A New Mission
When Shirō was first reverse-summoned to Ryūchi Cave, he quickly realized the place was unlike any other. The cavern was built upon a massive spiritual pulse, which Shirō guessed was the source of the overwhelming Natural Energy there.
Of course, this was only speculation—he had no way of confirming it.
Still, once he noticed this, Shirō decisively shifted his production of magic crystals to Ryūchi Cave, increasing efficiency thanks to the dense energy that suffused the area.
At the same time, he added the Eight Extremities Fist (Bājíquán) to his training regimen.
---
Time passed quietly as Shirō trained and carried out missions. Unnoticed, another six months slipped away. By now, Shirō was nine years old—and his progress was undeniable.
Physical Training
First, he had gained an initial grasp of the Eight Extremities Fist. With Li Shuwen's combat experience as reference, his progress was much faster than ordinary disciples.
Second, his foundation in swordsmanship was now solid, and he had begun training with other basic weapons, showing promising results.
Lastly, he never neglected archery. Without practice, his Clairvoyance would be wasted. At this point, Shirō's accuracy was flawless within a kilometer—a terrifying feat for a child his age.
Ninjutsu & Magic
Though his repertoire of Ninjutsu was still limited to Thousand-Faced Wind (a B-rank Wind Release technique), Shirō's mastery had grown significantly. His progress in Wind Release nature transformation boosted both its speed and destructive power.
On the magical side, he had advanced in Territory Creation and some basic Barrier Magecraft, putting him closer to building a proper Magic Workshop.
Territory Creation allowed him to shape an environment to favor his magecraft. While not very practical in direct combat, it was a stepping stone. After all, Shirō followed the path of Merlin—when necessary, he drew his blade and charged forward. Support techniques were just that: support.
What mattered more was that, through meditation and magic reinforcement, Shirō had unexpectedly developed higher resistance to Genjutsu. His balance of Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu defense was steadily forming, making him a well-rounded shinobi.
The only drawback was his Projection Magic. It remained stuck at C-rank. He couldn't yet advance the level of Noble Phantasms he could manifest. But Shirō wasn't impatient—he had time.
---
Shirō wasn't the only one who had grown. Taiyi and the others had also undergone a year of harsh training.
A year ago, Taiyi needed his Sharingan to overwhelm the average Chūnin. Now, with his Lightning Release Body Flicker Techniques, he could dominate without it. Though still no match for a Jōnin, he wouldn't fall instantly anymore.
More importantly, Taiyi's true specialty was Genjutsu. With his Sharingan amplifying illusions, he already stood at a level where, with more merit, he could be considered for Special Jōnin—and he was only thirteen. Not quite at Kakashi's level, who became Jōnin at twelve, but still remarkable.
As for Shikamaru… his growth wasn't obvious. He rarely needed to fight directly, instead taking charge of planning and strategy. Shirō couldn't gauge his combat ability clearly, but that didn't matter. Shikamaru's strength was his mind.
The one who shocked them most, however, was Nakamura.
After emerging from the shadow of the Shimizu incident, he advanced at a staggering pace. Not only did he master Earth Release—which, according to Shimizu, had always been his natural talent—he also awakened an affinity for Lightning Release.
Now possessing Wind, Earth, and Lightning, Nakamura had firm mastery of two elements already. At this pace, he was on track to reach Elite Jōnin in a few years, a level comparable to future legends like Kakashi and Might Guy.
---
Since returning from the Hidden Hot Water Village, their collective progress had been enormous. Though their raw power hadn't skyrocketed, their foundations had been polished to steel.
During this time, Kakashi and Might Guy had also entered the Academy. Because of Shirō's presence, events shifted: Sakumo never formally met Guy and his father. But thanks to Shirō's intervention, Guy still enrolled.
This was the first true deviation Shirō had caused in the timeline, and it filled him with satisfaction.
Yet destiny had its own stubbornness. Even without meeting Guy's father, Sakumo noticed Guy's potential immediately at the Academy gates and repeated the same words to Kakashi as in the original story.
Still, with Kakashi's enrollment, the village's attention shifted. The prodigy's dazzling performance drew the spotlight away from Shirō.
That attention had come because of his own reckless gambit—trying to use Uchiha support to influence the Hawk Project. The Third Hokage had ignored the matter, as Shirō predicted. But he had forgotten about Danzo.
Danzo's suspicion had briefly turned toward him, observing quietly. Thankfully, when Shirō abandoned that plan and pulled back from the Uchiha, Danzo lost interest, especially with Kakashi rising to prominence.
Avoiding Danzo was the right move. Shirō knew he wasn't ready for that monster. His motto remained the same: develop quietly, reveal nothing too soon.
---
On this day, after finishing his Eight Extremities Fist training, an Anbu operative appeared before him.
"Emiya Shirō. Hokage-sama has ordered you to report immediately. A mission awaits you."
"…Yes."
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