XX-level Hokage

Hashimoto Isshin got up from the ground, his knees soaked in blood, and said, "This lord would never ask us to do the impossible. Since he has allowed us to try investing the entire year's income of the Land of Lightning, it means that the income of the Land of Lightning next year will definitely be twice that of this year. The Chamber of Commerce would never do a losing business."

"Think about it, what if we took out this year's profits and used them to help the villagers of Kumogakure?" The vice-president's eyes lit up at this, and he said, "A good impression."

"That's right, a good impression. The biggest obstacle to our expansion in Yunren Village is the suppression of local industries and the indifference of the higher-ups. Now, we are selflessly helping the villagers of Yunren Village, providing them with the necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. This not only reduces the pressure on the higher-ups of Yunren Village, but also leaves a good impression on the villagers."

You should know that the aid from the daimyo takes a long time to go through the process, but we don't need to. We can just transport it from other industries in the Land of Lightning or buy it directly from other places.

"In this way, once the Cloud Village is rebuilt, our expansion will be driven by popular demand, and our revenue next year will definitely increase significantly. As for whether we can become the number one branch, that will depend on our own operations," Hashimoto Isshin said, as many marketing strategies were already forming in his mind.

Chapter 142: Shall we give it a try?

When Mashiro returned to the guesthouse, only Sakura was inside. Upon seeing Mashiro, Sakura immediately rushed towards him.

Holding Sakura in her arms, Mashiro said softly, "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this, suddenly encountering such a thing."

Sakura shook her head and smiled, "No, I came of my own volition. After all, nothing bad happened to me, right? And because of your Human Jutsu, my chakra increased a bit, and my relationship with you improved. It was very rewarding."

It's likely that some of the Two-Tails' chakra remained in Sakura's body. Because of the divine intervention, the Two-Tails' chakra became pure chakra, so even if some remained in Sakura's body, it wouldn't have any impact. It's just a pity that some of the remaining chakra was one-time use; otherwise, Mashiro could have used the Tailed Beast's chakra to mass-produce ninjas.

"We should be able to return to Konoha tomorrow." Mashiro said softly, carrying Sakura to the sofa.

Sakura nodded gently. She actually quite enjoyed her time in Kumogakure with Mashiro; it was a rare opportunity for just the two of them to be alone. Just as Sakura was about to say something, Mashiro, who was holding her, suddenly shrank, turning into the eleven or twelve-year-old Mashiro he was looking like.

"This feels more comfortable," Mashiro said softly. After all, this is her true form right now.

"Mashiro, what's wrong with you?" Sakura looked at Mashiro beside her, somewhat at a loss, as Mashiro was still sitting on Mashiro's lap.

"It's nothing, just a side effect of saving the Cloud Ninja," Mashiro said calmly. Hearing this, Sakura relaxed and looked at Mashiro curiously.

He would touch Zhenbai's arm one moment and pinch Zhenbai's face the next, having a great time.

"It's somewhat similar to Lady Tsunade's Yin Seal Technique, but there are also some differences." Sakura exclaimed in surprise, sensing Mashiro's current state. Yin Seal Technique? It is indeed somewhat similar, but Tsunade's was active, while mine was passive. Mashiro pondered for a moment before speaking.

The Yin Sealing Technique achieves the effect of preserving youth and improving bodily functions by using low output and micro-adjustment of chakra within the Hundred Healings Seal. In other words, it artificially manipulates bodily functions, allowing the body to be transformed into the state of various age groups.

"Speaking of which, I've never seen Tsunade in her loli form yet. I might try it sometime." Mashiro muttered to herself, thinking of the Yin Seal.

"What are you talking about?" Xiaolou asked softly. For some reason, she felt that Zhenbai had been thinking about something strange. "Nothing, just thinking about the principle behind how I became like this," Zhenbai said softly, shaking her head as she came back to her senses.

Mashiro's situation was quite different. She should have aged due to overdrawing her Yang attribute chakra, but because of the domineering nature of the Otsutsuki bloodline, her Yin attribute chakra was suppressed, resulting in a more domineering pseudo-Yin seal state. Unfortunately, due to insufficient chakra in her body, she was unable to regulate it on her own.

“You look like this reminds me of when we were little, but I feel like you look even better now than I remember you as a child,” Sakura said, snuggling against Mashiro.

It was probably because of her Otsutsuki bloodline that she felt she was a bit paler than before.

"Speaking of the past, Sakura, do you remember the games we used to play when we were little?" Mashiro said with a light laugh. With that prompting, many strange memories flooded Sakura's mind again.

"Mashiro, why haven't you bullied me since I graduated? We haven't even seen each other for a long time." Sakura asked Mashiro with a hint of sadness.

The emotions associated with a person's memories can change; for example, the sorrows of one's youth may be seen as beautiful memories in middle age.

After Sakura fell in love with Mashiro, many things that were once considered shameful and sad now seemed almost romantic. Mashiro didn't answer this; she couldn't very well say it was because she had found someone else.

Mashiro never liked seeing the people around her sad, which meant that in her past life, she had broken everyone's hearts. Gently taking off her shoes, Mashiro said softly, "Want to reminisce about the past? It's rare to see me like this now." Then Mashiro wiggled her small feet.

Upon hearing this, Sakura blushed inexplicably and then knelt down on the ground.

Looking at the pair of delicate, white feet before him, he used his teeth to bite off the socks; their skin was as white and tender as jade, perfectly natural. "Lick."

Mashiro put her foot on Sakura's face.

Sakura tossed her hair, grasped Shiro's jade-like foot, and stuck out her tongue.

Sakura went outside to treat the wounded; as a medical ninja, it was her responsibility.

Only Mashiro remained, lying on the sofa, activating her Byakugan, peering through the ceiling light at Kankuro.

She had once again used ninjutsu to transform into her adult form. Because there was no color, the sky appeared exceptionally vast.

"Shouldn't you be assisting the village with peacekeeping operations right now? How did you suddenly end up here, Samui?" Mashiro suddenly said.

Samui remained silent, then sat down next to Mashiro. After a moment, she said, "I came to thank you. Thank you for saving me; I thought I was going to die."

Mashiro got up, sat back a little, and then lay down again, resting her head on Samui's legs, which were soft and bouncy, more comfortable than Sakura's.

"What's going on?" Although he felt a little strange, Samui remained calm and asked softly.

"Because you're so beautiful, I saved you on a whim, so you should thank yourself." Mashiro looked up, realized she couldn't see anything, closed her eyes, and said.

Hearing Mashiro's words, Samui felt even more confused. She didn't know what to say, and could only finally say, "Thank you for the compliment."

"Interested in coming to Konoha?" Mashiro suddenly asked. "?" Samui was a little confused.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I will become Hokage soon after I return. I would like you to be my assistant. Although I could directly tell the Raikage to assign you to me, I would still like to hear your opinion," Mashiro said softly.

Samui fell silent. Logically, she should have refused outright, but as Mashiro said, Mashiro could have simply asked the Raikage to send her over.

Furthermore, Samui herself didn't resist Mashiro's request; the thought of that pale blue light made her soul tremble. [Samui's Affection +10]

Mashiro was not surprised by Samui's reaction. Samui was saved by Mashiro using Ranya Tenchen to reverse the ending, and her soul would inevitably feel close to Mashiro, just like an alternative blood relationship on a spiritual level.

"I need to think about it." After a moment's hesitation, Samui said.

“Okay, I should be going back tomorrow. You can give me an answer before I get back,” Mashiro said softly. Then she stood up, allowing Samui to leave.

"Then I'll head back now." Samui looked at Mashiro and said softly.

Mashiro nodded, and Samui turned and left. A little while later, Yugito came in.

Seeing Mashiro sitting on the sofa, Yugito sat down next to her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Is there something you need from Samui?"

When she came to find Mashiro, she saw Samui enter Mashiro's room. "It's nothing, I just came to express my gratitude," Mashiro said softly.

"I see. Actually, I've come to express my gratitude to you. If it weren't for you, the Cloud Village would have been wiped out. Thank you so much," Yugito said earnestly, looking at Mashiro.

"Thank you for accepting it, but would you like to give it a try?" Mashiro said with a light laugh.

"What?" Yugito asked, somewhat puzzled.

Mashiro began to shrink, instantly becoming a mini-Mashiro.

Before Yugito could even react in shock or ask a question, Mashiro reached out and touched Yugito's face. A wave of emotion washed over the room.

Chapter 143: Building Momentum

In the second stage, Mashiro takes Sakura to say goodbye to Ai.

A didn't try to persuade him to stay; he was too busy, even his time to meet with Mashiro was something he had to squeeze out. "Kumonogami will always welcome you," A said sincerely to Mashiro.

Mashiro nodded slightly, then looked around and saw Samui's figure not far away, looking at them.

Mashiro gently beckoned, and Samui hesitated for a moment before finally walking towards Mashiro. "Raikage-sama, Mashiro-sama."

Upon approaching, Samui bowed respectfully.

"Is there something you need, Samui?" Ai asked.

“I feel a connection with her and want to bring her back to Konoha to be my assistant, so I had her come along to ask for your opinion,” Mashiro said with a light laugh. Ai glanced at Samui, then at Mashiro, nodded, and said, “Of course I agree. Being able to stay by your side would be a great thing for her too.”

That's a good thing.

"That's settled then. Let Samui help out in Kumogakure for the next few days and make some preparations. I'll send someone to deliver Konoha's aid to Kumogakure in a few days, and she can go to Konoha with them then," Mashiro said softly.

Ai nodded, agreeing with Mashiro's idea.

After saying that, Mashiro turned and left with Sakura. Samui bowed slightly to Ai and followed.

"Have you thought it through?" Outside the Hidden Cloud Village, Mashiro looked at Samui and asked softly. "Perhaps," Samui said calmly.

"Should we bring your younger brother along?" Mashiro asked softly. "No need," Samui shook her head and said.

"Alright, we'll be going now." Mashiro waved his hand and left with Sakura.

Samui watched Mashiro's departing figure, bit her lip, her expression complex, and turned back to Kumogakure. On the way back to Konoha, Koro hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Does Mashiro really like that person?" Sakura felt a strong sense of crisis facing Samui.

Exquisite, aloof features, fair skin, short, light blonde hair, and a stunning figure. Even Sakura herself had to admit she was undeniably alluring; she couldn't compete. "Perhaps," Mashiro said after a moment's thought.

Hearing Mashiro's answer, Sakura sighed softly, then looked at her almost flat upper body.

“But the main reason is because of her talent. I need an assistant, preferably a beautiful female assistant, and she fits my requirements perfectly,” Mashiro continued.

Mashiro initially had her eye on Mabui, but since Mabui was A's secret technique, even though A would definitely give it to her if Mashiro had just asked, she decided against it after thinking it over. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future, and without Mabui's help, A would have a hard time dealing with the mess that Kumogakure was in.

Samui became Mashiro's second choice. Although she was a little less professional than Mabui, she was knowledgeable, calm and composed, and had a great figure.

After listening to Mashiro's words, Sakura thought about it carefully and realized she didn't have the talent, so she felt relieved. Konoha.

After Mashiro and Sakura brought back news of the destruction of Kumogakure, the entire Konoha leadership became tense.

Although I had learned more or less about Akatsuki, I never expected that Akatsuki would have such strength, destroying the Cloud Village, one of the five great ninja villages and one of the strongest.

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade frowned deeply as she looked at the intelligence report in her hand.

She knew that neither Mashiro nor Sakura would lie to her about something like this, so she knew more than the rumors were circulating, and was even more shocked.

"The Rinnegan? I never thought such a legendary eye actually existed," Tsunade said softly.

Mashiro nodded gently. At this moment, she was holding Tun Tun and pinching its nose with great interest, making it make "humming" sounds.

Shizune stood behind her, watching the scene with a somewhat helpless expression. "Listen to me carefully, hey!" Tsunade scolded.

“I’m listening,” Mashiro said, looking at Tsunade very seriously.

"Speaking of which, you specifically brought Sakura along, and secretly contacted the Two-Tails Jinchuriki you had previously imprisoned and then released. Plus, you specifically planned to send an envoy, and even acted as the envoy yourself. You knew all along, didn't you? No, you definitely knew. I should have known." Tsunade said, somewhat annoyed. She had worried about this for a long time.

"Whether it's the Rinnegan or the Akatsuki, it's not really a big problem. The most important thing is what comes after..." Mashiro chuckled and didn't continue.

Tsunade didn't dwell on it and said, "Anyway, you should already have a plan, right? I'll hand over the Hokage position to you, and I won't worry about the rest."

Mashiro nodded gently, handed Ton-Ton to Shizune, stood up, came behind Tsunade, hugged her, and said, "Okay, leave the rest to me." Shizune, holding Ton-Ton, watched this scene, her face slightly flushed, as if she had remembered something.

Over the next few days, Mashiro spent her time teasing Bai, flirting with Tehan and Tayuya, and visiting Yakumo and Kushina.

During the days that Mashiro was away in Kumogakure, the village stopped assigning Naruto missions because of the attack on him. As a result, Kushina and Naruto grew closer.

"Have you adapted to your current life?" Mashiro asked softly, sitting on the bed in Kushina's room.

Kushina is making lunch for Naruto. She has been making lunch at home and bringing it to Naruto every time she finishes a level.

"Konoha is more prosperous, more peaceful, and more thriving than it used to be. Of course, I would prefer my current life, even though I have fewer familiar faces," Kushina said after a moment of silence.

Without Minato and Mikoto, even if there were the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, and Kakashi, she couldn't meet them; they would be no different from strangers.

“You didn’t have many friends in your original world either, did you? You’re only in your early twenties, making friends should be a piece of cake. I can introduce you to a few later,” Mashiro said calmly.

Yugito, Samui, Konan, and Kurenai are all around the same age as Kushina and have independent personalities, so they might be able to become good friends. "Introducing friends? Thank you very much. Your taste is quite good. But speaking of friends, are we really friends?" Mashiro replied with a smile, then...

"Yes, but I want to take it a step further." Mashiro looked at Kushina and said with a light laugh.