A Heart-to-Heart Talk

Shi Xiu let out a deep sigh, then reached out to gently push open the door and stepped into the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting upright at his desk. Hearing the movement, he unhurriedly set down the report he had been reading and his pipe.

His gaze slowly shifted to Shi Xiu, who stood at the entrance, and he asked in a steady voice, "Lord Shi Xiu, I heard from the Anbu that you specifically asked for me. May I ask what this is regarding?"

Shi Xiu said nothing, walking straight over to a nearby sofa and sitting down.

He crossed his legs, leaned back against the soft cushions, and cast a faint, sidelong glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi before speaking in a tone devoid of any fluctuation.

"It is nothing earth-shattering. I believe you are aware of it—I want to request a few people from the Hokage."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen felt a secret sense of relief.

Maintaining a calm and composed expression, he stood up without a word, walked over to the coffee table in front of Shi Xiu, and placed a letter he had already prepared onto it.

After doing so, Hiruzen returned to his seat and smiled at Shi Xiu. "I will naturally handle such a small matter for you, Lord Shi Xiu. How about Kakashi from last time, and that girl from the Nara clan?"

Shi Xiu replied indifferently, "I don't mind, but there are two others: Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha."

Hearing these two names, Hiruzen hesitated slightly. He knew Shisui Uchiha; the boy was already a Jonin at such a young age and was said to be a descendant of Kagami.

He had even intended to recruit him into the Anbu. As for Itachi Uchiha, he was the eldest son of Fugaku and also a genius.

Although Hiruzen did not understand how Shi Xiu knew of these two, he had no intention of fighting over them since Shi Xiu wanted them. He nodded and said, "I cannot make the decision regarding those two Uchiha children. You may ask the head of the Uchiha clan about it later, Lord Shi Xiu. By the way... there is indeed a matter recently that requires your assistance."

Shi Xiu's gaze followed Hiruzen's movements. When he saw the letter lying quietly on the coffee table, he knew that it was most likely a missive from the Cloud Village demanding the return of their prisoners.

However, Shi Xiu did not rush to pick up the letter to inspect its contents. Instead, he stared at Hiruzen with an expressionless face, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing this, Hiruzen quickly pleaded, "Lord Shi Xiu, I must ask you to lead these prisoners to the border and complete the hostage exchange with the enemy. This matter is of great importance, and I truly hope you will agree."

Shi Xiu was still lounging lazily in his chair. Upon hearing Hiruzen's request, he first let out a long, careless yawn, then slowly reached out to rub his eyes, which still seemed heavy with sleep, before rising at a leisurely pace.

"Hmm... very well. I shall handle this tomorrow morning. If there is nothing else to discuss, I will take my leave."

Just as Shi Xiu straightened his body and prepared to depart, the space beside him suddenly rippled with a strange, distorted fluctuation!

The next moment, a figure flashed out like a ghost—it was none other than Minato Namikaze!

As it turned out, back when they had traveled to the Mist Village together, Minato and Shi Xiu had secretly left a Flying Thunder God Mark on each other.

Shi Xiu was clearly taken aback by Minato's sudden appearance; he widened his eyes slightly, looking at him with surprise.

In stark contrast, Hiruzen, upon seeing Minato, turned his head away without a trace and cast his gaze out the window, as if he were completely indifferent to what was happening before him.

Before Shi Xiu could even ask why Minato had come, Minato didn't say a word. He flashed forward, grabbed Shi Xiu's shoulder, and instantly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished, reappearing back in Shi Xiu's courtyard.

Before Shi Xiu could speak, Minato, burning with anxiety, grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the house, saying impatiently.

"Lord Shi Xiu! Just a moment ago, Obito collapsed and fell unconscious without any warning. Kushina and I performed a thorough examination and discovered a strange, chakra-based curse seal embedded in his heart!"

Shi Xiu listened silently to Minato's account, his memories gradually becoming clear.

Suddenly, he realized with a start that in the original story, this had indeed happened—Obito's heart had been secretly implanted with such a seal by that old schemer, Madara.

Minato hurried his steps, leading Shi Xiu quickly into the house.

At that moment, Kushina and Rin were waiting by Obito's side, their faces filled with worry and anxiety.

Obito lay on the bed, his eyes tightly shut and his face twisted in extreme pain.

Shi Xiu steadied himself and focused his perception. Sure enough, deep within Obito's heart, he could detect a completely foreign and abnormally powerful surge of chakra pulsing continuously.

Just then, as if seeing a lifeline, Rin rushed to Shi Xiu's side, grabbed his sleeve with both hands, and looked up with tears welling in her eyes, pleading in a choked voice, "Lord Shi Xiu, please, you must save Obito!"

Shi Xiu turned his head slowly, his gaze falling upon the face lying quietly on the sickbed—the unconscious Obito.

He frowned slightly, staring thoughtfully for a moment before lowering his head to look at the slender, fair hand that was tightly gripping his sleeve.

The corners of Shi Xiu's mouth curled up into an inscrutable smile, and he spoke in a tone that sounded incredibly relaxed.

"This isn't actually difficult at all. The question is, Rin, are you fully prepared?"

Upon hearing this, the confusion in Rin's eyes deepened.

She blinked her watery eyes, her cherry lips parted slightly, and she asked softly, "Prepared... for what? I don't quite understand what you mean."

Shi Xiu smiled faintly and explained patiently, "To save Obito, of course!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a surging wave of chakra erupted from his body, sweeping through the room like a violent storm.

In the blink of an eye, this powerful force purified the surrounding air, creating an absolutely sterile environment.

Then, a shocking scene unfolded. Without the slightest hesitation, Shi Xiu thrust his right hand forward, piercing through Obito's chest with lightning speed.

In an instant, blood splattered, blooming in the air like a crimson flower.

However, Shi Xiu did not pause for even a second. He quickly withdrew his arm, and in his palm, there was a heart that was still beating with vigor!

"Squish—" With a dull sound, Obito, having suffered such a grievous injury, woke up from the sheer intensity of the pain.

Obito's eyes snapped open, a low, guttural roar escaped his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out like an arrow, landing squarely on Shi Xiu's face.

Obito struggled to lift his head, his gaze dropping to stare fixedly at the shocking hole in his own chest.

His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only mumble weakly.

Fortunately, thanks to the powerful chakra protecting his body, Obito did not lose his life despite having his heart ripped out.

"Obito!" With a startled cry, Rin Nohara rushed toward him, her face full of terror and her footsteps stumbling.

When she finally reached his side, she saw Obito drenched in blood, his breath fading away.

Rin Nohara threw herself forward without hesitation, pulling Obito tightly into her arms as tears instantly welled up and spilled from her eyes.

Rin's hands quickly gathered chakra, which she placed cautiously over Obito's ghastly wound, attempting to use everything she had learned to save his life.

"Obito, wake up, don't scare me... I beg you, you have to hold on!"

As she softly called his name, Rin continuously increased the output of her chakra, hoping to help Obito regain consciousness as soon as possible.