"Looks like the village doesn't get a single peaceful day," Shinju's clone sighed as he flipped through case reports.
Shikamaru gave a wry smile.
"Konoha's scale is already equivalent to a small city-state of the Land of Fire. With this many people, things are bound to happen…"
Shinju nodded. "I understand. Have the ANBU keep an eye on it."
Shikamaru nodded and continued his report.
Before long, noon arrived. The clone that had worked all morning dispersed directly.
At the same time, the newly dispatched Shinju clone arrived at its post.
...
Elsewhere, Ichiraku Ramen.
"One bowl of tonkotsu ramen."
Shinju pushed the door open and called out familiarly.
Teuchi wasn't there today. The one who answered Shinju was his daughter, Ayame.
"Sixth Hokage-sama, please wait a moment. The noodles will be ready right away," Ayame said with a bright smile.
Shinju casually asked, "Where's Teuchi? Not here today?"
"Dad went fishing today. He's getting old, so he needs to rest once in a while. According to him, he plans to retire after a few more years (•̀⌄•́)," Ayame replied.
The ramen was quickly served. Shinju snapped his chopsticks apart, blew on the noodles, and said,
"I see. He really is getting up there in years."
Outside, people flowed endlessly past. Inside, Shinju ate his noodles in peace.
Soon, the bowl was empty. After taking a couple of satisfied sips of soup, Shinju reached for his money.
"No need. Sixth Hokage-sama, how could we possibly take your money when you come to eat?" Ayame laughed as she stopped his hand.
Shinju said, "Eating means paying. It's only right. Just take it. ´◡`"
Ayame still refused, smiling as she replied,
"Because you come here, so many customers who admire you also come to eat at Ichiraku. Business has improved who knows how many times over. How could I accept your money…"
Hearing this, Shinju thought it over carefully. Isn't this basically the same as being an endorsement…?
"Then Ayame, how about hanging photos of Naruto and me eating ramen on the wall? That way, people passing by will know we like eating here," Shinju suggested.
Ayame was thrilled. She'd had this idea for a long time, but Shinju's status was so lofty that she never knew how to bring it up.
"Really? Is that okay? Wouldn't that damage your dignity as Hokage… Actually, just hanging Naruto's photo would be fine. He's a big name now too…"
Shinju waved his hand. "It's a small thing. No big deal."
Ayame nodded.
"Alright then. Ichiraku Ramen doesn't really have anything to give you, so how about we give you twenty percent of the shop's profits from now on…?"
"No need to make it so complicated. Running a business isn't easy either. Just let us eat for free in the future. (σ≧︎▽︎≦︎)σ," Shinju replied with a smile.
Ayame was overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Sixth Hokage-sama. (⌯︎¤̴̶̷̀ω¤̴̶̷́)✧︎"
...After this little interlude, Shinju strolled around the village again, and without realizing it, arrived at the newly built Shinju Park.
In the middle of the park was a fountain. Originally, Shinju's statue was supposed to be placed on it, but Shinju had vetoed that and changed it to a fish instead.
When Shinju arrived, he spotted a familiar face.
"Yo! Sai, drawing again? How's your recovery been these past couple of days? O(∩_∩)O"
Only after calling out did Shinju notice something was off about Sai today. His whole body seemed shrouded in gloom.
"Sixth Hokage-sama…"
Across from him, Sai set down his brush and was about to salute, but Shinju stopped him in time.
"I've told you already—just call me by my name."
"Understood, Sixth Hokage-sama," Sai replied mechanically, a stiff smile on his face.
Shinju found Sai's smile a bit unsettling.
"Sai, I remember your smile changed, didn't it? Why has it gone back to that fake smile from before… (ー_ー)!!"
Because the park had only recently been built and it was mealtime, there were only Sai and Shinju present.
Just after Shinju asked this, he suddenly turned his head and noticed a shadow dart past the park entrance!
Thinking it was probably some kids messing around, he didn't pay it much mind.
Opposite him, Sai lowered his head. His long bangs covered the expression on his face.
"Sixth Hokage-sama, I want to smile from the heart too. But I can't."
"I'm a member of Root. I was raised by Danzo. I can't integrate into your ninja collective."
"Even in Team Seven, I was just a replacement after Sasuke defected."
"Someone like me is only useful in wartime. Only then does my identity get overlooked. The village is too peaceful now—so peaceful that whenever people look at me, it feels like there are needles hidden in their eyes…"
As Sai spoke, Shinju keenly sensed a change in the chakra aura on his body!
Dark, gloomy, irritable!
"Open your eyes!"
Shinju shouted softly and activated the Rinnegan that had just absorbed the Tenseigan!
After that, he clearly saw the mutated chakra on Sai.
In Shinju's eyes, this chakra mass was pitch-black, wrapping around Sai's body and constantly shifting and leaping like flames!
The next moment, Sai spread out the huge scroll canvas he carried with him and drew two ferocious beasts.
The two beasts in the painting let out roars, leaped out of the paper, and charged at Shinju!
"Roar!"
"What's going on?"
Shinju frowned, grabbed his chakra blade, and with a "shua!" slashed both painted beasts into splashes of ink!
He said in confusion, "Is this an aftereffect of being controlled by Gengo? Σ( ° △ °|||)︴"
Opposite him, Sai continued drawing and attacking while spiraling deeper into despair.
"Someone like me was meant to live in darkness, never to gain anyone's recognition."
"I can only exert my greatest value in war. In times of peace, I'm just a stumbling block. I'm only fit to be used as a weapon, only fit to die violently on the battlefield…"
While blocking the Super Beast Imitating Drawing attacks, Shinju replied,
"Sai, don't overthink it."
"Even in war, the role you play isn't that big. (°ー°〃)"
Sai: ∑(✘Д✘๑)
That hit right in the heart! (´ཀ`」 ∠)_
"So that's how it is…"
Shinju seized the opening, clapped his hands together, and directly bound Sai with Wood Release vines. The vines tightened, strangling him until he lost consciousness!
The moment Sai passed out, the black chakra covering him vanished!
"Something's wrong!" Shinju's expression suddenly changed as he looked toward the sky!
High above, a pitch-black spatial vortex was greedily absorbing the chakra released from Sai!
Once Shinju noticed it, the spatial vortex rapidly shrank and vanished with a "whoosh!"
Shinju analyzed, "Space-time ninjutsu."
"Someone was hiding behind the scenes, absorbing that black chakra…"
After thinking for a moment, Shinju remembered that Sai was still lying on the ground. He immediately used Flying Thunder God to take him to the hospital.
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