Poor Naruto

During that investigation, Shazo discovered that Konoha was nothing more than a slapdash operation.

The Third Hokage issued a mission, and the Anbu casually sent two ninja to carry it out. They could not even be bothered to assign a full squad.

The mission rank was too low, so there was no review process and no one checked up on it.

In Konoha's civilian residential district, basic safety was guaranteed. Spies would not operate in such an intelligence wasteland, and no danger would arise all year round.

The supposedly flawless protection and surveillance merely meant that nothing major had happened.

Anbu ninja were human too. Their energy had limits, and they could get distracted.

If they had been carrying out a dangerous A-rank mission, the Anbu ninja would have stayed focused and completed it carefully.

But the Hokage's assignment to them was merely to watch over and protect a brat.

The Anbu ninja only ensured that Naruto would not be directly beaten, poisoned, or attacked. As for everything else, they turned a blind eye.

That was why a nanny could feed Naruto expired milk and spoiled food until he got food poisoning before anyone noticed something was wrong.

That was why civilian children could smash Naruto's head open with stones while the Anbu ninja merely watched.

The Anbu ninja's negligence was truly outrageous. Shazo was only a Genin, yet not only did the Anbu fail to discover his investigation, he even found several enormous gaps in their surveillance.

The temptation of a protagonist was simply too great. Shazo could not resist, and on a dark, windy night, he quietly slipped into Naruto Uzumaki's room.

He reached out and grasped this thread that could alter the entire Ninja World.

But before Shazo could stir up the Ninja World, Naruto Uzumaki was already about to anger him to death.

The brat was surprised by Shazo's change in height for two minutes, then completely forgot about it and devoted himself wholeheartedly to stuffing his face.

Naruto's table manners were savage.

He covered the two large bumps on his forehead with one hand while continuously shoving food into his mouth with the other.

He swallowed large chunks of roasted meat in one bite, swallowed grilled fish in one bite, and could finish fried chicken in four bites at most.

He chewed chicken bones and fish bones together with the meat, crushing them all before swallowing them.

Apples, pears, and oranges naturally went down one at a time too. He did not even spit out the cores.

Even so, Naruto Uzumaki could still spare half his mouth to complain.

"Big brother, you know me."

"I'm watched closely all the time. The food I can get is terrible and scarce, and I'm hungry every day."

"Lately, it's been too cold. The rivers in the village have frozen over, so I can't fish at all. I don't even have my last chance to get protein anymore."

"Every day, I can only pad my stomach with instant noodles, then trick my belly by drinking water."

"Only when I come to your house, big brother, can I finally let loose and have a proper full meal."

"Big Brother Shazo, you know that once someone is starving, they simply can't control themselves."

"The moment I think about the food here, my head goes blank. Eating a little faster and more fiercely is a perfectly normal reaction."

"And when it comes to making me go hungry, the Third Hokage is the main culprit, but Big Brother Shazo, you bear some responsibility too!"

"Before I met you, Big Brother Shazo, and before you taught me the basics of taijutsu, I was hungry every day too, but I wasn't starving this badly."

"Please stop scolding me while I'm eating."

The shameless were invincible.

Faced with this Naruto Uzumaki, who was both innocent and sly, Shazo could only helplessly admit defeat.

His plan to raise a beautiful boy had failed completely. What stood before him was a sly, patient, clever little troublemaker.

Not only could Naruto Uzumaki not provide any emotional comfort, he was always acting shamelessly in front of Shazo and deliberately making him angry.

The brat knew that Shazo would definitely forgive him and continue spoiling him.

What could Shazo do? He could only forgive Naruto Uzumaki.

Because Naruto was not only the protagonist who could influence the Ninja World's situation, but also an incomparably precious, one-of-a-kind test subject.

There was no second one.

Uzumaki bloodline, the Nine-Tails Kurama, Minato Namikaze's consciousness chakra, Kushina Uzumaki's consciousness chakra, and the most mysterious of all, Asura's consciousness chakra from the eternal cycle of reincarnation.

There was no other ninja in the entire Ninja World who had so many valuable research subjects gathered in one body.

As a transmigrator, Shazo naturally had ambitions.

He wanted to punch the Five Kage, kick Six Paths Madara, arm-wrestle the Six Paths Sage, and play cards with Kaguya Otsutsuki.

And the hope of achieving those dreams would probably rest on Naruto Uzumaki.

He could not bear to part with him. He truly could not.

Now that he could rely on Demon Xiazhuo to study the power of chakra, Shazo treasured Naruto Uzumaki even more.

In truth, Shazo knew Naruto Uzumaki was an innocent and kind child. Deep down, he did not like using such shameless little tricks either.

But Naruto Uzumaki lacked a sense of security. Instinctively, he would seize every person and every opportunity that could make him feel safe.

Just as before entering the Ninja Academy, Naruto would smear paint over the Third Hokage's monument every few days, bought with money he had forced people to accept, all just to draw Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention.

Now, Naruto Uzumaki was using equally childish methods to attract Shazo's attention.

He was competing with Uchiha Izumi for Shazo's favor. He was afraid of losing Shazo's attention.

What a pitiful little fellow.

Shazo decided that once conditions allowed, he would completely solve Naruto Uzumaki's insecurity.

The method was actually simple. He only needed to bring Naruto Uzumaki into his own inner world and let him meet his parents within the seal.

Then Naruto would know that he had not been abandoned. He was the precious treasure deeply loved by his father and mother, a child they would protect even at the cost of their lives.

The greatest unease in Naruto Uzumaki's heart would be eliminated, and his insecurity would be greatly reduced.

Of course, Shazo did not currently know such a spiritual Secret Technique. But once the Shazo in the Bleach World became a true Death God, he would be able to master a Death God's powers himself.

That would be the power of a true god. Entering Naruto Uzumaki's mind would be a waste of such power.

Perhaps he could even greet the Death God of the Ninja World and trade something else for the Fourth Hokage's soul.

Shazo chuckled.

He wondered how Minato Namikaze would react after being awakened and learning that his son had lived worse than a dog, had received no care from Jiraiya or Kakashi, and had lived a hopeless life.

He was truly curious.

If the Fourth Hokage harbored enough anger and resentment, Shazo would seriously consider reviving him.

A Fourth Hokage who hated Konoha's ruling class could definitely throw Konoha into turmoil.

As a transmigrator, as a civilian ninja with no foundation, and as a descendant of the fallen Senju Clan, Shazo was willing to stir up the Ninja World.

Only chaos would give him opportunities to advance. His Senju Clan identity could not guarantee his success; had Nagato not soon been branded a public enemy of the Ninja World?

Shazo and Naruto Uzumaki ate every last bit of food.

After eating and drinking their fill, Shazo personally helped Naruto put on his mental "mask," returning him to that simple-minded, foolish, impulsive Naruto Uzumaki.

Before putting on the mask, Naruto Uzumaki asked, "Big Brother Shazo, how long do I have to keep pretending to be an idiot?"

Shazo shook his head and did not answer.