Chapter 76: Chapter 76
________________________________________
Toki dragged Sarutobi Shinnosuke into the machine responsible for the research and development of Wood Release at the Bloodline R&D Center.
With a flash of red light, the sound of machinery echoed inside the device.
[Wood Release Kekkei Genkai Research and Development in Progress...]
[Bloodline limit sample detected, scanning data...]
[Ding~ Scan successful. The database has successfully backed up the data. The development time for the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai has been reduced tenfold. The remaining research and development time is 180 days.]
Toki frowned.
"180 days? That's half a year. Even with a sample, the data can't be immediately inputted?"
Suddenly, Toki thought of Uchiha Setsuna.
When Setsuna activated the Mangekyō Sharingan, the system also prompted a 36-day cooldown period. The trauma he suffered required exactly 36 days for recovery.
Typically, the development time for ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan abilities is one year. With a tenfold reduction, it becomes precisely 36 days.
It seems that the Bloodline R&D Center requires a minimum conversion time to fully digitize and replicate a Kekkei Genkai.
Toki's expression darkened.
The R&D Center, after all, was merely a building created by the system—not the system itself. Furthermore, the R&D Center was still at Level 1, which limited its capabilities. That explained the extended timeframe.
Toki smacked his lips.
Even though he couldn't immediately wield Wood Release, shortening the development time by such a large margin was still acceptable.
Dragging Sarutobi Shinnosuke out of the machine like a tool, Toki tossed him aside, waiting for Sarutobi Hiruzen to inevitably show up at the Uchiha clan's doorstep.
A cold glint flickered in Toki's eyes. He wasn't the type to let a grudge go.
But he also wasn't the type to kill someone outright and let them off easily.
True terror comes from complete psychological destruction.
For the sake of his deceased parents, friends, and clansmen, Toki didn't plan on granting Sarutobi Hiruzen and his son an easy death.
Having dealt with the Bloodline R&D Center, Toki's thoughts drifted to what had just transpired with Uchiha Mikoto.
As someone reincarnated, and having experienced the absurdities of youth, Toki didn't judge women who carried "wife" or "status buff" labels.
Moreover, the Uchiha Fugaku family was indirectly responsible for the Uchiha clan's eventual massacre.
Back in his youth, Toki—being both bohemian and opportunistic—had often taken advantage of his position within Uchiha leadership to "assist" this neglected sister-in-law.
Initially, Toki approached it as nothing more than casual encounters. But one day, Mikoto came to him on her own initiative.
And Toki, being who he was, naturally didn't turn down what was offered. Especially since Mikoto came with the added "wife attribute" bonus.
For Toki, who enjoyed cosplay-themed roleplay, this arrangement was like adding extra flavor to an already sweet dessert.
Their relationship became a tacit understanding between the two.
However, when Mikoto became pregnant, Toki had no choice but to end this thrilling chapter of his life.
He had assumed that Mikoto would quietly return to her role as a dutiful wife and mother.
But Uchiha Fugaku's reaction today made Toki realize something—perhaps this former "boss" of his had discovered their affair.
As a former comrade-in-arms, Toki wasn't the kind of scumbag who abandoned people after using them.
Now that his strength and reputation were both beyond reproach, providing a bit of "special care" to Mikoto wasn't a problem.
Since the secret had likely been uncovered, there was no point in hiding anymore.
Today, sparing Uchiha Fugaku—despite his betrayal—was Toki's way of compensating for his immoral actions.
Toki couldn't help but reminisce about the unique experience Mikoto had offered him.
Her gentle submissiveness, paired with outfits like aprons and battle robes, made their encounters unforgettable.
Thinking of Mikoto's figure, Toki realized it had been almost four months since he ended their relationship.
Aside from a drunken encounter with Tsunade, as well as one with Chizuru Uzumaki, Toki hadn't touched a woman in months.
Looking at Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Toki's mood soured. He kicked Shinnosuke squarely in the crotch and cursed:
"This is all your dad's fault!"
Poor Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who had already fainted, woke up from the sharp pain and clutched his lower body in agony before losing consciousness again.
"Lord Toki!"
A Uchiha clansman rushed into the Bloodline R&D Center, face filled with urgency.
"It's not good! Sarutobi Hiruzen is here!"
Toki's eyes lit up, and a sinister grin spread across his face.
"He's here? Good. Let's meet him."
Toki grabbed Sarutobi Shinnosuke like a rag doll and made his way to the clan's entrance.
At the Uchiha compound's gates, a dense formation of masked Anbu stood. Some crouched on rooftops, others perched on trees or walls, glaring at the Uchiha clan with hostility.
On the Uchiha side, however, the clansmen had organized into formations based on their elemental attributes, thanks to Toki's meticulous training.
Standing at the forefront, Sarutobi Hiruzen bellowed:
"Bring out Uchiha Toki!"
A member of Saber Team Two sneered:
"Who do you think you are? You think our patriarch will come out to see you?"
A terrifying chakra burst from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Dust rose from the ground, and the earth cracked beneath his feet as his aura intensified.
"You Uchiha are finished! Your selfishness caused the deaths of 2,000 ninjas. When word spreads, all of Konoha will turn against you. Surrender now and hand over the Dark Force Commander, or face the wrath of the entire village!"
Saber Team Two's special jonin smirked, unfazed:
"Dark Force Commander? What nonsense are you spouting? Konoha's Anbu no longer exists—Hokage isn't even in the village!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face twisted in fury.
"Fools! You're digging your own graves!"
The Uchiha clansmen activated their Sharingan in unison, their crimson eyes glowing ominously.
Even some from Saber Team Two revealed their fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank.
"How did the Uchiha clan grow this strong so quickly? So many three-tomoe Sharingan in such a short time? Damn it! Our intelligence system has failed us again."
At that moment, a cold voice rang out from behind the Uchiha ranks:
"Enough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he saw Toki dragging Shinnosuke like a lifeless dog.
"Toki, release my son immediately!"
Toki approached with a smirk.
"Well, well, if it isn't the former Hokage himself. To what do we owe the honor?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen glared at Toki, his voice trembling with rage.
"Why has your clan captured the Commander of the Anbu?"
Toki laughed coldly:
"Anbu Commander? Since when does Konoha still have an Anbu? Isn't the Hokage supposed to be absent from the village?"
Team Two's leader chuckled knowingly, adding fuel to the fire:
"That's right, Hokage-sama. Didn't you and Danzo abolish the Anbu unit yourselves? Looking for a commander here is ridiculous."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's veins bulged as he ground his teeth in frustration.
"You're just toying with me! State your terms. The actions of your clan will bring calamity upon Konoha once news from the frontlines reaches the village. All the other clans will turn against you!"
"And Sarutobi Shinnosuke's actions have already caused your Uchiha clan significant losses. Do you think you can continue to hold ninjas hostage like before?
"This time, you've implicated the younger generation that supports you. The power they hold will surely be taken back."
"So keeping Shinnosuke alive is nothing more than waiting for a deal. Everyone here understands what's going on. Just name your price. Ultimately, it's about preserving the current power of the Uchiha clan."
"I can promise you, I won't pursue your clan's fault afterward."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Toki with a dark glint in his eyes, hiding his glee.
Does this guy think he still has leverage after sending 2,000 ninjas to their doom? Hiruzen thought to himself.
Hiruzen sneered internally. When I return to power, your Uchiha clan won't just lose power — you'll be crushed under the weight of the village's hatred.
Toki glanced at Sarutobi with an odd expression, his heart brimming with amusement.
The higher the hope, the greater the despair — and the deeper the pain.
He's still dreaming about victory, huh?
Toki's smile turned sunny as he looked at Hiruzen. "Want Sarutobi Shinnosuke back? Sure, hand over the Scroll of Seals."
"The Scroll of Seals?" Hiruzen was visibly startled by the unexpected demand.
The Scroll of Seals was traditionally safeguarded by the Hokage. Even after Minato Namikaze became Hokage, it had remained in Hiruzen's possession. And when Toki seized power, Hiruzen made sure to secure it in his clan's territory, along with other important documents.
Toki likely knew this. However, he hadn't dwelled on it during his rise to power, as his goal had been removing Hiruzen from his position, not creating unnecessary complications.
But now, things were different.
Since Sarutobi Hiruzen was foolish enough to come looking for trouble, Shiyu naturally wasn't going to miss the opportunity to exploit it.
Toki could barely contain his excitement. The old man was essentially digging his own grave.
But Hiruzen, oblivious, looked at Toki in disbelief. "The Scroll of Seals?"
Toki replied nonchalantly, "Yes. It's a treasure of all Konoha, and as the head of the Ministry of Defense, I have every right to see it."
Hiruzen's mouth twitched in frustration. "Ministry of Defense? Do you think—"
Before Hiruzen could finish, Toki cut him off impatiently. "Enough nonsense. That's my only condition. If you want your son alive, hand over the scroll."
Shinnosuke groaned in pain as Toki stomped on him again, causing him to faint once more.
The veins on Hiruzen's forehead bulged as he glared at Toki with a stormy expression. He hesitated briefly before finally pulling out a sealing scroll from his robes.
He bit his finger, smeared blood onto the scroll, and performed the necessary seals. With a puff of smoke, a large scroll appeared.
Toki sneered in contempt. As expected, the Scroll of Seals had been on Hiruzen this entire time.
So much for the story about Mizuki tricking Naruto into stealing it. The idea that a genin like Naruto could outmaneuver Hiruzen and steal one of Konoha's most important treasures was laughable.
Toki opened the scroll and was immediately greeted with the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He threw the scroll back at Hiruzen and said mockingly, "A fake, huh? If you keep playing games, your son won't be seeing the sunrise tomorrow."
Hiruzen's face darkened. "What do you mean fake? Do you even know what's written in the Scroll of Seals?"
Toki smiled insincerely. "Whoops, my bad. Let me double-check."
He picked the scroll up again, glancing at it briefly before tossing it back. "Still fake."
Hiruzen was speechless. This brat doesn't even know what's written in the scroll!
Still, he couldn't take the risk. Shinnosuke's life was on the line.
Reluctantly, Hiruzen pulled out another sealing scroll and repeated the process. Another Scroll of Seals appeared, identical to the first.
This time, Toki took the scroll seriously, his expression shifting as he scanned its contents.
Flying Thunder God Jutsu, Four Symbols Seal, Five Elements Seal… Now this was the real deal.
Toki waved his hand dismissively, signaling for his clansmen to release Shinnosuke. They tossed the battered man to Hiruzen like a sack of potatoes.
Hiruzen quickly caught his son, his expression grim as he checked his injuries. Shinnosuke's chakra was weak, his body ravaged. Without hesitation, Hiruzen handed him off to an ANBU. "Take him to the hospital, now."
After ensuring his son was in safe hands, Hiruzen turned back to Toki, his gaze cold and biting. "The Scroll of Seals is yours for now. I thought you were a worthy opponent, but it seems you're just shallow. Some things aren't so easily taken."
Toki smiled and nodded cheerfully. "You're absolutely right."