The Monkey's Scheme

Year 48 of the Konoha era.

Inside the Anbu prison of Konoha.

An elderly man, frail and decrepit, was walking step by step toward the depths of the dungeon.

Finally, the old man reached the interior of the prison, his gaze falling upon one of the young men held within.

The young man was lounging in a relaxed posture, legs crossed, half-reclining on a dilapidated bed. Hearing the sound of someone approaching, he turned his head casually, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Monkey, why is it so lively outside? Is it early for the New Year?" the young man asked with a playful tone.

The old man standing outside the cell was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi. He stared at the seemingly uninhibited youth before him and let out a deep sigh, his voice filled with grief and sorrow: "Lord Shi Xiu, the Nine-Tails has run amok, and the Fourth Hokage, he..."

However, before Hiruzen Sarutobi could finish his sentence, he was ruthlessly interrupted by Shi Xiu inside the cell.

"I know. The Nine-Tails went on a rampage, suspected to be controlled by the Uchiha clan, resulting in the sacrifice of both Minato and Kushina. Sigh, I really shouldn't have let Kushina go to that brat Minato back in the day!" As Shi Xiu spoke, he shook his head, a trace of regret flickering in his eyes.

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. He inwardly grumbled, feeling utterly helpless and speechless at Shi Xiu's inappropriate remarks at such a time.

After all, in such a dire situation, the fact that Shi Xiu could still joke about the past so lightly made his true thoughts truly unfathomable.

That's right, Shi Xiu was not from this world. He had originally been just an ordinary college student. While playing a solo match of Naruto with a friend during an eight-o'clock class, he never expected a blinding white light to flash, and he found himself transfigured into the world of Naruto.

He never imagined he would transfigure into such a chaotic and war-torn era!

The legendary Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were still just wet-behind-the-ears children at the time.

As for Shi Xiu, through a twist of fate, he had become their sworn brother.

Perhaps the heavens were looking out for him; Shi Xiu had unexpectedly obtained his own miraculous cheat—possessing infinite lifespan and the ability to copy various ninjutsu and the unique powers granted by rare bloodline limits without any restrictions.

You must understand, this was different from Kakashi's copying. While the Sharingan is powerful, it cannot copy the innate talent of bloodline limits.

Thus, throughout those long and nearly endless years, Shi Xiu relied on that heaven-defying cheat to crazily copy countless ninjutsu and all sorts of bloodline limits.

For example, Hashirama Senju's soul-shaking Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands; Madara Uchiha's incredibly domineering Complete Body Susanoo; and all the forbidden techniques mastered by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and so on.

Even the secret techniques hidden deep within other clans were all collected by Shi Xiu one by one.

However, as the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. Because his abilities were too unique and powerful, he eventually aroused the vigilance and wariness of Tobirama Senju.

Fearing that his existence would break the existing balance and order, Tobirama discussed it and had him locked away in this heavily guarded prison.

Although no one could actually hold him with his strength, Shi Xiu had no intention of escaping.

After all, there was food and drink here, and since the main plot of Naruto had not yet begun, Shi Xiu could not leave yet.

This was the price for obtaining such a bug-like ability: he had to adopt Naruto Uzumaki.

The only people who knew his true identity were Madara and the successive Hokages, but now, only the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, knew that he was someone who had lived from the era of Hashirama to the present day.

Shi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi before him with a mocking gaze, and spoke slowly.

"Haha, Monkey! What brings you all the way here to see me? You know, the Nine-Tails incident only just subsided not long ago. The village is in a state of panic, and it's a time when they need you to soothe them. How do you have the leisure to come here?"

Listening to Shi Xiu's blunt words, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly groaning in his heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head slightly, pondered for a moment, then looked up again, his gaze fixed firmly on Shi Xiu as he said sincerely: "Lord Shi Xiu, the situation at the borders of the Land of Fire is currently turbulent, and there are often some reckless scoundrels attempting to stir up trouble. After much thought, I feel that only someone as powerful as you can hold the line and keep them from acting rashly. Therefore, I hope Lord Shi Xiu can endure the hardship and take a trip to the border to ensure the peace of our country."

Hearing this, Shi Xiu couldn't help but let out a contemptuous sneer. How could he not see through Hiruzen Sarutobi's little scheme? On the surface, he claimed it was to guard the border, but in reality, it was just an excuse to get him out of the way.

After all, if he remembered correctly, in just seven short years, it would be the night the Uchiha clan was massacred.

Presumably, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already begun planning to deal with the Uchiha clan; once the seeds of suspicion were sown, they would soon take root and sprout.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was likely worried that his friendship with Madara Uchiha was too deep and feared that he would intervene in his plans, so he wanted to send him far away first.

Thinking of this, Shi Xiu felt even more disdain for Hiruzen Sarutobi's calculations.

"Monkey, your guts are truly growing larger! You actually dare to scheme against me?"

Shi Xiu's slender fingers lifted slightly. Almost at the same moment, a rustling sound was heard, and countless thick and incredibly tough vines suddenly burst forth from the ground.

They twisted like agile snakes, and in the blink of an eye, they tightly bound and restrained Hiruzen Sarutobi on the spot.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was restrained by the sudden vines, a dozen Anbu members dressed in black night-wear and wearing eerie masks appeared like ghosts, standing steadily in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi to form an impenetrable human wall, firmly shielding him behind them.

Seeing this, Shi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly. His originally deep, dark pupils began to change slowly, gradually turning completely pale, like two cold stars.

"Byakugan!" Following a low shout from his lips, an invisible and powerful ocular power erupted.

Through those chilling white pupils, Shi Xiu's gaze seemed to easily pierce through all obstacles, landing directly on the Anbu members.

In just a moment, the faces hidden behind the mysterious masks were clearly presented before his eyes.

However, to Shi Xiu's disappointment, he did not find the face he had been looking for among this group of Anbu.

Thinking about it carefully, it made sense; according to the current timeline, Shisui should not officially join the Anbu for another three years.

Although he didn't find Shisui, Shi Xiu unexpectedly caught sight of another familiar face—a long, narrow scar on the left eye, coupled with that iconic blood-red Sharingan.

"So it's Kakashi..." Shi Xiu whispered to himself, a complex emotion surging in his heart.