Recaps

Shuo sensed a Root assassin waiting on his roof and defeated him using his light abilities, then let him leave. Sai watched from a nearby rooftop before Shuo went back to bed, while the system reported that he was closer to unlocking the next tier of light abilities.

• Shuo detected a Root assassin on his roof and waited until the attacker broke into his room.
• Shuo blinded the assassin with reflected moonlight, bound him with a net of light, and stopped his attack.
• Shuo identified the attacker as a Root operative and released him after the assassin surrendered.
• Shuo noticed Sai watching from across the street and traced a small arc of light on the broken window before Sai disappeared.
• Shuo treated the cuts on his feet, and the system awarded him 1.1% imitation points, leaving him 1.8% from the next tier.

Shuo dealt with his broken window and learned that Root members could enter and leave Konoha without registering. A kunai bearing a familiar mark appeared at his window, suggesting his troubles were not over.

• Shuo accepted breakfast from Obito, told him someone had come looking for trouble, and asked him to arrange repairs for the broken window.
• Shuo used his light ability to gather the dangerous glass shards and blocked the draft with an old jacket.
• At the Mission Hall, Shuo asked Miura about Root members bypassing departure registration, and her silence confirmed they had an exemption.
• Miura warned Shuo not to get involved, but he said he could not ignore Root after they came to his window.
• Shuo found a kunai tied to a note bearing the same crooked arc as the mark from the previous night, then tucked it away.

Shuo joined Team Minato on a caravan escort mission and used the silver-gray thread on his wrist to signal Sai, who had secretly followed them. Sai began following Shuo, while Shuo let him stay close without demanding an explanation.

• Shuo kept the kunai and wrapped its silver-gray thread around his wrist, then Minato told him Team Minato would support him whatever he chose.
• Shuo traveled with Team Minato on a three-day escort mission to the Land of Rice Fields' border, where Kakashi gave him an extra rice ball and spoke about keeping unnecessary things.
• Shuo sensed Sai hiding in a dead tree near the border and later exposed the thread to the sunlight as a quiet signal.
• Sai emerged and asked what the curved line meant; Shuo told him to keep thinking and come back when he figured it out.
• Sai followed Shuo out of the woods, and Shuo allowed him to accompany the group as long as he did not cause trouble.

Shuo returned to Konoha with Sai still following him, and let Sai stay near his dormitory rather than sending him away. During a C-rank mission to drive off wild boars, Shuo secretly used his light-based ability to save Obito, while Sai recognized what he had done; the chapter ended with Sai remaining outside Shuo’s room and Shuo’s imitation points reaching 49.0%.

• Shuo returned to Konoha with Sai following him and indirectly allowed him to spend the night outside his dormitory room.
• The next morning, Shuo invited Sai to breakfast, where Sai warned him that Root might send a stronger operative after Shuo refused Danzo’s summons and drove off an assassin.
• Minato led Shuo, Sai, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi on a C-rank mission to drive wild boars away from the farmers’ crops.
• When a boar charged Obito, Shuo used a small flash of light to distract it, allowing Obito to escape and defeat it; Sai recognized Shuo’s intervention.
• The team drove away the boars, and Shuo gave Sai a piece of candy before returning to his dormitory; Sai stayed outside, while Shuo’s imitation points increased to 49.0%.

Shuo and Sai settled into a quiet routine as Shuo gave Sai his coat and later exchanged books with him. Their connection seemed to respond through the silver-gray thread, bringing Sai’s imitation progress to 49.5%, just short of completion.

• Shuo woke, saw Sai asleep outside, and dropped his old coat over him before inviting him to the cafeteria.
• At breakfast, Shuo sensed two people watching him from a private room and used a strand of light to glimpse a document headed with his name, Namikaze Shuo.
• Shuo returned to his room to sleep, while Sai followed him; later, Shuo discovered that a Logistics Unit worker had installed new curtains after an unexplained repair request.
• At dusk, Shuo found Sai reading beneath his window and exchanged his ninjutsu theory book for Sai’s ninja tool maintenance textbook.
• Sai found a candy wrapper marked with a curved line inside Shuo’s book, and his imitation points rose to 49.5% as Shuo’s wrist thread faintly lit in response.

Shuo rejected an offer to serve directly under the Hokage and learned that refusing Root’s recruitment could bring harsher pressure. After completing a sweet potato harvest mission with Sai and Team Minato, Shuo told Sai not to follow him the next day, but left his curtains open enough to keep a patch of light on him.

• Shuo discovered a Root agent watching the dormitory and met Scarface, who offered him a safer position directly under the Hokage.
• Shuo refused the offer, and Sai explained that the recruiter Saw’s approach meant someone higher up wanted to recruit him.
• Shuo and Sai joined Obito, Rin, Kakashi, and Minato on a D-rank mission harvesting sweet potatoes for an elderly farmer.
• The farmer called Shuo and Sai friends, and their shadows overlapped as they walked back at sunset.
• Shuo told Sai not to follow him the next day and gave him two candies; Sai stayed downstairs, while Shuo left a gap in his curtains so the light still reached him.

Shuo confronted Root agents sent by Danzo and used light to immobilize them, while a glowing mark appeared on his wrist and on Sai’s candy wrappers. The system showed Shuo was just short of unlocking Light-Speed Thinking, and Sai stayed by Shuo’s dormitory after Shuo told him not to sit on the cold ground.

• Shuo noticed a faint disturbance in the light and found Sai waiting below with the finished book and three folded candy wrappers inside.
• Four Root ninja cornered Shuo and demanded that he come to Danzo, but Shuo used light to immobilize them and sent them back with a message for Danzo.
• Shuo discovered that the line on his wrist and the creases on an orange candy wrapper were glowing and vibrating faintly.
• The system reported that Shuo had reached 49.9% imitation progress and needed one more trigger to unlock Light-Speed Thinking: Beginner.
• Shuo gave Sai his last candy and told him not to sit on the ground at night, and Sai later stood beneath Shuo’s room and ate it.

Shuo reached 50% imitation points and unlocked Lightspeed Thinking, which let him process enormous amounts of information but overwhelmed him when it activated passively. After learning to shut the ability off, he noticed the silver-haired figure still watching him from below and wondered whether the new power was worth the hassle.

• Shuo woke to find the silver thread on his wrist glowing, then noticed he could understand the behavior of light without consciously analyzing it.
• The system announced that Shuo had reached 50% imitation points and unlocked Lightspeed Thinking, with a three-minute daily-use limit and a 75% next-stage target.
• Shuo tested the ability on his soup and Sai, taking in overwhelming amounts of detail and stopping his meal early.
• On the way back to the dormitory, Shuo's ability activated passively and flooded him with information until he mentally ordered it to stop.
• Shuo told Sai he had gained a troublesome new ability, then returned to his room and found the line on a candy wrapper trembling.
• Shuo looked down at the silver-haired figure, experimented with a shaft of sunlight, and lay down as the system confirmed Lightspeed Thinking was activated.

Shuo struggled to control Lightspeed Thinking as it flooded him with details about his surroundings. He learned that Sai had been ordered to kill him in three days, but dismissed the threat and exposed Shin’s lie about his callus.

• Shuo woke with Lightspeed Thinking overwhelming him and gradually learned to reduce its passive output.
• At breakfast, Shuo correctly guessed that Sai had three candies in his pocket.
• Shuo and Sai encountered Shin, who revealed that Danzo had ordered Sai to kill Shuo in three days, with Shin supervising.
• Shuo told Sai he was not afraid and pointed out that Shin’s ring-finger callus came from gripping a kunai, not drawing a bow.
• Sai caught up with Shuo, and the system recorded a small increase in imitation points.

Shuo kept Sai company as Sai struggled to decide what to believe about his supposedly dead brother and the mission planned for three days later. The next morning, Sai still had no answer, and the countdown showed one day remaining.

• Shuo told Sai to spend the afternoon thinking and to come get him for dinner, while Sai returned to his usual spot downstairs.
• Shuo ate the dinner Sai brought and asked how much he believed about his brother; Sai said he did not know, and Shuo reminded him he had three days to think.
• Sai brought Shuo breakfast the next morning, and they ate together by the river.
• Sai asked what Shuo would do if the mission led to a fight, and Shuo said he would fight if necessary but run if he could not win.
• Sai admitted he did not know what he would do, and Shuo told him to wait and see as they walked back together.
• The status display showed 50.3% imitation points and one day remaining.

On the third day, Sai received a mission to eliminate Shuo before sunset, but he remained unable to decide whether to obey. As the deadline arrived, Sai refused to attack Shuo, and Shuo’s glowing thread lit up as six ninja confronted them.

• Shuo woke to find the silver-gray thread on his wrist drained of color, then shared breakfast with Sai by the river.
• Sai told Shuo that Shin had delivered a mission to eliminate Uchiha Saku before sunset, and Sai admitted he did not know what he would do.
• Shuo and Sai worked a persimmon-harvesting mission while Sai continued to think over the order.
• At the village entrance, Shin arrived with fifteen minutes left before sunset, and Sai stepped in front of Shuo and refused to carry out the mission.
• Shin moved to act, but five other ninja appeared to surround Shuo and Sai; Shuo identified details about the group and accused Shin of lying to Sai.
• After sunset, Shuo’s thread lit up and bathed the village entrance in golden light, freezing the surrounding ninja in place.

Shuo defeated the ninjas at the village entrance and revealed that Shin had staged the confrontation to make Sai choose between Root and his brother. Shin left after explaining his promise to Sai, and Shuo and Sai stood together in the moonlight.

• Shuo used his light-based abilities and Lightspeed Thinking to defeat the first attacker and break through the four ninjas' earthen walls.
• Shuo evaded the remaining ninjas' kunai, disarmed one, and scared the others into fleeing.
• Shuo told Shin that he knew Shin had come to make Sai choose between Root and his brother.
• Shin said he had promised not to leave Sai alone after his death three years earlier, then disappeared into the darkness.
• Sai offered Shuo two candies, and the two stood together as Shuo complained about Shin's elaborate performance.
• Shuo gained 0.7% Imitation Points, bringing his total to 51.0%, and his Light-Speed Thinking proficiency increased.

After Sai said he had chosen Shuo’s side and could not return to Root, Shuo offered him a place to stay. The next morning, Shuo invited Sai along for the day, and they met Obito before their afternoon roof-repair mission.

• Sai told Shuo that his brother had warned him not to return and that he had chosen Shuo’s side.
• Shuo said Sai could stay with him, and Sai slept on the floor in Shuo’s room.
• The next morning, Sai read a book while Shuo woke and invited him to come along.
• Shuo told Sai he had a D-rank mission that afternoon to help repair a roof.
• Obito joined Shuo and Sai at breakfast and said he, Kakashi, and Rin would take part in the mission.

Shuo and Sai spent the day together, from breakfast by the river to a roof-repair mission with Minato’s team. The chapter ended with Shuo leaving his curtains slightly open while Sai watched from below.

• Shuo noticed Sai in the hallway by the change in light, and Sai asked how Shuo had sensed him.
• Shuo and Sai joined Minato, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi for a mission repairing the Yamada family’s storehouse roof.
• Obito slipped while climbing the roof, and Shuo caught him with a strand of light before repairing the roof himself.
• Uncle Yamada paid the team and gave them persimmons, which Shuo shared with Sai.
• Sai gave Shuo candy and asked about seeing him again; Shuo told him to bring a different flavor of rice ball the next morning.
• Shuo saw Sai watching from below and left a gap in the curtains instead of closing them completely.

Shuo brought Sai to the Logistics Unit to apply for a dorm room, then offered to let him stay in his single room while the application waited. Sai cautiously shared Shuo’s bed that night, and Shuo quietly tucked the quilt around him.

• Shuo asked Sai where he had been sleeping and took him to the Logistics Unit to apply for a dorm room.
• Sai wrote “none” as his current address, and Shuo arranged for him to stay in his room while they waited for a double room.
• Shuo and Sai returned to Shuo’s room, where Sai laid out separate quilts and waited for Shuo to fall asleep.
• Shuo urged Sai to share the bed, and Sai thanked him after they settled in for the night.
• Shuo tucked the quilt around Sai as their breathing gradually synchronized.

Shuo and Sai spent a quiet morning together before joining Team Minato on a C-rank mission escorting medicinal supplies to Tanzaku Town. After the team completed the delivery and settled in for the night, Shuo agreed Sai could keep sleeping at his place when they returned.

• Shuo woke with Sai's arm around his waist, carefully moved it, and shared an awkward but peaceful breakfast with him.
• Shuo and Sai joined Team Minato to escort four carts of medicinal supplies to Tanzaku Town, and Sai asked Shuo about his constantly active ability.
• The team rested at a roadside tea stall, then reached Tanzaku Town by evening and delivered the supplies without trouble.
• Shuo and Sai shared a room at the inn and later sat together outside, watching the sunset and sharing candy.
• Shuo teased Sai about staying at his place after their return, and Sai softly agreed.

Shuo and Sai returned to Konoha with Minato’s team after their journey, sharing persimmons and settling back into their dormitory room. Sai thanked Shuo for the sweet persimmon before they went to sleep, while Shuo quietly made sure he stayed warm.

• Shuo woke, ate breakfast with Sai and the others, and set out from Tanzaku Town with the group.
• Shuo bought persimmons and gave one to Sai, then shared another with Obito after Obito asked to try it.
• The group rested in the woods and continued their uneventful journey until Konoha came into view near evening.
• Minato, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi parted ways with Shuo and Sai after they entered the village.
• Shuo and Sai returned to room 405, arranged their separate quilts, and went to sleep.
• Sai told Shuo the persimmon had been sweet, and Shuo quietly tucked light particles into Sai’s quilt to keep him warm.

Shuo and Sai spent their day off shopping in the crowded district, then relaxing together by the river. Back at their dorm, Shuo revealed that the new jacket he had bought was for Sai.

• Shuo woke to find Sai reading and sharing breakfast with him on their day off.
• Shuo decided they needed candy, tea, and a jacket, and Sai joined him on a shopping trip.
• Shuo bought five bags of candy, sencha, and a dark gray jacket, then shared dango with Sai.
• Shuo and Sai passed Obito training at the grounds without stopping, then returned to their dormitory with their purchases.
• Shuo suggested they walk to the river, where they sat together until sunset and shared candy.
• Back in their room, Shuo told Sai the new jacket was for him, and Sai smiled as they drank tea.

Shuo and Sai wore in Sai’s new coat while their team completed a warehouse inventory mission. Afterward, they watched the sunset by the river and returned to their dormitory, where Sai thanked Shuo for the coat.

• Shuo woke to find Sai had bought breakfast, then saw Sai wearing his new dark gray coat.
• Shuo, Sai, Obito, Rin, Kakashi, and Minato inventoried a warehouse for the Logistics Unit, with Shuo recording the counts and Sai taking over for him.
• The team finished the inventory by sunset, and Shuo and Sai went to the river to sit together quietly.
• Shuo and Sai returned to their dormitory, where Sai carefully hung up the coat and thanked Shuo for it before bed.

Shuo spent his day off with Sai, taking an easy mission to find Grandma Sato’s missing cat. After returning the cat, they sat quietly by the river and ended the day back in their room, with Sai offering to join Shuo on another mission.

• Shuo woke to find Sai had bought rice balls, and the two ate together before heading downstairs.
• Bored on his day off, Shuo chose a D-rank mission to find Grandma Sato’s missing orange cat, and Sai went with him.
• Shuo followed the cat’s trail to the river, found it sunning itself in the grass, and returned it to Grandma Sato for the mission payment.
• Shuo and Sai sat by the river until dusk, then returned to their room and settled in for the night.
• Sai said he would go with Shuo on another mission, and Shuo agreed to decide based on whether the job was easy.

With no missions available, Shuo and Sai took a job airing and cleaning the Confectionery Shop while its proprietress was away. They agreed to return each morning, and Shuo ended the day hoping the shop would reopen when she came back.

• Shuo and Sai found the Confectionery Shop closed and dusty, then accepted a job from Miura to open and clean it each morning.
• Shuo swept the shop while Sai wiped the tables and chairs, and they left the closure notice up until the proprietress returned.
• The general store proprietress told Shuo that the shop had been open for over thirty years.
• At the riverside, Shuo said he liked the shop’s cake, and Sai offered to mind it with him the next morning.
• Back at the dormitory, Sai said the shop would reopen when the proprietress returned, and Shuo agreed that it might.

Shuo and Sai spent the second day watching and cleaning the Confectionery Shop, then learned why its former owner had left Konoha and remembered her chestnut cake together. They returned to the dormitory planning to keep watching the shop every day, while their quiet companionship grew more comfortable.

• Shuo woke early, ate breakfast with Sai, and went with him to open and clean the Confectionery Shop.
• Sai asked whether they would return the next day, and Shuo said they had to continue the mission.
• The general store owner told Shuo that the shop's elderly owner had moved to Sunagakure to join her son and had worried that her regulars would miss her chestnut cake.
• Shuo told Sai he had eaten the cake three times, and Sai offered him a chestnut candy and promised they could buy the cake in Sunagakure someday.
• Shuo and Sai sat by the river together before returning to their dormitory, where Shuo agreed they would watch the shop every day.

Shuo and Sai continued caring for the empty Confectionery Shop while waiting for its owner to return, and Shuo gradually found small ways to make the shop feel welcoming again. By the end, Shuo was looking forward to filling the plates with candy and continuing their daily routine.

• Shuo bought three white plates and placed them in the empty display case at the Confectionery Shop.
• Shuo wondered whether the owner would return, while Sai said he did not know.
• Shuo gave the general store owner a candy to repay her earlier kindness.
• Shuo counted the days aloud by the river and denied that he was keeping track.
• Shuo agreed to buy candy for the plates, then changed his offer from three pieces to six.

On the tenth day of caring for the closed confectionery shop, Shuo and Sai wondered whether its owner would return. That night, Shin visited their room, said he had resolved the threat from Root, and left Sai unsure what to make of their reunion.

• Shuo and Sai cleaned the confectionery shop and arranged six candies in its display window for the absent owner.
• Shuo gave the general store owner a candy and later asked Sai whether the confectionery shop owner would ever return.
• Shuo and Sai returned to room 405 and found Shin inside after he had entered through an unlocked window.
• Shin said he had come to see Sai and had taken care of things with Root so no one would trouble them again.
• Shuo told Sai that Shin appeared to be telling the truth, based on his breathing and heartbeat.

Shuo and Sai spent day eleven following their quiet routine, while Sai waited to see whether his brother had truly dealt with Root. They returned to their room to find Shin had left a note promising he kept his word and a packet of chestnut candy.

• Shuo and Sai shared breakfast, then Shuo gave the general store proprietress a candy on their way to the Confectionery Shop.
• Shuo and Sai cleaned the shop and added more chestnut candies to its display before spending the afternoon by the river.
• Sai said he believed his brother's promise that no one would bother them again, but doubted he had resolved matters with Root; Shuo agreed to wait and said he would handle anyone who caused trouble.
• Shuo and Sai found their room empty but discovered a packet of chestnut candy and a note from Shin reading, "I keep my word."
• Shuo and Sai ate the candy together as the imitation points rose to 54.1%.