A few days later—
Uchiha Mei's eyes were finally healed. The cost had even been lower than the previous treatment.
After all, regrowing a leg was one thing; repairing a pair of eyes, though technically more delicate and chakra-intensive, didn't require nearly as many materials.
Now, two pieces of news sat before the newly restored Uchiha Mei.
Good news: her eyes had fully recovered. Bad news: she was broke.
Yes—this "rich, beautiful, strong, and tragic" young lady had officially lost the "rich" part.
Even for someone of her status, Shien's spending habits were simply unsustainable.
The lab equipment alone had cost two hundred million ryō, and with all the rare materials added on, the total had reached several hundred million.
Even for the great Uchiha Clan, such expenses were overwhelming—let alone for Mei, who had shouldered it all herself.
It was only thanks to her grandfather's immense accumulated wealth that she had been able to fund it this far.
Now, aside from the courtyard property they stood in, she was completely penniless.
And even that courtyard—worth five hundred million ryō—had already been mortgaged to a noble of the Land of Fire in exchange for another two hundred million used to fund the experiments.
Those instruments and materials? That noble had quietly helped facilitate their purchase.
Damn it!
When Uchiha Shizuka finished explaining their financial situation, Shien felt like he'd just been kicked by fate.
He'd actually managed to bankrupt his own "rich backer." He'd hugged the golden thigh… and snapped it in half!
With that, his cheat-like streak of nonstop experimentation was over—at least for now.
Still, there was one piece of good news.
After skirting so close to death, Shien's chakra had entered a rapid growth phase.
At his age—his early teens—a ninja's chakra capacity naturally expanded the fastest. Add in the psychological stress and near-death experience, and the growth was almost explosive.
By the time the third round of the exams began, it wouldn't be surprising if his chakra reserves approached a full "one card."
(And no, don't compare him to those born-cheat prodigies. Shien's achievements were the result of hard work… and a few potions, maybe.)
During this period, he had also visited Yamanaka Koji several times in the hospital—leaving him a few careful hints.
He had to. The poor guy looked so crushed he might do something stupid otherwise.
Meanwhile, the self-investigation storm within Konoha had finally started to die down—because the third round of the Chunin Exams was about to begin.
One day. One round. No delays.
Even if a contestant got injured mid-fight, the test wouldn't pause. If you lost because of that—well, bad luck or bad tactics.
Today!
The day of the third-round exam had arrived.
From early morning, the streets were packed with people.
Crowds surged and shouted, spectators from every corner of the shinobi world coming to watch the matches.
"Do your best!"
"Don't lose to the other villages!"
"Konoha's the strongest!"
"Suna's the strongest!"
The chants echoed from every direction as Shien walked down the street. The feverish excitement made him realize just how deeply people craved honor.
The influence of the Joint Chunin Exams was truly massive.
"Shien!!"
A bright, energetic voice called out from the side.
Turning, he saw three figures approaching—two adults and one child, with hair of gold, red, and white.
No mistaking them—Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and Hatake Kakashi.
"Minato-sensei! Kakashi! Kushina-neesan!" Shien greeted, his tone noticeably sweeter when he reached Kushina's name.
Well—she had given him a lot.
Not only sealing technique notes, but during his hospital stay, she had also brought him plenty of Uzumaki clan secret scrolls.
You couldn't really blame him for softening up toward his benefactor.
"Hmph! You didn't even let me pick you up when you were discharged. Do you want a beating?"
Kushina shook her fist threateningly, clearly still miffed about being left out of that little event.
"Kushina-neesan, that day Mei suddenly said she wanted to pick me up herself. I couldn't exactly refuse her kindness, right?"
Shien smoothly tossed his fiancée under the carriage. (Uchiha Mei: Meow meow meow?)
Before Kushina could scold him further, Minato stepped in with a gentle smile.
"You don't need to worry too much about Kōji. Once Lady Tsunade returns, I'll ask her to take a look. She should be able to heal him."
He knew Shien had been anxious about Yamanaka Koji's injuries.
"Minato-sensei, the Uchiha have their own methods for Kōji's treatment. There's no need to trouble Lady Tsunade. What I'm worried about is today's exam."
Shien deflected the topic smoothly.
Kōji's wounds were serious, but not uncurable. To Konoha's hospital, it seemed hopeless—but for medical masters like Tsunade or Chiyo, it was manageable.
So using "the Uchiha have a way" as an excuse wasn't exactly a lie.
He already had a complete plan in mind—it just needed time and resources.
What really worried him was the upcoming round.
Among the surviving candidates were Maki's team… and Gōdo's team.
Especially Gōdo.
No one could explain how that guy had survived what should've been certain death—and was still competing. It was downright eerie.
Shien could feel it—the third round's waters ran deep.
"Relax," Minato said, patting him on the shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"With your current strength, you'll be fine. Besides, I'm one of the proctors this round."
Ah, now that was comforting.
Everyone knew what that meant.
The proctor had the authority to stop a match if the victor tried to deliver a killing blow.
Whether they did so in time was another matter—but with someone like Namikaze Minato, fast as lightning and already a jonin instructor, Shien's safety was practically guaranteed.
Perfect.
That was the advantage of having ties to the future Hokage faction.
If not for knowing how tricky the Third Hokage could be, Shien might have already pledged loyalty to "the Strongest Third Hokage" himself.
"Here—take this!"
Kushina suddenly grinned mischievously and handed him something, her expression radiating pride, clearly waiting for praise.
"This is…"
Shien's pupils constricted as he looked at the item in his hands—because he instantly realized what it was.
A surprise.
He hadn't forgotten Kushina's words back at the hospital—she'd said she was preparing one for him.
And here it was.
A pair of gauntlets.
They reached up to the elbows, fingerless, their surface jet-black and smooth to the touch.
Stylish.
That was the first impression they gave.
Power was temporary—but style was forever.
Clearly, Kushina knew his personality well; she'd chosen form as much as function, crafting something striking rather than plain and inconspicuous.
The real surprise was that they were ready this soon.
He'd thought it would take ages to complete—but she must have worked overtime in secret to finish them.
The amount of care she'd put in left Shien genuinely moved.
Because these weren't just for looks—this ninja tool could seriously enhance his combat ability.
He slipped the gloves on.
The fit was perfect—comfortable, breathable, like a second skin.
"Try channeling some chakra into them," Kushina said with a teasing smile.
This was her masterpiece, after all.
She'd worked herself ragged these past days to get them done, and now she clearly wanted recognition.
Shien did as instructed—
—and then something remarkable happened.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786