Even the most gifted ninja had never been a case beyond what a Chunin could handle at the Ninja Academy. And Iruka was no ordinary Chunin—he was one of the elite.
"Iruka, don't overstate things, and don't underestimate yourself either."
Holding a cup of water, the Third offered calmly.
"No, Lord Third, you don't understand the level of talent I'm talking about. Shiki isn't just the strongest among current students at the Ninja Academy—his talent in Taijutsu is astounding, and his Ninjutsu far surpasses that of others his age."
Interrupting impatiently, Ebisu couldn't help but retort, "Iruka, what makes you say that boy who lives with Naruto is the strongest at the Ninja Academy?"
Love me, love my dog; hate me, hate my dog too.
Ebisu, rigid and narrow-minded as he was, now despised Naruto beyond reason. He simply couldn't understand why the Third would protect him like this.
After all, that boy, Naruto, carries the Nine-Tails—a demon beast that brought suffering to the village!
Countless people had repeatedly demanded Naruto's expulsion from Konoha, yet the boy still acted so brazenly under the Third's protection!
How could such a situation not make one furious?
If that were not enough, that other little brat living with Naruto—who also bore the Uzumaki surname—was surely a problem too!
With this mindset, Ebisu launched into criticism: "From what I know, the child Shiki hasn't defeated true prodigies like Sasuke or Neji at the Ninja Academy!"
In fact, this was indeed true. Shiki had never actually fought against Neji. In fact, he hadn't even battled Sasuke face-to-face either.
Unable to find sufficient evidence to counter, Iruka immediately found himself speechless.
Seeing that he was gaining the upper hand in the debate, Ebisu shot the Third a smug look.
Unexpectedly, the Third puffed on his pipe and exhaled smoke as he said, "I trust Iruka's judgment indeed. Ebisu, since you've never taught Shiki, you shouldn't jump to conclusions like that."
Ebisu grumbled, "Yes, Lord Third."
But the Third wasn't done yet. Turning to Iruka, he continued, "Then, Iruka, what exactly has Shiki been doing recently?"
Looking slightly embarrassed, Iruka replied, "Right now, Shiki is studying Medical Ninjutsu at the hospital!"
Medical Ninjutsu?
This surprised the Third greatly. Learning an A-rank or even B-rank technique, he could perhaps understand.
But why would Shiki go out of his way to learn Medical Ninjutsu?
Iruka then proceeded to explain Shiki's background and experiences thoroughly to the Third. The Third's eyes lit up more than once as he listened.
After finishing the story, the Third sighed emotionally, "He truly seems like a gifted child. But Iruka, don't lose heart. At this young age, willpower matters more than techniques. Since Shiki will return to the Ninja Academy within less than a month, you'll still have to guide him carefully."
Iruka quickly answered, "Yes! Lord Third!"
"Alright, both of you may leave now."
The Third waved his hand, signaling them to exit.
Ebisu and Iruka then stepped out, leaving only the Third Hokage alone in his silent contemplation.
"Shiki Uzumaki—an astonishing prodigy. Who should guide you? Kakashi? Or Guy? Whoever it may be, I hope you can grow into a true ninja—someone who can stand on his own."
After these musings, the Third turned back to the thick stack of paperwork on his desk, which was truly giving him a headache.
What he didn't realize, however, was that Shiki—"Konoha's genius"—was about to face a serious crisis.
Even with his vast wisdom, he had failed to notice something subtly off in Shiki's behavior.
Snow drifted silently down. The air had turned sharply colder—somehow sharper than usual.
As though winter itself had come to steal the breath from an orphan's lungs.
If only that orphan had stayed in his gloomy, damp room—he might've clung to life a little longer.
But instead, that child insisted on breaking through the door, stepping into the harsh snow, searching for a flame to warm himself.
P.S.: That's all for today's update. I think I mixed up one thing—I forgot that the extra chapters will actually be posted two weeks from now. There'll be over 10,000 words daily then.
Chapter 36: [Chakra Scalpel]?
December the twentieth had already arrived. Although the weather was cold, occasionally you could see signs of happiness on people walking down the street.
In this Naruto world rooted in Japanese culture, there was naturally no Chinese New Year. However, there existed a spring festival very similar to it.
With the Spring Festival drawing near, nearly everyone wore smiles of joy across their faces.
Tomorrow would be the day for Shiki's operation.
And yet Shiki Uzumaki lounged lazily inside a hot spring bathhouse, soaking himself.
Even the Anbu tailing him grumbled, "What a pathetically unmotivated brat! Even if Danzo recruited him into Root, he'd just be dead weight."
Indeed, despite how much training Shiki usually did—far exceeding what typical Ninja Academy kids underwent—it still wasn't enough for someone about to enter Root.
Moreover, this red-haired punk spent hours each day buried in Medical Ninjutsu studies.
Even many of those hours were consumed poring over incomprehensible books on meridians that no one else could make sense of.
Not to mention how often he volunteered at the orphanage, offering free medical checkups. He had performed countless surgeries on his medical training dummy too.
How utterly dull!
If not for having an actual mission to complete, he would've already left this place.
Just a few days ago, he even got so bored that he accidentally dozed off for less than ten minutes—but even that short nap left him deeply unsettled.
What if Shiki had escaped at that time? He couldn't even begin to imagine the consequences awaiting him.
Luckily, that child hadn't been bold enough to try anything, continuing to volunteer at the orphanage, providing free medical help to the children.
Still, recently Shiki seemed somewhat driven—he began training in the two fundamental ninja techniques: tree climbing and water walking.
The Anbu probably understood why Shiki chose to do so.
Probably due to his insufficient control over Chakra, he started training to improve. After all, precise Chakra usage is extremely important for medical ninjutsu.
Considering that, the Anbu still couldn't help shaking his head. "What a waste of talent. How could a medical ninja become Lord Danzo's sharpest blade?"
Shiki soaked quietly in the water. This might be the last time he got to enjoy peace like this.
All his preparations were already complete.
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