No one knew about the conversation that night, and in the following days, Bunfuku and the delegation continued their tour of Konoha Village. They visited almost every place except for highly confidential areas, gaining insights into Konoha's architecture, culture, and systems.
Afterward, Bunfuku returned to Sunagakure. Through the reflections sparked by this visit, he gained some understanding of how to manage Sunagakure, and Fumori Masaki also offered him advice on how to consolidate his position and power.
If the leader of a ninja village lacks sufficient prestige and means, people below will inevitably harbor other intentions in the future. Even though Sunagakure is currently in a state of revival and cannot withstand major turmoil, it is still possible for people to create obstacles.
Bunfuku was not an outstanding leader. For the first half of his life, he was merely a monk in a tall tower, more like a scholar, without even basic ninja training. His current standing relies solely on the formidable strength of the jinchuriki, the impact of the war, and the support of Konoha Village.
Sunagakure, which was severely lacking in talent, clearly needed individuals who could shoulder great responsibilities in the future. Taking advantage of this visit, Bunfuku formally requested Fumori Masaki to allow the young people in the delegation to study in Konoha Village, so they could learn from Konoha and support Sunagakure in the future.
Fumori Masaki had no reason to refuse. Whether for the maintenance of the alliance or for subtly influencing Sunagakure, this was a necessary move. Although Sunagakure would gain some intelligence, compared to what was gained, it might not be a loss. Konoha Village's overall strength could bear these costs, and in return, there would be huge gains.
The young people from Suna, led by Karura, reluctantly saw Bunfuku and the others off at the village gate. They would need to study in Konoha Village for at least three years, possibly even longer. The slight sadness of being far from their homeland lingered in their hearts.
"I will wait for your return," Bunfuku said to Karura before leaving. "Study hard with the others, don't cause any trouble, and maintain friendly relations with the Konoha ninjas."
"Yes. I will return as soon as possible," Karura nodded heavily.
"If possible, I hope you study longer so you can master more knowledge," Bunfuku sighed softly. "Although the current agreement is for three years, it may not actually be exactly three years. Of course, it could also be longer, depending on the village's construction situation."
Karura understood. Bunfuku meant that if Sunagakure was very stable and he could still control the situation, then it would be fine for Karura and the others to study in Konoha Village for longer. But if Bunfuku couldn't control the situation and needed Karura and them to help, then it was possible they wouldn't even stay for three years and would have to return.
"In any case, I will do my best. The more you learn, the more beneficial it will be for the village in the future," Bunfuku said.
"I understand. If that is what sensei expects," Karura suppressed her reluctance and nodded solemnly at Bunfuku.
After Bunfuku's farewell to the exchange students was complete, Fumori Masaki stepped forward. Karura cooperatively retreated to the side, and everyone else cleared a space for Bunfuku and Fumori Masaki. The propaganda department's ninja had already raised their cameras.
"I wonder if you were satisfied with the hospitality these past days?"
"Naturally, I couldn't be more satisfied. If Mr. Kazamori ever has time in the future, would you consider visiting Sunagakure? I will do my best as a host."
"Absolutely, absolutely. Mr. Bunfuku, too, if you have time in the future, please do come to the village."
The sound of cameras clicked incessantly, capturing countless shots of Fumori Masaki and Bunfuku shaking hands. After the sounds ceased, Fumori Masaki and other Konoha high-ranking officials saw the delegation off. Hatake Sakumo led a team to escort the delegation to the Land of Fire's border, where they would be handed over to Hanzo's side.
Fumori Masaki smiled as he watched the delegation depart, feeling that this visit had truly yielded significant gains. Not only in terms of political significance, but he had also gained another kind of harvest.
Fumori Masaki's gaze shifted slightly. Besides the mark left by Son Goku, the Four-Tails, on his palm, there was also a light purple mark, blending with the deep red one. This was left by Shukaku, the One-Tail, a similar technique to Son Goku's, capable of generating a certain amount of One-Tail chakra.
The chakra of different Tailed Beasts has different variations during the process of converting natural energy. After thoroughly discussing the future prospects of utilizing Tailed Beast power with Bunfuku and the two Tailed Beasts, and carefully analyzing the pros and cons, Shukaku granted him this power.
From then on, with the two types of Tailed Beast chakra and the underground Dragon Vein as references, Konoha Village's research into natural energy would surely have enough data to collect. On another front, Fumori Masaki could also gain a deeper understanding of Sage Mode from this, perhaps even approaching the realm of Six Paths Sage Mode in the future.
Uchiha Madara, after becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, gained the ability to use Six Paths Sage Mode. Although Uchiha Madara obtained senjutsu chakra from Hashirama, Fumori Masaki believed that Uchiha Madara's ability to use Six Paths Sage Mode was still due to the Ten-Tails' power.
Although the chakra produced by this mark is limited, not even enough for a C-rank jutsu, even a fragment possesses the power nature of that Tailed Beast. Even if the amount of chakra is so small, if the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts were concentrated, it could still transform the Gedo Statue into the Ten-Tails.
However, the extent of power that such a Ten-Tails would possess was unknown, and it certainly wouldn't be very strong. Fumori Masaki didn't care about that; he was only interested in the fragments of the Tailed Beasts' power as a way to guide him towards the Six Paths realm.
Mastering Six Paths Sage Mode by becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki is the most convenient method—if one doesn't consider the difficulty of plundering all nine Tailed Beasts. Fumori Masaki believes that if he can gather all the chakra fragments of the nine Tailed Beasts in the future, the power nature of the Ten-Tails would already be complete. Even if he cannot become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, he should still be able to discern the direction of Six Paths Sage Mode from it.
Fumori Masaki had always intended to simplify Sage Mode in his heart, but in the future, the use of natural energy in the ninja world would become increasingly common. Sage Mode would no longer be just a legendary realm, nor would it be mastered by only a few people. However, because mastering natural energy is extremely difficult, progress is very slow.
If possible, Fumori Masaki intended to comprehend the path to Six Paths Sage Mode on his own, but looking at the current progress, it seems unlikely to rely solely on himself. He still needs to find a shortcut, perhaps by finding a method from a simplified version of the Ten-Tails.
This world is largely very similar to what Fumori Masaki knew, but some aspects are clearly different, such as the development of technology and the situation of certain countries, which differ from the anime he watched.
So, the Otsutsuki attack in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations might not necessarily happen, but Fumori Masaki felt that he should still make some preparations. Simplifying Sage Mode, making it easier for ordinary people to master high-level power, and increasing the use of natural energy are all preparations for a potential Otsutsuki attack in the future.
According to the timeline, if the Otsutsuki clan were to truly attack, nearly fifty years would have passed. Fumori Masaki felt that with the current research progress, by fifty years later, there might truly be no need to fear any Otsutsuki.
Fumori Masaki's next plan is to utilize the underground Dragon Vein of the Loulan Kingdom to power and research some new ninja tools. The Queen of Loulan is already trying to shift the location of the underground Dragon Vein towards the Land of Fire. In return, Fumori Masaki also needs to provide the Loulan Kingdom with a new settlement.
As for further development, once new ninja tools are to be popularized, Fumori Masaki will have to consider establishing something like power lines to connect natural energy. Konoha Village is currently searching for materials suitable for natural energy conduction, and Fumori Masaki's heart is set on Wood Style.
Wood Style is the most suitable substance for absorbing natural energy, but how to systematically cultivate the corresponding plant material is a problem. Pure Wood Style can absorb natural energy, but it requires the user's chakra support, otherwise it will quickly become inanimate. How to detach it from the caster and allow it to independently absorb natural energy to maintain its vitality is the focus of the research.
Research into this special plant is the highest secret of Konoha's Research Department, currently known only to a select few. The core of the research team is Konoha Village's only Wood Style ninja, Nawaki.
Under Fumori Masaki's attention, Nawaki did not die young. After carefully reading the scrolls left by his grandfather, Senju Hashirama, Nawaki's Wood Style training advanced by leaps and bounds. Although there was still a large gap compared to his grandfather, he should be much stronger than Yamato, the artificial Wood Style ninja.
After all, Yamato was only implanted with Hashirama cells. Even though the powerful Hashirama cells maintained balance within Yamato's body without devouring it, and allowed him to use Wood Style, he simply couldn't unleash the full power of Wood Style.
Even if Madara's Wood Style was considered comparable to Hashirama's in the Eight-Tails' assessment, there was certainly still a gap in reality. Uchiha Madara also relied on the power of his fellow Sage bloodline to suppress the Hashirama cells, and the power of Wood Style was due to his own strength, but it was still impossible to completely rival Hashirama.
Because cells that are not one's own are not one's own. There might be discomfort, and it's impossible to fully unleash the powerful abilities possessed by the original cell owner. Just like Shimura Danzo achieved balance with the Sharingan and Hashirama cells, but after his chakra was depleted and all his Sharingan went blind, he could no longer withstand the erosion of the Hashirama cells. This demonstrates that Hashirama cells are external matter no matter what.
However, Nawaki's Wood Style is his own true power, awakened through the bloodline he inherited from his grandfather. He may not achieve the same accomplishments as Hashirama, but compared to others, his completely self-owned power can certainly be fully utilized.
After Nawaki graduated and achieved some proficiency in Wood Style, Fumori Masaki secretly gave him this task: to research this special plant material and methods for using natural energy. The main members of this research team include Fumori Masaki himself, Tsunade, Nawaki, and others who are either related to Wood Style or natural energy.
Because Fumori Masaki and Tsunade both had public identities, the research team was mainly composed of Nawaki and other ninjas who could set aside their public duties. This was destined to be a very secret operation, which initially made Nawaki very unhappy, because this way he couldn't go out on missions, and it would be uncertain if he could become Hokage in the future.
Even if he researched special plants and other methods of using natural energy, Nawaki, who had never performed publicly, would not be able to become Hokage, even with this achievement. At most, it would prove his contributions in scientific research, but whether he possessed the qualities of a Hokage was an unknown.
After a secret conversation with Fumori Masaki, Nawaki finally let go of his pursuit of the Hokage position and devoted his energy to research. In this regard, Nawaki was worthy of the title of a ninja. Ninjas themselves have the resolve to sacrifice in certain aspects. Nawaki might not become Hokage, but he would certainly make important contributions to Konoha Village.
After Fumori Masaki saw the delegation off, the exchange students departed under the guidance of others, and he too was heading to the Research Department to entrust them with the latest task. The research on natural energy could officially be put on the agenda, and there would be no more wars or similar obstacles to hinder it.
At the same time, the propaganda department completed the draft for the Suna delegation's visit. Through Konoha Village's media channels, newspapers were sent to major cities across the country, and other countries were no exception.
"The Kazekage personally led a delegation to Konoha Village to discuss the future direction of the ninja world."
"The Kazekage and the Hokage hit it off instantly, shaking hands in friendship. Does this signify a reconciliation between Konoha Village and Sunagakure?"
"At the luncheon, the Kazekage recounted various anecdotes from the Land of Wind with great familiarity. At the same time, he expressed great interest in the new Ninja Sect culture, humbly sought guidance from the Hokage, and stated his intention to promote it in Sunagakure in the future."
"The Kazekage praised Konoha Village's system, architecture, and culture, believing that Sunagakure should learn from it. He left his student Karura and other young people from Suna in Konoha Village as exchange students to learn various aspects of Konoha's culture."
Every newspaper was singing praises for this delegation's visit, believing it to be the beginning of peace in the ninja world, where countries would engage in friendly exchanges. The common people rejoiced at the prospect of no more wars with the Land of Wind, while the nobles, in addition to their joy, meticulously calculated the various benefits they would gain from trade with the Land of Wind.
Many people were very happy, but some were not, namely the nobles led by the Daimyo. They also gained a lot of benefits from this, but the Daimyo increasingly found Konoha Village an eyesore, because Konoha Village had carried out these operations without his permission.
For a king with a strong inner will, such an action was clearly disrespectful. Even if Konoha Village shared a portion of the profits with him, it did not satisfy the Daimyo. What a king desires most is to be able to completely control his subordinates; even a slight deviation from control could cause dissatisfaction.