31-35

Chapter 31: Naruto's Challenge

Shiro slowly opened his eyes, feeling like his head had just collided with something. Waves of pain pulsed through him, but the faint scent of something pleasant drifted to his nose.

"Shizune-sister?" Shiro asked, looking at the side of the woman’s face in front of him, unable to help himself.

"Shiro-kun, you're awake!" Shizune exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. Then her cheeks flushed red, and she quickly ran toward Tsunade.

"He's awake, so what? Why are you making such a fuss?" Tsunade shot a glance at Shiro, but when she saw Shizune's expression, she couldn't help but laugh.

Shiro gave a wry smile and turned to see Jiraiya strolling leisurely nearby. He couldn’t resist asking, "Shizune-sister, wasn’t carrying me tiring? How about letting the Pervy Sage carry me instead?"

Before Shizune could respond, Jiraiya's face turned even more sorrowful.

Shizune chuckled. "It wasn’t tiring. Actually, Jiraiya-sama carried you at first. But while carrying you earlier, he accidentally bumped into things several times, and then Tsunade-sama didn’t dare let him carry you anymore."

"Jiraiya definitely did that on purpose! If you have a problem, take it out on me, don’t trouble Shiro! If I catch you doing it again, it’ll be more than just a few punches!" Tsunade huffed coldly, glaring at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's face grew even more pitiful, mumbling under his breath as if to say, "This guy's just faking it!"

Shiro couldn't hold back his laughter.

But Jiraiya wasn’t new to this kind of situation—he’d been through enough that he was almost used to it.

"By the way, Shizune-sister, if Tsunade-sama hadn't overcome her hemophobia earlier, what would’ve happened to me?"

Shizune broke into a nervous sweat, her walking pace quickening noticeably.

Shiro felt like a herd of alpacas was running through his mind.

By the time evening approached, Shiro and the others finally arrived at another village. His "injuries" had already healed long ago. If it weren’t for Tsunade's insistence, he would have been bouncing around by now.

"Alright! We’ll rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow," Tsunade said, noticing Shiro’s tired look and feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Okay, since we’ve got two kids with us, leave Shiro to me. I’ll take good care of him!" Jiraiya said, deliberately emphasizing his last words.

Shiro's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back.

"No need. Shiro will stay in our room tonight!" Tsunade said firmly.

"What?! But he’s a boy!" Jiraiya growled through gritted teeth, glaring at Shiro. The thought of his goddess showing so much concern for Shiro filled him with jealousy.

"No need, I’ll stay with the Pervy Sage," Shiro replied, knowing full well that avoiding the situation would only delay the inevitable. It was better to face it head-on.

Tsunade hesitated for a moment but then reluctantly nodded. "Fine, Shiro will stay in your room tonight. But if I find out you bullied him, you know what’ll happen."

Shiro gave a bitter smile. The more Tsunade protected him, the deeper Jiraiya’s resentment grew. What might have been a few bruises before could now turn into serious injuries!

Uneasily, Shiro followed Jiraiya to the room.

As soon as the door closed, Jiraiya began laughing ominously. "Shiro! Care to explain why your injuries haven’t healed yet? And about the transformation technique I asked you to use, what’s going on with that?"

Jiraiya sneered as he approached Shiro.

Before long, Shiro had backed into a corner with nowhere to escape.

At that moment, a blonde-haired boy stepped in front of him, his eyes filled with determination as he stared at Shiro.

"Shiro-kun! Please accept my challenge. I have to know how wide the gap is between us!" Naruto declared.

"Naruto, give it a rest. You're not a match for Shiro," Jiraiya sighed, patting Naruto on the shoulder.

A shadow of gloom briefly crossed Naruto’s face, but his eyes quickly regained their resolve.

"I know! And I also know Shiro-kun is still injured! But if we don’t fight, my ninja way will be shattered!"

Ding! A choice mission has been triggered!

1. Agree and defeat Naruto. Reward: Wind-Style Chakra!

2. Agree and defeat Naruto using only one hand. Reward: Naruto’s original technique, a secret move capable of defeating the Third Hokage in one hit!

3. Agree and defeat Naruto using only one finger. Reward: Intermediate Sage Body!

Shiro’s eyes lit up! He already knew the benefits of the Sage Body and had been looking forward to upgrading to the intermediate level. Especially after his battle with Manda, the desire had only grown stronger.

Although he now had three options, this task seemed incredibly difficult! Using just one finger meant no ninjutsu or genjutsu could be used.

Only ninjas like Might Guy or Tsunade would stand a chance.

Shiro quickly locked in on the second option!

"I choose two!" Shiro decided on the second option without any other reason, just thinking it would be unfair to use full power against Naruto when he had only used one hand against Sasuke.

It definitely had nothing to do with that secret technique!

"Alright, just like when I fought Sasuke, I’ll only use one hand against you," Shiro said, coughing twice to hide his excitement.

"Deal!" Naruto nodded gratefully.

The two made their way to an open field. Shiro had previously destroyed a road, resulting in a hefty fine, so this time, they moved to a more secluded area.

Jiraiya had reluctantly agreed not to follow them, but Shiro knew for sure that Jiraiya was hiding somewhere nearby.

"Shiro-kun, even though you’re only using one hand, I hope you take this seriously!" Naruto said earnestly.

"Don’t worry, I will," Shiro replied, knowing he had to give his best effort with the mission reward on the line.

Naruto nodded slightly, then crossed his fingers and shouted, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, countless Narutos appeared before Shiro.

Shiro stood there, dumbfounded.

Even though he knew Naruto could use the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, seeing so many of them materialize in front of him brought a wave of pressure that made him instinctively take a step back.

"So, this is the true protagonist. But unfortunately, you’re facing me!" Shiro smirked, his pupils suddenly turning blood-red, with three tomoe spinning within them.

Naruto saw a blur in front of him as Shiro's body transformed into a flock of crows and disappeared.

When Naruto reached Shiro’s position, he found that Shiro had vanished without a trace.

Frantically, Naruto began looking around. As he turned his head, he realized he was now surrounded by Shiro’s clones—so many that they were impossible to count!

"Genjutsu?"

"I’ve fallen into a genjutsu!"

---

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 32: The Assassination Squad*

Naruto Uzumaki frowned.

Although he knew it was an illusion, he had no way to counter it.

Out of countless shadow clones, only one needed to be real to change the tide of the battle!

Moreover, now that all the clones had transformed into Shiro's appearance, it was impossible to distinguish the real one in just a second or two.

Shiro only needed to stealthily approach Naruto and finish him off!

The only option now was to either dispel the shadow clones or reduce their number to a controllable range!

With a pained expression, Naruto raised two fingers, and in an instant, countless clones disappeared one after another, leaving only three standing in a triangular formation.

"He's not here! How could he not be here!"

Naruto nervously scanned the surroundings, afraid that Shiro might suddenly appear and take him down.

Just then, the sound of birds chirping echoed in the air.

Naruto instinctively looked up. When he saw the crows in the sky, he couldn't help but tremble!

"When Shiro fought Granny Tsunade, there were countless crows in the sky!"

Naruto instinctively dodged to the side.

At that moment, the crows transformed into shurikens and rained down from the sky like a storm!

Even though Naruto dodged quickly, he couldn't avoid the shuriken attacks, and two of his shadow clones were instantly destroyed.

However, when the third clone was hit, it too disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Shiro paused for a moment. In the earlier stages of the anime, Naruto always seemed impulsive and simple-minded.

But in reality, Naruto wasn't clueless during battles and even had some clever tricks up his sleeve.

Using the brief moment of smoke from the disappearing clones, he hid himself.

He had intentionally left three clones to mislead his opponent!

At this point, Shiro's jutsu began to lose its effect, gradually revealing his form, while Naruto had vanished.

"Not bad, you're even smarter than Sasuke!"

Shiro chuckled indifferently, then took out a kunai, holding it in his mouth as he formed hand seals with one hand.

The kunai emitted a yellow glow.

Satisfied, Shiro nodded and threw the kunai two meters in front of him.

After completing these actions, Shiro crossed his arms and closed his eyes leisurely.

Sure enough, after a short while, footsteps approached from three directions, circling closer.

"Got him!"

Boom!

A pale blue Rasengan spun furiously on Shiro's body, but he showed no reaction. Instead, his body began to swell.

"This is bad!"

Naruto's face filled with horror as he tried to escape, only to realize that his feet had already sunk into a swamp-like mud.

The more Naruto struggled, the deeper he sank, the mud clinging to his legs like glue!

With gritted teeth, Naruto's two shadow clones threw his real body out of the pit, finally allowing him to escape.

Boom!

Shiro's shadow clone exploded, and a shockwave sent Naruto flying, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

"My aim was a bit off."

Naruto trembled and quickly looked toward the source of the voice.

Shiro stood there, playing with a kunai in one hand, while his other hand stroked his chin as if pondering something.

"I lost."

Naruto knew very well that if Shiro hadn't spoken and had simply attacked, he wouldn't have had any chance to dodge.

Moreover, he had already sustained several injuries and was no longer able to continue fighting.

Ding! Identified Ninjutsu: Decapitation in the Mind!

Shiro's pupils shrank, and he instinctively jumped toward Naruto, grabbing him and running away.

"Shiro, what are you doing? I already surrendered!" Naruto asked, confused.

Suddenly, a masked ninja with a grimace mask appeared in front of them, pulling out a scroll and stabbing it into the ground!

Immediately, a transparent wall rose up, trapping both Shiro and Naruto inside!

"Shiro! Today is the day you die. Don't even think about escaping!"

As soon as the words fell, several similarly dressed figures slowly emerged.

In the dark of night, the grimace masks looked especially eerie.

"Two brats out here alone in the middle of nowhere at night? You're asking for death!"

"Wait, we can't touch the Nine-Tails brat!"

"I know. Now that the barrier is up, that kid won't be going anywhere."

Shiro's eyes grew serious. He knew exactly what these people wanted.

It was nothing more than Danzo Shimura wanting him dead!

But to send six ninjas at once was unexpected!

After closer observation, however, Shiro noticed that not all of them were Jonin. Two of them moved noticeably slower, probably only Chunin level.

Ding! Mission triggered!

1. Beg for mercy! Reward: Summoning Beast - Ninja Dog!

2. Kill all six Root members! Reward: Taijutsu - Primary Lotus!

Shiro looked at the rewards, completely uninterested. After reading the mission, he had no hesitation.

"I choose number two!"

"Since you're here, there's no need for more talk. Let's fight!"

"Kid, we know all about you! Your strongest skills are Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but Taijutsu is your biggest weakness!" The masked ninja sneered, drawing his short sword and dashing toward Shiro!

Shiro's pupils contracted!

He hadn't expected the ninja to be this fast, appearing beside him in the blink of an eye.

Shiro no longer worried about Naruto.

They wouldn't harm Naruto, so he could leave him and fight more freely!

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

With Shiro's current hand seal speed, the Phoenix Flower Jutsu was completed in a single breath.

Fiery phoenixes scattered, forcing the four approaching ninjas to retreat.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Jutsu!"

In an instant, two massive dragons erupted from the ground and lunged at the four ninjas!

"Don't underestimate us!"

The grimace-masked ninja chuckled, slicing through the Earth Dragon with his short sword.

A flash of silver, and the Earth Dragon lost control.

The dragon split at its weak point, leaving a clean cut. Pieces of the dragon fell to the ground, raising clouds of dust!

Shiro quickly commanded the Water Dragon to attack, but the masked ninja effortlessly dodged and ran toward Shiro!

"Taijutsu is your greatest weakness. Once I get close, you're dead!"

Shiro shook his head with a pitying smile.

"Now I understand the importance of accurate intel. When you get the wrong info, it can send you straight to your grave!"

With those words, Shiro raised his fist, muscles bulging in his arm.

"Die!"

---

End of chapter.

*Chapter 33: Annihilation*

Shiro threw a punch, and with the aid of his Sharingan, he clearly saw the opponent’s movement trajectory. His fist landed directly on the enemy’s face.

Rather than saying he punched the opponent, it was more accurate to say the Demon-Faced Ninja delivered himself right into it!

The ninja was sent flying, his mask shattered as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Shiro smiled.

This kill was entirely due to the enemy’s intelligence failure!

If the Demon-Faced Ninja had gathered better intel when they first encountered Shiro, he wouldn’t have been taken out so easily!

Ever since Shiro left Konoha Village, not only had he gained intermediate mastery of taijutsu, but he had also learned the Mighty Fist technique!

With the strength of the Sage Body, his taijutsu was now on par with that of a regular jōnin!

That unexpected punch completely shattered the confidence of the remaining enemies!

“Anyone else want to try out my taijutsu?”

“Damn it! When did this kid get so strong in taijutsu?”

“Who gathered the intel on him?”

“Hey, you two over there, forget about the Nine-Tails kid! Get over here and help!”

The five ninjas surrounded Shiro, but none dared to attack first.

After all, the bloody lesson lay right in front of them!

“If you’re not coming, I’ll make the first move!”

Shiro crossed his arms as chakra began to surge within him.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!”

In an instant, five shadow clones appeared out of thin air. After some quick discussion, the five enemies rushed towards their respective targets.

“Enjoy playing with my clones!” Shiro said with a confident grin.

Though he said that, he didn’t actually stop moving.

His body twisted and morphed into a flock of crows that scattered into the air!

“Watch out! Don’t let that kid sneak up on us!”

While the five ninjas focused on Shiro’s clones, the barrier around them suddenly started to tremble violently.

They turned to see a woman relentlessly punching the barrier, her fists shaking it with every blow!

“Bastards! How dare you attack my people?! None of you are getting away today!”

“Tsunade, don’t worry, that kid can handle it!”

“Even if there’s only a one-in-ten chance, I won’t let him take that risk! Damn it, Jiraiya, hurry up and break this barrier!”

Upon seeing the three people outside the barrier, the five ninjas turned pale, their hands trembling as they held their kunai.

“Damn it! Who is this kid that Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, is so concerned about him?!”

“Stop talking! Our mission is to kill the kid! As for—”

The ninja’s words were abruptly cut off as he looked down in disbelief at his chest.

A light blue chakra blade had pierced through him.

“Don’t get distracted now~,” Shiro said with a wicked grin, pulling the blade out.

Though there was no visible wound or blood, the ninja clutched his heart in pain.

“My scalpel can cut through internal organs directly!”

The remaining four ninjas shuddered.

If it were an external wound, they could stop the bleeding, but internal injuries would need a doctor!

And where could they find one in the middle of a fight?!

“We have to go all out, or we won’t complete the mission, let alone survive!”

At that, the four reinvigorated ninjas launched another wave of attacks. Shiro’s shadow clones were quickly destroyed, and they charged toward him.

Shiro smirked and took out a flute.

“Demonic Flute! Phantom Sound Lock!”

With a light chant, the sound of the flute, infused with chakra, reached the ears of the four ninjas.

One of the chūnin suddenly froze, spreading his arms out like a human cross!

“Not good! It’s genjutsu! Block your ears and don’t look at his eyes!”

The other three quickly lowered their heads, stuffing their ears with cotton, while Shiro smiled slyly.

“I didn’t expect someone to fall for it, but it’s a nice bonus!”

Shiro’s original goal was merely to disrupt their communication. After all, a coordinated team is vastly different from one that isn’t!

Now that he’d cut off their hearing, their strength was significantly weakened!

Just as Shiro prepared to finish them off, he noticed Naruto Uzumaki standing with a blank expression. He frowned.

Naruto Uzumaki was supposed to be the true protagonist of Naruto.

But with his own presence, he had completely crushed Naruto’s fighting spirit!

Shiro felt a pang of guilt.

“Naruto! Hurry and help! Keep that ninja on the right occupied!”

Upon hearing Shiro’s “cry for help,” Naruto’s eyes lit up with determination.

“Got it! Leave it to me!”

Shiro glanced over and then ignored him.

Though Naruto was injured, with his current strength, dealing with one chūnin wouldn’t be an issue!

Shiro formed a series of hand signs, and several more shadow clones appeared around him.

A wicked smile spread across his face.

“Time to let you taste the human bomb technique!”

The clones dashed towards two of the Demon-Faced Ninjas, who sneered and raised their kunai to attack.

Shiro grinned and muttered to himself.

“Detonate!”

In an instant, the clones swelled and then exploded!

Boom!

The two Demon-Faced Ninjas were blown away before they even had a chance to react.

They lay on the ground, twitching helplessly—beyond saving!

At that moment, Tsunade delivered a powerful strike that shattered the barrier!

She rushed over to Shiro’s side.

“Are you okay, kid? Did your wounds reopen?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine…”

Though Shiro kept saying he was fine, it didn’t stop Tsunade from giving him a full-body checkup.

Only after confirming everything was okay did she breathe a sigh of relief.

“Tsunade, you really don’t need to worry this much. Shiro here has at least the strength of a jōnin, and with his diverse jutsu, it’d be tough for a regular jōnin to even hurt him! You should learn from your student Shizune—look at how calm she is…”

Jiraiya lectured Tsunade while glancing over at Shizune.

He found her pinning a ninja to the ground, punching him repeatedly, as if they had some deep personal grudge!

“For once, Jiraiya, I actually agree with you. I should learn from Shizune!” Tsunade said as she sprinted over to join in.

“Shizune! Let me help! How dare he touch my people—I’ll make him regret ever coming into this world!”

Jiraiya looked on helplessly at the two women, then turned his gaze to Naruto, who was still fighting, the situation looking dire.

“Pervy Sage, don’t interfere! Let Naruto rediscover his own ninja way!”

Jiraiya scowled in frustration.

“This is all your fault! You shattered Naruto’s confidence completely! If anything happens to him, I’ll hold you responsible!”

“What did you just say, Jiraiya? Care to repeat that?”

Jiraiya’s whole body shuddered, his head turning robotically toward Tsunade.

Her face was filled with killing intent, hands soaked in blood, but she didn’t seem to care at all.

“I said… Shiro is amazing…”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 34: Confronting Danzo Again*

After a fierce battle, Naruto Uzumaki relied on his massive chakra reserves to defeat the masked ninja! However, he collapsed to the ground, seriously injured.

Shiro looked at Naruto with jealousy!

Naruto had an immense amount of chakra within him, and with the Nine-Tails, it was almost like having infinite energy!

"Shizune, go help that kid with his injuries!"

"I still need to check on Shiro again. Lady Tsunade, could you go heal him instead?"

Shiro's mouth twitched. He knew better than anyone that he wasn't really hurt! At most, it was just a scratch. With two of the most renowned medical ninjas in the world treating him, he could be fully healed in minutes.

Meanwhile, Naruto lay on the ground gasping for air. While his injuries weren't life-threatening, if left untreated, they could cause long-term damage.

"You two, hurry up and help Naruto!" Shiro shouted angrily.

Then he kicked both Tsunade and Shizune lightly on the butt.

"They're just concerned about you, you know."

"Alright, I'll go now."

Shiro's mouth kept twitching. Tsunade was inspecting every cell in his body, it seemed. Shizune wasn't as thorough, but her hands were definitely getting too "hands-on."

"Damn it. Why did I have to cross over at the age of twelve?"

After the assassination attempt, Tsunade could no longer sit still. After giving Jiraiya a good beating, she kept a constant eye on Shiro, fearing for his safety.

After remaining vigilant throughout their journey, the five of them finally returned to Konoha!

Tsunade's return immediately alarmed Konoha's higher-ups.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the two advisors, rushed out first, followed closely by Danzo Shimura.

When Danzo saw that Shiro was unharmed, his face darkened instantly.

*Ding-dong! Task triggered!*

1. Reveal the assassination attempt! Reward: Earth Chakra Affinity!

2. Hide the assassination attempt! Reward: Yin Chakra Affinity!

3. Reveal the assassination attempt and confront Danzo! Reward: Advanced Taijutsu Mastery!

Shiro's eyes lit up. Yin-Yang chakra affinities were rare, and this was the first time Yin Chakra had appeared as a reward.

But when his gaze shifted to option three, his heart started racing.

Intermediate mastery was already powerful enough! With various boosts, Shiro's intermediate taijutsu mastery allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with a jonin in hand-to-hand combat. If he could upgrade to advanced mastery, he could likely spar with elite jonin!

But Shiro couldn't help but feel a little regret.

He was clearly a genjutsu ninja, or at least a ninjutsu user, so why was advanced taijutsu mastery the first skill to pop up?

However, the task for achieving advanced taijutsu mastery was incredibly tricky.

Revealing the assassination attempt in this setting would certainly make him an enemy of Danzo and might even force Tsunade into a difficult position!

But what did Shiro have to fear now?

"I choose option three!"

"Lord Danzo, it seems like quite a few members of Root have died recently. I saw five corpses on my way back."

Shiro sneered, glaring at Danzo.

Danzo's body trembled.

He knew Shiro was upset, but he never expected him to be so bold as to say something like that in this setting!

But Root's missions were top secret, and the assassination of Konoha's hero was even more sensitive. There was no way Danzo would admit to it.

"Konoha was just attacked, and Root paid a heavy price to eliminate spies from other villages while protecting the village. They…"

Danzo was trying to smooth things over, hoping to give himself a way out.

But Shiro wasn't giving him any chance.

"They were trying to assassinate me, weren't they?"

Everyone was shocked. Danzo's eyes sharpened like daggers, and he wished he could kill Shiro right then and there.

As one of Konoha’s heroes, Shiro should be respected by all Konoha ninjas! If word got out that Konoha was trying to assassinate one of its heroes, it would be the biggest scandal! It could even shake the trust of the village’s ninjas!

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were aware of the assassination, but they had turned a blind eye to it. Now that it was out in the open, they couldn't continue to pretend they didn't know.

"Shiro… there must be some misunderstanding. How about we go back and talk this over?"

"Go back and talk? Wait until I’m dead to talk? Danzo, I want an explanation!"

"Konoha ninjas assassinating Konoha ninjas? Are you still upholding my grandfather’s Will of Fire? Do you want Konoha to become like the Bloody Mist Village?"

Tsunade snorted coldly, stepping in front of Shiro, her sharp eyes locking onto Danzo, showing no signs of backing down.

Danzo frowned.

Tsunade was the chosen candidate for the Fifth Hokage. He wasn’t happy about it, but her words would shape Konoha’s future. With Tsunade backing Shiro, if he insisted on continuing this, he would be unable to move forward.

"It seems there's been a misunderstanding. I never ordered anyone to assassinate Shiro. Those attackers were surely spies from other villages. I’ll investigate thoroughly. And Shiro, you don’t need to worry. As long as you're in Konoha, no one will dare touch you!"

Shiro sneered.

The Root ninjas had only followed Danzo’s orders. Now that they were dead, they were being labeled as spies! Even their families would be affected, and if any of them wanted to become chunin or higher, they would be blocked from advancement.

This was the power struggle among Konoha's leaders.

The sacrificed ones were always the ninjas!

"Fine! I hope your actions match your words!"

Tsunade snorted again, patting Shiro on the back. "Don't worry. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you!"

Shiro nodded.

He trusted that Tsunade would do her best, but as a ninja, he would have to leave the village on missions eventually. If he were assassinated on a mission, no one could be blamed.

Not even if Tsunade became Hokage.

"It looks like I’ll need to find an opportunity to leave Konoha. When I’m strong enough, I’ll return and teach Danzo a lesson!"

Jiraiya, sensing the awkward tension, realized it wasn’t the right time to discuss business.

"Tsunade, there are a few ninjas in the village who need your medical attention. Should we head out?"

"Let’s go."

The group made their way to the hospital.

According to the plot, Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha had been attacked by Itachi and were still unconscious.

When they opened the door, they found not only Kakashi and Sasuke lying in bed, but also Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi!

The women from their teams were taking care of their injured teachers, but Sakura Haruno’s eyes never left Sasuke Uchiha!

"Sakura! I brought Granny Tsunade here! Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke will be saved!"

Hinata Hyuga originally smiled with joy when she saw Naruto enter the room, but the moment she noticed Naruto’s closeness with Sakura, her eyes dimmed.

She quickly glanced over at Shiro.

In an instant, Hinata’s already pale face turned bright red.

Her thumbs twiddled nervously.

"Shiro-kun, you’re back…"

---

end

*Chapter 35: Treatment*

Hinata Hyuga’s cheeks were flushed red, making her look especially cute.

A girl like Hinata, who couldn’t hide her feelings, made Shiro wonder how Naruto Uzumaki hadn’t noticed!

Or perhaps Naruto only had eyes for Sakura Haruno and didn’t pay any attention to other girls.

"Yes! I’m back! And I brought Lady Tsunade with me. She will definitely be able to heal Kurenai-sensei!"

"Oh? A girl from the Hyuga clan, and a main branch member at that!" Tsunade examined Hinata with interest, then suddenly rushed over and gave her a full-body checkup!

Already shy, Hinata blushed even more under Tsunade’s touch, her face turning completely red.

Unfortunately for Hinata, Tsunade’s strength was at the Kage level, and as a Genin, Hinata had no chance of escaping.

After completing her examination, Tsunade nodded in satisfaction, walked over to Shiro, and said:

"This Hyuga girl is not bad! She could be your little girlfriend!"

Shiro twitched his mouth, resisting the urge to slap her!

At first, he was confused about what Tsunade was doing, but it turned out she was evaluating Hinata!

"Just keep quiet and focus on the treatment."

Tsunade chuckled and walked over to Kurenai Yuhi.

At this moment, Kurenai lay unconscious, her eyes closed as if she were in a deep sleep. But it seemed she was having a nightmare, her head moving from side to side, and beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Tsunade frowned.

Placing her hands on Kurenai’s forehead, a blue glow appeared instantly.

The restless Kurenai suddenly calmed down, her face showing a peaceful and serene expression.

"Alright, she’s healed! She just needs some rest, and she’ll be fine when she wakes up!"

"Really?" Hinata’s face lit up with joy, but she couldn’t help asking.

"Hinata, you should trust Lady Tsunade. She’s a famous medical ninja in the entire Shinobi world! If she says someone’s healed, they’re definitely healed!"

Sakura Haruno, who had been sitting to the side, perked up when she heard Shiro’s words.

She quickly ran over and grabbed Tsunade’s hand.

"Please, come look at Sasuke. He’s been unconscious for several days now!" Sakura’s voice trembled, and tears began to fall from her eyes.

Shiro’s mouth twitched.

Sakura was acting like she was already Sasuke Uchiha’s wife, always putting his needs first.

He glanced at Naruto, shaking his head in disbelief.

Tsunade’s eyes gleamed as she inspected Sakura.

"Not bad, not bad... just a bit of a wide forehead!"

Shiro couldn’t help but give Tsunade a light kick, glaring at her as if he wanted to eat her alive.

"Stop messing around. She’s already got someone she likes! But you should go check on Sasuke."

Tsunade laughed: "I’m used to this, I’ll go take a look right away!"

"This kid’s case is lighter, he should wake up soon!" Tsunade said confidently.

She placed her hand on Sasuke Uchiha’s forehead, and a faint blue light began to glow. Sasuke, who had been calm, started to struggle.

Sakura, seeing Sasuke’s pained expression, clutched her chest, looking extremely worried.

"Sasuke’s not going to be okay, is he?"

Tsunade gave Sakura an irritated glance, clearly annoyed.

"What do you know? Just watch!"

Sakura immediately closed her mouth, unsure of how she had upset Tsunade.

As Tsunade continued the treatment, Sasuke’s face twisted in pain, and soon his body began to convulse!

"I’ll kill you!"

With a roar, Sasuke suddenly sat up in bed, tears unknowingly streaming down his face!

Breathing heavily, he gradually calmed down as he saw everyone around him.

Seeing Sasuke awake, Sakura rushed to his side.

"Sasuke, you’re finally awake! You have no idea how worried I was!"

Sasuke completely ignored Sakura and fell into silence.

When his gaze landed on Shiro, he immediately rushed over.

"Shiro! Please teach me! I want to become stronger!"

Shiro sighed with a bitter smile, silently admiring Itachi Uchiha for his ruthlessness. To spark Sasuke’s determination, he had pushed him so far!

But he had to admit, it was very effective.

"You should rest and heal first. In your current state, you can’t do anything!"

Sasuke gripped the bedsheets tightly with both hands, clearly frustrated but knowing that Shiro was right.

"I’ll come find you when I’ve recovered!"

With Sasuke awake, Ino Yamanaka quickly rushed over and stared at Tsunade intensely.

"Lady Tsunade! Please take a look at Asuma-sensei as well!" Ino’s face reddened as she whispered in Tsunade’s ear, "And also, me and Shiro..."

Tsunade smirked slightly before examining Ino.

Ino spread her arms, allowing Tsunade to check her over, her face slightly flushed.

"Not bad! You’re approved too!"

Shiro felt increasingly embarrassed, regretting that he had come along in the first place.

Tsunade quickly finished healing the rest, but aside from Sasuke, the others remained unconscious.

"All done!" Tsunade stretched and smiled proudly.

"No! There’s one more! And his condition is much more serious!"

Tsunade frowned. These patients had been affected by the Genjutsu, and Shiro’s earlier nonchalance about it had been obvious.

Now that he was saying someone’s condition was severe, it seemed like it was indeed a serious injury!

"Take me to them!"

Leaving the hospital room, they saw a middle-aged man in green standing with his back to them, deep in thought.

Beside the man stood a young boy with crutches, supported by a girl with a bun hairstyle.

"Shiro, you’re finally back!" Tenten said with joy.

But when she saw Shizune, Hinata, and Ino beside Shiro, she frowned, her face showing signs of hostility!

"Don’t worry, I promised I would heal Lee, and I brought Lady Tsunade just for that!"

Tenten froze for a moment, then looked smugly at the other three girls.

Rock Lee’s entire body trembled, his hand on the crutches shaking uncontrollably.

"Can I really be healed?"

Might Guy stood by Tsunade’s side, twisting his body with a charming smile.

"Lady Tsunade, you must take a good look at my disciple!"

"Don’t worry! Shiro promised them, so I won’t let him down!" Tsunade said, eyeing Tenten up and down.

Tenten became even more smug, casting a proud glance at the three other girls, as if declaring her claim.