Crazy
"Didn't I already tell you? You just need to get stronger."
"…"
Hearing Shirō's words, Kakashi stared at him with his usual dead-fish eyes.
"Then what was the point of you activating the barrier?"
"Doesn't it improve the atmosphere?"
"…"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes and glanced at Shirō. His pupils shifted slightly as he subtly scanned the surroundings.
"Forget it. Whether you say it or not, I'll understand once I get stronger, right?"
"Exactly."
"Then I'm leaving. What a wasted trip."
"Wait."
Shirō stopped him and handed over a scroll.
"Keep this safe. This is Sensei's understanding of swordsmanship. It'll be useful to you. Don't lose it."
Kakashi accepted the scroll, instinctively studying Shirō's eyes. To his surprise, there was no hidden meaning—no hint, no signal.
"What's wrong?" Shirō asked.
"This… this?" Kakashi pointed at the scroll, staring at him in disbelief.
He genuinely couldn't understand Shirō anymore.
After the barrier was activated, Kakashi had assumed Shirō intended to finally tell him the truth. When that didn't happen, he thought perhaps the barrier wasn't strong enough—maybe someone was still listening. So he'd decisively ended the conversation.
Then Shirō handed him a scroll.
Naturally, Kakashi assumed it contained information too sensitive to speak aloud. He'd even been waiting for a hint—some signal to analyze the contents carefully.
But there was nothing.
"It's Sensei's swordsmanship scroll," Shirō said calmly. "Didn't I say that already? Ninjutsu scrolls won't help you much right now. Your ninjutsu foundation is solid—you don't need to learn more for the time being."
"…I understand." Kakashi nodded. "Then I'll head back. I still have the Academy tomorrow."
"Alright. I'll walk you out."
Shirō dispelled the barrier and stood up.
In truth, Shirō had planned to tell Kakashi more today. However, the moment he activated the barrier, he detected someone peeking in. With no other choice, he had to abandon the idea.
The barrier he'd set up in his study was originally meant to block prying eyes. But after deploying it, he realized its effectiveness was far too low.
To improve it would require additional resources—resources meant for constructing his Workshop and enhancing his attributes. That delay would be counterproductive.
To be clear, although Shirō could currently fight A head-on, that strength was the result of an entire year of accumulation. In other words, if he were forced into a second battle within a short time, he would definitely lose.
Even with a Noble Phantasm capable of killing, the result would be the same. Activation required distance and reaction time—and A was simply too fast. Even if Mind's Eye could react, Shirō's body wouldn't be able to keep up.
For now, the priority was clear: build the Workshop and improve his attributes. Everything else could wait.
As long as his chakra capacity increased, his overall strength would rise to an entirely new level.
In the end, Shirō made a compromise.
Since the barrier couldn't fully block surveillance, he adjusted it to immediately alert him whenever someone tried to peek inside.
This way, if he was doing something important, he'd have time to prepare. Of course, this only worked for situations that could be interrupted—but given his limited resources, it was the best solution available.
After seeing Kakashi off, Shirō returned to his room, threw on a coat, and headed out.
There was no helping it—without at least a minimal disguise, he was far too recognizable. Normally, he wouldn't care, but today he was going to see someone. Avoiding unnecessary trouble was preferable.
He deliberately avoided crowded streets and headed toward the training grounds. At this hour, Might Guy and the others should still be there.
Shirō's primary goal was simple: find Might Guy and have him continue pestering Kakashi.
Although Guy had challenged Kakashi frequently over the past two years, under Shirō's influence, his personality had deviated slightly from the original timeline.
He was still a hot-blooded idiot—but at a time like this, he probably wouldn't deliberately bother Kakashi.
That was why Shirō needed to intervene.
At the same time, he wanted to reunite with them. His injuries had mostly healed, Sakumo's affairs had been resolved, and it was almost time to apply for a village training trip.
This trip was an important step in Shirō's plan.
He couldn't fully operate within the village—it was far too restrictive, especially for constructing a Magic Workshop.
Coincidentally, negative rumors about him were spreading throughout Konoha. Shirō could use this as justification, claiming he wanted to lower his profile and requesting permission from the Third Hokage to leave the village temporarily.
Based on Shirō's estimation, the chances of approval were high.
After all, the Third Hokage likely felt some guilt toward both Shirō and Kakashi over Sakumo's death. Refusing such a request would be difficult.
Unless something unexpected happened, Shirō would be leaving the village within a few days.
That was why he wanted to gather with them—perhaps have a farewell meal before departing.
However, since the application hadn't been submitted yet, nothing was certain. For now, he only planned to meet Dai and the others. Once approval came through, he would invite everyone properly.
After walking for a while, Shirō caught sight of the training ground—and immediately heard thunderous shouts.
"Five hundred one! Five hundred two! Five hundred—three!"
Listening to the strained voice, Shirō shook his head and chuckled.
"Tsk, tsk. Is Might Guy slacking off? Panting after just five hundred—"
He froze.
"…What the hell? Dai, you lunatic!"
Mid-sentence, Shirō realized the voice sounded older.
It was Dai.
Shirō rushed over instantly.
Dai's injuries from opening the Gate of Shock had only just begun to improve—there was no way his body could handle this kind of training.
At this intensity, it would genuinely kill him.
Sure enough, when Shirō arrived, he saw Dai doing push-ups, his arms trembling violently. He was barely holding on, sustained only by sheer willpower.
When Dai noticed Shirō, his concentration slipped for a split second—and he immediately collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Weakly, he said,
"Oh, Shirō… you're here. Give me a moment. I failed a thousand push-ups, so I still owe a thousand squats. Then we can talk."
He tried to push himself up.
Unexpectedly, Shirō didn't stop him.
Because Dai couldn't get up.
His body had long since reached its limit. He'd been forcing himself forward with his last breath alone. Now that Shirō had arrived, that final thread snapped.
With no strength left, Dai could only lie there, twitching weakly.
Shirō stood to the side and watched calmly.
He wasn't worried.
Dai would receive treatment soon enough, and a little extra post-training backlash wouldn't matter much in the long run.
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