Although Shigeo outwardly looked only five years old, there were some things he understood very clearly. Recently, Tsunade's gambling had always been a cover for gathering intelligence, and tonight's sudden move confirmed it—their opponents were shinobi from Kumogakure.
The Third Great Ninja War was still raging. Any shinobi found in foreign lands was bound to be carrying out a mission, and these three men in disguise were no exception.
Shigeo searched through the man's clothes, and sure enough, hidden inside his forehead protector was a sealed letter.
"What are you doing? Who are you? How do you know Mokuton? Just who the hell are you?"
The man's face was filled with terror. From their observations during the day, this child hadn't shown the ability to use ninjutsu—so how could he be this powerful?
"Shut up. Keep babbling and I'll kill you."
Shigeo opened the letter and read it carefully. It turned out to be a plan from Kumogakure to ambush a shipment of supplies Konoha had ordered from the Land of Iron.
If successful, the supplies would be delivered directly to Iwagakure, forging cooperation between the two villages so they could attack Konoha from both sides.
Shigeo frowned. This Third Ninja War is such a nuisance. It's already dragged on for eight or nine years—aren't they all tired of it by now?
He pocketed the letter and began walking down the mountain.
"Hey, let me go! This has nothing to do with you. You're just a kid, we won't harm you. Release me and today's incident will be forgotten. Otherwise, my comrades won't let you off…" The man suddenly shouted like a fool.
Shigeo turned back, glanced at him, and stopped walking. "Oh right, I almost forgot—you three still need your mouths ripped and your legs broken, don't you? Guess I'll grant that wish."
The trees around them suddenly lashed out, and screams echoed through the night. In the end, the three shinobi were dragged beneath the earth, buried forever.
When he returned to the inn, Tsunade and Shizune weren't in the room. They had already gone out looking for him. It wasn't until he blew his whistle to signal them that they rushed back. Once they returned, they quickly decided to leave the area and head for Qitian Port.
Just outside the town, Shigeo handed over the letter in his hand.
"Don't worry, big sisters. Look at this—I stumbled upon it while hiding."
Tsunade opened the letter and her heart sank. "No wonder there's been no movement at the port. They actually want to collaborate with Iwagakure? This is critical intelligence!"
She turned to Shigeo, her expression softening. "Shigeo, you've really done something great this time. But now, Shizune and I have matters we must attend to. We'll be away for a while. Can you take care of yourself?"
Shigeo nodded firmly.
"No… I can't rest easy leaving you alone. Right—about two hundred li from here, there's a small seaside town. Two people live there whom I once saved. They're wanderer-nin, but they stay out of worldly affairs.
You'll live with them for now. Shigeo, thank you. If this were an era of peace, I'd make sure you had the life you wanted. But… I'm sorry. I haven't been able to care for you until the end."
At this moment, Tsunade was so serious—completely different from the carefree wanderer she would become after the war. Shigeo smiled. "You've already done enough for me."
Hearing that, Tsunade's nose stung with emotion. "Enough? These days, I've either been too busy with missions to pay attention to you, or I've dragged you into danger. I haven't even taught you much in medical ninjutsu.
Forget it… here. These scrolls contain everything I've learned in my life. Even if you can't understand them now, when I return, I'll teach you ninjutsu myself.
Also, here's the money you've won gambling for me. I've sealed it all into a scroll for you—spend it however you want. These are chaotic times, so be careful. I hope this war ends soon."
She placed the scrolls and money into his pack, then leaned down to kiss his forehead. Turning to Shizune, she instructed, "Take him there tonight. Afterward, check the situation at the port. We'll stay in contact through Katsuyu."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Tsunade ruffled Shigeo's hair one last time before vanishing into the night.
Shizune carried him quickly away from the inn. She and Tsunade believed the three Kumogakure shinobi had fled—but they didn't know the truth: they were already dead.
By dawn, Shizune and Shigeo finally reached the seaside town. After reminding him once more to behave and stay safe, Shizune departed.
The two wanderer-nin who welcomed him looked at Shigeo, then at Shizune's fading silhouette, and spread their hands in greeting.
"Don't worry, you can live here in peace. Our town may be small, but it's surrounded by natural defenses. There's only one way in or out, and thanks to us, it's very secure."
They introduced themselves: one was named Daisuke, the other Naoki. Both were wanderer-nin, one chubby and the other thin. They spoke in tandem, full of enthusiasm.
"So, you're from Konoha?" Daisuke asked with a round, envious face.
Hearing this, Naoki nudged him. "Daisuke, don't assume every Konoha native is a shinobi. He's only five years old, just starting out. And besides, though we're wanderer-nin, our skills aren't weak.
Otherwise, why would Lady Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin entrust her disciple to us, right?"
He looked at Shigeo, as if waiting for confirmation. Shigeo nodded slightly, his eyes already a little blurry with sleep as the sky brightened.
Seeing his response, the two men's confidence grew. "And Tsunade-sama? In the field of medical ninjutsu, she's second to none—literally, no one dares claim first place above her!
Kid, we know all about your situation. You can't use ninjutsu and only have a little chakra, right? That's fine. With us teaching you, you'll grow into a real shinobi. With our guidance, you'll surpass even jōnin or Kage!"
"Hahahaha!"
The two laughed loudly, clearly pleased with their grand plans for Shigeo's future.
A few dark lines formed on Shigeo's forehead. Watching them chatter while walking, he cleared his throat. "Actually, you don't need to teach me."
"What are you saying? A man should have ambition! How can you not train in ninjutsu? You've already managed to refine chakra. Once you have chakra, you've taken the first step into the shinobi world. Surely you don't want to live in this chaotic era without even the ability to defend yourself, right?"
Daisuke nodded heavily. "That's right, my brother speaks the truth!"
The thin one was talkative, the fat one was honest and loyal, but neither of them saw the bigger picture.
The reason Shigeo agreed to come here was simply not to make Tsunade and Shizune worry. But these two… insisting on teaching him ninjutsu only made things troublesome.
It wasn't that he looked down on them, but—could they possibly be stronger than the Third Hokage or the Fourth Hokage?
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]