Naruto: I Survived Two Wars Without You, System!

"Ugh~"

Kei Yamanaka took one spoonful of the deer antler and goji berry porridge. His expression changed immediately—he almost spat it out then and there.

An intense medicinal taste shot straight to the top of his head like a lightning bolt!

It nearly lifted the top of his skull right off!

This power-packed porridge definitely contained more than just the visible goji berries and deer antlers. The broth had also been infused with several other herbs designed to balance its potency and make it gentler yet more nourishing.

As for the effects...

Feeling the subtle heat rising in his abdomen and waves of warmth flowing continuously through his limbs and every part of his body,

Kei instantly made a medical judgment based on his expertise in Medical Ninjutsu.

This thing's definitely stronger than Viagra!

Seriously, even if your Nara family has your own pharmaceutical research facility and herb cultivation base, you don't have to go *that* far, do you?

Lifting his head, he saw Nara Shikaku scooping spoon after spoon into his mouth while still keeping an eye fixed firmly on Kei.

Kei rolled his eyes in disbelief, then decisively activated [Infinite Armory].

The moment the spoon entered his mouth,

he wrapped it in chakra and sent it directly into the armory for storage.

His health was already perfectly fine—this stuff could wait for a better opportunity to get dumped later.

Otherwise, Kushina would probably suffer dearly!

"Shikaku, remember to wash the dishes. I'm going to work now~"

Yoshino Nara saw that Nara Shikaku had finished the power-packed porridge, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

She slipped on a pair of black high heels and a sleek, black-patterned qipao that hugged her curves perfectly.

Then she stepped out wrapped in a warm deerskin cloak.

"You just used Space-Time Ninjutsu, didn't you!"

Nara Shikaku stared at Kei with deep suspicion, his gaze filled with distrust.

"What else? Am I supposed to walk around with a cane like you? Wait, not possible~ You haven't gotten so weak you can't even get it up anymore, have you? No way, no way~"

Kei dropped the spoon in his hand back into the bowl.

He mimicked Shikaku's tone earlier, throwing words back at him like a boomerang—right into his heart.

"...Let's talk seriously."

Nara Shikaku fell silent for a moment.

With his intelligence, how could he not realize that no matter how he answered, he was walking straight into a trap!

Damn that Space-Time Ninjutsu! Why didn't he have the talent for it?!

"Hehe~ My strength has improved a bit recently. Remember I told you before that Madara Uchiha had a hidden puppeteer behind him? Well, I ran into him at the front lines, so I activated Wood Release to wipe the place clean..."

Kei briefly described what had happened at the front lines and the things he planned to do next.

He wasn't planning on interfering too much with Iwagakure.

But he definitely needed to pay Sunagakure a visit.

And within Konoha itself, the unification and transfer of power needed to be completed within a few days.

The schedule was tight, and the workload was huge.

No matter how strong he became, he was still only one person. With so many things needing done, he inevitably felt stretched thin.

"You sure you don't want to become Hokage?"

After listening to Kei's account, Nara Shikaku's expression looked quite peculiar.

"Absolutely certain. Without a doubt."

Kei nodded. Who in their right mind would even *want* to be Hokage?!

"You were the one who struck fear into Iwagakure, and you're also the one preparing to do the same to Sunagakure. You are the most crucial force ensuring the merger of the three villages. If you won't become Hokage, then you—"

Nara Shikaku trailed off mid-sentence, already having roughly guessed Kei Yamanaka's plan.

Kei simply smiled without responding. In the One Piece world, there was Imu above the Five Elders; in the Naruto world, above the Five Kage stood him—any problem with that?

He wouldn't get involved in daily management, nor would he show himself to ordinary people.

In normal times, they could pretend he didn't exist at all.

As long as he held absolute power, his position was naturally above the Five Kage, unshakable. Whatever he said, the Five Kage had no choice but to listen!

But if he became a Kage himself,

Trapped within the system, there'd be far too many responsibilities to juggle!

Why put himself through unnecessary trouble?

"Two questions: First, are you certain your strength surpasses the combined might of the Five Kage? Second, ... have you achieved immortality?"

Shikaku raised two fingers, bringing up the two most critical points.

If that first point couldn't be achieved, trying to stand above the Five Kage would be pure nonsense.

As for the second point, in a seemingly equal yet inherently unequal system, someone will always grow dissatisfied with the status quo and try to challenge the powers above them.

If Kei were alive and well, everything would remain peaceful and harmonious.

However, should he grow old, his strength decline, or even pass away, not only would the Ino–Shika–Cho triad face calamity, but the entire hidden village alliance might fall apart.

Given Kei's personality, there was no way he hadn't considered all this.

So...

Had their brother truly attained immortality?

"Don't worry about the first issue. As for the second... Immortality isn't quite the right word, but living for several thousand years should be no problem."

Kei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, estimating his remaining life force.

The physical constitution granted by the golden skill listing [Yin-Yang Sage Ascendant], along with his cultivation method that directly absorbed Natural Energy,

had already allowed him to ascend beyond ordinary lifeforms.

The term 'immortality' was too broad.

Some believed living thousands of years counted as immortality, while others felt only eternal existence spanning ten-thousands years qualified.

But in Kei's opinion,

True immortality was an exalted concept—someone whose chest held heaven and earth, whose body concealed the cosmos, whose lifespan matched the heavens, shining as brightly as the sun and moon—that alone barely reached the threshold of immortality.

He still had a long way to go!

"Phew... Who do you plan to make the Fourth Hokage?"

Shikaku took several deep breaths, forcing down the surge of inner turmoil with sheer willpower.

Several thousand years?!

How many years had passed in ninja history so far?

"Hmm... Tsunade or Danzo—who do you think is more suitable?"

Kei quickly reviewed Konoha's current masters within his mind.

Jiraiya lived too freely and followed his own path, clearly unsuitable for the Hokage role.

Minato Namikaze had sufficient power, but the Golden Flash's reputation wasn't yet widespread enough. Pushing him forward forcefully would be too much trouble.

Orochimaru? Let him focus on research—stop entertaining silly ideas.

After thinking it over again and again, it seemed only Tsunade and Danzo emerged as viable candidates.

The former retains some level of independence.

The latter has no real autonomy—it's covertly managed by Nara Shikaku and his allies. But that shouldn't pose a problem either.

"The value of 'Danzo' has been reduced to mere accounting and taking the blame. There's no point putting him on stage. Can Tsunade's current strength suppress Sarutobi?"

Nara Shikaku shook his head, immediately dismissing White Zetsu impersonating Danzo.

Danzo built his power base through Root. Everyone knows he's an extremist. In this crucial phase of merging the villages, pushing him forward would only invite trouble.

"Hmm, do you think she needs it? If so, I can boost her strength a little. It shouldn't be a problem."

"As long as Tsunade can keep Sarutobi in check, give me three days! I'll completely unify all Konoha's forces! No one will slow you down!"

"What about the merger regulations?"

"Easy enough—I'll draft them this afternoon."

"Fine."

Kei Yamanaka nodded slightly. Seeing that the main discussion was over, he got up and left the table.

Before heading out the door, he suddenly recalled something crucial and turned back to speak again.

"The kind of immortality I possess requires exceptionally rare talent—something you likely don't have. However, Orochimaru's research has been moving forward at a surprisingly rapid pace lately. I can't promise anything beyond that, but surviving for a thousand years should be achievable. Hmm… perhaps even longer in the future."

Actually, Kei had thought about this issue long ago, which is why he never truly decided to eliminate Orochimaru, this mad scientist obsessed with research.

If someone lived too long,

watching everyone they know grow old and die,

until everything becomes unfamiliar—

and there's no one left they recognize,

that kind of immortality might become unbearably cruel and empty.

"Damn..."

Nara Shikaku stared at the spot where Kei had vanished through the front gate. He pinched his thigh hard, then performed several clan secret techniques before finally convincing himself the conversation wasn't just a dream.

A thousand years!

That damn brother of his really does have guts!

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