"HAHAHAHA! Sasuke, you never cease to amaze me with your theatrics! Did you see their faces? That old bastard Machi felt embarrassed, including his beautiful wife. Hehehehe..."
In the lavish room, boisterous laughter cackled from an old man while the boy near him glanced at him with a knowing look, as if he were staring at an idiotic and pathetic display of his father.
"Father, should we just kill them and take their whole belongings? This would be quite a breeze for our family! I can try to sabotage—" Looking at his father's lecherous smile, Sasuke Sarutobi remarked with killing gestures until his father responded:
"We shouldn't do that! Our reputation as successful shinobi will be tarnished by your foolish ideas! Also, we had close contact with them earlier. The moment you decide to go and slaughter them all, it's the end of our illustrious prestige in the Shinobi World!"
Staring back at his father's stern countenance, Sasuke rolled his eyes and cursed his father inwardly with one word: Coward!
'Why not just take all of their possessions dominantly?! Many clans have formed inner grudges against other clans for many years! Nobody knows our involvement in this plan, yet here you are, acting like a benevolent man with your fragile image! What about my brothers and sisters who died for the sake of our clan?'
Fuming with suppressed rage, Sasuke took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry for my disrespectful behavior. I'll head out now and get some rest for the night, Father."
In his mind, he pondered the cruel tactics one could employ against an enemy—like shifting the blame onto other clans for the massacres, distorting public perception through falsehoods, and planting incriminating evidence among various clans. As a shinobi, being merciless toward foes was always essential; there was no room for hesitation; each mission was a life-or-death matter.
Just before he reached the door, Kosuke urged, "Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts and remember the brothers and sisters we've lost! You are the only one who can take on my position, and I need you to maintain our strategic yet unyielding stance! Now, go and rest!"
"…I get it, Father." Teeth clenched in anger, Sasuke gently closed the door behind him, though his expression betrayed his true feelings.
Bathed in the moonlight, he walked out of the corridor, looking like a withdrawn and defeated figure.
->->->->->->->->->->->->->->
"I'm curious about what happened to the aphrodisiac pill I combined with the ration pill. Regardless, I need to build a strong foundation for a good clan in this Warring States period. Having a solid reputation and a clean track record will help ensure that my ambitions for this wild world succeed, even during the Village Era!"
After 1 year of nourishment, Yoichi felt energized and enthusiastic with his body thanks to the help of his adopted parents. Earlier, he assigned Jonin-Level shadows to assist the Murakami Clan in their missions including his parents.
These 8 shadows were enough to protect himself against assassination attempts and further missions. Furthermore, unkillable and disguised shadows are extraordinary, especially with the Jonin-Level in the era of turbulence.
Fighting against a cockroach-like enemy was nightmare-inducing for the shinobi.
"I need to go back to the Field of Desire! Then, resurrect my students and children to steadily manage the uprising of the Murakami Clan!"
"Spirit Wandering Technique!"
Following the successful expulsion, Yoichi's soul descended to the Pure Land, where it was met by a ghostly, thin specter that bore demonic traits. With a gleam of hunger for his newfound target, the demonic figure pulled his tanto from his mouth and sensually licked his lips with a snake-like tongue.
"Shit! Orochimaru-looking motherfucker! No, it's the Shinigami of the Pure Land! Akashic, switch template!"
[Switch Complete.]
[(Lazy Martial Artist) -> (Mortal)]
In an instant, Yoichi returned to his infant form, while the Shinigami, visibly frustrated, relentlessly pursued his tempting meal into the Mortal World.
'Go on, attack me!'
Subsequently, he felt glad about the convenience of the Shinigami materializing into a transparent state and attacked Yoichi with complete certainty.
[Shepherd of the Innocent Lambs has been activated!]
[Remaining time: 5 minutes.]
"Thanks a lot, Hagoromo's Dog!" After the surprise meet-up, Yoichi could feel a small fraction of his strength returning, and he quickly took action. "Now, just be a good boy and stay on the leash for five minutes, okay?"
At that moment, Shinigami sensed his immense power spiraling out of control, panic evident on his face. With Shinigami momentarily held back, Yoichi was seamlessly moved to the Field of Desire without any further interruptions.
"Sensei! You are back!"
In the thriving scene, Ryoma greeted his beloved teacher while Yoichi teleported the others in a flick of fingers, offering no time to waste with his unlocked powers out of the field.
"Yoichi!" "Father!" "Grandpa!"
"Wait, wait wait! Stop! Ahhhhh!!!"
Filled with deep longing, Yoichi felt overwhelmed and shook his head as those around him embraced him, much like a banana tree in a forest full of hungry monkeys.
"Come on, I truly don't have the time! Everyone, pay attention." After the lively event, Yoichi wore a serious expression. "My students and children, get ready for your resurrections."
His words sparked excitement among the students and kids, while his wives felt hurt and began to voice their frustrations. Satomi, in particular, squeezed Yoichi tightly and exclaimed, "Hold on! What about us? What about your wives?"
"Complete your trials first. I promise I'll bring you all back as soon as you're done!"
"Also, I frankly need someone to handle the plan with care! Tell me, did you all take care of the booming venue here in the Field of Desire?"
After he spoke, Satomi ruffled her untidy hair, searching for a good excuse, and said, "Of course we did, right? Sisters? Kids?"
Maki, Yoru, and Yuki couldn't believe it and facepalmed, while Makima and the others just shook their heads. In her daily life, Satomi seemed to only focus on trials, drinking, eating, and sleeping—not exactly the management and leadership she claimed to have.
"Don't think you can fool me, Satomi. Even without anyone watching, I can spot your lies from far away! Just stay right here; I'll always be here, hoping for your success in the trials."
Seeing the knowing glances exchanged, Yoichi playfully flicked Satomi's forehead, causing her to wince as smoke rose from the bump, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Uhhh…" She grasped her swollen forehead, then playfully swatted at Yoichi's head with her hands in mock indignation. "You're going to pay for this!"
"Alright, that's enough. Just hire somebody here to replace your administrative positions. I am surely certain, there are exceptional people around here. So don't be shy and give it to them. Nonetheless, it's time to go! Ba-bush!"
Without further ado, the students and children came back into the spiritual bodies along with Yoichi while the Shinigami remained in the Pure Land, still bounded by the constraints in his neck like a true dog.
"Takamagahara!"
From the skies above, Yoichi effortlessly displayed his natural command and brought his students and children back to their familiar homes, endowed with newfound abilities.
As the divine light illuminated their bodies, everyone experienced a profound and overwhelming energy. They couldn't quite articulate the sensation, but the strength of their leader was so immense that it seemed impossible to surpass.
Materializing their 12-year-old bodies wasn't a hassle against Yoichi's 0.01% power while also giving them enough clothes for the upcoming plans.
"Whoa, what's going on? How are we so powerful? This feels incredible!"
"HA! It seems like we have the strength to take over everything with this power!"
Seeing their reactions, Yoichi nodded enthusiastically and explained, "I've made some enhancements to your bodies. You're now High Humans! You can absorb cosmic energy and untapped potential, adapting easily to harness various mystical energies from beyond our universe!"
Unlike other races with inherent advantages, High Humans can master any path available. Mortals, though physically weak, carry immense potential and are considered Cosmic Zenith-Level.
There are various ranks beyond this, but Yoichi's system aligns well with the cosmic community and reflects his style. He categorized them as Mortal Ascension, Cosmic Traveler, Cosmic Zenith, Transcendence, and Beyond Transcendence.
Mortal Ascension is akin to the Six Path Sage Level in Naruto. Cosmic Travelers can navigate the universe effortlessly, even amidst cosmic radiation. Cosmic Zenith represents mastery over specific powers or intents—essentially being an expert in one area. Transcendence allows one to reshape reality with remarkable control in their domain. Beyond Transcendence is something beyond description.
Fueled by high human potential, Yoichi felt confident and completely at ease with their limitless ambitions, ready to unleash their capabilities and strength.
"Sumiko, Natsumi, for now, grab the [Greed Card] and set up a bank near the town. Utilize whatever means necessary to lay our groundwork in the world. Don't hesitate to ask for anything else—we have plenty of resources and manpower at our disposal. Ryoma and Kenshin, focus on gathering warriors for training. Midori, Harumi, Chinatsu, and Hotaru, establish and dominate an underground market. Do this independently; you've all grown significantly during our thousand years here. I believe in your potential—go for it!
The rest exchanged knowing glances and nodded. Yoichi then added, "Oh, and make sure to keep the Murakami Clan out of our plans. Their involvement will attract the greed of certain individuals. Now, off you go!"
Without wasting a moment, everyone quickly took their assigned roles, while Yoichi turned off his [Shepherd of the Innocent Lambs] to rest peacefully like an infant.
Gaining control of the underground market and banks wasn't a difficult task for them. To dominate the clans, he merely needed to demonstrate some advantages, be it Ryō, resources, or weapons.
Additionally, many exceptional talents from the Warring States Period perished without ever having the chance to showcase their potential. There were certainly hidden gems among them.
A little while later, Yoichi found comfort in his crib, drifting off to sleep free from nightmares or worries.