Shinnō

Shinnō, a remnant of the Land of Sky and the leader of the Sky Ninja, had lost his homeland when his country was destroyed in the Second Shinobi World War. He traveled from country to country, seeking revenge on Konoha, the village in the Land of Fire that had committed crimes during the war.

He wasn't very strong himself. Before he acquired a series of cheats, he was at best an ordinary jōnin.

Naturally, he couldn't take on powerful enemies by force.

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

If Akashi hadn't known who he was, that highly deceptive face might have fooled him. But Akashi remembered what Shinnō looked like, and he knew why Shinnō had come.

He wanted to steal the Eight Inner Gates and the Zero-Tails Jutsu Formula. Nothing more.

Apart from researching Wood Release, Konoha had once studied artificial Tailed Beasts. For some reason, however, the project had been halted.

Akashi guessed that the formula was flawed and had caused heavy casualties and losses. They had been forced to abandon the far-fetched plan and pursue a more promising approach, such as cultivating Jinchūriki.

How Shinnō had learned these secrets was impossible to determine, but in the end, he had come.

Had he been watching the battle from the sidelines just now? If so, he'd seen the Eight Inner Gates too. Akashi frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Who are you?" Anko was displeased that someone had witnessed her defeat, and her tone was curt.

The middle-aged man didn't seem to mind. Smiling, he said, "I'm a physician from far away. My name is Shinnō. I travel from place to place to spread medical knowledge and treat the sick. Is Lord Hokage in that building?"

"You want to see Lord Hokage?"

"I hope to provide Konoha with some medical assistance. I heard there are many casualties in the Land of Fire because of the war, so I came to see if I could help."

A foreigner had traveled thousands of miles to Konoha to heal the sick. What kind of spirit was that?

It was so noble and selfless that people could hardly help but admire him.

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

"Hahaha, thank you very much." Shinnō laughed heartily, his gaze lingering on Guy as he considered him. As cunning as he was, he must have noticed what made Guy different, but he didn't let it show.

Akashi decided to keep an eye on the old fox and quickly helped Anko to her feet. "Let's go too."

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

"After Shinnō has met with Lord Hokage, we'll ask him to treat you." Akashi looked at Shinnō with an innocent, admiring expression. "That's all right, Doctor Shinnō?"

Shinnō naturally agreed to such a request.

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

Of course, one couldn't just meet the Hokage whenever one liked. It required a formal request and permission. But these were extraordinary times, and the Third Hokage was delighted to hear that a physician had come to visit. He immediately received Shinnō in person, and the two had a pleasant conversation.

They were close in age and had plenty in common as they discussed their experiences in various countries.

Shinnō's extensive knowledge and experience further supported his claim that he had traveled widely.

He won the Third Hokage's approval with little effort and was assigned to train doctors and treat patients at Konoha Hospital. His knowledge of folk remedies, secret prescriptions, and herbal medicine from various countries was far beyond that of an ordinary physician, on top of his expertise in Medical Ninjutsu.

Outside the door, Akashi supported Anko as he chatted with Guy.

Before long, Shinnō came out. His warm smile couldn't hide his smugness.

Seeing the three of them by the door, he put on the air of a kindly elder. "Lord Hokage has agreed to my request. Thank you all for showing me the way."

Akashi played along, looking delighted. With heartfelt sincerity, he said, "Doctor Shinnō, you're too kind. It's wonderful that you'll be staying here! I'm sure everyone in the village will be glad."

"Oh, it's nothing..."

Shinnō was almost embarrassed by the praise. I haven't even done anything earth-shattering yet, have I?

Konoha's children were so innocent.

"Could you treat Anko? She got a little hurt just now."

"Treat her..." Shinnō looked at Anko and readily agreed. "Of course."

With his medical expertise, he quickly made his diagnosis. Anko's injuries weren't serious: she had some scrapes and mild bruising, but no internal damage. She just needed to rest for a while.

After all, Guy hadn't gone all out. In a clash like that, some physical contact was inevitable when ninjas fought.

As for why Anko felt sick, it was because she'd eaten skewers and sweet soup before having her ice cream...

After hearing what had happened, Shinnō used simple Medical Ninjutsu to heal her wounds in an instant, prescribed a secret remedy to help her recover, and gave her some ointment to apply.🈹

Most importantly, he didn't charge her.

In just a few words, he also struck up a conversation with Guy, hinting that something might be wrong with Guy's body and offering to examine him.

Akashi sneered inwardly. The old fox certainly knew his stuff, but trying to steal my business was crossing the line.

A plan came to Akashi.

Interrupting Shinnō's rambling, he pulled out a pen and paper. "Doctor Shinnō, your medical skills are amazing. Could you give me your autograph?"

"Huh? Oh...sure, sure."

"Doctor Shinnō, your technique just now was perfect. It must have taken at least twenty years of practice, right?"

"It's not that impressive..."

"Doctor Shinnō, let me treat you to dinner to thank you for helping us."

"There's no need."

"Of course there is! It would be our honor."

Akashi showered him with praise, relentlessly singing his praises to make him forget himself—or at least get carried away. People were prone to losing their heads when they were pleased with themselves.

"Dinner? Then I want to come too!" When Anko heard the word "dinner," her stomach betrayed her with a growl.

She'd been busy all afternoon, and now she was hungry again.

Guy felt a little embarrassed, but his stomach growled too. He looked awkward. "Akashi, I..."

"Come with us! Doctor Shinnō, please grant us this wish."

Akashi's sincere gaze made Shinnō reluctant to refuse, so he had to agree.

Outside the Hokage Building, the lights were already shining brightly.

Dusk had fallen over the horizon. The signs along the street were lit, and wisps of smoke rose from the shops.

The four of them arrived at Songchuan Restaurant.

Akashi immediately announced that he wanted to treat Doctor Shinnō to a proper drink.

Seeing the bright lights and sign, as well as the beer-sale advertisement, Shinnō hesitated. "Are you old enough to drink?"

"We're all mature ninjas."

"But ninjas have three prohibitions."

"A little once in a while won't hurt!"

"But..."

Shinnō was still hesitating when Akashi pulled him straight inside. They sat down, and one delicious dish after another was served.

An hour later.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Shinnō's face was flushed, and his beard bobbed with his jaw.

"Doctor Shinnō, you can really hold your liquor!"

"Hahahaha, not bad, not bad."

Akashi kept filling Shinnō's glass. They drank and traded toasts as twilight deepened into night, and Akashi spared no praise.

Shinnō had been modest at first, but the alcohol and flattery gradually went to his head.

His flushed cheeks glowed with excitement, and he clinked glasses with Akashi much more forcefully.

Guy and Anko, meanwhile, stuck to the rules. They weren't old enough, so they absolutely wouldn't drink.

It was ridiculous that children could kill people but weren't allowed to drink. Ninja rules made no sense.

So only the two of them kept drinking, with the air of two heroes debating over wine.

By this point, despite all the flattery Akashi could muster, he still couldn't get Shinnō to let anything slip. He'd hoped to draw out some information about Shinnō's motives and past, but whenever the subject came up, the man gave a grand, righteous speech.

As for the Body Activation Secret Technique that Akashi remembered Shinnō using, he couldn't get even the slightest clue about it.

Old fox!

Akashi grumbled to himself again, then made an excuse to use the restroom and left the table.

When Shinnō saw Akashi leave, the tipsy look on his face vanished. He secretly popped three pills into his mouth and gulped down a glass of cold water.

How can this kid from Konoha drink so much? Good thing I came prepared with hangover medicine. I need to find a way to get out of here. He's so clingy... Though he keeps praising me, something about it still feels off.

In the restroom, Akashi spat several little snakes into the sink. Their bodies were soaked in liquor, and then the snakes spat it back up too, like twisted towels squeezed until a mass of sticky liquid came out.

Most of the alcohol he'd swallowed had been drunk by the snakes. He'd cheated a little.

Even so, he hadn't managed to get Shinnō drunk. Akashi felt he'd miscalculated. "Looks like this is as far as I can go tonight. As long as he's still in Konoha, I'll have another chance..."

He splashed some water on his face and returned to the table. The two of them kept drinking, but Shinnō seemed to be getting more energetic instead.

This guy really did have his tricks. Fine, don't blame me, then.

After two more rounds, the table was a mess of empty cups and dishes.

Akashi narrowed his eyes. The hand holding his glass suddenly dropped, and it clacked against the table. A moment later, his head slumped heavily onto the tabletop, and he promptly passed out.

"Finally drunk."

Shinnō sneered inwardly. Young people, after all. Trying to outdrink me, huh? Heh.

He was about to get up when a pretty waitress came over and handed him a piece of paper.

"I'll sign it another day," Shinnō said with a smile.

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

Shinnō froze. His drunken look nearly vanished. "They didn't pay?"

"Them?" The waitress glanced over, her brows knitting as if she didn't understand. "You mean these children?" Her voice held a note of disbelief, even disdain.

Anko and Guy shook their heads in turn. "We didn't bring any money."

Shinnō's face flushed red. He couldn't even explain himself. He took the bill, saw the amount, and felt his heart bleed. Wasn't this beer on sale? How could it cost so much? Konoha really was a wretched place—even the prices were absurdly high.

Why do I feel like I got ripped off?

After reluctantly paying the bill, Shinnō looked at Akashi, who had fallen asleep, and grew angrier by the moment.

Just then, Anko called out, "Doctor Shinnō, um... I can't carry him. Could you give Akashi a piggyback ride home?"

"You little—"

Shinnō's words cut off halfway. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forced himself to calm down. "No problem."

As he spoke, he hoisted Akashi onto his back, keeping up appearances while cursing Akashi and his entire family in his heart.

Anko clapped happily, then turned to the waitress and called, "Miss, could you pack up the rest of the food for me? I want to take it home!"

You're quite the saver!

Shinnō didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I paid for it. Shouldn't you at least say, "Thanks for the meal"?

Just as he was feeling annoyed, Akashi, draped over his back, gave a deliberate-sounding burp. A strong whiff of alcohol washed over him...