Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Double Chapter Today!!

It's been a while. Please do donate some power stones in celebration wooo!!

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Despite Konoha, the largest ninja village, undergoing such a significant change, the news didn't cause much of a stir across the shinobi world.

Of course, not everyone remained indifferent.

For instance, when Orochimaru heard about the events, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Such an open and heartfelt laugh was rare for someone like Orochimaru.

He was utterly delighted, not only had he expected Natsuro to kill Danzō, but he also hadn't anticipated the method.

Natsuro had systematically crushed Danzō's lifelong dreams, then killed him repeatedly in front of everyone.

Had it been Orochimaru, he would've likely just captured Danzō and subjected him to prolonged physical torture. While satisfying, he now felt his approach lacked the finesse of Natsuro's.

Mental torment outweighed physical suffering.

Hearing that Danzō ultimately committed suicide made Orochimaru even more gleeful. Serves him right! I bet he didn't foresee helping Natsuro to this extent when he betrayed me back then!

Licking his lips with his long tongue, Orochimaru's interest in Natsuro deepened.

Based on his knowledge of Danzō, Orochimaru was certain the man had hidden cards to play. Yet, none of them had surfaced.

There were two possibilities:

Natsuro's overwhelming strength never gave Danzō the chance to act. Danzō, mentally shattered by repeated deaths, gave up entirely and chose suicide.

Orochimaru leaned toward the first possibility. He had unwavering confidence in his capabilities.

This incident also reaffirmed something for Orochimaru: simply possessing the Sharingan wasn't enough.

To unlock its full potential, one required Uchiha blood.

He'd believed this for years, otherwise, he could've easily kept a pair of Sharingan while helping Danzō implant his.

But without Uchiha blood, the Sharingan's power was severely limited. Kakashi Hatake was a prime example. Despite having a Sharingan, he had failed to fully harness its potential and even stunted his growth as a shinobi.

What Orochimaru desired was a body with Uchiha bloodline, someone with extraordinary talent. That's why he had set his sights on Sasuke Uchiha, the clan's last survivor.

Unfortunately, that plan had been thwarted by Natsuro.

Now, Orochimaru had no grand ambitions. He simply wanted to sow chaos in the shinobi world and live long enough to see how far Natsuro could go. The prospect intrigued him immensely.

But chaos required strength.

Orochimaru's demeanor shifted, and with a single touch to his face, he transformed into Kabuto's visage.

Standing before a graveyard, Kabuto sighed. "As always, the dirty work falls to me."

He began his task, knowing both he and Orochimaru shared a morbid curiosity about Natsuro's future.

.....

Meanwhile, in Konoha, Natsuro was discussing institutional reforms with Nara Shikaku.

After appointing Shikaku as his personal secretary, Natsuro explained his vision for restructuring.

Shikaku was taken aback. He hadn't expected Natsuro's first act as Hokage to involve reducing his own authority.

Perplexed, Shikaku asked why.

Natsuro replied calmly, "Shikaku, the shinobi world ultimately respects strength above all else. When one's power reaches a certain level, there's no need to micromanage everything. Look at the First Hokage, aside from Madara, who would dare challenge him?"

Initially, Natsuro addressed Shikaku as "Uncle," but Shikaku insisted on dropping the term for professionalism. He argued that a secretary shouldn't have overly familiar relations with the Hokage. Titles or names sufficed during work.

Although Natsuro found it amusing, he agreed.

Hearing Natsuro's reasoning, Shikaku nodded in understanding.

It was clear that Natsuro's overwhelming display of power during the inauguration had a deeper purpose. From the start, he had intended to secure his authority while delegating unnecessary burdens.

With this framework, everything made sense.

Shikaku admitted his approach was sound.

When power exceeded not just others but multiple levels beyond them, few would dare harbor rebellious thoughts.

Everyone understood that no matter how much they schemed, angering Natsuro would end in a single, devastating technique.

As Nara Shikaku and Natsuro deliberated which lesser responsibilities could be delegated to ease the Hokage's workload, they finally reached a conclusion. The next step was to hold a meeting to seek input from the advisors.

Both Natsuro and Shikaku predicted that the advisors wouldn't oppose these changes, in fact, they might applaud them. After all, these adjustments would expand their authority, benefiting them directly.

While Shikaku was briefing Natsuro on routine affairs, Natsuro's brow furrowed as his gaze shifted through the window to the distant sky.

"Hokage-sama? Has something happened?" Shikaku followed Natsuro's line of sight but saw nothing.

"Shikaku, do you know of any ninja who can fly using some kind of special equipment?" Natsuro asked.

Shikaku frowned in thought, rummaging through his memory. After a while, he spoke.

"There is a village, the Sky Ninja Village (Kūrin), whose shinobi could fly using special gear."

He went on to explain that the Sky Ninja Village had been defeated by Konoha during the Second Shinobi War.

"But as far as I know, the Sky Ninja Village should have been eradicated," Shikaku said, his tone uncertain.

"Well, it seems they weren't entirely wiped out, and they've returned for revenge," Natsuro remarked calmly.

As Shikaku turned his attention back to the sky, he too finally spotted the distant swarm of dark figures, individuals equipped with flying devices approaching Konoha.

His expression hardened. "Hokage-sama, we must evacuate the villagers immediately!"

"No need. Leave this to me." Natsuro opened the window and stepped out, his figure disappearing as he reappeared high above Konoha.

Suspended in the air, he surveyed the village below and used the wind to project his voice.

He began by explaining the history of the Sky Ninja Village, as Shikaku had recounted, and their likely motive for revenge.

As the Sky Ninja's dark swarm grew visible over Konoha, panic began to spread among the villagers.

But Natsuro's calm, even voice echoed again:

"Do not be afraid. Your only task is to avoid being hit by any falling bodies or debris."

His steady, reassuring tone worked wonders. Miraculously, the growing panic dissipated, replaced by trust in their Hokage's strength.

Having already witnessed Natsuro's power firsthand, the villagers believed his words implicitly. If he said he could handle the threat, they were confident he would.

Some even felt curious, how would Natsuro deal with these would-be avengers?

Natsuro regarded the Sky Ninja swarming above. Their chakra reserves were unimpressive. Without their flying devices, they'd be effortlessly subdued by Konoha's shinobi on the ground.

But those devices changed the equation. For most ninja, dealing with enemies in midair was no simple task, leaving them vulnerable to airborne attacks or explosives.

However, he was no ordinary shinobi.

A metallic bullet materialized in his hand, specially crafted for this purpose. Lightning danced around him, crackling wildly.

With a flick of his finger, he launched the bullet at the Sky Ninja.

"Ninjutsu: Railgun!"

But he wasn't finished. Even as the bullet streaked through the air, Natsuro formed another seal.

"Ninjutsu: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

The single bullet split into thousands of glowing projectiles, each streaking toward the enemy forces.

Natsuro had embraced a principle from his previous life: overwhelming saturation attacks.

With his immense power, the railgun's speed and destructive force were unparalleled.

For the Sky Ninja, the radiant flashes were their only warning. Before fear could even register, the projectiles tore through them, obliterating their formation.

Below, the villagers watched in awe as the intruders, who had barely entered Konoha's airspace, were struck down by the dazzling barrage. Bodies and debris plummeted to the ground, the reality of Natsuro's earlier warning sinking in.

So that's what he meant by "avoid being hit by falling debris"!

Shikaku, too, observed the scene, a wry smile tugging at his lips. His earlier concerns now seemed laughable.

With a Hokage this powerful, what was there to worry about?

Shikaku couldn't help but think that their Hokage's strength was... almost excessively overwhelming.

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Currently on Chapter 299 - Jiraiya, Nagato and Konan Meet