As Askuna shot out of the classroom at a high velocity, he hadn't taken into consideration that he would literally soar above the village.
Well, that is simply untrue. In the final moments of doing so, some of his clones realized the implications, but they too were curious to see it unfold.
For a brief moment, he experienced a lull when he reached the peak of his trajectory. Most sounds faded away and he was presented with a beautiful panoramic view of the village. And what did he see?
"Trees! Trees everywhere!" He exclaimed, laughing as the air resistance began to tug at him due to his increasing speed of descent.
A eureka lightbulb fired in his mind, but before he could delve into it, he maneuvered his body to glide through the air and land gracefully on a rooftop. There, too, multiple trees intermingled with the architecture, creating perfect niches for ninja shortcuts, as well as, foliage cover.
'I can't believe I overlooked this earlier,' he mused as he approached the nearest tree, placing his hand on its bark. Closing his eyes, he attempted to channel his energy into it.
He felt no immediate response, but he was certain the tree was alive, potentially imbued with some form of mystical chakra that was pervasive throughout nature, or perhaps due to some other explanation related to life energies. There might be something there, something he could harness as a power source for his clones.
It was said that many of the trees in the village were created by the first Hokage on his deathbed. Another example is Zetsu utilizing trees as a means of camouflage and transportation. Wood release, by virtue of itself, is too OP in this world, from enhancing vitality to suppressing Biju, even allowing certain sage capabilities and god chakra world-devouring trees.
Facilitating some kind of meta-analysis, on why trees could be valuable seems superfluous to fans of the series, as they are already familiar with their significance, and all of them know that they are just plain bullshit. However, it is worth pointing out, that many of the self-regeneration and absurdity of the first Hokage prowess also come from Ashura reincarnation and inheriting Sage's body.
Even if raw chakra was not directly usable, the potential of sage nature energy, or some affinity for wood release, could still prove beneficial.
As Askuna was pondering the issue, he considered that his mind clones use little energy, and if he could store some mind clones on the trees in some pocket, or anywhere really, he could send his chakra there, by transmitters and receivers.
He would have to make special cryptographic keys, for his signal not to be hacked, and preferably create some kind of synchronous seeded pseudo-random generator to vary the patterns of his chakra and prevent any potential tracing back to him. The best would be to establish an entire network that he could feed and update by connecting to a tree near his home, which would then redistribute it to all other mental clones using the tree's root network.
He could place those clones anywhere he wished, like putting multiple ones on the roots of a single tree, but his ultimate goal was to develop a self-sustaining system that could learn to draw energy from the trees themselves.
But that raised another significant question. What else could he attune himself to? After all, Orochimaru was attuned to snake sage energies, and there were toads with their own distinctive energies. Some clans went fully bonkers with animalistic traits, shadows, or mental energy. There were even examples like Netero's prayer-infused Buddha, Hidan's dark rituals for the dark god Jashin, and Hiruko's use of celestial energy from stars.
The variety in this world was bullshit. There were Gelel stones imbued with vitality, entire arcs centered around demons, people attuned to moonlight ore or Biju's energy, and a multitude of other seemingly random concepts.
Basically, anything that could be conceptualized, can be initialized, if broken down into substeps of easier concepts, like his mind hive or body-flicker. Therefore, when thinking about the potential of evolving his mind hive, for now, he needed to focus on what was immediately accessible.
'Bugs?' he pondered, only to quickly dismiss the idea. 'No, too small, and too risky with the Aburame clan around.' He then contemplated, 'Some wild animals? Could I create a parasitic mind clone that would usurp the chakra system and grow in tandem with the host?'
Then he froze, as natural extrapolation occurred to him. "Humans," he murmured.
But then, a sudden inspiration struck him. 'No, I have an even better idea...'
What if he facilitated something akin to a Faustian bargain, offering power to others in exchange for hosting his mental parasite? He could target the weak civilians who felt helpless against ninjas but craved relevance in this world. Or those stuck in genin corps or chunin careers with no hope of progress. Orphans lacking resources, individuals envious of geniuses they couldn't surpass, farmers yearning for bountiful crops, bandits, guards— anyone, really.
What is he going to introduce? A system—his virtual mindscape—that would latch onto the chakra of others and use it to fuel his mental clones. People would receive quests, skill training, experience points, and gain access to perks or knowledge.
In reality, they would know sh*t. The only ones who would genuinely learn would be Askuna's clones, who would train in various tasks such as growing crops, mastering different fighting styles, or acquiring new knowledge from the experiences others encountered.
When a person with the system wanted to execute a skill, it would be Askuna's clones who would use the individual's 'chakra points' to perform it. For example, if someone trained with fire chakra, Askuna's clones would learn alongside them, using the host's chakra and granting them access to overpowered techniques.
He would have plenty of subjects who could do things they weren't able to do before, potentially becoming top powers in the world, while he would reap the benefits of using their Chakra for his own purposes through his mental clones. As these people grew stronger and provided more value, they could host more clones and be utilized for increasingly challenging tasks.
Their value would increase, and with more chakra, they would become a more valuable power source for Askuna. Gaining importance, they would access unique abilities and information.
Askuna could use medical ninjutsu on these people to restore them, enhance their capabilities, and use them as test subjects for dangerous chakra seals and experimental techniques.
He could even make it seem 'fair', if dealing with people addicted to the newfound powers could be considered so, by providing warnings and giving them the choice to participate or not. He could entice them into a deal they wouldn't refuse by giving them, the oh-so-sweet, promised experience points for assisting or completing quests that involve training with specific techniques.
Oh, he would have to be careful, that is for sure, better to start with civilians than ninjas. Also given the risk of them being examined by medical ninjas doing checkups, or sensors, or whatnot, he would need to invest in stealth or masking in a foreign chakra, or take over their mindscape and operate from there. Alternatively, he could employ sealing techniques similar to those used with Bijuu or Orochimaru's cursed seal.
He would have to figure out how to convert chakra from one source to another, or at least how to use foreign chakra. This could likely be achieved in three ways: first, by mastering medical ninjutsu; second, by learning sealing techniques, perhaps from Kushina's legacy scroll; and third, by simply attempting to attune to various entities and practicing repeatedly.
For the time being, it would be best to establish a foundation using the tree parasites, quickly enough to pre-empt any possible reaction from Zetsu until it was too late for retaliation. Besides trees, the concept of attuning one's chakra to nature chakra could also be used in element-suffused environments like a volcano, oceans, forges, high vantage points full of winds, deep underground, and on lightning rods.
The most challenging part would be evading detection by Byakugan or sensors, which would likely be impossible if performed out in the open unless he mastered some form of senjutsu and managed to hide his stationary clones in plain sight. However, if carefully concealed among tree roots or in a random forge, there might be enough time before someone discovered them, and by then, it could be too late to stop him.
This shouldn't be overly difficult; some of his clones had already started developing initial models based on shadow clones. These models would morph into small patches that could house mental clones, remain fixed, and use as little chakra as possible.
The signals sent should use a minimal amount of chakra, conveyed in small packages that would gradually transfer over time before assembling. The mental clones should also be relatively 'simple', with limited access to Askuna's knowledge. They would be managed by a slightly more sophisticated colony 'mothercore', which would, in turn, have its own overseer in Askuna's mind. Askuna would only establish a connection with this colony's sub-mothercore.
All to prevent, the potential rebellion of his subsystems. But as he was contemplating all this, motionlessly touching the tree, an unexpected situation required his attention.
His sensory skills had been improving over the past week or so, thanks to around twenty clones working in tandem for approximately twenty-four hours a day, covering various directions and carrying out search probes. Suffice it to say, his sensory abilities were quite functional at this point.
So, imagine Askuna's surprise that when he was standing next to a tree and contemplating for several minutes, someone had body-flickered to a tree top five hundred meters to the east, where they remained motionless.
Rather than dwelling on this, Askuna opted to use the Shunshin technique at maximum speed, first leaping to a building adjacent to his target's location and then bouncing off it to appear right behind the person of interest.
"What-?!" yelped a blonde-haired girl, barely managing to turn around in time, panic evident on her face. She was clad in a standard Konoha vest, clearly a ninja, which made her rank anywhere between Chunin and Jounin. Given her youthful appearance, Askuna surmised she was more likely a Chunin.
"Nice day we -" Askuna began, but his words were cut off as his stalker dropped a smoke bomb and his clones alerted him to her increasing the distance between them.
Before the smoke could envelop him, Askuna's clones used the body flicker technique to move him to the side. He then used the same technique to arrive at the roof the Chunin was aiming for, getting there just before she did.
"So, as-", he began again, only to be disregarded as the girl tried to unleash another smoke bomb. Reacting quickly, Askuna closed the distance between them, intending to apply the tried-and-true strategy of a swift kick to the stomach. Unlike his spar with the head proctor, he executed this move at full speed.
To her credit, the girl didn't display surprise this time. Instead, she raised a hand to deflect the incoming attack.
'Sadly, that won't work,' grinned Askuna as when his leg connected to her arm, she found she couldn't alter its trajectory, as his clones automatically initiated an internal counter-rotation of his body from the sole of his foot planted on the ground, effectively nullifying her attempted deflection.
However, when her hand made contact with Askuna's leg and she braced herself for the impact, her other hand dropped the bomb and formed a single-hand seal, prompting Askuna's mental defenses to activate.
Still, the blow landed, and Askuna in a split second was broken from genjutsu by his mental clones. Before the girl hit the ground, he appeared behind her, briefly considering his options for incapacitation.
Opting to grab her arm and pin her to the ground, Askuna attempted to trip her from behind. Reacting swiftly, she performed a cartwheel and, while upside down, tried to kick him with both legs.
As he caught her legs, skillfully evading her retaliatory kick that transitioned from a hand spin to a leg spin, a voice echoed from the side, "Stop, by the order of Konoha's police!"
One, two, then three figures in vests arrived on the scene. Askuna released the girl's legs and took a step back. The girl, meanwhile, moved into a crouch, grimacing as she clutched her stomach before gradually standing upright.
"Do not resist! You'll be taken to the station for questioning!" the leader commanded, his Sharingan active, as his two subordinates appeared beside them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
As Askuna gazed into those eyes, he became entranced by the spinning three-tomoe glow before everything ceased to exist. His mindscape was under attack, and when the forefront Askuna was deemed compromised, his defense systems initiated a reset, replacing him with a new instance.
The entire mindscape began to quake as its outer defenses were slowly dismantled by the Sharingan. However, they immediately retaliated against the invading chakra, rebuilding themselves while simultaneously flushing Askuna's frontline with instructions and restoration protocols.
Askuna's body relaxed and he returned a smile at the Sharingan user, remarking, "So this is the fabled Sharingan. Nice trick." He broke the gaze and shifted his attention to scrutinize the underlings and the girl who had been stalking him. This was all part of the power play, of course.
The girl looked quite frankly brain deadly at the moment, staring at the eyes of the squad leader with a slightly open mouth and a dumb expression. The underlying keeping an eye on Askuna furrowed his brows and ordered, "Hands."
The second subordinate was already placing cuffs on the girl. Askuna complied, noting the irritated look on the leader's face and the warning glances he was receiving.
The moment the cuffs were placed on him, he felt as if the chakra flow to his hands was cut off. Curious, his clones sent as many probes, as they could through them. "Don't," the leader commanded, fixing his gaze on Askuna.
'Ah, of course, those eyes can see chakra, how useful. Perhaps I should devise a similar technique,' Askuna analyzed, offering an innocent smile while the leader continued his genjutsu attempts. So, he stated plainly, "Your genjutsu sucks."
The man's eye twitched, which Askuna found amusing. His brow furrowed as he launched one final genjutsu assault, which shattered approximately a tenth of Askuna's defenses and consumed a good chunk of his chakra before they were instantly rebuilt.
"Creepy," commented Askuna, still smiling. The leader clenched his jaw and ordered, "Don't resist the body flicker," then directed his subordinate, "Carry her to the station."
The leader approached Askuna, performed a body flicker hand sign, and then placed his hand on Askuna's shoulder. Their surroundings blurred briefly as they traversed to the street, and then they continued on foot, the leader positioned directly behind Askuna and a chunin guiding him by his cuffed hands.
They attracted a few curious glances from passing civilians, but as it was getting late, there weren't many people around.
Upon arriving at the police station, the girl was still entrapped in the genjutsu, and Askuna was taken to a private, sealed room featuring a large mirror, where his handcuffs were fastened to a table.
His detection senses didn't extend beyond the room, likely due to some fuinjutsu barrier. Consequently, he merely waved at the mirror with a smile.
After an hour of sitting there, fiddling with the cuffs and waiting for something interesting to happen, someone eventually arrived. However, it wasn't who Askuna had expected to see. His head teacher, Daioku, entered the room, accompanied by a police officer.
Promptly, his handcuffs were removed, and Daioku gestured with his hand, "Come, Askuna."
'Hmm, either I'm under the influence of the Mangekyo and have lost my marbles, or I have no idea what's happening,' Askuna contemplated.
All of his mental clones were 'checking', that is, reading from memory by comparing hashes of current instances to prevent any accidental compulsion to rewrite memories, but everything seemed legit. Therefore, when his handcuffs were removed, he simply said, "Thanks," to the officer and followed his teacher.
They encountered no obstructions as they left, and Askuna didn't ask any questions. His teacher kept glancing at him from time to time, and Askuna just returned his gaze with a smile and a slight nod.
As a result, it was Daioku who initiated the conversation. "So... I received a debriefing that you got into a public fight..."
"Oh, who told you?" asked Askuna. A flicker of surprise followed by a quick tightening of the Chunin's lips was a sign that the information was 'classified'. So, it was likely the Hokage, Danzo, or perhaps someone who had ordered the girl to stalk him.
However, the Chunin quickly responded, "The police sent a message to the Academy that one of the students got into a fight."
"Why would they send it to Academy before I even mentioned my affiliation with it? On whose orders was the girl spying on me? Did you mean, Hokage, councilman, or someone else told me by their proxy?" Askuna queried.
His questions caused the Chunin to halt. He looked at Askuna for roughly eleven seconds before breaking into a laugh. "In your introduction to the class, you claimed to be the greatest genius to ever exist... there may be a hint of truth to that. As for your questions, the answers are 'classified'. I can neither confirm nor deny your speculations."
Hm. So, who was that stalker, then?" Askuna pressed.
Daioku merely shrugged in response.
Askuna raised an eyebrow, prompting, "..."
"Any more questions?" Daioku asked.
"Nope."
"Good, let me take you to your home, and then ... practice the fire jutsu, incidentally, here are some notes on the elemental fire manipulation." He handed Askuna the book.
"So, let me guess, the Hokage or someone on the council also provided you with this book for my learning benefit?" Askuna conjectured.
Daioku remained silent.
They resumed their walk in silence. However, after a couple of minutes, an ANBU agent suddenly materialized between them, informing, "You are both requested by the Hokage."
Askuna wanted to say "Nailed it," but he didn't get the chance as another Anbu agent appeared and used the Body Flicker technique to transport his sensei, while Askuna was escorted by the guard.
They went through reception and passed several guards along the way before arriving at a set of doors, which opened before them to reveal a room.
Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, still in his middle-aged prime, sat behind his desk in ceremonial robes. But before Askuna could react, he noticed everyone in the room dropping to one knee, including his teacher, who was looking at him suggestively to do the same.
Askuna realized the Hokage was watching him, likely to see his reaction. So, he raised his hand in a casual greeting and said, "Sup."
An awkward silence fell upon the room and the staring contest began between them, which was then broken by the Hokage lifting a finger and spiritual pressure descending upon the room, causing everyone else to gasp.
Askuna's consciousness was compromised, but his mindscape promptly replaced it with a fresh one. His mental clones were also supporting his body in maintaining its relaxed stance.
Seeing the power play, Askuna challenged, "Aren't you too weak for that hat?"
'Game on, you old codger,' mused Askuna internally.
The room collectively gasped again, this time at Askuna's audacity. The tension was palpable, but the spiritual pressure was lifted.
Hiruzen hummed, his hands reaching up to gently remove the hat that bore the symbol of the Hokage, the leader of the village. He held it in his hands, scrutinizing it, his thumb tracing over the material, the stitching, and the emblem that marked it as the symbol of the highest authority in the village. Slowly, he placed it on the table before him, his eyes never leaving it.
"This hat," he began, his voice echoing in the silent room, "is not just a symbol of power or strength. It's a mark of duty, a testament to the weight of responsibility that comes with the title it represents."
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze lifting from the hat to meet the eyes of Askuna. He continued "It signifies the ability to protect those we care about," he continued, his voice steady, "To bear their burdens that others cannot. It is a reminder that our strength is not for our own sake but for the sake of those who rely on us."
His hands folded over his stomach, his gaze unwavering. "It represents the capability to guide and lead a village, to steer its course through calm and storm alike. True, it demonstrates power and strength but it also shows hope for those who need it the most."
Finally, he ended with "And it embodies the Will of Fire that burns within each of us. The unyielding resolve, the steadfast determination that defines our village. It is the flame that lights our path, the beacon that guides us through the darkest nights carried by a torch from generation to generation."
Askuna listened, a frown etching itself onto his brow as he absorbed the Hokage's words. "Sounds good in theory," he finally retorted, "but the world is a cruel place. And there's no denying that a pragmatic shadow is cast alongside the idealistic light created by the Will of Fire. It's that shadow that keeps the fire burning."
Hiruzen tilted his head slightly, considering Askuna's response. "So, from your perspective," he began, "should we tread the path of idealism or pragmatism?"
Askuna crossed his arms, his gaze steady. "Both the extremes of idealism and pragmatism, if embodied by a single person, can lead to disaster. The one in the light may grow too weak for their people, who start to exploit the system, demanding more and more, taking everything they can in their blind greed that stems from pure pragmatism."
"On the other hand, the one shrouded in shadows may act in their own interests, blinded by power and corruption, rather than the best interest of the people, leading the latter to seek freedom, claim rights, and finally search for an ideal to oppose tyranny. There's no universal solution to this issue; it's a constant effort to prevent corruption."
"But it is a self-correcting mechanism; when it goes into one direction too much, the catastrophe happens, a breaking point, where either there is nothing more to give people, on the other spectrum when people are too dissatisfied with the regime. In the end, new government happens slowly starting the cycle of balancing anew."
Hiruzen remained silent, allowing Askuna to expand on his thoughts.
Askuna glanced at the ceiling. "It's good to dream, a sign that our environment is peaceful enough to allow us to do so..." He smiled, continuing, "Similarly, positive indicators include children living with their parents without the threat of bloodshed or war, having the freedom to express themselves, among other things..." His voice trailed off, scanning for any reaction, but Hiruzen listened attentively, maintaining a steadfast demeanor. So, Askuna shifted his approach.
"Look at Madara and Hashirama. Two incredibly powerful men with their respective ideologies. Their personal battles sparked ideological wars, and the masses followed them. Perhaps it's worth it to seek balance instead, to dream of the sunshine and the heavens while occasionally grounding oneself with the roots and the earth. With time and experience, we might find some answers, and undoubtedly, more questions."
Hiruzen didn't interrupt him, allowing him to finish before posing a question. "And do you believe that the village is unbalanced? That it's no different from the era of clan wars? That these times aren't better? We can afford to allow children to prepare before embarking on the career of a Shinobi."
Askuna returned the grin. "Sure, in the absence of war, I agree. But if war were to break out, everything ideal maintained now could crumble under the weight of pragmatism needed to keep the war machine going."
Hiruzen retorted, a hint of a snarl in his voice. "And what would you do? Making the village lose the war? Make the life of all Leaf citizens miserable due to lost war, show weakness to clans that form the village that a governing body is weak and not capable of leading? Consequently, it would lead to revolt and further fuel the cycle of conflict and misery?"
'Well, shit, I seem to be losing this argument... let's resort to my non-existent sophistry skills and make a graceful exit while pretending to maintain balance and strong alignment,' Askuna thought, consulting with his clone to decide on an appropriate response.
Askuna met Hiruzen's snarl with a calm, steady gaze. "No, losing a war is not the answer. Neither is showing weakness. But there must be a balance. It's not about choosing between the idealism of peace and the pragmatism of war, but about finding a way to incorporate both in a way that best serves our village."
"It is often those little things, that we sacrifice for the greater good. Like letting children be children. But then when the war ends, we have a whole, albeit decimated, generation of damaged individuals. How can they teach the next generation and expect anything different?"
Askuna looked at the portraits of Hokage" I'm not saying it is not needed, but let me say, that I hope so, that we will reach a time, when periods of peace will last a bit longer, where people can genuinely communicate with each other, not sacrificing their lives for the ambitions of old, wealthy warmongers who can't envision the world in any way other than through the lens of harsh realities."
He looked at Hokage saying "It is all about the balance of nurturing our youths to be more receptible to spotting manipulation and being capable of communicating with each other, bridging barriers, seemingly impossible divides, and building positive relations with each other, based on understanding, rather than philosophical wars or differences."
"And do you believe this balance can be achieved?" Hiruzen asked finally.
'Ah, to hell with it,' Askuna mentally conceded, deciding to cut the pretense and answering with a grin, "No, but we should try regardless, as just the act of trying sets an example and offers hope for others to follow. Then, when the time comes for the next generation, they may use all the work of their predecessors to carry the torch further."
Hiruzen leaned back, his gaze shifting to the portraits of the first and second Hokage as he silently appraised them. Finally, he smirked and posed another question. "This is a beautiful world you envision, young Askuna, but what about showing respect to your superiors in this dream world of yours?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"And what about their first response being the demonstration of force to demand compliance, rather than facilitating an informed conversation?" Askuna countered.
Hiruzen hummed, breaking eye contact, "I suppose you're right in this regard, but as you pointed out, it reflects the harsh reality of this world, that only the strong will be heard."
"Then I'm strong enough," snorted Askuna.
"I suppose you are," conceded Hiruzen.
Deciding to interject, Askuna offered, "But a word of advice, sometimes even the weakest can touch the hearts of the strong and influence the world."
Askuna intended to reference Gandalf's wisdom on hobbits and Gollum, but couldn't quite capture it in his own words.
Hiruzen misunderstood, agreeing, "Yes, I see your point." He then shifted the conversation, "So, let's change the topic to the scuffle that transpired today."
Hiruzen turned to a wide-eyed Daioku, who until now had been silently listening to their conversation in awe. "Daioku, thank you for bringing Askuna here. He and I will speak privately from here on. You're dismissed."
It took a few seconds for Daioku's synapses to fire before he complied. "Yes, Hokage-sama." He exited, leaving the two of them alone with a squadron of hidden ANBU in the shadows.