Change

After thinking it through, Shiraishi Yoshijo began to smile bitterly.

That guy Danzo had wanted to drag him into the Anbu back when the Ninja Academy first opened, and he had no idea what his uncle was thinking, actually coming back to ask for his opinion.

Could it be that he wanted him to defect to the Third Hokage?

There was zero possibility of that; putting aside whether that interest group would even accept him, he would be the first to refuse.

That guy Danzo was treacherous; if he fell into his hands, there was no telling if he'd end up with a Cursed Seal, and who would he cry to then?

Wait, a flash of inspiration struck Shiraishi Yoshijo's mind, and he suddenly thought of his parents' deaths.

They hadn't died in the Great Ninja War, but rather in a routine mission, which had felt suspicious to him even back then.

Moreover, when his parents died, the Third had just taken office. If his entire family were to be wiped out, who would benefit the most?

The Third Hokage.

Thinking of this, Shiraishi Yoshijo drew a sharp breath.

With only him left in the family, Danzo and the Third had plenty of ways to toy with him.

When the time came, they could manipulate him into absorbing all these clans, and the Hokage's status and power would expand even further.

If that were truly the case, Shiraishi Yoshijo looked at his good uncle Shiraishi Eizawa, feeling grateful to this man from the bottom of his heart.

The fact that he had been able to live so easily all these years was undoubtedly because Shiraishi Eizawa had withstood the pressure from the outside.

Thinking of how Shiraishi Eizawa had once clashed with Danzo, that must have been to project a tough stance.

It kept Danzo and the Third from being too reckless, while simultaneously leaving him room to make his own choices.

If he had really joined a ninja squad, he feared the shadow of death would have followed immediately after.

He guessed that Shiraishi Eizawa had been hesitating for the past two years as well, only finding a way out for him once he said he wanted to enter the hospital.

Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't know if a person like him really existed in the history of Konohagakure, but if they did, they surely hadn't lived long.

Danzo would absolutely not let him go. Now that it was clear he wouldn't be manipulated, there was no other way but to kill him to prevent this interest group from collapsing.

He hadn't realized it before, but now, cold sweat broke out on Shiraishi Yoshijo's forehead.

He felt fortunate for choosing to enter the hospital, yet worried for the future.

The interest group led by Takemoto would certainly not let him have such an easy time at the hospital; they would try every possible means to push him to the top.

When that time came, for the sake of their interests, he would definitely have to go head-to-head with the interest group led by the Third Hokage.

He didn't know if he could win, but Shiraishi Yoshijo felt there was no need to do such a thing.

It was just that the matter of his parents had now become a thorn in his heart.

If it really was the work of the Third and Danzo...

Shiraishi Yoshijo sneered and left after dropping two words.

"Boring."

Shiraishi Eizawa watched his retreating back and smiled bitterly.

"Indeed, it is very boring."

Back in his room, Shiraishi Yoshijo opened a ninjutsu scroll, but he couldn't focus on it at all.

After forcing himself to read for a while, he put the scroll down and began to stare blankly.

What should he do?

Take down the Third and become the Fourth himself? How?

If nothing went wrong, the Third would live longer than him, because due to his family's damned secret technique, he likely wouldn't live past fifty.

A coup was also difficult; the interest group led by the Third was quite massive.

Furthermore, the ninja clans led by Takemoto only wanted him to secure benefits for them; if he really asked them to stage a coup, he feared he would be the first one they abandoned.

So, was his only choice to stay in the hospital?

Stabilize first, then lay low, and then evolve the double Sharingan into the Rinnegan?

Wait until his strength was great enough to launch a coup and become Hokage?

Boring!

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Shiraishi Yoshijo felt that since he had finally been reborn, how could he be bound by the village? Politics and such boring things didn't suit him.

Was he reborn just to be a small village chief?

Hey, hey, hey, don't joke like that.

His family and loved ones had already been buried by the rotting leaves of Konohagakure; was he supposed to become new rotting leaves himself?

Only a fool would do such a thing; being a saint didn't fit his nature.

Thinking of this, Shiraishi Yoshijo's gaze turned eerie.

"Since you treat my family and loved ones as nutrients to be absorbed, don't blame me for treating you as nutrients."

Hehehe, an eerie laugh escaped Shiraishi Yoshijo's lips. He pulled a book from the shelf, and the more he read, the more sinister his smile became.

After a long while, Shiraishi Yoshijo closed the book, shut his eyes, and began to ponder.

If the records in the book were correct, then what he needed was the Cursed Seal.

A Cursed Seal capable of controlling people.

However, the Cursed Seals in the plot were mostly described in vague terms, and Shiraishi Yoshijo did not yet understand how they were actually formed.

Did it have something to do with Sealing Jutsu?

He did not know, but it did not matter; he was still young, and there would be plenty of opportunities to come into contact with such things in the future.

The most urgent matter now was the condition of Shiraishi Eizawa's health.

He did not know if Medical Ninjutsu could save Shiraishi Eizawa's life, but he would do his best.

Regardless of the reason, he did not want this uncle to die.

After all, he was his last remaining relative.

The next day, Shiraishi Yoshijo was dragged out of his blankets by his good uncle and forced to put on the clan attire.

That set of colorful, gaudy clothes that looked exactly like something a cross-dresser would wear.

After eating, Shiraishi Eizawa took him to the Takemoto household.

Starting today, he would be following that old man for training.

"Uncle Eizawa, I'm going to train, why do I have to wear these clothes?"

"This is your first time going there; the significance is important."

Upon arriving at the Takemoto clan, Shiraishi Yoshijo understood the meaning behind wearing this outfit.

Walking down the street, people bowed to them from time to time, making Shiraishi Yoshijo feel completely uncomfortable.

Having encountered this situation for the first time, he was extremely unaccustomed to it.

Most of the houses around his own home were empty; they didn't even have neighbors, and living there felt like living in a ghost town.

This place was not only bustling and prosperous, but more importantly, it was full of the warmth of human life.

"Uncle Eizawa, who are those people bowing to us?"

"Clan members."

When they met Takemoto Shuichi, Shiraishi Eizawa said, "Uncle Shuichi, I leave Yoshijo in your care. I'll be heading back now."

Takemoto Shuichi nodded, then turned around and shouted, "Anna, hurry up and come out, we're leaving."

He was bringing his granddaughter along for training too?

Shiraishi Yoshijo could not understand what kind of thought process Takemoto Shuichi had.

After they stepped out, Takemoto Anna, dressed in simple attire, followed the two of them, walking at the very back.

They didn't walk far before a training ground appeared before their eyes.

Takemoto Shuichi stood on the field and said, "Yoshijo, your foundation is poor. I'm afraid I might accidentally injure you if I train you myself, so it's perfect to have Anna act as your opponent."

Shiraishi Yoshijo looked back at Takemoto Anna, and Takemoto Anna was staring at him as well.

"Is Sister Anna very strong?"

"Average."

This was Takemoto Anna's reply, very modest.

But when they actually started sparring, Shiraishi Yoshijo was dumbfounded.

This "average" was truly not average at all!

Her Taijutsu alone was enough to subdue him in an instant, leaving him with no power to resist.

Therefore, Shiraishi Yoshijo had a miserable day, being pinned down and thrashed for almost the entire time.

Takemoto Anna likely already possessed the strength of a Chunin; beating him was like child's play for her.

Yet she didn't even blush or pant, whereas Shiraishi Yoshijo ended up so exhausted that he lay on the ground, unable to move.

"Sister Anna, you're really amazing. How do you train?"

"I train just like this."

Shiraishi Yoshijo pointed at himself: "Train like me?"

"Mm."

Shiraishi Yoshijo was speechless. He had only been beaten up all day; did she get beaten up every single day?

That old man Takemoto Shuichi was a ruthless person.

After the day's training ended, Takemoto Shuichi took them home.

"Yoshijo, your house is a bit of a distance from here. Why not just stay at my place?"

Takemoto Anna began to cough frantically.

Shiraishi Yoshijo had a strange expression: "No need, thank you, Grandpa Shuichi."

Takemoto Shuichi glared at Anna, then asked again, "When is your graduation exam?"

Speaking of which, Shiraishi Yoshijo remembered that Kawano was bringing his daughter Mie to visit his home tomorrow, and only then would he have an accurate time.

"My ninja academy teacher is visiting my home tomorrow, so I'll know then."

"Oh, I hope the schedule isn't too tight. The most important thing for you right now is improving your taijutsu; ninjutsu isn't actually that important."

"I understand."

Returning home and not seeing Shiraishi Eizawa, Shiraishi Yoshijo went straight to his room.

Lying on the bed and feeling the soreness throughout his body, he grinned.

A single day of training naturally wouldn't have much effect, but he could feel himself getting stronger.

Not stronger in body, but stronger in mind.

At the jonin level, things like combat experience might not play much of a role anymore.

But in battles between genin and chunin, experience was of vital importance.

He began to look forward to tomorrow's training.

However, he couldn't just sit idle for now. Although Takemoto Shuichi said there was no rush for ninjutsu, knowing more was always beneficial.

He flipped through the scroll and saw the Body Flicker Technique, deciding it would be better to learn this ninjutsu first.

After practicing three times, Shiraishi Yoshijo had mastered the Body Flicker Technique.

He wasn't particularly happy about it, as it was only a relatively simple Body Flicker.

It was just that he felt his speed at learning ninjutsu was a bit abnormal.

Had the Butterfly Seed inside his body already started to take effect?

He secretly speculated, never quite understanding why he learned ninjutsu so quickly.

Could it be because of his soul power? If he calculated his soul age, he would be an old man of over thirty this year.

Yes, an uncle even older than Shiraishi Eizawa.

If Shiraishi Eizawa knew, he would probably be too disgusted to eat.

Shiraishi Yoshijo laughed with a wicked expression.