Konoha's Tag-System Ninja

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Grilled or Boiled?

The short vacation passed in the blink of an eye.

Shūichi resumed his leisurely task schedule, as Hiruzen Sarutobi stayed in the village, allowing Shūichi more time for research and training.

One day, Shūichi had an appointment with Kushina Uzumaki and arrived at his sensei Minato Namikaze's house. Upon entering, he was surprised to find that Jiraiya was there as well.

The surprising part was that Jiraiya wasn't in Konoha during the New Year celebrations. Who knows where he had gone to gather material for his new book?

"Hahaha, Shūichi, congratulations on winning first place in the food-eating contest."

Jiraiya laughed and said, "Remember, I promised I'd teach you a really interesting jutsu."

Just as he finished speaking, Kushina quickly interrupted, "Wait, Jiraiya-sensei, let me guess first!"

Jiraiya crossed his arms with a smug smile, waiting patiently.

Shūichi also watched as Kushina raised a finger, deep in thought.

After a moment, Kushina grinned and said, "Jiraiya-sensei, I bet it's that technique you developed—the Wild Lion's Mane Technique, right?"

"Among all the jutsu you've mastered, if we're talking about fun, it's got to be that one."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Kushina, this time, you're wrong."

Kushina furrowed her brow and rubbed her chin in thought. "It's not that one...? Then what other jutsu could be considered interesting?"

Soon, another idea popped into her head, and she confidently declared, "This time I've got it!"

"The Toad Transformation Jutsu! It looks like a simple transformation technique, but instead of changing yourself, you change someone else!"

Upon hearing this, Shūichi's eyes lit up as he recalled that jutsu and smiled. "A transformation technique that alters others?"

"That does sound really interesting. In a way, my Crow Clone Jutsu also changes the form of crows."

Jiraiya, intrigued, asked, "Crow Clone Jutsu?"

"You use crows as your substitution clones?"

Kushina smiled and explained, "It's a flying clone jutsu Shūichi developed. But Jiraiya-sensei, you haven't answered yet. Did I guess right this time?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "Of course... you're wrong again."

Kushina's eyes widened in disbelief, placing her hands on her hips. "No way! Jiraiya-sensei, are you cheating?"

Laughing, Jiraiya stood up and walked behind Kushina before forming hand seals.

From the side, Shūichi watched as Jiraiya's body seemed to deflate, flattening into a two-dimensional shape like paper and merging with Kushina's shadow.

Kushina suddenly froze, feeling a loss of control over her body, and involuntarily spoke, "It's this jutsu... Toad Flatness — Shadow Manipulation Technique!"

"Well, what do you think? Isn't it an interesting jutsu?" Jiraiya asked as he canceled the technique. Under Shūichi's gaze, his body reappeared from the shadow and quickly reinflated like a balloon.

Shūichi chuckled, "It's definitely a fascinating jutsu."

As Kushina regained her composure, she argued, "The Toad Transformation Jutsu is clearly more fun."

With a playful grin, she suggested, "Why not teach both to Shūichi?"

"Since we're already teaching a Mount Myoboku jutsu, adding one more won't hurt, right?"

Jiraiya couldn't help but tease, "Kushina, you're really starting to act like Minato's wife."

Kushina proudly placed an arm around Shūichi's shoulder, laughing confidently.

After his playful remark, Jiraiya smiled and asked, "Teaching both is fine, but Shūichi, what's this fun jutsu you mentioned before? How does it compare to the Toad Transformation Jutsu and Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulation Technique?"

Shūichi grinned confidently, "I'm absolutely sure it'll be even more fun than both of your techniques, Jiraiya-sama."

"Oh?"

"Such confidence!"

Jiraiya's curiosity was piqued—he had great faith in Shūichi's talent for jutsu. After all, his results had been outstanding.

"Alright then, let's start learning the jutsu now!"

Jiraiya eagerly began teaching Shūichi the Toad Transformation Jutsu and Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulation Technique.

The first was relatively simple, a variation of the standard transformation technique.

Although Shūichi hadn't acquired the "Transformation Master" tag, he had developed the Crow Clone Jutsu, and the two techniques shared many similarities.

It took Shūichi less than five minutes to fully master the jutsu.

The Toad Flatness Shadow Manipulation Technique was slightly more challenging, as it required mastery of Yin Release nature transformation. It was rated as a B-rank jutsu.

Jiraiya carefully taught Shūichi the hand seals and explained the underlying principles.

After committing it to memory, Shūichi couldn't help but ask, "Jiraiya-sama, does the Nara Clan's shadow techniques follow a similar principle?"

Jiraiya nodded, "Yes, they do. However, the Nara Clan has refined their shadow jutsu to a much deeper level, developing a wide range of applications. They're one of the most unique Yin Release specialists in the ninja world."

Given that the Nara Clan had been a part of the ninja world since the Warring States period, it was no surprise they had developed formidable techniques.

Shūichi left it at that and didn't ask further. Seeing Jiraiya about to ask him about his own jutsu, he quickly signaled with his eyes.

Jiraiya understood immediately and quickly said to Kushina, "Kushina, I'm going to take Shūichi to practice his new jutsu."

Kushina didn't notice anything odd and nodded with a smile, raising a fist toward Shūichi. "Shūichi, good luck!"

"I will!"

Shūichi returned the gesture, then left with Jiraiya.

...

In a secluded forest area, Jiraiya stopped and smiled at Shūichi Hoshita, saying, "This spot should be good, right?"

"Let's get started. The Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku can't wait to see your interesting jutsu!"

Shūichi grinned mischievously, "Then Jiraiya-sama, you'd better be ready."

As soon as he finished speaking, with a loud poof, a cloud of smoke erupted.

Jiraiya stood there with his arms crossed, waiting with a judging expression. However, as the smoke cleared, his eyes widened, and a perverted look crept onto his face.

Shūichi had transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman, wearing a lacy black bra and underwear, flaunting a perfect hourglass figure. Striking an incredibly seductive pose, with an alluring gaze, the transformed Shūichi purred in a high-pitched voice, "Jiraiya-sama~"

"This... this..."

Jiraiya's nose started bleeding on the spot.

He bashfully rubbed his fingers together, squirming with a perverted yet shy expression as he stammered, "Is there more?"

"This is definitely the perfect jutsu for me. Material like this is hard to find!"

Shūichi continued to transform.

Black stockings!

Lettered stockings!

Nude-colored stockings!

Styles ranging from mature to seductive to innocent, and even a sheer white nightgown.

His voice shifted from high-pitched, to mature, to shy...

Jiraiya's nosebleed was unstoppable at this point.

Finally, Shūichi unleashed his ultimate move—clones combined with transformation, surrounding Jiraiya in every style simultaneously, all calling out, "Jiraiya-sama~"

Thud!

Jiraiya collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with happiness.

Shūichi dispelled the jutsu and shook his head, thinking, That's it?

After a moment, Jiraiya finally recovered.

Shūichi smiled and asked, "So, Jiraiya-sama, how was my version of the Sexy Jutsu?"

Jiraiya immediately gave a thumbs up. "Fantastic! This will save me so much time gathering material!"

"But, where did you learn all those styles? Was it from a magazine?"

Shūichi smirked mysteriously, "That's a secret!"

"Alright then, Jiraiya-sama, I'm off to train now!" he said before running off.

Jiraiya stood there, replaying all those styles in his mind before quickly sitting down and pulling out paper and pen to jot down his inspiration.

...

Meanwhile, on his way to the experimental lab, Shūichi couldn't help but think.

If Naruto learns the Sexy Jutsu from Jiraiya someday, and Kushina finds out, will Jiraiya get chased down and beaten?

Then again, will I also get caught up in the mess?

This could be dangerous! But, I can always deny everything. I'm just a nine-year-old, such a diligent and hardworking kid—how could I possibly be involved in such mischief?

"Hehe, I'm really looking forward to this!" Shūichi thought with a mischievous grin.

However, upon arriving at Orochimaru's lab, he immediately switched back to his studious persona.

Diligently conducting research, carefully researching the Eight-Tails' cells.

Orochimaru admired this attitude the most!

Hardworking and full of ideas—a perfect assistant!

Shūichi felt the intense gaze on him and turned to see Orochimaru smiling at him.

"Shūichi-kun, how's that idea we discussed last time progressing?" Orochimaru asked, retracting his gaze.

While continuing his work, Shūichi replied, "Orochimaru-sama, you're quite knowledgeable about jinchūriki. What would you say is their biggest challenge when dealing with the sealed tailed beasts?"

"Or rather, what's the hardest part of mastering a tailed beast's power?"

Orochimaru answered without hesitation, "The malevolent chakra!"

"Or rather, the overwhelming malice of the tailed beasts!"

Shūichi nodded and then explained slowly, "Tailed beasts are indeed unique lifeforms. We don't fully understand them yet, but setting that aside for now—both tailed beasts and shinobi share one common element: chakra. For us shinobi, chakra is the fusion of spiritual and physical energy."

"That's why chakra is often described as the power that connects the hearts of people."

Orochimaru nodded. He already knew this much.

Shūichi continued, "Now, Orochimaru-sama, have you ever sensed the evil chakra of a shinobi?"

Orochimaru paused, immediately thinking of certain members of the Uchiha clan in Konoha.

Shūichi went on, "In terms of sensory ninjutsu, especially chakra sensing techniques, every person's chakra gives off a unique feeling."

"This feeling aligns with the nature of the chakra's owner, meaning that chakra can sometimes reveal a person's personality..."

After a brief pause, Shūichi corrected himself, "Their personality, as well as their mental state."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement as he clapped with a grin, "Interesting! This is a fascinating avenue of thought!"

In the past, his research into the Eight-Tails and his secret work with Hashirama's cells, as well as his current research on the Four-Tails, had all focused on the physical aspect.

Shūichi's words brought up concepts Orochimaru wasn't unaware of, but he hadn't paid much attention to before. Compared to the physical body, the mental and spiritual worlds were too intangible.

From Orochimaru's reaction, Shūichi could tell that Orochimaru's research had yet to delve into the spiritual and soul-related aspects.

It seemed the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique was still a long way off.

Orochimaru likely wouldn't consider such concepts until after modifying his body, turning into the White Phosphorus Snake, and realizing that physical transformations couldn't overcome his body's weaknesses. At that point, he would probably start looking into Konoha's vast library of forbidden jutsu for knowledge related to the soul.

And even then, Shūichi vaguely recalled that Living Corpse Reincarnation wasn't Orochimaru's original creation, but something he had perfected step by step from Konoha's forbidden jutsu—much like the Impure World Reincarnation technique.

...

"So, back to the tailed beasts and jinchūriki," Shūichi calmly analyzed. "The power of the tailed beasts is immense. Their chakra can be hundreds, if not thousands, of times greater than that of an ordinary shinobi."

"Moreover, these tailed beasts have existed for hundreds, even thousands of years, accumulating an unfathomable amount of negative emotions from countless battles and experiences."

"I believe it's this vast accumulation of negative emotions that corrupts their chakra, and that's the true source of the tailed beasts' evil power."

Orochimaru responded, "So, Shūichi-kun, you think the key to resisting the tailed beasts' evil power lies in mental strength?"

Shūichi nodded. "With a proper seal, the vast power of the tailed beasts can't easily harm the jinchūriki physically. While physical compatibility is important, the real challenge lies in mental resilience."

"I've fought two different jinchūriki before. One was Killer B, the jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails. That guy is quite special. Even when he uses the power of the tailed beast, his chakra doesn't give off any sense of evil."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's quite different from the previous Eight-Tails jinchūriki. It seems Killer B is indeed the perfect jinchūriki."

Shūichi agreed and continued, "But the jinchūriki of the Four-Tails was different. He could also use the tailed beast's power, even transforming partially into the beast. But his power gave off an unmistakably evil feeling. Even though he didn't lose his sanity, it clearly affected him."

"You can feel the stark contrast between the jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and the Eight-Tails."

"So, based on my theory, to control a tailed beast's power properly, the jinchūriki first needs to resist the malice of the beast, to stand firm against the overwhelming negative emotions."

"This requires a jinchūriki to have an incredibly resilient mental will, one that won't be influenced by the tailed beast's negativity—at least not to the point of losing their mind."

"And if they want to fully master the tailed beast's power, perhaps the ultimate solution is to... treat the tailed beast like a regular summon, forming a mutual understanding."

Treat the tailed beast like a regular summon? Orochimaru was taken aback and then chuckled. "That... seems rather impossible."

Would an elephant ever befriend an ant?

Would the strong ever willingly befriend the weak?

Especially when the tailed beasts are sealed inside human bodies—a humiliating situation for such powerful creatures.

Shūichi nodded in agreement. Tailed beasts really aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Of course, his loyalty was firmly on the side of the shinobi. After all, if he were siding with the tailed beasts, how could they possibly stand for this?

Just because they're strong, they have to be sealed? Where's the justice in that? It's too much! They should definitely fight back—especially against the Senju and Uchiha.

If the Nine-Tails doesn't take down every last descendant of Hashirama and Madara, can it even call itself the strongest tailed beast?

...

"So, this is the real reason why you avoid animal experiments," Orochimaru laughed.

Shūichi nodded. "Ordinary animals can't withstand the malice of a tailed beast. As for physical compatibility, it's a complete gamble."

"After all, if their mental resilience can't hold up, their body will collapse as well."

"The mind and body are two sides of the same coin, like yin and yang. Only when they work together can chakra be produced."

Orochimaru then asked, "So, Shūichi-kun, are you planning to try it yourself next?"

Shūichi shook his head. "I'm confident in my mental fortitude, but Lady Tsunade and the others would never allow me to attempt something like that."

Orochimaru chuckled, "You worry too much."

Shūichi responded thoughtfully, "But that caution is also a form of mental strength."

Orochimaru was briefly stunned, then nodded with a smile. "Indeed, that's true."

At that moment, Shūichi thought of the Gold and Silver Brothers from the Hidden Cloud and asked, "Orochimaru-sama, are you familiar with Kinkaku and Ginkaku from the Hidden Cloud?"

"Of course!" Orochimaru laughed. "After all, it was because of them that our Second Hokage met his end."

"Those brothers are also tied to the tailed beasts," Orochimaru added meaningfully. "I'm guessing you brought them up because they once wielded the power of the Nine-Tails."

Shūichi nodded. "I've heard they were once swallowed by the Nine-Tails but managed to escape. By eating the Nine-Tails' flesh, they gained some of its power."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement, then looked at Shūichi in surprise. "You're not suggesting you plan to follow their example and eat tailed beast flesh, are you?"

"Heh... that's quite an intriguing thought."

Shūichi opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He wasn't seriously considering it; he was merely offering it up as an idea for Orochimaru to try.

However... why was his Tag System stirring?

He took a quick glance.

Tag: Devourer

Condition to Obtain: Eat the flesh of the Four-Tails and the Eight-Tails.

Effects: Physical attributes increased by 100%, bodily compatibility increased by 100%, digestion ability increased by 100%, recovery rate increased by 100%. If you can eat tailed beasts, what can't you eat?

Shūichi nearly turned pale.

Grilled, or boiled?

But the effects... were undeniably tempting!

Still, this was dangerous!

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Shūichi smiled at Orochimaru and said, "Eating tailed beast flesh... it's not entirely out of the question."

Orochimaru immediately grew serious. "If that's the case, cell transplantation might be a more efficient way to absorb the power."

"Kinkaku and Ginkaku's situation is, after all, legendary."

"And from what you've analyzed, as long as a jinchūriki can withstand the malice of a tailed beast, there's a high chance they can obtain its power."

Shūichi also grew serious, thoughtfully analyzing, "Tailed beasts are indeed different. Their physical forms are essentially made of chakra."

"From a strategic perspective, the weak submit to the strong."

"If I defeat you, you submit to me."

"Consuming the flesh of a tailed beast is a form of battle. If one can overcome the invasion of its malice, the physical domination and integration might become much easier."

Orochimaru pondered deeply, as he found Shūichi's reasoning to be quite convincing, especially when it came to such unique entities like tailed beasts.

On the genetic level, it was a battle of dominance—much like the powerful Hashirama cells.

Then again, could this method also work with Hashirama cells?

After all, Hashirama cells are in no way inferior to the power of a tailed beast.

The key difference was that Hashirama cells exert their overwhelming power through the body, not the mind.

But Orochimaru, being rational, thought that while Shūichi's approach might apply to tailed beasts, it wouldn't necessarily work for Hashirama cells.

Still, it was an intriguing thought.

(End of Chapter)

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