Early in the morning—
Shikatoki arrived at the training ground well ahead of schedule.
The previous battle had brought him an unprecedented benefit.
Half of the chakra inside his body had now been converted into natural energy.
“No wonder people always talk about breaking through on the brink of death.”
Shikatoki sighed.
“There really is some truth to it.”
“Still…”
“I’d rather not go through something like that again.”
“Shikatoki, you’re here early today.”
Minato approached alongside Kushina and greeted him.
Shikatoki looked at the two of them.
“You two can keep sticking together every single day.”
“No one cares about the poor single guy over here.”
Minato scratched his head.
“It’s not like that.”
“We just happened to come train together.”
Kushina’s face reddened slightly.
After being teased by Shikatoki so often, she had finally developed some resistance.
“That’s because you never make a move yourself.”
“Want me to introduce you to my best friend?”
Shikatoki stared at her.
“You have a best friend?”
“Of course I do!”
Kushina proudly puffed out her chest.
“My best friend is from the Uchiha Clan.”
“Her name is Mikoto Uchiha.”
“And she’s really pretty!”
“Oh.”
Shikatoki’s expression became strange.
So— the future mother of Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha.
If he somehow ended up with Mikoto instead…
would those two even be born?
“Forget it.”
“I’m not interested in little girls.”
Shikatoki was telling the truth.
When he had first transmigrated, he had joked about starting young and finding himself several future wives.
But once he actually met girls his physical age— he realised something.
How was a grown man supposed to seriously become interested in a little girl?
Anyone who could— go turn yourself in to the police, you bastard!
“See?”
Kushina looked smug.
“You refuse to make a move, then sit there envying us.”
“Yes, yes.”
After teasing each other for a while, the three began training.
Aside from basic physical conditioning, Shikatoki’s main task was meditation.
He wanted to replace the chakra inside his body with natural energy as quickly as possible.
He had a feeling— once the conversion was complete, he would undergo a qualitative transformation.
Kushina was studying fūinjutsu.
Whenever she encountered something she couldn’t understand, she could conveniently ask Shikatoki.
Minato, meanwhile, had been spending most of his time improving the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Days passed like this.
The Second Shinobi World War was already approaching its conclusion.
Kirigakure had failed to make meaningful progress and had announced its withdrawal from the war.
Kumogakure, meanwhile, had been ambushed by Iwagakure.
The two villages were now busy fighting each other.
With the threats from Kumogakure and Kirigakure removed, Konoha’s pressure decreased dramatically.
Sunagakure had already been barely holding on.
Only its cooperation with the Land of Rain allowed it to stabilise its position.
Iwagakure still controlled part of the Land of Rain, but it had also begun gradually withdrawing.
“Shikatoki.”
“The Hokage wants us at a meeting.”
Minato suddenly appeared using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Shikatoki looked confused.
“A meeting?”
“What meeting?”
“Why would we need to attend one?”
Minato didn’t really know either.
“I’m not sure.”
“I think it’s some kind of Jōnin meeting.”
“What the hell does a Jōnin meeting have to do with us?”
Despite complaining, Shikatoki still followed Minato into the conference room.
Quite a few people were already seated inside.
When Shikatoki and Minato entered, nobody dared underestimate them.
Their battle in the Land of Whirlpools had already proven their strength.
“Shikatoki!
Minato!”
“Sit over here!”
Tsunade waved at them.
Shikatoki walked over and sat beside her.
“Big Sis Tsunade, what’s going on?”
“What does a Jōnin meeting have to do with us?”
“And weren’t you on the Land of Rain battlefield?”
“Why are you back?”
“It’s called a Jōnin meeting, but it’s really a war council.”
Tsunade gave a brief explanation.
“You and Minato played major roles in the war, so naturally you’ve been included.”
“As for me, I came back because I have something to deal with.”
“Ahem.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived.
“Everyone.”
“Kumogakure and Iwagakure are currently fighting each other.”
“Kirigakure has withdrawn from the war.”
“That leaves only the Land of Rain and Sunagakure.”
Danzō Shimura immediately snorted.
“One village without a Tailed Beast and one insignificant little country.”
“Ridiculous!”
“I propose that we mobilise our forces and crush the Land of Rain directly!”
“No!”
Tsunade immediately objected.
“I understand Hanzō’s strength better than most.”
“The most dangerous thing about him is his poison.”
“If we force him into a corner, Konoha may still win—but we’ll pay a devastating price!”
“That is a necessary sacrifice!”
Danzō shouted.
“If we succeed, we’ll gain control over the strategic territory of the Land of Rain!”
Shikatoki stared at Danzō speechlessly.
This guy really was the king of talking big.
All talk.
Nothing else.
“Fine.”
Shikatoki suddenly spoke.
“Then take the Shimura Clan and go sacrifice yourselves.”
The room immediately fell silent.
Every eye turned toward him.
Danzō stared in disbelief.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’re the one who said it was a necessary sacrifice.”
Shikatoki shrugged.
“If you want to sacrifice people, take your own clan and sacrifice yourselves.”
“We don’t want to die, so naturally we’re not interested.”
“Or were you only talking big because you expected everyone else to risk their lives for your plan?”
Shikatoki’s wording was crude.
But the logic was undeniable.
Who wanted to die for no reason?
“You’re just a brat!”
Danzō snapped.
“What do you know?!”
“And I’m an adviser to the Hokage!
How dare you speak to me like that?”
Shikatoki curled his lip.
“Well, that’s hilarious.”
“You invite me to a meeting and then tell me I’m not allowed to speak?”
“You—”
“What about him?!”
Tsunade slammed a hand onto the table and cut Danzō off.
“What exactly did Shikatoki say that was wrong?”
“You want to fight?”
“Fine!”
“We’ll support you.”
“Just make sure you take the Shimura Clan with you!”
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Seeing things about to spiral out of control, Hiruzen hurriedly stepped in.
“Danzō is being somewhat aggressive, but his intentions aren’t malicious.”
“Tsunade also has a point.”
“The cost of launching an offensive would be too great.”
“We’ve already lost too many people.”
“There is no need for further meaningless sacrifices.”
Hiruzen directly settled the matter.
Danzō could only snort coldly.
“By the way, Tsunade.”
“You said you returned because there was something you wanted to discuss.”
“What is it?”
At that, Tsunade immediately stood.
“I believe Konoha should begin training medical-nin on a large scale.”
“We should assign medical-nin to combat squads.”
“This would significantly reduce casualties during wartime.”
“I disagree!”
Danzō immediately jumped up to object.
“How long does it take to train a medical-nin?”
“We are still at war!”
“Where are we supposed to find that much time and money?!”
Shikatoki suddenly understood.
So this was that point in the timeline.
He glanced around the room.
Sure enough— he spotted Dan Katō.
Shikatoki immediately stood before Dan could say anything.
“You damn old man!”
“Do you even understand what ‘reducing casualties’ means?!”
“Are you a medical-nin?!”
“You jump up and reject the proposal before anyone else even says anything!”
“When you get injured, you know how to look for a medical-nin, but suddenly you oppose training more of them?!”
“And Lord Hokage hasn’t even rejected the proposal yet, but you’ve already decided against it.”
“What?”
“Are you trying to become Hokage yourself?”
Shikatoki slapped an enormous accusation directly onto Danzō’s head.
And truthfully—
Danzō really did want to become Hokage.
After Shikatoki said it so openly, Danzō actually felt a little guilty.
Hiruzen quietly glanced toward his old friend.
Dan Katō, who had been preparing to stand and voice his support, slowly sat back down.
At most, he had planned to say that he agreed with Tsunade.
Ask him to openly tear into Danzō like Shikatoki?
He didn’t have the nerve.
Tsunade gave Shikatoki a thumbs-up.
“Now that’s a friend!”
Shikatoki shot her a look.
“Of course.”
“We’re bros.”
“Shikatoki.
Danzō.”
Hiruzen sighed.
“Both of you calm down.”
“The medical-nin programme does need to move forward.”
“But now is not the right time.”
“We are still in the middle of a war.”
“Does anyone have anything else?”
No one spoke.
“Meeting adjourned.”
As they left the conference room, Danzō gave Shikatoki a cold look.
Shikatoki didn’t care in the slightest.
He understood Danzō’s personality very well.
There was no possibility of the two peacefully coexisting forever.
Danzō coveted anything he desired.
The Sharingan.
Wood Release.
And in the future—
Shikatoki’s special shadow techniques and permanent Sage Mode.
If they were destined to become enemies eventually— why bother pretending to get along now?
“Lady Tsunade.”
Dan Katō smiled gently at Tsunade.
After hesitating for a moment, he continued,
“I actually agree with what you said.”
“Medical-nin are extremely important.”
“Thank you for your support.”
Tsunade nodded.
Then she immediately stopped paying attention to him.
Instead, she grabbed Shikatoki, who had been trying to leave.
“Little Shikatoki~”
“Those two missions you completed were both S-rank missions, right?”
“You must’ve earned a lot of money.”
“How about lending your big sister some~?”
Tsunade rubbed her hands together with an ingratiating smile.
Shikatoki sighed helplessly.
“Big Sis Tsunade, aren’t you supposed to be going back to the battlefield?”
“I’m taking advantage of a little free time!”
Tsunade replied confidently.
“I finally have a chance to play for an afternoon.”
“I’ll take Nawaki back with me tonight.”
“I can’t waste this opportunity.”
“Wait!”
Shikatoki’s hand froze halfway through pulling out his money.
“You said you’re taking Nawaki with you to the Land of Rain battlefield?!”
“Mm.”
“That brat found out you and Minato both went to war and earned huge military achievements.”
“He’s been pestering me nonstop about going too.”
“The situation in the Land of Rain is almost settled anyway.”
“With Orochimaru and me watching him, there shouldn’t be much danger.”
“I figured I could let him experience the battlefield.”
From Tsunade’s perspective— there was nothing wrong with that logic.
But from Shikatoki’s perspective— there was a massive problem.
This return trip should be the battle where the title of the Sannin first appeared.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru would fight Hanzō of the Salamander and lose, after which Hanzō would grant them the title of the Sannin.
When Tsunade and Orochimaru were barely able to protect themselves against Hanzō— how were they supposed to keep an eye on Nawaki?
“Can’t you just stop Nawaki from going?”
Shikatoki cautiously tested her reaction.
Tsunade sighed.
“I don’t want him to go either.”
“But Grandma Mito is right.”
“I’ve protected Nawaki too much.”
“If I keep doing that, I’m only hurting him.”
“He’ll eventually have to take missions on his own.”
“I can’t protect him for his entire life.”
Shikatoki fell silent.
“Enough about that.”
Tsunade extended her hand.
“Lend me some money.”
“I already saw you reaching for your wallet.”
Shikatoki handed her one hundred thousand ryō.
“This is all I have on me.”
“And one more thing.”
“I’m going to the Land of Rain battlefield too.”
Tsunade froze.
“What are you going there for?”
What else?
Obviously because he was afraid Nawaki would get blown up again!
But Shikatoki couldn’t exactly say that.
There would be no reasonable way to explain it.
After thinking for a moment, Shikatoki calmly said,
“I’m worried something might happen to you.”
“So I’ll go along and keep an eye on things.”
Tsunade’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She immediately shook her head hard.
Then she roughly rubbed Shikatoki’s hair.
“You really are too precocious for your age.”
“Don’t think that just because you accomplished two major missions, you can start acting like you’re above me.”
“I’m leaving.”
“Mm.”
Shikatoki responded absent-mindedly.
Tsunade, meanwhile, quickly walked away.
As she went, memories suddenly surfaced in her mind.
The first time she had met Shikatoki.
And today— when Shikatoki had been the first person to stand up and defend her during the meeting.
“I must be losing my mind.”
Tsunade slapped her cheeks.
“Shikatoki is only ten!”
“I’m already twenty-two!”
She immediately picked up her pace.
“Forget it!”
“I’m going gambling!”
“Today, I’m definitely winning my money back!”
“Charge!”