"Oh, by the way, if Tsunade asks you to help research Creation Rebirth, I hope you'll refuse."
Mito Uzumaki sat up straight, her expression serious.
She had wanted to talk to Akaba about this for a while now. But lately, Akaba had been busy handling matters related to the Preparatory Division, and she didn't feel right asking him to set aside his current tasks just to discuss it with her, so she decided to wait for a better moment.
"This technique was just something I said off the cuff. If I actually had to figure it out, I wouldn't stand a chance."
"Hehe, I believe you."
Mito let out a cold laugh, clearly not buying it for a second.
Although she hadn't left the Senju clan, she still caught wind of most happenings in the village. For example, everyone knew how Akaba had defeated Sakumo. How could she not have heard?
Yin Healing Wound Destruction.
Mito didn't understand the principle behind this jutsu, but in her eyes, it was basically a low-tier version of Creation Rebirth.
In her opinion, Akaba must have studied some aspects of Creation Rebirth before accidentally developing Yin Healing Wound Destruction.
"Although I left out the specific principles of Creation Rebirth in the manga, I do know about its side effects. It's a kinjutsu that accelerates cell division, and overusing it shortens one's lifespan, right?"
Afraid she wouldn't believe him, Akaba explained earnestly.
Mito Uzumaki nodded.
The moment she first saw Creation Rebirth in the manga, she immediately thought of Hashirama Senju's physical constitution.
It had the same nearly indestructible regeneration ability—yet who could have imagined that such strength came at the price of drastically shortening one's lifespan?
Of course, Hashirama's physical constitution was extraordinary. Even Mito couldn't fully comprehend the cellular structure he possessed, and his life force existed on an entirely abnormal level.
Tsunade didn't possess such a constitution or life force, so developing this technique would be difficult.
Thinking about it, Mito couldn't help but sigh softly.
Judging from Tsunade's current talent and determination in medical ninjutsu, she might well succeed in the end, even if she developed it completely on her own.
Well then, let her try as she wishes.
Even if Mito tried to stop her, it would be useless once Tsunade developed it herself. After all, Tsunade was a strong-willed person who wouldn't easily change her chosen path.
However, if she did develop it independently, at least she'd truly understand its dangers.
Easy come, easy go—that's how Mito always saw it.
Akaba chatted with her for a while, though they didn't really dive into anything heavy. Most of what they discussed was light—like his creative ideas and techniques for drawing manga.
However, to Akaba's slight embarrassment, Mito brought up both the Muzan series and the Icha Icha series, carefully analyzing their artistic styles and subtle details.
In short, her deep understanding of manga left Akaba stunned.
Moreover, when Akaba took a look at *The Whimsical Everyday Life of the Ninja God*, he was amazed—Mito had already become incredibly skilled at drawing in the chibi style.
If she had been back on Earth, she probably would've become a top-tier manga artist.
Now, don't get the wrong idea.
Her works were actually quite interesting, especially because Hashirama Senju himself naturally had that kind of personality. Expressing it through chibi-style art made people burst into laughter.
Also, the volume Mito had previously held back was sent by Akaba to Izumi Yamano, requesting the Factory handle its printing.
Once this volume was published, the Third Hokage would probably be very embarrassed.
As soon as they published the line "Where the leaves of Konoha dance" and branded it as Konoha's ninja spirit, Mito Uzumaki immediately released her book, slapping them in the face.
Luckily, there was a two- or three-month gap for people to get used to it, so most had already come around to accepting the meaning.
In the Land of River,
As the caravan entered the country, they soon noticed many wandering ninja and samurai trailing the group along the way.
"Leader, we—"
"Don't panic. They haven't shown themselves yet. Let's see what happens first."
The caravan leader was tense—he'd passed through the Land of River countless times, but this was the first time he encountered such a daunting situation. Now that the Konoha ninjas were no longer accompanying them, if bandits really showed up, they would have no choice but to pay for their safety.
With hearts pounding, the group proceeded all the way from the border of the Land of River to Chaochuan Town.
However, surprisingly, those who followed never made a move. Instead, they followed the caravan all the way from the border to Chaochuan Town before finally revealing themselves, directly surrounding the shop.
The Konoha ninja hiding in the shop were startled, assuming the rogue ninja had finally come to confront them, and prepared for an immediate battle and escape.
Yet,
"Boss, don't bother pretending to unload anymore. Sell us all the manga. We're this many people; one copy each should definitely cover demand."
The leading ninja said straightforwardly.
"Eh—you're here to buy manga?"
The leader of the caravan stared blankly.
These people followed them all the way from the border to Chaochuan Town just to buy comic books?
So they were actually law-abiding citizens? If their quality was this high, why did they end up becoming rogue ninja anyway?
He muttered quietly to himself while replying aloud: "Mister, some of our comics are reserved for various taverns. So—"
"All must be sold to us. Got it?"
The leader said coldly.
The caravan members were confused too. Were these people buying everything just to resell it?
Clearly, these people held significant power. Even local bullies might fear them. Contacting Nakagawa might not help.
Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Kouta is our boss's friend. If possible, just reserve a few copies for our tavern. The rest can be sold to them."
At this moment, Nakagawa arrived.
Seeing Nakagawa, Kouta's eyes revealed a hint of hatred and grievance, but these emotions quickly vanished, replaced by calmness and composure: "It's you, Nakagawa. Hmph. Since you found a new boss, you've been doing quite well for yourself."
"That's right. But this business here is under my boss's protection. I expect full payment."
Nakagawa smiled slightly.
The 'friend' he mentioned to Akaba last time was exactly this guy. If not for him selling Kouta out, Kouta would still be doing his old job peacefully—just lounging around chatting every day.
Instead, now he had to come out personally, protecting the caravan all the way from the border to Chaochuan Town.
To put it simply: misery.
Working under Kakuzu wasn't easy at all. Those who joined effortlessly were used without hesitation. Anyone who broke the rules was killed outright.
Knowing this insider information, Nakagawa gave a slight warning and secretly chuckled inwardly, feeling relieved.
Thankfully, Kakuzu didn't visit the tavern often. As long as they didn't provoke him intentionally, life remained comfortable enough on their side—though these roaming ninja had it rough.
With Nakagawa around, business carried on smoothly.
Before long, all the merchandise was sold, leaving only a few volumes for Nakagawa's tavern.
At this time, Chaochuan Town's architecture had fully transformed into the style seen in One Piece. The riverbanks had also widened enough to allow large ships to dock and navigate freely.
The matter of Kakuzu personally assigning escorts for the caravan was completely unknown to Akaba.
This entire affair was under Kakuzu's jurisdiction, and if Akaba interfered further given Kakuzu's personality, he might immediately grow suspicious. Also, to ensure the initial market success within the Land of River, Akaba updated a significant portion of the One Piece content consecutively.
The storyline progressed directly until the end of Loguetown, reaching Episode 100.
This section was particularly exciting, with appearances by powerful figures such as Smoker and Dragon, officially marking the beginning of the great maritime era of the One Piece world.
Without exaggeration, the story of One Piece had truly just begun.
Unfortunately, Nightdance never got to see this volume.
When Izumi Yamano delivered the update to Konoha, he had already left. Rumor said he'd taken an Anbu mission, and perhaps only the Third and Danzo knew where he went.
He lay inside the shop.
For some reason today, he really wanted to have a drink with Sakumo.
However,
Recalling the last time when Sakumo, after getting drunk and encouraged by Kakashi Windseer, challenged him, Akaba decided against inviting trouble, grabbing instead a dozen or so recent issues of the One Piece updates and heading toward the Preparatory Division.
Training constantly required occasional relaxation too.
Hmm, definitely not because of just a few points.
"They've worked hard. Good job. I brought some manga today — go ahead and have a look to unwind."
Akaba remarked casually.
"Yay!"
"Thank you, Senior Akaba."
"..."
A group of Genin cheered happily. Under Sakumo's guidance over the past two or three days, they barely even had time to rest—their time filled either training or preparing for training.
Anime-style instruction? That was a luxury; just getting a decent nap was considered lucky.
Now, although there was no anime-style instruction, at least they had manga to read—what more could they want?
"You're always dragging me into something."
Sakumo snorted coldly, but his actions betrayed no objection, obediently settling down to read the latest One Piece issue intently.
Ah, sometimes taking a break isn't bad.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Akaba continued.
Ninja aren't ordinary people, sure, but even they can't keep going nonstop every day. After all, they're only Genin. A few ten-minute breaks here and there aren't too much to ask.
Sakumo didn't reply, but he clearly found the manga engaging, reading it intently.
Of course.
With his growing strength, Zoro's swordsmanship no longer felt overwhelming—at least not yet—but he still read with intense focus and fascination.
Not long after, some students had already finished their copies, but he hadn't even finished the first volume yet—Sakumo always read carefully and turned pages slowly.
After quite some time, he finally closed the first volume and opened the second.
Luffy and his crew had already entered the Grand Line, and the threat from Loguetown had been taken care of by Dragon. Still, Sakumo couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
What exactly is the Grand Line?
How strong are the biggest powerhouses in the pirate world?
And who exactly is Dragon?
These questions could only be answered by Akaba. But that guy would never reveal the upcoming plot unless absolutely necessary.
This is so annoying!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>