They arrived at Konoha Hospital. By then, Yakumo's parents had already regained consciousness. The moment Yakumo saw them, she rushed forward and threw herself into their arms.
Wen Lan did not interrupt the warm reunion. Instead, he looked toward Minato, who was standing not far away.
"Yakumo's talent is indeed impressive. Let her study under Kurenai," Wen Lan said.
Minato naturally had no objection and nodded in agreement.
"Wen Lan, regarding the Hyūga matter—"
"I understand," Wen Lan interrupted gently. "Before the incident at the Kurama clan, I was already at your house."
Minato smiled when he heard this and patted Wen Lan on the shoulder. Then he frowned slightly and said,
"You brat, why haven't you grown at all? Other eleven-year-olds are already taller than you. Even Hana is taller now. Look at you—you're still this small."
Wen Lan rolled his eyes. Ever since he became a demon, his body had stopped growing. He could technically adjust his form at will—but over the years, he had never seriously bothered with it.
After all, he wasn't afraid of death… but he was definitely afraid of pain.
"Fine. Tomorrow you'll see a different me," Wen Lan said, waving his hand as he left.
Back home, Wen Lan stood in front of a mirror, staring at the body that still looked like that of a five-year-old child. For the first time in years, he felt a bit dazed.
He had truly never thought about his height. He had even gotten used to his current state.
In fact, because his body was small, he ate less—saving money.
After all, the household had Ye Cang, Hikari, Tsunade, and Shizune—four people who ate but didn't earn.
And as the Hokage's assistant, he didn't run any organization or business. He was basically working without income.
To put it bluntly, most of the family's savings were earned by Haku, a mere genin.
Haku woke up every day to do missions, then slept when it was time to rest.
Occasionally, Nagato and the others would provide some support.
Wen Lan shook his head, took the clothes he had just bought from the street, and tossed them onto the floor. Then he began to manipulate his own flesh and bones.
Muscles tore.
Bones lengthened rapidly.
Pain surged through his entire body.
His frame expanded, his features matured—but the agony twisted his face, and beads of sweat poured down.
Finally, he stopped at around 1.8 meters tall.
He panted heavily, used natural energy to cleanse his body, and put on his clothes.
It had to be said—Uchiha genes were truly unfair. Whether male or female, they were beautiful.
Even after forcibly reshaping himself into an adult form, Wen Lan's face still radiated striking handsomeness.
The next morning, when Wen Lan opened the door and stepped out—
The five people in the living room who were eating breakfast froze in shock.
Tsunade blinked repeatedly, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar man in front of her. Her first thought was the Yin Seal technique—but that was her own jutsu, and she had never taught it to anyone.
Wen Lan casually sat down in his seat and looked at everyone.
"What are you staring at? You don't recognize me after one night?"
Hikari blinked in confusion. Back when she was sealed, her body had stopped growing—but after being unsealed, she had naturally grown taller.
Still, seeing Wen Lan—who had been much shorter than her just days ago—now standing taller than her left her completely stunned.
Haku spoke hesitantly,
"W-Wen Lan… sir?"
"It's me," Wen Lan replied, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat while everyone kept staring.
As he left the house, anyone who recognized him reacted as if they had seen a ghost.
On the way, he ran into Shisui and Naoyan. The two of them were so startled they nearly activated their Mangekyō Sharingan on reflex.
When he reached the Hokage Tower, the guards at the entrance almost refused to let him in.
Finally, after reaching the Hokage's office, Minato and Shikaku saw him—and were utterly dumbfounded.
"This is… like seeing a ghost," Shikaku said, immediately reaching out to pinch Wen Lan's face and then his body.
"Hey, hey—keep your hands to yourself. I like women," Wen Lan said, swatting his hand away.
"I like women too!" Shikaku snapped, his face darkening.
"Wen Lan, how did you do this?" Minato asked in disbelief.
Leaning lazily against the wall, Wen Lan replied,
"Physical constitution. Don't make a big deal out of it."
Minato stared at him suspiciously, clearly unconvinced by the vague explanation—but the urgent matter at hand forced him to set it aside.
"Last night, someone came looking for you. He's from outside the village," Minato said.
"But when I met him, he suddenly started attacking people. I knocked him unconscious and sent him to the hospital."
"Looking for me?" Wen Lan frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Let's go take a look."
The three of them headed toward the hospital.
They arrived on the third floor, at the innermost ward. Two ANBU guards stood outside.
Minato stepped forward.
"How is he?"
"Hokage-sama, he's awake now. Very calm."
Minato pushed the door open. Wen Lan followed, with Shikaku bringing up the rear.
The moment Wen Lan saw the person lying on the bed, he froze.
The boy had orange hair, a sturdy build—but he was still clearly young.
When the boy saw Minato, he lowered his head apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. Sometimes… I can't control myself."
Minato smiled gently.
"It's alright. This is the Wen Lan you were looking for."
The boy suddenly lifted his head, eyes blazing with hope. His voice trembled.
"I finally… found you."
He struggled to get out of bed.
"I've long heard that Wen Lan-sama possesses extraordinary abilities. Could you please help me?"
He took a breath.
"My name is Jūgo. Since I was little, my body sometimes loses control. I go mad and want to destroy everything around me. Please… help me!"
Indeed—this boy was none other than the future member of Team Taka, Jūgo.
Wen Lan gazed into Jūgo's eyes, which were filled with pain and desperation. After a moment of silence, he stepped forward.
He reached out and helped Jūgo stand.
"I understand your condition," Wen Lan said softly.
"It's somewhat troublesome."
Minato looked at him in confusion.
"How did you figure that out with just one glance? What's wrong with him?"
Wen Lan turned to Minato.
"He's like the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama—born with a natural Sage Body."
"A natural Sage Body?" Minato exclaimed in shock. Having mastered Sage Mode himself, he understood exactly what that meant.
"Yes," Wen Lan continued.
"Because he never received systematic chakra training, he absorbs too much natural energy from his surroundings. When his emotions spiral out of control, he goes berserk.
Once he releases that excess natural energy, he returns to normal."
"Is there a cure?" Minato asked.
"No," Wen Lan replied after a brief pause.
"This kind of condition is very difficult."
Then he added,
"But in this area… Orochimaru should have a solution. Send him to Orochimaru."
Indeed, dealing with uncontrolled natural energy was extremely complicated. Since natural energy constantly flowed into the body, the only realistic approach was to entrust the matter to Orochimaru.
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