Shi Xiu let out a deep sigh, then reached out and gently pushed the door open, stepping into the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was seated behind his desk. Hearing the noise, he calmly set down the report he had been reading and his pipe.
He slowly turned his gaze toward Shi Xiu, who stood at the doorway, and asked in a measured voice, "Lord Shi Xiu, I heard from the Anbu that you specifically asked to see me. May I ask what this is about?"
Shi Xiu said nothing. He walked straight over to the sofa and sat down.
He crossed his legs and leaned back slightly against the soft cushions. Then he glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi from the corner of his eye and spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
"It's nothing earth-shattering. I'm sure you already know, but I'd like to ask Lord Hokage for a few people."
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a quiet sense of relief when he heard this.
He maintained his calm expression, rose without showing his thoughts, and walked over to the coffee table in front of Shi Xiu. He gently placed a letter that he had prepared earlier on it.
Afterward, Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his seat and smiled at Shi Xiu. "I can certainly take care of such a small matter for you, Lord Shi Xiu. How about Kakashi and that girl from the Nara Clan?"
Shi Xiu replied flatly, "I don't mind. But there are two more people: Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha."
Hearing those names, Hiruzen hesitated. He knew Shisui Uchiha, who had become a jonin at such a young age and was apparently a descendant of Kagami.
He had been planning to bring Shisui into the Anbu. As for Itachi Uchiha, he was Fugaku's eldest son and a genius as well.
Although Hiruzen had no idea how Shi Xiu knew about the two of them, he had no intention of competing with him for them. He nodded and said,
"I can't make decisions for those two Uchiha children. You can ask the Uchiha Clan head later, Lord Shi Xiu. By the way, there is something I do need to trouble you with."
Shi Xiu's gaze followed Hiruzen Sarutobi's movements. The moment he saw the letter resting on the coffee table, he realized it was most likely a letter from Kumogakure demanding the return of its prisoners.
However, he didn't reach for the letter to inspect its contents. Instead, he stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi expressionlessly, waiting for him to explain.
Seeing this, Hiruzen quickly asked, "Lord Shi Xiu, please make sure you lead these prisoners to the border and complete the hostage exchange with the enemy. This matter is of great importance. I hope you'll agree."
Shi Xiu was lounging in his chair. At Hiruzen's words, he gave a long, unconcerned yawn, then slowly reached up and rubbed his still-sleepy eyes before getting to his feet.
"Mm... All right. I'll handle it tomorrow morning. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Shi Xiu had just straightened up to leave when the space beside him suddenly rippled and warped strangely!
In the next instant, a figure appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. It was Minato Namikaze!
Earlier, when they had traveled together to Kirigakure, Minato and Shi Xiu had secretly placed Flying Thunder God Marks on each other.
Shi Xiu was clearly taken aback by Minato Namikaze's sudden appearance. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at him in surprise.
By contrast, Hiruzen, standing nearby, discreetly turned his head and looked out the window, as though he didn't care in the least about what was happening.
Before Shi Xiu could ask why Minato was there, Minato moved without a word, grabbed Shi Xiu firmly by the shoulder, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. He took Shi Xiu with him, and in the blink of an eye, they had returned to his own courtyard.
Before Shi Xiu could say a word, Minato anxiously grabbed his arm and hurriedly pulled him toward the house, speaking in a rush.
"Lord Shi Xiu! Just now, Obito suddenly collapsed without warning. Kushina and I examined him thoroughly, and we found a strange seal made of chakra on his heart!"
Shi Xiu listened silently to Minato's account, memories gradually resurfacing.
Suddenly, it all came back to him. In the original story, Madara really had secretly placed a seal on Obito's heart.
Minato hurriedly led Shi Xiu inside.
Kushina and Rin were waiting beside Obito, their faces full of worry and anxiety.
Obito lay motionless on the bed, his eyes closed and his face twisted in pain.
Shi Xiu steadied himself and focused his senses. Just as he'd expected, deep within Obito's heart, he could sense a completely unfamiliar and exceptionally powerful chakra surging without end.
At that moment, Rin rushed to Shi Xiu as though he were her last hope. She gripped his sleeve with both hands, tears welling in her eyes, and pleaded through a choked voice, "Lord Shi Xiu, please, you have to save Obito!"
Shi Xiu slowly turned his head and looked at the face of the person lying quietly on the bed: Obito, unconscious.
He furrowed his brow slightly and studied Obito for a moment. Then he lowered his head and looked at the slender hand clutching his sleeve.
The corner of Shi Xiu's mouth lifted into an inscrutable smile. Then he spoke in a seemingly casual tone.
"This won't be difficult at all. The question is, Rin, are you ready?"
Rin's already puzzled gaze grew even more bewildered.
She blinked her bright, watery eyes, parted her lips, and asked softly, "Ready for... what? I don't understand."
Shi Xiu smiled slightly and patiently explained, "To save Obito, of course!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a torrent of chakra burst from his body, sweeping through the entire room like a raging tide.
In the blink of an eye, this powerful force purified the surrounding air completely, creating an absolutely sterile environment.
Then a shocking sight unfolded. Shi Xiu extended his right hand without hesitation and plunged it through Obito's chest with lightning speed.
Blood sprayed everywhere, blossoming in the air like a crimson flower.
But Shi Xiu didn't pause for even a moment. He quickly pulled his arm back, and a still-beating heart now rested in his palm!
"Ugh!" With a muffled sound, Obito woke from the agony of his terrible injury.
Obito's eyes flew open. He let out a low groan, then spat a mouthful of blood like an arrow. It landed squarely on Shi Xiu's face.
Obito struggled to lift his head and stared down at the horrifying hole in his chest.
His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only mumble weakly.
Fortunately, Obito's powerful chakra protected him. Though his heart had been torn from his body, he hadn't lost his life.
"Obito!" Rin Nohara cried out in horror and stumbled toward him.
When she finally reached him, Obito was covered in blood and barely breathing.
Rin Nohara rushed forward without hesitation and pulled Obito into her arms. Tears spilled from her eyes at once.
Rin quickly formed chakra in her hands and carefully placed them over Obito's ghastly wound, trying to save his life with what she had learned.
"Obito, wake up! Don't scare me... Please, you have to hold on!"
Rin softly called Obito's name as she poured more and more chakra into her hands, hoping to bring him back to consciousness as soon as possible.