A Noisy, Bustling Daily Life

Excited, thrilled, proud—Shazo was so worked up that even his body trembled slightly.

No matter how much he had believed in his golden finger before, no matter how firmly he believed he could gain great power, nothing compared to the thrill of witnessing a miracle firsthand.

Shazo had accomplished a miracle he had never even dared to imagine, becoming a ninja capable of reshaping the terrain.

This meant Shazo's strength had risen to the point where he was indisputably a Kage-level Ninja.

Only fifteen days after the golden finger had activated, he had crossed three stages—Special Jonin, Jonin, and Elite Jonin—from Chunin in one leap, becoming a Kage-level Ninja and standing at the pinnacle of all ninjas.

At his current rate of growth, he would soon become what was known as a Super Kage-level Ninja—clearly stronger than the Third Hokage, though still far behind Nagato.

The 99 Series golden finger was amazing.

Once his emotions settled, Shazo stared blankly at the dense forest beside the Creek.

How long would it take him to clear such a huge forest?

When using Wood Release Secret Techniques, he could suppress the chakra fluctuations enough to avoid remote detection, but such a vast forest would definitely be noticed by patrols.

After thinking it over and finding no solution, Shazo gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.

[Wood Style: Wilt]

[Wood Style: Decay]

Shazo repeatedly used the two Wood Release Secret Techniques he had developed, turning tree after tree into nutrient-rich humus that piled into a thick layer across the ground.

After several hours of effort, his entire body was sore and weak by the time he had cleared roughly ten thousand square meters of forest.

Looking at the black soil that had once been a forest, he clapped his hands together and shouted, "Wood Style: Sprout!"

Tender shoots burst from the humus. Fresh green grass unfurled under the moonlight, then suddenly surged upward, transforming back into flourishing grassland in the blink of an eye.

This was not a Wood Release Secret Technique, but a free application of Wood Release chakra. Once again changing the terrain, Shazo felt an intense sense of pride and satisfaction.

Still, it was not without flaws. He told himself, "I need to keep improving Wilt and Decay when I get back. Right now, they can only affect one tree at a time. They're too troublesome to use."

The secondary development of his Wood Release Kekkei Genkai had been a complete success. Shazo was in an exceptionally good mood as he left, exhausted but satisfied.

Incidentally, Shazo did not run into Shisui Uchiha on the way back, proving that he truly was a ninja who kept his promises.

Four days passed in a flash.

Every day, Shazo diligently practiced Wood Release Secret Techniques, constantly familiarizing himself with the characteristics of the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai and raising the power limit of [Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence].

During this process, he discovered that his Wood Release Secret Techniques lacked the ability to absorb chakra. This was quite an obvious weakness; when dealing with Obito Uchiha or tailed beasts, it could result in insufficient suppressive power.

Shazo did not care too much about that. Absorbing chakra was merely the icing on the cake, crucial for protecting Jinchuriki and capturing enemies or tailed beasts alive.

But he did not care about Obito Uchiha's life. If he got the chance to take him down, he would definitely kill him outright.

After killing him, Shazo would put on a show and say, "He murdered his teacher and betrayed righteousness. This brat cannot be allowed to live!"

After Uchiha Izumi's family moved back into their old house, it caused Shazo a little inconvenience in his training, but his food quality improved greatly as a result. Every day, he could eat the delicious meals made by Aunt Miko.

Miko also knew that Shazo had a huge appetite, so she prepared enormous portions every time. Sometimes, even Shazo ended up stuffed.

With no other choice, Shazo could only sneak into the civilian district and give the excess food to Naruto Uzumaki, making the little blond utterly fond of Aunt Miko.

The boy even imagined what Miko looked like, seeking the feeling of a mother from her.

Besides Naruto Uzumaki, Tenten, who came to visit Shazo, also got to enjoy Miko's cooking.

The little girl with a Chinese-style look exclaimed, "It's even better than food made by the Hokage's personal chef!"

Tenten's parents were also immensely surprised by Miko's cooking, but they were even more shocked that Uchiha Izumi had awakened her two-tomoe Sharingan at only thirteen.

As one of Konoha's prominent merchants dealing in ninja tools, the couple had extensive knowledge. They immediately judged that Uchiha Izumi possessed limitless potential and decided to strengthen ties between their two families.

If they could establish a connection with the Uchiha Clan, then join forces through the Uchiha and Karakura's Cat Castle, their family business could expand throughout the entire Ninja World.

Tenten's parents began visiting Uchiha Izumi's home frequently. While the parents of both families built rapport together, their daughters also played together.

With both sets of parents aware, the two girls would sneak over to Shazo's house together, enjoy Aunt Miko's food with Shazo, and listen as he told secrets or entertaining stories they did not know.

The two girls quickly went from being hostile upon first learning of each other's existence to becoming close sisters.

Uchiha Izumi envied Tenten's constant good fortune, while Tenten admired Uchiha Izumi's talent as a ninja, becoming a Konoha Chunin at thirteen.

Before long, Uchiha Izumi learned why Tenten's parents had approached her, and she was dumbfounded.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Izumi quietly asked, "Brother, aren't Tenten's parents wealthy merchants? How can they not see the Uchiha Clan's crisis?"

Shazo sighed. "That couple are ordinary people who clawed their way up from the bottom. They have an extraordinary reverence for ninjas and great clans. If they weren't like that, they wouldn't have been fooled by twelve-year-old me."

Uchiha Izumi said, "...Brother, you really are a bad guy."

But Tenten did not dislike it at all. "Without Brother Shazo's help, I wouldn't have been able to become second place at the Ninja Academy and compete with young master Neji Hyuga for first place."

"My parents were fooled because they lacked judgment. Being fooled by Brother is my good luck."

Uchiha Izumi cutely rolled her eyes. "Tenten, you're done for. Brother has completely fooled you."

Tenten laughed heartily. "Sister Izumi, you're even closer to Brother and trust him more than I do. You even helped him deceive your own parents."

Izumi instantly blushed. "That doesn't count. I did it for their own good. I wasn't deliberately deceiving them. I just believed in Brother... Ah!!"

"I don't know how to explain it!"

"Whatever you two say!"

Uchiha Izumi's flushed, hopping appearance made Shazo and Tenten burst into laughter.

At Shazo's home, the girls did not merely play around. They also had to undergo Shazo's physical examinations.

Based on the girls' physical conditions and the theories of Five Spirits Battle True Interpretation, Shazo adjusted their individual training methods, increasing their rate of improvement and making up for hidden issues caused by their previous training.

Because Uchiha Izumi had awakened her Sharingan consecutively, her foundation had already been visibly damaged. It was no longer something that could be resolved by simply adjusting her training methods.

Based on cultivation theory, Shazo bought medicinal herbs and brewed them into a black, murky concoction, forcing Izumi to drink it with a miserable expression.

Uchiha Izumi was extremely resistant to the medicine. Shazo and Tenten had to work together to force it down her throat, and every dose was like a battle.

The lively sounds from Shazo's home carried next door, leaving the parents of both girls looking at one another before shaking their heads with bitter smiles.

But after nightfall, Shazo would invariably slip out to practice Wood Release Secret Techniques. No matter how terrible the weather was, he never changed his routine.

Having learned from the last time, Shazo no longer practiced Wood Release in the fixed northeastern corner of the village. Instead, he ran all over Konoha.

He left traces of his training in every secluded corner of the village.