Ninja school.
Tsunade was sorting out lesson plans in her office when she heard footsteps coming from beside her, and she knew who was coming without having to guess.
"Boy, you came a little late today... What's wrong with your face? Why is it so bad?"
Tsunade turned her head and saw Shiraishi's pale face and his whole body becoming extremely weak. She couldn't help being frightened and quickly asked him what happened.
"My stomach was full of food yesterday."
Shiraishi made up such words without even blinking.
"Having a bad stomach is not an expression like this." Tsunade sighed, walked over and patted Shiraishi on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "I can understand if young men and women live under the same roof, and a gunfire breaks out. After all, you are both You are now a teenager. But you are a medical ninja, so you should understand that a ninja's body has its limits, so you should exercise some control."
"..."
"By the way, have you taken any safety measures? Before you get married, don't make the little girl's belly bigger."
Tsunade leaned close to Shiraishi's ear and spoke to him quietly, as if she was afraid that someone around would eavesdrop.
But Shiraishi clearly saw the mischief in Tsunade's eyes.
"Don't worry, Tsunade-sensei, I'm always in good health."
"In other words, you still did it, right?"
"...I will complain to Hokage-sama if you spread any rumors."
"You kid really don't know any sense of humor."
"It's true that I don't understand sense of humor, but that has nothing to do with sense of humor."
Seeing Shiraishi's weak and decadent look, Tsunade suddenly felt bored.
"But, does it really matter if you are like this? Do you want to take a rest here?"
To be honest, Shiraishi's current appearance does make people worried whether he will suddenly faint and fall to the ground while working.
"Thank you for your concern, but it's not a big problem. I'll go to the classroom later."
Shiraishi thought about it and felt that Tsunade's worry was necessary. The Sharingan he encountered yesterday using the technique of spiritual transformation still made him frightened when he thought about it. The sequelae of being shocked by the illusion caused him to start this morning. My body has been feeling weak.
"Then you have a good rest here and don't try to force yourself."
Tsunade didn't ask what Shiraishi did yesterday to end up like this. Everyone has secrets that they don't want to share with others, including herself.
After watching Tsunade leave, she was the only one left in the office.
Because of his physical weakness, Shiraishi lay down on the chair, closed his eyes, and let his head empty.
About half an hour passed, and I felt that my body was much more comfortable than when I first arrived. Then I slowly stood up from my seat and walked towards the experimental class for training medical ninjas.
——After the experimental class ended, Shiraishi said hello to Tsunade and walked outside the ninja school. At the gate of the school, he saw Liuli waiting there.
Wearing that tight-fitting black ninja outfit that showed off her beautiful figure, standing there pleasing to the eye, Shiraishi could be recognized at a glance.
"Liu Li, why are you here?"
Shiraishi came over and asked a little confused.
"Stop by and take a look, don't think too much about it."
Liuli glanced at Baishi's slightly pale face, but her tone didn't fluctuate much.
"That's going to take a long way around. But, are you going to get off work so early today?"
"I'll find someone else to take over."
With that said, Liuli took out a thermos cup and threw it into Shiraishi's hand.
Shiraishi caught the thermos cup and unscrewed the lid. As expected, there was clean and drinkable hot water inside.
"Thanks, I'm just feeling a little thirsty."
"Don't think too much, I just accidentally brought it out from the security team."
After hearing Liuli's explanation, Shiraishi just smiled in understanding.
After taking a sip of hot water, he asked Liuli:
"Do you want to go back together now?"
He knew that Liuli was waiting for him at the gate of the ninja school because of his safety, and he felt an indescribable tenderness in his heart.
However, it would probably be a bit hard for Liuli to directly express her concern for her.
Sometimes she wasn't very candid either.
If it were Ayane, she would probably be serious, pretending to be innocent and say some unexpectedly provocative words.
"Um."
Liuli didn't object.
She was indeed worried about Bai Shi's safety, because Bai Shi's mental state at the moment was indeed not good.
Even in the village, it is not absolutely safe in many cases.
As early as two hours ago, when Shiraishi came to work at the ninja school, she had been waiting here.
While walking on the road with Baishi, Liuli suddenly remembered something and whispered:
"By the way, I went to the security team to check during the day and went through the information of each clan member again, but no matter what, I couldn't find anyone with a stronger Sharingan eye power than me, as you said. clansman.”
This sentence does not mean that Ruri is complacent. Her understanding of the Sharingan is indeed better than that of most Uchiha people.
Even leaving aside the Sharingan, her taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu are all top-notch, especially taijutsu and ninjutsu, while genjutsu is slightly worse.
Wanting to find the Sharingan holder who was far above her, Ruri had no clue even if she investigated the personnel information of the security team in depth.
"If you can't find it, there's no need to force it. I think the person behind the scenes may not be hiding in the village."
Shiraishi expresses his opinion.
"Not in the village?"
Liuli didn't quite understand what Baishi meant.
"What do you think of Sakumo-sensei's strength?"
Shiraishi asked instead without answering.
"Above me."
"What's the specific gap?"
"If we fight to the death, I will most likely die and Sakumo-sensei will be seriously injured."
Liuli was not self-effacing in these words.
But her strength has already reached this level now.
Sakumo's entire strength lies in his sword skills, as well as his extremely fast teleportation technique, which, combined with his superb sword skills, is invincible.
But because of this, Sakumo, who specializes in swordsmanship, lacks many means to fight the enemy.
Ruri might be the most difficult type for Sakumo to deal with.
The ninja gen has no flaws and is a perfect all-around ninja.
With the taijutsu teleportation and the three magatama sharingan, she was able to keep up with Sakumo's speed and neurological reactions, but due to the bonus of sword skills, Ruri felt that she would be at a disadvantage in close combat.
But she also has advantages that Sakumo doesn't have. Large-scale fire escape and mysterious illusions can also be used to restrict Sakumo's actions.
After Shiraishi heard this, he nodded and expressed his opinion:
"The chakra displayed by that Sharingan, and the tremendous pressure it brought to me, is even greater than that of Sakumo-sensei. And this is just a competition of eye power on the Sharingan, he is already far better than you. , in other aspects, I’m afraid I’m only slightly better than you.”
"Really? There is indeed no such master in today's Uchiha, but is it too hasty to judge that this person is not in Konoha?"
"Then think about it differently. If there really is such a master among the Uchiha clan in the village now, our secret may have been exposed long ago. It is impossible for us to remain indifferent until now. After all, the opponent has subordinates with powerful infiltration capabilities. , our secrets simply cannot be hidden.”
"..."
Liuli frowned.
"Since that white creature can be sensed by natural energy, it also means that the other party was not monitoring us before I studied the natural energy. And the first contact was with Akatsuki who accidentally noticed it. Then, This strange white creature has come to Konoha again and sneaked into the Uchiha clan... The mastermind behind the scenes is targeting Konoha, perhaps to monitor the Uchiha clan. The operation has just started recently. As for Akatsuki..."
It was nearly a month ago that he sent Insect Man and the others to contact Akatsuki.
Shiraishi has no way of knowing when the mastermind behind the scenes started sending people to monitor Akatsuki.
But that's all.
An Uchiha ninja who is not in Konoha.
Related to the Tailed Beasts and Wood Release, the power of the Sharingan Eyes, which is superior to Ruri, sent his subordinates to sneak into the Uchiha clan to collect the treasure.
This is all critical information for interpreting correct intelligence.
Liuli obviously understood this.
But even with so much key information, it was still difficult for Liuli to determine which Uchiha ninja was the mastermind behind the scenes.
"Speaking of which, did Uchiha have any ninjas who defected or left Konoha in the past?"
"In the past thirty years, there has been only one Uchiha Madara."
Liuli gave this answer that seemed like a fantasy.
"This answer is really nonsense. Uchiha Madara died at the hands of the first Hokage after the battle at the Valley of the End. This is something everyone knows..."
A smile appeared on Bai Shi's face and he shook his head.
But only he himself knows what he is thinking specifically in his heart.
After all, there is no such possibility, right?
Wood Release, Tailed Beast, Sharingan.
This was either the ninjutsu Uchiha Madara had fought with before, or the object controlled by him, or the power he held.
Aren't all the conditions met?
Seeing that Liuli was also deep in thought, he was probably also doubting whether the ancestor of the Uchiha clan was really dead.
Shiraishi opened the thermos cup again, took a sip of hot water and smiled: "Okay, don't show such a dull expression. It doesn't matter whether the other person is dead or alive, as long as it doesn't have anything to do with him. You also said, than Instead of speculating on such useless things, it’s better to spend all your time and energy on strengthening yourself, right?”
"No, I was thinking that if he is really still alive... I would like to see the legendary power that can open up the world."
Liuli clenched her fists.
In the past, when ninjas mentioned the Uchiha clan, the first thing people thought of was not the Sharingan, but the name Uchiha Madara.
Because it is a purer symbol of power than the Sharingan.
When today's ninjas mention Uchiha, they don't think of a certain Uchiha ninja, but the Sharingan.
Liuli believes that this is a goal that she must surpass in the future.
"It's really like your style. It seems that I was worried just now in vain."
"Are you looking down on me? And even if that kind of old antique is alive, he is too old to move now."
"I didn't say that. Besides, this is just speculation and cannot be regarded as conclusive evidence."
Seeing that Liuli was having trouble again, Shiraishi explained with a smile.
"snort."
Liuli turned her head and said she didn't want to pay attention to him.
The sky gradually darkened, and the beautiful sunset was slowly setting at the end of the forest in the west.
Shiraishi and Ruri walked along a road beside a river together.
The weather has warmed up in May, and the breeze brings some comfort, and at the same time, the irritability is eliminated from the heart.
The street lights on both sides of the path have been turned on. From here, looking into the distance, there is the center of the village. There is already a prelude to the bustling night market, and the lights are on one after another.
On this road, only Shiraishi and Liuli were walking.
But on the bank of the river, there are some ninja school children who have not yet gone home, playing ninja games tirelessly there.
Seeing this scene, Shiraishi stopped walking.
"What's wrong?"
Liuli also stopped and turned to look at his face.
"It's nothing, I just feel a little nostalgic for the past when I see them like this."
Shiraishi looked at the students playing ninja games on the embankment with a look of emotion on his face.
In a daze, Bai Shi remembered something again.
"Speaking of which, the scene where we set off from the Ninja School and then went home together was like going back to our school days."
After Shiraishi said this, it also brought back Liuli's memories of the past.
Because her parents were away on business all year round and were often away from home, Shiraishi played an irreplaceable role in her life during her childhood and now as a girl.
When they were in ninja school, it was exactly what Shiraishi said. The two of them always went to school together and came out from school together, and were almost inseparable every day.
"Why are you talking about this kind of thing all of a sudden?"
"I'm thinking...it would be great if it stays like this from now on. Because we are the best partners."
Shiraishi looked up at the sunset in the distance. Under the sunlight, his face became gentler than usual.
When Liuli heard Baishi say this, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. She always felt a little empty in her heart, as if she was missing something.
Just a partner?
"Let's go quickly, we will have to..."
Liuli was about to speed up her pace home, but at this moment, her palm was suddenly wrapped by something.
As a result, the body was unable to take a step forward and just stopped in place.
Liuli looked stunned, turned her head, and lowered her head slightly.
It was a generous hand belonging to a man.
He held her hand carefully and gently, so that she could not escape control.
"Actually, many times, I don't know how to face this kind of thing. But after I said that sentence just now, I thought about it carefully. If it is just a partnership, it may not be able to explain everything between us. How about we become more intimate than partners?"
A calm smile appeared on Shiraishi's face, and he asked Liuli for his opinion.
"I don't understand what you are talking about, so I went back."
Liuli's face turned slightly red and she turned her head away. Although she said she wanted to go back, when her palm was held, she was already at Baishi's disposal.
"Let's go there for a walk together. We get off work so early today, so there should be enough time."
"Don't ask me about this kind of thing. You are the wounded and you can make the decision. As long as you don't catch a cold tomorrow."
Liuli turned her head away from Baishi, but looked like she was letting him make the decision.
Shiraishi felt a little strange, because after so many years of being with Liuli, this was the first time he had such an important initiative.
I felt a little moved to tears.
"It's already May, how can I catch a cold? It's no problem."
His body is not that weak. Although the weather does become colder after nightfall than during the day, as long as you pay attention, it won't be a big problem.
Holding Liuli's palms tightly, each other's body heat was transmitted between the skins.
Shiraishi could clearly feel that Liuli's body became very hot.
Just holding Liuli's hand, Shiraishi led her towards the night center of the village, which was about to become lively.
Shiraishi clearly saw the obvious happy smile on Liuli's face.
At this moment, I don't know why, but I felt guilty in my heart.
There might be another woman in his mind.
It may also be an extremely important 'partner' to me.
But today, I should belong to Liuli.
Thinking of this, the feeling of guilt dissipated from the heart under the comfort of self.
--the next day.
Shiraishi has a cold.
Because I came back very late last night, I found out that I had a cold this morning.
He slept on the floor with a quilt covering him. His head felt dizzy and his body was very cold.
"Really, I kept saying it was fine yesterday, but it turned out like this. Your physical fitness must have become too bad."
Liuli was wearing casual clothes at home, not wearing the black ninja uniform. She was sitting on her knees next to Shiraishi's floor, scolding Shiraishi in an almost disgusting tone.
"...I didn't expect that things would turn out like this... Speaking of which, this is the first time I've caught a cold..."
Shiraishi had no choice but to suffer this loss.
Sure enough, I shouldn't have pushed my body last night.
But in that situation yesterday, if I had just come back without doing anything, I would have regretted it even more.
Seeing that Liuli took care of herself so carefully and even missed work today again, Shiraishi felt embarrassed and felt that even having a bad cold today was not a bad thing.
"I have sent someone to explain to the ninja Tsunade. You can rest at home honestly today. I will protect you here."
Liuli stood up from the floor and walked to the cabinet nearby. While rummaging for something, she said to Shiraishi.
"Sorry to trouble you. Actually, I don't think the cold is that serious. This afternoon..."
"I'm going to rest at home today. Do you want me to say it a third time?"
Liuli's voice became aggravated again with an expressionless expression.
Bai Shi was too scared to speak anymore.
Liuli took out a medicine bottle from the cabinet, took out a few pills, and prepared a cup of hot water.
"This is a cold medicine that you haven't officially put into the pharmaceutical market yet. I didn't expect that after it was developed, I would be the first user. How do you feel about your medicine?"
"...If possible, I don't want to make any comments."
In a complicated mood, Shiraishi took the cold medicine he had developed.
◎
On the sea leading from the Kingdom of Waves to the Kingdom of Fire, a small boat squeezed through the waves and approached the coastal port of the Kingdom of Fire.
There were four people in the boat, and they were all ninjas from the Leaf Village.
The leader was a Konoha ninja wearing a jounin uniform, and the other three were wearing chuunin uniforms.
This is a team led by a Jonin and composed of three Chunin.
Even within the Leaf Village, this is considered an elite team.
Most teams have one jounin paired with three genin, or one jounin, one chunin, and two genin.
This time, their mission was to go to the neighboring country of Waves to eliminate an illegal wandering ninja organization that was plundering villages everywhere in the country of Waves. After being entrusted by the Daimyo of the Country of Waves, Konoha dispatched their team. Dealing with illegal ninja organizations in the Land of Waves.
Konoha has long been accustomed to this situation.
Not to mention during the Ninja World War, even after the war, small countries lacking ninja power were often violated by wandering ninja organizations. This kind of thing has long been common.
These wandering ninjas either became ninjas by chance, or they were rebels and engaged in various illegal profit-making activities.
For big countries, there is no need to take this kind of ninja organization seriously, and only small countries with no power will be troubled by this kind of thing.
Konoha dispatched an elite team of one Jonin and three Chunin. After a hard battle, this team successfully wiped out the wandering ninja organization. Now they are preparing to return to the Land of Fire by boat.
The leader of the Konoha jounin sitting at the bow of the ship had his long black hair hanging straight down to his waist.
He wears a forehead protector on his forehead and his eyes are pure white.
He is a Jonin from a branch of the Hyuga clan.
His name is Hyuga Shingo, and he is a relatively powerful Jonin even among the Hyuga branch families.
Because the waters of the Country of Waves are shrouded in thick fog all year round, Hinata Shingo opens his Byakugan from time to time to observe the surrounding seas and prevent some emergencies.
In his white-eyed vision, two kilometers ahead, there were five people approaching here on a boat.
The chakra content in these people's bodies is very small, and they can basically be judged as ordinary civilians and not worth fearing.
Moreover, these people did not have any weapons and only carried a small amount of money.
Undoubtedly ordinary civilians heading to the Country of Waves.
After a while, the hull of the boat on which the five civilians were riding approached.
Hyuga Shingo and the other three Konoha chuunin just glanced at them and stopped paying attention.
When the hull of the ship passed by accurately, suddenly the five people on the ship rushed towards them at a very fast speed.
Almost only afterimages could be seen. The three Konoha chuunin let out painful screams and fell into the sea without knowing whether they were alive or dead, losing their traces.
Hinata Shingo's face suddenly changed in shock. The scene before him broke his world view. These guys didn't have much chakra in their bodies at all, but what was going on with this terrifying speed and power?
He quickly jumped away from the hull, gathered chakra on the soles of his feet, stood on the undulating sea, and assumed a soft fist stance.
He could no longer care about the situation of his three companions. None of the five people surrounding him was mediocre.
Just based on the speed and strength of the attack just now, even he can't say that he has an absolute chance of winning.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us Konoha ninjas?"
Hinata Shingo was mobilizing the chakra in his body while trying to find a breakthrough through conversation, at least to find out the identities of these guys.
Unexpectedly, the expressions of these five people did not change from the beginning to the end, and they remained silent. They only showed very strong hostility towards Zhenwu.
"superior."
With just a simple order, the five of them attacked Hinata Shingo with tacit understanding.
Hinata Shingo didn't panic at all when he saw that he was trapped in the enemy's formation. His rich combat experience, as well as his Byakugan and Rou Fist, were the sources of his confidence in facing the enemy.
However, after the fight, he discovered that these five people were very powerful, and if his acupuncture ability could not hit their chests, it would have no effect on them.
Although it is incredible, these guys use powerful physical techniques that are not activated by chakra at all.
Rather, they rely on their own physical fitness.
After many years of missions, this is the first time Hinata Shingo has seen this type of opponent.
hateful! Hinata Shingo couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
In this way, his soft fist will have little effect on these guys.
Most of the strength of the Hyuga clan ninjas is reflected in soft fists and acupuncture points.
This is a very bad opponent for the Hyuga clan.
If he knew the special soft fist technique of Baguazhang·Huitian, he might still have a chance of winning. After all, it was an absolute defense with no blind spots, and it could also counterattack the enemy and open a hole for escape.
But as a member of the branch family, even a Jonin, he was not qualified to learn this move.
That is a top-secret move that only the clan and a few branch ninjas are qualified to learn.
He can only take some precautions against the enemy's sneak attack with his white eyes now, but if it continues for a long time, the situation will still be unfavorable to him.
"ah!"
Ignoring the acupuncture skills contained in his soft fists, the opponent exchanged injuries for injuries and hit his face with his fist, knocking him away.
Then the other two people quickly walked around to where he was about to land. One person punched, the other raised his leg, and attacked him fiercely.
Hinata Shingo rolled on the sea, and the salty and bitter sea water accidentally poured into his mouth, mixing with the blood in his mouth.
His rather elegant image was destroyed, and despair arose in his heart.
"Who...are you?"
He asked again unwillingly, wanting to know the identities of these five people and what was their reason for attacking Konoha ninjas.
The five of them said nothing, and there was absolute silence lingering on the sea.
