Shen wore a satisfied smile as he took the camera, fully intending to destroy it on the spot.
"Give it to me," Nayou said calmly, the moment his hands reached for it.
"What?!" Baffled, Shen had no choice but to hand the camera over with both hands.
He didn't care what she wanted it for. He'd been too tired earlier, and that whole incident where the Third Hokage secretly took pictures hadn't even been settled yet.
Thinking back on it, this was all really Shen's fault—if he hadn't fallen asleep, this evidence wouldn't exist at all.
If only he'd kept his wits about him, none of this would've come to pass.
Nayou took the camera without even glancing at it and placed it into a pendant shaped like the Eight Trigrams symbol.
The Third Hokage's mouth twitched slightly.
He knew there was something off about that thing. Never expected it actually had storage capabilities.
"Don't even think about it, old man," Shen sternly warned again. "This is a precious gift given only to friends I personally approve of. There's no way I'm ever bowing to evil forces."
The Third Hokage's expression twisted further. In his eyes, the Konoha Troublemaker was nothing but a petty miser—he'd helped settle so many problems, yet wouldn't even share something worthwhile in return.
"Forget it. Right now, we're not close at all, and when have you even helped me?" Shen analyzed from subtle facial expressions and figured out exactly what the other person was thinking.
The Third Hokage widened his eyes, disbelieving. "How could you possibly know what I'm thinking?"
Standing tall with his hands behind his back, Shen gave off the aura of a wise sage. "I am one who knows all things. Call me Shen Banshen—Shen Uchiha, the Uchiha Sage."
Two blank stares came from Nayou and the Third Hokage. Clearly, they both thought he was spouting nonsense—and gave him looks dripping with disdain.
Banshen turned, lifting his head to gaze at the starry night sky. "Vast heaven and earth, never reaching their end; sun and moon cycle endlessly through time."
"!!!" This cryptic-sounding line startled the two who had just been mocking him.
"Vast heaven and earth, never reaching their end; sun and moon cycle endlessly through time." The Third Hokage repeated it softly, then his eyes lit up. "Marvelous! These sixteen words capture perfectly the beginning and ending of all things in this world!"
Nayou leapt ahead in interpretation: "So does that mean war and peace in this world are locked in an eternal cycle? Could it suggest that the unending conflicts in the shinobi world will one day finally cease?"
Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Shen regained his composure and resumed in his usual tone, "Yes, peace is indeed the endpoint of war."
"But war is also the endpoint of peace," added the Third Hokage thoughtfully. It seemed like Konoha's peace might soon be coming to an end.
Shen, realizing he'd overdone the wise act, had only said those words to sound profound. Now he found himself trapped with nowhere to back down.
To keep up the reputation of Shen Banshen, he forced himself to add another line: "Heaven's decree hides in this pursuit; rise and fall follow fated course. Ten thousand tales untold—no need to seek fate, better just retire."
"Incredible! Absolutely brilliant!" For a fleeting moment, the Third Hokage appeared to grasp some profound truth.
That's just going with the flow of things. Don't think too hard—time will show people the truth eventually.
Seeing this, Shen Banshen secretly exhaled in relief.
He had finally managed to keep this identity intact.
"Shen, why did you mention pushing backs?" Nayou couldn't figure it out.
"It's a metaphor, telling people to let everything go as it is." As someone who had transmigrated, Shen naturally knew where this phrase came from.
Regarding the "Tui Bei Tu" passed down by ancient Chinese masters, some interpretations amazed him greatly.
Even without considering how wildly imaginative its predictions stretched thousands of years into the future, merely various annotated versions alone had already impressed him with the wisdom of ancient people.
As for whether these contents were actually true or false—that could only be confirmed by asking Yuan Tian Gang himself.
"Shen, how do you think the conflicts between different clans should be resolved?" The Third Hokage asked unintentionally.
"Hmm?" Returning to his normal self, Shen quickly pondered: "What is the Third trying to accomplish by asking this? Oh right, the clan leader meeting must have been discussing exactly this matter."
Observing Shen lost deep in thought for quite some time, the Third felt as if he'd just been played: "You rascal—you were probably making fun of me just now."
After understanding everything completely, Shen expressionlessly drew out the Chakra Channeling Blade, unsheathed it, and placed the blade against Nayou's neck. "Nayou, why didn't you dodge?"
Feeling the cold touch at her throat, Nayou answered without hesitation: "Because I trust you—I believe you won't hurt me."
"Thank you for trusting me," Shen said while sheathing the Chakra Channeling Blade again. Then he turned to the Third Hokage and asked, "Uncle Hokage, do you know why I became friends with Nayou?"
"Maybe because your interests aligned?"
"Nope. Our personalities and hobbies are completely different. You should know that already, Uncle Hokage."
"In that case, then why?"
Shen gave an unexpected answer: "Respect."
"!!!" The Third suddenly understood.
He now realized that the root cause behind mutual distrust among major clans was the lack of respect.
The rules of human interaction apply just the same when applied to entire clans.
Once walls around every major clan's compound were torn down entirely, removing any caution toward other citizens of Konoha, trust would gradually emerge over time.
Afterward, ideologies and rules from each clan could coexist harmoniously.
Because by then—respect would already have developed.
[Naruto world politics really are a total mess—let's just use our main character to keep Konoha stable for now.]
To truly understand the suffering of the world—and the pain of others—that is the real theme of this world.
Understanding this deeply, Pain in the future silently took it upon himself to carry sack after sack of rice up flights of stairs—the number of flights depended entirely on his mood at the time.
The enlightened Third Hokage's eyes sparkled. He felt confident that within one or two years, he could convince all the heads of major clans and tear down every wall standing between them and the rest of Konoha.
"Uncle Hokage, I've got a method that can demolish all these walls in the shortest possible time!"
Shen wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip through his fingers.
Tomorrow's clan leader meeting would resume, and those powerful families whose heads were unavailable would have no choice but to let Konoha's Troublemaker take control.
On hearing the plan, the Third Hokage looked visibly torn.
The plan itself had no flaws whatsoever—it could even be completed smoothly within that very day.
It was just that he had serious doubts about the man's sense of integrity.
"I, Shen Uchiha, have long since moved past middle-class tastes. I promise you, I'll handle everything flawlessly!" Konoha's Troublemaker immediately took an oath, vowing there'd be no issues whatsoever tomorrow.
"Fine," The Third Hokage reluctantly agreed, a chill running down his spine as he silently resolved: should anything major indeed happen tomorrow, he'd be the first to intervene—and personally deal with Konoha's Troublemaker.
Visit the official website of [ReadingPal]: www.kanshuzhushou.com – enjoy millions of popular books completely free, forever and ad-free!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>