Mid-July, Konoha Year 32.
Shen, who had been bedridden for more than half a month, finally regained the ability to move around.
His newly grown skin was smooth and pink, and with his freshly styled, ultra-realistic curly hair combined with his delicate little face, he easily overshadowed Orochimaru and could directly take the title of Konoha's Village Flower!
"I'm a boy!" Shen protested to the nurse while Nawaki laughed at him.
He couldn't stand being there even for a moment longer, so he completed all the discharge procedures in the morning and then stormed furiously into the Hokage Tower.
Bursting through the office door, Shen got straight to the point: "Third, I'm here for my reward!"
The Third Hokage, buried under piles of paperwork, reflexively stood up in surprise: "You're already out of the hospital?"
Over the past half month, this was only his second visit to Konoha Hospital, and yet again he hadn't even settled into his seat before being asked for rewards.
"I've bled for Konoha! I've fought for Konoha! Third, you can't just ignore that and walk away!"
Originally hoping to just endure it in silence, he immediately pulled a classic urination escape as soon as he heard that.
Reward? Knowing these two, they probably conspired together to pull off some elaborate scheme!
Smiling innocently, Shen activated the [Konoha Office Flow Desktop Cleaning Jutsu], then sat down opposite the Hokage: "Not much, really. Just give me any minor position."
"Out, out, out! Since when has there ever been a precedent for a 12-year-old holding an official post in the village?" The Third looked up at the ceiling, determined to brush the matter aside.
"How about working as a cleaner here at Hokage Tower? [Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet]? [Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique]? Or—"
Upon hearing those dozen or so high-powered water techniques, the old man felt his whole body cringe: "Stop, stop, don't say any more!"
"Then what can I do?" Shen grinned innocently.
The Third rubbed his temples, frowning deeply.
No way could he be placed in anything important. Putting him in a smaller department would likely end with him coming back to complain within days anyway. And if placed somewhere that sounded impressive but was actually insignificant? Well, that wouldn't last long either.
While struggling internally, the old Hokage suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.
"I've decided—Shen, you'll serve as Anbu instructor, specifically teaching them Elemental Chakra Mode!"
"Huh?" Shen was instantly covered in question marks.
As the very inventor of this mode, at age twelve, holding such a position wasn't unreasonable at all.
But teaching the Anbu? That definitely sounded interesting.
The Anbu, as the direct subordinate unit of the Hokage, always wielded considerable power within Konoha.
They weren't quite at the level of shooting first and asking questions later, but to some extent, they did represent the Hokage's will.
This decision by the Third was truly clever—it would enhance the overall strength of the Anbu while skillfully using this valuable human resource as an excuse to ensure Shen willingly devoted himself fully to training them.
"You sly old fox!" Shen smiled darkly after figuring it all out.
"Do you find this reward satisfactory, old man?"
The Third Hokage responded with an equally sinister smile.
"Fine. In a few years, the Anbu will be mine anyway. Don't regret this when that day comes, old man."
"If you really have that ability, I'll pretend I saw nothing."
"You'll see soon enough."
"I certainly will."
"Ahhhahahaha!"
The old man and the young one both laughed increasingly audaciously.
After calming their emotions, the Third Hokage made a request: "I need your help regarding sealing techniques."
"What?" Shen was puzzled—why bring this up after negotiations?
"Concerning tailed beast sealing, can you modify the backdoor so it can be opened or closed at the jinchuriki's will?"
As soon as he heard this barely-veiled sentence, Shen immediately understood—the current Nine-Tails jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki, probably wouldn't last much longer.
Originally, her health should have started deteriorating years ago.
But because of Shen's arrival, changing the fate of the Uzumaki clan, she had been able to hold on until now before symptoms appeared.
While diverting the timeline into unknown territory, ultimately, Mito's worsening physical condition remained unchanged.
It was only after the Uzumaki clan's destruction—when Konoha could do nothing to stop it—that Kushina Uzumaki was brought here to inherit the Nine-Tails, becoming a jinchuriki suffering daily from negative emotions.
It wasn't just because of their bloodline or personality that Mito Uzumaki, Kushina Uzumaki, and Naruto didn't go feral like other jinchuriki.
"In the original storyline, Mito lasted about eight to ten years. Three years? No, maybe just two—I can develop the new sealing technique by then."
Thinking about how jinchuriki couldn't freely enter or leave Konoha, Shen decided to extend the time as much as possible. "Alright, I agree."
"What kind of outrageous demand are you going to make?" The Third believed this person would definitely ask for something outrageous.
Jinchuriki? That's not exactly something you come across every day! Throughout the entire shinobi world, there were only nine tailed beasts. If someone didn't take advantage of this opportunity to gain benefits, the Third thought they must be crazy.
"No conditions whatsoever. Just don't blame me later if the results aren't satisfactory." Shen gave up whatever rewards he might've asked for—all so Kushina could have a little more happiness in her life.
From the moment they became a jinchuriki, that person's life would become filled with tragedy.
What about Naruto? He lost his parents, his mentor, and even his friend Sasuke—who once screamed that he wanted to kill him and break all ties with him.
Original Kushina and Mito had it even worse; their entire clans were wiped out. One died together with her husband, while the other spent twenty years in widowhood.
Even Gaara and Killer Bee, who people called the 'perfect jinchuriki,' had incredibly tragic childhoods.
As for the others—well, even the ones treated the best were eventually drained completely, only to be brought back by [Impure World Reincarnation], forced to attack the very people they once fought beside.
Even the very first jinchuriki, the Sage of Six Paths Hagoromo otsutsuki himself, had to face his two sons loving yet killing each other for thousands of years, all while guarding against his mother Kaguya's resurrection.
In one word: being a jinchuriki is nothing but a misery contest!
"What sneaky trick are you planning now?"
The Third never truly believed he would willingly give up his rightful benefits.
Shen quickly came up with a reason and firmly declared, "Granny Mito has worked hard for the village for over twenty years. As one of Konoha's shinobi, I must do everything possible to keep her here. We cannot allow the Jinchuriki to become a symbol of tragedy."
"!!!" The Third Hokage's eyes widened as he stared directly at him.
After a long pause, the Hokage narrowed his eyes and laughed loudly. "Haha! Who'd have thought you'd already be thinking this way? This old man really didn't waste his time training you!"
"Pfft, dream on, old geezer! You're not training me at all—you're always just finding ways to screw me over," Shen spat out contemptuously, completely disgusted by the other's shameless self-praise.
"Hah... cough cough..." The Third began laughing but was cut short, nearly choking on his own words.
He finally understood there wasn't a single kind word he'd ever hear from Shen.
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