Discovered a Weakness!

Asuma's voice trembled with pain, but his stubborn streak remained. He was the Hokage's son. He had been raised to protect the weak and uphold Konoha's rules.

He couldn't accept being beaten this badly, only to be accused of "attacking a fellow village ninja" on top of it.

"Bullying a civilian father and daughter?"

Yongye repeated the words in a mocking tone. He was about to fire back when Ayame, hiding nearby, spoke first.

"We were in the wrong! We... secretly put dirty dishwater in Lord Yongye's ramen... because... because we recognized him as an Uchiha..."

Her voice grew quieter with every word. The last few were almost inaudible. Her head sank so low it nearly touched her chest, her face full of shame and fear.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke froze. Asuma went rigid, the shock briefly dulling even his agony.

Dirty dishwater? All this had happened because they'd put dirty dishwater in his ramen?

"Well?"

Yongye turned to Shinnosuke and spread his hands, looking outrageously innocent.

"You heard her. Who was in the wrong?"

Asuma choked. A tangle of emotions crossed his bearded face, already twisted with pain—shock, anger, embarrassment, regret.

He might never be a man again! All because of something so stupid?

Beneath his mask, Shinnosuke's pale face contorted. He glared at Ayame as though he wanted to eat her alive.

The petty schemes of those two insects had brought disaster down on both brothers!

His ribs were broken, and three elite ANBU had been flattened. His brother Asuma had all four limbs broken and might never have children!

All because someone had secretly put dirty dishwater in a bowl of ramen!

If word got out, the Sarutobi Clan would become the laughingstock of the entire Shinobi World!

Ayame shivered under Shinnosuke's murderous glare, but it only strengthened her resolve.

Asuma caught his breath. Gritting his teeth, he clung to the last of his stubbornness and forced out, "Even... even if they put dirty dishwater in your ramen... you still can't... force yourself on a civilian woman!"

Every word came with flecks of blood, but his eyes stayed locked on Yongye. Having all five limbs broken didn't matter. He had to set the record straight!

When this was over, he—Asuma Sarutobi, son of the Hokage—had to be the one with the moral high ground!

Something flickered in Ayame's eyes. She spoke again, softly. "I... I wanted to."

Outside, Asuma went rigid.

His scruffy face twitched, as if he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. Then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from sheer rage.

Yongye laughed inwardly at the sight. Naive big guy. Now you know how treacherous people can be, don't you?

Just then—

[Ding—Target Asuma Sarutobi's composure has been severely shattered!]

[The host crushed him with overwhelming force and defeated him on the very "principles" he prided himself on. Psychological damage has far exceeded the threshold!]

[Congratulations, host. You have received one Advanced Blind Box. Open it now?]

Uchiha Yongye's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly at the corner.

"Open it."

[Ding—Advanced Blind Box opened!]

[Congratulations, host. You have received: Shennong Physique! Immunity to All Poisons!]

A vast, warm power surged into every part of Yongye's body like molten lava. It roiled through his meridians, then fused completely with his flesh in a few breaths.

It felt as though every cell in his body had been reforged. This was not a simple improvement to his constitution; the way his body reacted to poison had changed at its root.

From now on, any toxin that entered his body would be broken down, neutralized, and expelled in an instant.

Scorpion puppet poison, Hanzō's deadly mists, Orochimaru's endless assortment of strange concoctions—to him, they would all be no different from water.

He was one step closer to doing whatever he pleased throughout the Shinobi World!

Yongye raised a hand and glanced at the faint dark-gold light playing across his palm. Then he slowly closed his fist.

"Well? You heard it all. Who was in the wrong?"

He turned to Shinnosuke with a beaming smile and a tone even more obnoxious than a street thug fresh from collecting protection money.

Shinnosuke clenched his teeth so hard his mouth filled with the taste of blood.

He looked at Uchiha Yongye's smug face, then at the unconscious Asuma, and thought of Ayame's hateful expression. Each was more revolting than the last. Each deserved to die!

But what could he say? His brother had attacked first without asking why. Even if Asuma had been beaten half to death, it was still his fault.

Under Konoha's rules, Shinnosuke even had to apologize to Uchiha Yongye.

Because Uchiha Yongye wasn't just in the right. He was powerful, and his explosive temper meant he might overturn the whole table at any moment!

Shinnosuke's fists creaked. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging across the face hidden by his mask. Finally, he drew a deep breath and bowed.

"Fine. This time... we were wrong."

Every word sounded as though it had been scraped from his throat.

Uchiha Yongye watched the ANBU Captain bow, his expression turning cold.

"That apology isn't very sincere."

"You—"

Shinnosuke's head snapped up, murderous intent flaring in his eyes. But when he met those scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he forced it back down.

His knees bent... Sarutobi Shinnosuke knelt!

He dropped to the ground, planted both hands on the street, and struck his forehead against it with a dull thud.

A textbook dogeza!

"I'm sorry—" His voice shook. "We were wrong. Please forgive us!"

[Ding—Target Sarutobi Shinnosuke's composure has been moderately shattered!]

[The host gravely injured his brother and forced him to kneel and apologize in utter humiliation. Psychological damage threshold reached. You have received one intermediate mystery box. Open it now?]

"Open it."

[Ding—Intermediate mystery box opened!]

[Congratulations, host. You have received: Shennong Knowledge! You can identify all poisons and deduce the corresponding antidote formulas from their properties!]

Knowledge of poisons, medicinal herbs, and the ways toxins interacted flowed into Yongye's mind like countless little streams.

Deadly spores no bigger than grains of sand, colorless and odorless paralytic gases, snake venom that killed on contact with blood, slow-acting poisons that lay dormant for years...

No poison in the world held any secrets from him now.

Yongye nodded in satisfaction.

Immune to every poison and able to identify them all. A complete set.

He brushed nonexistent dust from his clothes and strolled off, casting a meaningful glance at Ayame beside him.

The look was neither warm nor cold, certainly not tender. It was like a hunter regarding prey he had just snared, or a diner eyeing a fresh fish still waiting by the stove.

Ayame, however, was overjoyed. Without a moment's hesitation, she hurried after him.

Yongye took her hand and pretended to read her palm, spinning nonsense for his own amusement.

"Your name is Ayame. Your element is wood, fire clashes with your five elements, and you lack water. Come on—I'll find somewhere to fill you up."

Ayame's face flushed bright red, but she didn't dare stop. Head lowered, she quickened her pace to keep up with Yongye, her ponytail bouncing against her shoulder.

Still on his knees, Shinnosuke watched the tall and short figures disappear around the corner. His face twitched beneath his mask.

Fill her up? To hell with that!

He gritted his teeth and stood. A sharp pain in his chest made him suck in a breath.

He waved the three ANBU under his command over as they struggled to their feet and ordered them to hurry Asuma to Konoha Hospital.

Then, enduring his own injuries, he walked up to Teuchi.

First, he had to check.

He pushed his Chakra sensing to its limit and repeatedly searched Teuchi for any trace of lingering genjutsu. There was no mental suggestion, no alteration of consciousness, no sign that he was being controlled.

Shinnosuke drew a deep breath and suppressed the urge to smash that damned face with his fist. Then he asked quietly:

"So you really did put dirty dishwater in his ramen? You were in the wrong first?"

Teuchi's face was full of misery. His mouth twitched, and he nodded again and again.

Shinnosuke's temples throbbed. He asked, "And that brat... does he like your daughter?"

Pain washed over Teuchi's fleshy face. His lips trembled for a long while before he managed to speak.

"I... I don't know. Just now, he did... to my daughter... and my daughter... she didn't push him away..."

Shinnosuke fell silent.

Then he went over those details with Teuchi again and again, questioning him about every movement, every word, every glance.

By the time he finally stopped, Teuchi was ready to explode.

He stood and looked back in the direction Yongye had gone. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Good. I've found that Uchiha madman's weakness!

"Not one word about today to anyone! I'll send people to repair your shop."

With that, Shinnosuke clutched his chest and left. He walked slowly; every step jarred his broken ribs and sent cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

One beautiful kunoichi after another flashed through his mind: Kurenai Yuhi, Uzuki Yugao, Mitaraishi Anko, Suzune Hyuga, Mizuki Yamanaka...