[Note: You can now get the complete collection of "Naruto: Starting with the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline" and enjoy lifetime access to all future updates here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/1440505 ]
Chapter 62: Bloodline Limit Development
"Damn it... Jiraiya really did come back to compete for the Hokage seat!"
In the Root base, Shimura Danzo was in an especially foul mood.
He hadn't forgotten what he overheard yesterday when he barged in on Hiruzen Sarutobi—a single sentence that chilled him to the bone.
What he couldn't understand was why. Why did everyone deliberately avoid mentioning him when discussing the next Hokage? It was as if he was destined never to attain the title!
Over thirty years ago, he had left Konoha to fight in the Second Great Ninja War and had played a vital role in keeping the village safe from invasion.
But just because he hesitated for one second back then and lost out to Hiruzen... now, three decades later, was that one moment enough to deny him the position forever?
"I can't be impulsive. I need to be patient and come up with a proper strategy."
Even though Danzo's dissatisfaction was boiling over, he didn't have the guts to directly challenge Hiruzen—not yet, anyway.
He wasn't officially reinstated, not completely. He still needed time.
So what if he was already seventy? Who said Konoha couldn't have a seventy-year-old Hokage?
"First, I need to handle what's in front of me..."
Danzo knew that for now, all he could do was work steadily and try to gain more control over intelligence. Only with that leverage would he have a shot.
The problem was—if he gathered intel and Jiraiya swooped in and took all the credit, that would be a disaster.
"I'll need to compartmentalize the information. Give Jiraiya pieces that aren't the real deal, but don't look fake either!"
His mind raced as he reviewed the situations involving Uchiha Obito and the mysterious organization—these were his responsibilities, his assignments.
Handling them had already earned him back some authority. After all, even Root needed manpower to keep functioning.
"Shame about that kid, though."
Thinking about manpower led his mind to Kitagawa Gen.
He had already received intel on the boy's current status—and honestly, it made Danzo burn with envy.
Too bad he couldn't risk reaching out to someone from Hiruzen's circle right now.
Just like with Uchiha Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan—he suspected that Kakashi's eye might have changed too—but he didn't dare make a move. Just like with Obito, he could only watch.
"Especially since that brat is Kakashi's student..."
He still remembered vividly how Kakashi had once betrayed him—he could grind his teeth just thinking about it.
If not for Kakashi's betrayal, Hiruzen might be dead by now, and he, Danzo, could already be Hokage!
"Forget it... no use dwelling on the past."
After a long sigh, Danzo fell silent, then suddenly narrowed his eyes with a new idea.
"Looks like I'll need to use Orochimaru again."
Sure, constantly throwing "allies" under the bus made him seem like a scumbag—but that didn't bother him. After all, it wasn't like he had a moral compass to begin with.
Not only that—Orochimaru didn't have one either.
"Still, I can't push too far. I'll leak just enough of Orochimaru's bases to lure Jiraiya in... and hopefully, he won't come back."
Danzo murmured to himself, then simply picked up the scroll in front of him and began reading—it was best to keep his focus on actual work.
But after only a moment, his single visible eye flickered with uncertainty.
"More trouble from the Cult of Jashin in the Land of Hot Water? And someone's been asking about them—a skilled bounty ninja wearing a black cloak with red clouds?"
Staring at the intel, Danzo couldn't help but recall seeing Orochimaru wear a similar outfit once. An idea slowly began to form in his mind...
---
"Congratulations on becoming a Chūnin, Gen."
"Thanks, but…"
"What's wrong?"
"Did I not do well enough or something, Kakashi-sensei? Why didn't I even get promoted to Special Jōnin?"
"…"
As they walked out of the Hokage Building, Kakashi gave Kitagawa Gen his signature dead-fish stare.
He was starting to regret ever saying, 'At your age, I was already a Jōnin.'
"Be content. You're strong, but some things can't be rushed. This isn't wartime—we're not just handing out ranks. You still have a lot to learn, and this kind of patience will help temper your mindset."
"Oh."
Gen nodded. He understood—somewhat. Still, it was frustrating that he couldn't find a way to "glitch the system."
Technically, "Special Jōnin" was a form of Jōnin… but if the system didn't count it, what could he do?
At least he had become a Chūnin within half a year of graduating—and without even having to take the exam. That alone was pretty impressive.
"Maybe I really will end up being Naruto's proctor one day..."
As that thought crossed Gen's mind, Kakashi suddenly looked over with a sharp eye.
"Speaking of which… What was that jutsu last night? What exactly have you been teaching Naruto?"
"That has nothing to do with me!"
Gen quickly denied everything. He definitely wasn't taking the blame for that one.
"That was all his own idea. Besides, didn't Lord Jiraiya agree to train him? Seems like it's going well."
"Using that method, though…"
Kakashi was too speechless to argue. He eventually just rolled his eyes and muttered,
"Whatever. Go home and rest. Why's your face so pale anyway? You looked off yesterday too."
"I was born this way. Nothing I can do. Oh, right—Kakashi-sensei, what do you think about me dyeing my hair white?"
"…"
"I mean, I keep going on missions with you and Lord Jiraiya. I'm the only one with black hair. Feels kind of out of place."
"..."
Kakashi gave up and decided to ignore him, lowering his head and flipping open his little orange book as he headed toward home.
They'd been out too late last night—he was tired.
Gen waved at Kakashi as he left, then took off running toward his own place.
Only when he leapt through his window did he suddenly realize—
"Wait, why didn't I just use Flying Thunder God?"
Scratching his head, he decided it wasn't worth overthinking. He shut the windows and doors, then plopped down onto the floor.
"Alright… time to give it a try."
He had nearly fully grasped the theory behind Yin-Yang Release, but he had to admit—its difficulty was far higher than he had imagined.
"Especially... the intel Madara gave to Obito—there's something off about it."
As someone who could control chakra as naturally as breathing—a "Ōtsutsuki Level 20"—he had studied the mission-provided data closely and managed to spot a few subtle, seemingly illogical inconsistencies.
The intel had come from others, after all. But he could adapt it using his own understanding.
Same with Obito's case—he'd realized there was a good reason it was called Yin-Yang Arts, not Yin-Yang Style.
"Still, that's not a bad thing. If I can trigger stronger Yin or Yang-based techniques individually, that's useful too. Isn't this supposed to be part of the Ōtsutsuki clan's core abilities?"
Gen couldn't help but wonder—just how much power actually counted as the Ōtsutsuki's "inherent abilities"?
The more he developed his bloodline, the more terrifying it seemed… and the more absurd figures like Momoshiki and Urashiki felt in comparison.
"Maybe Momoshiki got his butt kicked so badly that, after becoming 'Momo-Kurama,' he started studying ninja strategy and tactics just to survive."
Even with top-tier "equipment-level" power, he still got destroyed by people with lesser "gear." That'd humble anyone.
Even Isshiki, for all his overwhelming might, had to witness the shinobi world's evolution through Code's eyes after becoming a Karma seal.
"Let's start with something simple—Ice Release. Then I'll dig deeper into Yin-Yang Arts."
With that thought, he slowly raised his hand. In an instant, wind and water chakra began to swirl in his palm.
Guided by his control, the two forces started to merge—forming a slow, growing chill that solidified in his hand...