Naruto: Swarm System

"What do you think I should do?"

Although she knew that Itachi wouldn't truly harm Sasuke, Mikoto didn't want to see the brothers fighting each other.

Hearing this, Shishou casually replied, "Itachi's desire to become a tool for Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan is his way of atoning. It's his last wish. Sasuke has reached the level of an elite Jonin. If he awakens the Mangekyo Sharingan, he can advance to Kage-level strength. Once Sasuke stabilizes his Mangekyo Sharingan, you can start teaching him Sage Mode. I don't think you should stop them."

Becoming a tool to help Sasuke awaken was Itachi's last meaningful purpose in life. Denying him this would make his life feel utterly meaningless.

Mikoto pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say. Sasuke's strength had indeed hit a bottleneck. To progress further, he needed to either awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan or learn Sage Mode. However, Sage Mode required a calm mindset, and Sasuke, driven by his desire for revenge against Itachi, wouldn't be able to succeed.

After a long silence, Mikoto held back her tears and nodded, "You handle this."

"Alright." Shishou nodded, pulling Mikoto onto the bed and holding her close, offering her comfort.

The night passed quietly.

Over the next week, Shishou had Pakura and Mei Terumi's teams start searching for Orochimaru to prepare for capturing Jiraiya.

Late night, Konoha.

Kurenai Yuhi stepped out of her home training room, staring blankly at the moonlit sky. During Shishou's absence, she had learned basic Sage Mode with the help of the three snake princesses in Ryuchi Cave. Unfortunately, she had only scratched the surface and couldn't yet use it in battle.

"That jerk hasn't come to find me yet..." Kurenai sighed and turned to go back to her room.

She already knew from Tsunade that Shishou had returned, but his delay in seeking her out was causing her frustration.

Just as Kurenai turned, she sensed someone entering her yard. She instantly felt a rush of joy and turned back quickly.

The next moment, she was enveloped in a strong embrace. Seeing the man before her, tears of joy streamed down Kurenai's face. "You finally came to see me."

Shishou wiped away her tears and smiled, "Sorry, I've been caught up with some things."

After returning to Konoha, Shishou had visited her using his Aburame Shishou identity, but she had been immersed in her Sage Mode training and hadn't seen him. To avoid arousing suspicion in the intuitive Kurenai, he delayed his visit.

"Okay," Kurenai nodded, quickly drying her tears.

Shishou then held Kurenai close and led her back to the yard, where they sat and chatted under the moonlight.

After some time, Shishou checked on Kurenai's Sage Mode progress. He then asked, "Why didn't you want to train at Ryuchi Cave or Shikkotsu Forest?"

Kurenai had been training in Konoha, which slowed her progress compared to others. Additionally, her low chakra levels meant she couldn't use shadow clones to accelerate her training, further hindering her speed.

Kurenai shook her head, "The natural energy in Ryuchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest is limited. If too many people go, it becomes less effective. I thought it better to train in Konoha. Fewer people training means better results for Tsunade-sama and the others, increasing the chances of bringing you back."

Knowing her own limitations, Kurenai, despite being an elite Jonin of Konoha, understood she couldn't contribute much to bringing Shishou back. The best she could do was avoid being a burden, which is why she chose to train in Konoha.

Hearing her thoughtful reasoning, Shishou couldn't help but kiss her, smiling, "I'll soon take control of Mount Myoboku. Once I do, how about you go there to train?"

With his current strength, Shishou could easily defeat the Great Toad Sage and control Mount Myoboku if he found its barrier entrance. This would provide ample resources for everyone, avoiding any unpleasant disputes over Sage Mode training.

"Yes," Kurenai nodded firmly. She had held back for Shishou's sake before, but now that he was back, she would prioritize her training. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to help him much.

After chatting a bit more, Kurenai stood up, straddled Shishou's lap, and kissed him passionately. She then led him to her bedroom.

Having waited years, Kurenai no longer wanted to hold back. She only wanted to become Shishou's woman.

In the bedroom, Kurenai turned off the lights and, in the darkness, undressed and entwined herself with Shishou. That night, Kurenai was particularly passionate.

...

For the next week, Shishou visited Kurenai nightly. Besides spending time together, he mainly guided her Sage Mode training.

Though it might sound harsh, Kurenai's current strength was quite weak in Shishou's eyes, possibly even inferior to Hinata. So, he needed to help her quickly improve her strength.

With Shishou's help, Kurenai awakened Hashirama's power, significantly boosting her strength and enabling her to use shadow clones to accelerate her Sage Mode training, leading to rapid progress.

Since discovering that surpassing the Six Paths level required the power of the God Tree, Shishou had been helping those around him awaken Hashirama's power. As for Uchiha bloodline power, that would come later.

Meanwhile, Shishou, disguised as Mikoto, personally taught Sasuke Lightning Release techniques, including the Chidori series and Kirin, from the original story.

A month later, Shishou arranged for Jonin Sasuke to take on a solo mission to Kusagakure. During the mission, Sasuke unexpectedly learned of Itachi's whereabouts. Consumed by hatred, he abandoned the mission and rushed to confront Itachi.

Thus, the anticipated battle between Sasuke and Itachi began.

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POWER STONE!!!!

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This fanfiction is complete on my P@treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at p@treon.com/Betek.

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