Shinji had little interest in the village's power games. Though he agreed on the surface, he'd already dismissed Koharu's orders before even leaving the Hokage Building.
That evening.
The peers Yakumo had gathered found Shinji, and amid their congratulations, he could already feel his wallet crying for the night ahead.
Naruto had dragged Sasuke along.
However, recalling the life-or-death duel with Shinji to awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan, Sasuke felt too awkward to speak to him directly.
During the meal, as everyone dug in, they couldn't resist asking Shinji for details about slaying the 'Upper Moon Two.'
Hearing the 'Upper Moon Two' mentioned, Sasuke's ears perked up.
After all, he'd relentlessly pursued the 'Upper Moon Two' for three days and nights, only for Shinji to swoop in and steal his prize by sheer luck. The mention of it made his blood boil.
Shinji said casually, "The 'Upper Moon Two' had already been hounded by the Tsuchikage and Raikage for days. By the time I faced him, he was at his limit. I just got lucky."
Since the 'Upper Moon Two' was dead, there was no need to keep the mission details confidential.
Shikamaru shook his head lightly. "To hold off a joint force led by the Tsuchikage and Raikage for so long, the 'Upper Moon Two' was ridiculously strong!"
Rock Lee added, "Yeah, even with luck, taking down the 'Upper Moon Two' wasn't easy, Shinji!"
Neji chimed in, "Exactly. Those 'Upper Moon' monsters all have high-speed regeneration. No matter how severe their injuries, they recover quickly. So how could Shinji's kill be just luck?"
"It was luck!" Sasuke screamed internally, seething.
Yakumo picked up the conversation. "I didn't expect Shinji to charge in alone either. It really caught me off guard!"
Now it was Shion's turn to scoff inwardly. "Acting all tough, but didn't I seal him away?"
After chatting for a while, the topic shifted to S-rank missions. Ino gazed at Shinji with admiration. "Shinji, you're incredible! Still in the academy and already completing four S-rank missions—more than Yakumo! I heard from my family that even among the village's jonin, not everyone has four S-rank missions under their belt."
Shikamaru sighed helplessly. "It's because of geniuses like you that my childhood's been overshadowed."
Kiba nodded heavily, looking like he related all too well.
At that moment, Yakumo suddenly asked Shinji, "I heard the advisory elder wants you to skip straight to the Anbu. Is that true?"
The question stunned everyone.
Shinji nodded. "It's true."
Tenten covered her mouth. "Joining the Anbu without even graduating?"
Neji, surprised and conflicted, said, "Such an honor outside of wartime…"
Naruto cut in, "What's the Anbu?"
"Idiot, don't embarrass yourself!"
Sakura smacked Naruto's head and covered his mouth, fearing he'd say something even more humiliating.
Sasuke stared at Shinji, his sense of imbalance reaching its peak.
"I'm the one who awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. I'm the one who drove the 'Upper Moon Two' to the brink. Why!? Why is everyone focused on Shinji? Even the advisory elders want to promote him! Damn it, why!"
Recalling his loss to Kakashi a few days ago, he felt even more depressed. The frustration made him squirm.
Of course, he didn't take his defeat to Kakashi too seriously.
In his mind, if he used his Mangekyo Sharingan's dojutsu, beating Kakashi would be effortless.
What he didn't know was that Kakashi's Sharingan was also a Mangekyo!
Just as everyone thought Shinji was about to leave the academy for the Anbu, he waved his hand. "I turned it down."
Yakumo was shocked. "Why!?"
Everyone else turned to Shinji as well.
Shinji glanced at his peers—some puzzled, some surprised, others relieved—and smiled. "Because I want to stay with everyone, of course!"
Naruto was instantly moved to tears. "Shinji, you're a true friend!"
Karin and Haku quietly sighed in relief.
Shinji was their only close friend in the academy and a member of their three-person team. Hearing he might join the Anbu had worried them the most.
Shion thought to herself, "Hmph, that guy Shinji's just lazy, that's why he's not joining the Anbu!"
Yakumo, after a moment's thought, said, "True, with your strength, you can join the Anbu anytime. No need to rush."
After eating their fill, the group dispersed at the barbecue shop's entrance.
Sasuke stormed off, fuming, with Sakura chasing after him to no avail, clearly shaken by the night's events.
Neji, leaving with Tenten and Rock Lee, seemed distracted.
Among the academy's prodigies, Shinji and Yakumo were already making waves, and Sasuke had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan. Kimimaro had been keeping a low profile lately, but Neji knew his strength was formidable, only held back by his Bloodline Limit illness.
Neji, meanwhile, felt stuck in place.
Without the bio-exoskeleton 'H' on his body, he felt his strength would've long been surpassed by the others, leaving him deeply melancholic.
Back at his apartment, Shinji flopped onto his bed.
After years of effort since crossing into this world, he'd secured his footing in the shinobi world. If not for the invasion from the Demon Slayer world, he could've laid back and enjoyed a quiet life.
But the thought of the Demon Slayer world darkened his expression.
When he'd crossed a spatial rift by chance and witnessed the destruction of a world, that world's Lampbearer had told him the Demon Slayer world's relentless invasion of the shinobi world was likely because it had been targeted by a hegemon.
Thus, he had to approach the Demon Slayer world with utmost caution.
Allowing the 'Upper Moon One' and 'Upper Moon Two' to roam the shinobi world for so long was partly to test whether the mysterious figure still possessed the Lampbearer's abilities and could invade again.
Because fighters like the 'Upper Moon One' and 'Upper Moon Two' were among the top tier even in the Demon Slayer world. If the mysterious figure still had the Lampbearer's powers and could freely invade the shinobi world, he wouldn't easily abandon them and would recall them immediately.