At dawn, at the entrance of Hidden Leaf Village, Team One had gathered for a briefing from Third Hokage.
"The shinobi world isn't as peaceful as our village. All three of you should follow your teacher Orochimaru's instructions carefully — especially Shen."
He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Shen right in front of him with his eyes shut — clearly asleep.
Seeing this, Little Iceberg quickly jabbed the napping Shen beside her, the force of which made everyone twitch uncomfortably.
"Poof!"
In a puff of smoke, the previously dozing Shen vanished, leaving behind only a small note.
"This… this is a Shadow Clone? I've been talking all this time without even realizing it was just a clone?" The Third Hokage stood there stunned, beginning to question his own judgment.
Orochimaru, as their mentor, didn't comment on Shen's actions.
He picked up the note left behind and read it aloud: "[Because the old man talks too much], I'm heading out first. You'll see me if you keep walking straight after leaving the village. Also, if he flips out, just tell him he can transfer me back to the village if he dares try."
"That's all it says. It seems like Shen wasn't actually here just now," finished Orochimaru, explaining the situation with a strange expression.
"That little brat called me an old man?! I'm not even slightly old at all!"
The Third Hokage immediately exploded in anger, muttering something about having a youthful mindset and keeping a beard just for appearance.
"Sarutobi, Shen wrote in the note that if you're not satisfied, you could always transfer him back to the village. Perhaps you should consider it?"
Orochimaru thought this might be a good opportunity to have Shen stay in Konoha for further research — if Shen got transferred back, then maybe he could follow suit.
"No way! I'll settle this score with him once you finish your mission! Now get going before that kid gets away!"
"Alright then, Sarutobi. Nayou, Nawaki, let's go," said Orochimaru with noticeable disappointment.
The Third Hokage helplessly listened to Orochimaru's reply in a tone filled with dissatisfaction. He had long since given up on dealing with this disciple, convinced that anyone obsessed with science was probably a bit unhinged.
"That brat's still the same old pain-in-the-ass! I told you he'd be a nuisance!" Carrying a large backpack, Nawaki seized the chance to criticize the young genius.
Nayou, of course, rushed to defend her friend: "Not really. Maybe he just wanted to set off early."
But the less confident she sounded, the quieter she became, since he had even kept this from her.
Resolving to settle things later, she coldly added, "Sarutobi, we're off to find someone to settle accounts with — don't worry, the three of us won't let him off easily."
Nawaki nodded eagerly beside her, "Yeah yeah yeah! Nayou's right! We totally need to punish him good! Like this, and that, and maybe even this…"
As Nayou listened to Nawaki's wild punishment ideas, she finally realized just how deep his resentment toward Shen really went — clearly, her mild irritation couldn't even compare to a fraction of his.
Little Iceberg wore a conflicted look, torn between her emotions and logic.
"What's wrong, Nayou?" Nawaki, who'd been chattering away nonstop, grew worried when she didn't answer.
If he ever found out that in her eyes he'd become an unforgivable selfish jerk—and that she was actually considering whether to punish him—his grumbling might just skyrocket into the heavens on the spot.
"Nothing. Let's go."
After stepping out from her inner turmoil, Nayou quickly returned to her usual cold self. After giving a slight bow to the Third Hokage, she approached Orochimaru, who had been waiting patiently.
"Don't worry, Hokage Uncle. When I see that guy, I'll definitely hit him with a dozen [Nawaki's Mightiest Punches!]."
"Cough… fine."
The Third Hokage waved goodbye to the three ninja at the entrance of Konoha. Sighing inwardly, he found the name of Nawaki's technique utterly embarrassing.
"Finally, I can have some peace and quiet for a bit. I hope they all grow capable enough to stand on their own after returning."
As he gazed at the three figures bathed in morning sunlight, the Third emitted his silent wish. At this moment, his not-so-tall figure strangely radiated a sense of grandeur.
Perhaps because these three children represented the results of his educational reforms—a controversial decision he'd pushed hard for—the headmaster placed great importance on teaching and nurturing his students. Sending Team One, a group with sufficient strength, outside the village also served the important purpose of helping each member mature psychologically.
On top of a tree not far outside Konoha Village, someone idly played with a Rubik's cube in his hand, eyes closed.
"Boring. As soon as I glance at it, the solution is already stored in my mind. This sort of thing must be tough for people who aren't so sharp with their memory."
Once bored of playing with the cube, he casually tossed it down toward the base of the tree.
"Sigh. Just wasted a whole year pretending to be a kid. From now on I won't be able to stir up trouble under that excuse anymore." His muttering seemed to express dissatisfaction with his current situation.
This person was none other than Shen Uchiha, the one responsible for forcing Team One to depart earlier than planned. Wearing a Konoha forehead protector and his usual Uchiha coat, he no longer looked as relaxed and idle as he used to.
"I remember that unlucky brat Nawaki supposedly died during the Second Great Ninja War after being blown up by explosive tags. There's definitely something suspicious here. Even without factoring in my arrival granting her knowledge of the Strength of a Hundred Technique, his Senju Clan body shouldn't simply perish like that. Back then, Snake Uncle still genuinely wanted what was best for Konoha, so he probably wouldn't have done anything like that. Then how exactly did Nawaki die?"
"He was found with his internal organs completely emptied out—the corpse absolutely horrifying to behold. That means the hidden mastermind must either be Danzo or Lord Madara."
After thinking it through carefully, Shen narrowed the possibilities down to two. The first one had always coveted the Hokage position, so attacking an impulsive youngster like Nawaki made sense.
As for the second suspect, Madara didn't seem like the type who would activate the Rinnegan just to prevent another Uchiha from obtaining Senju power. After all, without combining Indra's and Asura's chakra, achieving such a transformation should've been fundamentally impossible.
"That can't be right!"
Lord Madara didn't know anything about Indra or Asura. There's no way he would ignore Tsunade, who already had some reputation on the battlefield back then, and go after an arrogant newbie like Otsutsuki Takako. It's even less likely he would do so merely to pursue the next reincarnated vessel of Asura's power.
From this detail about missing internal organs alone, it points strongly toward Danzo. It seems he had already begun studying Hashirama's cells during this period. This could also explain why after the Second Great Ninja War, Tsunade was practically the only capable fighter left among the Senju.
After Shen came up with a chilling theory, his gaze gradually sharpened. The corruption within Konoha's higher-ups forced him to become vigilant.
"Shen Uchiha, you're definitely dead meat this time! Uncle Hokage specifically told us to punish you properly in his place!"
Nawaki shouted loudly from below—truly a case of "speak of the devil."
Unfazed by these words, Shen stood up with his back facing Team One. His upright posture was noticeably different from his usual laid-back attitude.
"Let's begin. I've been waiting for you guys... a long time."
"!!!" x3
Nayou smiled gently as she let go of her earlier hesitation — she recognized that familiar aura in him because she knew that Shen, who once declared his intention to search for a true path toward peace, had returned.
Although Orochimaru and Nawaki couldn't put their finger on what changed, both sensed an undeniable sense of pressure emanating from his back.
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