Tsunade didn't want to see Uchiha Madara rise again and wreak havoc, nor did she want Iwagakure and Kumogakure to fully understand the secrets of the Rinnegan.
She couldn't help but question herself—was getting rid of the Rinnegan truly the right decision?
On one hand, it reduced the chances of Konoha being targeted by a powerful enemy.
But on the other, it created new, unknown dangers.
"You're overthinking it."
Takuya looked at her with an expression of exasperation.
"You really think the Rinnegan is that easy to control?"
"Relax. You still have me, don't you?"
"Even if, and that's a big if, Iwagakure and Kumogakure try to harness its power, their chances of success are ridiculously low.
"The Rinnegan isn't like the Sharingan—it's not something you can just implant and use freely."
Stealing the Byakugan and transplanting it could grant enhanced perception abilities.
Stealing the Sharingan and implanting it could indeed boost one's strength.
But the drawbacks?
For one, the Sharingan constantly drains chakra and can't be deactivated, remaining in an always-on state.
Kakashi was the perfect example.
At the peak of his growth, the damn Sharingan held him back. He had to abandon most of his family's techniques and even his Lightning Release skills just to keep up.
Instead of being a top-tier shinobi in his own right, he became known as the "Copy Ninja."
But what was the point of copying a thousand jutsu if you could only ever use a handful in real combat?
More often than not, he was just constantly draining his chakra for no real advantage.
And that was just the Sharingan.
The Rinnegan, though?
Tch. That thing didn't just drain chakra—it sapped your lifeforce.
More importantly, the Rinnegan was far pickier with bloodlines than the Sharingan.
Without Uchiha lineage, the Sharingan was already a chakra drain.
But the Rinnegan?
Even if you came from one of the Sage of Six Paths' other bloodlines, it would still put an immense strain on you.
Look at Nagato.
Even with the Uzumaki Clan's massive chakra reserves and absurd vitality, the Rinnegan still pushed him to the brink.
If Iwagakure and Kumogakure tried to implant it into an ordinary shinobi, Takuya could already see what would happen.
Whoever received it would die a terrible death—drained dry, like squeezing the last drop of water from a sponge.
"For now, make sure no one from the Uzumaki or Uchiha clans leaves the village.
"Keep an eye on Iwagakure and Kumogakure—especially any Uchiha."
Better safe than sorry.
Even though, in theory, even an Uchiha would struggle to handle the Rinnegan's burden, there was still a chance.
What if those villages got their hands on an Uchiha or an Uzumaki and started experimenting?
What if they found a way to actually use the Rinnegan?
If they managed to unlock its power, Konoha's problems would only multiply.
So for now, it was better to keep those two clans securely inside the village.
The Uzumaki were less of a concern.
There weren't many of them left, and they rarely left Konoha anyway.
They knew full well that if they set foot outside, they'd be prime targets.
But the Uchiha were different.
Their shinobi frequently left for missions, so restrictions needed to be put in place.
"You think Iwagakure and Kumogakure would actually abduct members of these clans for experiments?"
Tsunade frowned deeply.
This was getting troublesome.
The Uzumaki Clan was manageable, but the Uchiha? There were too many of them.
Fortunately, most Uchiha shinobi were stationed in the Konoha Police Force, meaning only a fraction of them took missions outside the village.
Still, she couldn't afford to take any chances.
"I'll inform Uchiha Fugaku immediately.
"Starting today, every Uchiha and Uzumaki shinobi will be accounted for daily.
"We'll confirm their presence in the village at all times.
"I'll also have the Uchiha cooperate in restricting their members from leaving Konoha for now."
It was clear that Tsunade was taking this seriously.
Takuya stretched and yawned.
"That's about all we can do. The rest is up to fate."
"Trying to master the Rinnegan's power… I can't tell if they're ambitious or just plain stupid. Either way, they're in for a rough time."
Despite all the recent troubles, not everything was bad.
For one, Iwagakure, which had been eyeing Konoha hungrily, had begun withdrawing its forces.
A large number of Iwagakure shinobi were pulling out of the Land of Grass and returning to the Land of Earth, leaving Kusagakure in an awkward position, unsure which side to lean on.
At the same time, Kumogakure, which had been getting restless, suddenly quieted down.
Both the Third Raikage and Ōnoki were now focused on consolidating their forces, directing their attention toward researching the Rinnegan.
Compared to the potential power of the Rinnegan, the spoils of war seemed trivial.
With such an enticing prize in their hands, neither of them had the time or interest to wage war against Konoha.
That gave Konoha a rare period of respite.
Once the village fully recovered from the scars of war, Konoha would have no reason to fear conflict.
On top of that, thanks to a few well-timed extortions, Konoha's finances and supplies had been significantly replenished, easing the burden on the village.
Additionally, with Tsunade's intervention, the Fire Daimyō had decided to increase Konoha's funding—paying them ahead of schedule.
With ample resources and funding, Konoha would be able to rise from the shadows of war in no time.
Takuya hadn't expected the Fire Daimyō to be so cooperative.
Not only had he agreed to send money early, but he had even increased the amount.
Apparently, Tsunade's influence far exceeded that of the Third Hokage.
If this had happened in the past, the best they could've hoped for was not being scolded by the Daimyō.
Asking for more money?
Forget it.
And voluntarily getting more money from the Daimyō?
Impossible.
The Fire Daimyō wasn't made of gold.
With all the back-to-back wars, the daimyō's treasury had taken a serious hit.
During these times, requesting money was practically asking for a death sentence.
Yet Tsunade had managed to pull it off—without even visiting the Fire Daimyō in person.
She had simply sent a letter, and the funds arrived.
With extra money.
Takuya was very curious about what the Third Hokage would think when he heard about this.
—
Meanwhile, deep within a top-secret laboratory hidden within Kumogakure, security was tighter than even the Raikage's office.
Inside, the Third Raikage frowned as he watched another failed experiment—another corpse being dragged away.
His tone was filled with frustration.
"How many now?"
"Raikage-sama, this is the third one."
Dodai let out a heavy sigh.
The shinobi chosen for the experiments weren't just any ninja.
They were Kumogakure's elite—high-ranking jōnin, specifically selected for their immense chakra reserves and life force.
And yet, every attempt had ended in failure.
"Even Blue B couldn't withstand the Rinnegan's burden?"
The Third Raikage hadn't expected this outcome.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING