Shihouin Chunzai watched his father return to the house with a gloomy expression and felt confused. Why did he still look so troubled even after meeting with the clan patriarch?
"Father, you went to speak with the patriarch. What happened?" Chunzai asked, concerned.
"It's none of your business! Go to sleep!" Shihouin Chunyuan snapped, his hands clasped behind his back as he scolded his son in a foul mood.
Chunzai stood speechless, not knowing how to respond. He could only return to his room and lie down in frustration.
Meanwhile, Chunyuan, overwhelmed with worries, tried to rest but couldn't fall asleep. This visit to the village had brought such unexpected news from Naraku that his mind refused to quiet down.
In another part of the compound, Shihouin Naraku sat in his room, equally troubled. It had taken considerable effort to convince the others to accept his plan. What worried him most was that Chunyuan might learn about the Hokage candidates from someone else, act on his own, and ruin everything Naraku had carefully arranged.
"Time for the third ten-draw series," Naraku whispered to himself.
The quiet night provided the perfect atmosphere for a lucky draw. Having accumulated enough energy for ten consecutive draws, Naraku spoke directly, "System, start the draw!"
[Ding! Do you want to start the third ten-draw bonus?]
"Yes, open it!"
As soon as he confirmed, a familiar turntable materialized in his mind. The pointer spun rapidly, passing over rewards spectacular enough to drive anyone mad with desire. Despite having seen this before, Naraku still felt a flutter of nervousness.
To be honest, his strength already ranked among the elite of the shinobi world. With knowledge of the future plot, there were few opponents that truly threatened him. The real problem came from certain individuals, like members of the Ōtsutsuki clan. After altering so many events, Naraku couldn't guarantee that the future remained under his control.
That's why gaining more power mattered most to him. The position of Hokage was merely a stepping stone for his growth, not his ultimate goal!
[Ding! The lucky draw is complete!]
[Congratulations! Host has received the following rewards...]
[1. One-Tailed Shukaku's Chakra (one-thousandth portion)!]
[2. Lightning Style: Kirin!]
[3. Wind Style: Suppression!]
[4. Conqueror's Haki (Can be fused)!]
[5. Limited Edition of Icha Icha Paradise (Jiraiya Signed Edition)!]
[6. Super delicious rice balls (expired, inedible; forcing yourself to eat them will cause diarrhea for three days)!]
[7. One thousand pounds of perfectly cooked Sea King meat (a specialty from the Pirates world, recommended to be consumed before physical training for special effects; can be summoned at any time)!]
[8. Black Knife Qiu Shui!]
[9. Heart strengthened by 10%!]
[10. Zanpakutō: God's Punishment!]
The moment the ten consecutive draws ended, Shihouin Naraku left Konohagakure at a speed invisible to the naked eye. No one detected his departure.
"Swish!"
"Hm?"
A squad of ANBU shinobi patrolling the village at night paused. Their mission was to prevent enemy infiltrations and respond to sudden threats.
"What's wrong?" one of them asked.
"Didn't you notice? There was a strange gust of wind just now."
The ANBU members immediately went on alert, activating all their senses and searching for any movement nearby.
One ninja from the Hyūga branch family activated his Byakugan and scanned the surroundings. After a thorough search, they found nothing unusual. The village remained peaceful in the late hours.
Just then, another breeze blew through, rustling the leaves in the nearby woods. The ANBU patrol finally relaxed.
No one criticized their comrade for raising the alarm. This was their duty as inspectors—they couldn't ignore any suspicious occurrence.
"Crack!"
Far from the village, Naraku finally stopped running. He grabbed a massive boulder with his right hand and crushed it to pieces.
"Haah..."
He exhaled deeply and gently pressed his left hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating stronger than ever before. He could clearly hear blood rushing through his veins.
"This is too... too exciting!"
Clutching his rapidly pounding heart, Naraku's handsome face flushed red, and his palms trembled slightly.
[Ding! Host, do you want to absorb the One-Tailed Shukaku's Chakra?]
[Ding! Will Host fuse the Conqueror's Haki?]
"Wait, wait, let me calm down first..."
"My heart suddenly became too powerful—I need to adjust!"
Naraku halted the system's prompts. He sat cross-legged on the ground and focused on steadying his drumming heartbeat.
"Thump! Thump! Thump..."
As silence fell around him, Naraku's heartbeat began to affect the natural world. Fallen leaves covering the ground trembled. Lush forest trees swayed gently. Water in a nearby stream gurgled in rhythm with his pulse. Small animals that had been sleeping stirred uneasily, awakened by some invisible force.
As time passed, Naraku seemed to merge with nature, and everything around him gradually returned to peaceful tranquility.
"Haah—"
His eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
At that moment, the peaceful atmosphere shattered, and Shihouin Naraku seemed to return to life.
"That feeling just now—"
"It was strange, familiar, and dangerous all at once... Wait, could that have been natural energy entering my body?"
"Good thing I didn't absorb it carelessly, or I might have been in trouble."
Naraku gently touched his chest, sighing with relief when he felt his heartbeat had returned to its normal rhythm.
"No, that's not right. It's beating more powerfully than before!"
"I really hit the jackpot this time!"
He clenched his fists, sensing his increased strength.
"The strengthening of my heart hasn't just improved my physical condition—I feel that even my Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki have been enhanced. My understanding of swordsmanship has reached a higher level!"
"The key difference is that ordinary training can at most strengthen the external body, while the internal organs remain weak. But for me, strengthening the heart improves my overall physical fitness!"
Naraku clearly saw the attribute table displayed by the system—his physical fitness had improved to S+!
"System, would it be dangerous if I absorb the remaining chakra and the One-Tailed Shukaku's Chakra now?"
[No! Host's physique is now capable of handling all the chakra!]
"Alright then, give me all the chakra!"
[Ding! Do you want to start chakra infusion?]
"Begin!"
"BOOM!!!"
A hurricane formed with Naraku at its center, blowing away surrounding leaves, wood chips, and debris, uprooting many tall trees.
But this time, perhaps because Naraku's enhanced physique integrated the chakra more smoothly, the violent reaction didn't last long!
"Let's finish this all at once—Conqueror's Haki Fusion!"
[Ding! Do you want to start fusing Conqueror's Haki?]
"Fusion!"
"BOOM!!!!"
The clear night sky suddenly darkened with ominous clouds. Lightning flashed within them, electric serpents darting back and forth as thunderbolts struck the earth!
The hurricane that had just subsided rose again, its force increasing rapidly, spreading outward like a roaring tidal wave.
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