For Kurenai, Shiki was genuinely protective.
If anyone dared to bully her…
Oto and Kogarashi would taste blood. Simple as that.
"It's like this…"
Kurenai lowered her head and quietly retold everything that happened at the Academy.
When she finished, Shiki didn't even blink.
That brat Asuma?
That wasn't worth a frown.
But Kurenai still looked anxious.
"Shiki-nii… did I cause trouble for you?"
"What trouble?"
Shiki waved her worry away with a calm smile.
"Don't talk like that. Forget Asuma — even if Hiruzen himself came knocking, I wouldn't care."
As if he would fear Sarutobi Hiruzen.
And thinking back to what Kurenai described about Asuma…
Idiotic jealousy.
Childish provocation.
Shiki hummed lightly.
I should… find a chance to teach that brat a lesson. Maybe "accidentally" break something important.
Of course, he wasn't planning to make open enemies of Hiruzen yet.
So Asuma would need to be handled… smartly.
Kurenai still looked uncertain.
"Is it really okay…?"
"Of course it's okay."
Shiki flicked her forehead gently. "Who do you think I am? I'm the Golden Lion."
That confident grin washed away the last of her anxiety.
"Great…!"
Kurenai finally exhaled in relief. The guilt weighing on her since morning melted away.
Shiki tapped her shoulder lightly.
"Enough about that. Dinner's ready."
"Eh? Shiki-nii cooked!?"
Kurenai's eyes sparkled with genuine surprise.
Shiki chuckled.
"Mm. Come on."
"Here I come!!"
A Month Later — Konoha
It had been over a month since the Second Ninja War ended and classes restarted.
Kurenai had been busy with school.
Tsunade had locked herself in training, borderline obsessive.
Which left Shiki… slightly bored.
"It's so dull. That woman actually shut herself away just because I told her to train seriously."
He sighed while walking down the street.
He did tell Tsunade to focus on her strength.
He did not expect her to dive into closed-door training like a maniac.
He even visited her twice — the progress was monstrous.
Descendant of the First Hokage indeed. In one month, her improvement was absurd.
Kage-level was now just a half-step away.
Good? Yes.
But without Tsunade constantly talking, complaining, dragging him around…
Life suddenly felt too quiet.
"Lord Shiki!"
"Mm."
People still greeted him sometimes, but the explosive fame from defeating Shukaku had cooled.
Shiki didn't mind at all. He preferred peace.
After wandering aimlessly a while longer, he stretched.
"Forget it. I'll go h—"
He stopped.
His senses sharpened instantly.
A gaze.
Focused. Hidden. Intentional.
Found you.
Someone was watching him.
And they weren't subtle.
A slow smile curled on Shiki's lips.
"Well… looks like today won't be boring after all."
He casually changed direction, heading toward the northern training grounds — an area full of forest and empty clearings.
Not far behind him, a masked figure in dark ANBU-style gear lurked in the shadows.
"He noticed me…?"
Shiki's sudden detour made the ninja stiffen.
Then the pursuer gritted his teeth and followed.
Good.
If Shiki stayed in public, the ninja might never find an opening.
Through his observation Haki, Shiki could hear every thought flickering behind that mask.
He walked ten minutes deeper into the northern woods.
Then he stopped.
Turned.
And stared directly into a patch of trees.
The hidden ninja froze.
"So you really found me…"
The cold silence, combined with Shiki's relaxed posture, made the ninja's jaw clench.
That look — calm, amused, almost mocking — as if Shiki was watching a clown try to dance.
Anger flashed.
Hands blurred.
"Earth Style — Earth Dragon Bullet!"
The ground split and a stream of hardened earth shot toward Shiki.
Shiki tilted his head slightly.
The attack crashed past him, missing completely.
"So fast…!"
The ninja gritted his teeth, immediately weaving more seals.
"Earth Style — Earth Flow River!"
A rushing flood of earth and stone surged toward Shiki.
Shiki didn't even move.
"Ground Roll."
A rock wall erupted upward beside him, effortlessly blocking the rushing torrent.
The earth-using ninja landed on a branch, staring wide-eyed.
"When—when did he weave signs!?"
He hadn't.
This was the power of the Float-Float Fruit — manipulating the earth beneath him with a thought.
Shiki rested a hand casually on his hip.
"You're Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
The ninja stiffened.
"Huh… you recognized me?"
He removed his mask — revealing the eldest son of Hiruzen and older brother of Asuma.
Shinnosuke frowned.
"How did you know?"
"In Konoha, plenty of people know Earth Style…
But very few use it as smoothly as you."
Shiki said it casually, as if reciting the weather.
"Hn… I see."
Shinnosuke put the mask away, expression sharpening.
"Well, whatever. I'm only here to give you a little 'lesson' anyway."
He smiled.
Shiki smiled back but his eyes carried something far colder.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.