willing to fight Itachi for one purpose only: to show Kisame that she had conveyed some information to him through Kakuzu, and that this battle would dispel Kisame's doubts about the information.

"The Totsuka Sword, I really want it," Mashiro murmured. In his previous life, the Totsuka Sword had been his weapon.

"Lord Kakashi's soul has suffered immense damage; we are truly powerless to help," the captain of the Konoha medical team said helplessly to the Third Hokage. "Soul domains are inherently very troublesome to deal with; you don't need to blame yourselves," the Third Hokage said, looking at the unconscious Kakashi.

"Mashiro, go and fetch Tsunade. Have her treat Kakashi and, incidentally, inherit the Hokage position," the Third Hokage said, turning to Mashiro.

“Okay, teacher,” Mashiro nodded. Tanabata Street.

Located in a small town in the Land of Fire, the town is very prosperous and bustling. It is a town known for gambling and has a thriving entertainment industry. Tanbata Street is the largest entertainment street in the town, filled with vendors selling goods and travelers who are ready to try their luck.

Jingyin was walking helplessly down the street. Her parents did nothing but gamble and sleep all day, and they were still asleep in the hotel at this hour. She was forced to do errands like buying food.

As she was walking, Shizune suddenly bumped into a man with a scar. "I'm so sorry," Shizune quickly apologized.

"Use your eyes, you bastard," the scarred man threatened before leaving. Shizune breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, isn't it wrong to steal someone's wallet?" A hand reached out from the crowd and landed on the scarred man's shoulder. "I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, I can..." The scarred man stopped before he could finish speaking, his eyes becoming unfocused.

A girl dressed in a black robe embroidered with silk stepped out of the crowd, took a green wallet from the scarred man's arms, and then turned and handed it to Shizune.

Shizune then realized her wallet was missing and hurriedly grabbed it, knowing full well that it was her and Tsunade's last savings. Shizune thanked Mashiro.

"No need to thank me. This person does have some skills and seems to be a ninja, but I don't know why he's taken the path of petty theft," the woman said to Shizune.

"Anyway, thank you so much. I need Shizune." Shizune said, holding the woman's hand. "My name is Hinata Mashiro." The woman smiled and said...

"Hyuga? Are you a Konoha ninja?" Shizune asked in surprise.

“Yes, we came here to carry out a mission for the village,” Mashiro said.

"On a mission? Do Konoha's genin have to travel this far on missions now?" Shizune asked Mashiro as she ate ramen in the restaurant.

“Normally, genin don’t need this, but this mission was directly assigned by the village, which is why I need to come here,” Mashiro said, sipping her ramen soup.

"Special assignment, it seems Mashiro-chan must be exceptionally talented. She'll definitely become a very outstanding ninja in the future, unlike me..." Shizune sighed as she spoke. "Shizune should also be a thief, right? What's wrong? Are you having a hard time these days?" Makoto said casually.

“Strictly speaking, I should also be considered a Konoha ninja, but I’m currently training with my master all over the place. How should I put it, my master is a bit unreliable,” Shizune said.

Then Jingyin started complaining about all the terrible things that happened when she was traveling with her master to various places to cultivate—or rather, when she was running away from debts.

Even Shizune herself didn't know why she would suddenly tell these things to a stranger. This was all thanks to Mashiro's familiar technique, "Illusion: Mind Words".

"It seems that Shizune is not living a very good life right now," Mashiro said, staring at Shizune with wide eyes.

"It's not that it's not good. I'm already very happy to be by your side, adults. Of course, it would be even better if you were more reliable," Shizune said as she gradually regained consciousness.

"Because of the mission, I'll be staying here for a few more days. We can go shopping together during these days," Mashiro said to Shizune.

"Of course it's great!" Shizune was very happy. After pouring out her troubles to Mashiro, Shizune had come to regard Mashiro as a very good friend. This inexplicable friendship made her, who hadn't had any friends her own age for many years, very happy.

At that moment, Shizune noticed the clock on the wall.

"Oh no, it's already past 1 a.m." Shizune hurriedly raised her hand to call the owner over. "Boss, two more servings of ramen to go, please."

After finishing her sentence, Shizune said apologetically to Mashiro, "I'm sorry, I have to go back now." "It's okay, don't worry about it," Mashiro waved her hand and said.

"Your noodles will cost 230 taels in total." The shopkeeper handed the packaged noodles to Jingyin and said. Jingyin took out her wallet, opened it, and was immediately stunned; there were only ten taels inside.

"Could it be that Lady Tsunade..." Shizune recalled the tender expression on Lady Tsunade's face when she returned last night, and suddenly everything became clear. "I'll pay for her." Mashiro, who had been secretly observing, took out her money and paid for Shizune's bill.

Shizune blushed with embarrassment, thanked Mashiro many times, then grabbed her noodles and stormed out the door. "Shizune is still as cute as ever."

Mashiro, her face flushed, watched Shizune's hurried departure and chuckled softly.