Knock, knock—
Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen looked up and replied to the door, "Come in."
"Sensei, please take a break. I brought you something." Shinji said, holding a bag of snacks.
"Hmph, how rare. After being hospitalized, you actually remembered to care about me?" Hiruzen joked, standing up and slowly walking to the sofa.
"With words like that, I wouldn't dare come again." Shinji shook his head and said, then took out the contents of the bag.
"It's fine, I'll just have Asuma call you." Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
Shinji's expression stiffened. Asuma had taken a hit for him last time. If Asuma really had to call him, and it was to accompany his old man, then Shinji would be embarrassed.
"Sensei, you're becoming less and less concerned about your status. You're even doing something so shameless." Shinji said, pouring tea and handing it to Hiruzen.
After Hiruzen took it, he shook his head helplessly and said, "I've lived my whole life, can't I relax a bit in my old age? Tell me, what do you need?"
Shinji said with a quick smile, "Ah, you guessed right."
"I want to borrow someone from you, sensei."
"Who?" Hiruzen looked at Shinji with curiosity.
After all, his disciple had only asked for a shinkirou pearl last time. He had barely asked him for anything else.
"Uh, Shisui." Shinji said, scratching the back of his head.
"Hmm? Do you have a direction for learning Sage Mode? No, have you learned it?" Hiruzen was first stunned, then looked at Shinji with a hint of disbelief.
He understood Shinji's personality. Unless he was confident, it was unlikely he would come to him asking for Shisui's help.
Shinji nodded without reservation. "Yes, I opened the summoning scroll at home a few days ago, and it happened to have Sage Mode, so I learned it as well."
How could a summoned beast that could only be contracted by a Jonin be ordinary?
Plus, with the Three Great Sage Regions already existing, one more wouldn't hurt.
"You make it sound so easy." Hiruzen shook his head with a laugh.
Ever since Shinji became his disciple, he hadn't paid much attention to certain things.
Regarding a summoned beast with Sage Mode, with his knowledge, how could he not know that this was no simple summoned beast?
"Alright, Shisui."
As soon as Hiruzen spoke, Shisui's figure appeared in the office.
"For the next few days, you will follow Shinji. As long as he needs anything, you will help him."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Shisui knelt on one knee and immediately replied.
Shinji held his teacup, slowly sipping, occasionally observing Shisui.
Apparently, his mental state was better?
He no longer had that worried expression, concerned for his village and people.
Shisui walked to the side, preparing to follow Shinji when he left. He also observed Shinji. Compared to before, the current Shinji, in his eyes, had become somewhat unfathomable.
A few months ago at the Naka River, Shinji was, at most, a bit more resourceful than an ordinary Chunin. Now, Shisui vaguely felt a sense of danger from him.
Shinji asked Hiruzen, "By the way, sensei, is someone trying to cause trouble?"
Some things needed Hiruzen's confirmation.
"No need to worry. I believe with your current strength, no matter who they send, they won't succeed." Hiruzen seemed unconcerned, slowly holding his teacup, and at the same time, subtly released his signal.
Shinji raised an eyebrow. This meant he could act freely.
Good news, at least he didn't have to consider Hiruzen's feelings anymore.
—
"Shinji-sama, how have you been recently?"
As they walked out of the Hokage Building, Shisui, who was following behind Shinji, finally spoke.
Shinji turned and pointed to himself, with a bewildered expression, saying, "Are you calling me?"
"Yes." Shisui nodded.
"Just call me by my name. I'm only a Chunin, after all." Shinji waved his hand, refusing.
He was only seventeen and hadn't achieved anything great, so he didn't want Shisui to address him like that. Moreover, Shisui was around his age.
Shisui was stunned, then nodded, and slowly followed.
Shinji asked curiously, "I heard you haven't returned to the clan?"
He would be bothering this Genjutsu genius for the next few days. It was better to get acquainted.
Shisui said, "Yes, after all, I am now the Anbu Captain serving as Hokage-sama's personal guard. Although the clan has changed, I still need to avoid suspicion."
Shinji glanced over. The expression on Shisui's face indicated that these were his true feelings.
Shinji said lightly, "That's very commendable, and I hope you continue to maintain it."
Kotoamatsukami was a powerful weapon. Shisui had already used it once during Danzo's interrogation. A cooldown period of over ten years was enough to extinguish some people's thoughts.
"Yes." Shisui merely nodded.
"Let's go. I'll be troubling you these next few days."
Without further words, Shinji quickened his pace, leading Shisui towards the training ground.
—
At the Training Ground.
Shinji immediately began setting up Fuinjutsu formulas on the ground.
"Done."
Straightening up, he looked around, then nodded.
"Do your Genjutsu setups really need to be this complicated, meow?" Mimi watched from the side, finding this kind of Jutsu too troublesome.
Unlike yōkai, daiyōkai with innate divine abilities could manifest them with a single thought.
Shinji explained, "It's not that casting Genjutsu is troublesome, but creating an infinitely looping realistic environment is troublesome."
Mimi was a bit dumbfounded by Shinji's words. "Infinitely looping? What kind of grudge is that?"
"..."
Shinji looked at Mimi with deadpan eyes.
After a long pause, he spoke, "I'm creating this to allow people to experience a scenario firsthand, to strategize and make corresponding arrangements. It's like playing chess, but with real people."
Mimi was startled, then asked with a hint of uncertainty, "For teaching purposes?"
Shinji nodded. "Yes, it's still in the experimental stage. If it can give a completely real feeling and achieve the effect of combat, that would be even better."
This way, he could train ninjas who had experienced countless battles.
"Hmm, this idea is good, but…"
Mimi scratched his neck, then shook his head and said, "fighting against thin air, no matter how I think about it, feels strange, meow."
Shinji looked at Mimi with a smiling expression and said, "Since you're so good at giving suggestions, for Naruto and the others' future combat training, we'll use you as their opponent."
Mimi immediately arched his back and roared, "Bastard! Don't treat me like I'm not a person and mess with me!"
Shinji waved his hand and said, "It's fine, you're not a person anyway."
"..."
Shisui, who was standing nearby, felt his lips twitch slightly.