"Hahaha… Hahaha!"
A burst of wild laughter echoed through the air.
Involuntarily, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan manifested in his eyes. Shimizu's ocular power was strengthening once again. After a long moment, the laughter subsided, and his face returned to its usual expressionless mask.
"Obito should have received our 'sincerity' by now. Let's head back, Rin."
Shimizu picked up Rin Nohara in his arms. There was no one left monitoring her now, as Konohagakure believed the Tailed Beast had already been extracted from her body. Under the pale moonlight, his figure flickered as he sprinted across the rooftops.
"Eh? Is that Senior Shimizu and Senior Rin Nohara?"
Yugao Uzuki, who was sharing some snacks with Hayate Gekkō, caught sight of the figures passing under the moon. Is Senior Shimizu carrying Rin? Yugao wondered.
The members of Team Minato were quite famous, largely because their commanding officer was Minato Namikaze. Every member of that squad was an elite: the son of the White Fang, a genius of the Uchiha, and a medical kunoichi who could use the A-rank Shōsen Jutsu at such a young age. To an average ninja, these were heights they might never reach in their entire lives. For many, learning a single B-rank jutsu was enough to be considered successful.
"Senior Shimizu…"
Hayate Gekkō wore a nostalgic expression. He remembered how cool Shimizu looked back then when he helped them retrieve their balloons. That robust, strong physique was truly something to be envied. Hayate shook his head and let out his habitual, hacking cough.
Yugao bit her lower lip, remaining silent. She had been intentionally trying to get on Guren's good side just to get closer to Shimizu. Although Shimizu was also in the Anbu, his duties—aside from monitoring Rin—usually involved keeping an eye on the Uchiha Clan. There weren't many opportunities to cross paths with him.
I… should try to go and ask Senior Shimizu for help, Yugao thought to herself.
Asking for a favor required a connection, a debt of gratitude. And if she wanted to get something for nothing, she would need to build an even deeper rapport.
"Ginka."
Chiyue Hyūga found Ginka Hyūga and relayed the instructions from Hiashi Hyūga.
"To… invite Shimizu Uchiha?" Ginka asked, her face filled with hesitation.
She had finally managed to stop dealing with that man. Going back now felt like a sheep walking straight into a tiger's den.
"This isn't a personal matter; it's for the sake of the Hyūga Clan." Chiyue took Ginka's hand.
Ginka forced a smile. "Did Lord Hiashi specifically name me and Nobuhiko to go?"
"Of course." Chiyue nodded.
This was the perfect opportunity for a breakthrough. Other Hyūga members had little contact with Shimizu. While there was a branch house girl named Natsu Hyūga who was Shimizu's former classmate, her status was too low. Obviously, a member of the Head House like Ginka was a more appropriate envoy. There was even a man named Tetsu Hyūga who reportedly had a conflict with Shimizu in the past.
If the clan didn't show enough sincerity now, how could they demonstrate the Hyūga's desire to deepen the relationship between the two families?
"Yes," Ginka whispered, her lips trembling slightly before she finally spat out the word.
She couldn't refuse. Chiyue was the wife of the Clan Head, and the message she carried came directly from Hiashi. Being in the Head House didn't mean one was free from worry. The Caged Bird curse mark was a shadow that loomed over everyone's hearts. While they rarely heard of a Head House member being demoted to the Branch House and branded with the seal, it wasn't a risk anyone was willing to take. The Hyūga leadership consisted of the Clan Head and several elders; if they wished, they could initiate reforms at any time.
"Good." Chiyue's lips curved into a faint, sickly smile.
The Laboratory
The next day, inside the laboratory at the Uchiha estate, Shimizu sat cross-legged, exhaling a plume of turbid air. At this moment, he had entered the first stage of the Cursed Seal. Natural energy from the environment flowed into his body according to a specific rhythm.
"It's not enough," Shimizu muttered, frowning slightly.
His chakra reserves already surpassed many members of the Uzumaki Clan. Even Naruto during the Shippuden era wouldn't have as much chakra as he did now.
"The amount of Senjutsu chakra formed by natural energy is, at most, only 40% of my base chakra."
A blue sphere of light manifested in Shimizu's hand, accompanied by the screeching sound of wind blades. Looking at the Senpō: Rasengan in his palm, Shimizu stood up and slammed it into a specially prepared block of chakra-conductive steel.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rang out, the shockwave knocking over several experimental glass bottles. Various animals trapped in cages trembled, looking at Shimizu in sheer terror.
"How can I increase the fusion limit?" Shimizu rubbed his chin.
In Sage Mode, it's impossible to convert all of one's chakra into Senjutsu chakra. How many Rasen-Shuriken could Naruto use in Sage Mode? It was impossible for him to exhaust his entire chakra pool after just those few attempts. He still needed Shadow Clones to extend his duration.
The Shadow Clone Jutsu distributes chakra equally among all bodies. Naruto's clones only refined and fused the specific portion of chakra they were given. Entering Sage Mode meant refining a portion of chakra and combining it with natural energy.
The Cursed Seal mode skipped that step, as the seal automatically accumulated energy. However, it had a weakness: it couldn't actively use Shadow Clones to refine chakra like Naruto did. The Cursed Seal required several hours to charge.
Of course, there were benefits. Even after turning off the Cursed Seal, any unused natural energy and Senjutsu chakra remained stored within the seal. Unlike standard Sage Mode, where the energy dissipates once the mode ends, the Cursed Seal acted as a battery.
It seems I need to continue upgrading the Cursed Seal, Shimizu thought.
His current Mōryō Cursed Seal of Heaven and Earth acted like a motherboard. It could be made compatible with many other seals, treating them as different modules to be integrated into the main system.
"Simulator."
Shimizu summoned the system.
[Current attempts: 1. Would you like to start a Perfect Life Simulation?]
Looking at the prompt, Shimizu left the lab, went to the living room, and poured himself a cup of tea. He was alone in the house; Guren was at school.
"Start."
[Ding! Perfect Life Simulation in progress...]
[Day 1]: The Hyūga Clan comes to visit.
[Day 2]: You return to the Land of Demons and find that Miroku is about to give birth. You leave a Hiraishin formula on Miroku so you can return at any time. After all, Shion is technically your first "daughter."
[Day 3]: You run into Taiko and Kakashi on the streets of Konohagakure. You discreetly disguise a copy of Icha Icha Paradise as a ninja textbook and give it to Kakashi. He looks delighted.
[Day 4]: Ichiraku Ramen is closed for a break, so you go elsewhere to eat.
[Day 5]: You spot traces of Obito inside Konohagakure. You shake your head; the village's security is getting lax if that brat can sneak in and out undetected.
[Day 6]:Setsuna Uchiha invites you to join the Hawk Faction. He looks much older than he did a few years ago.
[Day 72]: You are invited to Fugaku's house for a celebration. Mikoto is bottle-feeding Itachi. Fugaku is very happy; Itachi no longer looks like a wrinkled little old man and is starting to show glimpses of Fugaku's own handsome features. There are many guests. Under the cover of the crowd, you reach out and give Mikoto a playful squeeze. An oblivious Itachi opens his large eyes and glares at you with his tiny face.
[Day 89]: You suddenly discover that under the Cursed Seal mode, black runes appear "down there" as well—not many, but they serve as a sort of decorative pattern. You let Rin Nohara "sample" this new style of "takeout."
[Day 90]: You travel to the Land of Hot Water for a mission. The enemies are rogue ninja; upon hearing your name, they flee in terror. You complete the mission without ever drawing your sword.
[Day 111]: You hear rumors regarding the location of Nadeshiko Village.
[Day 112]: Your height has increased again. You are now taller than Minato Namikaze.
[Day 113]:Anko Mitarashi finds you and asks why Orochimaru hasn't returned yet. Apparently, she received a letter from him stating you are his assistant. You estimate that Orochimaru is currently busy dissecting someone's corpse.
[Day 114]:Danzō Shimura finds you and tries to manipulate you with his usual rhetoric. It goes in one ear and out the other.
[Day 120]: The Hokage selection process begins. It is a bustling day. You attend a gathering at the Naka Shrine.
[Day 456]: Itachi is now a little over a year old but looks like a three-year-old. Mikoto worries he might be precocious and takes him to the hospital. The results are normal, but she finds you and asks you to give him a personal check-up.
[Day 457]: You suggest to Mikoto that she should respond to Konoha's "second child policy." Mikoto's face turns bright red, and she runs away.
[Day 682]: Little Shion clings to you and asks, "Big Brother, you say you're my father? But Mother said my father was already dead." You pat her small head and smile without saying a word.
[Day 682 (Cont.)]: You take Shion and Guren for a stroll through Tanzaku Quarters in the Land of Fire. The town hasn't been caught in the crossfire of the Sannin yet; it remains intact as a piece of cultural heritage.
[Day 893]: Itachi begins to ponder the meaning of life and the "Will of Fire." You take him to an amusement park to see if you can straighten his head out. Itachi looks lost in thought.
[Day 894]: Fugaku takes Itachi on a mission. Upon their return, you notice Itachi has changed; he is beginning to think deeply about the relationship between the village, ninjas, and the system.
[Day 895]: Itachi looks at his baby brother and vows to protect him. Mikoto bites her lip because you are a guest in their home and brought toys for the two brothers. At that moment, Fugaku returns and invites you to eat with them. As he watches you all eat, a startling thought enters Fugaku's mind: Why does Shimizu fit in so naturally, as if you are the real family? Then who am I? Fugaku quickly shakes his head, dismissing the thought as absurd.
[Day 1,852]:Naruto Uzumaki meets Shion Uchiha and thinks she is beautiful. You take Shion's hand and lead her away.
[Day 1,853]: Little Hinata secretly watches Naruto, only to find him following a girl from the Land of Demons. You tell Naruto to go home and then lead Shion away once more.
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