Mission, A-Rank!
After Shirō watched Taichi leave, he turned around and crossed the yard in front of his house.
"I'm home."
"Shirō! What happened? Why do you look like this?" Keiko rushed forward the moment her son pushed open the door, his face pale and body exhausted.
"It's nothing, Mom. Just give me two days to rest, I'll be fine."
"Oh, why are you so careless? Don't go out tonight. Stay home—I'll make you something to restore your strength."
"Really, Mom, that's not necessary—"
"I'm your mother. What I say goes!"
Shirō saw the determination in her eyes and felt warmth surge through his chest. He didn't argue further. "Alright, I understand. I'll go rest first."
As he walked toward his room, Keiko's eyes brimmed with tears.
At that moment, Qieshi stepped up and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Believe in him. Shirō has always been sensible. He won't throw his life away."
"Husband… do you think we were wrong to let him become a ninja?"
"No. We weren't wrong. You've seen his talent for yourself. Worrying is natural, but don't torment yourself with doubts. Come on, buy some good ingredients. It's rare for him to share a meal with us these days."
"Mm… alright. I'll go now."
As Keiko left for the market, Qieshi exhaled softly. He was worried too, of course. Seeing his son stumble home like this hurt him as much as it hurt her. But as the head of the family, he couldn't show weakness.
After a moment of thought, he decided to invite Ci Lang's family as well. With more people, the house would feel livelier, and perhaps Keiko's mood would ease.
---
Once in his room, Shirō instructed the system to block the residual memories from his earlier Projection. Then he collapsed on the bed and drifted into a deep sleep.
Though he had "rested" while traveling these past two days, the exhaustion was different. His sleep this time was heavy and dreamless, lasting until evening.
When he finally awoke, the living room was filled with people. Not only had Ci Lang's family come, but Sakumo and young Kakashi were there as well, along with Minato and Kushina.
"Teacher Sakumo? Big Sister Kushina? Brother Minato? Why are you all here?"
"Minato heard from the old man that you were injured," Kushina explained, her fiery hair swaying as she leaned forward. "So we came to check on you. You look awful."
"Ah… this time I pushed too far. I used a secret technique without considering the backlash. The side effects were worse than I expected."
"That's not like you, Shirō," Sakumo teased, his lips curved in a rare smile. "It's unusual to see you act so rashly."
"It was overconfidence, nothing more," Shirō admitted with a bitter chuckle.
Sakumo reached into his pack and set down a small jar. "Nakamura mentioned you were suffering from mental fatigue. This is medicine from the Hatake household. Take it once every morning—it will help restore your stamina."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Then Sakumo's gaze shifted toward Kushina.
Shirō blinked. "Teacher? Is there something wrong with Big Sister?"
"Not wrong, exactly. But Kushina, aren't you going to show some appreciation for my disciple? He's your junior, after all."
"Tch, of course I am!" Kushina huffed, crossing her arms. Then, in a softer voice, she added, "But the Uzumaki clan's medicine is too potent for him right now. His body couldn't handle it."
(That was true, Shirō thought. Even if he weren't injured, Uzumaki remedies were over-nourishing for someone like him.)
"But I brought this." Kushina produced a small package. "It's store-bought, but it should still help."
Looking at the gifts, Shirō inhaled deeply and bowed his head. "Thank you… all of you."
"Haha, for me, the best thanks is seeing you continue to train hard," Sakumo said warmly.
"Hmph! I'm not that easy to please. If you don't bring me souvenirs after missions, you'll regret it!" Kushina added with a grin.
Shirō laughed softly. "No problem."
"Alright, enough chatter. Dinner's ready!" Keiko's voice rang out.
"Coming, Mom. Let's eat."
With that, the group gathered around the table.
---
After dinner, Sakumo exchanged a few quiet words with Qieshi, then beckoned Shirō toward the study.
"Sit."
"Yes, Teacher."
"How much do you understand about Wind Release?"
"Wind Release? Well, right now I've learned—"
"I'm not asking about techniques you've memorized. I'm asking about your understanding of its nature."
"Ah… the nature of Wind Release is cutting." Shirō went on to describe the insights he had developed so far.
Sakumo listened carefully, then gave a short nod. For someone of Shirō's age, his understanding was solid. But it was still surface-level, more a textbook answer than something uniquely his own.
"Not bad," Sakumo said. "But you haven't yet made Wind Release yours. I know your secret technique is powerful, but I don't want you relying only on that. You need to refine your chakra nature as well."
"The best path forward is for you to develop an A-rank—or higher—Wind Release technique of your own."
"A–A rank?! Master, even B-rank takes me a long time to learn!"
"Hm? Does that sound too high?" Sakumo chuckled lightly. "Don't panic. I'm not asking you to complete it right away. This is your long-term goal—before you turn sixteen. You still have six, seven years. That's plenty of time."
He then laid three scrolls on the desk. "These record Wind Release nature transformation, form transformation, and foundational theory. Don't rush into creating techniques. Learn these thoroughly first. If something confuses you, come ask me."
"Yes, Master."
"Good. That's all for now." Sakumo rose and left the study.
---
Shirō remained seated, staring at the scrolls.
In truth, Sakumo's advice aligned perfectly with what Shirō himself had wanted to do. But time had always been too tight. His Projection allowed him to glimpse other ninja's skills, but sifting through them for genuine insight took immense effort.
Still… he agreed with Sakumo. The real value wasn't in flashy final techniques, but in the lessons gained while developing them. That was what truly strengthened a shinobi.
It was also why Shirō had never considered pursuing fame by creating the Rasengan. For him, it wasn't practical—and worse, it would make the village suspicious. After all, he lacked the kind of groundwork that would justify inventing something of that level.
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