Shinnō

Shinnō, a survivor of the Land of Sky, was the leader of the Sky Ninja who had lost his homeland when it was destroyed during the Second Shinobi World War. He traveled from country to country, plotting revenge against Konoha in the Land of Fire for the crimes committed during the war.

His own strength was not particularly impressive; before obtaining a series of external enhancements, he was at best an average Jonin.

Facing a formidable enemy, he naturally could not take what he wanted by force.

That was why he had disguised himself as a doctor to infiltrate Konoha, harboring a secret agenda.

If Akashi did not know him, he might very well have been deceived by that highly convincing face, but Akashi happened to remember Shinnō's appearance and knew his intentions.

It was nothing more than wanting to steal the Eight Inner Gates and the Zero-Tails technique.

Back in the day, besides researching Wood Release, Konoha had also experimented with artificial Tailed Beasts, though the project was halted for certain reasons.

Akashi guessed that the technique was likely imperfect, causing significant casualties and losses at the time, forcing them to abandon this whimsical plan and turn toward more promising development methods, such as cultivating Jinchuriki.

How Shinnō learned of these secrets was impossible to verify, but he had arrived nonetheless.

Had he been watching the battle from the sidelines the whole time? If so, didn't that mean he had also seen the Eight Inner Gates? Akashi frowned imperceptibly.

"Who are you?" Anko was quite displeased at being seen in such a defeated state, her tone blunt.

The middle-aged man did not mind, smiling, "I am a physician from afar named Shinnō. I travel to spread medical knowledge and heal the sick. May I ask if the Hokage is in that building?"

"You want to see the Hokage?"

"I hope to provide some medical aid to Konoha. I heard that with the war going on, the Land of Fire has many casualties, so I came to see if I could be of help."

A stranger traveling thousands of miles to Konoha to heal the sick—what kind of spirit was this?

It was noble and selfless, enough to make one almost hold him in awe.

"I'll take you there!" Guy volunteered.

"Hahaha, thank you very much." Shinnō laughed heartily, his gaze lingering on Guy, thoughtful. As cunning as he was, he must have discovered Guy's uniqueness, though he did not show it.

Akashi decided to keep an eye on this old fox and hurriedly helped Anko up: "Let's go too."

"I'd rather rest right now..."

"Once Doctor Shinnō has met with the Hokage, we can ask him to examine you." Akashi looked at him with an innocent and slightly admiring gaze, "Doctor Shinnō, would that be alright?"

Faced with such a request, Shinnō naturally agreed.

Using medical skills to gain the trust of Konoha's ninjas was exactly what he wanted to do.

Of course, one could not just see the Hokage whenever they pleased; it required notification and permission. But in these extraordinary times, the Third Hokage was pleased to hear of a visiting physician and immediately granted Shinnō a personal audience, the two conversing quite happily.

There was not much difference in their ages, and they found common ground in discussing their experiences across various nations.

His extensive knowledge further corroborated Shinnō's story of traveling the world.

He gained the Third Hokage's approval with almost no effort and was entrusted with training doctors and treating patients at the Konoha Hospital. Beyond medical ninjutsu, his expertise in folk remedies, secret prescriptions, and herbalism from various countries far exceeded that of an average physician.

Outside the door, Akashi supported Anko while chatting with Guy.

Before long, Shinnō emerged from within, his gentle smile unable to suppress a hint of triumph.

Seeing the three at the door, he put on the air of a kind and amiable elder: "The Hokage has agreed to my request. Thank you all for showing me the way."

Akashi played along with a look of surprise, saying sincerely, "Doctor Shinnō, you are too kind. Your staying here is a wonderful thing! I'm sure everyone in the village will be happy."

"Not at all, not at all..."

Shinnō was so flattered he felt a bit embarrassed, thinking to himself, I haven't done anything earth-shattering yet, have I?

The children of Konoha were truly simple.

"Please, treat Anko. She got hurt a little while ago."

"Treatment, is it..." Shinnō looked at Anko and readily agreed, "No problem."

With his medical skills, he made a diagnosis quickly; Anko's injuries were not serious, merely skin abrasions and minor contusions with no internal organ damage, and she would be fine after a short rest.

After all, Guy had not used his full strength, and such contact-based collisions were inevitable in ninja combat.

As for why Anko felt uncomfortable, it was because she had eaten skewers and sweet soup before having ice cream...

After understanding the situation, Shinnō used simple medical ninjutsu to instantly repair the wounds, wrote out a secret prescription for recovery, and gifted Anko some topical ointment.

The key was that he didn't charge any money.

In just a few sentences, he also struck up a rapport with Guy, dropping various hints that Guy might have underlying health issues and that he could help with an examination.

Akashi sneered inwardly; he was indeed an old fox, but it wouldn't do for him to steal his business.

A plan sprouted in Akashi's mind.

He interrupted Shinnō's chatter and pulled out paper and a pen: "Doctor Shinnō, your medical skills are truly amazing. Please give me an autograph!"

"Ah? Oh... a-all right."

"Doctor Shinnō, your technique just now was simply perfect. You couldn't have done that without twenty years of practice, right?"

"It's not that exaggerated..."

"Doctor Shinnō, to thank you for the treatment, let me treat you to a meal."

"That won't be necessary."

"Of course, of course, it is our honor."

Akashi kept up a barrage of relentless flattery, aiming to make the man lose his composure or at least get carried away; people are prone to letting their guard down when they are feeling smug.

"Eating? Then I want in too!" As soon as Anko heard the word 'eat,' her stomach let out a pathetic growl.

She had been busy all afternoon and was hungry again.

Although Guy felt embarrassed, his stomach rumbled as well, leaving him quite awkward: "Akashi, I..."

"Come along! Doctor Shinnō, please, you must grant us this wish."

Akashi's sincere gaze made it impossible for Shinnō to refuse, so he had no choice but to agree.

Outside the Hokage Building, the lights were already blazing.

Twilight descended upon the horizon, the shop signs along the long street flickered to life, and smoke curled up from the chimneys.

The four of them arrived at Songchuan Restaurant.

Akashi immediately declared that he would treat Doctor Shinnō to a proper feast.

Seeing the bright lights, the signs, and the advertisement for a beer special, Shinnō hesitated: "Are you all old enough to drink?"

"We are already mature ninjas."

"But there are three prohibitions for ninjas."

"A little bit now and then is fine!"

"But..."

Shinnō was still wavering, but Akashi pulled him straight into the restaurant. Once they were seated, fine wine and delicious food were brought to the table one after another.

An hour later.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Shinnō's face was flushed, his thick beard twitching with his jaw.

"Doctor Shinnō, you have an incredible capacity for alcohol!"

"Hahahaha, it's alright, it's alright."

Akashi kept refilling Shinnō's glass, the two exchanging toasts as the sky shifted from dim yellow to scattered starlight, Akashi never sparing a word of praise.

Shinnō, who had started out humble, gradually became dizzy from the alcohol and the constant flattery.

His rosy cheeks radiated excitement, and the force with which he clinked his glass against Akashi's grew much stronger.

Guy and Anko strictly followed the rules, refusing to drink since they were underage.

Come to think of it, it was absurd that ninjas were allowed to kill at such a young age but forbidden from drinking.

Thus, only the two of them were left drinking heartily, much like the classic tale of discussing heroes over wine.

Having reached this point, combined with the extreme flattery, Akashi had hoped to pry some information out of Shinnō. To his surprise, the man's mouth was tight; whenever the topic turned to his intentions or his past, he would launch into a righteous, high-minded speech.

As for the Body Activation Secret Technique that Akashi remembered Shinnō possessing, there wasn't even a hint of it to be found.

Old fox!

Akashi cursed inwardly again, using the excuse of going to the restroom to leave his seat.

Seeing Akashi leave, the tipsy look on Shinnō's face vanished instantly. He secretly popped three pills into his mouth and downed a glass of cold water.

"How can these Konoha brats drink so much? Good thing I prepared an antidote. I need to find a way to slip away; they're too clingy... even if they are just praising me, it feels strange."

In the restroom, Akashi spat several small snakes into the sink. Their bodies were soaked with alcohol, and as they spat it back out, they twisted like wrung-out towels, squeezing out a large amount of viscous liquid.

Most of the wine he had 'drunk' had been consumed by these snakes; he had cheated just a little.

Despite this, he still couldn't get Shinnō drunk, and Akashi felt he had miscalculated: "It seems I'll have to stop here for today. As long as he's still in Konoha, there will be opportunities..."

After splashing his face with water, Akashi returned to the table. The two continued, but he found that Shinnō was becoming increasingly energetic.

This guy really has a trick up his sleeve, then don't blame me.

After two more rounds, the table was a mess of empty plates and glasses.

Akashi's eyes narrowed. His hand, holding the glass, suddenly dropped and tapped against the table with a crisp sound. Immediately after, his head slumped heavily onto the table, and he fell asleep on the spot.

"Finally drunk."

Shinnō sneered internally. Just a youngster after all, trying to outdrink me, heh.

Just as he was about to stand up, a pretty waitress walked over and handed him a piece of paper.

"Save the autograph for another day," Shinnō said with a smile.

The waitress waved her hand awkwardly: "You misunderstand, sir. Please pay the bill."

Shinnō froze, his drunken expression nearly vanishing: "They didn't pay?"

"They?" The waitress scanned them, her brows furrowed in confusion, "You mean these children?" Her tone revealed a hint of disbelief, and even disdain.

Guy and Anko shook their heads one after another: "We didn't bring any money."

Shinnō's face turned beet red. He wanted to explain but couldn't. He took the bill and, seeing the number on it, felt his heart bleed. Isn't this beer on sale? How is it so expensive! Konoha really is a wretched place; even the prices are ridiculously high.

Why do I feel like I've been completely ripped off?

Having paid the bill with extreme reluctance, Shinnō looked at the slumbering Akashi, his irritation growing the more he thought about it.

Just then, Anko called out, "Doctor Shinnō, um... I can't lift him. Could you help carry Senior Akashi home?"

"I &%#￥@..."

Shinnō's words cut off mid-sentence; he took a deep breath, gritting his teeth to steady his mood, and replied, "No problem."

As he spoke, he hoisted Akashi onto his back, maintaining a composed expression on his face while mentally greeting every member of Akashi's family.

Anko clapped her hands in delight and turned to the server, calling out, "Miss, please pack up the remaining dishes for me, I'm taking them to go!"

You're certainly frugal!

Shinnō didn't know whether to laugh or cry; since I was the one who paid the bill, shouldn't you at least say "thanks for the treat"?

Just as he was feeling dejected, Akashi, slumped on his back, let out an intentional or perhaps accidental drunken hiccup, sending a pungent wave of fumes straight toward him...