Enemies to Come

Neji and Rock Lee had also learned that Tenten had become Tsunade's honorary disciple.

They both stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

At that moment, Shamu called Rock Lee over.

"Rock Lee, you need to come here every day from now on."

Rock Lee blinked.

"Lord Shamu, what would I come here for?"

Shamu looked at the marks of training all over Rock Lee's body. The regret from his previous life absolutely could not happen again this time.

With Rock Lee's daily training intensity, it was impossible for him not to get hurt.

Rock Lee was a civilian student. The money he earned from missions usually went toward living expenses and treating his injuries.

As for nutritional supplements, that was even more impossible.

As the saying went, scholarship required poverty, but martial arts required wealth. Strong Fist Style ninja in particular needed powerful bodies.

After Rock Lee's battle with Gaara, his abilities had practically stagnated.

Rock Lee had already been able to open five gates during the Chunin Exams, yet by the Fourth Shinobi War, he had only reached the sixth gate.

There was a good chance that he had failed to properly recover after being injured.

If his physical condition could not keep up, the Eight Gates Release Formation naturally could not progress either.

"Come here every day to treat your injuries, and take some nourishing medicine back to eat."

Rock Lee said blankly, "I usually just bandage myself up and rest for a while. There's no need to come here specifically for treatment."

"Nourishing medicine is really expensive. I can't afford it."

Shamu patted Rock Lee on the shoulder. There was no need to explain so much to Rock Lee.

Instead, he said, "This is Guy's decision. Understand?"

Rock Lee believed him immediately.

"Yes! I understand! I'll come every day!"

"Alright, Rock Lee, Tenten, you two can leave first. I still have some things to discuss with Neji."

"Alright, Lord Shamu. I'll go back and continue training."

"Thank you, Lord Shamu. We'll be leaving, then."

Tenten repeatedly thanked Shamu before leaving.

With Rock Lee and Tenten settled, Shamu had them leave.

Shamu had Neji sit down.

"Do you know why I'm investing in you?"

Neji was more mature than Rock Lee, so Shamu asked him directly.

Neji nodded. "Because Shamu-senpai will need us to do things for you in the future."

Shamu nodded approvingly. "Correct. There will be an enemy in the future who can only be dealt with using taijutsu. Guy's help will be needed then."

"After you return, just repeat this to Guy."

Neji indicated that he understood.

"The reason I kept you behind, aside from what I just said, is because I wanted to tell you this."

"Your potential will be very high in the future. I'll need you too."

"Work hard."

Shamu patted Neji on the shoulder.

"Go back."

"I understand. Thank you, Shamu-senpai."

Neji gave him a bow before leaving.

After seeing all three of them off, Shamu turned back around.

Tsunade's expression had been fine when she accepted her disciple.

But now, her face had darkened again.

Danzo's words had bothered her greatly, and the Third Hokage's final sudden act of mutual destruction had left Tsunade with a bellyful of anger and nowhere to vent it.

"Are you thinking about the Third Hokage?"

Shamu's single question made Tsunade frown.

"From the way you say that, you know something?"

Shamu had intended to pull Tsunade into his faction as well, but the Third Hokage had still been around before.

Shamu had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to expose the Third Hokage, but then the Third Hokage had suddenly died.

And Danzo had even exposed himself.

That had rendered some of Shamu's prior preparations useless.

Now, Shamu was prepared to reveal some of the truth to Tsunade.

"Tsunade, I never told you what my Sharingan ability is, did I?"

Tsunade raised her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Shamu pointed at his eyes.

"These eyes of mine can see the past and the future."

Tsunade snorted.

"Shamu, do you think I look like an idiot?"

After laughing twice, Tsunade saw that Shamu's expression had not changed at all.

The smile on her face gradually faded.

"How do you prove it?"

"I'll say a few things. You should remember them."

"I love the village and my comrades most of all, so I want to protect them."

"Ever since my sister died, this feeling has become my pillar of support."

"So I want to become Hokage, to become someone who protects everyone."

"Because becoming Hokage is my dream."

"Then you gave that necklace to him."

Tsunade's expression turned solemn. What Shamu had just repeated were the words Dan Katō had said to her back then.

Tsunade had always remembered them.

Before she found Naruto as an emotional anchor, Tsunade had often drowned herself in drink.

She dreamed of seeing Nawaki's smile again and hearing Dan's voice.

There had been no third person present when Dan said those words.

Yet Shamu had repeated every single one of them.

That meant everything Shamu said was true.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Shamu shook his head.

"So we can fight the enemies of the future together."

"Enemies of the future?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Enemies even you, Shamu, can't handle?"

Shamu was now a famous powerhouse in the shinobi world. By Tsunade's estimate—

there were only a handful of people in the entire shinobi world who could defeat Shamu.

Shamu laughed. "I'm honored by your high opinion of me."

"But compared to the enemies we'll face in the future, I'm about as insignificant as an ant right now."

Seeing the serious look on Shamu's face, Tsunade could not help but be moved.

"What kind of enemy is that troublesome?"

Shamu pointed at the sky. "Aliens."

Hearing that unfamiliar term, Tsunade's mind stalled for a moment.

However, Tsunade's education was not comparable to that of ordinary illiterate ninja.

Her level of education could be considered among the highest in the entire shinobi world.

She understood the concept of planets.

Then she considered the meaning of the term. "You mean people from other planets?"

Shamu nodded.

Tsunade drew in a breath.

"Who else knows about this?"

"The Hokage knows, and you."

Tsunade instantly raised her head. "You and Orochimaru!?"

"That's right. Orochimaru and I became allies long ago."

Tsunade connected everything Shamu had done before and after.

Pushing Orochimaru into the position of Hokage, exposing the Third Hokage's political darkness.

Everything had been for Orochimaru to obtain power more quickly!

Although Tsunade was not politically minded, now that she worked backward through it, she could see that all of it had been Shamu's arrangement.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was planning to tell you the truth about back then, join forces with you against the Third Hokage, and possibly Jiraiya."

"Now that the Third Hokage is dead, I can tell you directly."

Tsunade's face darkened. "Then Danzo was telling the truth?"

Shamu answered with certainty.

"The Third Hokage previously treated Danzo as a scapegoat and wanted to throw all the blame onto him."

"It was only because Danzo ran fast enough that he managed to escape."

"What the Third Hokage has done over the years far exceeds your imagination."

"Nawaki's death, Dan Katō's death, the decline of the Senju Clan. Sakumo's death, Naruto's parents' inheritance. There are too many to count."

Next, Shamu laid bare the Third Hokage's treacherous nature beneath his façade of loyalty for Tsunade.

As Tsunade listened, veins bulged on her forehead.