“How much did you memorize?”
A calm voice suddenly came from behind him.
“How could I memorize all of it?
I just picked a few important ninjutsu…”
Shanks answered casually.
Then he felt something was wrong and turned his head.
Sure enough, Senju Tobirama had arrived.
Tobirama was clearly suppressing his anger.
“You little bastard.
Didn’t I say I would let you see it once your ninjutsu reached jōnin level?
Why are you looking at the Scroll of Seals now?”
“My strength isn’t improving fast enough,” Shanks said indifferently.
“So I figured I’d learn more ninjutsu and try that route.”
“…”
Tobirama fell silent for a moment.
“Did you look at the forbidden techniques near the end?”
“Why would I look at those?”
Shanks rolled his eyes.
I’m not you or Orochimaru.
I’m not that interested in dead people.
“It’s good that you didn’t.”
Tobirama let out a quiet breath of relief and put the Scroll of Seals away.
The forbidden techniques near the end were dangerous enough to throw the shinobi world into chaos.
“Since you’ve already seen the Scroll of Seals, there won’t be a next time.
Understand?”
“I know, I know.”
Shanks answered with his mouth, but his tone was pure perfunctory obedience.
So what if you won’t let me see it?
I already memorized what I needed.
And once Hiruzen Sarutobi becomes Hokage, won’t I be able to look whenever I want?
Shanks was secretly pleased with himself.
A few days later, Konoha’s gossip scene exploded.
Uchiha Kagami Voted Konoha Year 12’s Most Desired Man by Village Women!
Rumor: Koharu Utatane and Uchiha Kagami Secretly Taste the Forbidden Fruit!
Defying Clan Opposition, Uchiha Kagami Plans to Elope with Koharu Utatane!
Koharu Utatane Three Months Pregnant — Father Confirmed to Be Uchiha Kagami!
Recently, Uchiha Kagami had been very troubled.
Whenever he walked down the street, people looked at him strangely.
Last night, even his clan head had dragged him aside and spent the entire evening lecturing him on “the importance of bloodlines.”
Every time Koharu looked at him, she blushed and turned shy.
Meanwhile, Homura, Danzō, and Hiruzen all looked at him as if they wanted to kill him.
“What exactly happened?”
Kagami scratched the back of his head.
For the past few days, he had been cultivating several advanced Fire Release techniques at home.
How had the entire world changed the moment he came outside?
Kagami decided he needed to ask someone.
Who should he ask?
Koharu, Homura, Danzō, and Hiruzen were all impossible.
He should ask Torifu.
“Lord Kagami!”
As soon as he stepped out of the Uchiha compound, the two Uchiha guards at the gate immediately greeted him.
Kagami nodded in response.
After he walked away, the two gatekeepers began whispering.
“I’m so jealous of Lord Kagami.
He’s popular with so many women in Konoha.
If only that were me.”
“Stop dreaming.
Just guard the gate properly.”
The first guard did not mind being mocked.
“Speaking of which, I’ve noticed you keep going to borrow Lord Tsuyama’s bathroom whenever he isn’t home lately.
Are you feeling unwell?”
“Uh… no.
I just drank too much water.”
“…”
A little later, Kagami found Akimichi Torifu.
“Oh, you’re asking about that?” Torifu said while eating chips.
Crunch.
Crunch.
“I heard you were recently voted something like the man most popular with Konoha women.
There are also a few rumors related to Koharu, but I’m not too clear on the details.
Something about Koharu being pregnant.”
“What?
Koharu is pregnant?
Why didn’t I know?
Is it Hiruzen’s?
Homura’s?
Don’t tell me it’s Danzō’s?”
Kagami was shocked.
“It’s normal that you didn’t know.
You’ve been training inside your clan lately,” Torifu said casually.
Crunch.
Crunch.
“Teacher already suppressed the rumors, but a lot of people are saying Koharu’s child is yours.”
“How is that possible?
Who spread this?”
Kagami could no longer stay calm.
No wonder Koharu had been looking at him so strangely.
As for Hiruzen and the others, their murderous looks were probably because of the first rumor.
The first rumor was still manageable.
It did not really involve him doing anything.
But the rumor about Koharu carrying his child was serious.
If it was not handled properly, he might not even be able to remain friends with them.
“No wonder the clan head said he wanted to introduce me to a girl last night…”
“Kagami, is Koharu really carrying your child?” Torifu asked curiously.
Crunch.
Crunch.
“Of course not.
There’s nothing like that between Koharu and me.” Kagami looked helpless.
“Besides, I’m preparing to marry Masako soon.”
“Oh.” Crunch.
Crunch.
“Can you not be so calm about this, Brother?”
Kagami’s face darkened.
He had originally wanted Torifu to help him think of a solution.
Who had started this?
It definitely wasn’t someone from his clan.
Hiruzen?
No, Hiruzen wasn’t that bored.
At most, he would peek at girls bathing.
Danzō and Homura were both too stiff-faced for this kind of thing.
As Kagami thought about it, a red-haired little brat appeared in his mind.
That kid was exactly the kind of person who would be this bored.
It had to be him.
Kagami gritted his teeth, then disappeared from in front of Torifu.
While Uchiha Kagami was searching all over Konoha for Shanks, Shanks himself was in a small forest.
“Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!”
Bang!
More than a thousand shadow clones appeared at once.
“You two hundred, practice Water Formation Wall.”
“You two hundred, practice Water Dragon Bullet.”
“You lot, practice Great Waterfall.”
“You lot, practice Water Whale.”
“You, practice swordsmanship.”
“You, practice taijutsu.”
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique paired with the Uzumaki physique was already a bug.
And Shanks had more than just the Uzumaki physique.
He had the Uzumaki system plus the body of Four Emperor Shanks.
His physical strength was ridiculous.
After creating more than a thousand shadow clones to train, Shanks himself climbed into a tree to rest.
He took out a jug of secret liquor from the Land of Water and drank leisurely.
“This is the life.
I feel like I’ve already reached the peak…”
“Shanks.
Would you like to explain something to me?”
Kagami’s voice suddenly came from nearby.
Kagami had first gone to the academy, then the Senju compound, then the training grounds Shanks usually visited, but could not find him anywhere.
Later, he sensed a large amount of chakra fluctuations near the edge of the village and thought a battle had broken out, so he came to check.
What he found was a large army of Shankses training.
Kagami knew Shanks had seen the Scroll of Seals last month, so he was not surprised by the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique itself.
But using shadow clones for training was strange.
With that many clones, could his body really withstand the burden?
Kagami did not know the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique himself, but he did understand the principle.
Even with the powerful physique of the Uzumaki Clan, this should not be easy.
Why am I even thinking about that right now?
First, I need to get an explanation from this brat.
Then, on one of the trees, he saw Shanks casually drinking.
Kagami immediately felt anger rising.
“Yo, Brother Kagami.
Morning.
Want a cup of famous Water Country liquor?”
Shanks did not seem to care about Kagami’s tone at all.
“First, explain the rumors about Koharu being pregnant.
Then we can talk about drinking.”
Kagami forced himself to stay calm.
He was afraid that if he did not, he might beat this little brat to death.
“What?
Sister Koharu is pregnant?” Shanks looked shocked.
“No way.
She was perfectly fine yesterday.
Whose is it?”
“Stop pretending.
I know it was you.
Explain what happened.”
Kagami clearly did not believe him.
“This really has nothing to do with me,” Shanks said, immediately preparing to throw the blame away.
“Last month, I went to the Hokage building to ask Second Uncle for ninjutsu.
He was in a meeting, so he told Uncle Hiruzen to send me out.
You know that part, right?”
“Then I wanted Hiruzen to shave his beard, so I casually told him you were voted the most desirable man in Konoha and that Sister Koharu secretly voted for you.
Who knew he would actually believe it?”
“As for the pregnancy stuff afterward, I definitely didn’t spread that.”
Shanks spoke quickly.
After all, what he said at the beginning was true.
Who could have known that gossip in this world was so powerful?
After being passed around a few times, the story had completely transformed.
The heart of gossip existed in everyone.
“Is that really all?”
Kagami still looked suspicious.
“I swear it’s true.
If you don’t believe me, ask that uncle Hiruzen.”
Shanks raised his hand and made a serious promise.
“Fine.
I’ll let it go this time.
Don’t let there be a next time.”
Seeing Shanks swear so confidently, Kagami reluctantly believed him.
Even if he didn’t believe him, what else could he do?
The rumor may have started with Shanks, but people had twisted it more and more as it spread.
By now, the meaning had completely changed.
Kagami had finally experienced the terror of gossip.
“There won’t be a next time.
If Sister Koharu finds out, she’ll kill me.”
That was also why Shanks had come so far away to train.
A woman’s grudge was terrifying.
“Brother Kagami, I heard you’ve been training some advanced secret techniques from your clan recently.
Show me.”
Shanks immediately changed the topic.
“No.” Kagami refused without even thinking.
“I haven’t mastered them yet, and their power is too great.
They could hurt someone.”
“Don’t tell me it’s Great Fire Annihilation and Dragon Flame Release Song Technique?”
Shanks suddenly thought of the two names.
After all, those two techniques were far too famous.
They were signature moves of the big boss, Madara.
“How do you know that?”
Kagami was surprised.
“Tch.
Look at who my uncle is.
He fought with your Uchiha Clan for half his life.
He brags about it in front of me every day.
I’ve heard so much that my ears have calluses.”
Shanks looked disdainful.
“That does make sense.”
Kagami understood.
The Senju and Uchiha had fought each other for a thousand years.
Both sides knew many of the other’s techniques well enough to recite them with their eyes closed.
Shanks was not a Senju by blood, but he had grown up in the Senju Clan.
And when Kagami thought of Senju Hashirama’s personality…
“Great Fire Annihilation is still manageable,” Kagami said.
“But Dragon Flame Release Song Technique is too powerful.
I still can’t control it properly.
Once I can, I’ll show you.”
Shanks’s eyes lit up.
“Deal.”