Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi

Chinatsu's "Chidori training" continued. The technique was unexpectedly difficult to master, but she dug deeper into her memories and imitated it bit by bit, finally beginning to show signs of success.

Lightning wreathed Chinatsu's palm, her Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun, and she pushed off with one foot.

With a sharp whoosh, Chinatsu raced across the clearing as though lightning had possessed her.

Left, left, right, right, left... thrust!

Chinatsu's gaze sharpened. Her lightning-wreathed knife-hand shot forward, punching a savage hole through the target tree. With a crack, the tree snapped and toppled to the ground.

"This... it's still too loud. And this technique really eats up chakra. Even I'd be completely drained after six or seven uses," Chinatsu muttered, shaking out the hand she had just used for Chidori.

Chidori was a ninjutsu created by Kakashi Hatake. Why was it called Chidori? Because it produced an intense noise when activated, like a thousand birds chirping.

Chidori could evolve into Lightning Blade, which refined the technique by reducing its intense noise. Chinatsu, however, still had no idea how to accomplish that.

Chinatsu cupped her chin in one hand and pondered seriously. If she had brought this level of dedication to the exams in her previous life, she would definitely have become a top student.

Chinatsu did not consider herself a genius or some invincible transmigrated protagonist. After all, having nothing but super regeneration hardly qualified her as "invincible," no matter how she looked at it.

In that case, she could only work harder.

Before her, there had been Might Guy, the Blue Beast of the Hidden Leaf, who trained in taijutsu and kicked Six Paths Madara's kidney to pieces.

Now there was Chinatsu, wielding Chidori and grinding away, dreaming of cutting down one overpowered cheat-user after another.

Time ticked away. Chinatsu trained from midnight until three in the morning before finally ending her hellish grind. Yawning, she turned and returned to her room to sleep, only to get up again after two or three hours.

As usual, she threw together something for Sasuke to eat and kicked him off to the Ninja Academy. Then she sat on a little stool and dozed for a while longer before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to perk up.

"I can't keep sleeping. I need to get moving. At this rate, I'm going to turn into a housewife." Chinatsu slapped both cheeks hard, rousing herself.

She was ready to head out!

This time, though, she was not going grocery shopping or doing any other errands. Chinatsu planned to visit the Naruto Building and apply to become a ninja again.

The main thing was that she could not keep training at home forever. Real combat was extremely important, especially for someone like Chinatsu, whose clan possessed the Sharingan, also known as the Copy Eye.

It was time to take up the title of ninja again.

To be honest, though, Chinatsu did not particularly want to visit the Naruto Building. Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi was one thing; the real problem was the risk of running straight into Shimura Danzō.

But hiding at home forever was no solution. She had to take the initiative.

Chinatsu had made up her mind. Yet after tidying herself up a little, she had barely taken one step out of the Uchiha Residence when she suddenly stopped.

"Huh? Again... again?"

Chinatsu glanced around out of the corner of her eye. They might have been well hidden, but she could still sense several people nearby.

Root again?

No, it was the Anbu.

Once they realized Chinatsu had noticed them, they stopped pretending and used a sound-transmission ninjutsu to speak to her.

"Lord Hokage would like you to come see him."

"Oh? Perfect. I was planning to go anyway."

Chinatsu did not waste any time. She readily accepted their "invitation" and even urged them to hurry up and take her there, leaving the Anbu utterly bewildered.

Wasn't she a little too eager?

Historically, being "invited" to the Naruto Office by the Anbu almost never meant anything good. To be this enthusiastic... was she simply too young to know better?

That was what the Anbu members thought as they slipped back into the shadows and led Chinatsu into the Naruto Mansion, toward the Third Hokage's office.

After entering the Naruto Building, Chinatsu could clearly sense a change in the presences around her.

Everyone inside was at least a chunin, and there were quite a few jonin as well. There were also many presences belonging to the Anbu and Root. It was a dangerous place indeed.

Chinatsu's brow furrowed slightly. The reason she found it dangerous was that she believed there was a very real chance she would fall out with Konoha in the future.

If that happened, Konoha would become her enemy...

With that thought, Chinatsu arrived at the door to the Naruto Office.

"We're here."

As those words sounded beside Chinatsu's ear, the Anbu hidden in the shadows swiftly left the area, vanishing from the range of her senses.

Chinatsu took a deep breath and raised her fist to knock, but before she could, the Third Hokage's voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Chinatsu paused, then sighed helplessly and pushed the door open, walking into the Naruto Office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

An old man wearing a Hokage hat and sporting a white beard came into Chinatsu's view. But she was far more interested in the crystal ball sitting on his desk than in the old man himself.

A voyeur's essential tool-the clairvoyant crystal ball!

That was a fine piece of equipment. If she fell out with Konoha in the future, her first objective would be to steal this old geezer's crystal ball.

At that thought, a faint smile appeared on Chinatsu's face. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked a little puzzled, but he quickly composed himself and gave her a kindly smile.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you. Our last meeting was when you applied to resign as a ninja. After all this time, you've grown even prettier."

Chinatsu listened with a professional smile on her face, while inwardly she ranted that Hiruzen Sarutobi must have used that crystal ball to spy on her.

To deal with this old man, Chinatsu decided to play the sweet, innocent airhead.

I don't know anything.

I can't do anything.

I need your help.

I'm just a weak, helpless, pitiful... girl.

No matter what Hiruzen Sarutobi said, Chinatsu stuck firmly to that act.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: ***

Chinatsu: smiled (◍•ᴗ•◍)

Hiruzen Sarutobi: *******

Chinatsu: smiled (◍•ᴗ•◍)

Hiruzen Sarutobi: *********

Chinatsu: "Mm." (◍•ᴗ•◍)

Against Chinatsu's ironclad defenses, every method Hiruzen Sarutobi could think of failed to draw even a single useful piece of information from her.

If he had not already heard about this girl's strange behavior from the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi really would have believed that Chinatsu was a sweet, innocent airhead.

"Never mind. I called you here today because there's something I want to discuss with you." Hiruzen Sarutobi folded his hands together, his expression gradually turning serious.

Chinatsu kept smiling on the surface, but inwardly she had long since grown impatient. At Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, excited roars rang out in her mind.

Here it comes! Here it comes! Finally!!!

All sorts of questions Hiruzen Sarutobi might ask flashed through Chinatsu's mind, and she had prepared a perfect answer for every one of them.

Bring it on!

"Chinatsu, I want you to join the Anbu."