-----
"That's amazing!"
"Yeah!!! This makes things so much easier!"
Kushina and the others cheered excitedly upon hearing the news.
This was way simpler than just searching aimlessly for suitable Devil Fruits.
Of course, they'd still have to defeat the current Devil Fruit users to claim them.
But hey, if they couldn't manage that, couldn't they just call for backup?
Right now, Uchiha Jiri was already considered very strong, even in the world of pirates.
In terms of power, she could likely rival an Admiral.
Although it was hard to say for sure without direct combat, she definitely wasn't far off.
Still, she was probably weaker than the Yonko.
But with her level of strength, she could hunt down most Devil Fruit users with ease.
"Don't celebrate too soon!"
Uchiha Jiri interrupted their excitement with a reminder: "Hunting down Devil Fruit users to extract their powers may be easier than finding the fruits directly, but it's not without risks!"
"If we only do it occasionally, people might think it's just a coincidence.
But if we do it too often, someone's bound to notice. They might even figure out that we have a way to extract Devil Fruit abilities!"
"If that happens, and the information leaks, we'll be in big trouble in the pirate world!"
"The major powers will definitely target us."
"And unless we can overwhelm everyone with absolute strength, we'll never know peace!"
"So unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't recommend doing this until you've all grown stronger."
"It could bring us enormous danger and make it much harder to explore and conquer the pirate world in the future."
"Think about it carefully, okay?"
Nothing is ever entirely good or bad. Everything has its pros and cons. You can't have all the benefits without the risks.
The group fell silent, their expressions growing serious.
"You're right," Kaito nodded in agreement.
"In fact, in the original future of this world, Blackbeard Teach did something similar with the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark Fruit)."
"But by then, he was already a Yonko, one of the strongest in this world."
"He could handle the attention and the risks. Right now, we're not on that level."
"Of course," Kaito added with a grin, "this doesn't mean we should give up!"
"If we can quietly and discreetly take down specific Devil Fruit users, extract their powers, and avoid exposing ourselves as a group, then a little hunting shouldn't be a problem."
Minato frowned slightly. "If that's the case, then we'll need to avoid using ninjutsu in front of people in this world."
"Ninjutsu is too distinct. It would immediately give us away."
"Exactly," Jiri and Kushina nodded.
It really was frustrating.
In the end, it all came down to their current lack of strength.
If they were stronger, they wouldn't have to worry so much.
"That's why training your physical body, taijutsu, and mastering this world's Haki and swordsmanship are just as important," Kaito encouraged.
"At least specialize in one or two areas."
"So keep working hard! We've got a long road ahead!"
"Ah? Do we really have to learn so much? It feels overwhelming!" Kushina sighed.
She had already been pushing herself hard lately, using several shadow clones every day for training.
But she was determined to keep going. For Kaito, for her clan, and for herself—she wanted to become strong enough to help, not just stand by helplessly during a crisis like the one in Uzushiogakure.
"You're already doing great, Kushina!"
Mikoto gently hugged Kushina's shoulders. "You're the one who should be comforting me, you know?"
"With your chakra reserves, mental strength, and stamina, you can handle training ten clones at once. Picking up a few extra skills is no big deal for you."
"Minato and I, on the other hand, can't manage that at all!"
Minato shrugged helplessly. "Low chakra reserves and insufficient mental strength. What can I do?"
Kushina smirked. "Heh, well, everyone's got their strengths, right?"
Kaito chimed in with a smile. "Actually, Kushina, Minato, Mikoto—don't be discouraged. In the future, you'll be able to do what Kushina does too."
"Don't forget, all the training you're doing—body strengthening, eating Sea King meat, and practicing taijutsu—is improving your physique and life force.
"This will naturally increase your chakra reserves over time."
"And the Primal Chakra Refinement Technique you're practicing will further enhance the quality and quantity of your chakra."
"So it's only a matter of time before you catch up. Multi-tasking won't be a problem for you in the future."
Minato and Mikoto were stunned for a moment before they realized he was right.
Minato, especially, felt a surge of gratitude toward Kaito, his fondness for him growing even more.
Mikoto? Her feelings had already maxed out a long time ago.
"Oh, by the way, once we unlock the map to Shimotsuki (Frost Moon) Village in the East Blue, I'm planning to visit Isshin's dojo to learn this world's swordsmanship."
"If any of you are interested, you can join me," Kaito said.
"Shimotsuki Village? That Koshiro?" Mikoto's eyes lit up. "He's a great swordsman! Count me in!"
Minato quickly added, "Me too!"
Kushina groaned. "Ugh, the Uzumaki clan doesn't exactly have a tradition of swordsmanship…"
"But if everyone else is going, I'll join too. It's just one more shadow clone, after all."
"No," Kaito shook his head. "For swordsmanship, I recommend training with your real body."
"It involves refining your physical strength. Unless you're already at a high level in swordsmanship and physically strong enough, you can't afford to skip that part."
"Fine, fine, I'll join," Kushina grumbled.
"Speaking of Isshin's dojo, Koshiro's daughter, Kuina, hasn't had her accident yet, right?" Kushina asked suddenly.
"Not yet," Kaito nodded. "She's only about four years old right now. There are still six years before her… accident."
"When we join the dojo, I'll find a way to gain her trust and change her fate."
"Good!" Kushina beamed.
Kaito smiled. "Not just Kuina. There are plenty of people whose lives we can change for the better.
"I hope to make both worlds—this one and ours—better and more peaceful. That's my goal."
Minato and the others exchanged glances, then stood up. "We'll help you."
Peace was their shared aspiration as well.
Clap, clap!
"Alright, let's not get off track! We can talk about this later!" Uchiha Jiri clapped her hands, interrupting their conversation. She turned to Kaito. "Release that bear guy. Let me take care of him so we don't leave any loose ends."
"And as for that Zoan-type Devil Fruit, do you have any ideas about it?"
"Now go"
Kaito nodded and, with a simple thought, released the bear guy then left with the group.
---
Jiri as alone with the bear guy.
Without hesitation, Jiri made a single hand sign. A massive Fireball Jutsu to incinerate the bear guy into a charred lump. Following that, she used Earth Style to bury the burnt remains deep in the sand.
Once everything was done, she returned to the group with a calm demeanor, as if all she had done was kill a chicken.
Because of the distance, Kaito and the others barely felt anything. And that was exactly Jiri's intention.
The kids were still too young, and she didn't want their hands stained with blood just yet. She figured it was best to wait a few more years until Kaito and the rest were older and more prepared.
After all, there wasn't an immediate need to rush such things.
That being said, even the shinobi world wasn't as peaceful as it had been during her youth.
The near destruction of the Uzumaki Clan had shown how fragile peace was. While they had managed to rescue many survivors, the combined efforts of the three Great Shinobi Villages had still succeeded in wiping out many Uzumaki Clan members and seizing many of their sealing techniques.
Not to mention, it was likely that some members of the Uzumaki Clan had been captured during the chaos.
Kumogakure, in particular, was notorious for targeting and kidnapping people with unique bloodlines or abilities. It wouldn't be surprising if they had abducted a few red-haired Uzumaki.
Jiri vividly remembered that in the future Kaito had described, several notable young ninja with red hair and dark skin appeared under the banner of the Raikage.
She strongly suspected that these individuals were the result of Uzumaki Clan members being forced to integrate into Kumogakure's population.
Of course, that was just a theory. Not all red-haired individuals were necessarily Uzumaki.
.
.
.