Chapter 18: Bloodline Progression!
"The situation is that complicated?"
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples, looking at the still visibly drained Kakashi and the serious expression on Jiraiya's face.
When Jiraiya first returned, he was both shocked and pleased. Konoha had clearly entered a stage of instability—although young ninjas like Kakashi were rising, there was still a shortage of solid, middle-tier support.
His three former students were supposed to be that backbone.
But one became a rogue ninja.
And the other two? Completely drowned in gambling and... other vices.
So yes, having Jiraiya back was good news. But the report he brought back? That was another headache entirely.
"Yeah, it's that bad, old man."
Jiraiya sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"If it were something simple, I wouldn't have bothered coming back. Everything is still just a theory, but that place... is too sensitive. I need your help."
"So you do know it's sensitive?"
Sarutobi shot him a glare.
"We're talking about Kirigakure—across a freaking ocean. Just sending people over is a challenge, and with their isolationist policies, it's damn near impossible to get intel. How am I supposed to investigate that?"
The Mist Village was notoriously difficult to deal with. As an island nation, intelligence transmission was already hard. But ever since their infamous "Blood Mist" policy, they'd essentially gone full isolation mode.
Now, to make things worse, it seemed to involve that organization...
"What about Uchiha Itachi? He's been undercover there for two and a half years—how do we still know nothing?"
Hiruzen muttered, puffing on his pipe.
"Lord Hokage," Kakashi finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "Does the Anbu still have agents in Kirigakure? It's difficult, I know, but… could they be mobilized to send intel?"
"That's..."
Hiruzen hesitated. The request clearly made him uncomfortable.
"Oh, come on, old man," Jiraiya snapped. "If it's such a damn hassle, I'll go there myself. At least then you don't have to be put on the spot."
"You don't understand the stakes here."
Hiruzen sighed again, clearly exasperated. After a moment of silence, he finally relented.
"Fine. I'll look into it. But you better not act recklessly. You're good at gathering intel, sure—but you're no professional spy. Stay in Konoha for now and let me handle this."
"Tch. As if I could leave even if I wanted to,"
Jiraiya muttered. He gave a reluctant nod.
"Relax. I won't go charging in. I wouldn't have come back at all if I were going to be reckless. If there's nothing else, I'll take Kakashi to the hospital. Later, we've got to celebrate his student's first mission success. What a pain..."
As Jiraiya led Kakashi out, the silver-haired ninja gave a quiet, apologetic nod toward the Hokage.
Hiruzen, knowing his student's personality well, simply waved them off and sighed once more once they were gone.
"What a mess..."
Kakashi's situation really was troublesome. The Anbu could collect intelligence, but for deeper infiltration and data? That was Root's domain.
And Root had been... officially disbanded.
Unless he restarted it, even he couldn't access its full network.
"No choice, then. If this is really as serious as it sounds, I'll have to visit Danzo... It's been a while since we last spoke anyway."
Standing by the window, Hiruzen looked out over the bustling Konoha streets. After a moment of quiet, he murmured to himself:
"Well, at least Jiraiya's return isn't all bad news. At least he's back. And... it seems another genius might have been born in Konoha..."
---
"That easy...?"
Kitagawa Gen's expression was a mix of disbelief and wonder.
He had expected the training in Sage Mode to be insanely difficult. Just look at Jiraiya—he trained for years to master it, and even then, he still needed help from the toad sages at Mount Myōboku to enter Sage Mode successfully.
Naruto fared better, but even he had to take a brutal beating from Fukasaku before getting the hang of it.
Yet Gen? He simply used Jiraiya's teachings—no toad assistance, no special tools—and managed to enter Sage Mode on his very first try.
"Bloodline... really is the ultimate cheat code..."
He cursed under his breath, a mix of frustration and awe building inside him. Thinking back on his 13 miserable years, he almost slumped.
"If only I got that newbie package earlier..."
He consoled himself with a mutter:
"Eh, even Naruto and Sasuke suffered for years before going full cheat mode..."
But the thought didn't last long.
Their cheats were like skipping straight to dessert. He still had to grind every level.
"Some people are just born in Rome... while others are born as pack mules..."
Still, a grin crept onto his face.
"At least now I have a real offensive technique!"
Sage Mode was no joke. With it, powerhouses like Jiraiya, Naruto, and Hashirama had displayed insane levels of strength. Paired with his evolving Purple Lightning, Gen now had a way to deal with all but the most absurd monsters.
And eventually... he'd be one of those monsters.
No, more than that—he'd surpass them.
"Though I still need to find a way to 'legitimize' this technique... whatever. First, I should get ready for tonight's dinner."
Stretching his stiff limbs, Gen groaned. He'd been meditating for so long he was starting to feel numb.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he noticed something strange.
His chakra was surging. Not just circulating—raging, as if reacting to something deeper.
Not only that—his body itself felt... stronger. And within his eyes, a faint stream of chakra had started flowing inward, almost as if something was being nurtured.
"...Don't tell me..."
He quickly opened his status panel.
And what he saw stunned him.
---
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Age: 13]
[Bloodline: Ōtsutsuki Clan (Development: 5%)]
[Chakra Reserves: S- (between Elite Jonin and weaker Kage-level)]
---
"It actually worked?!"
Gen's breathing became erratic. He had just barely gotten into Sage Mode, his first attempt was rough—and yet that alone had triggered further bloodline development?
It was only 5%... but it was something. It was progress.
"So... Natural Energy is part of the Ōtsutsuki power?"
He frowned, thinking it through—then shook his head.
"Not quite... Maybe the ones who possessed the Ten Tails gained access to it indirectly."
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
He had always worried whether his collection-style training method would yield results—what if something went wrong?
But now, he had confirmation.
As long as he didn't do anything too reckless, his bloodline would cover him. It was a safety net. A powerful one.
That bloodline... gave him confidence.
"So I really can aim for that full Ōtsutsuki form I've been planning..."
He let out a deep sigh.
"...Even if I've got a lot of work ahead of me."