Shimizu: Sasori, We'll Each Use Our Own Terms of Address

When Shimizu was summoned to the Kazekage's Office Building, he was completely confused.

Chiyo and Ebizo sat primly, staring at Shimizu, while Kazakami Senran stood to one side with a solemn expression.

It's not like I betrayed the village. Did they really need to put on the airs of a triple-court interrogation?

"Ahem. Shimizu, there's no need to be nervous. We merely called you here because we wanted to have a talk."

With a kindly smile on her face, Chiyo spoke to Shimizu.

Standing behind Ebizo, Kazakami Senran gave Shimizu a slight nod and even winked at him, signaling that there was nothing to worry about.

Seeing that, Shimizu relaxed somewhat.

"Elder Chiyo, what would you like to know?"

"I would like to know what your ideal is, and what your ninja way is. You may choose not to answer the latter, since at your age, you should only just be beginning to establish your own ninja way. It is perfectly normal to have only a vague understanding of it."

Chiyo exchanged a glance with Ebizo before asking.

"As for my ideal... for now, it should be becoming the Kazekage, right?"

If he became the leader of one of the five strongest major powers in this world, he would probably gain quite a bit of fortune, wouldn't he?

As for a ninja way, the concept was actually rather vague. Naruto said his ninja way was to always keep his word; Orochimaru's ninja way was to learn every ninjutsu, grasp every truth in the world, and become the ultimate being; Jiraiya's ninja way was to achieve peace through mutual understanding between people; the First Hokage's and Madara Uchiha's ninja ways could likewise be understood as winning peace through their respective methods.

Sasori's ninja way was the pursuit of the eternal art of puppets, while Deidara pursued the art of explosions at their most dazzling instant.

All in all, they could basically be divided into two categories—one was the reason a ninja learned ninjutsu, while the other was a kind of personal declaration.

It was a little cringe, but in this world, it had indeed inspired countless ninjas and become the motivation that kept them going.

It was more like a faith-like motto born from one's overall personal influence.

"As for my ninja way, it would be to keep living, then do everything I want to do, such as creating the strongest and most perfect puppet."

After giving it some thought, Shimizu chose an answer that was relatively in line with traditional ninja world values.

Ebizo nodded in satisfaction and shot Chiyo a smug look before speaking to Shimizu.

"Then in your view, what kind of puppet is the strongest and most perfect?"

"Defense so powerful it cannot be breached, capable of providing the puppeteer with flawless, all-round protection, along with destructive power that can destroy anything."

"So the Fatty Puppet is the prototype you envisioned?"

Ebizo asked with a chuckle.

"That's right."

"Very good. If anyone else said that, I would think it unrealistic. But you have at least proven the feasibility of your ideas through your own work. Now, I have one final question for you."

Ebizo straightened his collar, his expression turning solemn.

"Shimizu, Chunin of Sunagakure, are you willing to become the joint disciple of Ebizo and my elder sister, Chiyo?"

"Huh?... Oh, yes! I am!"

Shimizu froze for a moment, then saw Kazakami Senran repeatedly signaling with his eyes and hurriedly agreed.

Chiyo and Ebizo exchanged smiles.

Taking Shimizu as a disciple was not merely because Chiyo had promised Ebizo that she would protect Shimizu, Pakura, and Maki—the three most promising members of Sunagakure's new generation—in this war. More importantly, the two had had their eyes on Shimizu for quite some time.

Both of them were nearing fifty and had reached the age when they needed to cultivate successors.

Originally, that successor had been Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, but the two had been killed by White Fang. Fortunately, Shimizu and Sasori of the new generation had shown the potential to become top-tier puppeteers.

Sasori was originally Chiyo's grandson.

Now, Shimizu had also formed a master-disciple relationship with them.

As long as these two could grow up before Chiyo and Ebizo became too frail to fight, they would be enough to ensure the inheritance of Sunagakure's puppeteers for another fifty years and provide protection for Sunagakure.

For Shimizu, the most immediate benefit of becoming Ebizo and Chiyo's disciple was the change in the fortune progress bar on the System Panel.

These two were powerful elders of Sunagakure, second only to the Third Kazekage in status.

If Sunagakure were compared to a sect in the style of xianxia novels, then Shimizu joining the Puppet Force back then had been like advancing from an outer disciple to an inner disciple. Now, he had gone from an inner disciple to an even higher-ranking core disciple.

Over in the DC World, ever since the deal with Two-Face had concluded, Hogg United's influence had grown steadily and rapidly. Its gang members had surpassed a hundred, and when Shimizu came back to his senses, the fortune progress bar had reached 57.3%.

After becoming Chiyo and Ebizo's inheriting disciple, the bar surged even faster than it had when Shimizu became a Chunin.

In only a short while, it had leapt to 91%.

The opening of the next world was no longer far away.

But it was not all good news.

Three days later, the squad he was assigned to would be incorporated into the frontline forces and set out once more to attack the Land of Rain.

Those three days were meant for consolidating logistical resources.

"Tonight, bring Sasori to my home for dinner."

Before Shimizu left the Kazekage's Office Building, Chiyo extended an invitation to him.

"Then how are we supposed to handle our terms of address? Wouldn't that make you a generation senior to me?"

At the puppet base, Sasori, who had been trying to spar with Shimizu again, immediately raised this question upon hearing the news.

"Hey, isn't that simple? We can each use our own terms. You can keep calling me whatever you called me before, and I'll call you my martial nephew from now on. Problem solved!"

Shimizu threw an arm around Sasori's shoulders and laughed.

Sasori responded with a deadpan look.

Compared to before, Sasori's expressions had become much richer.

He still looked like a cool and aloof young boy, but at least his personality was no longer so extreme.

"Shimizu, I thought about the things you told me for a long time after I went home. Yesterday, I also asked Grandma about them."

After the banter died down, Sasori suddenly turned serious and spoke to Shimizu.

"Which things?"

Shimizu could not remember. He had said far too much to Sasori.

"About why the Third Kazekage started the war, and those issues with unequal resource distribution."

Sasori continued.

"I asked Grandma every question I had once asked you, then repeated your answers to her. Perhaps that was why she made up her mind to take you as a disciple."

"She said you were the first young person she had ever seen who could think like a Kazekage at the age of eleven."

That...

Was probably praise, right?

Shimizu could not help thinking of a certain weasel who had been praised for "thinking like a Hokage at the age of five."