Land of Rivers, Daimyō's Residence.
Before the corpse of the Land of Rivers' daimyō, Chiyo and her team stood in grim silence.
Though they had anticipated an assassination attempt—and had even thwarted one earlier—they hadn't expected Hatake Sakumo to double back. Their guard had slackened after the initial victory.
Chiyo had full confidence in her poison, and Sakumo's earlier actions had painted him as a man who wouldn't sacrifice comrades for a mission.
Yet he had returned, striking when defenses were lowered.
"Proceed with Plan B," Chiyo ordered coldly.
Plan B: install a puppet daimyō from the deceased's lineage, ensuring Suna's interests remained intact—while eroding Konoha's influence entirely.
Land of Fire.
As Hoshita Shūichi bounded through the trees, his gaze lingered on the masked Uchiha carrying an injured comrade ahead.
His thoughts drifted to Uchiha Itachi—a figure yet unborn in this era, later revered as the "Itachi God" for slaughtering his clan at thirteen. A feat even more shocking than Kakashi's promotion to jōnin at twelve.
After all, Uchiha with Three-Tomoe Sharingan were de facto jōnin, dominating one-on-one combat.
So far, Shūichi had met three Uchiha:
Uchiha Obito—kind yet timid, clinging to clan pride.
Uchiha Shisui—gentle and selfless, never flaunting his lineage.
This masked Three-Tomoe Uchiha, who clearly cherished his comrades.
"Seemingly normal... but are they really?"
Shūichi suddenly remembered: he was only seven.
Rumors claimed Uchiha Fugaku had taken Itachi to the battlefield at four, where the boy had killed a wounded enemy.
"The First Hokage founded Konoha to keep children off the battlefield."
"The Second established the Academy to uphold that ideal—six-year-olds enroll, graduate at twelve, then train under seasoned jōnin through gradual missions."
"But the First's death, followed by the Second's in the First Shinobi War, shattered that vision."
Shūichi sighed inwardly. "No shinobi is sane."
"The stronger they are, the more twisted... Which means I must be even more unhinged!"
Prioritizing the wounded, the team raced back to Konoha, pausing only at the border before pushing onward.
While Minato and Sakumo reported to the Hokage Tower, Shūichi and the masked Uchiha (Uchiha Yū) rushed the injured to Konoha Hospital.
There, Shūichi and Yakushi Nonō analyzed the poison, with Tsunade synthesizing the antidote.
Tsunade's prowess shone—the antidote was brewed swiftly, and the patients stabilized immediately.
Neither Shūichi nor Nonō could match her.
By evening, Shūichi left the hospital enriched—only to find Minato waiting under a tree.
"Sensei?"
Minato smiled. "You've got seven days off. Come for lunch tomorrow—Kushina's improved her cooking and wants your verification."
Shūichi's face fell.
Kushina's sealing skills were legendary, but her culinary arts? Dreadful.
Seeing his expression, Minato laughed—genuinely amused. He adored Kushina's quirks.
"It's settled!"
With that, he vanished.
Rejoining Nonō, they walked toward the orphanage at sunset.
Suddenly, Nonō said, "I'm entrusting the orphanage to Ayame."
Shūichi blinked. Nonō explained, "I'll be dedicating more time to the hospital."
"Ayame's strict but kind—she'll manage well," Shūichi agreed, then seized the opening. "But this means you'll need a new place, right? Move in with me!"
Before Nonō could refuse, he clasped her hands, pleading, "You'd take better care of me that way!"
After wavering, Nonō relented, chuckling. "Until you come of age, then."
Shūichi didn't care about deadlines—victory was victory.
That night, he slept in her room, lulled by her scent.
Next Morning.
Post-training, Shūichi refined his Fire Release Body Flicker in the grove—replacing morning glories with lotus blossoms.
Multi-layered ones, at that.
The shape shift from trumpet flowers to lotuses was trivial. By noon, he'd perfected it.
"Lunch first, then back to work!"
Energized, he headed to Minato's home.
Minato greeted him, gesturing to the feast on the table. "I made these. The last dish is Kushina's."
Shūichi's stomach dropped.
Minato whispered, "Encourage her, okay?"
"Of course, Sensei," Shūichi lied through his teeth.
Now he knew—this was Minato's scheme to share Kushina's culinary crimes.
True to form, Kushina's "improvement" was marginal.
Yet Shūichi devoured a mouthful without flinching, praising, "Huge progress, Master's Wife! Amazing!"
Minato nodded emphatically—equally shameless.
Kushina beamed, then moved to take her dish away. "Tasting it is enough—eat Hokage-sama's cooking!"
Shūichi snatched it back. "Your hard work shouldn't go to waste!"
"Besides, cooking's like ninjutsu—it takes practice and encouragement!"
Kushina lit up, patting his head. "So wise! Cooking embodies the shinobi way!"
"But with such a sweet tongue, no wonder girls adore you!"
Shūichi feigned shyness. "Master's Wife, I'm seven!"
Kushina and Minato stared—then burst out laughing.
The meal was joyous, with Kushina now viewing Shūichi as family—Minato's heir, her little brother and student.
Afternoon, Training Grove.
Crafting lifelike flame-lotuses was now effortless. Next step: sustained propulsion—not just single bursts per step, but continuous thrust to hover mid-air.
A monumental challenge. Even with his current chakra control, success was uncertain.
After refining the Lotus Steps technique (renamed from Fire Release Body Flicker for its aesthetic accuracy), Shūichi checked his Skill Tree.
The verdict?
S-rank Difficulty!
It qualified for the [Fire Release Master] title!
With a deep breath, Shūichi activated it.
Instantly, the grayed-out leaf glowedblue.
Then—zap—his body jolted, his mind blanking momentarily.
Effects:
Fire Release talent +100%
Fire Release nature transformation +100%
Fire Release shape manipulation +100%
No learning barriers for non-Kekkei Genkai Fire techniques
Recovering, Shūichi tested his newfound power.
The difference from [Fire Release Expert] was stark.
A lotus bloomed in his palm instantly—far faster than before.
Then, with a thought, the orange flames shifted—morphing into white fire.
White flames—hotter than standard Fire Release. Few could achieve this; even Pakura's Scorch Release only hinted at such temperatures with its white-core fireballs.
Shūichi's Azure Flame Skyblade surpassed it, but only through layered enhancements. Now, he could instantly match Scorch Release's heat.
"[Fire Release Master] delivers!"
His grin widened.
With doubled nature and shape mastery, his Lotus Steps refinement accelerated.
Demonstration.
Leaping skyward, Shūichi stalled his descent with twin flame-lotuses blooming beneath his feet.
Like inverted white lotuses, they rippled the air, propelling him upward.
With each step:
Lift—lotus closes into a bud.
Land—lotus blooms anew.
True to its name: Lotus Steps.
Yet mastery eluded him—his strides were wobbly, his balance precarious. Once, a lotus fizzled, sending him plummeting.
But with his enhanced Fire Release prowess, he adapted swiftly.
Within five minutes, he was strolling mid-air, lotuses blossoming with each step.
Landing, Shūichi panted.
Impressive? Yes.
Stylish? Absolutely.
Chakra-draining?Extremely.
Though his physique and reserves outstripped peers, his age remained a limitation.
"My modified Strength of a Hundred Seal better deliver..."
Swallowing a Soldier Pill, he rested under a tree, plotting his next move.
Read advance chapters here:
patreon.com/CNBLUE