Ninja Ice House

Chapter 612 Coercion

In fact, Kosugi Shōdō knew very well that even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had no clue, and it was highly likely that no clues would be found.

Whether there is a mastermind behind it all, who is manipulating things, or it is just a coincidence, it does not affect the progress of the investigation.

Even if we find it, we might not be able to deal with it. The best approach right now is to react to each move as it comes.

Fortunately, Kosugi Bokusui was vigilant and did not neglect to monitor Jiraiya, who was not the "chosen one" but merely an important "supporting character" in the eyes of the guide, because of a "small change in fate".

There are actually more than one or two secret realms in the ninja world that can reverse time and cause and effect, but there is no need to explore them one by one, let alone personally get involved. It is more appropriate to let the "chosen ones" take the risks.

The same place can yield completely different results for different people. For example, the three sacred sites for summoning beasts: if an ordinary ninja accidentally enters, he will probably turn into a giant stone frog and be swallowed by a giant snake, or become organic fertilizer in the Shikkotsu Forest; if the protagonist and his righteous companions enter, it's basically the same as leveling up and getting treasures.

The characters should appear according to the specific "play". If the rhythm is wrong, the difficulty of "passing the level" is unpredictable.

In the lush, spring-like courtyard, Kosugi Bokumi rarely saw Karin playing with her younger siblings.

The eldest daughter, now a young woman, wore a playful ponytail, with light bangs covering her forehead and touching her eyebrows. She wore a light pink loungewear outfit with a fleece draped over it, making her look warm and energetic.

The little ones all had red faces, noses, and hands, probably from playing in the snow or having a snowball fight.

The presence of several ninja dogs, either as guards or as toys, added to the fun of the playful scene.

Kosugi Bokusui walked over, said a few words, and then told the little ones to play by themselves for a while before sitting down with Karin on the pavilion next to them to talk about something.

A short while later, the servant brought over a heater and hot tea.

I casually tossed a handful of bait into the pond next to me, and the fish lurking at the bottom of the water immediately swam over to snatch the food, creating ripples in the water.

"Father, what do you think of my performance this time?"

"Very good! By task standards, it is indeed commendable. As the person in charge, you have completed all tasks well. There is only one point: in the management process, you need to learn to leave some leeway and be a little flexible, which will stimulate the initiative of your assistants and subordinates. Doing so will prevent you from doing everything yourself, the decrease in efficiency will be limited, and you will be able to relax a bit..."

"Is it bad to do things too perfectly?"

"Too much of a good thing is bad! Water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers! You understand the principles, but when it comes to actually doing things, you need more experience to know how to control the timing."

"I might be too concerned about showing off my abilities."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shanbu Shui smiled and shook his head, saying:

"One's own abilities are one thing, but the ability to rationally mobilize resources and utilize external forces to do things for oneself is another. Generally... we call this 'leadership ability' or 'personal charisma.' You've actually realized that you should make progress in this area and have done a lot of practical work, but... humans are the most intelligent of all beings, highly intelligent life forms, and it's not enough to simply treat them as 'tools for tasks.' I often jokingly call them 'tool people,' but 'tool people' are still people, not tools. To fully unleash their potential, we can't restrict them too harshly..."

"I see!"

"It's just a slight deviation in the degree of precision; it doesn't mean you did a bad job, but rather... you could have done even better."

If one becomes the head of the vast Gusugi family in the future, one cannot limit oneself to the level of a "high-level employee." Gusugi Busui needs a true "successor," not an "executive CEO."

Having finished discussing this topic, Karin breathed a long sigh of relief and asked with a sweet smile:

"So... has everything been taken care of on Father's side?"

"There was a bit of a surprise, but I guess I've achieved my goal! In the past, my focus was always on the ninja world, Konoha Village, the Chosen One, the three great summoning beast sanctuaries, the Pure Land, and so on. I never expected that this time I would actually discover the existence of information-state life forms in the illusory realm..."

"what is this?"

Karin, who was hearing this word for the first time, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. Furusugi Bokusui didn't keep her in suspense and explained it directly, concluding:

"Logically speaking, they shouldn't have any real impact on us. Parasitic on history and the river of time, acting as observers and recorders, they have no incentive to stir up trouble in the ninja world, unless..."

"Is someone deliberately guiding or manipulating things?"

"It's also possible that the time has indeed come; the environment in the ninja world is suitable for growth, and there are signs that it's ready to sprout..."

"What signal?"

"Like hormones that stimulate growth in living organisms, the dead are resurrected, souls from the Pure Land descend to the Impure Land to manifest in the mortal world, those who should die do not die, and those who should live die, or there are more and more creatures with the ability of immortality or eternal life. You know the term 'adversity coercion,' right? I've explained it before..."

"Remember! When growing potted flowers, don't use pots that are too big, and don't make the growing environment too perfect. Sunlight, water, soil, temperature, humidity, wind direction, and fertilizer will make them grow very big and lush, but they won't flower and bear fruit. However, if the flower pot is too small, the wet and dry cycle is not perfect, the soil is not fertile enough, or even if there is drought or low temperature, some green plants will urgently flower and bear fruit, produce seeds, and reproduce offspring."

Because the environment is too comfortable, the plant grows branches and leaves and grows tall, without the motivation to reproduce. But once the external environment changes suddenly, the plant realizes that if it does not flower and bear fruit to raise offspring, it will die. So it will flower and bear fruit as soon as possible to mature the seeds. If it cannot survive, the seeds can remain dormant and germinate and grow the following year.

Bamboo flowering is a prime example. When there is drought, flooding, or abnormal temperature fluctuations, the entire bamboo forest will flower and then die off in large areas, because they use all their nutrients to reproduce and make a last-ditch effort for the survival of the species.

Since the "World Tree" is named after a "tree," it also has similar instincts.

Once the "pheromones" indicating a deteriorating growth environment appear in the outside world, don't delay. Grow up quickly, either leave this awful place or, if you can't leave on your own, let your seeds, spores, or something else go elsewhere to lie dormant and grow.

If possible, training a group of helpers when they grow up might be able to "save" the situation.

"Reincarnation of the Undead, Reincarnation of the Impure World, Reanimation Jutsu, Reincarnation of the Self-Born, Samsara of Heaven and Earth, and Dragon Life Reincarnation, and also... the Karma and the Serpent Shedding Technique!"

It must be admitted that Kosugi Bokusui himself is also a huge variable.