Hane Genma had acquired a new strain of the Gedo Mazō's "Plant," which he intended to cultivate through successive generations. His hope was to filter it through the "Lucky Ninja" method, gradually "detoxifying" it to render it harmless and easier to control.
While Fuma Goro was engrossed in conducting brutal human experiments, Genma wasn't idle either.
After recovering from his injuries, through repeated chakra extraction, guidance, and control training, he further honed his mastery over his own body.
During this process, he noticed additional changes in his body after absorbing a new batch of White Zetsu. The benefits weren't limited to mere physical enhancement.
Likely due to the "Distributed Command-Class" White Zetsu, capable of long-distance communication, Genma discovered he had gained a unilateral advantage over other White Zetsu.
First, he could suppress his own signal. Even while maintaining his "White Zetsu transformation," he could, if he wished, completely mask his "White Zetsu traits." This allowed him to sense other White Zetsu while remaining undetectable to them.
Second, Genma had developed a slight ability to dominate ordinary White Zetsu. If another White Zetsu was attached to a ninja, he could easily expel it.
The second ability wasn't particularly useful yet, but the first was a significant boost for Genma. Previously, he could only sneak and ambush other ninjas; now, he could even sneak up on White Zetsu.
In a way, he could be considered the "White Zetsu among White Zetsu"—a true standout.
After bringing the interim results of the Gedo Mazō project back to Kikyo Castle, before he could even begin cultivating the next batch, two individuals hurriedly approached him.
Only a select few in the organization knew about Genma's "secret technique transplantation experiments." Upon hearing that the experiments had achieved preliminary success, some couldn't contain their excitement.
"Leader, we heard the experiment was a success."
The visitors were Morinaga Kanzawa and Hayasaka Ryunosuke. Their shift from addressing him as "Clan Leader" to simply "Leader" was a clear attempt to appeal to his emotions.
"It's not quite a success—more like a small step forward," Genma corrected, tempering their expectations.
But the two were too exhilarated to grasp the nuance of his words. Morinaga Kanzawa immediately pressed, "If there's a successful case, can we also undergo the transplantation?"
To be honest, their eagerness for new power wasn't driven by personal ambition. Quite the opposite—it stemmed from a sense of duty. The organization, or rather the faction under the guise of the Hanemiya Clan, was growing stronger. Genma's own power was visibly increasing as well. Yet, amidst this progress, Kanzawa and Ryunosuke felt increasingly powerless.
Limited by their strength, they often found themselves sidelined.
While the organization continued to expand, they felt more like spectators. This gap between their reality and their aspirations was hard to accept. People naturally yearn to realize their own value, and there was nothing wrong with that.
In the past, they lived day-to-day, focused solely on survival, with little room for other thoughts. But now, with stability achieved, their ambitions had grown loftier.
Kanzawa and Ryunosuke were undoubtedly willing to contribute to the organization's growth, even at the cost of their own lives.
Genma understood their sentiments, but that didn't mean he endorsed their reckless behavior.
"Not yet. The success rate for transplantation is about one percent. If you tried it now, the outcome is predictable—a meaningless and gruesome death."
To dissuade their impatient and irrational ideas, Genma added, "For us, ensuring the safety of the transplantation is the priority. There's no need to rush. Once the technique is perfected, our collective strength will see a significant leap."
This was half-truth, half-exaggeration. Even if the technique reached full success, Genma had no intention of turning every clan member into a tentacle monster.
Ryunosuke suppressed his eagerness, knowing Genma's words were correct. Honestly, they weren't afraid of being test subjects. As long as it yielded results and benefited the clan, their lives were a small price to pay.
What they feared was dying pointlessly.
"Leader, how long until the success rate reaches a viable level?" Ryunosuke asked.
Genma counted on his fingers and said, "In the best-case scenario, maybe seven or eight more iterations."
That was indeed the "best-case scenario." If iterations didn't improve the success rate, future transplantations would rely entirely on luck.
"Then… we'll wait," Ryunosuke replied.
Having finally dissuaded the two enthusiastic clansmen, Genma wondered when the next batch of eager volunteers would show up and whether the stories of the previous "esteemed clients" and "rare test subjects" had taken a more convoluted turn.
Some things were predictable. For smaller ninja clans, even if they possessed a game-changing power, it was hard to control. Setting aside the issue of "the innocent man's guilt stems from his treasure," could such clans truly manage a ninja wielding the Gedo Mazō's secret technique?
Take the previous batch of clients as an example. The successful test subject clearly wasn't one of their own. After enduring harsh experiments, could they really tame him and secure his loyalty?
Cough. The invention and application of new techniques would inevitably destabilize certain regions of the ninja world.
Genma thought he had a good grasp of the ninja world's regional instability, but in truth, he overestimated himself. Instead of worrying about strangers' plights, he should've paid attention to his immediate surroundings.
Not long after recovering his health, while actively working on internal development and refining his Bloodline Limit to perfection, Genma didn't expect this brief period of peace to be shattered so soon.
The chaotic era was chaotic precisely because, even if you kept to yourself and avoided trouble, staying out of it was impossible.
What, everyone else is fighting tooth and nail, and you're just watching from the sidelines? Is your "dry shore" really that dry?
They'd make sure to drag you into the mess.
"Genma, over the past few days, we've noticed unfamiliar ninjas scouting around Kikyo Castle. Some have even infiltrated the city for detailed observation," Chihori, a shinobi from the former Hanemiya Clan who specialized in summoning techniques, reported, relaying the intelligence she'd just compiled.
The organization lacked dedicated sensory ninjas and a formal intelligence department, but as the ninjas protected the castle lord and maintained city stability, they naturally gathered surrounding information.
They might not catch every subtle movement, but their intelligence-gathering, while not highly efficient, wasn't nonexistent. Suspicious ninja activities were bound to be noticed.
This news caught Genma off guard.
There was no reason for information about the bootleg Gedo Mazō to spread so quickly. So who would be interested in a backwater place like this?
"Confirmed? Could it be buyers for Fuma Clan's ninja tools?" Genma asked.
Chihori shook her head. Even if their skills were lacking, they were still qualified ninjas. How could they make such a mistake?
"No way. It's definitely a hostile force."
"Hostile force… someone nearby?" Genma pondered briefly, and a name popped into his mind. "Could it be Reito Castle?"
The only hostile force in the vicinity was Reito Castle.
News of Kikyo Castle's upheaval must have spread to the surrounding areas by now. With the change of daimyo and the reshuffling of ninja forces, Kikyo Castle appeared to be in a precarious state.
Undoubtedly, internal instability presented external opportunities.
Moreover, the previous daimyo, before his untimely demise, had spread a false rumor that Reito Castle's daimyo was killed by rogue ninjas on Kikyo's territory. This could easily provoke Reito Castle's discontent, providing a pretext for conflict.
That former daimyo was "quick on the draw." Despite "passing into eternal slumber" that very night, he still managed to stir trouble before closing his eyes. What kind of spirit was that?
Clearly, it was the spirit of causing trouble even in death, leaving others to clean up the mess. Truly, a daimyo worthy of the title—unlike any ordinary person.
Although Kikyo Castle had countered the next day with a louder, more sensational story of "internal ninja rebellion and the daimyo's death," there was no guarantee Reito Castle hadn't caught wind of the earlier rumor.
Regardless, Kikyo Castle's crisis might have given Reito Castle a chance to unify the Land of Kawagen.
As the saying goes, "If heaven grants an opportunity and you don't take it, you'll bear the consequences." When certain conditions align, war erupts beyond anyone's control.
"Our counter-tracking ninjas didn't dare follow too far. The hostile ninjas constantly changed directions during their retreat, so we couldn't confirm their origins," Chihori said.
Their shortcomings were painfully obvious.
Genma switched to another question. "What's the strength of Reito Castle's ninjas?"
"Strong. Their individual peak combat power may not match the Gedo Mazō user you defeated, but Reito Castle's ninjas follow an elite-few approach. Due to their unique circumstances, they're often better at defense than offense."
"Defense?" Genma thought. Ninjas focused on defense instead of offense? What kind of future do they have?
He decided to scout the enemy himself.
However, upon witnessing these so-called "elite few," Genma's expression turned peculiar.
At the same time, he overturned his earlier judgment—even defensively focused ninjas could have a bright future.
This impending conflict might not necessarily be a bad thing.
After confirming the origins of those ninjas, Genma understood why his organization's ninjas had quickly detected the infiltration. While the Firefly Organization's intelligence-gathering was mediocre, the enemy's infiltration skills were downright catastrophic.
The infiltrating ninjas were burly, looking less like shinobi and more like sumo wrestlers.
Their distinctive builds sparked a connection in Genma's mind, but more importantly, these ninjas made no effort to conceal themselves. Their chest armor bore a circle with the kanji for "food" written inside.
To be honest, while Genma had the original story as an "intelligence source," he could only recognize a few clan crests or symbols. But this one was so distinctive he couldn't possibly miss it—it belonged to the Akimichi Clan.
Reito Castle's ninja force was the Akimichi Clan?
Well, damn. No wonder they were "few in number." Were they a bit… simple?
Leaving aside why the Akimichi Clan was entrenched in Reito Castle, their individual strength was undoubtedly formidable, though not invincible, as their combat style was relatively straightforward. The real question was whether the Ino-Shika-Cho formation had taken shape.
Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi—if these three clans were allied, their team synergy would be terrifyingly strong. But if the formation hadn't yet formed, things would be much simpler.
Ino-Shika-Cho was powerful, but a group of Akimichi alone, creating "Butterfly Shadows," wasn't too hard to handle.
Genma initially planned for an annihilation battle, welcoming the invaders with a bloody battlefield. But now, he swiftly changed his mind.
Clans like Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi were the backbone of Konoha's Hokage faction in later years. Their support was precisely what made the Hokage the Hokage.
So, the question was: if the Akimichi could be the Hokage's backbone, why couldn't they be the Firefly faction's backbone? There was no reason they couldn't.
Genma thought, I'm not exactly Hashirama Senju… Ahem. At any rate, the Senju-Uchiha "Great Reconciliation" was still far off, and Konoha's founding was a distant dream. So, this definitely wasn't poaching or meddling.
If anything, it was time for the Akimichi Clan to show what it meant to "choose the right tree to perch on."
Compared to the Akimichi ninjas, Genma's stealth and tracking skills were god-tier. He tailed an Akimichi ninja gathering intelligence, no matter how many detours they took, and confirmed they indeed returned to Reito Castle.
Perfect. Just as he expected.
Genma didn't make any unnecessary moves, but on his way back from Reito Castle, he'd already devised a plan for the upcoming battle.
In short, there'd be no rivers of blood. He needed to turn this brutal war into a friendly match.
No need to rush—perhaps a strategy of "seven captures, seven releases" would do.
He also had to consider political factors…
Upon returning to Kikyo Castle, Genma found the organization's ninjas unusually solemn. Even the more impulsive ones, like Kanzawa and Ryunosuke, were contemplating forcibly transplanting the Gedo Mazō's tentacles, ready to mutate on the battlefield.
"What's going on?" Genma asked immediately.
"Reito Castle's daimyo sent a formal declaration of war," Uchiha Nanami explained.
"Declaration of war?"
The bizarre term echoed in Genma's mind, so absurd it left him stunned.
Everyone else was sneaking around, scheming in the shadows. Why was Reito Castle being so brazenly upfront?
Something was off about their style. Was something wrong?
"So… honorable?" Genma muttered.
Nanami shook her head, equally baffled. She'd never seen anything like this either.
Genma took the declaration of war, which should've gone to the acting castle lord. But since the lord was merely a figurehead, it naturally ended up in his hands.
The document listed grievances: Reito's daimyo's honor was tarnished, Kikyo's daimyo died under mysterious circumstances, and there could only be one legitimate ruler of the Land of Kawagen. To defend their rightful interests, Reito Castle declared war on Kikyo Castle, telling them to "wash their necks and wait."
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to specify a date or location for the battle—that would've been too brainless. Cough. Specifying the battle's location and participants was something Genma would handle next.
"Leader, should we mobilize for war? The enemy could attack at any moment. Fortunately, we've stockpiled enough weapons…" Even Fuma Goro was brimming with fighting spirit, unwilling to lose his newfound home.
Genma raised his hands, signaling everyone to calm down. "Don't get worked up. This battle is different. You don't need to head to the battlefield. Just stay vigilant to prevent enemy ambushes."
He glanced at Uchiha Nanami. He'd be heading out to fight, so the responsibility of protecting the base fell to her. Everyone knew Genma excelled at sneaking into enemy territory, which was exactly why he feared being sneaked upon.
Nanami understood and nodded silently.
"As for finding the enemy's weaknesses and seizing the chance to defeat them, I'll handle it alone. If executed well, this could be an opportunity to expand our strength."
The group was puzzled, and for some reason, Fuma Goro felt a chill down his spine.
"Leader, according to our intelligence, the enemy's overall strength is formidable—elite ninjas. If you go alone…"
"No problem. I specialize in taking down elites."
Few questioned Genma's battle plans, as his style of keeping the main force on standby while he or a small team took action was well-known. They'd grown accustomed to it.
Genma chose to act alone for two reasons: it fit his strategy, and it minimized casualties.
His goal was a smooth integration and merger with the Akimichi Clan.
If either side lost even a single person, the operation's difficulty would skyrocket.
But Genma wasn't arrogant enough to treat the Akimichi as fools to be manipulated. Before heading out, he worked with Nanami, Goro, and others to devise a detailed, strict internal defense plan.
By nightfall, the Firefly Organization's residential area was still unusually lively.
Kikyo Castle's supreme ruler, Date Toyosaka, sat by the window of the newly restored top floor of the keep, letting the night breeze wash over him, savoring the good life.
The commotion below distracted him slightly. A puzzled expression crossed his face as he wondered, What the hell is going on?
He'd never have guessed that his armed forces were gearing up for total mobilization and all-out war, while he, the acting castle lord, remained completely in the dark.
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