Inside the Elder's Office.
After summoning Shinji, Koharu Utatane got straight to the point. "The Third has just agreed to all your demands!"
Shinji nodded.
Seeing his calm demeanor, devoid of any smugness, Koharu was surprised. "I thought you'd be thrilled!"
Shinji casually replied, "What's there to be thrilled about?"
"Not bad!" After a pause, Koharu continued, "In my view, your insistence this time was a bit ill-timed! Selecting subordinates could've been handled later with plenty of ways to maneuver. Though you succeeded in forcing the Third to concede, the cost was too high. It might even directly affect your future promotions!"
The worry she expected from Shinji didn't materialize. On the contrary, he remained utterly composed and said, "Doesn't matter!"
Koharu furrowed her brow. "Shinji, your talent may give you reason to be proud, but I must warn you: even an advisory elder like me can't directly oppose the Hokage in Hidden Leaf!"
Shinji asked, "Do you know why the Third conceded?"
Koharu blinked. "Why?"
"Because I'm strong enough!" Smirking, Shinji added, "The one who needs to reflect is him!"
Koharu said, "If you keep this up, you'll offend the entire upper echelon!"
Shinji replied, "Then let the higher-ups learn to adapt sooner!"
Koharu was momentarily speechless.
She had dealt with many Uchiha, but even prodigies like Shisui and Itachi weren't as brazen as Shinji! Even the former Uchiha clan leader wouldn't have dared to lecture the village's leadership like this.
Seeing Shinji about to leave, she quickly said, "Hidden Sound's Kidomaru is still blocking the hospital gates!"
"I'll handle it!"
Shinji waved dismissively.
After leaving the elder's office, Shinji thought to himself, Heh, speaking in the Uchiha style is pretty satisfying! Just a bit prone to making enemies!
Undoubtedly.
His stance in the office was still part of his outward facade.
The strength he'd displayed no longer allowed him to remain low-key or humble, as that would only invite suspicion and scrutiny from all sides.
Rather than that, he might as well lean into the Uchiha's deeply ingrained persona and project an untamed, defiant attitude.
While this might earn him hostility and isolation, it was better than covert probing.
…
In the Grove.
Hidden in the canopy, Kidomaru spat out a lump of Spider Sticky Gold, shaping it into a bow and arrow. He slowly aimed at Naruto, who was demolishing trees below.
He'd been concealing himself to identify Naruto's real body among his swarm of shadow clones.
After prolonged observation, he finally locked onto a few targets that seemed to be Naruto's true self.
"Die, you fool!"
He sneered inwardly, pulling the bowstring taut.
Besides spinning webs like a spider, he had another ability: secreting a golden liquid from his mouth or sweat glands across his body.
This golden liquid, which he called Spider Sticky Gold, solidified into a sturdy metal once expelled. The bow and arrow in his hands were crafted from this very substance.
…
Outside the Grove.
Whoosh! With a gust of wind, Shinji descended from the sky!
"It's Shinji?"
"Shinji's here?"
"Awesome!"
The moment Shinji appeared, the Hidden Leaf students erupted in excitement, their earlier worries and gloom vanishing instantly.
Though Tsunade and Jiraiya knew Shinji's presence meant the old man had conceded, they felt a mix of frustration and relief.
Among the onlookers, Kurotsuchi from Hidden Rock shouted, "It's Shinji! He's finally making a move!"
Temari from Hidden Sand retorted, "So what? Hidden Leaf's Yakumo Kurama had a big reputation too, didn't she? And she still lost to a Grass shinobi!"
Kurotsuchi glanced at Temari. "What do you know? Shinji's different from the rest!"
On the other side.
Ringo Ameyuri squinted at the scene. "That's the Uchiha Shinji who killed Kurosuki Raiga and reclaimed the Thunder Blade for our Hidden Mist?"
Chojuro nodded. "Yeah, that's him!"
Ringo Ameyuri said coldly, "A worthy target!"
"Hey, I'd advise you not to get any ideas about him. This guy's not your average shinobi!" After a pause, Suigetsu continued, "Why do you think Hidden Cloud, Hidden Rock, and Hidden Sand haven't dared to challenge Hidden Leaf's people? It's because Uchiha Shinji hasn't stepped up yet!"
Ringo Ameyuri replied, "Kurosuki Raiga may have been a rogue shinobi, but he was the previous wielder of the Thunder Blade. If I can't defeat this guy, how can I rightfully inherit the blade?"
Suigetsu couldn't be bothered to argue with Ringo Ameyuri. He just pursed his lips and thought, Crazy woman!
When the three Hidden Sound shinobi saw Shinji appear, they were overjoyed.
Sakon and Ukon stepped forward boldly. "Uchiha Shinji, I challenge you!"
Shinji, who was heading toward the grove, paused and glanced at Sakon and Ukon, then at Tayuya and Jirobo behind them. "I'm in a hurry. All of you, come at me together!"
"What did you say!?"
The three Hidden Sound shinobi froze, then erupted in fury.
The onlookers were equally stunned. They knew Shinji was formidable, but these Hidden Sound shinobi had proven their strength in earlier matches. No one expected Shinji to demand they all fight him at once.
Tsunade frowned. "This kid's a bit too cocky, isn't he?"
...
On the Field.
Sakon and Ukon sneered viciously. "Since you're begging for death, we'll oblige!"
Tayuya scoffed, "Didn't expect Hidden Leaf to have so many idiots!"
Jirobo chimed in with a laugh, "Yeah, I'm kinda curious to see if you'll still be this arrogant after we beat you into a pulp!"
Shinji said, "You talk too much!"
"You!" With a huff, Sakon and Ukon asked, "Where do you want to fight? Pick any spot!"
Whoosh! In a flash, Shinji darted forward, closing the distance to Sakon and Ukon.
Their expressions tightened. "You!?"
Before they could finish, Shinji, activating the Twelve Palaces, threw a punch that sent Sakon and Ukon flying.
Then, with a slight turn, a single glare dragged Tayuya into a genjutsu, leaving her dazed. Raising his right arm, he effortlessly caught Jirobo's incoming punch and countered with a kick to his chest, sending him crashing backward.
The entire sequence happened in an instant. Let alone the watching villagers, even many shinobi couldn't react before the fight was over.
After dispatching the three in a flash, Shinji dusted off his clothes and asked, puzzled, "Why change the venue?"