Mei

Noticing Shiraishi Yoshijo's surprise, a smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face.

"Hatake Sakumo's strength is among the best even within the Anbu, and he is absolutely trustworthy."

White Fang of Konoha as captain.

Shiraishi Yoshijo felt the sincerity of the Third Hokage.

"Alright, I agree to join the Anbu, but my strength..."

For the past two years, he had been busy developing medical ninjutsu, and apart from his chakra reserves, there hadn't been much growth in other areas.

With this level of strength, following such an elite captain might just turn him into cannon fodder.

The stronger the captain, the higher the difficulty of the missions they execute.

Conversely, he would actually prefer a weaker captain who wouldn't stir up any super-high-difficulty missions.

"Rest assured, the missions your squad executes will be issued by me personally, so there will absolutely be no accidents."

"Besides, aren't you skilled in medical ninjutsu? Even if you don't contribute much in combat, ensuring their safety is enough."

Shiraishi Yoshijo frowned; was this the Third Hokage asking Hatake Sakumo to act as his babysitter?

Hmm.

Although being underestimated was unpleasant, this kind of special treatment...

Hmm, two words: truly sweet.

He really was just a loafer relying on his clan.

The Third Hokage's intention was to win him over and use him to maintain the balance of Konoha.

At the very least, it would be like this for the short term.

Once he grew stronger, perhaps the Third Hokage would grant him more authority, allowing the ninja clans behind him to share in the spoils as well.

As long as he maintained his loyalty to the Third Hokage, the Third Hokage would never be stingy with power.

"As for the squad members, I will give you one slot to choose someone yourself."

"That won't be necessary; I will listen to the Hokage's arrangements."

Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't have anyone he could absolutely trust.

The Takemoto clan could be trusted, and perhaps they would fight to the death to protect him.

However, he didn't want to get too deeply involved with the Takemoto clan.

After all, debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay; if it really came to that, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to refuse even if he wanted to.

Moreover, since the Third Hokage was being so sincere, acting otherwise would just make him a laughingstock.

"I understand. Then report to the Anbu in two days."

"As for the hospital, I will explain the situation to Kaori and keep a position for you in the Medical Team. I hope you will go there often when you aren't on missions."

This result was undoubtedly very satisfying to the Third Hokage.

Shiraishi Yoshijo felt it wasn't bad either; he knew he couldn't possibly possess the Will of Fire, nor could he truly be loyal to the Third Hokage.

He needed time to grow, and having the White Fang of Konoha as a babysitter was simply the best outcome.

Furthermore, there would certainly be no shortage of ninjutsu scrolls in the Anbu, and sealing techniques would surely be among them.

As long as he performed well, obtaining these things would be as easy as turning over his hand.

He had now completely treated Konoha as nutrients to be absorbed, much like the Butterfly Seed within his own body.

He didn't know what the future would hold, but he would walk his own path.

The Third Hokage left.

Hatake Sakumo did not leave; after removing his mask to reveal his true face, he reached out a hand to Shiraishi Yoshijo.

"I am Hatake Sakumo. We are teammates from now on, please take care of me."

Shiraishi Yoshijo also reached out his hand: "Shiraishi Yoshijo. Please take care of me as well, Captain."

After Hatake Sakumo also departed, Shiraishi Yoshijo began to consider what kind of persona he should maintain within the Anbu.

Because of the malice hidden in his heart, he did not want his own intelligence to be overly exposed.

Lightning-Water dual attributes, medical ninjutsu, secret techniques, and Lightning Body Flicker were things that had already been exposed.

He would certainly develop other ninjutsu in the future, and there was no need to show those to others.

Thinking of this, he decided to take a trip to the Butterfly Habitat Valley to cultivate a few more types of special Summoning Butterfly.

From now on, he would be a medical ninja and a user of secret techniques; cultivating more special Summoning Butterfly could be considered a way to keep up appearances.

Upon arriving at the Butterfly Habitat Valley, Mei was sitting in the main hall, smiling as she stared at Shiraishi Yoshijo.

Shiraishi Yoshijo was a bit confused; it wasn't the first time he had met this woman.

This was the first time, however, that she had been waiting for him.

He did not know how strong this woman was, or rather, he could not see through her at all.

However, he still kept Shiraishi Eizawa's warnings in mind and remained very respectful toward her.

"Lady Mei, I came here this time because I want to cultivate a few more types of Summoning Butterfly."

"Little one, tell me which types you want to cultivate?"

"Explosion Butterfly, Spirit-Peering Butterfly, and Seven-Colored Butterfly."

Mei nodded, then took out three lists of materials and handed them to him.

"These are the materials needed to cultivate these three types of Summoning Butterfly. Bring them to me, and I will help you cultivate them."

Shiraishi Yoshijo looked at the dense list of materials and felt his head spin, his heart aching for his wallet.

You never know the cost of living until you manage a household; Shiraishi Eizawa hadn't let him raise these three types of Summoning Butterfly last time.

If he wanted to raise them now, he feared he would have to spend at least half of his fortune.

"I understand."

Shiraishi Yoshijo turned to leave.

"Little one, wait a moment. There is something I need your help with."

Shiraishi Yoshijo pointed at himself, turning back: "Help?"

"Yes."

Shiraishi Yoshijo fell into silence. He wanted to refuse, but he had a premonition that if he truly refused, something bad might happen.

"What is it that Lady Mei wants me to do?"

"I can't tell you yet. You are too weak."

Shiraishi Yoshijo breathed a sigh of relief. If it wasn't for now, it would be easy to handle, and as for being too weak, he simply pretended not to hear it.

After all, it was a fact.

"I understand. When I become stronger in the future, I will definitely help Lady Mei."

Shiraishi Yoshijo lifted his leg to leave again, but Mei suddenly appeared right in front of him.

He looked back at the bed, which was now empty, and fell into deep thought.

What kind of hellish speed was this? He hadn't heard a sound, and he didn't even know how she had appeared in front of him.

"Don't be in such a rush to leave, and there's no need to be so surprised. This is space-time movement. If you want to learn it, I can teach you."

Shiraishi Yoshijo raised an eyebrow: "Really?"

"With your current strength, it would probably take you over two hundred years to even have a chance of learning it."

Shiraishi Yoshijo: ""

In two hundred years, his bones would have already turned to dust.

"Lady Mei, you might as well speak plainly. There is no need to beat around the bush. As long as it is something I can help with, I will never refuse."

Mei stared at him with a smile, saying nothing.

Sweat gradually began to bead on Shiraishi Yoshijo's forehead. That strange feeling from their first meeting had returned.

Unfortunately, this time, Shiraishi Eizawa was not there to stand in front of him.

Mei just stared at him like that for five minutes.

She suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered: "You really are special. Can you tell me what this ability to foresee the future is all about?"

"Foresee the future?" Shiraishi Yoshijo swallowed hard: "I don't know what you are talking about."

This woman was definitely suspicious!

And she was absolutely not human!

Shiraishi Yoshijo didn't know what kind of ability this was, but just by staring at him, she had seen through his anomaly.

Memory reading?

It shouldn't be. If that were the case, she should have been able to discover that he came from another world.

Besides, she said "foresee the future." To a certain extent, he did count as someone who could foresee the future, but how the hell did she know?

"Don't be afraid. Currently, you are the only one who can come here. I won't harm you."

As if I'd believe you!

"Secrets are something everyone has. Look, didn't I just refuse to tell you what I needed help with? I won't pry into your secrets."

"I just think you should trust me a little more. Perhaps you could rely on me just as you rely on your uncle."

"I will absolutely not let you down."

After Mei finished speaking, she returned to the bed. Shiraishi Yoshijo turned back to look at her, lost in thought.

The mere way this woman moved was enough to make one feel despair; the Flying Thunder God Technique was child's play compared to her.

To help someone like this, just how strong would he need to be? Kage-level?

No, at the very least, I need the kind of strength Uchiha Madara possesses.

"Little one, you don't actually think that just by talking about getting stronger, I'll believe you'll actually become stronger, do you?"

"What do you mean, Lady Mei?"

"You should raise a few more Butterfly Seeds. How about starting with a set that covers all five elemental attributes?"

Shiraishi Yoshijo picked at his ear. "What did you just say, Lady Mei?"

"I never repeat myself."

Mei appeared behind him in an instant, her tone soft. "The more Butterfly Seeds you raise, the stronger your chakra control becomes, and once they mature, the chakra they feed back to you will be even greater."

"This is the best shortcut to increasing your strength. In ten years at most, that so-called Hokage definitely won't be your match."

Shiraishi Yoshijo's face darkened instantly.

He certainly knew that the more Butterfly Seeds he raised, the faster his strength would increase.

But he also knew that the more Butterfly Seeds he raised, the faster he would die.

Raising a single Butterfly Seed cost him over a decade of his lifespan; if he raised a few more, he feared he wouldn't even live to see twenty.

"Don't joke around, Lady Mei. You know the drawback of Butterfly Seeds consuming one's lifespan as well as I do. Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Besides, my current chakra isn't even enough to support a second one, let alone a set with all five attributes."

Shiraishi Yoshijo's words were as cold as eternal ice; he never could have imagined that this trip to Butterfly Habitat Valley would turn out like this.

Mei suddenly reached out toward him, and Shiraishi Yoshijo immediately tensed up, scrambling backward.

But he had only taken a single step back when that hand was already pressed against his chest.

A green light flared to life.

A sensation of comfort he had never experienced before instantly spread throughout his entire body.