“Shigen, what are you looking at?”
“Huh?”
“Lord Mizukage.”
Hearing the voice, Shigen hurriedly looked down at his feet, nervously muttering.
“I’m not looking at anything.”
“Really?”
Naoki looked up, following Shigen’s gaze to the bustling crowd.
“Relax, Shigen.”
“Why were you watching them?”
Shigen exhaled slowly, hesitating for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
“I just want to see what they are doing.”
Naoki turned his head, observing Shigen’s serious expression, an absurd guess forming in his mind.
“Come, Shigen, let’s find a place to talk.”
He pulled the still shy and fearful Shigen and lifted the curtain of a ramen shop. Seeing the two distinct heads of white hair, he hesitated slightly but then sat down.
“Kid from the Mist, you—”
Jiraiya’s face darkened, and Naoki immediately responded.
“Jiraiya, don’t involve children in adult matters.”
Jiraiya snorted, turning his body and looking at the child behind Naoki, silently swallowing his words.
Turning his head, he saw the empty bowl before Kakashi and the lifted mask, making him even more displeased with Naoki.
“Eat while we talk.”
Seeing that Jiraiya had no further actions, Naoki said immediately.
“Alright.”
Shigen nodded, breaking his chopsticks and slowly starting to eat the ramen.
“What were you usually doing at home?”
Shigen paused and answered without hesitation.
“Reading, eating, sleeping.”
“What else?”
Shigen shook his head.
“What do you want to do?”
Shigen’s eyes showed confusion, and after a long while, he shook his head dejectedly.
“You were watching them. Is there something you like?”
Shigen hesitated, but with Naoki’s encouragement, he finally placed his chopsticks firmly on the ceramic bowl and spoke softly.
“I like making clothes with them, forging tools together, cooking ramen together, and also…”
Hearing this, Naoki felt both puzzled and intrigued by a possibility.
“You like doing anything not related to reading, right?”
Shigen was taken aback, then nodded seriously after thinking.
Cough cough!
Jiraiya shook violently, waving his hand repeatedly.
“Mizukage, continue, continue.”
Realizing something, Shigen blushed.
“This won’t do, Shigen. You need to find something you truly want to do from your heart.”
“Only by finding such a thing can your life truly become meaningful.”
“Do you have such a thing, Lord Mizukage?”
Shigen asked in confusion after thinking for a while but still having no direction.
“Of course.”
“To reach the pinnacle among ninjas, to become the strongest in this world.”
Shigen nodded, unsurprised, as his books had talked about such things.
But he felt a slight disappointment, thinking that the Mizukage who taught him so much should not just be like what was written in the books.
Naoki stopped speaking, ready to end the conversation, but he hesitated when he saw the eyes filled with admiration and warmth.
It’s just a child.
Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with showing my dreams.
Naoki slowly began to speak.
“And also, to let the people of the Mist live decent lives. To build schools, hospitals, and orphanages for them, to let them have their own companions.”
“Best of all, to let them have the right to choose their future, not just being born to step onto the battlefield and kill.”
Jiraiya put down his chopsticks, his face turning unusually serious.
“I will also make this my dream.”
Shigen, unaware of the unusual atmosphere, had only heard of this grand and meaningful dream, not found in books and immediately raised his hand.
“You can’t do that, Shigen.”
Naoki shook his head.
“You need to find what you want to do. Start now, watch and think, only then can you find it.”
“Okay.”
“I—”
“Don’t say it now, Shigen, we have guests.”
Naoki waved his hand, slowly opening his pure white eyes.
“Mizukage, I’ll take the left, you take the right. Kakashi, protect the Daimyo’s child.”
Jiraiya immediately instructed.
“Alright then.”
With those words, Naoki and Jiraiya simultaneously turned around.
“Kill!”
The Cloud ninjas, who had been hiding, rushed out from the alleys without hesitation.
On the outer perimeter were the samurai secretly protecting the Mizukage and the Daimyo’s son from the Land of Iron.
“Draw your swords.”
Sensing the danger, the samurai had barely drawn their blades before they were slashed by bright kunai.
Heads, throats, limbs, blood splattered everywhere!
Among the clashing metal sounds, the last samurai managed to draw his sword, blocking a kunai.
He didn’t fall behind.
But then came more kunai, piercing through his neck, causing blood to gush out.
Screams echoed through the peaceful town.
“Shigen, you don’t need to see this.”
Kakashi covered Shigen’s eyes.
“Sir from Konoha.”
Shigen’s voice was still low, but determined to see what was happening behind the hand, he insisted.
“Lord Mizukage said I should watch and think.”
Kakashi lowered his hand, and Shigen looked at Naoki.
What a troublesome bunch.
In a busy area, I can’t just unleash ninjutsu.
With his Byakugan, he saw the throats of each Cloud ninja, all preparing to release jutsu to break through his defense.
I must strike decisively.
Shikotsumyaku: Bone Senbon
Muttering softly.
Far larger and sharper than ice needles, infused with destructive chakra, the bone needles shot from Naoki’s hand. Guided by his Byakugan, the needles flew towards each ninja with fierce precision.
Splat!
The bone needles pierced, bringing large chunks of flesh with them.
Simple, clean, taking over a dozen lives.
Yet in his vision, one man still stood, trembling.
In front of him were shuriken, wrapped in special chakra, flying towards Naoki.
“Lord Mizukage, that’s the Cloud’s magnet release ninja, Troi.”
Before Kakashi could finish, Naoki had already constructed an ice bridge, evading the attack.
The magnet release ninja panicked, attempting to flee but realizing his speed was no match. He turned to throw again, but it was too late!
At such close range to someone with Shikotsumyaku, it was just a matter of blinking to get beside the magnet release ninja.
Lifting a bone, he struck the most resilient part of the human skull, piercing through!
The Cloud’s renowned magnet release ninja, Troi, who was entrusted by the Raikage, had not even managed to create distance and use his advantages before falling to Naoki.
Seeing the shattered brain tissue, the flowing blood and Troi’s lifeless body kneeling there.
Shigen trembled slightly.
“I know what I need to do!”
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