"Sigh, this is the only way. Hmm, we're here."
They soon arrived at Shirō's medicinal field. To Zhi Zi and Keiko, it was just rows of herbs and records—neither of them could truly understand the cultivation methods.
After Keiko proved her identity, she obtained the family ledger and carefully studied its contents.
A moment later, Zhi Zi spoke up.
"Keiko, I see plenty of inventory here. If we clear some of it out, the burden on Shirō will be lighter."
"But we can't find a buyer," Keiko sighed. "This amount is awkward—too much for private buyers, too little for the larger families."
"Hehe, have you forgotten? I'm the madam of the Yuan Lai Family now. I don't control the prices, but I do have the authority to make acquisitions. At the very least, I can open a channel for you."
Keiko frowned. "This won't affect you, will it?"
"Don't worry. It won't cause me trouble. I'll simply introduce you. The rest is up to Shirō."
"Alright then, thank you for the trouble."
"What are you saying? Your business is my business. Come, let's have some tea."
"Okay, let's go."
At this moment, Shirō still didn't know that the problem he had wrestled with for months had already been settled by his mother in a few words.
He was instead focused on his Wind Release training. To create a Spiralling Qi Blade, he needed precise chakra control and mastery over form transformation.
That was the real hurdle. Form transformation couldn't be learned from theory alone. It demanded relentless practice, no matter how talented the shinobi was. And what Shirō lacked most right now was time. Worse, he couldn't recklessly use chakra during his backlash period.
Still, this limitation suited his plan. When it came to form transformation, Shirō knew of a ninjutsu that embodied it at the highest level.
The Rasengan.
Practicing this technique would let him quickly refine chakra form manipulation.
The problem was, the Rasengan hadn't been invented yet. Minato was still in the middle of developing it. Once he succeeded, Shirō intended to "trade" for it, which would save him years of blind trial and error.
Why not create it himself? Because the steps shown later in the original timeline—bursting a water balloon, then rubber ball, then stabilizing rotation—were incomplete. Naruto had once mentioned he used his body to memorize the chakra's internal flow, a nuance left vague in the story. And every shinobi who saw the Rasengan marveled at Minato's genius.
Shirō was convinced that the true secret lay not only in external control but in the internal circulation of chakra.
As for why Jiraiya never taught Naruto that detail… perhaps Kishimoto never illustrated it, or perhaps Jiraiya deliberately left it out. (Shirō could only speculate.)
So, for now, he shifted focus. Mastering nature transformation required less chakra and leaned more on comprehension than stamina. That gave him an advantage.
At the same time, he planned to plant a seed in Minato's mind: reminding him of his lack of a decisive jutsu, and slowly guiding him toward the Rasengan. But that would take one or two more years—Minato was still in his period of accumulation.
For now, Shirō pulled out a scroll on Wind Release nature transformation and studied it carefully.
One step at a time. Rushing only led to injury.
And so, as usual, his training began.
---
That evening, he returned home.
"I'm back."
"You're just in time. Go wash up, dinner's almost ready," Keiko said with a smile.
"Got it, Mom."
After the meal, Shirō handed her a scroll.
"Mom, this is a cultivation technique for the medicinal field. I exchanged it with Uchiha. Keep it safe—you'll know how to use it."
"Uchiha?" Keiko blinked. "Why would they trade with us?"
"They're betting on my future," Shirō explained. "Besides, I've got a technique that can generate profit, but our family can't manage it alone. Sakumo-sensei and the others can't openly intervene, so forming an alliance with the Uchiha makes sense."
"I don't really understand all this," Keiko admitted softly. "But you'll have to handle it carefully."
"Don't worry. With Sakumo-sensei guiding me, I'll be fine. This alliance is just a business step."
"Oh, right. Tomorrow, go see your Aunt Zhi Zi. She'll introduce you to someone from the Yuan Lai Family who can help acquire that batch of ingredients."
"Really, Mom?"
"Of course. Remember to thank your aunt properly."
"I will."
"But keep in mind, she can't decide the prices herself."
"I know."
---
Early the next morning, Shirō dressed formally and set out with Keiko. She was going to meet Zhi Zi, but Shirō's task was the negotiation.
At the teahouse, Zhi Zi had already reserved a private room.
"Aunt Zhi Zi."
"Shirō, it's been a while," she said warmly. "You've grown so much. To think you even have your own medicinal field now. Truly impressive."
"You flatter me. It's just luck," he replied politely.
Zhi Zi introduced him to a stern man waiting inside. "This is Manager Aoki. He oversees acquisitions for the Yuan Lai pharmacy. I'll leave you to discuss. Thank you for your time, Manager Aoki."
"It's my duty, Madam."
"Mr. Emiya," Aoki said, gesturing for him to sit. "Since you know Madam, I'll be direct. We can offer one million ryō for your stock. You know the quality yourself."
"No problem, thank you, Manager Aoki," Shirō said. "But I have one request, if you'll permit me."
"Please, speak freely."
"I'd like this batch to be calculated at the market rate—600,000 ryō instead of the full million."
Aoki's brow furrowed. "Mr. Emiya, that's unusual. Do you wish for some other form of consideration?"
"Yes. You've heard about the Village's new Hawk Project, haven't you? I want the Weimiya Family to secure the leading role when it launches."
The Hawk Project—based on Shirō's bird puppets—was a joint development with the village, involving scouting, communications, and transport. If his family gained influence in it, they could rise to the level of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans.
It was ambitious. Even though the project's foundation came from his puppetry, too many interests were involved for him to control outright. Left unchecked, all he would receive was a small cut of the profits.
That was why he had allied with the Uchiha.
But even that wasn't enough. His strength was growing—but so were his enemies.
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